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Cute animals doing funny things have always ruled the internet — some of the first viral sensations, like Keyboard Cat and Sneezing Baby Panda, became instantly memeified.
Fast-forward to today, and the internet's love for adorable little creatures is stronger than ever. Right now, social feeds are being inundated with animal stars, from Moo Deng, the feisty pygmy hippo who somehow has an expression for every mood, to chonky boy Pesto the Penguin, whose stature is melting hearts everywhere.
SEE ALSO: Why we’re all in love with a little hippo named Moo DengAt a time when people might be looking for a bit of joy and distraction from the real world, these viral sensations offer the perfect escape. And memes — they've given us so many memes.
So, Mashable has rounded up some of the internet’s favorite animals of the moment, which are guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Moo DengOn July 10, 2024, a hot new bombshell entered the villa of internet-famous animal personalities when little Miss Moo Deng was born. The bouncy baby pygmy hippo has been known to wreak havoc inside her enclosure at Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo, nibbling on zookeepers and throwing temper tantrums. (She’s a Cancer — she’s very emotional.) Still, she’s just so adorable. Who could resist the childlike antics of a feisty baby hippo? Seemingly, no one. She’s inspired countless works of fan art, her own merch line, TikTok beauty trends, and an SNL sketch. She’s so popular that the Thai zoo has launched a 24-hour livestream of its pygmy hippo enclosure so you can keep up with Moo Deng from anywhere in the world. She’s unbothered, moisturized, in her lane, focused, and flourishing. That’s real It-girl behavior. — Crystal Bell, culture editor
Tweet may have been deleted Juni, @lyssielooloo's catLyss, also known as @lyssielooloo on TikTok and Instagram, is an influencer from Orange County who posts daily content about her life, looking like the young Jennifer Garner in 13 going on 30, and, of course, her perfect cat Juni. There is so much to love about Juni. For starters, Juni is a ragdoll cat, so it's not surprising that he's so calm and even-tempered, but what is surprising is how often he falls asleep straight up any time she holds him. — Christianna Silva, senior culture reporter
View this post on Instagram MoléHave you ever seen a baby sloth? Did you know they were this cute? I wasn’t aware until I came across Molé, an orphaned baby sloth, on my FYP. The videos were posted by creator Kyle Thomas while volunteering at the Kids Saving the Rainforest rehabilitation center in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, where he would take little Molé into the jungle for his daily dose of vitamin D and behavioral enrichment via tree crawling. With his sleepy eyes and upside-down smile, little Molé fully embodies the essence of relaxation goals, even down to the stuffed teddy bear he clings to for comfort. Forget girlrotting; I want to be a sloth. — CB
Pesto the PenguinIt’s hard to feel down looking at an absolute unit of a penguin. Pesto the Penguin — a massive baby King Penguin at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium — is the perfect brain bleach. You don't need to know anything beyond the fact that this big boy weighed 50 pounds at nine months, and he still has his black, fuzzy feathers, while most King Penguins are fully grown at around 30 pounds. He's adorable, towers over his peers, and fun to watch waddle around. — Tim Marcin, associate culture editor
Hua HuaHua Hua is the people's princess of China... or at least the darling of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu. A rotund giant panda beloved for her sweet demeanor and onigiri-shaped body, Hua Hua spends her days with her sister, He Ye, toddling around, nibbling on bamboo stalks, and playing with her caretaker, Tan Jintao (referred to affectionately as "Grandpa Tan"). In addition to being very demure and very mindful, Hua Hua has a distinct appearance that makes her stand out due to developmental delays that left her smaller and weaker than her other panda friends. It's only made people fall more in love with her. On the Chinese social media platform Weibo, Hua Hua's hashtag has accumulated billions of engagements. She's even reached celebrity status. — CB
Simon Sits (Isabell Klee)The TikTok account SimonSits is named after Isabell Klee’s very good dog Simon, who is very adorable and well-behaved. But a major draw of Klee’s account is actually the foster pups she regularly takes in and helps get adopted. The internet (and myself) have fallen in love with the likes of her fosters King, Poutine, and Aruba. Klee often fosters pups who’ve had difficult experiences or have medical needs and works to show how wonderful they are. It’s truly lovely to see. — TM
BiscuitsI respect a savvy marketing team. With the internet consumed by Moo Deng memes and Pesto the Penguin edits, the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society saw an opportunity to raise awareness of its marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation efforts and seized it. Enter Biscuits, a quirky baby seal with big, round eyes, rescued in August after being separated from her mother. In a TikTok with over 14 million views, the VAMMR wrote, "This is a public service announcement – Biscuits would like to be included in your list of favorite baby animals!" Ask, and you shall receive. Don’t forget — Biscuits is also available for symbolic adoption. — CB
Bonus: We Live in Time horseFlorence Pugh and Andrew Garfield are having a rough time in A24’s We Live in Time. It's a pretty devastating romance about a couple facing a terminal cancer diagnosis. But it wasn't Pugh and Garfield who took the internet by storm when Film Crave posted a first look image of the movie — that position was taken by the ugly carousel horse. He's hideous. He's their third. As Stephen Colbert said, he's "tripping balls on ketamine." He stole the show and, along with it, our hearts. If we ranked the horses of pop culture in 2024 instead of 2022, he would certainly make the final cut. — CS
Tweet may have been deletedYou probably clicked this article to find out why I hate Moo Deng, the actual hippo. So to get this out of the way, no, I'm not deranged enough to hate an animal. But I do hate Moo Deng the viral phenomenon. If you do too, and you're not sure why, you've come to the right place. You are valid and you are not alone.
Tweet may have been deletedTo understand why this phenomenon activates the buzzkill instincts of those of us in the hater community (or just the hate-curious), we have to briefly dissect the narrative that brought Moo Deng, involuntarily, to our attention. Long story short: Not everyone finds Moo Deng all that cute, but because she's a meme — and memes get seen by everyone — she's overexposed.
Moo Deng exploded onto the internet during the first two weeks of September, achieving Category 5 mega-virality, and irritating some of us in the process. But this was only after a more moderate online fanbase was cultivated for her in early August by an astonishingly successful naming contest put on by the Thai zoo where Moo Deng lives in an enclosure for the amusement of paying customers. (Pygmy hippos come from Liberia and elsewhere in western Africa, not Thailand.)
Tweet may have been deletedMuch of the fandom's success seems to stem from a poster with the handle @sighyam, an X user and rabid Moo Deng stan who apparently knows Thai and English, and helped bring Moo Deng to the Anglosphere when she was still just a nameless baby animal in a zoo.
Tweet may have been deletedIf Moo Deng doesn't do it for you, or you have a general attitude of "most cute stuff is not for me but go with God if it works for you," none of this really penetrated your social media timelines. That's good! Everyone was happily consuming the content they enjoyed.
Something shifted, however, when two images of Moo Deng broke containment and Moo Deng legitimately became a meme. Mostly, it was the second of these two images:
Tweet may have been deletedThe meme scholars at KnowYourMeme attribute Moo Deng's success to this second photo, saying in one explainer video:
Photographs and videos of Moo instantly went viral, in particular this really cute image where she's being sprayed with a water hose while looking mortified. That's right, the reason this hippo is so viral is she looks visually perturbed, like she really doesn't want to be sprayed with that beam of water.
As everyone knows, enormous volumes of cutesy-poo stuff circulates endlessly online in a benign way that doesn't really merit criticism. Happily, all this content is corralled in the sections of social media where people enjoy it. Some of us mostly like to scowl and rub our chins when we scroll, and the algorithms seem to mostly understand this, and not bother us with things like baby animals. In the event that a cute animal materializes that we do like, the algorithms will clue into our "revealed preference" and adjust accordingly.
Truly meme-able images, on the other hand, operate differently. They light up a different part of the brain than cute images, and that's what happened here.
Moo Deng wasn't just cute. She was also intriguing.
Tweet may have been deletedWhy were people meme-ing Moo Deng? More to the point, why were they making her into art?
SEE ALSO: Why we’re all in love with a little hippo named Moo DengMy own guess is that the answer is rooted in the pseudoscientific concept of "unconscious priming," or responding to some stimulus in a way that is "primed" by a previous stimulus, without the person being cognizant of the connection.
What connection do I mean? Even though you're not conscious of it, Moo Deng looks weirdly like "Chubby Bubbles Girl," an ancient meme, probably from before you, the person reading this, were born.
Tweet may have been deletedIf you were happily unaware of Moo Deng, and then the hose photo crept into your life, I suspect it unconsciously tapped into your memories of Chubby Bubbles Girl and her many meme adventures, adding a layer of fascination to what was otherwise just a wide-eyed, wet hippopotamus. That's not to say a hippo actually looks like a little girl, but the leaning away, the stark white of the single wide eye, the splash of yellow in the Moo Deng photo, and the motion blur all render the two photos a matching pair, even if their subjects are not.
Credit: Meme image posted for comparison Credit: Meme image posted for comparisonIf you briefly raised an eyebrow at this image, and then went on with your day without joining the Moo Deng cult, Chubby Bubbles Girl may have been the reason. And even if you think I'm wrong about this part, you may still be asking yourself "why are we still somehow talking about this?" Memes have a mysterious form of cultural inertia.
The meme stage is where the Moo Deng phenomenon went incredibly right from the perspective of Khao Kheow Open Zoo, and incredibly wrong from the perspective of people who are immune to Moo Deng's specific brand of cuteness. Moo Deng was suddenly a powerful tempest of content, and those of us who regard her the way Ben Wyatt on Parks and Recreation regards Li'l Sebastian suddenly had to deal with the existence of, for instance, a Moo Deng SNL sketch.
Some haters have tried to morally high-road the Moo Deng phenomenon and argue that Khao Kheow Open Zoo is an exceptionally cruel zoo. That theory is not currently supported by the facts. Assuming you have a baseline tolerance for the animal prisons we call "zoos," this one is neither here nor there. If you care about animal welfare, Moo Deng is probably not where you should direct your energy.
Tweet may have been deletedThe truth is that Moo Deng is perceived by many to be a very cute animal, which is fine. The internet has plenty of opt-outs for cute animal content. But due to an annoying accident of internet psychology, Moo Deng has become a meme, and there's no opt-out for memes.
That sucks, but it will pass.
The UNLV and Syracuse football teams are scheduled to meet at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for a non-conference contest on Friday, Oct. 4. The game is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
UNLV, ranked No. 25 in The Associated Press poll, enters the matchup 4-0 overall. Most recently, UNLV defeated Fresno State 59-14. Syracuse comes into the contest 3-1 overall. On Sept. 28, Syracuse beat Holy Cross 42-14. This is the first matchup between the UNLV and Syracuse football programs.
SEE ALSO: How to watch college football without cableBarry Odom is the UNLV football head coach. Fran Brown is the Syracuse football head coach.
UNLV vs. Syracuse football kickoff time and networkThe UNLV vs. Syracuse college football game is scheduled to be broadcast on FS1 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Friday, Oct. 4. FS1 broadcasters are scheduled to be Trent Rush (play-by-play) and Petros Papadakis (analyst).
Discover live streaming possibilities with platforms like FuboTV and Sling to enjoy Friday’s game without cable or satellite TV.
