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There's a scam going around that involves impersonating ransomware group BianLian, warns the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On Thursday, the FBI issued a warning that describes the scam. Ransoms letters (yep, snail mail) are sent to corporate executives claiming to be from "BianLian Group," a known Russian ransomware gang, saying they've infiltrated the organization's network and demand payment to a Bitcoin wallet or else sensitive information will be published on its network.
SEE ALSO: Crypto scammers are using Elon Musk's DOGE to defraud peopleAccording to the announcement, the letter is stamped "Time Sensitive Read Immediately" and demands between "$250,000 and $500,000 within ten days from receipt of the letter." The letter includes a QR code to the Bitcoin wallet and says it "will not negotiate further with victims."
The FBI says this is a scam, and not a targeted BianLian ransomware heist. "We have not yet identified any connections between the senders and the widely-publicized BianLian ransomware and data extortion group," read the warning, which also noted that the scam has a Boston, MA return address.
SEE ALSO: Cybersecurity group sues DOGE over data accessAccording to cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf, which reviewed the scam said organizations that had received the letters reported "no activity indicative of a ransomware intrusion," further reinforcing the conclusion that the letters did not come from BianLian.
Businesses that receive the letter are advised to file a complaint to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and spread awareness of the scam to their employees.
If businesses believe they are actually being ransomed by BianLian, the FBI recommends visiting the joint Cybersecurity Advisory bulletin for detailed techniques and procedures on how to protect themselves.
Cybercrime requires constant vigilance online, but here's another reminder to be wary of snail mail too.
Sometimes a movie hits you so hard, you can't shake it. The Electric State, the latest offering from directing duo Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, is such a movie. It's so dunderheaded and cacophonous that I'm still angry about its existence.
There was a time not so long ago when the Russo brothers were entrusted with the keys to the MCU kingdom, helming blockbusters like Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame. But outside of the box that Kevin Feige built (or at least oversees), the pair have struggled to create enthralling movies. Instead, they've give us the forgettable Tom Holland-fronted drama Cherry and the atrociously underwhelming action flick The Gray Man, which wasn't even helped by pitting Chris Evans against Ryan Gosling. Now, here comes The Electric State, a convoluted collision of genres, ideas, and bottom-of-the-barrel nostalgia that cannot be elevated by its stars, Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt.
SEE ALSO: 'The Gray Man' review: The Russo Brothers' action mixtape can't find the beat The Electric State is less a movie and more a garage sale. Chris Pratt leaps onto a robot's hand in "The Electric State." Credit: NetflixInspired by Simon Stålenhag's illustrated novel of the same name, The Electric State is set in a world drowning in kitsch and anti-robot sentiment. In a '90s setting, Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown stars as orphaned teen Michelle, who has a chip on her shoulder and a little brother whose consciousness has somehow ended up in a cartoony-looking robot that can only spit cutesy catchphrases. Considering Michelle had thought he'd died four years before — in the car collision that killed their parents — this seems a win. But it pitches girl and bot into quest to reunite his body and soul, which will take them deep into enemy territory.
See, in The Electric State's revisionist history of our world, vaguely anthropomorphic robots were introduced to the U.S. in the 1950s to amuse and do menial jobs, like construction, delivering mail, or promoting the sale of peanuts. As the robots gained consciousness, they demanded not to be enslaved and instead given rights. A violent man-versus-machine war broke out in 1990. The only thing that could stop the death on both sides was a peace treaty struck between tech oligarch Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci) and Mr. Peanut (voiced by Woody Harrelson), a mechanical mascot who'd become the leader of the robots.
Confused? Don't worry. For one thing, the movie will explain itself over and over, laying out the robots-only zone with the help of the buddy team of a human smuggler (Pratt) and his robo-sidekick (voiced by Anthony Mackie). For another thing, none of this really ever makes sense, no matter how much screen time the Russos dedicate to it.
