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Whether you're a Stephen King fan or not, chances are you're familiar with his work.

It's pretty hard not to be. Even if you've never read any of the horror author's stories, you'll almost certainly have stumbled across some of them on screen, particularly considering there are so damn many of them (somewhere around a hundred when you lump in movies, sequels, and TV shows together).

For this list, we've focused solely on ranking every Stephen King movie adaptation, and specifically originals and remakes (no sequels, because frankly the Children of the Corn franchise alone is long enough for its own list).

Some of these films are terrible, some are masterpieces. Some you'll have seen before, some you won't. Some you'll know straight away are Stephen King movies (hello, The Shining), some you may never even have realised were adapted from the author's work.

From forgettable '80s B-movies to films that have left a permanent mark on movie history, here's every single Stephen King film adaptation ever made, from the very worst to the very best — including his latest, The Monkey and The Life of Chuck.

52. Creepshow 2 (1987)  Credit: New World Pictures / Kobal / Shutterstock

Several horror anthology movies have been made from King's work. Yet despite an adapted screenplay by zombie-horror legend George A. Romero, this one sits at the bottom of the barrel. Three King short stories ("Old Chief Wood'nhead," "The Raft," and "The Hitchhiker") are transformed into grisly vignettes by Tales from the Darkside TV director Michael Gornick.

They're garishly gory, which could have made for schlocky fun. Except these stories are more crass than creepy, relishing in racist depictions of indigenous Americans and gleeful misogyny that leers at women's bared breasts before ripping them to shreds. Simply put, this one's a gross stain on both King's and Romero's filmographies. — Kristy Puchko, Deputy Entertainment Editor

51. Thinner (1996)  Credit: Bruce Birmelin / Spelling International / Kobal / Shutterstock

Based on King's 1984 novel of the same name, Thinner follows Billy Halleck (Robert John Burke), a pompous and plump lawyer whose wish to lose weight becomes an actual curse.

This movie has aged incredibly poorly. Beyond the fat-shaming premise, the cursed plotline plays into racist "gypsy" stereotypes, which paint the Romani people as vicious, vengeful, and deceptive. On top of all that, there's a decadent slathering of misogyny, which portrays women as sinister seductresses and hideous crones. Trust us, this one is better off left forgotten. — K.P.

50. Children of the Corn (1984) Credit: New World / Angeles / Cinema Group / Kobal / Shutterstock

King has spawned plenty of "creepy kids" stories, but none have been quite as prolific as Children of the Corn. Despite being based on a short story, this Fritz Kiersch-directed horror film has yielded nine sequels and a straight to DVD remake in 2009.

The first film centers on a city-slicker couple that stumble into a rural town overrun by murderous children, who worship a vengeful god that stalks the cornfields. While John Franklin is memorable as the glowering child-prophet Isaac, Children of the Corn pales in comparison to its King siblings, like Carrie, Firestarter, and Pet Sematary (both versions). Over the decades, its slow-burn feels more stale and boring, despite splashes of blood and religious horror. — K.P.

49. Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990) Credit: Paramount Pictures

Though a better anthology than Creepshow 2, this one is less of a Stephen King movie. Born from the success of George A. Romero's Tales from the Darkside TV series (1983-1988), the film features horror shorts from various writers, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. King's entry, an adaptation of the short story "Cat from Hell," is unnerving fun, focusing on a hitman (David Johansen) hired to kill a vengeful cat. However, the most thrilling segment was penned by Beetlejuice writer Michael McDowell. "Lover's Vow" taps into Japanese folklore for an entry as spooky as it is seductive.

Among the most star-studded of King anthologies, Tales from the Darkside boasts appearances by Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, Rae Dawn Chong, Christian Slater, and Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry. —K.P.

48. Dolan's Cadillac (2009) Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

Not even the presence of a big name like Christian Slater is enough to save this one. Adapted from a short story and very much feeling like an idea stretched awkwardly into a full length movie, Jeff Beesley's screen version of Dolan's Cadillac follows a man intent on revenge after his wife is killed by a human trafficker. The method of vengeance is creative enough to add some originality, but the characters are flat and the tension never really gets there. — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor

47. Mercy (2014) Credit: Blumhouse

Anyone who's read King's short story "Gramma" will know that it's an incredibly creepy and effective tale which may well be up there among the author's scariest works. Peter Cornwall's Mercy adaptation, however, is a bloated mess.

There's nothing wrong with the direction itself, and screenwriter Matt Greenberg has made a valiant effort of expanding the story for the big screen, but unfortunately the whole thing just feels too stretched. The end result loses the creepy immediacy of the original tale, and replaces it with a fairly long-winded (and not particularly scary) movie about a little boy whose grandmother may be possessed. Just watch Hereditary instead. — S.H.

46. The Dark Half (1993) Credit: Orion / Kobal / Shutterstock

Not all Stephen King stories are created equal, and The Dark Half is, in my opinion at least, not one of the horror master's best. So it's perhaps not such a surprise that the movie adaptation falls so far down in this ranking. Following a writer who kills off his pseudonym only to find it coming to life to exact revenge, George A. Romero's The Dark Half has an entertainingly gruesome start before going sharply downhill. You'll find better King adaptations about troubled writers further down this list. — S.H.

SEE ALSO: The best Stephen King books to read depending on your mood 45. The Mangler (1995) Credit: New Line Cinema

Let's be honest: Making a good film about a possessed laundry machine was never going to be easy and, sure enough, Tobe Hooper's adaptation of this silly King short story is about as terrible as you'd expect.

Making a good film about a possessed laundry machine was never going to be easy...

The Mangler sees officer John Hunton (Ted Levine) investigating the strange goings-on in an industrial laundry, following the death of an elderly worker after she gets pulled into the titular machine and crushed. The story is incredibly dumb, the special effects are ropey and dated, and there's a scene in which Hunton shoots through his own coat in order to free himself from the clutches of the Mangler after it almost gets hold of him, which should go some way to giving you a sense of just how ridiculous this one is. — S.H.

44. Needful Things (1993) Credit: New Line Cinema

Needful Things is a long, sprawling novel with multiple characters and a complicated series of inter-locking connections and relationships. It was always going to be difficult to turn into a movie. W.D. Richter's screenplay, in fairness, does a decent job of streamlining the bulky story, which is all about mysterious character Leland Gaunt (played by an undeniably charismatic Max von Sydow), who arrives in a small town and opens up a store that offers people their heart's desire — for a price. It's an intriguing premise, but there's too much going on here with too many underdeveloped characters that are difficult to care about. — S.H.

43. The Night Flier (1997) Credit: New Line Cinema

There are plenty of Stephen King ideas that, when condensed into a single sentence, sound nothing short of ridiculous. The Mangler is one, and The Night Flier — a tale about an ancient vampire that flies about in a tiny plane killing people — slots comfortably into the same category.

Writer/director Mark Pavia has done a decent enough job expanding the original short story into a feature length film, but unfortunately his starting point is so silly there's only really so much he can do. The Night Flier is the kind of movie that you could probably enjoy with a group of friends if you're not taking it too seriously, but otherwise it's one to skip. — S.H.

42. Maximum Overdrive (1986) Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

The first and only movie King directed himself (!) is, somewhat predictably, not all that great. But it's maybe not quite as terrible as the 15 percent Rotten Tomatoes score would suggest, either. Based on the author's short story, Trucks, about people who get trapped in a gas station during a machine-themed apocalypse, Maximum Overdrive sees Emilio Estevez and Laura Harrington attempting to escape a parking lot full of murderous 18-wheelers while an AC/DC-heavy soundtrack thrashes in the background. The movie is predictable, hammy, and dated, but the story doesn't take itself too seriously and there are more than a few fun moments. — S.H.

41. Riding the Bullet (2004) Credit: MPCA

Somewhere in Riding the Bullet, buried not too far below the surface, is a poignant story about grief and coming to terms with the death of a parent. The problem is it gets lost in all the other stuff.

Based on a King short story of the same name, Mick Garris' adaptation follows troubled college student Alan (Jonathan Jackson) as he hitch-hikes home to visit his sick mother (Barbara Hershey) in hospital. David Arquette has a cameo as George Staub, the strange man who picks him up and gives him a disturbing ultimatum. There are some moving moments in the movie, and the final five minutes are particularly powerful, but unfortunately it's not enough to rescue the drawn-out (and not at all scary) plot. — S.H.