Best streaming services for Syracuse vs. UNLV football gameWatching college football is possible without a cable or satellite TV subscription by opting for a streaming service. Ready for Friday’s college football game between SU vs. UNLV? Here's a list of the top streaming platforms you should consider.
Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling Blue Plan Get DealIf the UNLV vs. Syracuse football game is your reason for choosing Sling TV, the Blue Plan is your go-to option, featuring FS1. Enjoy a discounted rate of $20 for the first month, with a standard charge of $40/month after that. The Sling TV Blue Plan enhances your viewing experience and permits three concurrent streams.
Sling TV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.
Best for single game: FuboTV Opens in a new window Credit: FuboTV FuboTV Get DealYou can get FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period, providing more than 250 channels of live TV and the convenience of watching 10 screens concurrently. FS1 coverage for games like SU vs. UNLV football is available through FuboTV’s Pro tier, which has a $59.99 rate for the first month and then a regular rate of $79.99 per month.
FuboTV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Golf Network, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NFL Network, SEC Network, and The CW.
The Apple Watch is, and has always been, an amazing device hampered by battery life that requires you to charge it at least once, and sometimes twice, per day.
With the Apple Watch Series 10, which marks the 10th anniversary of the wearable, Apple hasn't exactly fixed the issue. The company still says the Watch has "all-day battery life," which translates into 18 hours of use. And in my testing, the new Watch has had pretty much exactly the same battery life as Series 9.
But the company did significantly improve charging speed, which is the next best thing, and in my opinion, the biggest reason to buy this watch.
Apple Watch Series 10 price and specsApple Watch Series 10 starts at $399, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. That price is for the GPS-only, aluminum variant in the 42mm size. If you want the slightly bigger, 46mm size, you'll have to dish out $429 (the various finishes, such as Silver, Rose Gold, and Jet Black, are free). And adding the cellular option will further increase that price by $100.
The Titanium variant costs $699, is available only in the 46mm size, and includes cellular connectivity.
Regardless of the finish and the size, the key specs are the same for all of the variants:
Apple S10 chip
Wide-angle OLED display with up to 2000 nits maximum brightness, and 1 nit minimum brightness
Up to 18 hours of battery life with fast charging
Speaker with media playback
A bevy of sensors, including an electrical heart sensor, optical heart sensor, temperature sensor, high-g accelerometer, high dynamic range gyroscope, and the new depth gauge, as well as the new water temperature sensor
The new Apple Watch Series 10 is thinner and lighter with a larger, better display.
In terms of numbers, that means the Series 10 is a hair (1mm) thinner than its predecessor. It has a display that's slightly larger (46mm compared to 45mm or, if you opt for the smaller variant, 42mm versus 41mm). But the form factor has also changed a little, with the new display being more square than before.
Finally, the Apple Watch Series 10 is a lot lighter than before, weighing just 36.4 grams, shaving nearly a third off the weight of the Series 9, which weighs 51.5 grams.
It's one millimeter thinner than last year's version, but it's not something you'll easily notice. Credit: Stan Schroeder/MashableIn real life, you will notice the weight reduction; the new Watch is as light as a feather. (Bear in mind that I only tested the aluminium variant; the titanium version weighs more). The other changes are truly minor, though, and you won't notice them unless you look for them, or compare the new and the old version directly.
Apple Watch Series 10 displayThe display being ever so slightly larger brings exactly the benefits you'd imagine. It's a bit nicer to use, but there's nothing groundbreaking here.
The new, wide-angle OLED tech Apple is using really does improve visibility when glancing the watch from the side, which, for me, is most of the time, so that's a nice touch. Some watch faces, like Activity and Reflections, now display a ticking seconds hand in always-on mode. It would be great to see this feature extended to other watch faces and third-party apps, though Apple couldn’t confirm if that will happen.
Apple Watch Series 9 versus Series 10. Can you tell which is which? Credit: Stan Schroeder/MashableIt’s hard to fault Apple for not making more drastic changes here. The Apple Watch is already a compact device, and making it significantly thinner would likely compromise battery life or other features. Likewise, the display can’t get much bigger without the watch becoming too large for some users. While the display has been upgraded, it’s the kind of change you’ll only notice when you’re actively looking for it.
Better deal than the Apple Watch Ultra?I haven't had any time with the titanium variant, but the fact that it exists brings the Apple Watch Series 10 a step closer to the titanium-only Apple Watch Ultra 2 (it also brings the price up to $699, though).
But there are other ways in which the new Series 10 is similar to the Ultra. For example, the new display technically has more screen area than the one on the Ultra 2, without the imposing bulk of Apple's largest watch on your hand.
Together, with some other advantages such as faster charging and diving features(see more below), it gives the Series 10 serious "slim Ultra" vibes. Given that the Ultra wasn't upgraded this year (if you don't count the new Black color), all of these improvements make a compelling case for choosing the Series 10 instead of the Ultra.
It’s significantly cheaper, lighter, and thinner, while offering a larger display and even including some features that were previously exclusive to Apple’s top model.
Apple Watch Series 10 audioThe Apple Watch Series 10 also comes with a number of small improvements that you might not notice at first, but they will make your life better, such as better voice isolation during calls (a big one for me as I often answer calls on the watch while I frantically search for my misplaced phone).
Don't have your phone nearby? You can play music on your Watch now! Credit: Stan Schroeder/MashableAlso new is the ability to play audio through the Watch's built-in speaker. It's cool to be able to do this, but don't expect too much from the sound quality. I have a suspicion this is one of those features that kids will use a lot more than adults.
Apple Watch Series 10 health and fitness featuresThe new Watch ups the game when it comes to health and fitness as well. It's not exactly a diving computer, but it now has a depth gauge (down to 6m/20ft) and the accompanying Depth app, a water temperature sensor, support for the Oceanic+ apps, and the new Tides app.
Other improvements include the Translate app, sleep apnea detection, and the new Vitals app, which tracks key health metrics over time, though these features aren’t exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 10. However, features like Cycle Tracking rely on a new sensor that monitors wrist temperature, which is only available on the Series 10.
It's also worth mentioning one feature that the new Watch doesn't have: Blood-oxygen measuring, which is absent in the U.S. due to medical tech company Masimo suing Apple over a related patent. True, it's just one in a pretty long line of health-related features, but certain perks, such as sleep apnea detection, would perhaps work even better if Apple could use the blood-oxygen sensor.
Apple Watch Series 10 battery lifeAnother way in which the Series 10 beats the Ultra is charging time, and this is something that's worth expanding on. Apple says that the Series 10 can charge from 0 to 80 percent in just 30 minutes (as opposed to older models which achieve the same feat in 45 minutes, whereas the Ultra models get there in an hour).
This one's made of aluminum, but there's also a titanium flavor. Credit: Stan Schroeder/MashableI've tested this by using my MacBook Pro's brick — and got the Watch from zero to 80 in about 40 minutes.
More realistically, you won't wait for your Watch to get to zero. So I also observed how long it takes to get it from 20 to 80 percent — and did it in about 25 minutes.
This means that you can essentially charge your Watch as you brush your teeth or make coffee in the morning.
For me, this is the most important upgrade on Apple's latest wearable. I want to wear a smartwatch all the time, and I want it to track my sleep, my workouts, and my steps. With previous versions of the Watch, I'd typically either charge it at night (thus giving up on sleep tracking), or I'd put it on a charger and forget it before I go outside. With the Series 10, I was able to charge it in very brief periods of time, keeping it operational for days without the need for a long charging session.
Don't get me wrong; I'd still very much prefer it if the Apple Watch had a longer battery life. I stopped using my old Series 6 because I kept forgetting it on a charger. Failing that, the ability to charge the watch very quickly is the next best thing.
Is the Apple Watch Series 10 worth getting?The Apple Watch is the best smartwatch I've ever owned. It's got the best display, the best form factor, and by far the greatest app ecosystem.
While this hasn't really changed much in the past couple of years, neither has the Watch's worst trait: mediocre battery life. With the new Series 10, Apple didn't improve on this, but it did make the charging faster, which is a step forward.
Other than that, the Watch has numerous, small upgrades which do add up — just don't expect anything too revolutionary.
If you already own the Series 9, though, the new Apple Watch Series 10 is not worth the upgrade. Yes, it's better in every way, but none of these small refinements will make you say "Wow, I need the new one." If you own any of the previous versions, the Series 10 will feel a lot fresher — it's no wonder that Apple's official promo materials often compare it to much older iterations. And if you've never owned an Apple Watch and want to dive in now, the Series 10 is a good place to start.
Opens in a new window Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable Apple Watch Series 10 $399.99 at AppleHave you ever felt so alienated from your world that only the folklore of wild things could soothe you? In the opening of The Outrun, a young woman named Rona (played by four-time Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan) shares the legend of the selkie. Through a dreamy voiceover, she explains how these mythological shapeshifters of the sea could come ashore at night, shed their seal skins, and dance in the guise of humans on the sand and rock. But should they be seen by humans, they'd be trapped to live on the soil, discontent the rest of their days. Rona, an alcoholic struggling with sobriety, can relate, having had her fair share of scandalous revels and scorching disappointments.
Based on the 2016 memoir of the same name by British journalist Amy Liptrot, The Outrun follows a deeply personal tale of self-love, loss, and addiction, weaving in elements of science, folklore, and animation to profound effect. Determined to get sober, Rona returns to her hometown, the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland, to reconnect with her parents and herself.
Director Nora Fingscheidt, who co-wrote the adapted screenplay with Liptrot, plays with Rona's timeline, leaping to dark days past, bright days present, and all the grays in between with abandon and aplomb. (What results is far better than another buzzed-about drama out of the UK, We Live in Time, starring Ronan's sister in Little Women, Florence Pugh!) Altogether, these elements weave a familiar tale of a rocky road with a distinctive character that makes the story impossible to ignore.
Saorsie Ronan is fearless in The Outrun. Paapa Essiedu and Saoirse Ronan co-star in "The Outrun." Credit: StudioCanalRona has many sides to her, and Ronan captures them all with commitment and empathy. The film follows this twentysomething across a blooming romance with a dashing beau named Daynin (Paapa Essiedu), belligerent nights of havoc and violence, cheery quality time with her friendly father (Stephen Dillane), abrasive verbal battles with her concerned mother (Saskia Reeves), and cozy moments of advocating for animal rights. (This last bit includes performances from non-professional actors, giving The Outrun a crisp authenticity.)
Through all this, Ronan not only has the tricky challenge of playing drunk realistically, but also must veer from warm charm to ruthless wrath, connecting all these disparate bits to make Rona whole. In a masterfully measured performance, her physicality shifts from volatile and loose to relaxed to furtive. Always, she offers a body language clue as to where her character is in this journey, as the scenes skip forward and back in time.
Helping the viewer connect all of these pieces is the aforementioned voiceover, with Ronan's voice calmly allowing us into Rona's various intellectual curiosities. Wondering aloud on nature and myth, Ronan subtly seeks to find where her more feral side fits into a polite society. Fingscheidt welcomes us into Rona's perspective by illustrating her intellectual tangents; for instance, unfurling beautiful footage of seals swimming around a beach. The handheld camera gives a purposefully wobbly portrait of the world, reflecting Rona's struggle to get a grip. Elsewhere, the director allows the music that pumps from Rona's headphones to overtake the audio of the film, welcoming us into the bliss of the all-consuming beat. Yet the most effective device that Fingscheidt employs is the time-jumping.