The thing is, it wouldn't matter if the plot held water if the world they built was cool enough. (See The Matrix or the explosive ending of Jaws!) But the Russos are not creators, they're collectors. And here, they basically turned a junkpile aesthetic into a trash movie.
The 1950s robots all have a kitschy old-school design of round heads and thin limbs, evoking Mickey Mouse. But the Russos aren't working for Disney anymore, so while Walt Disney gets a mention (as an innovator in the space of robot employment), the movie is not filled with recognizable characters, much less beloved ones. Where Ready Player One offered a similar concept of the underdog disrupting tech tyranny in a world where anything dreamed up could battle, The Electric State is stuck with Mr. Peanut. For added pandering, there's a smattering of '90s doodads like Big Mouth Billy Bass, the singing wall-mounted fish. Then, the Russos slather much of the film in a dingy blue-gray palette that assures the audience that while this might seem stupid, it's actually a very serious movie. (Netflix, did Squid Game teach you nothing!)
Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt do not save The Electric State. Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, and Ke Huy Quan co-star in "The Electric State." Credit: NetflixNetflix and Brown have committed pretty intensely to each other, following Stranger Things with the action-packed mysteries Enola Holmes 1 & 2 and the fantasy action movie Damsel. The Electric State seems a step back for Brown, miscasting her as the lead. Now 21, she no longer looks convincingly like a teenager. Her physicality in the first scene — opposite her human brother before the war with the robots — is so maternal and mature that it's jarring when a scene set four years later insists Michelle is in high school. From there, Brown seems on cruise control, glowering whether she's talking tough to the smuggler that becomes her uneasy ally, her ro-brother, or any array of misfits and machines she meets on her journey.
The Russos aim for an Amblin aesthetic in their sentimental approach to a kid and their outsider bestie — AI instead of ET — fighting for the latter's very existence. The score by Alan Silvestri (Back to the Future, Amazing Stories) seems to harken back to the '80s optimism seen in kids movies like E.T. and An American Tail, in which a pesky pack of kids could topple a villainous authority. But this whimsy doesn't permeate the movie. Its best effort seems to be in Keats, Pratt's smuggler, who feels modeled after Han Solo meets Andy from Parks and Recreation. It's Pratt in his default mode of swaggering doofus. And for good measure, he's got a wise-cracking robot buddy who isn't cute, or funny, or particularly interesting. But hey, at least they manage to wedge in some gay panic jokes in a could-have-been-moving moment.
The effect of all this is that of a sloppy collage. Smacked together with visible glue are some cool visuals, some popular performers, some story elements that echo Stranger Things, Star Wars, E.T., The Matrix, and Ready Player One. But there's nothing much to say and nothing new to contribute. Viewers might perk up when a curious robot pops on screen with a familiar voice, as the likes of Jenny Slate, Brian Cox, and Alan Tudyk lend their voices. They might marvel that Giancarlo Esposito, who plays a human solider dedicated to keeping the robots in line, brings gravitas even to dreck like this and Captain America: Brave New World. But when you consider the cast that came together, the money spent on building a varied and textured population of weird robots, and the time invested in bringing the Russos' vision to life, it's hard not to feel like The Electric State is nothing if not a monument to missed opportunities.
Bong Joon Ho has already made a huge impact in film history for his artistry. Mickey 17's Toni Collette and Naomi Ackie describe how his process might be his most impressive talent.
FREE AND DISCOUNTED BOOKS: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on March 7-10. You can choose from a selection of indie sci-fi e-books for free or with a large discount.
Stuff Your Kindle Day is a great time to stock up your digital library. If you've had sci-fi books on the brain, you're in luck: thanks to Indievisible you can score a variety of sci-fi books for free or at a discounted rate. This is part of the Indie Author Spring Spectacular, which runs through March 10.
If you've never heard of Stuff Your Kindle Day before, it's worth keeping tabs on the schedule. Stuff Your Kindle Day gives e-book readers the opportunity to download hundreds of e-books at a lower price than usual (or for free). The bonus is that once you've downloaded something, it's yours to keep forever in your library. What better way to fill up your digital library?
