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Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story dives into the unsettling true crime saga of the Menendez brothers, who were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989. In the latest chapter from frequent collaborators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, Monsters revisits the tale of the two brothers accused of brutally murdering their parents, citing years of abuse at the hands of their father, José.
The nine-episode series and subsequent but separate Oct. 7 documentary, The Menendez Brothers, has taken the platform by storm, breathing new life into a case that first captivated audiences in the late '80s — and still dominates CrimeTok. According to The Wrap, the documentary alone drew 22.7 million views, instantly becoming Netflix’s most-watched film worldwide, while Ryan Murphy’s dramatization pulled in over 52 million views in its first month.
SEE ALSO: The best true crime TikTok accounts of 2022The actual Menendez brothers trial might feel like ancient history, taking place as it did in the pre-internet era of 1993 through 1996, but these recent releases have triggered a renewed interest in the case. That, along with new evidence, has prompted the Los Angeles District Attorney to ask for the brothers' life sentence to be reexamined so they can have a chance at parole.
So, if you’re intrigued by this notorious story, here’s everything you need to know about who the Menendez brothers are, what happened back then, and where they are now.
Who are the Menendez brothers? Erik Menendez, left, and is brother Lyle, in front of their Beverly Hills home. Credit: Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesLyle and Erik Menendez were born to José Menendez and Kitty Andersen, a seemingly typical power couple who met in college in Illinois before starting their family. The two moved to New York in 1963, where their first son, Lyle, was born in 1968. Erik followed two years later, arriving in 1970 after the family settled in New Jersey.
José’s ambitious career path saw him rising through the ranks at Hertz, then RCA Records, eventually landing as CEO of Live Entertainment. This promotion brought the family to Calabasas, California, in the early '80s. But by 1988, the Menendez family relocated to Beverly Hills due to the brothers' neighborhood burglary spree — swiping an estimated $100,000 in cash and jewelry.
During this time before the murders, the brothers alleged that they suffered physical and sexual abuse at the hands of José, a "relentless perfectionist," and that their mother was an alcoholic who enabled the abuse. They allege that it started when they were young children with their father, who turned his attention to Erik after Lyle had turned six. An older cousin of the brothers, Diane Vander Molen, also supported their claims, telling ABC in 2017 that Lyle had told her of the abuse when he was 8, back in 1976.
Murphy’s dramatization leans heavily into this aspect of the Menendez family story, painting an unflinching picture of the brothers’ alleged trauma. However, the show’s creative liberties have sparked a backlash: Family members have publicly slammed the adaptation as "a phobic, gross, anachronistic, serial episodic nightmare," accusing it of being a "grotesque shock drama."
Erik also responded to the show through his wife Tammi on X (formerly Twitter).
Tweet may have been deletedMurphy's other series in the Monster anthology, The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, received similar complaints — especially from family members of Dahmer's victims.
SEE ALSO: Netflix's 'Dahmer' backlash highlights ethical issues in the platform's obsession with true crime The Menendez brothers' murder and trialOn Aug. 18, 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez purchased two shotguns from a local gun shop. Two days later, on the night of Aug. 20, they confronted their parents, José and Kitty, who were watching TV. The brothers claimed a heated argument broke out, culminating in a violent confrontation. Lyle and Erik would later argue that they acted out of self-preservation, fearing their father intended to kill them that night.
According to their accounts, the catalyst for the murders came weeks prior when Erik confided in Lyle about the years of alleged abuse he had endured. This revelation led to several confrontations within the family, with José allegedly threatening to kill them if they dared speak out. This alleged fear for their lives became central to their defense, framing the murders as a desperate act born from years of trauma and intimidation.
Erik Menendez, left, and his brother Lyle, wearing jail outfits, are led into courtroom. June 15, 1990. Credit: Larry Davis / Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesImmediately after the murders, Lyle and Erik Menendez say they waited for police, convinced that the noise from the gunshots would have prompted a neighbor to call 911. When no one arrived, they took matters into their own hands, disposing of their clothes and the shotguns before heading to a festival at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium to establish an alibi.
When they returned home and found the house still undisturbed, Lyle made the 911 call himself, tearfully telling officers that their parents had been murdered and suggesting that the killings might be connected to the Mafia. Remarkably, though unsurprisingly, the responding officers failed to conduct routine procedures like testing the brothers for gunshot residue, allowing them to slip under suspicion — for a time, at least.
In the months following the murders, while police chased leads on a supposed mob connection, Lyle and Erik Menendez dove into their new multimillion-dollar inheritance with reckless abandon. They indulged in luxury apartments and high-end business ventures and splurged on Rolex watches, designer clothes, and sleek sports cars. Their lavish spending spree even put them in the public eye; the brothers were spotted courtside at a New York Knicks game, where they were inadvertently immortalized on a Mark Jackson trading card.
SEE ALSO: Untangling true crime: Inside the ethics of Hollywood's greatest guilty pleasureAfter spending up to $1 million in the months after the murders, police began to suspect Lyle and Erik Menendez of a financial motive. However, family members argued their lavish spending was nothing new. Despite their newfound freedom from their parents, Erik’s guilt led him to confess to his psychologist, Dr. Jerome Oziel. When Oziel’s mistress, Judalon Smyth, learned of the confession and later split from him, she reported it to the police, resulting in the brothers' arrest in 1990.
The first trial in 1993 captivated TV audiences as Lyle and Erik Menendez claimed they acted in self-defense, believing their lives were at risk after enduring years of abuse from their father. Their accounts were backed by family members, including cousin Andy Cano and aunt Joan Vander Molen. Although each brother was tried separately, both trials ended with hung juries, leaving the case unresolved.
In their 1996 retrial, a stricter judge limited testimony regarding the brothers' abuse allegations. This time, the outcome was definitive: Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, resulting in life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Can Lyle and Erik Menendez be granted clemency?Today, Lyle and Erik Menendez are serving life sentences, originally in separate prisons, though they were reunited in 2018. Both brothers are married and have filed multiple appeals over the years.
In 2023, they sought a new hearing after former Menudo member Roy Rosselló alleged that José Menendez had sexually assaulted him during his time at RCA Records. Rosselló detailed on the Today Show, after the release of the 2017 Peacock documentary Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, that José drugged and assaulted him when he was 14 at the Menendez home in New Jersey.
With this new evidence, the brothers' lawyer argues that Lyle and Erik should have been convicted of first-degree manslaughter rather than murder — a charge that could have led to their release years ago.
In 2024, fresh evidence and renewed public interest from Netflix’s Monster series spurred Los Angeles DA George Gascón to review the Menendez brothers’ case. On Oct. 24, Gascón recommended that Lyle and Erik be resentenced to 50 years, noting that because they committed the crime under the age of 26, they should have been eligible for parole under current guidelines.
If a judge accepts this recommendation, the brothers could be free for the first time in over 25 years.
Science fiction can run the gamut from far-flung space adventures to journeys to the bottom of the ocean. The genre can introduce us to awe-inspiring robots, horrific extraterrestrials, or harrowing experiments. Whether the sci-fi ranges from the mostly true to the truly outrageous, there's always fun to be had in this sandbox. But how to pick which to watch?
Hulu's got a wide selection of movies, but how to know the best from the rest? We've got you covered.
Here's the best sci-fi movies now streaming on Hulu.
