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Tanner Buchanan, Peyton List, Jacob Bertrand, Mary Mouser and Gianni DeCenzo reveal who they would pick as their ultimate Sekai Taikai squads.

Over 1,000 flights have been cancelled, with others delayed, following a global Windows outage, reportedly caused by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike on Friday.

As computer systems crashed around the world, people not only came face to face with Microsoft's BSOD (the "blue screen of death") but businesses including airlines saw their systems go down. Reports of delays at airports from Los Angeles to Bangkok, London to Hong Kong, Mumbai to Madrid, Singapore to Melbourne, Berlin and more are pouring in on social media and through direct messages from the airlines.

SEE ALSO: CrowdStrike outage impacting flights globally. See the latest.

While Microsoft and CrowdStrike have acknowledged the outage and are reportedly working on it, there's the colossal issue of thousands of travellers wondering whether their flight has been cancelled or not.

The official X (formerly Twitter) account of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration posted on Friday morning it was "closely monitoring a technical issue impacting IT systems at U.S. airlines" and suggested people monitor the FAA's website for updates.

Tweet may have been deleted

Here's a list of affected airlines and their latest update. Check your email for any direct updates from the airline.

Which airlines are grounding flights today for the Microsoft outage?Aegean Airlines

Greek airline Aegean posted on X on Friday saying the airline was relatively unaffected, however "due to the problems affecting the global chain and support systems, certain services on our site have been affected. Additionally, our flights to airports whose operations have been impacted may be subject to changes. Our passengers can be informed through all official company channels."

Tweet may have been deleted Air France

France's major airline posted on X on Friday, "Following a global IT issue notably affecting several airlines and airports around the world, our operations are disrupted. Flights already en route are not affected. Access to the Customer relations call centers may however be disrupted. The Air France app and the http://AirFrance.com websites work normally."

Tweet may have been deleted Allegiant

CNN and the New York Times reported U.S. airline Allegiant has warned of problems with check-ins, bookings and boarding passes, however there are no statements from the airline on social media.

Akasa Airlines

Indian budget airline Akasa Airlines reported issues on Friday morning on X. "Due to infrastructure issues with our service provider, some of our online services, including booking, check-in and manage booking services will be temporarily unavailable. Currently we are following manual check-in and boarding processes at the airports and hence request passengers with immediate travel plans to reach the airport early to check-in at our counters."

Tweet may have been deleted American Airlines

American Airlines posted on X on Friday morning of "a technical issue with a vendor impacted multiple carriers, including American. As of 5:00 a.m. ET, we have been able to safely re-establish our operation."

Tweet may have been deleted Binter

Spanish airline Binter posted an update on Friday morning on X, flagging information from airport operator Aena in the post. "A worldwide technical incident is affecting all airport systems. According to information from AENA, all airports are operational, but in some processes they operate more slowly. If you are going to fly today, check the status of your flight."

Tweet may have been deleted Delta

At 3:54 a.m. ET, U.S. airline Delta posted a statement on its website reading, "All Delta flights are paused as we work through a vendor technology issue.

"Any customers whose flights are impacted will be notified by Delta via the Fly Delta app and text message. Customers should use the Fly Delta app for updates."

Frontier

U.S. budget airline Frontier briefly grounded its flights on Friday morning but lifted the pause 35 minutes later, according to the New York Times. The airline posted on X, "Our systems are currently impacted by a Microsoft outage, which is also affecting other companies. During this time booking, check-in, access to your boarding pass, and some flights may be impacted."

Tweet may have been deleted IndiGo

Indian budget airline IndiGo posted on X on Friday of "a network-wide issue with Microsoft Azure, causing delays at airports. Check-ins may be slower and queues longer."

Tweet may have been deleted Jetstar

Australian budget airline Jetstar posted on X on Friday it was "currently impacted by a global software issue that’s impacted airlines and other businesses around the world. We’re working with our providers to resolve the issues as quickly as possible."

Tweet may have been deleted

In a statement on Jetstar's website, the airline wrote in more detail:

"As a result of the outage, all Jetstar Airways flights have been cancelled until 2am local time Saturday 20 July. The IT outage is impacting multiple Jetstar systems, including the system we use to contact customers and we sincerely apologise for the frustration this is causing," the statement reads.