If you're looking to get lost in a thrilling sci-fi story, here are some of the best indie sci-fi e-books available on Stuff Your Kindle Day.
When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?Stuff Your Kindle Day took place on Feb. 10, Feb. 14, Feb. 21, and Feb. 28 last month, and another event took place this month on March 4, offering everything from monster romance to indie titles for free. And now on March 7-10, you can pick up a selection of indie sci-fi e-books on Indievisible.
Here are just a few of the indie sci-fi e-books you can download for free or at a discounted price.
Best indie sci-fi books to shop on Stuff Your Kindle DayI, Rodion by Alexandra Pugachevsky — $0 $2.99
Breakout (The Altayih Chronicles Book 1) by Alek L. Cristea — $0.99 $9.99
Lost in the Light by JJ Kang — $0 $4.99
Bearer of Masks (The Abnormal Spies Series Book 1) by Lauren Jade Case — $0 $4.79
Of Friction (Altered Earth Book 1) by S.J. Lee — $0.99 $4.99
The Hive by Bibiana Krall — $0 $2.99
Realm of Hope by E.L. Li — $0 $2.99
When Eden Falls by Alana Faye Wilson — $0 $2.99
The Mark of Chaos and Creation by Arabella Federico — $1.99 $19.99
All I Can Remember Now by T M Lunn — $1.28 $6.43
Anyone can participate in Stuff Your Kindle Day. You don't even need to own a Kindle to get involved.
Kindle, Kobo, and Nook readers can download these books for free or at a discounted price. You can even download these books on your preferred app and read them straight from your phone, as you can also find these free titles on the Google Play and Apple Books apps.
Shop Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + 3 Months of Kindle Unlimited $109.99 at AmazonThese popular e-readers allow you to take hundreds of books on the go. They're made all the better by their extra-long battery life that can keep you reading for longer between charges, and it also boasts an anti-glare display, so you can read anywhere and in all levels of brightness with the Kindle. They start at $109.99, a great price for those on a budget, but if you want to save even more, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited completely free during Stuff Your Kindle Day.
Kindle Unlimited costs $11.99 per month and allows you to borrow up to 20 books per month. For a limited time, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free, saving you $35.97.
TL;DR: Tax season's easier with H&R Block Tax Software Deluxe, now $32.99 with code FILEEASY through March 30.
Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King H&R Block Tax Software Deluxe + State 2024 for Windows/Mac [Online Code] $32.99Procrastinate as long as you'd like, but eventually, you have to pay your taxes. Sure, it's frustrating paying for TurboTax every year, but it's actually easier than ever to switch to something a little more affordable and a lot more thorough.
The H&R Block Tax Software helps you with federal and state tax filing, and it's just $32.99 (reg. $59) with code FILEEASY. This deal only lasts through March 30, and codes are limited.
Take the stress out of tax filingAnyone paying taxes can count on this H&R Block Tax Software to help them file easily. It has step-by-step guidance that anyone from students to entrepreneurs to investors can take advantage of, even if they've never filed before.
Importing your W-2, 1099, or 1098 is straightforward, and you can even import last year's filings from competitors like Quicken or TurboTax. Then, H&R Block will walk you through 350 credits and deductions to help you get the best refund possible.
Unsure how to report income from investments or stocks? Income reporting assistance is included, which also helps you figure out reporting for home sales and retirement if needed. Any other questions you think of should be covered within their help center, which includes more than 13,000 searchable articles.
You don't have to fear the IRS with H&R Block. This trusted name in tax filing offers audit support and built-in accuracy checks that give you peace of mind once you file, and you can expect the biggest refund possible thanks to their real-time refund results.
Get H&R Block Tax Software Deluxe + State for $32.99 with code FILEEASY now through March 30 (or until codes run out!).
StackSocial prices subject to change.