1. The Creator Credit: 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.Writer/director Gareth Edwards broke onto the sci-fi scene in a big way with the 2010 invasion thriller Monsters. Since then, he's taken big swings at some of sci-fi's flashiest franchises, such as 2014's Godzilla and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In this wildly ambitious 2023 offering, he and screenwriter Chris Weitz have carved out a world all their own, one in which humans and AI robots are at war. John David Washington stars as a soldier whose allegiances are challenged when he meets Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles), a robot unlike any he's seen before. She's a child, and she could well be the path to a future of coexistence — as long as they can survive the attacks of the relentless Colonel Howell (Allison Janney). Full of jaw-dropping visuals, including a terrifying warship, The Creator is a gift to sci-fi fans. But beyond the film's dazzling futuristic flourishes, the emotional story at its core is what will keep you hooked. — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor
SEE ALSO: 'The Creator' review: A stunning reminder we need more original sci-fiHow to watch: The Creator is now streaming on Hulu.
2. MelancholiaIn this haunting exploration of hopelessness, Kirsten Dunst plays a reluctant bride facing the end of the Earth. A compelling blend of apocalyptic stakes and deep, precise understanding of grief make Melancholia an all-time great perspective on what it means to confront nothingness. It’s certainly the most cynical title on this (or really any) list, but offers a nihilistic catharsis for audiences who seek that sort of thing. Come for the promise of some truly stunning visuals, stay for the unique atmosphere you can really only get here. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Melancholia is now streaming on Hulu.
3. Gone in the NightMissing Stranger Things? Then you'll appreciate this trippy thriller starring Winona Ryder as a middle-aged botanist whose romantic getaway with her younger beau (John Gallagher Jr.) goes sideways thanks to some unexpected guests. Out of the film's 2022 SXSW debut — back when it was called The Cow — we raved about Gone in the Night, cheering its dizzying blend of sci-fi thrills and rom-com charm. "Through all these twists and genre turns, Ryder is our reliable guide. She deftly dances through the demand for a wry joke, a wistful smile, a worried glance," I wrote in my review. "With savage wit and sophisticated twists, Gone in the Night is a must-see, whether you treasure great thrills or whether you rightly worship at the temple of Winona Ryder." — K.P.
How to watch: Gone in the Night is now streaming on Hulu.
4. Sea FeverCraving a mix of science fiction and folk horror? Then you'll relish this excellent indie from writer/director Neasa Hardiman. Set aboard an Irish trawler, Sea Fever follows Siobhán (Hermione Corfield), a marine biology student assigned to survey any marine life this fishing crew comes across. But when something strange surfaces, the superstitious crew and the academic outsider are at odds over how to react. Whichever side you're on, you'll relish the tension as characters scramble to make sense of the ocean's unknowable possibilities. Though this low-budget affair doesn't boast the flashy monsters of studio flicks, Hardiman delivers enough glimpses and teases that you'll definitely be hooked. And the crackling cast, which includes Connie Nielsen, Dougray Scott, Olwen Fouéré, Jack Hickey, and Ardalan Esmaili, shares a chemistry that makes you feel a part of the crew, for better or worse. — K.P.
How to watch: Sea Fever is now streaming on Hulu.
5. Alien Credit: Robert Penn / 20th Century Fox / Kobal / ShutterstockAlien isn't just one of the best space movies of all time — it's also one of the best movies of all time, full stop. Thanks to Ridley Scott's direction and visual design led by Swiss artist H.R. Giger, this science-fiction horror film is genuinely creepy and claustrophobic, taking our intrinsic fear of dark and narrow corridors and using it to masterful effect.
In a lot of ways, Scott's sci-fi behemoth set a template for future space movies. The sense of isolation, the rapidly diminishing crew, the fear of AI, the body horror — all of these are tropes we've seen cropping up again and again over the years, including in some of the other films on this list. And while many of these descendants deploy those ideas well, few have managed to make the same gory splash that Alien did. (As a side note, Aliens — the second movie in the franchise — is also very much worth a watch).* — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor
How to watch: Alien is now streaming on Hulu.
7. Something in the DirtCo-directors/co-stars Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead play Los Angeles neighbors who are drawn together by a glimpse of the supernatural in this Sundance favorite. Something in the Dirt uses a cerebral sci-fi premise to explore the complicated bond between its heroes. Here, a frustrated loner and a happy-go-lucky drifter find unexpected community and purpose by happenstance. Naturally, they decide to make a documentary about their findings. Thus, this movie is revealed to be a mockumentary, where the crew keeps quitting, the re-enactments become increasingly (and purposefully) sketchy, and the answers to its big questions aren't guaranteed. The result is a film that is trippy, unsettling, and sometimes sharply funny.* — K.P.
How to watch: Something in the Dirt is now streaming on Hulu.
8. Crimes of the Future Credit: NEONNow into his sixth decade of making movies, director David Cronenberg proved with 2022's Crimes of the Future that he's still got that wow-slash-ick factor that turned his last name into an adjective. In an unspecified near-future, the government's struggle to control its populace through our bodies has reached a new level of weirdness thanks to people like Saul Tenser (Cronenberg muse Viggo Mortensen), a performance artist who has the ability to sprout new organs willy-nilly thanks to "accelerated evolution syndrome."
Aside from Saul, who is in constant discomfort because of his syndrome, most humans don't feel pain or get sick, possibly due to some kind of genetic mutation. Thus, Saul's performance art with his partner Caprice (Léa Seydoux) consists of eroticized surgery; she removes his errant organs on stage for a rapt live audience. Cut and repeat.
Plot-wise, the twosome find themselves drawn into a bizarre murder mystery involving a young boy who'd somehow developed the ability to consume and fully digest plastic, and a burgeoning underground movement of people eager to make a similar leap up the evolutionary chain themselves. Politics, sex, surgery, the fellating of open wounds, furniture that looks like it would give H.R. Giger a headache — this is as classic Cronenberg as it gets. And did I mention it's all played to be deadpan hilarious? If you're unsure, just watch the comedic tour de force that Kristen Stewart is giving as a whacked-out government employee, and she'll clue you in. — Jason Adams, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Crimes of the Future is now streaming on Hulu.
9. Planet of the Apes (1968)Three astronauts, including the ever-blustering George Taylor (Charlton Heston), wake up from deep hibernation when their spacecraft crash-lands on an unknown planet hundreds of light years away from Earth. They quickly realize just how bizarre this new world is, where humanoids are ruled by a race of talking gorillas on horseback. Taylor, revealing he can speak the apes' language, quickly finds himself the pet project of chimp scientist Zira (Kim Hunter) and her fiance Dr. Cornelius (Roddy McDowall). But nobody puts Charlton Heston in a corner, baby, and soon enough he's sparked a man-versus-ape revolution.
SEE ALSO: 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' review: A worthwhile sequel and the start of a brand-new sagaThe story is probably familiar to you, given they've been making and remaking these movies for decades. But the original is still the best as far as I'm concerned. Yes, the monkey suits are primitive compared to the latest films' cutting-edge CGI. But you just can't beat the original shock ending, even if the past six decades of pop culture have gone out of its way to spoil and dilute it. Not even Heston and his "damn dirty apes" blather can ruin the film's fun; indeed, a big part of the enjoyment comes from laughing at his straight-man-as-camp performance, which manages to make those rubbery monkey masks truly seem more lifelike. — J.A.
How to watch: Planet of the Apes (1968) is now streaming on Hulu.
10. The HostThe best thing that Parasite director Bong Joon-ho does in his 2006 giant monster movie The Host is toss the rules of Giant Monster Movies out the window right at the start. After a brief prologue that hilariously blames everything horrible that's about to happen on the United States government, this South Korean rollercoaster ride kicks into high gear with its giant amphibian-like monster leaping out of a river and terrorizing an enormous crowd of people in the brightest of broad daylight. There's no waiting an hour for a quick glimpse of a monster's elbow in this one!