The Outrun's temporal leaps throw you into the hardships of recovery. Credit: StudioCanalWhere in We Live in Time, flashbacks to flash-forwards made for a story too slippery to hold onto, here, following just one protagonist who is often lost in her own world, it works. One simple visual cue is Fingscheidt's nod to then-versus-now through Rona's hair. One phase is defined by a rosy pink bob, another by hair dyed fully blue, another with pale blonde locks with blue tips, or all blonde, or the pink-orange of a sunrise. These are elegant indicators of then and now. But the flow of the story is more about Rona's experience.
Progress — as any worthwhile therapist will tell you — is never a straight line. The Outrun's non-linear approach reflects that by throwing us back and forth in Rona's recovery. This can make her story initially hard to parse. Why is she angry with her mother but close to her dad? But the mindful script eventually reveals all we need to understand her relationships. More telling, this willfully jarring back and forth reflects Rona's journey, one step forward, two steps back, and so on. A good day might be followed by a dark temptation, which pitches us back into a memory of a low point. And through this, the unpredictability of addiction is expressed. As Rona says, "The urge to drink can come out of nowhere. You think you're doing well. Suddenly you want nothing more than a drink." The sophisticated pacing of The Outrun urges audience empathy by putting us in her dizzying whirl of emotions, doubt, desire, hope, and regret.
Stephen Dillane and Saoirse Ronan co-star in "The Outrun." Credit: StudioCanalSurrounded by a solid supporting cast, Ronan ably shoulders a messy tale of substance abuse and survival. Liptrot and Fingscheidt's script neatly builds a story unconventional yet comprehensive. The editing from Stephan Bechinger smartly keeps the audience off-balance but not out of their depths. Fingscheidt's vision for weaving Rona's perspective into cinematography, sound design, narration, and visual tangents that include animation, makes for a movie that feels achingly personal, yet universal in its humanity. Simply put, The Outrun is an emotionally intelligent drama that soars, thanks to the glorious collaboration between the writers, the filmmaker, and the movie's radiant leading lady.
Joker: Folie à Deux is an unfortunate hodgepodge of references to better, more interesting films, including musicals like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Band Wagon. Now, we can add Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight to that mix, as Joker: Folie à Deux's final act seemingly hints at the origins of Heath Ledger's take on the Joker, for which he posthumously won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
SEE ALSO: 'Joker: Folie à Deux' review: A middle-finger to fans of Lady Gaga, the DC movies, and musicals in generalBut just what exactly is that hint at The Dark Knight, and why is it so misguided? Let's break it down in this ending explainer for Joker: Folie à Deux.
How does Heath Ledger's Joker figure into Joker: Folie à Deux?The reference to Ledger's Joker comes in the very last scene of the film, after we've already endured over two hours of Arthur Fleck's (Joaquin Phoenix) murder trial and a barrage of musical numbers with less pizzazz than a sneeze. (Props to Lady Gaga and Phoenix for at least committing to the song and dance, something director Todd Phillips appears incapable of doing himself.) After the jury finds Arthur guilty on all counts, and after Lee Quinzel (Gaga) breaks things off with him for rejecting the fantasy of his "Joker" persona, Arthur winds back up in Arkham Asylum, alone.
Or perhaps not! Arkham guard Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson) tells Arthur he's got a visitor. Could Lee be ready to take him back? Arthur follows Jackie to what could be a joyful reunion, only to be stopped by an unknown prisoner simply credited as Young Inmate (Connor Storrie). The inmate asks Arthur if he can tell him a joke, and Arthur seems happy to hear it. Maybe this inmate could be a new friend (or fan) of his, like recently deceased inmate Ricky Meline (Jacob Lofland).
The joke goes like this: A psychopath meets a drunk clown in a bar. The psychopath reveals that he used to watch the clown all the time as a kid, and that he'd like to get him a drink. What should he get him? The clown says if the psychopath is buying, he can get him whatever he wants. In that case, the psychopath chooses to get the clown "what he fucking deserves," an echo of Joker's last words to talk show host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) before shooting him in the head in Joker.
SEE ALSO: 42 movies you'll want to see this fallThe inmate follows Arthur's murderous footsteps, punctuating his punchline by shanking Arthur. As Arthur bleeds out on the floor, his killer begins laughing uncontrollably. Then, just out of focus in the background, we see him carve a smile into his face, an unmistakable nod to The Dark Knight's Joker's scars. Oh, brother.
Why is Joker: Folie à Deux's reference to The Dark Knight such a joke?Ending Joker: Folie à Deux on this presumable origin story for Ledger's Joker is a laughable choice for so many reasons. For one, tethering yourself to the greatest live-action Joker performance of all time — especially after emphasizing that the Joker films are set apart from any other DC movie — reaches masturbatory levels of self-congratulation. "Look, we've connected both Jokers that have won Oscars! In fact, one now canonically inspired the other!"
That matter of inspiration, and the idea that Ledger's Joker is somehow taking up the mantle of Phoenix's are the scene's other massive problems. Let's look at how The Dark Knight's Joker handles his own origin story. He turns it into a kind of game, offering up contradictory stories about how he got his scars. These differing possibilities are just one of the many ways in which he presents himself as an agent of chaos. In fact, his whole appeal and danger lie in the fact that he's slippery, an unknowable figure. That Joker: Folie à Deux seeks to give him a more tangible backstory is to undermine him entirely. Ledger's iconic refrain of "Wanna know how I got these scars?" simply isn't Folie à Deux's to answer.
Sure, the moment of self-mutilation is obscured enough — and the Young Inmate such a nothing of a character — that Joker: Folie à Deux could have plausible deniability as to whether this is actually meant to be the start of Ledger's Joker. (The timeline of Ledger's Joker being in Arkham in the 1980s, when the Joker films are set, is also a bit of a stretch.) But Storrie's hunched shoulders in the scene do call to mind Ledger's physical performance, and by this point in pop culture, the scarred smile is synonymous with The Dark Knight's take on the Clown Prince of Crime. If Joker: Folie à Deux's Young Inmate isn't actually Ledger's Joker, he's still meant to make you think of him. And for a film that relies so much on cheap, superficial associations over actual meaning, that crime is just as bad.
Fair warning: This is the first V/H/S movie I've watched.
I've been familiar with Brad Miska's horror anthology for a while now, but V/H/S/Beyond — the seventh instalment in the series — is the first one I've actually seen. I can't compare this new alien-themed mish-mash with films that came before it, but I can say I found it to be a fun (if patchy) gore-fest that alternates between entertaining and disappointing.
SEE ALSO: The scariest horror movies on Shudder to keep you up at night What's V/H/S/Beyond about?Like the other movies in the V/H/S franchise, Beyond is a loosely linked collection of short horror films by different writer/director teams. This time the theme is extraterrestrials, with the segments (mostly) revolving around sightings, spaceships, and abductions (mostly because a couple of the segments, unless I missed something, don't seem to involve aliens at all).
Jordan Downey's "Stork" plays out like a first-person shooter (FPS), with a trained squad breaking into a mansion linked to a string of baby kidnappings; Virat Patel's "Dream Girl" follows two paparazzi spying on a Bollywood star with a secret; Justin Martinez's "Live and Let Dive" revolves around a sky-diving party gone horribly wrong; Justin and Christian Long's "Fur Babies" follows activists investigating a suspicious doggy daycare centre; and Kate Siegel and Mike Flanagan's "Stowaway" follows an amateur documentary maker who discovers a spaceship in the desert.
Are all of these segments equally entertaining? No, but each has something going for it, and as they're only 20 minutes long it doesn't matter too much if there are a couple you're less fussed about than the others.
"Dream Girls" brings horror to Bollywood. Credit: Shudder V/H/S/Beyond is gory good fun.You can tell from the trailers alone that the franchise delights in its gore, and Beyond is no exception. Downey gets things off to a blood-spattery start in "Stork", with FPS-style bodycam footage allowing zombified creatures to constantly pop out of dark doorways before being dispatched in a variety of increasingly violent ways (the denouement of this segment is both creative and stomach-churning). The Long brothers' "Fur Babies", meanwhile, despite having seemingly nothing whatsoever to do with the overarching theme of Beyond, gets points for its inventive unpleasantness as well as the ominous, Misery-esque antagonist Becky (played with true Kathy Bates-inspired terror by Libby Letlow).
Elsewhere bodies are pulled apart in "Live and Let Dive", a movie set is massacred in "Dream Girl", and Jay Cheel's documentary-style framing story ends with a visual that should under no circumstances be viewed whilst eating.
Libby Letlow in "Fur Babies". Credit: Shudder V/H/S/Beyond is patchy horror.If the gore levels are nearing a 10/10, though, the entertainment levels are more up and down. Patel's "Dream Girl" has an awesome dance number and a fun concept, but a cliched end; Martinez's "Live and Let Dive"s sky-diving opener is one of the highlights of the entire movie, but the grounded second half doesn't quite live up to what came before it; Siegel and Flanagan's "Stowaway" is intriguing and visually impressive, but I wanted to spend more time in the alien spacecraft. All the short films struggle to flesh out characters, although arguably that's to be expected with their limited runtimes.
Ultimately, V/H/S/Beyond is a fun Saturday night popcorn-muncher that achieves what it sets out to do. It's scary and creative in parts, and a bit of a let down in others — but the good bits are enough to let you forgive the bad.
TL;DR: A wide range of online courses from MIT are available to take for free on edX.
A massive bank of free online courses can be found on edX. And these free courses come from some of the biggest and best educational institutions in the world, including MIT.
You can find lessons on AI, modern finance, Python programming, and much more with edX. We recommend taking some time to check everything out, because there really is something for everyone. But if that sounds like too much work, we've done some of the hard work for you and lined up a standout selection of courses to get you started.
These are the best free online courses from MIT this month:
Data Analysis: Statistical Modeling and Computation in Applications
Financial Regulation: From the Global Financial Crisis to Fintech and the COVID Pandemic
Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python
Machine Learning with Python: From Linear Models to Deep Learning
These free courses do not come with a certificate of completion, but that's the only catch. You can still learn at your own pace with unrestricted access to all the course materials, so what's stopping you from enrolling?
Find the best free online courses from MIT on edX.
Opens in a new window Credit: MIT MIT Online Courses Free at Udemy Get DealTL;DR: Until October 27, get Microsoft Visual Studio Pro for life for just $34.97 (reg. $499) and build apps across platforms with powerful tools for seamless collaboration.
Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for Windows $34.97Coding across platforms is tough enough without juggling a dozen different tools. Luckily, Visual Studio lets you bring everything together in one streamlined package.
Get a lifetime license to Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for Windows on sale for just $34.97 (reg. $499). Whether you’re building mobile apps, web tools, or desktop software, Visual Studio’s got the flexibility to handle it all — from .NET MAUI for cross-platform projects to Blazor for web apps.
Let’s say you’re working on a mobile app that needs to perform just as smoothly on Android as it does on iOS. With Visual Studio, you can use .NET MAUI to build a single app that works across platforms, eliminating the need to juggle different codebases. Or if you’re focused on web development, Blazor enables you to build interactive web UIs with ease.