SEE ALSO: 13 of the best Stephen King short stories you've never read 40. Firestarter (2022)  Credit: Universal Pictures

Based on King's 1980 novel, Firestarter follows a father-daughter duo on the run because of their extraordinary abilities. He (Zac Efron) has the power to bend people's will with his mind; she (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) can set fires telekinetically. So, naturally, they're viewed as unchecked weapons by a sinister organization.

In short, this tale of coming-of-age carnage has no spark.

Admittedly, the 1984 adaptation, which starred a young Drew Barrymore in the title role, wasn't all that great to begin with, so a remake shouldn't have been such a bad idea. Regrettably, screenwriter Scott Teems and director Keith Thomas don't bring anything explosively new or all that thrilling to their spin on King. In my review for Mashable, I called it "more pointless than perturbing." In short, this tale of coming-of-age carnage has no spark. —K.P.

39. The Dark Tower (2017) Credit: Columbia Pictures

So much wasted potential. The Dark Tower obviously isn't the worst King adaptation out there, but — particularly for anyone familiar with the books — it may be the most frustrating. The thing is, the author's Dark Tower series is his self-proclaimed magnum opus. It makes The Stand look like a short story. The series is eight books and one novella long, telling the tale of a sprawling battle between good and evil that takes place across multiple worlds, with a huge cast of awesome characters, one of the best endings King has ever written, and the mysterious Dark Tower at the very centre of it all.

SEE ALSO: 10 of the best Stephen King book endings

Nikolaj Arcel's movie dips its toe into this world, but that's about all it does. The story feels rushed, and not even the acting might of Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, and a strong turn from young star Tom Taylor can rescue it. The key problem is The Dark Tower tries to work in its own right as a standalone movie. But, like the multiverse at the heart of the novels, it's far too vast for that. — S.H.

38. Graveyard Shift (1990) Credit: Graveyard Linc / Kobal / Shutterstock

For the most part, adapted short stories get a hard time of it on this list. Graveyard Shift is no exception, with John Esposito's screenplay taking a brilliantly gory King tale about workers clearing the basement of a rat-infested textile mill and stretching it awkwardly into a full-length movie. But the film is not without its gruesome charm, and although the set-up feels a tad cluttered and the character development isn't great, the action builds to an impressively unpleasant crescendo as the core group goes exploring in the mill's hidden sub-basement (extra points for a fight that takes place in a literal bone pit, and the awesomely grotesque monster itself). — S.H.

37. Dreamcatcher (2003) Credit: Shutterstock

On paper, this one has all the ingredients of a good King adaptation. Co-written and directed by Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back writer Lawrence Kasdan and starring Morgan Freeman and Damian Lewis, Dreamcatcher is an IT-style story that sees childhood friends reuniting as adults after something strange happened to them in the past. Only this time instead of killer clowns, we have an alien parasite. It should be fun, but somehow the story isn't particularly memorable and the characters all feel a little underdeveloped. — S.H.

36. In the Tall Grass (2019) Credit: Netflix

King co-wrote In the Tall Grass with his son, writer Joe Hill, and it's easy to see why Cube director Vincenzo Natali was keen to work on the adaptation: Set almost entirely in a seemingly endless field of grass that traps passers-by, In the Tall Grass is a fun idea that was presumably relatively easy (and cheap) to shoot. The problem is, a fun idea is about as far as this one goes. Once you get beyond the claustrophobic concept, the movie is a little repetitive. Although there are some creepy and disturbing moments, the ending isn't satisfying enough to excuse the film's other issues. — S.H.

35. 1922 (2017) Credit: Netflix

Set in — you guessed it — 1922, Zak Hilditch's adaptation of King's novella of the same name follows a Nebraskan farmer who convinces his own son to help him murder his wife, with the aim being to stop her selling the farm and moving the family away to the city. Yep, it's a cheerful one. The adaptation captures the same bleakness as the source material, but unfortunately it downplays the creeping presence of rats, one of the story's more disturbing — and intriguing — elements. What's left is a dark, gory tale where the characters are all as difficult to like as they are to care about. — S.H.

34. Cell (2016) Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

OK, so Cell doesn't quite qualify for "hidden gem" status, but you could certainly make a case for it at least being a bit overlooked. Despite its A-list cast (Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusack star) the film has been largely forgotten, most likely due to the wildly bad reception it received from both critics and the public.

But does it really deserve such an awful Rotten Tomatoes score? I would argue no. It's not a great film but it's certainly not terrible by any means, taking the fun idea of a cell phone-induced apocalypse and creating more than a few tense sequences as our main characters struggle to survive the plague's rabid victims. The characters are a little underdeveloped, sure, and the film loses its way in the third act, but for a casual weekend watch you could do far worse. — S.H.

33. The Lawnmower Man (1992) Credit: New Line / Kobal / Shutterstock

There are probably many things people say to Pierce Brosnan when they spot him in the street and ask for a selfie, but "I loved you in the 1992 classic The Lawnmower Man" is most likely not one of them.

Even calling The Lawnmower Man a King adaptation feels like a bit of stretch, because the movie is so far removed from the original short story it barely even feels like they bothered using the source material (King actually won a lawsuit against New Line Cinema to have his name removed from the movie's advertising, arguing it bore little resemblance to his original short story). The thing is, though, despite the author wanting little to do with it, the movie isn't actually as terrible as its reviews might suggest, telling an entertaining enough Frankenstein-style sci-fi story about a scientist who uses virtual reality to expand his subject's intelligence. — S.H.

32. Firestarter (1984) Credit: De Laurentiis / Paramount / Kobal / Shutterstock

In this incendiary escapade, Baby Drew Barrymore is basically Eleven from Stranger Things way before the Netflix show landed. For the 100 percent fine 1984 adaptation of King's Firestarter, she plays eight-year-old Charlie McGee, whose pyrokinetic abilities come from her parents (David Keith and Heather Locklear) — they, in turn, developed their own nosebleed-inducing telepathic abilities after saying yes to a hallucinogenic trial. Of course, a government agency called The Shop gets wind of Charlie’s fiery powers and wants to use them for their own gain. Like Carrie, Charlie just wants to be treated nicely by society, but it seems the world only sees her as a monster.

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It’s an utterly OK narrative helped by clever fire and fan-heavy special effects and a solid cast including tiny Barrymore setting cinder blocks and agents ablaze, Martin Sheen in his second King film after The Dead Zone as the head of The Shop, Shaft's Moses Gunn as Dr. Pynchot, Starsky and Hutch star Antonio Fargas as the taxi driver (!), and George C. Scott as diabolical assassin John Rainbird. If nothing else, it's all about that synth-fuelled Tangerine Dream score. — Shannon Connellan, Mashable UK Editor

31. Cujo (1983) Credit: Taft / Kobal / Shutterstock

Given the fact dogs in Hollywood usually come in the form of happy, waggy-tailed companions that may or may not eventually break your heart (looking at you, Turner and Hooch), you'd think a murderously rabid St. Bernard might have been something of a tough sell.

You'd think a murderously rabid St. Bernard might have been something of a tough sell.

But in Cujo, it works. Or at least, it does up to a point. Centred around Donna (Dee Wallace) and her son Tad (Danny Pintauro), who become trapped in a sweltering hot car while said murder-hound stalks outside it, Cujo the movie borrows from the claustrophobia and tension that made King's novel such a classic. The problem is it doesn't borrow quite enough of it, and the dog – no matter how good a job makeup may have done – just isn't quite as scary onscreen (the movie is almost 40 years old, of course, so it's bound to look a little dated nowadays). Still pretty fun, though. — S.H.

30. Silver Bullet (1985) Credit: De Laurentiis / Kobal / Shutterstock

He may be an excellent prose writer, but it's probably fair to say that King's screenwriting record is somewhat patchier (hello, Maximum Overdrive). For a werewolf flick that gives off strong b-movie vibes, though, Silver Bullet (based on King's novella Cycle of the Werewolf) is actually pretty entertaining.

The story follows a brother and sister (Corey Haim and Megan Follows) on the trail of a small-town monster wreaking havoc through the local community. Gary Busey plays their quirky Uncle Red, Everett McGill and Terry O'Quinn have cameos, and despite the not-so-great-by-2020s-standard special effects, you might have a decent time sitting down to watch this one on a Friday night. — S.H.

29. Cat's Eye (1985) Credit: De Laurentiis / Kobal / Shutterstock

Fun fact: Cat's Eye marks King's first credit as a screenwriter. Tying together the short stories Quitters, Inc., The Ledge, and General, this is one of the better horror anthologies in his filmography, in part because it's darkly bonkers.