From there, we insinuate ourselves with a food vendor named Park Gang-du (legend Song Kang-ho) and his family, including his teen daughter Hyun-seo (Go Ah-sung) and his kick-ass archery expert sister Nam-joo (Bae Doona). During its attack, the monster snatches Hyun-seo and takes her down to its sewer-based lair, and the rest of them must come together to figure out how to rescue her. The film is action-filled, yes, but also contemplative with regards to modern Korean society, filled with the sort of off-kilter tension that we've now come to expect from the Oscar–winning director. — J.A.
How to watch: The Host is now streaming on Hulu.
11. DualAn existentially deadpan sci-fi allegory about the emptiness of modern living, Dual stars deadpan queen Karen Gillan as an unhappy young woman who soon finds even more reason to be unhappy – namely, that she's dying. In order to spare the feelings of her boyfriend Peter (Beulah Koale) and mother (Maija Paunio), she takes the advice of her doctor and agrees to be cloned; once she dies, her clone can step in and take her place, and her loved ones won't have to mourn at all. Sarah just has to spend some of her final remaining months teaching said clone how to be her, is all.
Unfortunately, Sarah's "loved ones" are kind of fed up with Sarah's bullshit and quickly come to like her less-moody clone much better. When Sarah finds out her doctor was wrong and she's going to live after all, her clone and Sarah's family team up to force Sarah into the titular duel, wherein the original person and their redundant clone have to fight each other to the death. After all, you can't have two of the same person walking around. That'd be nuts!
As Sarah trains for the battle with a combat expert (Aaron Paul), the act of suddenly having to care about her own survival awakens something in her. And writer/director Riley Stearns (The Art of Self-Defense) mines the mundane malleability of human existence for all its worth in this flatly affected, funny-between-the-lines satire. What separates us from not-us turns out to be not much at all in Stearns' hands — just some spit and sadness. But mostly spit. — J.A.
How to watch: Dual is now streaming on Hulu.
12. The AbyssJames Cameron's 1989 underwater epic The Abyss sees a ragtag group of oil drillers (led by Ed Harris as Bud) team up with a feisty scientist named Lindsey (played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) — who just happens to be Bud's ex-wife, cue drama — and a group of SEALs to find out what the heck happened to a submarine that suddenly sunk beside a deep ocean trough. Quickly, they discover there is a totally different and mysterious presence in the area, some sort of glowing life form that can bend and shape water to its will.
Unfortunately, this bonding between lifeforms is interrupted as all hell breaks loose, as it's wont to do in action movies. SEAL team leader Coffey (Michael Biehn) begins to feel the effects of high-pressure nervous syndrome, which is making him increasingly paranoid and dangerous. From there, the movie becomes a race against time with our good guys trying to stop the crazed-out Coffey from full-on nuking the friendly sea creatures.
There are famously two cuts of the film; the cut that you'll find streaming on Hulu is the shorter one and not the special edition, but don't worry — this is James Cameron we're talking about, so "shorter" still means a full two hours and 20 minutes of awe-inspiring action filmmaking with thrilling visuals. Ones that still to this day hold (dare I say) water. — J.A.
How to watch: The Abyss is now streaming on Hulu.
13. Dune Credit: Warner Bros / Moviestore / ShutterstockA twisted space opera on a scale basically heretofore unseen, Denis Villeneuve's first Dune movie lays the Arrakis-set groundwork solid as a rock. Balancing the epic against the intimate with fine-tuned precision, Villeneuve nails the overripe tale of the Atreides clan (daddy Oscar Isaac, mother slash space witch Rebecca Ferguson, and baby boy Timmy Chalamet) clashing with the diabolically pasty Harkonnens, all over the trippy worm poop called "Spice" that fuels that galaxy.
And now that we've seen Part Two, the impossible has been realized: The massive 2021 film suddenly feels kind of small in comparison? Because Dune and Dune: Part Two are basically two halves of one really long whole, it's difficult to just watch one without the other. But thankfully both films are now streaming, with the second one over on Max. So, go ahead and make a (literal) day of it. Zendaya will thank you. (Because she's barely in the first one.) — J.A.
How to watch: Dune is now streaming on Hulu.
14. IdiocracyThe most prophetic science-fiction film ever made! Unfortunately. King of the Hill creator Mike Judge's 2006 comedy Idiocracy imagines an America 500 years in the future, where the non-stop consumption of sports drinks and an innate distrust of education has turned the populace into a rabble of drooling morons who vote for an egotistical reality TV star to be their president. Cringing yet?
Chosen by the modern-day military because of their unimposing averageness, librarian Joe (Luke Wilson) and sex worker Rita (Maya Rudolph) are guinea pigs in an experimental suspended-animation test. But right after they're frozen, the military base is closed. Joe and Rita are forgotten about as society decays around them; they're accidentally woken up 500 years later and immediately confronted by the stupidest future imaginable.
Idiocracy has proved with time to be the satire we deeply needed — in fact, earned — once the optimistic futurism of the past gave way to the infuriating realities of our anti-intellectual present. At least Judge made it funny, which is more than we can say for the real world! — J.A.
How to watch: Idiocracy is now streaming on Hulu.
15. UnderwaterSpeaking from personal experience, everybody who loves Underwater feels like a disciple spreading its gospel, since the movie came out in January 2020 only to quickly and undeservedly sink like a stone under the storm called Covid. Starring Kristen Stewart as an engineer on a science station drilling into the depths of the Mariana Trench when an earthquake pops off, Underwater could best be described as "Alien set underwater." Except there have been loads of movies that could be described as "Alien set underwater" before, and none of them were anywhere near this much fun.
Because of course that earthquake isn't quite just an earthquake. And before you know it, KStew and her bad-ass bleached-out buzzcut is tussling with all sorts of deep-sea monsters. Her fellow crew members — including Vincent Cassel, Jessica Henwick, John Gallagher Jr., and Mamoudou Athie — make for a pretty lovable bunch too, so it's pretty scary as people start getting snatched into the inky darkness by who-knows-what. All hail Underwater, king of the underwater Alien ripoffs! — J.A.
How to watch: Underwater is now streaming on Hulu.
16. Total RecallAn adaptation of Philip K. Dick's short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale," this futuristic trash classic from director Paul Verhoeven stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Douglas Quaid, a bored construction worker with big arms and bigger dreams. His dreams are about the planet Mars specifically, which is in the process of being colonized. So Quaid decides to spice up his life, implanting memories of an exciting vacation to Mars that he doesn't in reality have the time or money to actually afford.
Unfortunately, in the middle of the procedure Quaid's brain goes haywire, and he finds himself sucked into an over-the-top, planet-hopping lifestyle of muscle and mayhem. Is this secret agent alter ego the real him, or are the false imprinted memories tricking him into thinking so? Verhoeven leaves it all tantalizingly elliptical while riffing on real-world politics with copious sleaze in that juicy way only he (and perhaps David Cronenberg) have ever really successfully managed. Total Recall feels like everything great and everything terrible about the 1980s stuffed into a single 1990 film. — J.A.
How to watch: Total Recall is now streaming on Hulu.
17. Poor Things Credit: Searchlight PicturesEmma Stone deservedly won a second Oscar for her outrageous performance as Bella Baxter, a full-grown woman with a baby's brain implanted in her skull by a mad (but sweet) scientist (Willem Dafoe) in Poor Things, director Yorgos Lanthimos' typically outré and feminist riff on Frankenstein. As Dr. Godwin Baxter watches Bella develop with scientific curiosity, she goes from a food-spitting toddler to a sex-obsessed young woman at seeming lightspeed. Spurred on mainly through her encounters with a series of clueless and daffy men (played by Ramy Youssef, Mark Ruffalo, Jerrod Carmichael, and Christopher Abbott) Bella traverses the globe — as imagined through Lanthimos' hallucinogenic and wholly unrealistic visuals — in her horny quest for self-actualization. And like Dorothy Gale before her, she finds her way home again, a wiser woman of the world, with only a few corpses left in her wake. — J.A.