For collaborative work, Visual Studio is a game changer. Tools like Live Share allow your team to code together in real time, even when you’re miles apart. Whether you’re debugging a tough issue or building out new features, your team can hop in, make edits, and troubleshoot together without any friction. IntelliCode also speeds up your coding by offering AI-driven suggestions, so your workflow stays smooth and efficient.
No matter the complexity of your project — from debugging C++ apps to testing across multiple environments — Visual Studio provides the tools to tackle it all. And with glowing reviews from Microsoft Choice Software and Capterra, it’s clear this platform is trusted by developers everywhere.
Take the stress out of cross-platform development with this lifetime license to Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for $34.97 through October 27.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
TL;DR: Save 64% on these binoculars for bird-watching with a built-in camera and night vision.
Bird-watching isn’t just for retired folks — it’s for anyone who wants to find small thrills in everyday life. Robins hatching their young in your backyard. House sparrows joining you for a coffee on the porch. It’s incredible, and a good pair of binoculars makes it even more addicting. This pair with a built-in camera and night vision is on sale for $104.97 (reg. $297.99).
We’re officially declaring bird-watching cool againFall migration is the perfect time to start bird-watching, as you’ll get to witness new species visiting your backyard. We recommend researching some healthy snacks to leave out to encourage visitors and waiting nearby with your binoculars for the show.
These binoculars are anything but ordinary. Here’s what makes them so special:
View through a 2.3-inch digital screen, not traditional eyepieces
See in the dark with night vision
Take pictures and videos
Yeah, these binoculars have a built-in camera. If you spot a great horned owl this fall when they’re most active, be sure to snap some photos or record a video. Play the images back on the binoculars and transfer them off the included 32GB memory card so you can share them online.
These binoculars help you see 4x closer up, so you’ll always have a front-row seat for the beautiful birds visiting your backyard. And the squirrels that come to steal your seeds and nuts.
Order these night vision binoculars while they’re on sale for $104.97 (reg. $297.99) during this fall sale. This price drop is ending soon.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: Mesay Double Barrel 720p Digital Night Vision Binoculars $104.97TL;DR: The Deeper Connect Air Portable VPN Travel Router is here to help keep your data secure while traveling light, now $149.97 until October 27 (reg. $219).
Opens in a new window Credit: Deeper Network Deeper Connect Air Portable VPN Travel Router $149.97If you’ve ever scrambled to connect to public WiFi on a trip, you know the stress that comes with it. Between juggling your suitcase and finding a decent signal, the last thing you need is worrying about your internet security.
That’s where the Deeper Connect Air travel VPN comes in handy — it’s like packing peace of mind without adding extra weight to your carry-on, and it's on sale for $149.97 (reg. $219). That's 32% off.
This pocket-sized VPN router fits in your bag as easily as your phone, and it’s designed for the traveler who wants convenience. No more fussing with sketchy hotel WiFi or overpaying for airport connections. Just plug it in, and boom — secure browsing wherever you are. And because it’s a one-time purchase, you don’t need to keep up with any subscriptions or monthly fees.
Plus, it offers decentralized VPN protection, meaning you’re not relying on some far-off server to keep your data safe. You can stream, browse, and scroll in any corner of the world without missing a beat.
For $149.97 through October 27, the Deeper Connect Air Portable VPN travel router makes your travel plans a lot smoother, letting you stay connected without adding stress — or weight — to your trip.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
TL;DR: This 8-in-1 docking stand brings bigger screens, better sound, and extra ports to elevate your entertainment — all for $49.97 through October 27.
Whether you’re using a tablet for a quick Netflix session or setting up your laptop for an all-night gaming binge, both can be instantly upgraded with this 8-in-1 docking stand on sale for $49.97. It transforms your devices into entertainment hubs with an elevated position, better sound, and more ports for a complete media experience.
For movie buffs, the HDMI port is a game changer. You can easily connect your laptop or tablet to a larger screen, turning any setup into a mini home theater, whether it’s from the comfort of your bed with a tablet or your couch with a laptop.
Gamers and music lovers will also appreciate the built-in audio port, which lets you connect external speakers or high-quality headphones for immersive sound. So instead of relying on weak built-in speakers, you can experience your media with rich, booming audio whether you’re working on a tablet or a laptop.
And it doesn’t stop at entertainment — this docking stand’s versatility makes it an essential tool for productivity too, with extra USB ports for charging or connecting accessories.
This 8-in-1 laptop and tablet docking stand for $49.97 (sale ending October 27) gives you everything you need to turn your tablet or laptop into a fully functional entertainment station.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: UGR Tech 8-in-1 Laptop & Tablet Docking Stand $49.97When I finished The Platform 2, I was a) entertained and moved, and b) deeply confused. I realised I’d need to go back and rewatch the original to have even a chance of unpacking the movie.
Well anyway I’ve now done that, and I'm happy to report I’m almost exactly as confused as I was originally. But I’m going to have a go at trying to break it all down anyway.
From a recap of the final scenes to some theories about those children playing on that slide, here's an (attempted) ending explainer for The Platform 2.
SEE ALSO: The best sci-fi movies on Netflix to escape reality What's The Platform 2 about?The Platform 2 is set in the same universe as the first film, and it mostly takes place in the same nightmarish vertical prison. The basic concept is the same, too: Each day a platform filled with food descends cell-by-cell from top to bottom. Technically there's enough food for each level, but only if people stick to eating the one food item they requested before entering the prison. The problem is, they don't.
Unlike the dog-eat-dog free-for-all in The Platform, though, the second movie introduces a different era in the prison. Cellmates have come up with a strict system to ensure as many people eat as possible: You only eat your own food, and nothing else. Anyone who breaks "the law" is punished.
What happens at the end of The Platform 2?The more time Perempuán (Milena Smit) spends in the prison, the more she learns just how brutal this "law" is. At first she takes part in it, then works to enforce it, and then — when she falls victim to an arbitrary punishment at the hands of dictatorial leader Dagin Babi (Óscar Jaenada) — she begins to rail against it.
Dagin Babi enforces "the law" at all costs. Credit: NICOLAS DASSAS/NETFLIXInstead of staying in the system, Perempuán decides to use the escape plan of her dead cellmate (Natalia Tena), who told her that the people running the prison use a variant of sevoflurane gas once a month when the cells are rearranged. "When we smell the gas, that's the moment," she said. "If everything goes well, they'll think we're dead. But we'll wake up. We'll let them take us out from the top, with the corpses, and then...we'll have to improvise."
After killing Babi and his supporters, Perempuán swallows a piece of material that appears to act like some kind of breathing filter — it chokes her unconscious, but she wakes again during this end-of-month changeover, while the prison is suspended in anti-gravity and swarming with guards. Tied in a mass of corpses being taken to the bottom of the pit, Perempuán sees a child who's been placed in the very bottom cell, number 333. She decides to risk her own life to save him.
How does The Platform 2 connect to the original?One of the first big twists in The Platform 2 comes with the arrival of a familiar face: Trimagasi (Zorion Eguileor), who appears in the original movie as the first cell mate of main character Goreng (Ivan Massagué). In The Platform Trimagasi has already been imprisoned there for nine months. At one point he tells Goreng that he started on level 72, which is where we find him and Perempuán when she wakes up after her previous cell mate is killed by Babi.
The immediate implication? The Platform 2 isn't a sequel, but a prequel. Based on the timeline Trimagasi gives Goreng in the first film, this means the events of the second film start around a year before those of the original.
The connection to The Platform doesn't stop there, either. Right at the very end of The Platform 2, as the end credits are rolling, we see a shot from the first movie: Goreng and Trimagasi speaking to each other in the endless darkness beneath the platform's lowest level. In the final moments of the The Platform 2, Goreng turns when he hears Perempuán's voice.
"You," she says. "What are you doing here?"
The two embrace, and she has tears in her eyes. It's clear they knew each other on the outside of the prison. The implication, perhaps, is that Goreng was the partner that Perempuán mentions in her story of life before the pit.
Does Perempuán survive?It's not made explicit, but it seems almost certain that Perempuán is dead at the end of The Platform 2. During her attempt to save the child she continuously hits her head against the side of the concrete prison while trying to float upwards, losing a lot of blood on the way.
In the movie's final sequence, she descends with the child into the black depths below the pit, where other dead characters are waiting to greet her.
Perempuán escape attempt doesn't go as planned. Credit: NICOLAS DASSAS/NETFLIX"Only they can go up," a woman tells her, referring to the child. "Your journey is over, but he will have another chance."
Given that Perempuán's other dead cellmate Zamiatin (Hovik Keuchkerian) is down there too, it seems implied that the black void below the prison is a metaphor for death. In real life, we can assume Perempuán died while floating upwards through the prison. But her mission to save the child, and atone for past sins, was successful.
What's the deal with the children playing on the slide?Dotted throughout The Platform 2 are sequences in which children play on a kind of stone pyramid with steps and a slide. At first the play is structured and organised, then it descends into tears as the children struggle for control. Finally they fight and claw at each other to try and make it to the top of the pyramid. The child that reaches the highest point is the one that gets taken away by two adults, and later placed into cell 333 by the people who work at the prison. This is the little boy that Perempuán saves.
In the original movie, Goreng also finds a child at the very bottom of the prison. Like Perempuán, he saves the child's life, later referring to her as a "message".
So what exactly is the deal with these children? Why are they being placed into the pit's lowest level? And are they even real, or just a hallucination?
Obviously this bit is up to interpretation, but if we had to guess we'd say the children on the pyramid act as a metaphor for the prison, which in turn acts as a metaphor for society. The prison in The Platform 2 starts off with some semblance of structure before descending into chaos; so too do the children playing on the slide. And ultimately, even though they're all struggling to climb the pyramid, there's no real reward awaiting them — in fact, for the child that reaches the very top, it's the opposite. Like the prison system itself, the message here seems clear enough: Societal power structures are inevitable, and also incredibly damaging.
Which is all very well and good, but do these children actually exist? Are they really being put in the prison, or are they part of the other characters' dying hallucinations? At the end of the first film, this is harder to say for sure. By the time Goreng finds the little girl he's badly hurt, and it's possible she's only really there in his mind. The Platform 2, however, seems to suggest — mainly through what Perempuán sees when she regains consciousness during the prison changeover — that children really are being taken and placed in level 333. Why, though? What's the purpose of the prison placing them there, especially at a level where they have barely any chance of survival?
Perhaps, in the twisted logic of the pit itself, the children are there to offer some form of possible redemption for the prisoners. It seems implied in The Platform 2 that adults that go into the pit rarely, if ever, actually leave. But maybe in providing them with an innocent life to save, the pit is offering them an escape from their own internal prisons by giving them something to die for?
TL;DR: Unblock XVideos from anywhere in the world with a VPN. The best VPN for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.
Your access to porn sites like XVideos will be restricted in many locations around the world, which is totally fair. But there are occasions when you simply want to spend some solo time with your favorite site, and there's nothing wrong with that. When online restrictions stand in your way, you should consider using a VPN.
If you're looking for the best way to unblock porn sites like XVideos from anywhere in the world, we have the information you need.
How to unblock XVideos for freeVPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect to a secure server in another location. This simple process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access porn sites like XVideos from anywhere in the world. This might sound complicated, but you can unblock your favorite porn sites in just a few simple steps:
Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)
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Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to XVideos
Watch XVideos content from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites and then recover your investment at a later date. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it works well if you're traveling or temporarily away from home.