Named for a framing device that follows a stray cat through three twisted stories, Cat's Eye begins with James Woods playing a family man who tries to quit smoking through the mafia and their notorious tactics. (Bad news for his unsuspecting wife!) Embracing the very corniest of '80s-era visuals, his internal struggle with addiction is a terrifically nightmarish ride, conducted by a madcap Alan King as a grinning mob boss. The other two stories boast vengeance, more violence, a creepy critter, and Drew Barrymore in her second King role, following 1984's Firestarter. Funky and frightening, this one's a weird, good time. Plus, it's sprinkled with Easter Eggs from the King films that precede it. — K.P.

28. A Good Marriage (2014) Credit: Screen Media Films

Before working on this list I thought that the vast majority of King movie adaptations could be easily grouped into the great or the terrible. But it isn't that binary, and films like A Good Marriage are proof.

Based on one of the author's more unpleasant novellas of the same name, Peter Askin's adaptation follows Darcy (Joan Allen), a wife and mother who one day discovers her husband is hiding a horrible secret. The direction, acting, and script are all solid, but A Good Marriage lacks some of its source material's tension as we don't burrow quite as deep into Darcy's fears and anxieties as the book takes us. There are also other movies out there, like The Clovehitch Killer, that arguably do a better job of telling a similar story. — S.H.

27. IT Chapter Two (2019) Credit: Warner Bros.

The second part of Andy Muschietti's IT revival (more on the first part later) is also the slightly weaker movie, at least in my personal opinion. It may well be subjective though, because the sections of the novel I always enjoyed the most were those set in the past, during the main characters' childhoods, and the two movies split these sections up entirely, with IT Chapter Two focussing solely on what happens to the Losers' Club as adults.

This tale of friends reuniting to combat an old evil is still a lot of fun, though, with some excellent performances from James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader, another disturbing turn from Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, and an almost show-stealingly grouchy cameo from Stephen King himself. — S.H.

26. Salem's Lot (2024) Credit: New Line Cinema / Max

IT writer Gary Dauberman has a solid take on King's classic vampire novel of the same name, immersing us in a mid '70s world of small towns, drive-in theatres, and the arrival of a vampire hell-bent on turning the population into his personal zombie horde.

"Salem's Lot pays homage to the source material and mini-series (hello, nightmarish window sequence), but it's when the film branches out and does its own thing that it really excels," I wrote in my review for Mashable. "The best example of this is the finale, which — without going into spoiler territory — is a thrillingly chaotic sequence that makes creative use of sunlight and a classic '70s setting to give the movie a fresh and bloody sendoff." — S.H.

25. Christine (1983) Credit: Columbia / Kobal / Shutterstock

If the car in Titane had a less lusty, more murderous origin story, it would probably be Christine. King's 1983 automobile horror novel saw a John Carpenter-directed film version out the same year, and sees a possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury wreaking all sorts of homicidal havoc on its unsuspecting passengers.

The famous "show me" scene in which Christine repairs herself is exceptional, weirdly lascivious, and frankly terrifying screen magic.

The legendary Halloween director’s ability to weave tension and fear from seemingly standard car functions — the radio turning on, the headlights blaring, the engine revving  — is characteristically outstanding, taking King’s wild high-concept premise and scaring the wheels off you. The famous "show me" scene in which Christine repairs herself is exceptional, weirdly lascivious, and frankly terrifying screen magic. — S.C.

24. The Running Man (1987) Credit: Tri-Star / Kobal / Shutterstock

This one is an odd fit among the rest of King’s screen adaptations. It’s based on a novel the author didn’t even publish under his own name, and just about the only thing the movie has in common with the book is that it’s about a guy named Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) trying to escape from a dystopian murder game show.

I don’t really care about the movie’s accuracy to the source material and neither should you. Instead, you have to appreciate it for its defiance of traditional standards, as almost everyone in the cast is famous for something other than acting, including NFL legend Jim Brown, a bunch of pro wrestlers, and '70s game show host Richard Dawson. Every single one of them kills it, thanks to the kind of campy, absurd action filmmaking Schwarzenegger was the face of in the late '80s. Dawson deserves extra credit for turning on his Family Feud energy to schmooze with old women in the audience while being an abusive nightmare to his crew backstage.

The Running Man may not be a cinematic standard-bearer, but it’s still a whole lot of fun to watch Arnold choke a sadistic hockey player out with razor wire before remarking that he was a “pain in the neck.” — Alex Perry, Tech Reporter

SEE ALSO: Books, TV shows and movies recommended by Stephen King 23. Hearts in Atlantis (2001) Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

OK, we're going to go out there and say this one qualifies for "hidden gem" status. It's a long way from being the best King movie adaptation, sure, but Scott Hick's coming-of-age mystery still packs a heavy punch of nostalgia and features some great acting turns from Anthony Hopkins, Hope Davis, and a young Anton Yelchin. The story follows a lonely 11-year-old boy, Bobby (Yelchin), who befriends a man (Hopkins) who moves into the apartment above him — only to learn he has unusual abilities and appears to be on the run from some shadowy figures.

A side note if you were wondering about the title: The filmmakers presumably went with Hearts in Atlantis because it's the title of the book, but the book itself is actually a collection of five linked stories, the second of which is titled Hearts in Atlantis and is all about college students addicted to the card game Hearts. The movie, on the other hand, is a straight adaptation of the first story in the book, which features absolutely no mention of either Hearts or Atlantis whatsoever. Confusing titles aside, though, this one is worth a watch. — S.H.

22. Secret Window (2004) Credit: Columbia Tristar / Kobal / Shutterstock

Featuring an impressively dead-eyed turn from John Turturro as the villain, Secret Window sees writer Mort Rainey (yeah, we know, Johnny Depp is in this) attempting to find solace from his recent divorce in a remote lake house — only for a stranger to show up on his doorstep accusing him of plagiarism. What follows is an unpleasant, escalating cat-and-mouse game which is equal parts horror and psychological thriller, with writer/director David Koepp keeping the tension and dread mounting until the movie's twisty conclusion. — S.H.

21. Apt Pupil (1998) Credit: John Baer / Pheonix / Columbia Tristar / Kobal / Shutterstock

It's difficult to separate Apt Pupil from its own disturbing legacy. The movie was directed by Bryan Singer, who has since faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct including the allegation that he sexually assaulted 13-year-old extra Victor Valdovinos on the film's set in 1997.

As hard as it is to do, I've tried to assess Apt Pupil here solely on the movie's own merits. The film sees high school student Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro) discovering the real identity of an elderly man in his neighborhood, Arthur Denker (Ian McKellen), a Nazi war criminal in hiding, before proceeding to blackmail him with demands to hear his firsthand accounts of the concentration camps. Like the novella it's based on the film is disturbing, and its characters dark and complex, but the central performances from Renfro and McKellen alone make it worth watching, as does the way the tension builds and builds and builds. — S.H.

20. Carrie (2013) Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Carrie is a King novel so enthralling that it's been adapted repeatedly. Director Kimberly Peirce translated King's '70s-set tale of a tormented telekinetic teen to the 2010s, adding cyberbullying to the high school horrors that Carrie endures before her bloody breakdown at prom. Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore bring gravitas to the lead roles of the terrifying mother-daughter duo. Advancements in visual effects allow for a third act filled with carnage, gore, and fire. However, while solidly scary, Peirce's remake still can't hold a candle (much less a flaming gas station) to Brian De Palma's Academy Award–nominated 1976 version. — K.P.

19. Pet Sematary (2019) Credit: Paramount Pictures

Coming out a full 30 years after the first adaption of Pet Sematary (more on that one in a moment), Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer's version of King's early creepfest stars Jason Clarke and Amy Seimetz as Louis and Rachel, a couple who've just made the terrible mistake of relocating to rural Maine only to discover there's something deeply odd about the forest behind their house. If you're looking to be scared and disturbed this one's a good choice, as what it occasionally lacks in character development it more than makes up for in jump-scares and suspense. — S.H.

18. Dolores Claiborne (1995) Credit: Castle Rock Entertainment / Kobal / Shutterstock

Not Kathy Bates' finest outing in a King adaptation (you'll see why shortly), but a fine outing nonetheless. Steering more into psychological thriller territory than horror, Dolores Claiborne follows a widow who's been accused of murdering the elderly woman she was caring for, and her tense relationship with her estranged daughter, Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh), that's played out via flashbacks.

It's a well-told, well-acted story, but be warned — it's also a dark and disturbing one with monsters that are all too human. — S.H.