How to watch: Poor Things is now streaming on Hulu.
SEE ALSO: 'Poor Things' screenwriter Tony McNamara on the flawed humanity of Bella 18. The FacultyRobert Rodriguez's alien-invasion cult classic The Faculty is basically The Thing meets The Breakfast Club as written by Scream's Kevin Williamson. A group of disparate high schoolers get tossed together as they confront some slimy little body-snatchers from mean green outer space. There's the nerd (Elijah Wood), the bad boy drug dealer (Josh Hartnett), the basket case (Clea DuVall), the princess (Jordana Brewster), the jock (Shawn Hatosy) — all your stereotypical bases are covered.
SEE ALSO: Josh Hartnett compares his new role in 'Trap' to his character Zeke from 'The Faculty'The aliens start out by taking over the brains of the teachers first, played by an absolutely wild collection of actors — Famke Janssen, Salma Hayek, Robert Patrick, Bebe Neuwirth, Jon Stewart, and Piper Laurie, just for starters. This cast is stacked! From there, it's a showdown between the folks in charge and the rebellious kids getting closed in on from every side. Honestly, the anti-establishment vibes feel very innocent — late '90s in the most nostalgic of ways. That's why I think this movie's aged so well; its invasion is sweetly endearing! — J.A.
How to watch: The Faculty is now streaming on Hulu.
19. The FlyJeff Goldblum has made a career out of playing sexy smarty-pants whose overconfidence does them in; think Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park, Jack in Invasion of the Body Snatchers… Really, it's very nearly every character he's played! But none have been more poignant than Dr. Seth Brundle, a character whose itty-bitty wings fly him too close to the sun in David Cronenberg's masterful 1986 remake of The Fly. Because before you know it, the hot doc is barfing up acid on his romantic rival's extremities and everything's gone to heck.
Inventing a container that transports matter from one location to another with the flip of a simple switch, Brundle's fatal oversight is just not making sure any bewinged insects can swoop inside as the pod's door closes. Suddenly finding his DNA combined with that of a housefly, Seth's human matter starts mutating at a rapid rate, which really puts a quick kibosh on his blossoming romance with the whip-smart, kind reporter (Geena Davis) who's got an exclusive on his story. It turns out that The Fly is in actuality a doomed romance with real heart… and even realer disgusting puddles of goop. — J.A.
How to watch: The Fly is now streaming on Hulu.
20. Palm Springs Credit: Jessica Perez / HuluThis is a tremendously charming time-loop rom-com that one-ups Groundhog Day by allowing both members of its romance to loop through time together. Palm Springs stars Andy Samberg as Nyles and Cristin Milioti as Sarah, two strangers who meet at a desert wedding, hook up that night, and then find themselves sucked into a vortex of the same day playing out over and over again on repeat. Directed by first-timer Max Barbakow, the movie lets the twosome go through the ups and downs of this wild and wacky adventure together — bonding, fighting, blowing shit up — as they try to figure out whether it's best to stay stuck, or if they should maybe see what tomorrow offers.
As solid a metaphor for relationship-building as they come, Palm Springs uses its lo-fi sci-fi gimmickry to ease out lovely little truths about what we should want from one another as we pass through the cosmos. Samberg and Milioti make for a super-charged, charming pair, proving this genre is hardly dead; it just needs some sparks of imagination and chemistry to rejuvenate it. — J.A.
How to watch: Palm Springs is now streaming on Hulu.
21. Donnie DarkoA coming-of-age tale knee-deep in metaphysics, Richard Kelly's 2001 classic remains memorable today for a ton of reasons. First and foremost, it made for a note-perfect introduction to the wonders of Jake Gyllenhaal (unless you were a really big Bubble Boy fan). The future Road House star plays Donnie, a moody high-schooler who's been sleepwalking and having doom-laden visions of a gigantic bunny rabbit (played by Gregg Araki regular James Duval). His parents (Holmes Osborn and Mary McDonnell) and his therapist (Katharine Ross) don't seem to understand, and talking through his issues only seems to exacerbate them.
SEE ALSO: 20 years later, 'Donnie Darko' feels finally fit for our timesOther unhelpful adults include an unfriendly teacher (Beth Grant, who utters the immortal line, "Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!") and her self-help guru sidekick (Patrick Swayze, the original Road House flavor). The only person who gets Donnie is the new girl in town (Jena Malone), but her arrival seems already too late. Donnie's fate has been decided before this story has even begun. But Kelly's ingeniously twisty script, feeling etched out of our collective teen-movie subconscious, has a ton of goth-tinged fun skipping and swerving toward that dark ending anyway. — J.A.
How to watch: Donnie Darko is now streaming on Hulu.
22. No One Will Save YouBrynn (Kaitlyn Dever) is a seamstress who lives alone in a small town. She mainly keeps to herself, locked up inside her childhood home; from the little we see of her going out in public, it seems as if the townspeople want nothing to do with her. Then one fateful night someone does come knocking, but unfortunately it's not a kindly neighbor with pie — nope, it's a great big bug-eyed space invader instead. Brynn manages to fight the alien off, but it's just the first of many, as she finds herself (and eventually everywhere within running distance) overtaken by the intergalactic buggers. Why can't the movies ever let introverts just be?
Nearly wordless from start to finish, this second film from writer/director Brian Duffield (who also wrote Underwater, see above) is definitely stronger in its first two-thirds as we watch the ever-stellar Dever fight off the invaders while dealing with her myriad sadnesses. The trumped-up Twilight Zone silliness of its last act is maybe a bit much, but there's still more than enough to love here, including Dever's performance, its deeply creepy monsters, and a tremendous score from Joseph Trapanese that manages much of the otherwise silent film's heavy lifting. — J.A.
How to watch: No One Will Save You is now streaming on Hulu.
SEE ALSO: 'No One Will Save You' review: Alien home invasion horror without the tension 22. Prey Credit: David Bukach / 20th Century StudiosThe best Predator movie since John McTiernan's 1987 original, this 2022 prequel shoots us back in time to the pre-colonized plains of 18th-century America, where a tribe of Comanche warriors now have the honor and distinction of facing down the extraterrestrial hunter with the really weird mouth. And Arnold Schwarzenegger wishes he could kick this much alien butt.
Amber Midthunder plays Naru, a young woman who's being trained to be a healer but in the time-tested mold of all the Mulans before her, really just wants to kick ass like her brothers get to. She definitely gets her chance too, once the Predator drops down into the woods surrounding their colony and starts annihilating everything with a pulse. From there, it's the explosive and bloody showdown that you expect, but it's also a hella lively one. Prey might not reinvent the wheel, but it sure did reinvigorate a dead franchise. — J.A.
How to watch: Prey is now streaming on Hulu.
23. Infinity PoolJames (Alexander Skarsgard) is a rich author who heads off to an exclusive resort on an otherwise poverty-stricken island with his partner Em (Cleopatra Coleman). While they're chillaxing by the pool, they meet another gorgeous and wealthy couple named Gabi (scream queen Mia Goth of the X trilogy) and Alban (Jalil Lespert), and soon enough the foursome go wild in the way of the privileged. By which I mean, exploiting the locals, obviously — until the locals bite back. Let's just say that cloning, murder, and orgies are all involved, and a whole lot of all three of those things at that.