If you want to retain permanent access to the best free sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing online restrictions is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for porn?ExpressVPN is the top choice when it comes to unblocking porn sites like XVideos, for a number of reasons:
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Unblock XVideos for free with ExpressVPN.
Being a show adapted from a graphic novel, Heartstopper sure has a lot of books in it. Each season of Alice Oseman's Netflix adaptation sees fierce bookworm Isaac (Tobie Donovan) flaunting consistently excellent reading taste, and each character always has a bunch of noteworthy books on their shelves or in their backpacks.
In Season 3, there's a bunch of awesome LGBTQ authors, stories, and histories in the Heartstopper characters' reading piles, and some buzzy BookTok favourites. Corresponding with some of the storylines this season, Isaac's handpicked library book recommendations are themed around mental health and eating disorders — many of which could make helpful reads for the characters but also the show's viewers, and some of which provide the sex education deeply lacking in UK schools.
Featured Video For You 'Heartstopper’s Joe Locke and Kit Connor talk teenage vulnerabilitySo, because Heartstopper offers up such an excellent reading list with authors including Maia Kobabe, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, Janet W. Hardy and Dossie Easton, and more, I've pulled them all together for you, from Gender Queer to This Is How You Lose The Time War and The Ethical Slut. Add them to your reading list.
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe Credit: Oni PressIn episode 1, on the beach in Lyme Regis, Isaac is reading Maia Kobabe's 2014 memoir Gender Queer. This autobiography saw the author, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, exploring ways to explain being non-binary and asexual to loved ones, but ultimately examining what gender fluidity means for ourselves. Isaac found his way to identifying with asexuality in Season 2 — reading Angela Chen's book Ace to figure it all out — and he describes himself as such to Charlie (Joe Locke) in the scene, as well as being "probably aromantic, too."
Meanwhile, Charlie is beside him, engrossed in 10 Things I Hate About Plato, the fictional book by his crush and favourite author, classicist Jack Maddox (Jonathan Bailey). You cannot buy this book, alas.
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe is now available to buy via Oni Press on Amazon.
You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry Credit: PenguinIn episode 2, Isaac is holding a copy Beach Read and Funny Story author Emily Henry's 2024 holiday rom-com You and Me on Vacation (also titled The People You Meet On Vacation). An homage to When Harry Met Sally, it's about best friends Alex and Poppy, who met at university and now take annual trips together filled with sexual tension through Vancouver, New Orleans, Tuscany, and Croatia. Isaac is reading this book when he receives his GSCE results, so it's clear he deserves a holiday too.
You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry is now available to buy via Penguin on Amazon.
SEE ALSO: The 10 best books of 2024 so far, according to BookTok This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone Credit: Arcadia"I want to meet you in every place I ever loved." In Isaac's hands during school assembly in episode 3 is the exquisite 2019 novella by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, This How You Lose the Time War. The magnificent, time-travelling, sapphic love story of Red and Blue was one of the buzziest, BookTok-beloved books of 2023 for a reason.
Queer City by Peter Ackroyd Credit: PenguinHistorian, novelist, and critic Peter Ackroyd’s 2017 chronicle of gay London history, from the ancient Romans to today, Queer City is sitting on Nick's (Kit Connor) bedside table in episode 3. Having come out as bisexual in Season 2, Nick's now learning up about queer history — and you should too.
Queer City by Peter Ackroyd is now available to buy via Penguin on Amazon.
It's Not OK to Feel Blue (and other lies) by Scarlett Curtis Credit: PenguinA little perspective from plenty of recognisable names, writer and activist Scarlett Curtis' It's Not OK to Feel Blue (and other lies) is sitting at the front of Isaac and James' (James McEwan) library book display of "Mental Health Books recommended by us". In the book, Curtis had over 70 big names reflect on their own stories about mental health including Candice Carty-Williams, Sam Smith, Naomi Campbell, Emma Thompson, James Blake, and more.
The Year I Didn't Eat by Samuel Pollen Credit: ZunToldThis season, Charlie's experience with being diagnosed with anorexia is at the forefront of his narrative arc. Sitting at the front of Isaac and James' book display in episode 3 is The Year I Didn't Eat, Samuel Pollen's 2019 novel drawn from the author's own experiences, which follows a 14-year old boy called Max who's in treatment for anorexia.
The Year I Didn't Eat by Samuel Pollen is now available to buy via ZunTold on Amazon.
What Mental Illness Really Is… (and what it isn’t) by Lucy Foulkes Credit: VintagePsychologist Lucy Foulkes' 2022 book about demystifying mental illness and treatment is also on James and Isaac's table. With a focus on teenagers' experiences, this scientific book aims to answer a lot of questions, including the kind that come up in Heartstopper about mental health.
Your Mental Health by Chris Brady Credit: Ebury DigitalAnother on Isaac's library book display is Chris Brady's non-fiction book about understanding the symptoms and science of five mental health conditions. Your Mental Health: Understanding Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, Eating Disorders and Self-Destructive Behaviour is sitting right beside Pollen's book on the table. The book incorporates findings from UK mental health research charity MQ and health facility Enigma Wellness.
Your Mental Health by Chris Brady is now available to buy via Ebury Digital on Amazon.
Super Thinking by Gabriel Weinberg and Lauren McCann Credit: PortfolioGabriel Weinberg and Lauren McCann's 2019 book about problem solving and decision making is the next in Isaac and James' library collection. The characters of Heartstopper could all use Super Thinking: The Big Book of Mental Models this season, with bigger and more important decisions ahead of them than ever.
Good Enough by Jen Petro-Roy Credit: Feiwel & FriendsActivist Jen Petro-Roy's novel Good Enough is also on Isaac and James' reading table, a drawn-from-life tale of eating disorder recovery. The book follows 12-year-old Riley through her own experience with anorexia, a story that mirrors Charlie's this season. In a really sweet touch in Heartstopper, you can see Isaac holding this book in episode 8, the finale, as if he's reading it to try and understand some part of his friend's experience.
Good Enough by Jen Petro-Roy is now available to buy via Feiwel & Friends on Amazon.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Credit: BloomsburyIn episode 4, when Tao (William Gao) gets the crew to film messages for Charlie during his treatment, Isaac mentions he finished Madeline Miller's mighty BookTok favourite The Song of Achilles on Charlie's recommendation: "I know you said it was going to have a sad ending, but I wasn't prepared and I cried for about four hours."
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is now available to buy via Bloomsbury on Amazon.
Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson Credit: VintageIn episode 5, the Christmas episode, there's a moment where we see Isaac having a lovely time snuggled in with a hot chocolate and British novelist Jeanette Winterson's festive story collection, Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days. Themed reading!
Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson is now available to buy via Vintage on Amazon.
The Ethical Slut by Janet W. Hardy and Dossie Easton Credit: Clarkson Potter / Ten SpeedIn episode 7, when Charle, Tao, and Isaac are attending a truly lazy sex education class, Isaac is instead actually getting schooled by Janet W. Hardy and Dossie Easton's The Ethical Slut: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships, and Other Freedoms in Sex and Love. A guide to non-monogamy and polyamory, this 2017 book is a much better sex ed teacher than the cucumber-and-condom situation the students are faced with.
SEE ALSO: Sex education is under threat in the UK. What's going on? Inner Harmony by Jan De Vries Credit: Mainstream PublishingAnother one on the book table, the work of naturopath Jan De Vries is recommended by James and Isaac. The 1999 book Inner Harmony: Achieving Physical, Mental and Emotional Well-Being is all about complementary medicine. But if you're going to read this one, remember, please don't just take homeopathic medicinal advice from books and implement it, ask your GP about it.
Inner Harmony by Jan De Vries is now available to by via Mainstream Publishing on Amazon.
Heartstopper Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.
If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988; the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860; or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat at crisischat.org. Here is a list of international resources.
If you feel like you'd like to talk to someone about your eating behavior, in the U.S. you can call the National Eating Disorder Association's helpline at 800-931-2237. You can also text "NEDA" to 741-741 to be connected with a trained volunteer at the Crisis Text Line or visit the nonprofit's website for more information.
In the UK, you can contact Beat through webchat, email, or phone — England (0808 801 0677), Scotland (0808 801 0432), Wales (0808 801 0433) Northern Ireland (0808 801 0434). The helplines are open 3 p.m. to 8 p.m, Monday to Friday.
If you're in the market for a new pair of earbuds, we have good news: You have a lot of options. The bad news? You have a lot of options, and your decision can get overwhelming fast.
Prices on earbuds range anywhere from under $10 to in the thousands (if you're going for professional-grade studio earbuds), but even in the narrower range most consumers occupy, you can easily spend up to $300.
Luckily, these gadgets often go on sale during major shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day. With Prime Big Deal Days coming Oct. 8 and 9, we can't wait to see what's in store. We have been tracking early deals on headphones and earbuds, but we're eager to see what deals kick off when the event officially begins.
SEE ALSO: October Prime Day is coming and early deals are rolling in on headphones and speakersWhether you're simply looking for earbuds to get you through the work day, a pair to take with you on a flight, or a pair that you can live in 24/7, we've checked out the most popular options to determine which earbuds are actually the best. And if nothing on this list stands out too much, you can always expand your search to headphones as well.
Are wired or wireless earbuds better?Though most earbuds are now wireless, this ultimately comes down to preference. If you have a tighter budget or don't want to worry about the battery running low all the time, wired earbuds are a great option. With that said, it is significantly harder to find wired earbuds with active noise cancellation (we're working on tracking down and testing a few pairs like this). So, if ANC is a priority for you, you'll be better off with a pair of wireless earbuds.
To help you decide, we put a range of wired and wireless earbuds to the test to determine which are worth your money — check out our top six picks below.
Best earbuds for sound: Sony WF-1000XM5 Opens in a new window Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds $298.00 at AmazonPeople who enjoy great active noise cancellation and even better sound quality will appreciate the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds — the full package.
Why we picked this:Even if you're not a full-blown audiophile, we're betting you'd be impressed by just how good these earbuds sound. Though they're great when you plug and play, the highly customizable equalizer allows these earbuds to really shine. If you're not quite sure what you enjoy when it comes to EQ, no problem.
The companion app has a "find your equalizer" feature that lets you play a song and select between six EQ settings to find the one that sounds best to your ears. Once you do, you get more options to select, with that choice marking the "custom" EQ you like best. To make sure you're satisfied, the app then lets you easily compare the new and original settings side by side. That's just one of several sound features built into the app that allow you to customize your experience, far surpassing every other pair of earbuds on this list.
Wear-wise, the ear tips on these buds forego the usual silicone for a foamier alternative that's more reminiscent of the material you might expect from earplugs. We found this material to wear comfortably and snugly, staying in place in your ear better than AirPods typically do. On a further design note, these are also a great option for folks who don't like the stemmed look made popular by AirPods.
Finally, the ANC. You're paying high-end prices for these earbuds, and they do deliver on high-end ANC. If noise cancellation is your biggest concern, you might want to go for the Bose earbuds instead, but these still do an excellent job (plus, their multipoint pairing actually works, unlike Bose's). We will say that with ANC on, we did tend to get closer to seven hours of listening time before running out of juice, instead of the eight Sony claims.
Battery life: 7-8 hours per charge (24 hours with case) | Ear tip sizes: XS, S, M, L
Best noise-cancelling earbuds: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds $299.00 at AmazonCheck out our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds.