17. The Monkey (2025) Tatiana Maslany in "The Monkey," with blood running out of her eyes Credit: NEON

Director Oz Perkins has made his name in horror with twisted thrillers like Longlegs, The Blackcoat's Daughter, and I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House. But he took his scares to the next level with this adaptation of a King short story.

Theo James stars as twin brothers whose family has been cursed by an evil toy monkey. Whenever the mechanized monkey beats its drum, someone dies. And how they die becomes increasingly outrageous. King himself called the movie "batshit insane," which is high praise from this master of menacing murders. But along with bonkers kills, The Monkey also offers some truly dark comedy, along with a cameo from the director that's grimly hilarious. —K.P.

16. Pet Sematary (1989) Credit: Paramount / Kobal / Shutterstock

When we talk Classic King, this is what we're talking about: a quiet small town in Maine, the kind of place that should be peaceful, yet its community end up being ripped asunder by creeping supernatural forces.

When we talk Classic King, this is what we're talking about.

In this case, the Creed family move away from the big city to watch their children grow up happy and healthy. When that dream is shattered, a grief-stricken father (Dale Midkiff) takes to a burial ground steeped in local legend, searching for solace. The results are gutting, sometimes literally. With a creeping camera and nightmarish practical effects, director Mary Lambert brought King's creepy prose to grisly life (and even directed the decently disturbing sequel, Pet Sematary Two). Thanks to her, a generation of King fans clung to this creepy cautionary tale that warns, "Sometimes, dead is better." —K.P.

15. Creepshow (1982) Credit: Warner Bros / Kobal / Shutterstock

What do you get when you take a collection of King's short stories and hand them over to the godfather of the modern zombie, George A. Romero, to direct for the big screen? The all-time classic horror anthology, Creepshow.

Horror is made for anthology films and this one is the standard bearer. The five shorts written by King, in what is also his screenwriting debut, are brilliantly woven together throughout the film via animated scenes portraying a comic book that carry the tales on its pages.

Even if you haven't seen Creepshow, there's a good chance you're familiar with iconic scenes from the film: Leslie Nielsen — yes, the Leslie Nielsen of Naked Gun and Airplane! fame — neck deep in sand awaiting his death in Something to Tide You Over. An undead Jon Lormer rises from the grave and surprises his (remaining) family members with a severed head dressed up with candles and presented like a cake as he exclaims "Happy Father's Day!" And, of course, King himself stars as a dull farm boy who sees his farm and eventually his own body overtaken by an alien mosslike lifeform in The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill. — Matt Binder, Tech Reporter

14. The Boogeyman (2023) There's something lurking in the shadows. Credit: 20th Century Studios

Originally published in a 1973 issue of Cavalier magazine, "The Boogeyman" was a King short story that centered on a haunted man, Lester Billings, unfurling a tale of woe, child death, and a titular beast to therapist Dr. Harper. However, for A Quiet Place screenwriters Scott Beck and Bryan Woods along with Black Swan scribe Mark Heyman, this premise served as a jumping-off place, putting the whole of Billings' story in the film's first act. From there, they carve out a sort-of sequel to the short story, focusing on a pair of sisters (Yellowjackets' Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair) who are plagued by a creepy creature that lives in the shadows. Unfortunately for them, this paranormal parasite was brought in by a distressed patient of their father, Dr. Harper (Chris Messina).

While the setup is clever, the execution of this adaptation is even better. Rob Savage, who awed horror lovers with the zoom seance hit Host, creates sequences of scares and suspense that will give you goosebumps and shiver your spine. Part of the film's success comes from Thatcher and Blair playing the Harper sisters, not as precocious or naive, but as brave and pissed off. They fight hard against the dying of the light and the thing that feeds on it, bringing an exhilarating energy through hellish scenarios. But best of all might be a creature design that is absolutely the stuff of nightmares.

While the movie's plot might be thin — and in some major regards, may feel like a Babadook imitator — The Boogeyman is nonetheless a stupendously scary treasure in the ever-expanding King collection. — K.P.

13. Doctor Sleep (2019)  Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

King famously loathed Stanley Kubrick's movie adaptation of The Shining. So, modern horror auteur Mike Flanagan (Hush, The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor) had a lot to prove with a sequel that would integrate the 1980 psycho-thriller and the 1977 novel's follow-up, titled Doctor Sleep. Some fans have bristled at the changes from the book, but others have cheered how Flanagan translated the mood of King — if not the exact story — into an ambitious, bloody, and deeply unnerving next chapter.

SEE ALSO: 'Doctor Sleep' isn't 'The Shining' and that's the highest compliment

Ewan McGregor stars as the grown-up but still haunted Danny Torrance. However, the real stars of this film are Kyliegh Curran, as a brave young girl with "the shining," and Rebecca Ferguson as the evil, sexy, and enviably stylish child-killer, Rose the Hat. — K.P.

12. 1408 (2007) Credit: Dimension Films / Kobal / Shutterstock

Yes, we know there’s another, way more famous haunted hotel movie on King's lineup, but don’t forget to pack your bag for the Dolphin Hotel too. You actually can’t check in any time you like to the titular room number 1408, but if, like haunted hotel reviewer and book author Mike Enslin (a superbly cynical and slowly unhinged John Cusack), you force your way in despite the manager’s warnings (an effortlessly foreboding Samuel L. Jackson), you can never leave.

Director Mikael Håfström does some truly scary things with special effects in this adaptation of King’s short story, and they even shot three different endings, all different to the author’s original. But the real winner of this film is Cusack, whose performance mostly contained to the hotel room itself is unrelentingly compelling. — S.C.

11. IT Chapter One (2017) Credit: Warner Bros.

The IT remake seemed to come at the perfect time, riding high on the coattails of Stranger Things-induced '80s horror nostalgia (Finn Wolfhard even stars) and tapping into the nightmarish memories of a generation who grew up terrified by both the old TV series and the book. As a big fan of the latter, I remember being nervous going into this one, but was pleasantly surprised by how Andy Muschietti's adaptation of this tale of small-town evil turned out.

Muschietti's film taps into the awkward highs and lows of adolescence that King's book expertly portrayed.

The scares are there, yes (helped along by Bill Skarsgård's theatrically creepy take on Pennywise the Clown), but Muschietti's film also taps into the awkward highs and lows of adolescence that King's book expertly portrayed. — S.H.

10. Gerald's Game (2017) Credit: Netflix

How do you turn a story that's set almost entirely in a single room into a watchable film? Well for a long time, with Gerald's Game at least, you didn't.

The novel came out in 1992, and it was only a full 25 years later that Mike Flanagan's adaptation finally made it to Netflix. King himself previously admitted he thought the book was "unfilmable" when he first read it in college, and it's easy to see why: The story follows Jessie (Carla Gugino), who gets trapped in a remote lake house handcuffed to a bed after her husband unexpectedly dies of a heart attack. Much of the story takes place in her head, but Flanagan's direction — which makes use of flashbacks and imaginary conversations — brings Jessie's internal nightmare effortlessly to life. — S.H.

9. The Mist (2007) Credit: Dimension Films / Kobal / Shutterstock

While two of writer/director Frank Darabont's King adaptations have risen to the lofty heights of all-time greatest film lists (more on them later), The Mist has flown largely under the radar. It has a decent enough Rotten Tomatoes audience rating, and positive enough reviews, but it appears to have been mostly lost in the shadow of Darabont's earlier work. It's an ill-deserved legacy.

Following a father and son who get trapped in a gas station store with a group of strangers as a weird fog envelops their town, The Mist takes an intriguing premise and spins out a tense popcorn-muncher of a film that's equal parts fun, jumpy and harrowing. It's not a perfect movie – some of the special effects look a little dated here and there – but it's still leagues ahead of most monster movies, and comes complete with a chilling human antagonist and a convincing analogy of the dangers of fundamental religion. — S.H.

8. The Dead Zone (1983) Credit: Dimension Films / Kobal / Shutterstock

It’s hard to imagine that either Stephen King or David Cronenberg would have known how unsettlingly timely The Dead Zone would feel in 2022. The 1983 adaptation of the author's 1979 novel introduces us to Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) — a provincial school teacher about to marry his sweetheart. After a car accident that almost kills him, Johnny wakes up with the psychic ability to see people’s past and future. It will take him a while to understand that his powers are not just about seeing the future, but about being able to change it. The psychological thriller becomes political when a Trump-like figure is introduced halfway through the film. Add some nuclear anxiety and seen today, The Dead Zone seems here to tell us that we still haven’t learnt our lessons.