The third film from Brandon Cronenberg (yes, son of David) proves once again that his genetically enhanced apple didn't fall far from the body-horror tree, as the same obsessions that have dominated his father's work — namely, the intermingling of sex, science, and violence, oh my — are in plentiful display all over Infinity Pool. A true mind-fuck in all the sexiest and most disturbing ways you can imagine, and about a dozen more ways that you can't. — J.A.
How to watch: Infinity Pool is now streaming on Hulu.
24. RoboCopDirector Paul Verhoeven spent his boom years in Hollywood making fun of the vulgar stupidity of American culture, and oh! How we ate it right up! RoboCop, his wicked 1987 satire about our love affair with state-sanctioned violence and gun culture, is definitely the meanest of them all. Peter Weller plays a cop named Murphy who works the squalid, militarized streets of futuristic Detroit, where not even an extremely violent death will let him set down his gun and badge.
Unfortunately for him, a nefarious (is there any other kind?) corporation has bought up and privatized the police departments. So when Murphy inevitably gets blown to bits, they just slap his leftover body parts and remaining consciousness into a robotic exoskeleton and send him right back on his merry way to shoot up more gangbangers. Bleak, violent, and extremely entertaining, RoboCop — like so much of Verhoeven's prophetic work — keeps steering way too terrifying close to reality over the decades since its release. But don't let that stop you from hooting and hollering when that guy gets doused in acid and explodes into goo! — J.A.
How to watch: RoboCop is now streaming on Hulu.
25. Super 8In 2011, director J.J. Abrams poured all of his Spielbergian, Gen-X obsessions into this sci-fi romp centering that perennial fave: the gang of kids who ride their bikes around town to solve a mystery and save the day. In this case, it's an alien attack set off by a train derailment, which is also truly one of the best action sequences in the past 20 years. Anyway, this crack-up accidentally frees a top-secret space monster that the government had been experimenting on, all of which our trusty kids unfortunately happen to catch on film since they were making a movie right near the tracks when it all goes down.
From there, the gang — played by Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee, Gabriel Basso, Zach Mills, and token girl Elle Fanning — finds themselves tangled up with sinister government types on top of all of those alien shenanigans. Plus, Alice (Fanning) gets kidnapped by the monster, and they must rescue her, all while sorting out their adolescent feelings. We're pretty used to this formula after several seasons of Stranger Things. But would Stranger Things have happened without Super 8 first? Would there be a Super 8 without The Goonies and Stand By Me and E.T. before that? Honestly, I could keep going until I got to the silent cowboy serials that inspired Spielberg's inspirations. Point being, this is some quality sci-fi fun with a strong lineage. — J.A.
How to watch: Super 8 is now streaming on Hulu.
UPDATE: Oct. 31, 2024, 2:24 p.m. EDT This article was updated to reflect the latest streaming options.
Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu Watch NowConnections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for October 28's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Tweet may have been deletedEach puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for November 2 Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Desert athletics
Green: Teams that almost made it to the top
Blue: Sharing names
Purple: Stars of the Big Game
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow - Teams in Arizona
Green - WNBA Semifinalists
Blue - Famous Williamses
Purple - Super Bowl Halftime Performers
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #40 is...
What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition todayTeams in Arizona: CARDINALS, DIAMONDBACKS, MERCURY, WILDCATS
WNBA Semifinalists: ACES, LIBERTY, LYNX, SUN
Famous Williamses: BERNIE, CALEB, TED, VENUS
Super Bowl Halftime Performers: DRE, MARS, PETTY, PRINCE
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
The Ole Miss Rebels and Arkansas Razorbacks football teams go head-to-head this weekend at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The match will take place on Saturday, Nov. 2, and is scheduled to start at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT.
SEE ALSO: How to watch college football without cable Ole Miss vs. Arkansas football kickoff time and networkThe Ole Miss vs. Arkansas football game is scheduled for a 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT start on ESPN on Saturday, Nov. 2.
Best streaming services for Ole Miss vs. Arkansas football gameYou need to choose a streaming service to watch college football without cable or satellite TV. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for the Ole Miss vs. Arkansas football game on ESPN.
Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling Orange Plan Get DealSling TV suggests the streamer's Orange Plan for the game, which costs $20 for the first month and $40 monthly after that.
Sling TV’s sports channels feature 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 Pro plan Get DealFuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.
Go to the FuboTV website to check if ESPN is available in your zip code. If it is, you can access ESPN with the FuboTV Pro plan, which offers an introductory rate of $59.99 for the first month and 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, and SEC Network.
The Duke Blue Devils and Miami Hurricanes football teams go head-to-head this weekend at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The match will take place on Saturday, Nov. 2, and is scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT.
SEE ALSO: How to watch college football without cable Duke vs. Miami football kickoff time and networkThe Duke vs. Miami football game is scheduled for a 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT start on ABC on Saturday, Nov. 2.
Best streaming services for Duke vs. Miami football gameYou need to choose a streaming service to watch college football without cable or satellite TV. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for Saturday's Duke vs. Miami football game on ABC.
Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling Orange Plan Get DealSling TV suggests the streamer's Orange Plan for the game, which costs $20 for the first month and $40 monthly after that.
Sling TV’s sports channels feature 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 Pro plan Get DealFuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.
Go to the FuboTV website to check if ESPN is available in your zip code. If it is, you can access ESPN with the FuboTV Pro plan, which offers an introductory rate of $59.99 for the first month and 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, and SEC Network.
If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.
Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 2 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 2 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Good on paperThese words are great for crafts.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedWords that refer to arts and crafts tools.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is circular.
NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is OfficeSupplies.
Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for November 2Ruler
Printer
Pencils
Scissors
Stapler
OfficeSupplies
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.
The Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions football teams go head-to-head this weekend at Beaver Stadium in Lisbon, Ohio. The match will take place on Saturday, Nov. 2, and is scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT.
Ohio State vs. Penn State football kickoff time and networkThe Ohio State vs. Penn State football game is scheduled for a 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT start on FOX on Saturday, Nov. 2.
Best streaming services for Ohio State vs. Penn State football gameYou need to choose a streaming service to watch college football without cable or satellite TV. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for Saturday's Ohio State vs. Penn State football game on FOX.
Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling Orange Plan Get DealSling TV suggests the streamer's Orange Plan for the game, which costs $20 for the first month and $40 monthly after that.
Sling TV’s sports channels feature 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 Pro plan Get DealFuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.
Go to the FuboTV website to check if ESPN is available in your zip code. If it is, you can access ESPN with the FuboTV Pro plan, which offers an introductory rate of $59.99 for the first month and 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, and SEC Network.
TL;DR: Live stream the 2024 WTA Finals for free on TVNZ+. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The WTA Tour has travelled all around the world this season, with everything coming to a conclusion in Riyadh. The best singles and doubles players will battle it out in a round-robin tournament, followed by knockout games to decide the winner. We're excited to follow all the action.
If you want to watch the 2024 WTA Finals for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
What are the WTA Finals?The WTA Finals is season-ending championship of the WTA Tour. The tournament features the top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams based on their results throughout the season.
When are the 2024 WTA Finals?The 2024 WTA Finals is the 53rd edition of the singles event and the 48th edition of the doubles competition. This year's tournament takes place from Nov. 2 to Nov. 9.
How to watch the 2024 WTA Finals for freeThe 2024 WTA Finals are available to live stream for free on TVNZ+ in New Zealand.
If you're outside the country during this tournament, you might need to use a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in New Zealand, meaning you can unblock TVNZ+ in a few simple steps.