Who it's for:For those who value noise cancellation above all else, the $299 Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are worth the investment, offering the best ANC experience we've had with a pair of earbuds.
Why we picked this:Over-ear headphones are the typical pick for those who want the best noise cancelling, but in recent years high-end earbuds have started to prove themselves worthy competitors. Bose is already known for offering some of the best ANC, so it's no shock that these earbuds, which were released just this past fall, showcase what the brand is best at.
Mashable contributor Timothy Beck Werth said that these earbuds offer the best ANC of any he's tested, a lineup that includes products from Apple, Beats, and Jabra. In fact, he writes, "Bose's noise cancelation is so good that I often use these earbuds when I'm not even listening to music." Customizable stability bands help create a tight but comfortable seal that helps unwanted sound stay out (and sets these earbuds apart from other ANC buds on the market).
Though we appreciate the QC Ultra's noise-cancelling first and foremost, we also enjoyed Bose's foray into spatial audio with the Immersive Audio feature that can be toggled on and adjusted via the companion app. It's good, not great, and definitely not the top reason to get these earbuds, but still a pretty nice feature — and certainly welcome at this price point.
Speaking of the price point, we were shocked that at $299, these earbuds don't offer functional multipoint pairing. While you can technically connect more than one device at a time, you do have to manually change your device with the app, instead of switching back and forth simply by changing your audio output, like you can with the Sony WF-1000XM5 or AirPods Pro. While we do think Bose needs to update this feature ASAP, the ANC, combined with the comfort for long-term wear and sound quality, still earned these earbuds a spot on our list.
Battery life: 6 hours per charge (24 hours with case) | Ear tip sizes: S, M, L | Stability band sizes: S, M, L
Best for Apple users: Apple AirPods Pro (USB-C) Apple AirPods Pro (USB-C) $269.99 at WalmartCheck out our full review of the USB-C AirPods Pro.
Who it's for:Apple device owners will appreciate how easily these earbuds pair with multiple devices and their impressive active noise cancellation.
Why we picked this:The AirPods Pro are incredibly popular for several reasons. They produce a sound that's rich and well-balanced, they have excellent noise-cancellation (that falls just behind the Bose QC Ultras), and they work seamlessly within the Apple ecosystem.
What exactly does that mean? Whereas earbuds like the aforementioned Ultras might struggle to pair, and then swap between, an iPhone and an iPad quickly, the AirPods Pro were built to do exactly that. And as you'd expect from an Apple product, they do have some nice features built around convenience. In addition to great ANC and sound, Apple hones your listening experience with three modes: Conversational Awareness, which automatically lowers the volume of your music when you're talking to someone and raises it when you're done; Adaptive Audio, which functions as an ultra-smart transparency mode; and Personalized Volume, which automatically adjusts the volume based on your environment.
Outside of those listening modes, you also get lossless audio support with the Apple Vision Pro (in case you happen to own the $3,500 headset). With the new USB-C port, you can also charge the case by connecting it to any iPhone 15 device, though we don't consider that the most useful feature out there. If you're not a fan of touch controls, you're also likely to appreciate that the touch commands only require you to press the stem of the earbuds. Our biggest gripe with these earbuds? Even though they sound great, they don't offer customizable EQ like Bose and Sony.
Battery life: 5.5 to 6 hours per charge (30 hours with case) | Ear tip sizes: XS, S, M, L
SEE ALSO: I tested the best headphones and earbuds for working out during my daily run Best wired earbuds: Marshall Mode Opens in a new window Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable Marshall Mode earbuds $37.02 at AmazonWhether you're looking to save some cash, prefer the better signal that wired headphones can offer, or simply hate charging earbuds, these Marshall Mode earbuds are sure to satisfy.
Why we picked this:We know it's 2024 and everyone has Bluetooth everything, but some people genuinely prefer wired headphones. For those people, we recommend the Marshall Mode headphones.
As you would expect from wired headphones, these earbuds aren't too terribly expensive at $59.99 (though you can often find them on sale in the $39 to $49 range. Despite their affordability, they produce clean, well-rounded audio comparable to earbuds in the $100-plus price range. The wire itself is lightweight but durable and not at all tangle-prone, making these earbuds plenty comfortable to wear for long stretches of time. We do wish it was detachable, and therefore replaceable, but that's not a dealbreaker, especially at this price point.
The mic works well for calls, and it's separate from the remote button that allows you to answer and hang up calls, as well as play and pause your music. There isn't too much more to say about these earbuds beyond this: They do what you expect them to do.
Battery life: N/A | Ear tip sizes: S, M, L, XL
Best budget earbuds: Anker Soundcore P20i Opens in a new window Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable Anker Soundcore P20i earbuds $19.99 at AmazonIf you don't want to be too precious about your earbuds (there's nothing wrong with being accident-prone) the Anker Soundcore P20i earbuds will be the kindest to your wallet, while still delivering an all-around decent listening experience. If ANC is essential for you though, you'll want to pass on these buds.
Why we picked this:We'll be honest: We weren't expecting much from a pair of earbuds that cost $25. However, we were shocked to find that these earbuds not only had an impressive array of features, but in some cases also had better features than earbuds that cost hundreds of dollars more.
First, let's start with the sound. Admittedly, we weren't too blown away by how they sounded at first. However, once we played around with the equalizer presets on the companion app, we found the Treble Boost produced the kind of well-rounded sound we expect from pricier earbuds. The app also allowed you to set up to three touch controls on each earbud, which actually worked decently well once we played around with them (the touch controls have just the right level of sensitivity). However, the most exciting feature on the app was the "find device" tab. Unlike Apple AirPods, which only play a sound from the case when you're trying to find your earbuds, the Soundcore earbuds each play a loud tone when you activate this feature, making it easier to locate a single bud.
The P20i buds also best AirPods in battery life. Per charge, we were able to get about nine-and-a-half to 10 hours of battery life. The case overall holds 30 hours of charge total. Admittedly, these earbuds don't have ANC, so that helps, but we were still impressed. (For comparison, the most recent AirPods Pro and standard AirPods without ANC offer six hours per charge).
Obviously, a budget pair of earbuds will have some more noticeable drawbacks. For the P20i, that would be the lack of multipoint pairing. Not only can you not pair more than one device at a time, but we also found that we often had to manually unpair the earbuds from one device before pairing with another. The lack of pairing capability also meant that to use the companion app, you have to be connected to your phone.
Battery life: 9.5 to 10 hours per charge (30 hours with case) | Ear tip sizes: S, M, L
Best workout earbuds: Beats Fit Pro Beats Fit Pro $199.00 at AmazonRead our full review of the Beats Fit Pro.
Who it's for:Tired of your earbuds falling out mid-run or stressing about your battery dying while you're in the gym? Solve both of those problems with the Beats Fit Pro. With a wing-tipped design, these stay tucked in years securely in your ears when working out. Plus the responsive touch controls are easy to use so you can stay hands-free.
Why we picked this:Mashable tech reporter Alex Perry called the Beats Fit Pro some of the best headphones Apple has put out (yes, this includes AirPods), writing in his review "The combination of top-notch audio, beefy batteries, and all-day comfort make these ideal as both work and workout companions."
So exactly how beefy is this battery? I'll put it this way: the $250 second-generation AirPods Pro come with around five and a half hours of battery life with ANC on. The $200 Beats Fit Pro (which can often drop down to $159.95, by the way) deliver a full six hours of play, also with ANC on.
Strong battery life is all well and good, but for workout earbuds, we particularly appreciate the flexible wingtips on these that keep them in place, giving you the best chance possible to focus on your exercise, and not on fiddling with your earbuds. Though wingtip designs can be notoriously uncomfortable, Perry said he was able to wear the earbuds without issue, saying that the earbuds "never feel like they're going to fall out and, more importantly, never intrude on your comfort" during use.
As for the sound profile, they deliver: Perry remarked on their ability to deliver highs and lows with ease, along with what he called "truly bumping bass" — not a necessity for working out, but certainly not a drawback when you need a little music motivation while lifting weights. We wish Apple would let Android users have access to features like spatial audio and automatic device switching, but it's not too detrimental to an Android user's experience.
Battery life: 6 hours per charge with active noise cancellation (24 hours total) | Ear tip sizes: S, M, L
How we tested the best earbudsEach pair of earbuds selected for this guide was hands-on tested by a Mashable staffer or contributor. Along with earbuds tested specifically for this article, we also combed through our existing reviews to pick the best of the best earbuds for 2024. When testing earbuds, we consider criteria such as:
Battery life: For the Anker Soundcore P20i and Sony WF-1000XM5, we tested their battery life by letting the earbuds run interrupted with music at 50% volume until they died. For the remaining earbuds, the Bose QC Ultras and Apple AirPods Pro, we referred to the battery tests conducted when we first reviewed them.
Sound quality: We tested out these earbuds with a variety of songs, from live performances to bass-heavy electronic music, R&B, rock, and folksy guitar songs. We evaluated how they sounded out of the box, along with any EQ presets or custom controls.
Comfort: Though this category can be subjective, we made sure each of our selections at least had several different ear tip sizes and were comfortable to wear for stretches of three hours or more.
Microphone quality: Realistically, you'll make calls when using your earbuds, which is why we put each of these earbuds through a call test, making sure the person on the other end of the phone could hear us clearly and consistently.
Special features: Especially for pricier earbuds, we took into consideration what they offered beyond a solid listening experience. In Sony's case, that was an incredibly customizable and user-friendly experience with the equalizer. For the Soundcore earbuds, that was the "find device" capability (considering the buds' price range) and general app compatibility. Basically, any feature that made the earbuds stand out, and also performed consistently well, earned it points in this category.
Price: Earbuds can easily run into the hundreds of dollars, and we wanted to make sure if you're paying that much, it's worth it. We took into consideration how the earbuds performed in each of the above categories to make sure they justified their price.
As of June 2024, we're in the process of testing more budget-friendly ANC earbuds, and have added the Beats Fit Pro as our recommendation for the best workout earbuds. We're still testing out more exercise-oriented buds and are looking at more affordable options. Should we find them, we'll update this guide accordingly.
Out of its lauded Sundance world premiere, It's What's Inside was picked up by Netflix, though that's a bit of a shame. While it's sure to find a streaming audience, the ideal way to watch the movie is surrounded by dozens of other unsuspecting strangers having a riotous evening as they discover the movie's audacious twists and turns. Failing that, you should watch it at home with your spouse or significant other, if only to test the strength of your relationship.
SEE ALSO: What to watch: Best scary moviesSet at an intimate, all-gender bachelor party, It's What's Inside is a jaw-dropping thriller that follows the reunion of a diverse group of college friends with wildly entangled histories. However, to reveal its basic premise beyond this would feel like giving too much away, given its daring surprises (and more importantly, the way they're presented). Each is marked by uncanny remixes of familiar classical tunes and old movie scores. In the interest of preserving that experience — and at the request of Netflix's PR team — this review will hold back on those details until a section near the end, which will be clearly demarcated, though it won't spoil anything per se.
Why all the fuss? Well, even mentioning the freaky subgenre into which this movie falls might be a spoiler for some. But suffice to say, it's a deviously good time. Debuting writer/director Greg Jardin knows how to twist his screws with precision, and in the process, he crafts a ludicrous, metaphysical midnight romp that forces its ensemble to look at each other — and at themselves — in surprising ways.