"Our teams are working on recovery options and we will contact customers with updates as soon as our systems are back online. If you’re due to travel today or tomorrow, but no longer wish to travel, we’re offering free moves (+7 days from date of travel) or voucher refunds. Please contact us via LiveChat to discuss your options."

KLM

Dutch airline KLM posted on X it had been one of the airlines "affected by a global computer outage, making flight handling impossible. We realise that this is very inconvenient for our customers and staff, particularly in the midst of the summer holiday season. We’re working hard to resolve the problem. Until then, we will have to largely suspend operations."

Tweet may have been deleted Qantas

Australian airline Qantas announced flight issues on Friday and pointed travellers to the website, posting on X, "Some Qantas flights have been delayed due to a global software outage that has impacted airlines and other businesses around the world. We're working with our providers to resolve the issues and get our customers on their way as quickly as possible.

Tweet may have been deleted Ryanair

European budget airline Ryanair also posted an update on Friday morning to travellers letting them know of service disruption and advising that those checked in could still access their boarding passes.

Credit: Rachel Thompson / Mashable

"We’re currently experiencing disruption across the network due to a Global 3rd party IT outage which is out of our control. We advise all passengers to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before their scheduled departure time," the airline tweeted. If you're due to travel today and have not already checked-in for your flight, you can do so at the airport."

Tweet may have been deleted Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines posted on X on Friday that "services at the ION service centre in Singapore and our reservation hotlines are currently experiencing technical issues due to a global IT system outage. There is currently no impact on SIA flights, which are operating as scheduled." A few hours later, the airline tweeted that the services and phone lines "are now back to normal."

"Customers who wish to make a new flight booking or amend an existing flight booking are advised to do so via the SIA website or SingaporeAir mobile app," the first post recommended.

Tweet may have been deleted SpiceJet

Indian airline Spicejet posted on X of the outage, and it was "ensuring that all its flights scheduled for today will depart. We are working closely with airports and relevant authorities to minimize disruptions and ensure the safety and comfort of our passengers."

Tweet may have been deleted Sun Country

Sun Country posted on X on Friday morning, "One of our information vendors is experiencing a global outage affecting multiple airlines. As a result, some of our services are temporarily unavailable."

Tweet may have been deleted Swiss International

Swiss International Air Lines posted on X of "flight operations are affected due to IT disruptions at partner organizations and air traffic control" and directed passengers to the website to check flight status.

Tweet may have been deleted TAP Air Portugal

Portugal's TAP Air posted on X on Friday of the outage, writing, "TAP alerts its Customers to possible consequences of this situation on air traffic and airports."

Tweet may have been deleted Turkish Airlines

Turkey's major airline tweeted news of cancelled flights on Friday morning and directed travellers to the Turkish Airlines website to check flight status: "Due to the global technical issue, some of our flights have been canceled. Our passengers can follow the status of the flights via our website and mobile application."

Tweet may have been deleted United

U.S. airline United Airlines posted that "some flights are resuming" after the outage caused delays, and the company had "issued a waiver to make it easier to change your travel plans at http://United.com or the United app".

Tweet may have been deleted Vueling

Spanish budget airline Vueling posted on Friday on X of the outages and directed passengers to the website to check their flights, "We inform you that, due to the global outage of computer systems, our operations are being affected. We are working to minimize the impact on our customers. If your flight is affected, we will inform you by email...We recommend not going to the airport in case of cancellation and waiting to receive all the information by email."

Tweet may have been deleted Wizz Air

European airline Wizz Air posted on X urging customers to arrive three hours early at the airport, though systems appear working.

Tweet may have been deleted Which airports are totally closed?

While most airports are still open, just experiencing major delays, there are some that have completely or partially closed in the U.S. including Boston Logan International Airport, Aspen Airport, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, and more. You can keep track of airport closures through the FAA's website.

When will flights resume?

While we don't know exactly when the flights will resume, it seems a few have already seen operations back on track. We'll update the above airlines when more information is available, and you might get direct emails from the airline if you're a passenger.

This story is developing...

A global Windows outage, reportedly caused by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, has impacted businesses including airlines, health services, banks, media broadcasters, schools, and supermarkets, among others.

Not just a worldwide Blue Screen of Death for Windows users, the crash has seen over 1,000 flights cancelled, the BBC reports, citing aviation analytics firm Cirium. Reports of delays at airports from Bangkok to Los Angeles, London to Berlin, Barcelona and more are pouring in.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft outage: What is CrowdStrike and why users are getting Windows blue screens Travellers wait at a check-in counter at Berlin Airport on Friday. Credit: Sean Gallup / Getty Images

The official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Federal Aviation Administration posted it was "closely monitoring a technical issue impacting IT systems at U.S. airlines" and suggested people monitor the FAA's website for updates.