Access free live streams of the 2024 WTA Finals by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in New Zealand
Visit TVNZ+
Watch the 2024 WTA Finals for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the WTA Finals before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for the WTA Finals?ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including New Zealand
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
Fast connection speeds
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream the 2024 WTA Finals for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: For just £19.32 through 3 November, unlock a lifetime of hassle-free PDF conversions and edits with PDF Converter Pro.
Opens in a new window Credit: Acethinker PDF Converter Pro: Lifetime License £19.32 at the Mashable ShopWe’ve all been there: struggling to make sense of a stubborn PDF when you just need a simple edit, signature, or conversion. It’s frustrating, time consuming, and who has the patience?
Meet PDF Converter Pro, the tool that takes all the headaches out of handling PDFs. For a limited time, it's on sale for only £19.32 (reg. £77.35). Your one-time purchase gets you lifetime access to this PDF tool, but the discount ends 3 November.
This isn’t just another basic converter. PDF Converter Pro lets you convert PDFs into multiple formats — including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and even image files — with just a few clicks. You can modify text, images, and even links directly within your PDF. Merging several PDFs into one smooth document is just as easy, making it perfect for combining reports, contracts, or any other documents you need in one place.
PDF Converter Pro also allows you to compress files without losing quality, add passwords to secure your documents, and even extract specific pages when you don’t need the whole file. It’s like having a complete PDF toolbox at your disposal, all wrapped up in a user-friendly interface.
Whether you’re a student juggling assignments, a professional handling contracts, or anyone who works with documents, this tool is the key to stress-free PDF management.
Through 3 November, you can get a lifetime license to PDF Converter Pro on sale for £19.32 (reg. £77.35), ensuring that you’ll never have to deal with PDF frustration again.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for November 2's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for November 1 Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for November 1 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:Sneaky around investigating things you shouldn't be.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?There is one letter that appears twice
Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
SNOOP.
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for November 1Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for November 2's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Tweet may have been deletedEach puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for November 2 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Kitchen essentials
Green: Advisors
Blue: Workouts
Purple: Types of jewelry
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Seen in a Kitchen
Green: Group of Advisors
Blue: Core Exercises
Purple: Kinds of Earrings
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #510 is...
What is the answer to Connections todaySeen in a Kitchen: COUNTER, FRIDGE, RANGE, SINK
Group of Advisors: BOARD, CABINET, COUNCIL, PANEL
Core Exercises: BOAT, CRUNCH, MOUNTAIN CLIMBER, PLANK
Kinds of Earrings: CHANDELIER, DROP, HOOP, STUD
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for November 1Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Batman: Arkham Shadow may be the newest installment in a long-running gaming franchise, but it offers something refreshingly unique.
The game, recently released exclusively for virtual reality on Meta Quest 3/3S, is serious about responsibly exploring its characters' minds. Terms like psychotic, for example, aren't tossed around when characters are violent.
And once Batman enters Blackgate Prison under an alias, on a mission to find the villain Rat King before he strikes, he grows conflicted about his understanding of what motivates the criminals he encounters. As it turns out, when Batman attends a group therapy session led by Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel (later known as Harley Quinn), he has just as much to say about childhood trauma as the other inmates.
SEE ALSO: 'The Plucky Squire' review: A wholesome metatextual game for the young of heartThese and other choices were intentional, says Arkham Shadow director Ryan Payton. In 2023, he discovered a series of GQ videos featuring psychiatrist Dr. H. Eric Bender breaking down mental health scenes from popular movies and television, including clips from Joker.
Bender notes that the film "overplays the idea that violence and mental illness are linked." Indeed, people who live with mental illness are far more likely to become victims of violence than to perpetrate it.
Bender had previously observed that the game Batman: Arkham Asylum, labeled the Joker as psychotic when, in Bender's opinion, the character was psychopathic. This difference might seem insignificant to some, but Bender argues that incorrect labels and diagnoses can influence how people see those with severe mental illness, and how those living with such conditions see themselves.
Last fall, Payton asked Bender to consult on Arkham Shadow so that the game authentically depicted the characters' different emotional struggles, without playing into dangerous tropes or stereotypes about mental illness.
The shadow in the game's title has multiple meanings, hinting at menacing themes while also invoking the concept of the Jungian shadow, or unconscious negative beliefs about ourselves that we project onto others. If ever there was a superhero that could shoulder such treatment, it was Batman, Payton says.
"Eventually in the game, you come face-to-face with your own shadow, through many different lenses." - Ryan Payton, director of 'Batman: Arkham Shadow'"Eventually in the game, you come face-to-face with your own shadow, through many different lenses," Payton says.
But before Payton and Bender met, both of them had powerful experiences that informed the way they thought about mental health in popular entertainment.
Payton recalls playing Final Fantasy VI as a teenager, which depicted a character going through mental health challenges.
"The feelings I was feeling [were] not something I would normally feel playing a lot of other video games I could've pulled off the shelf," Payton says. Since then, he says he's prioritized accurately portraying mental health and other sensitive topics in video games.
One of Bender's a-ha moments came while making a presentation at Comic-Con about media depictions of mental health when someone in the audience asked: "When am I going to see a character with mental illness who does not make me feel like I will turn into a villain?"
For Arkham Shadow, Bender provided Payton feedback on numerous storylines and character traits. This included tense, argumentative exchanges between Dr. Quinzel and Dr. Jonathan Crane, which were written to illustrate the strengths and limitations of different types of therapeutic approaches.
Bender also explained in detail why it could be extremely damaging for one character to hear as a child that they need to bottle up their anger and be good, as depicted in the game's flashbacks.
In total, the game features a half-hour of recorded conversation about mental health and well-being between various characters. There's even "tender moments," Payton says.
Still, Arkham Shadow remains an action game and stays true to the Batman universe. Blackgate Prison doesn't suddenly become a safe, high-quality mental health institution, upending decades of stereotypes about treatment facilities. Nor does Batman suddenly turn into a pacifist, eager to practice conflict resolution with his enemies.
But within these bounds, Bender and Payton feel like they've accomplished something meaningful.
"I'd like to think after people play Batman: Arkham Shadow that they've got a different perspective," Payton says.
UPDATE: Nov. 1, 2024, 2:35 p.m. EDT This article has been updated with the latest DoorDash promo codes from across the web. Note that some of these codes are location-specific or exclusive to new users.
Best DoorDash promo codes this week: Best deal for new users Use code JUSTDASHIT Get $5 off your first order of $15+ Get DealWe all love a good, home-cooked meal. But who has the time to make one every single night? Couldn't be us. That's why we always keep our delivery apps at the ready. Our app of choice at the moment? DoorDash. There's a constant bounty of promo codes, scoring you savings not just on takeout, but also on grocery delivery and select retail stores.
You can find our favorite DoorDash promo codes from across the web below, so take a look and then chow down while booting up your favorite streaming service or video game. Oh, and a lot of these codes will be exclusive to new users, so if you already have an account, you may want to consider creating a new one (you didn't hear that from us). Also, because some codes are location-specific, they may not work for everyone. Just test them out and see which ones stick for you!
SEE ALSO: The best deals on streaming services this week How do I use a DoorDash promo code?Before we get into our picks for the week, let us quickly go over how to use a DoorDash promo code, because if you don't know how to do that, you won't benefit from any of the great deals we're about to show you. Thankfully, the process is really easy. (If you already know how to do this, feel free to keep scrolling to get straight to the latest DoorDash coupons.)
All you need to do is load up your shopping cart with whatever is on the menu for the night and head to the checkout screen. Once you get there, scroll down to the bottom, where you'll find a section labeled "Summary."