It's What's Inside begins with jealousy. Credit: NetflixIt takes about half an hour before the premise fully reveals itself to the audience, as well as to the characters, so the movie lays plenty of groundwork in the meantime. It begins with a young couple — the clammy, uptight Cyrus (James Morosini) and the well-meaning, nervous Shelby (Brittany O'Grady) — trying and failing miserably to spice up their love life. The duo's overlapping, nonsensical arguments reveal more about their broken relationship than straightforward exposition could hope to. Within seconds, Jardin announces himself as a deft dramatic storyteller who takes traditional conversations and stages them in new and exciting ways.
SEE ALSO: TikTok has an obsession with testing friends and partners — and it needs to stopThe speed with which the film draws doubts and disagreements from its leading characters feels like a shot of adrenaline, starting with the couple's tiff over the blonde wig Shelby wears at Cyrus's request. This introduces a charged racial subtext in the process — Cyrus is white, while Shelby is a mixed-race Black woman — which the film flirts with in awkward and hilarious ways.
These lingering topics of race, body image and jealousy are further exacerbated when Cyrus and Shelby attend the aforementioned bachelor party. As soon as they show up, they're accosted by their group of college friends about why they aren't married eight years into their courtship. This inquisition is led by Nikki (Alycia Debnam-Carey), a famous blonde influencer on whose pictures Cyrus frequently leaves saucy public comments.
Something strange and unfulfilled is clearly in the ether, though no one seems to talk about it, making for an alluring introduction to a friend group with more than a few secrets. Seemingly ordinary conversations feel uncomfortable, as scenes of old friends catching up after years apart are imbued with unspoken tensions. As each new bit of information is revealed, all you can do is laugh in sheer delight at how absurdly good the movie is at creating tension in unique ways.
It's What's Inside hinges on a "missing link." Credit: NetflixReunion stories work best when they feature a sense of absence. Lawrence Kasdan's film The Big Chill and Rahul da Cunha's play Class of '84 center on classmates coming together when an old friend dies, while Robert Altman's Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean follows old pals meeting to reminisce about the late actor James Dean. It's What's Inside isn't quite as somber, but it similarly establishes a complicated history with which the characters must reckon.
Once Cyrus and Shelby arrive, they're welcomed by Nikki and her charming former flame Reuben (Devon Terrell) — who happens to be the groom — along with Reuben's secret stoner crush Maya (Nina Bloomgarden), his boisterous, trust-fund bestie Dennis (Gavin Leatherwood), and their artist friend Brooke (Reina Hardesty). Together, they speculate on whether or not the eighth and final member of their group, Forbes (David Thompson), will show up. They haven't seen him in years, and as they recall the murky details of his expulsion from college after a drunken incident, their hazy memories take the form of a magnificently funny Rashomon-esque sequence adapted for the age of Instagram. Picture after picture of a fateful party from eight years ago appears across the screen. These still images, with various nostalgia-inducing Instagram filters, change in detail ever so slightly with each recollection, as though the characters' collective memory were an iPhone camera roll.
Jardin's propulsive montages of social media feeds, and his rapid, back-and-forth editing between his characters, creates a nerve-wracking rhythm. However, his new media-inspired aesthetic takes hilariously literal form when Forbes is actually introduced, mysterious green briefcase in hand. His friends remember him as a tech-savvy type, and Thompson may very well have been cast because of his resemblance to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, whose uncanny public persona he embodies with aplomb.
Facebook, on the surface, is about preserving moments in amber, and Jardin's ingeniously funny visual approach to capturing memories and relationships injects each scene with momentum, even if it seems like nothing important is unfolding. The fact is, something usually is happening, but the pieces only fit together in retrospect, like during scenes in which the camera (courtesy of cinematographer Kevin Fletcher) zooms into negative space, only for it to be filled in unexpected ways.
Rarely has a debuting director crafted a film that feels so precise in its visual chaos, bringing to the fore a lingering anxiety from beneath the seemingly mundane. The eye-popping production design certainly helps; Reuben hosts his party at the ornate mansion he inherited from his mother. He turns it into a getaway destination rife with harsh, monochromatic lighting — a different color in every room! — and various mirrored art pieces, as though his idea of a good time were a giallo. The tone of the movie is playful enough (and more importantly, absorbing enough) for these inorganically-placed backdrops to justify themselves.
As the party goes on, its conversations take the form of chaotic cacophonies. Few individual sentences stand out amidst the overlapping chatter, but each actor quickly establishes their character's general vibe and behavior, as the camera circles around them in disorienting fashion. All it takes is a line or two — sometimes even just a silent gesture — to get a read on each character, like Maya's laid-back demeanor, or Dennis's tendency to provoke conflict in the guise of jokes.
These introductory scenes have a vibrant, youthful energy, but they're purposeful too. They're fleeting snapshots of who these people are, which comes in handy later on, when the movie's focus shifts towards figuring out who they're pretending to be. These hidden truths are unveiled (and eventually gamified) when Forbes reveals what's in his briefcase, and while its contents are best left discovered during the movie, the nature of the story is at least worth touching upon, for a couple of reasons. One, if you're still on the fence, maybe a bit of clarity about the premise might convince you. And two, while that premise may sound like it's been done to death, rest assured — no other movie has quite approached this central conceit like It's What's Inside.
Okay… What is It's What's Inside really about? Credit: NetflixYou won't find major spoilers here, but if you'd like to avoid a basic sense of the movie's subgenre, here's your off-ramp. This review will only reveal as much as its writer knew going in, which all but ensures it'll still be a tremendously good time.
Minor plot details to follow.
It's What's Inside is a body-swap movie, though how exactly it becomes one (and the ensuing plot mechanics from there on out) are worth discovering for yourself. Forbes, whose creepy grins and shifty demeanor hint at some kind of bone to pick, lures his friends into a party game, which he explains is best understood when experienced firsthand. Like the film, trying to explain it in words might not do its surprises justice.
You've probably seen a body-swap movie or two — perhaps Freaky Friday, The Hot Chick, or the Jumanji sequels — though few of them have unfolded on quite this scale, or have been gamified in such an exciting way. In the aforementioned examples, it's relatively easy to keep things straight; it's two people switching places and two actors behaving like one another, which is often a selling point. Face/Off isn't quite a body-swap movie in the same way, but who doesn't love seeing John Travolta channeling Nicolas Cage? Or, in the Harry Potter movies, Helena Bonham Carter playing Hermione Granger pretending to be Bellatrix Lestrange?
Now, think of how many nesting-doll permutations of these you could have with more than two characters, and the actors' broad, idiosyncratic performances in It's What's Inside click into place. However, the audience is never left confused unless Jardin wants them to be. Through innovative use of color, split-screen shots, and layered performances, everything tracks at all times, no matter how seemingly complicated the premise becomes.
By giving his characters wild new experiences and modes of interaction, Jardin forces their interpersonal tensions to the surface in ways that are constantly surprising. You can never quite tell exactly which zig will lead to what kind of a zag, even if it seems obvious as a traditional screenwriting setup. But It's What's Inside is far from traditional, and payoffs click into place in uproarious fashion, even when it feels like the movie might run out of steam late into its strangely existential second act.
Each jaw-dropping turn slowly and skillfully builds its story of strained romance, the inability to communicate, and the fears and insecurities that set in years into a relationship, and it does all this in a briskly fun 102 minutes. With a roving camera that never slows down, It's What's Inside feels alive in a way few recent Hollywood thrillers have, with each formal decision revealing secrets and subtext through eye-popping composition. Wielding devilishly enjoyable visual language, it provides winking hints of catharsis that make even its most audacious, galaxy-brained genre swerves feel like a couple's therapy session atop the world's tallest, fastest rollercoaster. It's a frenetic and fascinating film that can't be missed.
It's What's Inside is now streaming on Netflix.
UPDATE: Oct. 2, 2024, 3:28 p.m. EDT It's What's Inside was reviewed out of its Texas premiere at SXSW 2024. This review was first published on March 21, 2024, and has been updated to reflect viewing options.
Amazon's October Prime Day is upon us and that means it's time to do some MacBook shopping.
Two of Apple's latest laptops, the 15-inch MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro, both contain Apple's powerful M3 chip. They're also both pretty steeply discounted for Prime Day, so now is probably the time to jump on the bandwagon if you don't have a Mac, or simply upgrade if you do.
Don't worry, dear reader. We're going to dispel your confusion and help you make an informed decision about which M3 MacBook — Air or Pro — is right for you.
SEE ALSO: 15-inch M3 MacBook Air review: Read this before you even think about buying M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: PriceThe M3 MacBook Air is the cheapest and it comes in two flavors: 13-inch and 15-inch models.
The new M3 MacBook Air line Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableThe 13-inch variant has a starting price of $1,099 and comes with the following specs:
8-Core CPU
8-Core GPU
8GB of RAM
256GB of SSD storage
I'd warn you, though, that 8GB of RAM is scant, particularly if you love juggling a lot of apps and Google Chrome tabs simultaneously. To be on the safe side, I'd recommend upgrading your memory to 16GB of RAM, which is an additional $200 for a total of $1,299.
The M3 MacBook Pro only comes in a 14-inch model. It has a starting price of $1,599 and features the following specs:
8-Core CPU
10-Core GPU
8GB of RAM
512GB of SSD storage
Again, the entry-level 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro only comes with 8GB of RAM, which isn't ideal if you don't want to stomach slowdowns while hopping between numerous apps and tabs. I suggest tacking on an extra $200 for 16GB of memory.
Winner: M3 MacBook Air
Opens in a new window Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable 15-inch M3 MacBook Air $1,099.00As mentioned, the M3 MacBook Air comes in two display sizes: 13.6 inches and 15.3 inches.
13-inch M3 MacBook Air Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableThe 15-inch display is the sweet spot: not too small (like the 13-inch model), but not to large. There's a chance that the 13.6-inch model may be too cramped for you.
The M3-based MacBook Pro only comes in a 14-inch variant, but if you don't mind spending the extra money, you can nab the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which comes with processor upgrades, too (e.g., the more powerful M3 Pro or M3 Max instead of the entry-level M3 chip).
Check out the resolution and brightness of each laptop across both the M3 MacBook Air and M3 MacBook Pro models:
13-inch M3 MacBook Air: 2,560 x 1,664-pixel resolution, 500 nits of brightness
15-inch M3 MacBook Air: 2,800 x 1,864-pixel resolution, 500 nits of brightness
14-inch M3 MacBook Pro: 3,024 x 1,964-pixel resolution, up to 1,600 nits of brightness
To put it succinctly, if you want a bright display (a must if you use your laptop outdoors often) and a crisp, high-res screen (ideal for graphics and video editing), the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro is your best bet.
Winner: M3 MacBook Pro
M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: DesignDesign-wise, let's start with what's the same. If you're not a fan of the notch (e.g., the webcam-housing, rectangular thingamajig that dips into the display), too bad! It's a feature across both the Air and Pro models.