Tweet may have been deleted

American Airlines posted on X on Friday morning of "a technical issue with a vendor impacted multiple carriers, including American. As of 5:00 a.m. ET, we have been able to safely re-establish our operation."

Tweet may have been deleted

United Airlines posted that "some flights are resuming" after the outage caused delays, and the company had "issued a waiver to make it easier to change your travel plans at http://United.com or the United app".

Tweet may have been deleted

European budget airline Ryanair also posted an update on Friday morning to travellers letting them know of service disruption and advising that those checked in could still access their boarding passes.

Credit: Rachel Thompson / Mashable

Reports of handwritten tickets, long waits, and technical difficulties have been circulating on social media.

Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

Air traffic tracking company Flightradar is currently posting flight info on X.

Tweet may have been deleted

Meanwhile, other major services worldwide have been affected by the outage. UK's National Health Service was also affected, declared a "regional incident" with affected services including the NHS app and GPs. Emergency services continue to be available.

Train services in the UK including Southern Railway were also affected by the outage.

Tweet may have been deleted

The issue is reported as related to CrowdStrike's Falcon Sensor, software designed to prevent cyber attacks.

"CrowdStrike is aware of reports of crashes on Windows hosts related to the Falcon Sensor," the cybersecurity company wrote in an alert confirming the outage at 1:30 a.m. ET on Friday. Just before 6 a.m. ET, the company issued another statement, per the BBC:

"Crowdstrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website. We further recommend organisations ensure they’re communicating with Crowdstrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilised to ensure the security and stability of Crowdstrike customers."

"We're aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to an update from a third-party software platform. We anticipate a resolution is forthcoming," a Microsoft spokesperson told the BBC on Friday.

This story is developing...

Everything from airlines to banks to retailers were impacted in many countries.

Numerous Windows PCs and computer systems across the world are down, affecting businesses like airlines, supermarkets, broadcasters, software providers, and more.

The issue stems from a faulty update in the Falcon Sensor software from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, and it's causing BSOD – the "blue screen of death" – for a lot of people.

SEE ALSO: Windows PCs crashing worldwide due to CrowdStrike issue SEE ALSO: CrowdStrike outage impacting flights globally. See the latest.

Initially, the outage was only mentioned in a CrowdStrike update to customers, with both CrowdStrike, and Microsoft -- whose Windows systems are the ones affected -- staying silent on the matter. Now, both companies have acknowledged the issue.

"We're aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to an update from a third-party software platform. We anticipate a resolution is forthcoming," a Microsoft spokesperson told the BBC.

"Crowdstrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed," CrowdStrike said in a statement to BBC.

SEE ALSO: CrowdStrike outage impacting flights globally. See the latest.

"We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website. We further recommend organisations ensure they’re communicating with Crowdstrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilised to ensure the security and stability of Crowdstrike customers," the company said.

George Kurtz, the President & CEO of CrowdStrike, also issued the following statement on X:

"CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website. We further recommend organizations ensure they’re communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilized to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers."

Bring out your Blue Screens of Death — you're in good (and cursed) company.

If you're a Windows user, you may have come face to face with Microsoft's dreaded blue error message, often referred to as the acronym BSOD. Microsoft introduced it in Windows 3.0 in 1990, and it's been a dastardly rampallion ever since — most recently rearing its cerulean maw in a global Windows outage.

SEE ALSO: CrowdStrike announces Microsoft outage workaround. How to deal with the Blue Screen of Death.

But what exactly is a BSOD, and what can you do about it? We're here to help, so you don't have to gaze into the azure abyss for long.

What is a Blue Screen of Death?

The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is an error message that appears when something goes awry on Windows devices, with the details described on a bright blue background — a hue that will send you straight into seven circles of Hell. Your computer might shut down or restart, or remain on the BSOD.

Microsoft added the wicked, lazuline error screen over 30 years ago, and it's plagued Windows users ever since (we'll forget about that time Microsoft temporarily made the background black in 2021). As Mashable's Stan Schroeder writes, "When a serious error stops Windows from working, a blue screen appears, detailing what happened and driving users crazy as it typically shows up at the worst possible moment."