SEE ALSO: This 1979 Stephen King novel is a chilling prediction of Donald Trump's rise

But there’s much to be enjoyed about the film outside its political relevance. Starting with the award-worthy performances by Christopher Walken and Michael Sheen, and adding Mark Irwin’s stunning cinematography, Cronenberg’s adaptation is a cinematic feast. To experience The Dead Zone in all its glory, look for the film’s digital restoration. — Teodosia Dobriyanova, Video Producer

7. The Shining (1980) Credit: Warner Bros / Hawk Films /Kobal / Shutterstock

Stanley Kubrick's The Shining occupies a strange place in movie history. The film has long enjoyed praise from critics, it sits comfortably in the IMDb top 250 movies of all time, and it's probably one of the most famous horror movies ever made. On the other hand, King himself isn't a fan. Yep, really. The author hasn't been shy with his opinions of the movie over the years, describing it as "cold" and calling Shelley Duvall's character Wendy "one of the most misogynistic characters ever put on film."

...the twins in the hallway, the river of blood, "Herrrreeeee's, Johnny!"...

So, does he have a point? Well, you could certainly argue that the characters in Kubrick's adaptation are nowhere near as three dimensional as King's; Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) doesn't unravel like he does in the book (he's already unravelled to begin with), while Duvall's character comes across as far more helpless on screen. But despite this, The Shining remains undeniably quintessential cinema — it's disturbing, genuinely scary, and features imagery (the twins in the hallway; the river of blood; "Herrrreeeee's, Johnny!") that will burn themselves forever into your brain. — S.H.

6. Carrie (1976) Credit: United Artists/Kobal/Shutterstock

The word "iconic" gets thrown around cavalierly, but Brian De Palma's Carrie truly earns this distinguished adjective. Those who shudder at the very idea of watching a scary movie may not have seen Carrie, but they know the image of a girl in a pretty prom dress, draped in pig's blood. They recognize the howl of Margaret White: "They're all gonna laugh at you!"

Sissy Spacek stars as the titular telekinetic teen girl, a sheepish misfit mocked for her awkwardness and her zealot mother (Piper Laurie). But an act of kindness from a popular girl (Amy Irving) could prove a turning point for Carrie — and on prom night no less! Of course, King isn't much for happy endings. And De Palma's adaptation delivers when it comes to chills, screams, and haunting imagery. It's little wonder Spacek and Laurie each earned Academy Award nods for their riveting and unnerving performances, streaked with agony, ecstasy, and resentment. — K.P. 

5. The Green Mile (1999) Credit: Ralph Jr Nelson / Castle Rock / Warner Bros / Kobal / Shutterstock

It's not easy to make a three-hour movie fly by, but Frank Darabont's prison-set thriller is so incredibly tense, emotional, harrowing, and beautiful, that it easily feels half that length.

Taking place in a death row penitentiary in 1935 Louisiana, The Green Mile sees prison guard Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) and his colleagues coming to terms with the miraculous gifts of new inmate John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), a giant of a man who has been sentenced to death for the murder of twin girls. Pretty much every character in The Green Mile is memorable in their own right: there's Paul's towering best friend Brutus (David Morse), their snivellingly sadistic colleague Percy Whitmore (Doug Hutchison), troubled prison warden Hal Moores (James Cromwell), and nightmarish inmate "Wild" Bill Wharton (Sam Rockwell). Saying that a movie is a rollercoaster of emotions feels clichéd, but in this case it fits. The story has the ability to shock, and make you laugh, disturb, and – ultimately – bring a tear to the eye. — S.H.

4. The Life of Chuck (2025) Credit: TIFF

First, he delivered the kinky terror of Gerald's Game, then the child-slaughtering horror of Doctor Sleep. For his third adaptation from King's creepy bibliography, heralded horror auteur Mike Flanagan tackled The Life of Chuck, a 2020 novella with a very different tone than his previous films. Sure, there are scares, death, and even some ghostly business within this curious offering, which won wild praise out of its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024. But at its core, this is a magnificent movie about the joys in living.

Beginning at what seems like the end of the world as we know it, The Life of Chuck follows a school teacher (Chiwetel Ejiofor) as he grapples with an onslaught of worrisome news, including natural disasters, societal breakdown, and the tragedy of the internet going out for good. Yet he is most mystified by the billboards going up around town of a smiling, bespectacled Charles Krantz (Tom Hiddleston), who appears to be retiring after "39 great years." Who is this mystery man? The Life of Chuck will unfurl his story with wonder, whimsy, grief, and a rousing dance number that makes it a total crowd-pleaser. Co-starring Flanagan collaborators like Mark Hamill, Karen Gillan, Jacob Tremblay, Rahul Kohli, and Kate Siegel, this is a deeply poignant film, and one of the very best King adaptations yet.  — K.P.

3. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Credit: ITV / Shutterstock

It was always going to be near the top of the list, wasn't it? Frank Darabont's adaptation of King's novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption has topped so many all-time greatest movie rankings — including its famous number one spot above The Godfather on the IMDb top 250 — that it would've been ridiculous for us not to include it up here. Its place in movie history is well deserved, too. I enjoyed King's novella like I do most of his work, but this is probably one of the rare instances where the film surpasses its source material.

Probably one of the rare instances where the film surpasses its source material.

Tim Robbins is perfect as Andy Dufresne, a man who suddenly finds himself behind bars for a murder he claims not to have committed, while Morgan Freeman gives a legendary performance as his prison mate-turned-friend Red. There's some truly unpleasant supporting roles from Mark Rolston as violent inmate Bogs and Clancy Brown as brutal prison guard Captain Hadley. It's a film that'll be watched and studied for decades to come. — S.H.

2. Misery (1990) Credit: Castle Rock / Columbia / Kobal / Shutterstock

Is Annie Wilkes, played with terrifying (and Oscar–winning) intensity by Kathy Bates, the greatest female movie villain of all time? Very possibly.

Telling the nail-biting tale of best-selling writer Paul Sheldon (the late James Caan), who gets rescued from a car crash by his "number-one fan" only to be held hostage, Misery is a horribly tense film that'll have you sweating every time Wilkes leaves the house and Sheldon embarks on yet another doomed escape attempt. There are truly classic moments of dialogue ("You dirty bird!") and some scenes (you know the one) that will probably never leave your head once you've seen them. All in all, Misery is an excellent thriller, one of two powerhouse King adaptations from Rob Reiner, and one of the greatest suspense movies ever made. — S.H.

1. Stand By Me (1986) Credit: Columbia / Kobal / Shutterstock

Although some of King's lengthier tomes (i.e. IT) have made excellent movies, you could make a pretty convincing case that it's his shorter novels and novellas that work best on screen. Stand By Me is the perfect example of this.

"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12...Jesus, does anyone?"

Screenwriters Raynold Gideon and Bruce A. Evans took the author's novella The Body — a coming-of-age tale about four friends who go hunting for a dead teenager while evading the local bullies — and squeezed out every drop of the story's poignancy and humour. It's a tear-jerking snapshot of the anxieties, friendships, highs, and lows of childhood. The novella packed a powerful punch of nostalgia and Rob Reiner's direction channels this in its own way, placing the boys' friendships front and centre, then considering them through a thoughtful adult lens. "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12," the grown up narrator (Richard Dreyfuss) writes at one point. "Jesus, does anyone?"

SEE ALSO: Every single Stephen King novella, ranked

Keep an eye out for a young Kiefer Sutherland as the brilliantly unpleasant Ace Merrill, Wil Wheaton as budding writer Gordie Lachance, Corey Feldman as the bold Teddy Duchamp, a young Jerry O'Connell as the sweet Vern Tessio, and of course, the exceptional River Phoenix as Gordie's best friend, Chris Chambers. Their performances, like the movie itself, have a well-deserved place in cinematic history. — S.H.

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More than a third of U.S. states have introduced restrictions for online adult content. After the introduction of these age verification laws, some porn sites blocked users from those locations. That means a lot of potential users are now seeking a workaround. Fortunately, you can still access all your favorite porn sites in just a few simple steps.

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TL;DR: Live stream Mexico vs. Dominican Republic in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup for free on YouTube. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup kicks off with Mexico vs. Dominican Republic. Mexico will be expected to progress into the knockout rounds and perhaps go all the way, but this opening game is not going to be easy. Mexico looked strong when beating Turkey in their last warm-up game, but they know they'll need to be at their best to secure three points here.

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When is Mexico vs. Dominican Republic?

Mexico vs. Dominican Republic in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup kicks off at 10:15 p.m. ET on June 14. This fixture takes place at the SoFi Stadium.