The late night hosts have had plenty to say about Elon Musk and DOGE since Trump took office, but sometimes a poem can say so much more than mere words ever can.
In the clip above, Stephen Colbert responds to U.S. Republican Randy Weber's poem praising Elon Musk with a decidedly less complimentary poem of his own.
"His claim to fame, hi-tech machines / His only friends, are facist teens," reads Colbert. "With skin the tone of day-old sushi / He's super dumb, and uber douchey."
It only gets blunter from there.
FREE AND DISCOUNTED BOOKS: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on March 7-10. You can choose from a selection of indie horror e-books for free.
If you've been on the hunt for some spooky horror books to add to your digital library, today's your lucky day. There's a great selection of indie horror e-books on offer as part of the Indie Author Spring Spectacular. These books are available for free or at a heavily discounted price on the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day.
If this is the first time you've heard of Stuff Your Kindle Day, it's an event that's worth keeping on your radar. Stuff Your Kindle Day gives e-book readers the opportunity to download hundreds of e-books for free or at a much lower price than normal. The bonus is that once you've downloaded something, it's yours to keep forever in your library. It's a win-win for book lovers!
If you're looking for new spooky stories to get lost in, here are some of the best indie horror e-books available on Stuff Your Kindle Day.
When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?Stuff Your Kindle Day took place on Feb. 10, Feb. 14, Feb. 21, and Feb. 28 last month, and another took place this month on March 4, offering everything from monster romance to indie titles for free. And now on March 7-10, you can pick up a selection of indie horror e-books on Indievisible.
Here are just a few of the indie horror e-books you can download for free or at a discounted price.
Best indie horror books to shop on Stuff Your Kindle DayFever Dreams: Spooky Stories by Bethany Russo — $0 $0.99
Shadows of Cathedral Lane by M.G. Mason — $0.99 $5.17
Angel's Mass by MG Mason — $0.99 $2.99
Sacrificial Waters by A.D Jones — $2.99 $10.99
Little Jar of Teeth by A. L. Hatcher — $0 $3.99
The Isle of Darkness by Arabella Federico — $0.99 $4.99
Devils That Prey by David Washburn — $0 $3.99
Echoes of the Forgotten by Michael Nunn — $0.99 $2.99
Apocalypse by Hayley Anderton and Laura Swift — $0 $0.99
MirrorMirror by Shaun Allan — $2.99 $8.99
Anyone can participate in Stuff Your Kindle Day. You don't even need to own a Kindle to get involved.
Kindle, Kobo, and Nook readers can download these books for free or at a discounted price. You can even download these books on your preferred app and read them straight from your phone, as you can also find these free titles on the Google Play and Apple Books apps.
Shop Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + 3 Months of Kindle Unlimited $109.99 at AmazonThese popular e-readers allow you to take hundreds of books on the go. They're made all the better by their extra-long battery life that can keep you reading for longer between charges, and it also boasts an anti-glare display, so you can read anywhere and in all levels of brightness with the Kindle. They start at $109.99, a great price for those on a budget, but if you want to save even more, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited completely free during Stuff Your Kindle Day.
Kindle Unlimited costs $11.99 per month and allows you to borrow up to 20 books per month. For a limited time, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free, saving you $35.97.
SAVE $100: As of March 7, the Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm) is available for $299 at Amazon. That’s 25% off its usual price of $399.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm) $299 at AmazonThe Apple Watch Series 10 is packed with new features, but what really makes it exciting is this price drop. Right now, Amazon has it for $299, shaving $100 off its usual $399 price tag. If you've been waiting for a deal before upgrading your smartwatch, this might be the best one yet.
This model features a larger, always-on Retina display with up to 30% more screen space than older versions. That means bigger text, clearer notifications, and an easier time swiping through your apps. The design is also thinner, lighter, and more comfortable, so it won't feel like a weight strapped to your wrist.