Why are people suddenly talking about BSODs a lot today?

There's been a global Windows outage, reportedly caused by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, prompting a wave of BSODs on Windows PCs and a haze of bright blue chaos.

What can I do to fix a BSOD?

If you're specifically looking for a BSOD fix related to the CrowdStrike issue, we've got a whole guide here for you.

If you're reading this at a time when it's not a CrowdStrike issue, there's a few options. BSODs can be caused by software or hardware issues, so this could vary from device to device. Plus, it might be malware, so make sure you've got yourself covered.

1. Have you tried turning it off and on again?

Your IT department will thank you for trying this first. Simply restart your computer in Safe Mode to see if it fixes the issue (when signing back into Windows, press and hold Shift at the sign-in screen while selecting Power then Restart).

Make sure all hard drives are disconnected too.

1. Try the "Get Help" app.

Microsoft recommends opening the "Get Help" app. When you're in there, type "Troubleshoot BSOD error" in the search bar for a walkthrough.

1. Try the Microsoft support page.

Pop over to support.microsoft.com/windows (on a device that isn't showing the BSOD) to see if you can find some answers. You can also try contacting Microsoft Support.

1. Check the "stop code"

Your issue might depend on the "stop code" appearing in the BSOD error message. Microsoft says most stop errors are caused by third-party driver code.

"When Windows encounters a condition that compromises safe system operation, the system stops," a post explains. "Examples include something failing that could compromise security or lead to corruption of the operating system (OS) and/or user data. When the machine stops in order to prevent the operating system from moving forward in these conditions, it is called a bug check (or bugcheck). It is also commonly referred to as a system crash, a kernel error, a blue screen, a blue screen of death (BSOD), or a stop error."

Microsoft has an advanced guide to help if you're seeing a stop code — including how to download the Microsoft Safety Scanner.

Deep breaths, you'll get through this. 💙

“The 2024 internet is just different than the internet we lived on four years ago.”

New research from the Data Provenance Initiative has found a dramatic drop in content made available to the collections used to build artificial intelligence.

Companies like Getty have begun developing A.I. models with their own data, part of a broader push to build artificial intelligence with licensed content.

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Before I saw Twisters, I wondered what merited a sequel to the 1996 smash hit Twister. Surely there's got to be more to it than the box office records smashed by that Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton vehicle, which awed audiences with a compelling ensemble and groundbreaking visual effects — including an iconic flying cow. Perhaps a new angle on the story? A fresh embrace on what natural disasters mean in our current climate crisis? Or a worthwhile spin around the tornadoes with mind-snapping visuals? 

Nope. 

Though Twisters boasts heralded Minari director Lee Isaac Chung, rising stars Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Anthony Ramos, and a big budget that dwarfs that of its predecessor, this disaster film is a wobbly ride that leaves disappointment in its wake. 

Is Twisters a Twister sequel?  Credit: Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Amblin Entertainment

Sure, technically. Do these two movies have any characters in common? No. Does this new one acknowledge the plotline of the 1996 hit? Only in the most cursory of ways. 

Remember the research gadget that Dr. Jo Harding (Hunt) and Bill Harding (Paxton) were trying to send up into a tornado so they could improve weather warning systems? It was named Dorothy, and that device — inspired by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's TOTO (TOtable Tornado Observatory) — pops up here, accompanied by some newfangled tech similarly named after The Wizard of Oz. Otherwise, the script by Mark L. Smith (The Boys in the Boat) steals so heavily from the plot of the previous movie that he owes its screenwriters, Anne-Marie Martin and Michael Crichton, a thank-you card, if not royalties. 

Remember how Twister began with its female storm-chaser's tragic origin story, in which an F5 tornado ripped her farmer father right out of their storm shelter? Well, Twisters takes that plot and applies Scream's slasher rules to it: bigger, deadlier, higher body count.

Weather scientist Kate Cooper (British actress Daisy Edgar-Jones with a very dodgy Southern-ish American accent) is testing her own experimental tech with a batch of colorful friends, all with the hope to "tame the twister!" But just as we get into the groove of this rowdy crew's journey, they all get sucked away from the story, leaving behind a blandly traumatized heroine and her furrow-browed pal Javi (Hamilton's Anthony Ramos in a thankless role). 