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If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Aware.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

ALERT

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A chamber of a home.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 14, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

SUITE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Ghastly.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 14 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 14, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

ASHEN

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To sit upon.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for June 14 Hurdle Word 4 answer

PERCH

Final Hurdle hint

A booth.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

KIOSK

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

TL;DR: Live stream Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami in the 2025 Club World Cup for free on DAZN. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Club World Cup kicks off this weekend with a number of exciting fixtures, including Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami. We know that not everyone is convinced by this tournament, but the prospect of seeing games between teams that would never usually meet is something special. And Lionel Messi will be on display, so there's that as well.

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When is Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami?

Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami in the 2025 Club World Cup kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on June 14. This fixture takes place at the Hard Rock Stadium.

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Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami in the 2025 Club World Cup is available to live stream for free on DAZN.

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TL;DR: Live stream Leinster vs. Bulls in the United Rugby Championship final for free on TVNZ+. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The United Rugby Championship final is going to be massive. Leinster take on the Bulls in an epic showdown at Croke Park, with fans from all around the world clambering to secure a free live stream.

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When is Leinster vs. Bulls?

Leinster vs. Bulls in the United Rugby Championship final starts at 5 p.m. BST on June 14. This fixture takes place at Croke Park.

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TL;DR: Live stream Bath vs. Leicester in the Premiership Rugby final for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Premiership Rugby final promises to be a tense and really entertaining matchup between two talented sides. After a long season, Bath take on Leicester at Twickenham for the title. Bath had an 11-point advantage over Leicester Tigers at the end of the regular season, but that doesn't count for anything now.

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When is Bath vs. Leicester?

Bath vs. Leicester in the Premiership Rugby final starts at 3 p.m. BST on June 14. This fixture takes place at Twickenham Stadium.

How to watch Bath vs. Leicester for free

Bath vs. Leicester in the Premiership Rugby final is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

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Live stream the Premiership Rugby final by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit ITVX

5. Live stream Bath vs. Leicester for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but top VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By making the most of these deals, you can access free live streams of the Premiership Rugby final without actually spending anything. This is obviously a quick fix, but it gives you enough time to watch Bath vs. Leicester before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is 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, saving you 49% on list price. This deal includes an extra three months of coverage, a whole year of unlimited cloud backup, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Bath vs. Leicester in the Premiership Rugby final for free with ExpressVPN.

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

Having a pet is great, particularly the furry kind. If you have a cat or a dog your life is likely all the richer and more fulfilling for having them. But there’s a downside to sharing you home with fur ball family members: Pet hair. On everything. All the time.

It’s in your car, on your clothes, on your sofa, and matted into the carpet. There’s probably even a circle of pet hair on your bed, a lasting reminder of their favourite sleeping spot right next to you. Cute but also, well, ewww.

Of course, you love them anyway, but that doesn’t mean you need to give up and accept a house full of pet hair. You have options, like buying a good handheld vacuum. The great thing is, you can find handheld vacs made specifically for sucking up pet hair. Here's some useful information and a round-up of the best available models.

Are handheld vacuums best for pet hair?

Traditional and robot vacuum cleaners are great, but let’s be honest, they don’t let you really get down into small corners or the small, dark crevices of your sofa. Handheld vacuums are ideal for pet hair because they’re generally small and lightweight, allowing you to walk around the house and attack any hair-strewn spots you find without having to drag a heavy vacuum behind you. A small handheld vacuum will get to work on your stairs, in your bedroom, or in your car.

Some pet vacuums are also modern and stylish, so you won’t mind leaving them out around your home and you can grab them whenever needed for a quick whizz around. This is especially true if you get a handheld vacuum with a docking station. Handheld vacuums are also quieter than traditional vacuums.

Best of all, most handheld vacuums are cordless and cost way less money than traditional cordless vacuums. This makes them even more convenient for your home and car. It also means you can use them on your clothes, too, because let’s be real: A handheld vacuum is way better at getting pet hair off your coat than a lint roller.

What vacuum features are good for pet hair?

If you’re shopping for a handheld vacuum that’s built to tackle pet hair, there are a few features you’ll want to consider:

Ergonomic design — You hold a handheld vacuum in your hands, which means you want to buy one that you can hold comfortably. Look for one that has an ergonomic handle so that you can hold and control it easily as you clean your home.

Weight — The whole point of a handheld vacuum is portability, so make sure it’s lightweight. Of course, everyone has a slightly different definition of “lightweight”, but in general, you want to make sure your arm doesn’t tire out faster than the battery.

Battery life — Most handheld vacuums are designed to be small, so they don’t hold a charge for long. Constant recharging can get frustrating quickly. Shop around for a vac with decent battery life. Some come with swappable batteries.

Suction power — It goes without saying, but a vacuum with weak suction is pretty useless, especially if you’re trying to clean up pet hair. So when you’re looking for a handheld vacuum, make sure you look for one with strong suction power.

Attachments — A good handheld vacuum will come with a variety of specialised tools to help you easily clean specific fabrics, crevices, or material types. Look for handheld vacs with motorised brushes, crevice tools, or pet hair brushes.

Storage — Some of the smaller handheld vacuums come with convenient charging docks for storing and charging n one place. Some docking stations have space to stash your attachments and accessories.

What is the best handheld vacuum for pet hair?

There are lots of vacuums on the market right now, so it can be tough to find “the one.” That’s why we’ve done the research for you and rounded up the best of the best. These handheld vacuums all suck, but in the best way possible.

These are the best handheld vacuum cleaners for pet hair in 2025.

Where would the average kitchen be without a decent toaster? Below average, that's where. Because the toaster is a cornerstone of not only breakfast but also quick and easy eating. And let's not overlook just how tasty a nice slice of toast (plus butter, jam, marmite, whatever) really is. Or bagels, crumpets, and other toasted treats.

What's strange is that even though the toaster is a kitchen essential — and the fact that pretty much everyone loves toast — the purchase process is often not given the consideration is deserves. A lot of shoppers will buy the cheapest model on offer, without thinking about the fact that you're going to use this device every day.

We're trying to change things and give toasters their well deserved moment in the spotlight, so you can find a model that works for you and your kitchen. But first, we're going to answer a few commonly asked questions to help you out.

Is a two or four-slice toaster best?

There are lots of different toaster models out there, but there is one simple way to categorise everything on offer: Two-slice and four-slice toasters. The question of which type you need really isn't complicated. Simply consider how many slices of bread or bagels you're likely to be toasting at the same time, which is likely dictated by the size of your household rather than the size of your appetite. If it's more than two slices, you should opt for a four-slice option. If you're only going to be having one or two slices at a time, or you live in a smaller household, purchase a two-slice toaster.

What are the most important toaster features?

Before starting this buying process, there are some things you should consider:

Defrost setting — Do you keep your bread, bagels, and other toastable items in the freezer so that they last longer? If so, you would benefit from a toaster with a defrost setting. Fortunately, this setting is included on even the most basic models. A reheat or "keep warm" function (both self-explanatory) are both handy too.

Cooking time settings — Normally you get numbers on the front of the toaster that represents the heat time, but it doesn't always work like this. Sometimes you get a scale that measures how toasted your bread, bagel, or crumpet is going to be.

Crumb tray — Cleaning a toaster is not an easy task, unless it has a crumb tray. This handy feature catches all of the debris from the toasting process, and can be removed when you're cleaning it out.

Slot width — A lot of toasters have fixed slot widths, which is not generally an issue. But if you like to mix it up, there are toasters that have adjustable bread slots — or generous space to fit all kinds of bread products.

Quick look — This goes by different names brand-to-brand, but the idea is that you can quickly pop the toast up and check its progress, without stopping the toasting cycle and risking it burning. C'mon, we've all done it.

What is the best toaster?

At this point, you should know what makes a good toaster. But to make your purchase process easier, we've lined up a selection of the best options. We've tried to find something to suit everyone and every budget. This includes top models from popular kitchen brands like Russell Hobbs and Breville. Just pick a favourite.

These are the best toasters in 2025.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games 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 today'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.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for June 14 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: A female star

• Green: Popular ink

• Blue: Popular pups

• Purple: A dog breed

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

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

• Yellow: Goddess

• Green: Elements of a classic "Mom" tattoo

• Blue: Dogs of the screen

• Purple: ___ Terrier

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 #734 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Goddess: DIVA, ICON, LEGEND, QUEEN

• Elements of a classic "Mom" tattoo: ARROW, HEART, MOM, RIBBON

• Dogs of the screen: ASTRO, BLUE, HOOCH, TOTO

• ___ Terrier: BORDER, BOSTON, BULL, RAT

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 June 14

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.