The 'Summary' section lives at the bottom of the checkout screen. Credit: DoorDashTap on that section and you'll be brought to a separate screen titled "Promo codes, rewards & gift cards." Then, just input your promo code (and gift card, if you have one) and head back to the checkout screen. You should now see your discount applied automatically.
This is where you'll use your promo code and get those sweet benefits. Credit: DoorDashCongrats! You just scored some savings, and that takeout order is going to taste so much better because of it.
And before you place your orders, you'll also want to look into this DashPass deal that just went live on Oct. 30: DashPass subscribers can link their Lyft and DoorDash accounts together to score some exclusive savings, including 5% off on on-demand Lyft rides, priority pickup upgrades, and more.
Now, on to this week's promo codes — take a look below, and enjoy your meal.
Best DoorDash promo codes this weekReceive up to 25% off your order — DD25BACK
Up to 45% off your order — 50GAMETIME
50% off your first order of $15+ — 7P7C2P
40% off first grocery of $45+ — 40OFFGROC
40% off first convenience order of $20+ — 40OFFCONV
The new Apple M4 Macs are finally here.
Like many who were waiting on the latest Apple devices before making a purchase, you may be thinking of buying the new M4 MacBook Pro. It's a very powerful laptop and would certainly make for a great purchase.
However, what if I told you that you can get all that power for more than half the price? Well, you can with the new M4 Mac mini.
SEE ALSO: Macs with 8GB of RAM are finally dead: Apple makes 16GB the new standard The case for the Mac mini: PriceThis week, Apple announced a slew of new Macs powered by its latest silicon chipset, the M4. All of the Macs powered by M4, from the new iMac to the Mac mini to the MacBook Pro, are going to be very powerful computers.
M4 Mac Mini Credit: AppleHowever, there is a huge price difference between the Mac mini and MacBook Pro solely based on portability.
Are you going to be traveling around with your computer often? No? Are you mostly going to be using your Mac in a stationary setting like say at your desk or in your home office? Yes? Then, you should consider getting the new M4 Mac mini and save quite a bit of money.
The new base model MacBook Pro powered by the M4 chip starts at $1,599. This M4 MacBook Pro model comes with a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of SSD storage.
M4 MacBook Pro Credit: AppleThe new base model M4 Mac mini has the exact same specs, but comes with a slightly smaller 256GB SSD drive. The cost for the Mac mini? $599. That's one thousand dollars in savings.
If you want the exact same specs, you can upgrade the M4 Mac mini drive to 512GB of storage, which brings the total price to $799. That's still $800 in savings and gets you the exact same computer spec-wise.
Put those extra savings into upgrades and you can have an M4 Mac mini that's much more powerful than the M4 MacBook Pro you were going to purchase at no extra cost then what you initially intended to spend.
In fact, if you're looking at the more powerful M4 Pro chip, going with the Mac mini over the MacBook Pro with the same exact specs will still save you $600.
Credit: AppleThe extra-cost for the MacBook Pro is solely for its portability. So, if you're not going to be regularly traveling with your computer, why get a laptop?
Yes, the MacBook Pro also comes with a built-in keyboard, mousepad, and display. If you don't have any of those at home, those are all additional costs to add-on to the final cost of the Mac mini. But, many people do have all of those peripheral devices already. And if you don't, you can purchase them all once and use them for subsequent Mac minis when you choose to upgrade in the future.
AppleCare+ is easier on your pocketsThere's another potential for additional savings if choosing the Mac mini over the MacBook Pro and that's AppleCare. AppleCare+ covers damage, technical issues, and support for your new Apple device for one year. For your MacBook Pro, it'll cost $99.99 per year. For the Mac mini, it costs $34.99 per year.
Credit: AppleFurthermore, I would recommend that you don't even need AppleCare coverage for their Mac mini whereas it's a must-buy for the MacBook Pro. As a desktop computer, the Mac mini sits stationary on your desk. You will likely not drop it or spill anything on it like you would when carrying your MacBook Pro around to set up a temporary workstation in different locations.
Now, there are situations where you'll choose the MacBook Pro over the Mac mini. If you know you'll be regularly traveling and this is the computer you intend to use, the M4 MacBook Pro is for you. If you need the most powerful Mac available, the new MacBook Pro is currently the only device equipped with an upgrade to the M4 Max chip — at least until Apple releases the new Mac Studio M4 computers.
As such, if you're seeking a stationary setup and a more cost-effective system, the M4 Mac mini is for you.
After their grandmother's death, two estranged cousins — the professional David (writer/director Jesse Eisenberg) and charismatic slacker Benji (Kieran Culkin) — reunite for a trip to her native Poland, where they hope to learn more about where she grew up and what she survived in the Holocaust. In their childhoods, the pair was inseparable, but years of distance have set in until this moment. In her will, their grandmother set aside funds for her grandsons to rediscover their family roots, and David signs them up for a tour that retraces Jewish history in Poland, including a stop at a concentration camp. Along the way, they meet other fellow travelers looking to learn more about their own families and the history of the Jewish community in Poland before and after WWII. Their trip has the potential to bring them closer to their family’s history and each other — if only they can stand each other’s company.
A Real Pain is a brief but profound journey into reconnecting with one's family history, both in the sense of generations ago and the present day. Along the way, the two cousins make the perfect odd couple, with David fretting many details and Benji willing to shake things up at a moment's notice. The tensions come to a head many times over the trip, but despite David's frustrations and Benji's carefree spirit, the antics reveal a more complicated dynamic — one that has grown and soured over the years, and that might be salvaged from this trip their grandmother stipulated in her will. Yes, A Real Pain is a movie about remembering the Holocaust, but it’s funny and heartwarming, a rare combination when considering the subject matter.
A Real Pain is a showcase for Jesse Eisenberg's filmmaking. Credit: Courtesy of Searchlight PicturesAt a brisk 90 minutes, no part of A Real Pain feels too long or drawn out. Written and directed by Eisenberg, the follow-up to his debut feature When You Finish Saving the World moves efficiently along the various highs and lows of the story, allowing each of the main characters to develop their backstories and idiosyncrasies. The comedy is sharp, landing quickly and punctuated by just the right kind of reaction shot, usually from David as he endures one his cousin's latest outburst. The punchlines are sometimes witty, sometimes broad, but the central rapport between the cousins drives everything. And as chaotic as their presence might be in the group, it's heartwarming to see them embraced by strangers and how their dynamic within the group subverts expectations. Eisenberg knows just the emotional beats to hit — the silent looks to underscore unsaid feelings, and when to let Culkin take the spotlight and when to let the somber notes of the film play it straight.
As the lead, Eisenberg’s character is something of a variation of roles we’ve seen him take on elsewhere: a driven (if perhaps slightly neurotic) character who prioritizes order, logic, and efficiency, not too dissimilar from his character in the TV series Fleishman Is in Trouble. But he’s there to serve as a kind of "straight man" for Culkin’s Benji to rebel against, a model of decorum who’s easily mortified and frustrated but trying his best to keep it in so that the pair can enjoy the trip.
Eisenberg and cinematographer Michal Dymek give A Real Pain a kind of autumnal glow, and these amber-like tones invite feelings of nostalgia and remembrance. It also gives their tour a certain romanticized sheen — not too hot, not too cold, perfect as a postcard — until the reality of their family's history in Poland punctures the illusion.