Cut to five years later: Kate has given up twister-chasing for a tame life in meteorology. But like Paxton's character in the original, Kate is drawn back for one last job. Just as in Twister, sneering but well-funded scientists are regarded with open hostility, while the scrappy crew using homespun gadgets and instinct are upheld as heroes. Chief among the latter is Hit Man's Glen Powell as Tyler Owens, a YouTube star famous for his cowboy persona and twister-chasing bravado. A romance will inevitably spark between Kate and Tyler, because that's what Hollywood demands.

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell don't click.  Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon / Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Amblin Entertainment

Edgar-Jones won praise for her performance on the BBC drama series Normal People and previously headlined the American mystery movie Where the Crawdads Sing. But here, she's out of her depth. Part of the problem is the script's spin on her backstory makes her tragic tornado more recent, so our heroine is still fairly deep in the throes of grief and survivor's guilt. Kate's nowhere near as plucky or as engaging as Hunt's storm-chaser was in Twister. But even when Kate eventually lightens up — her flirtation with Tyler has her trade her white mock turtlenecks and scowl in for a red T-shirt and clumsy smile —  she still feels like a bore next to the other quirkier chasers. 

Swaggering in a ten-gallon hat and a Tom Cruise grin, Powell better shoulders his heroic duty. As Tyler, he relishes the intensity of the chase and the risks of their DIY doodads, and that joy is contagious. Unfortunately, these thrills are short-lived, for a number of reasons. First, Twisters is burdened with a subplot about survivors left hurt and homeless by the storms, making for a series of scenes that are egregiously maudlin for a summer popcorn movie. Plus, the romantic subplot feels forced, highlighting Tyler's good-guy gestures until it seems like he just wears her down. They're a hard couple to root for. She's dull, and he's aggressively one-note; together, they're a cardboard cutout of a cowboy and the wet blanket who loves him. 

Twisters wastes its best assets.  Credit: Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Amblin Entertainment

Between the sweeping scenes of tornado-related action and the hackneyed romance plotline, there's little sense of Chung's vision as a director. The connections to Minari become clearer in the moments of community, like when Tyler takes Kate to a local rodeo. Footage of strangers crowding into the stands and riders getting ready to take to the arena exude Chung's love for the American South and its people. Likewise, Tyler's rowdy crew of misfits shines with the chaotic but passionate bond seen in Chung's rightfully heralded family drama. 

The character actor lineup in Twister was (and is still) absolutely astonishing. While there were plenty of "That Guy!" faces like Alan Ruck, Joey Slotnick, and Jeremy Davies, the group also included future Academy Award–winner Philip Seymour Hoffman and Todd Field, who would go on to write and direct critically adored dramas like In the Bedroom, Little Children, and Tár. 

To Chung's credit, Twisters is suitably stacked in its own right. Brandon Perea, who played the camera-savvy Angel in Jordan Peele's Nope, plays Tyler's right-hand cameraman, Boone. Sasha Lane, who broke through as the captivating unknown in Andrea Arnold's road trip drama American Honey, brings her exuberance to fearless drone operator Lilly. Tunde Adebimpe (Rachel's Getting Married, She Dies Tomorrow, Spider-Man: Homecoming) manages to deliver the inevitable movie-science exposition with an earnest enthusiasm that is undeniably charming. Katy O'Brian, who elated critics earlier this year as Kristen Stewart's brawny co-lead in the gnarly thriller Love Lies Bleeding, brings her kinetic charisma as mechanic Dani. 

Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon / Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Amblin Entertainment

Elsewhere, Kiernan Shipka and Daryl McCormack (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) entice with their very presence. Unfortunately, they're all given too little screen time. As in the original movie, this ensemble is far from the focus of the film. But unlike Twister, its sequel clearly forgets just how fun it is to watch a band of thrill-seekers do their thing! The hangout vibe of these eccentric storm-chasers has always been a major part of Twister's appeal, whereas Twisters is too eager to flee the party. 

Sure, Twisters throws plenty of storm action at audiences, pitching in fireworks, flames, and even ripping a movie theater to shreds for good measure. But none of this touches down if you don't feel invested in the characters. Edgar-Jones' and Powell's characters are too two-dimensional to hook us. Ramos is kicked to the sidelines with a haphazard sinister business subplot. And the most dynamic characters are treated as little more than window dressing for a plot that's so close to the original Twister I marvel it was (re)made at all. 