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 Mashable

By 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 preferrined pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 14 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 14 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: It's a banner day

The words are patriotism-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are things found on banners.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Flag Symbol

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for June 14

• Star

• Stripe

• Moon

• Triangle

• Flag Symbol

• Crown

• Shield

• Cross

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.

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 today'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 June 14 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 June 13, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

An apparition.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter G.

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...

GHOST.

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 June 14

Reporting 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.

If you received a GameStop settlement email, then you may be entitled to compensation. Just manage your expectations — this isn't a get-rich-quick type of opportunity.

GameStop has been a savior recently. For many of us, the gaming-centric retailer was a means to snag the coveted Nintendo Switch 2. They also gave the best trade-in offer for those of us who were ready to part with the older console to make room for the new one. But, according to the plaintiffs of the class-action lawsuit Aldana v. GameStop, Inc., the company may have done some customers dirty. And thanks to a settlement in the case, GameStop customers can now claim some payback from the company.

If you bought a game online at GameStop between Aug. 18, 2020 and April 17, 2025 and you have an active Facebook profile (and did so at the time of purchase) that uses your real name, you might entitled to some cash back. If you're eligible for a payout from the lawsuit, you get to choose between a $5 cash payment or a voucher for $10 to use at GameStop's website. To get either of these benefits, you'll need to submit a claim form by Aug. 15.

How to file your claim

If you're eligible for the settlement offer, you should have received an email with details of how to file your claim. The email is titled "Aldana v. GameStop - Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement," in case it ended up your spam folder. So, if you're wondering if the GameStop settlement email is legit, it is.

To file your claim, you'll need to head to the class-action lawsuits official webpage. From there, you'll need to scroll to the bottom and hit "Start Your Claim." Enter your personal details, including the Unique ID that's listed in the email notice. If you didn't get an email notice, but you think you're eligible, you'll need to fill out a paper claim form and mail it to the listed address. Otherwise, follow the online form to enter in your name, address, and proof of your Facebook account. You can do this by either providing your account's URL or uploading a screenshot.

If you opt for the cash payment, you'll be prompted to provide your Venmo username, PayPal email address, or Zelle email address.

If you go the GameStop voucher route, it'll be sent to the GameStop account associated with the email you listed on the claim form. Remember: you must file this claim by Aug. 15.

While $5 of cash or a $10 GameStop credit won't get you far these days, free money is free money, so there's really no downside to filing your claim. And hey, a $10 GameStop voucher will take some of the sting out of that $80 Mario Kart World purchase.

The gritty details

The lawsuit, brought about by Alejandro Aldana and Scott Gallie, claims GameStop wrongfully gave Facebook information about its online customers without their consent. GameStop claims they've done no wrong, but has agreed to settle the class-action lawsuit in the sum of $4.5 million. Companies often do this to avoid a (more) costly legal process.

SEE ALSO: The best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories include an irresistible Piranha Plant webcam and an upgraded controller

In case you're interested in the fine print, here's how this all went down: The lawsuit says GameStop gave personally identifiable information (PII) of online customers to Facebook via the Facebook Tracking Pixel without the consent of these customers. If that did actually happen, it would be in violation of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA). This law was passed way back in 1988 and forbids companies like GameStop from disclosing PPI without consent. (That's the year that Crocodile Dundee II came out, for reference.) The law mostly talks about information from video rental and purchase history, but the language makes it still applicable to today's world of video game purchases.

The final step of this settlement is set to take place in a fairness hearing on Sept. 18 at the Supreme Court of the State of New York. There, the court will hear any objections and determine the fairness of the case.

The settlement GameStop agreed to also requires the company to stop using the Facebook Tracking Pixel on any page of its website that could capture information that would violate the VPPA, according to Top Class Actions. If you feel like doing a deep dive, you can read the entire 56-page settlement here. You can also check out an FAQ.

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Wow, Dyson discontinued its Age of Ultron-looking air-purifying headphones? That's crazy. No one ever could have predicted that they'd be too ridiculous to catch on.

Dyson is informally recognized as the final boss in product categories like cordless stick vacuums, hair dryers, and air purifying fans. And every so often, Dyson attempts to further capitalize on that expertise with spinoff products in those core categories... and misses the mark. The Zone headphones combined some of Dyson's air purification skills with over-ear noise-canceling headphones. There's just one little issue: The face mask part simply cannot be worn seriously. It turns out that most people with allergies would rather be a little sniffly than walk around their neighborhood looking like General Grievous' cousin.

The magnetic visor part can come off, but at that point, just buy a normal pair of headphones. Credit: Dyson

Surprisingly enough, Dyson didn't invent the Zone headphones in response to Covid and mask mandates. They were released in 2022 after an alleged six years in production. The Zone's mask part doesn't filter viruses, anyway — it's mostly meant to combat air pollutants and allergens.

The Zone originally cost $949 upon release. Hilarious. Despite the Zone going on sale for as low as $260 in the past year, it seems that consumers would rather spend a few hundred dollars on a more practical pair. They've officially been scrubbed from Dyson's website, leaving Woot as the only real retailer where they can still be purchased (unless you count places like eBay, where multiple people are trying to get rid of theirs).

SEE ALSO: Skullcandy Method 360 ANC vs. Bose QuietComfort: Comparing Bose-powered earbuds

Did the Zone headphones actually have pretty nice audio quality? Sure, but who cares when they're survived by the Dyson OnTrac? These 2024 Dyson headphones are a much more normal-looking option with incredible sound quality and noise cancellation. Between those and all of the other noise-canceling headphones that we love — and actually like to wear — it was only a matter of time until the Zone officially flopped.

(I'm calling it now: The next Dyson product up for discontinuation is the 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum, which is similarly cyborg-looking and way too expensive for what it can do.)

Apple announced a whole host of new features at WWDC 2025 earlier this week for iOS 26, including its fancy new Liquid Glass design, live translations, and updates to CarPlay and Messages.

The newest iOS will be available to most users who have an iPhone, but according to Engadget, if you have the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or iPhone XS Max, all three of which were released in 2018, you won't be able to download iOS 26. If you have an iPhone released in 2019 or later, you'll be able to download the new iOS, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to use all of the features announced.

SEE ALSO: The 7 hidden iOS 26 features I'm excited to try

9to5mac reported that you'll need an iPhone 12 or newer to access the new Lockscreen 3D effect. As for the features listed below, you'll need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer:

• Visual intelligence with screenshots

• Live translation in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone

• Shortcuts actions with AI powers

• Reminders, suggestions, and organization powered by Apple Intelligence

• Apple Wallet order tracking

• New Genmoji and Image Playground upgrades

• Messages background creation and poll suggestion

"The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese," Apple's website reads.

While these new features might make you want to buy a new phone — or at least update it to get what you can — there's one really important reason users might want to ensure their iPhones are running on the latest iOS: security updates.

We're getting a better picture of what happened on Thursday, when large swaths of the internet went down. And it's painting a picture of how fragile our internet ecosystem really is when key cogs malfunction.

One crucial fact to understand: Lots of commonly used sites and services rely on a few major hosting providers — and if something goes wrong, the downstream effects can prove substantial. As the outage event unfolded Thursday, early speculation centered around problems with two popular hosting platforms Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Cloudflare.

Any major problems with providers like this will result in lots of your favorite online sites and apps going down. Down Detector on Thursday saw user-reported issues at Twitch, Gmail, Discord, Nintendo Switch Online, Spotify, and dozens more platforms. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis owns both Mashable and Down Detector.)

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It's too soon to fully declare what caused such widespread issues. The internet we take for granted every day is complex. But a representative from Cloudflare did blame Google Cloud for its issues as the outages persisted on Thursday. And in a company blog post, it pointed to a "third-party vendor" as the source of errors.

"This is a Google Cloud outage," the spokesperson wrote in a statement to Mashable. "A limited number of services at Cloudflare use Google Cloud and were impacted. We expect them to come back shortly. The core Cloudflare services were not impacted."

SEE ALSO: Massive internet outage: Google services, Cloudflare, Spotify all down, users report

An initial incident report from Google Cloud noted it had issues with its API management system. The company reported the issues had been fully resolved about three hours after they began.

"In the coming days, we will publish a full incident report of the root cause, detailed timeline and robust remediation steps we will be taking," the company wrote on its GCP status page.

And Google Cloud's CEO, Thomas Kurian, did apologize for the issues in a post on X.