A Real Pain is also a chance for Culkin to showcase his acting chops. Credit: Courtesy of Searchlight PicturesKieran Culkin didn't steal as many hearts as he did in Succession by playing a well-behaved role model. As Roman, he was an unrepentant jerk with a vulnerable side, a proverbial cannonball swinging chaotically from one cause célèbre to the next. As Benji, he's significantly toned down, still a jerk who perhaps speaks his mind so freely that he may hurt people in the process, but as David reveals, Benji is also going through his own troubles after the death of his beloved grandmother. The script avoids therapeutic but cliched expository dumps from Benji, leaving it up to Culkin to hint at his character's inner turmoil and Eisenberg’s David to fill in the backstory Benji isn’t keen to share on his own. Behind the confident bravado of the resourceful slacker who mailed himself weed in another country is someone really struggling with grief and purpose.
A Real Pain reflects the different ways family members cope (or don't) with their ancestors' history, especially when there is inherited trauma involved. David, more so than Benji, feels guilty for the horrors his grandmother experienced in the Holocaust, her immigration to America, and the struggles she faced reestablishing herself in another part of the world. These details of their grandmother's life don't seem to haunt Benji in the same way, but the historical aspects of the tour move him more than others in the group. For example, while traveling to their next tour stop, he nervously paces a train when thinking about how Jews like their grandmother were transported to concentration camps decades earlier. In another poignant scene, he asks the group's well-meaning tour guide James (Will Sharpe, White Lotus) to stop sharing facts and let them take in the silence at a Jewish cemetery. It's a level of unpredictability that can be funny yet sincere, and Culkin threads the needle between emotions with surprising acuity.
Despite its title, A Real Pain is genuinely funny. Benji is such an extraordinary, off-beat character, yet he seems like someone you might know from work or in your own family gatherings. As the beleaguered grown-up who's both exasperated by his cousin's antics but also enjoys reconnecting with his childhood companion, David is the perfect foil for Benji to play off — sometimes indirectly like when he says something outrageous, and David is left with a quizzical, helpless look on his face. Over the course of their tour through Poland, they reveal more about themselves and their pasts to their fellow travelers, which affects how the audience perceives their relationship and how the tour group sees them moving forward.
The supporting cast of A Real Pain elevates the star performers. Credit: Agata Grzybowska / Searchlight PicturesThe tour David and Benji joins takes them through various landmarks of Jewish history in Poland, stopping at statues and former Jewish neighborhoods that were displaced during the Holocaust. While the tour is not strictly for the descendants of Holocaust survivors, many of those alongside David and Benji are also trying to learn more about their family history. While Sharpe's earnest tour guide leads the way, Jennifer Grey's divorced mom is similarly looking to reconnect with her family's roots. The ensemble also includes Kurt Egyiawan as a Jewish convert who survived the Rwandan genocide, whom Benji immediately takes a liking to, and a retired couple played by Daniel Oreskes and Liza Sadovy, who are less charmed by Benji's behavior. Through them, we also see how different people process and grieve their family's tragedies and what this trip means to them.
A Real Pain isn’t necessarily asking bigger questions about current events; it’s focused specifically on this family and their experiences, making it feel relatable to anyone whose family migrated to the States in the wake of a historical event. It’s short and sweet, striking a delicate balance between the heaviness of the cousins’ trip and the pair’s mismatched dynamic. And like many vacations, A Real Pain feels like it’s over too soon, but it lasts just long enough to avoid overstaying its welcome. It’s a bittersweet tribute to the journeys our ancestors took to bring us to where we are today and coping with the troubled relationships we may share with our present-day relatives.
The San Diego State Aztecs and Boise State Broncos football teams go head-to-head this weekend at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. The match will take place on Friday, Nov. 1, and is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
SEE ALSO: How to watch college football without cable San Diego State vs. Boise State football kickoff time and networkThe San Diego State vs. Boise State football game is scheduled for a 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT start on FS1 on Friday, Nov. 1.
Best streaming services for SDSU vs. Boise State football gameYou need to choose a streaming service to watch college football without cable or satellite TV. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for the San Diego State vs. Boise State football game on FS1.
Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling Orange Plan Get DealSling TV suggests the streamer's Orange Plan for the game, which costs $20 for the first month and $40 monthly after that.
Sling TV’s sports channels feature 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 Pro plan Get DealFuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.
Go to the FuboTV website to check if ESPN is available in your zip code. If it is, you can access ESPN with the FuboTV Pro plan, which offers an introductory rate of $59.99 for the first month and 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, and SEC Network.
UPDATE: Sep. 18, 2024, 10:51 p.m. EDT Genmoji, part of the Apple Intelligence (Apple's new suite of AI features), is not available yet. Apple Intelligence has launched with iOS 18.1, however, Genmoji is not yet part of the currently available AI suite. We expect Genmoji to launch in December.
Genmoji, unveiled at WWDC 2024, is arguably one of the most highly anticipated features coming to iOS 18. An amalgamation of the words "generative AI" and "emoji," Genmoji lets you describe the emoji you'd like to create.
Although iOS offers a sizable library of emoji to choose from, there are times when you can't quite find the right character that encapsulates an expression you want to convey. Genmoji solves this problem. Leveraging Apple Intelligence and on-device processing, the new AI-powered iOS 18 will have the ability to generate customized emoji. The question is, though, "How do you use Genmoji?"
SEE ALSO: Why 'Apple Intelligence' isn't a chatbot: 'We're not taking a teenager and telling it to fly a plane.'Genmoji isn't out just yet, but if you're curious how to use it before it launches, here's a quick tutorial.
iOS 18: How to use GenmojiGenmoji, like other Apple Intelligence features, are only available on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models, as well as the entire iPhone 16 lineup.
With that being said, if you want to get a head start on knowing how, exactly, one uses Genmoji, here's what we know based on an update from Apple.
Genmoji demo at WWDC 2024 Credit: AppleOpen the Messages app.
Tap on a thread or compose a new message.
Tap on the emoji icon.
Start typing your description in the text field. For example, "A pink flamingo with tap-dancing shoes."
Tap on "Create new emoji."
An ovular bubble will appear, showing that it is currently generating a new Genmoji. After a few seconds, you should see some iterations of your new AI-generated emoji. Swipe through the options and hit "Insert" on the one you like the most.
Genmoji demo at WWDC 2024 Credit: Apple Featured Video For You iOS 18: 8 cool new features you can try right now, including Apple Intelligence Genmoji release date on iOS 18According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Genmoji isn't expected to roll out until iOS 18.2, which will likely launch in December.
Alongside Genmoji, we're also expecting to see another highly anticipated AI-powered tool called Image Playground, which lets you generate AI images. Image Playground is also expected to launch via iOS 18.2 in December.
This nugget of information was later corroborated by Apple itself, which announced that Genmoji will land on supported iPhones next month.
iPhone 15 Pro Max $1,299.99 at Best BuyMariah Carey, the queen of Christmas, has announced the season's return in an Addams Family-themed video on social media.
In a video posted to Instagram and X, she starts in a Morticia Addams Halloween costume, adorned with a Kay Jewelers diamond necklace. She dances with a man dressed as Gomez Addams, and once the clock strikes midnight on Halloween night, Carey is seen with her classic Christmas fit as she sings, "It's tiiiiiiiiiiime."
Gomez turns into a snowman, and Carey's "All I Want For Christmas" begins blasting.
Tweet may have been deletedThe pop icon has more than just a video on social media to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season. If you search her name on Google, you'll see a flurry of snowflakes. Pop-up bars featuring Carey and Christmas are coming to New York City and New Orleans. And it's only a matter of time before "All I Want For Christmas" returns to the top of the Billboard charts.
Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deletedThis is an annual tradition for Carey, who posts an iconic video immediately after Halloween every year to ring in the season. So, consider this your official countdown to Christmas.
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