In the end, Twisters is big and flashy, but not fun or frightening. There are better movies — even better popcorn movies — out there. So, don't waste your time with this tiresome retread masquerading as a stale sequel. 

Twisters is now in theaters.

Oddity begins with an impossible choice. A woman alone in a remote country house hears a knock at the door. There, a strange man with panic in his stare declares she must let him in. He claims to have seen someone sneak into her home, and tells her she is not safe. She doesn't have her phone with her. And was the creak upstairs an intruder? Or just an old house settling? Dare she stay inside with an unknown threat? Or go outside with a disheveled stranger whose presence is as alarming as his appearance? 

Writer/director Damian McCarthy hooks viewers from the start with this scary scenario. But then he takes a radical turn. Instead of following this poor woman named Dani (Carolyn Bracken) through a night of terror and threat, he leaps to a full year later, where her sister Darcy (also played by Bracken), a blind medium who owns an oddity shop, is seeking to understand exactly what did go down that terrible night. (Spoiler: It was nothing good.) 

SEE ALSO: 'Oddity's Damian McCarthy reveals the origins of his Wooden Man

This nonchalant temporal leap pitches viewers off-balance, like when a roller coaster abruptly tilts to the side, precise and perturbing. As he did with his stellar feature directorial debut, 2021's Caveat, McCarthy doesn't play by the cliched rules of horror. So, a slasher setup spins into a tale of ghosts, witchcraft, a murder investigation, and grim vengeance. Atmospheric and unpredictable, Oddity is a rare treasure. 

What's Oddity about?  Credit: Courtesy of Colm Hogan / IFC and Shudder

The main thrust of the plot follows Darcy as she intrudes on the renovated home of her sister and the renovated life of Dani's uptight widower, Ted (Gwilym Lee), and his new girlfriend, Yana (Caroline Menton). On the one-year anniversary of Dani's death, Darcy pays an unexpected visit and brings an unusual family heirloom. As in Caveat, a creepy handmade figure plays a central role in McCarthy's haunted house tale. There, it was a festering rabbit toy that banged cymbals. (Eagle-eyed viewers might spot it on display in Darcy's shop!) In Oddity, the creepy craft is a full-sized man, carved out of wood, his mouth agape in a silent scream.

Understandably, Ted isn't keen to keep this eerie thing around. But he's got work at the asylum to get back to, so he awkwardly excuses himself, leaving his flustered girlfriend home alone with Darcy and her demented bauble. It's not long before unnerving things begin to happen around the house. Is Dani's ghost haunting the place? Is Darcy toying with this surviving couple out of a twisted sense of retribution for so swiftly moving on? Is the wooden man really moving on his own? As magic and mental illness play a part of the story, anything is possible, which is precisely what makes Oddity so thrilling. 

Damian McCarthy builds an expanding horror universe with Oddity.  Credit: Courtesy of Colm Hogan / IFC and Shudder

Nods to Caveat aside, the stranger at the door is named Olin Boole (Tadhg Murphy), a fellow with a prosthetic eye and a tragic backstory that was unfurled in McCarthy's short film "How Olin Lost His Eye." Beyond a crossover of props and characters that may not be explicitly bound, McCarthy is brewing a brand of horror that's mind-bending, menacing, and so putrid with decay you can practically smell the rot. Like poor Dani, the hero of Caveat (played by Jonathan French, who also pops up in Oddity) was also put in a curious position at the film's start: a job offer that might seem bizarre, but is desperately needed. So what's a set of shackles between paychecks? 

In Oddity, rather than a house in ruins, Dani's home is a historic old home being carefully renovated. A collision of coarse stone walls and modern paintings pinned upon them shows not only the contrast of old and new, but also the past of Dani colliding with the present of Yana, her youthful, smirking replacement. McCarthy smartly accentuates this dynamic in his use of color. Cool tones like the blue-grey stone or Yana's shiny navy blouse present a world of seeming civility, entitlement, and order. But splashes of stark red blood or the bright yellow of the pup tent in which Dani once slept stand out, driving home the dissonance of random acts of violence in this supposedly reasonable world. There's an elegance amid this eeriness, even in the design of the wooden golem, plugged up with bobs of blood, hair, and family photos. He is at once gorgeous and horrific; clearly static, yet so lifelike that when Yana irreverently pokes her hand into his open mouth, your body may well rattle with the anticipatory fear of a gnarly bite!