"We have been hard at work on the outage today and we are now fully restored across all regions and products," Kurian wrote. "We regret the disruption this caused our customers."

Cloudflare also apologized for the outage even as it laid ultimate blame elsewhere.

"We’re deeply sorry for this outage: this was a failure on our part, and while the proximate cause (or trigger) for this outage was a third-party vendor failure, we are ultimately responsible for our chosen dependencies and how we choose to architect around them," it wrote in a blog post.

Whatever the root cause, people across the globe once again had full access to the internet on Friday — after a bit of widespread panic the day prior.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally in everyone's hands, and so far, it's a smashing success. Now, it's time to start loading up on all the new games you can play to get the full Switch 2 experience — and yes, there's more to check out than just Mario Kart World (though that game is fantastic).

Even if the first-party lineup at launch is a bit thin — the next release, Donkey Kong Bananza isn't out until July 17 — there's a decent amount of third-party titles and upgrades to original Switch games that you can play around with right now.

SEE ALSO: The best Nintendo Switch 2 deals you can get right now

Check out all the Nintendo Switch 2 games you can play at launch (that aren't Mario Kart World) below.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Credit: Nintendo

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a lot like Astro's Playroom in that it serves as an intro to the new console, but in a gamified way. In it, you'll be able to walk around a virtual Switch 2 as a kind of interactive exhibit, learning about all the handheld's features. That's way more fun than reading the instruction manual.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo 'Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour' $9.99 at Nintendo
Shop Now Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition Credit: CD Projekt Red

Cyberpunk 2077 had a rocky launch, but at this point, it has fully recovered and solidified itself as one of the best RPGs in recent memory. The Switch 2 edition comes with all the updates, as well as the stellar Phantom Liberty DLC.

Opens in a new window Credit: CD Projekt Red 'Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition' $69 at Amazon
Shop Now Fast Fusion Credit: Shin'en

If you have racing game aspirations beyond Mario Kart, Fast Fusion may be the perfect match for you. Mashable Tech Reporter Alex Perry has deemed it one of the most underrated Switch 2 launch games, and it's only $15.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shin'en 'Fast Fusion' $14.99 at Nintendo
Shop Now Split Fiction Credit: Hazelight Studios

Split Fiction is co-op gaming perfected. Play through the engaging tale side-by-side with a friend, guiding each other through each wacky level and game mechanic that only get more interesting as the journey continues. It's one of the best games of 2025 so far, and it's on Switch 2 at launch.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hazelight Studios 'Split Fiction' $49.99 at Best Buy
Shop Now More Nintendo Switch 2 games you can play right now:

• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — $79.99

• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 upgrade — $9.99

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — $69.99

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Switch 2 upgrade — $9.99

• Nintendo GameCube Classics — Free for Nintendo Switch Online members

• Yakuza 0 Director's Cut — $49.99

• No Man's Sky — $59.99

• Sonic X Shadow Generations — $49.99

• Street Fighter 6 — $39.99

• Fortnite — $0

• Hitman: World of Assassination Signature Edition — $59.99

• Deltarune Chapters — $24.99

• Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster — $39.99

• Civilization 7 — $69.99

• Civilization 7 Switch 2 upgrade — $9.99

• Nobubaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition — $69.99

• Hogwarts Legacy — $59.99

• Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma — $69.99

• Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Switch 2 upgrade — $10

• Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S — $39.99

• Survival Kids — $49.99

Best Nintendo Switch 2-compatible power banks we’ve found on sale this week: Best deal overall Anker Nano Power Bank $35.99 (save $4) Get Deal Best for portability VEEKTOMX Mini Power Bank $23.99 (save $6) Get Deal Best high capacity deal INIU Portable Charger $26.97 (save $5.24) Get Deal

If you were lucky enough to get your hands on the brand-new Nintendo Switch 2 (it’s out of stock at most retailers), you’ve probably realized that the handheld battery life isn’t exactly the greatest. (Though, this wasn’t a surprise, as Mashable’s Alex Perry puts it, “more horsepower and a better display also mean more drain on battery.”)

SEE ALSO: Nintendo Switch 2 restock tracker (June 13): Walmart has the console in stock, but there's a catch

Through testing, we’ve found that you can get around three hours of battery life at best, which isn’t ideal if you’re traveling or don’t have a wall socket nearby. The good news is that the Switch 2 can be powered via a USB-C charger, so just about any standard power bank should, in theory, work.

Of course, we’re expecting some Nintendo-specific chargers to hit the market soon, but in the meantime, we thought we’d save you some time and effort by rounding up some of the best Nintendo Switch 2-compatible power banks we’ve found on sale this week.

Best deal overall Anker Nano Power Bank, 10,000mAh Portable Charger with Built-in USB-C Cable, PD 30W Max Output with 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A, Compatible for iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Pro/15 Pro Max, MacBook, Galaxy, iPad $39.99 at Amazon
Get Deal Why we like it

The Anker Nano Power Bank has a built-in USB-C cable, so if you forget to bring one, you can still charge your Switch 2 without having to scrounge for a spare. At 10,000mAh, you should be able to get at least one full charge out of it, which is pretty great considering how small and compact it is (4.09 × 2.06 × 1.02 inches).

It has bidirectional charging, meaning you can charge your devices from the power bank and charge the power bank itself from a separate power source at the same time. According to the manufacturer, you can get it to 50 percent in just 45 minutes.

SEE ALSO: The best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories include an irresistible Piranha Plant webcam and an upgraded controller

The case is made from 80 percent post-consumer recycled plastic, and it comes in multiple color options, (most power banks do not). It also has a 24-month “worry-free” warranty.

Get it now for $35.99, down from $39.99, at Amazon. That's a 10% discount and $4 off.

Best high capacity deal Why we like it

The INIU Portable Charger has a 20,000mAh battery, meaning it can fully charge a Switch 2 at least two times. But, keep in mind, that at 22.5W, it will be noticeably slower than the Anker Nano, especially if you're playing a more demanding game.

It has one USB-C port and two USB-A ports, so you can charge multiple devices at once, and it features a three-mode LED flashlight, which could come in handy in a pinch. You’ll also get a three-year warranty with this one.

Get it now for $26.97, down from $32.21, at Amazon. That's a 16% discount and a $5.24 savings.

Best for portability VEEKTOMX Mini Power Bank 10000mAh, 22.5W Fast Charging Small Portable Charger with PD 3.0 & QC 3.0,USB C Slim Lightweight iPhone Charger, Dual Output Compatible with iPhone, Samsung,Travel Must Haves $23.99 at Amazon
$28.99 Save $5 Get Deal Why we like it

If you’re looking for something that’s a little more compact, the VEEKTOMX Mini Power Bank is one option. (It weighs 5.8 ounces.)

It has a 10,000mAh battery and features one 20W USB-C port, one 22.5W USB-A port, and one 18W micro input port. It also has a little LED display that shows how much battery is left.

SEE ALSO: My day one Nintendo Switch 2 review: It's here, and it's awesome

This portable charger doesn’t charge up as quickly as the Anker Nano Power Bank (you’ll get a full recharge in about 2.5 to 3 hours), but it is smaller and more lightweight, making it a better option for portability.

Get it now for $26.97, down from $29.99, at Amazon. That's a 20% discount and $6 in savings.

As follow-up to her critically heralded romantic drama Past Lives, writer/director Celine Song offers Materialists. The romantic comedy stars internet favorites Chris Evans, Dakota Johnson, and Pedro Pascal as three New Yorkers looking for love in a cynical world.

In the film, Johnson plays Lucy, a matchmaker whose job is to pair wealthy clients with a could-be mate who checks all the boxes, from income to politics to height! When she meets Harry (Pascal), a suave man in finance, she tells him he's a "unicorn" — the ideal that all of her female-seeking-male clients are dreaming of. So when he asks her out, what could possibly distract her from his attention? John (Chris Evans), her first love, who is passionate but poor, a struggling actor working as a cater waiter.

SEE ALSO: Pedro Pascal recites famous Mr. Darcy quote in rom-com quiz with Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans

The battle between love and money has been at the heart of romantic stories since at least the Regency era of Jane Austen and Bridgerton. But in the streets of Manhattan, such tensions spark a fight between John and Lucy in the middle of the street. Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko asked Materialists stars Chris Evans and Dakota Johnson what it was like shooting such an emotionally intense scene on location in New York City.

The pair also touched on another crucial moment of John and Lucy's onscreen relationship. He knows her favorite drinks: a beer and a Coke. So what do these two stars favor when it's time to order at the bar? Tune in to find out!

Materialists debuts in theaters June 13.