15-inch M3 Macbook Air Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableDiving into the differences, the M3 MacBook Air offers the following colors, including midnight black, which is designed to fend off fingerprints better than the others:
Starlight
Space gray
Silver
Midnight black (with a fingerprint-resistant anodized seal)
The MacBook Pro line also features a colorway with a fingerprint-resistant seal; it's called space black. However, there's a catch. You can only get space black for MacBook Pro models with the M3 Pro or M3 Max chip. In other words, you'll have to spend at least $2,000 (e.g., the 14-inch M3 Pro-based MacBook Pro variant) to get it.
That being said, the only colors you can get for the M3-based 14-inch MacBook Pro are the following:
Space gray
Silver
A bit boring, I know. I'd opt for silver if I were you; fingerprints and scratches are less noticeable on it.
14-inch M3 MacBook Pro Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableI'd also add that, unsurprisingly, the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro is the heaviest:
14-inch M3 MacBook Pro: 3.4 pounds, 0.6 inches thick
15-inch M3 MacBook Air: 3.3 pounds, 0.45 inches thick
13-inch M3 MacBook Air: 2.7 pounds, 0.44 inches thick
If you need a travel companion that won't put too much stress on your back and shoulders, the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air is ideal.
Finally, another striking difference between Air and Pro is the presence of speaker grilles that flank the keyboard on the latter. As you'll see in the next section, the Pro is unmatched when it comes to delivering ear-soothing sounds.
Winner: M3 MacBook Air
M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: AudioThere's no contest. Not only does the MacBook Pro have better audio than the MacBook Air, but it arguably has the best speaker system on the market.
14-inch M3 MacBook Pro: 6-speaker sound system
13-inch, 15-inch M3 MacBook Air: 4-speaker sound system
Don't get me wrong; the M3 MacBook Air's audio is still divine.
15-inch M3 MacBook Air Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableWhether you choose the 13-inch or 15-inch variant, it comes with a four-speaker sound system that is crisp, loud, and smooth. However, when you play music on the MacBook Pro's six-speaker sound system, equipped with force-cancelling woofers, it sounds absolutely angelic.
It's worth noting that both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro have a three-mic array, but Apple boasts that the latter has a "studio-quality" setup.
M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: PortsIf you're a content creator, I'd recommend grabbing the Pro model. The problem with the Air is that it only features the following I/O options:
Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 (USB-C) ports
A headset jack
MagSafe 3
The M3 MacBook Pro, on the other hand, adds two more ports: HDMI and SDXC card slot.
Winner: M3 MacBook Pro
M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: External display supportThe M3 MacBook Air, unlike its predecessor, supports two external displays. However, the catch is that you can only use those displays while the lid is closed. In other words, no, you can't use the panel on the laptop – just the two external monitors.
14-inch M3 MacBook Air Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableThis means you’ll have to rely on peripherals like the Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Mouse to enjoy the multi-screen experience.
Apple recently announced that the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro, like the new M3 MacBook Air, will support the same external display function (including the exclusion of the laptop panel while using multiple screens) in the near future.
Winner: Draw
M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: PerformanceYes, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro in this versus have the same chip – the M3 – but there are some differences that affect the performance of both models.
14-inch M3 MacBook Pro Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableBefore we get into that, allow us to share our scores from Geekbench 6, which tested the 8-core CPUs inside our M3 MacBook Air and M3 MacBook Pro review units.
14-inch M3 MacBook Pro: 11,998
15-inch M3 MacBook Air: 12,057
Again, both models we tested on Geekbench 6 have the same 8-core CPU, so the processing prowess is quite similar. As such, the delta between the two scores is too negligible to be significant.
However, the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro offers more graphics oomph with its base model, thanks to its 10-core GPU (as opposed to the 8-core GPU configuration the Air line starts with). If you want to upgrade your Air to a 10-Core GPU, you'll have to shell out an extra $100.
In other words, configurations with the 10-Core GPU should offer a slight edge for anyone who is interested in video and photo editing — or macOS gaming.
14-inch M3 MacBook Pro Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableIt's also worth noting that the M3 MacBook Pro, thanks to being packed with fans (the M3 MacBook Air has a fanless design), can sustain workloads that stress the CPU and GPU better than the Air model.
If you do any serious, intensive work with graphics, opt for the Pro.
Winner: M3 MacBook Pro
M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Battery lifeAccording to Apple, both the 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air models are rated for up to 18 hours of battery life. The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro, on the other hand, lasts for up to 22 hours on a charge.
Winner: M3 MacBook AirIf you absolutely, positively need an ultra-bright, high-res display, an SDXC card slot, and an industry-leading laptop sound system, grab the M3 MacBook Pro.
However, consider that the M3 MacBook Air isn't too much of a downgrade from the M3 MacBook Pro. Plus, with the M3 MacBook Air, you can snag the midnight black colorway, which is designed to reduce fingerprint smudges — a perk the M3 MacBook Pro doesn't offer.
Opens in a new window Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable 15-inch M3 MacBook Air $1,099.00She's a fashion model! She's a computer genius! She's got dark obsessions that have her fixated upon a serial killer! In the 1960s or '70s, these fantastical beats would've made for a swank giallo film – meaning that Italian subset of slashers that are all loose morals and leather gloves (think Dario Argento or Mario Bava). But nowadays, what we get instead is Red Rooms (Les Chambres rouges), Quebecois director Pascal Plante's deliciously lurid courtroom drama cum techno thriller which opened Montreal's 2023 Fantasia Film Festival.
SEE ALSO: What to watch: Best scary moviesRed Rooms gives one hell of a star-making role to relative newcomer Juliette Gariépy as our gorgeous and disturbed model slash tech detective. As Kelly-Anne, she's an enigma wrapped in avant-garde high fashion in front of the camera (her agent says, "Weird is her thing") who opts for inconspicuous blacks and grays at home. Kelly-Anne can turn it up to one hundred and fifty when the flashbulbs pop, but everything about her home life seems nondescript — her apartment is a sterile box perched high in the Montreal sky, and she seems to have no friends or family to speak of. Not even a plant!
What she does have is her obsession with "The Demon of Rosemont," a serial killer who's been butchering teen girls and broadcasting it on the dark web to the highest bidders. The red rooms of the film's title indicate both the internet forums where these videos are broadcast, as well as the physical locations themselves where these snuff films are made – the latter literally turning red with blood as their terrible proceedings play out.
But Kelly-Anne is hardly alone in this fixation – it's a case that’s captured the attention of the world, the sort of snuff films that long seemed the stuff of Hostel-like fiction finally being proven all too terrifyingly real. And like Kelly-Anne, no one can look away, especially now that there's a suspect on trial.
Everything seems to indicate that Ludovic Chevalier (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos from Stanleyville) is the murderer behind the black ski mask seen on the videos – videos that only took a small matter of time to leak beyond the confines of their original rarified chat rooms into the wider world's web. Much to the horror of the murdered girls' families, and to everyone with a conscience...Not that half of those people don't want a peek anyway. As Chevalier's trial begins, the judge warns the jurors they should leave immediately if they're not prepared to witness awful things, and not a single one of them stirs.
Red Rooms is a courtroom drama of darkest inclinations. Credit: Courtesy of UtopiaBut the full scope of the case is anything but cut-and-dry. For one, there's the question of the number of victims, as two of the snuff videos have leaked online but the mutilated remains of three girls were found on Chevalier's property. And it should be noted that we see no violence on-screen, but we do hear it, and we hear truly horrible actions described in lingering, clinical detail. Which is almost always worse? When a filmmaker trusts their audience to fill in the details, our imaginations become the grimmest kind of devils.
The mother of the youngest victim, Francine (Elisabeth Locas), has become the face of the families in the courtroom and in the media. Her emotional pleas to the press for information have captured everyone's heart, even as Plante — through Kelly-Anne's gaze — wanders dangerously, thrillingly, toward finding Francine's showmanship itself somewhat distasteful. She seems almost too distraught that there is no snuff film showcasing her daughter's final moments? Clearly, this is not a film unwilling to probe at unsettling impulses.
Francine also vociferously makes her disgust with the serial killer groupies who attend every court session well known to any microphone that will listen. And yes, Kelly-Anne is indeed one of those groupies. When she's not posing in haute couture or winning piles of bitcoin in online poker games, she's sleeping in an alleyway behind the courthouse so she can be the first in line to watch the proceedings live and in person. And she sits riveted to every micro-expression on Chevalier's bored, expressionless face.
But what is she watching for? Plante's direction and script and Gariépy's performance all steadfastly refuse to let us know what is motivating Kelly-Anne’s bizarre fixation. Does she know Chevalier? Is she in love with him or trying to solve the case? As sure as the press and the prosecution are that they got their man, the murderer is masked in the videos; the defense very well might have its reasonable doubt. The eyes seem like his, but is that enough?
All facets of true crime come under the microscope. Credit: Courtesy of UtopiaClementine (Laurie Babin) is one of the other young women who attends the proceedings as religiously as Kelly-Anne does, and she is convinced Chevalier is innocent. She, too, is willing to weaponize the press, ranting outside of court every day to every camera about due process and doctored videos. As a contrast to Kelly-Anne's austere reserve, Clementine couldn't be more different. And so when the two women strike up a tentative friendship, we’re forced to wonder if Kelly-Anne agrees with Clementine; she assumes the role of devil's advocate in their conversations, but only mildly so.
Inscrutable as she might be, Kelly-Anne seems drawn to any kind of extreme behavior. But she's like an alien observer looking into it – "it" being humanity, emotion, a firm stance in any direction. The adaptability that makes her an excellent model seems to have hung her out to dry in real life, but her dispassion benefits her in poker and online sleuthing as well. It seems as if she can hack anything, seeing ways through the ones and zeroes that the rest of us would never. Indeed, the slow build of Kelly-Anne's long game is masterfully unfurled by Plante, and as we watch the pieces slap into place, it's truly some of the best use of the internet and its disturbing possibilities that I've ever witnessed on-screen.
It all comes back to our killer leading lady. Credit: Courtesy of UtopiaThe role of Kelly-Anne is a whopper of one; it's the sort of complicated (one might even say "unlikeable") role that actresses live for, and which hardly ever seem to come along. The only recent U.S. correlation I can think of is what David Fincher and Rooney Mara did with the significantly underrated The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and even Lisbeth Salander would tell Kelly-Anne to take it down a notch.
And Juliette Gariépy gives a coolly masterful turn, threading through every derangement little shockwaves of life and humor where you'd usually expect to see a more clinical, atypical touch. She keeps surprising, scene to scene, millisecond to millisecond, just as you get the feeling that Kelly-Anne is surprising herself just as much. Gariépy is somehow totally in control of a person totally out of control, but in an extremely controlled fashion.
And where Plante finally lands us, and Kelly-Anne, has to be seen, jaw agape, to be believed. Red Rooms is very good at digging its finger around under the skin of everybody's salacious relationship with true crime – the media, the public, the law itself – and spilling out our most untoward compulsions across the floor like so much crimson splatter. Like those giallo films of yore, it can be pulpy and silly; Kelly-Anne remains a gorgeous model slash brilliant computer hacker, after all. But in its bigness, it approaches an almost operatic truth, finding equal measures of perversity on both sides of justice's scales.
Red Rooms is now available to watch on demand via Apple TV+.
UPDATE: Oct. 2, 2024, 2:24 p.m. EDT Red Rooms was reviewed out of its North American premiere at Fantasia Film Festival 2023. This review was originally published on July 29, 2023. It has been updated to reflect its digital release.
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