Every twisted turn is smoothly made, thanks not only to McCarthy's skill in honing tone, but also courtesy of an ensemble cast that delivers performances grounded yet edged with intensity. Pulling double duty, Bracken gracefully switches from the easy-breezy Dani to the dubious Darcy, her physicality growing tighter as her broad smile tightens to sharp grin. Lee brings surly irritation as the widower, playing Ted like a pretentious schoolmaster tired of lecturing children that there are no monsters under their beds. Murphy and French fold in layers of fear and panic in small but pivotal roles, while Menton delivers a sophisticated snottiness that makes her a sharp foil to the scheming Darcy. All in all, it's a cast of characters at each others' throats, and utterly mesmerizing. 

Oddity is a savage original. Credit: Courtesy of Colm Hogan / IFC and Shudder

Incredibly, McCarthy weaves in elements of many horror genres. The remote setting and ghostly possibilities lean into haunted house territory. But Darcy's wooden man was made by a witch (so she says), skewing the plot into dark magic. Dani's sequence, with its isolation, intrusion, and bloody result, plays out like a slasher. Then, the central conflict between the could-be newlyweds and Darcy strums at the core of folk horror, in which educated city folk come to a rural village and sneer at believers (Darcy) and superstition to their detriment. Yet Oddity does not feel like a pastiche. Instead, 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. 

Watching Oddity, I briefly worried there's no way the movie could maintain this ferocious momentum. It's not that the film is frantically paced, more that it strides. When McCarthy sets up a familiar beat, he knows you know what will come next. A woman alone in a big, spooky house will be attacked. A sister-in-law discouraged from dropping by absolutely will at a most inopportune time. And by moving to these beats so quickly, McCarthy leaves us no room to breathe or anticipate where the story will swerve next.

Other filmmakers might have us slog through a trilogy for all the story he weaves into one 98-minute film. Soon, the focus is not so much about who killed Dani, but how Darcy's quest for understanding will play out for anyone remotely involved. And the ending — I'm elated to report — is as sick as it is satisfying. Not just because of how this plot unravels, but also because of how McCarthy, after racing us around timelines and subgenres, takes his time to deliver a final beat that brings a major blow. 

In a word, Oddity is awesome. 

Oddity opens in theaters July 19.

UPDATE: Jul. 18, 2024, 2:05 p.m. EDT This review was first published on March 9, 2024, as part of Mashable's SXSW 2024 coverage. It has since been updated to reflect its theatrical premiere date and ticketing options.

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 July 19 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for July 19

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, July 19, 2024:

Across"Blue Ribbon" brewery

• The answer is Pabst.

Put at ease, as fears

• The answer is allay.

Sound heard at a ramen restaurant

• The answer is slurp.

Slight trace of color

• The answer is tinge.

Starts a pot, in poker

• The answer is antes.

DownPopular meal the night before a marathon

• The answer is pasta.

100% committed

• The answer is allin.

Untactful to a fault

• The answer is blunt.

Boot camp boss, informally

• The answer is sarge.

Goes tap-tap-tap in a texting app

• The answer is types.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Windows computers around the world are being hit by the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) thanks to an outage caused by services provided by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. The issue has impacted everyone from banks to airlines, with flights grounded, grocery carts abandoned, and productivity even lower than usual for a Friday.

Fortunately, CrowdStrike has since announced at 2:30 a.m. ET that it has identified the update causing the issue and rolled it back. The company also offered a workaround for anyone having problems:

1. "Boot Windows into Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment

2. "Navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike directory

3. "Locate the file matching 'C-0000029*.sys', and delete it.

4. "Boot the host normally."

Of course, having to do this for every single computer in multiple companies across the globe is still likely to take some time.

Windows PCs all around the world are crashing, and it's getting uglier fast.

The issue is due to a issue with CrowdStrike's Falcon Sensor software, and it's spreading in unpredictable ways. But what is CrowdStrike? What's a "blue screen of death"? And how worried should Windows PC owners be? Here's what you need to know.

What is CrowdStrike, and what is Falcon Sensor?

CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity company, and Falcon Sensor is software designed to prevent computer systems from cyber attacks. Earlier this morning, on July 19, the company warned its users that Windows systems are "experiencing a bugcheck/blue screen error related to the Falcon Sensor," and said that its engineering teams are "actively working to resolve this issue."

Apparently, an update to the Falcon software is what caused the issue; the company rolled back the update but numerous machines are still affected.

What's a blue screen of death?

If you've been so fortunate to never see a blue screen of death, it is a type of critical error on Windows PCs which essentially halts whatever the computer's been doing and displays an error report on a blue screen.

How widespread is this issue?

CrowdStrike's software is popular and widely used, and as a result, there are numerous outages across platforms including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft 365, Azure, Instagram, eBay, Visa, and AT&T. Downdetector is a good place to check which services are having issues. (Full disclosure: Downdetector is owned by Mashable's parent company, ZiffDavis.)

The problems are widespread enough to have caused some airlines, including Delta, American, RyanAir, and United Airlines, being grounded due to communications issues, apparently related to the outage.

Sky News was unable to broadcast live TV early on Friday, also apparently due to this problem.

Tweet may have been deleted

Even electronic payment systems in some supermarkets are down, rendering people unable to pay for groceries.

What should I do?

CrowdStrike software is typically maintained by the company's system administrator. For most users experiencing problems, this means that they should probably report the issue to their system admin and wait for resolution.

In a notice to users, CrowdStrike said that there is no need to open a support ticket with CrowdStrike as the company's engineers are aware of the issue and are actively working on it.

For support from CrowdStrike, users can go to the company's Support Portal over at supportportal.crowdstrike.com/s.

There's also an active discussion on Reddit, where system admins are sharing their experiences while trying to resolve the issue.

If you're eager to try to fix the issue yourself, here's a workaround:

1. "Boot Windows into Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment

2. "Navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike directory

3. "Locate the file matching 'C-0000029*.sys', and delete it.

4. "Boot the host normally."

Developing...

Google is the king of leaks, there can be no doubt about it. The company's upcoming phones are often extensively leaked weeks or months before launch, and Google typically responds by revealing the phones early, announcement dates be damned.

Sure enough, it happened this year as well with the Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Even though the two upcoming smartphones are scheduled to be unveiled on August 13, Google revealed their design in a pair of brief teaser videos.

The videos are focused on Google's AI assistant Gemini, but are clearly labeled "Introducing the Google Pixel 9 Pro" and "Introducing the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold," both giving us a glimpse at the upcoming phones near the end of the video.

In the first video, we see the Pixel 9 Pro's humongous, oval camera island with three lenses on the back, while the 9 Pro Fold sports a slightly shorter but double-stacked camera bump instead.

Google also followed up with another teaser, this time on the Google Store, which has a new landing page for the Pixels with images of the two phones, revealing even more details. The Fold is more interesting of the two reveals, as it also shows a redesigned hinge, flatter edges, as well as narrower bezels all around. The new Fold definitely looks to be a big improvement compared to the old Pixel Fold, which had quite unsightly bezels on both the inner and outer display.

SEE ALSO: Apple's creepy new ad appears to slam Google Chrome on iPhone: ‘You're being watched'

The new teasers also tell us something we could've easily guessed: Google will place major emphasis on the phones' AI capabilities. Everything will be Gemini-fied, and the Pixels will likely get some exclusive features.

Full specs are still missing, but those will be revealed at the event, which kicks off at 10 a.m. PT on Aug. 13.

If your Windows computer is currently serving you the Blue Screen of Death, take heart in the fact that you aren't alone. Windows outages are being reported across the globe, apparently caused by a CrowdStrike issue.

"CrowdStrike is aware of reports of crashes on Windows hosts related to the Falcon Sensor," CrowdStrike wrote in an alert confirming the outage at 5:30 a.m. UTC. "Symptoms include experiencing a bugcheck\blue screen error related to the Falcon Sensor. Our Engineering teams are actively working to resolve this issue and there is no need to open a support ticket."

CrowdStrike's Falcon Sensor is software designed to prevent computer systems from cyber attacks.

Though the CrowdStrike issue is specifically causing Windows to crash, the problem seems to be having further reaching implications as well. Considering that Windows is an incredibly popular operating system and CrowdStrike an incredibly popular cybersecurity company, multiple companies and services also appear to be experiencing outages due to their computers being down.

As of writing, DownDetector is indicating a spike in issues across a slew of platforms and businesses, including Amazon Web Services, Instagram, eBay, Visa, ADT, and PlentyOfFish. Reports of outages have rolled in from multiple countries around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, India, and Japan.

Credit: Mashable screenshot: DownDetector Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

This story is developing...