SEE ALSO: I've just scored Apple’s 10th-Gen iPad for under $260 at Amazon. That’s its lowest price in 30 days.Apple went all-in on health tracking, making this watch more than just a step counter. It lets you take an ECG anytime, monitor your heart rate, respiratory rate, and sleep patterns, and even get notifications for high or low heart rates. Apple also added retrospective ovulation estimates, making it a solid choice for those tracking their menstrual cycle.
For fitness lovers, this watch does way more than count steps. The Workout app gives you advanced metrics for different exercises, while training load helps gauge workout intensity. There's even depth and water temperature sensors for swimmers and divers. If you're new to fitness, Apple Fitness+ is included free for three months to help you get started.
Price: $299 $399
Retailer: Amazon
Case Size: 42mm
Display: Always-On Retina, 30% larger
Health Features: ECG, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, ovulation estimates
Fitness Tracking: Workout app, training load, depth and water temperature sensors
Safety Features: Fall Detection, Crash Detection, Emergency SOS, Check In
Durability: Crack-resistant, IP6X dust-resistant, 50m water resistance
Connectivity: GPS, Wi-Fi, iPhone compatibility
Battery: 80% charge in 30 minutes
Eco-Friendly: Carbon neutral with select bands
Beyond fitness and health, the Series 10 keeps you connected when your phone isn't nearby. You can text, take calls, listen to music, use Siri, and get notifications if you're near WiFi or have your iPhone close.
Apple also packed in some serious safety features. Fall Detection and Crash Detection can alert emergency services if you take a hard fall or get into an accident. Emergency SOS lets you call for help at the press of a button, and Check In automatically notifies a loved one when you arrive at your destination.
Apple Watch 10 is also crack-resistant, dust-resistant (IP6X), and water-resistant up to 50m. Apple even made it carbon-neutral when paired with select bands, so it's a little easier on the environment.
SAVE $300: As of March 7, the Bose Smart Soundbar 550 with Dolby Atmos is available for $199 at Walmart. That’s a 60% discount from its regular price of $499.
Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose Smart Soundbar 550 $199 at WalmartGood speakers don’t have to cost a fortune. Walmart just knocked $300 off the Bose Smart Soundbar 550, bringing it down to $199 from its usual $499. That’s a 60% discount on a premium soundbar that upgrades your TV audio without turning your living room into an electronics graveyard of tangled wires and bulky speakers.
Bose packed a lot of tech into this 27-inch soundbar, proving that small doesn’t mean weak. The TrueSpace technology up-mixes stereo and 5.1 audio to create a more immersive sound experience, even when content isn’t Dolby Atmos-encoded. Translation: movies, music, and TV shows sound richer, fuller, and more spread across your space instead of just blasting straight at you.
SEE ALSO: Listen up! Grab Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds for $80 off at Amazon.It also has AI Dialogue Mode, which automatically balances voices and surround sound, so you don’t have to crank up the volume to hear what people are saying. No more rewinding every time someone mumbles their lines.
For a soundbar this size, it pushes sound impressively far. Five transducers, including two that fire upward, help bounce audio off the ceiling to create a sense of height and depth. Bose 550 fills the room in a way that built-in TV speakers can’t compete with, including blockbuster action scenes or just listening to music.
Price: $199 $499
Retailer: Walmart
Length: 27.34 inches
Height: 4.09 inches
Thickness: 2.21 inches
Weight: 6.91 lbs
Audio Tech: Dolby Atmos, TrueSpace
Streaming: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Chromecast
Smart Features: Alexa voice control
App Control: Bose Music app
Streaming is effortless. The Bose Soundbar 550 supports Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Chromecast. You can stream directly from your phone or use Wi-Fi to access internet radio and built-in music services through the Bose Music app. The soundbar also plays nice with Amazon Alexa, so you can control it with voice commands.
At $199, this deal is hard to ignore. It’s not every day that Bose drops a premium soundbar into the budget-friendly range. Walmart’s prices tend to fluctuate, so it’s best to grab this one before it jumps back up.
The United States has gotten serious about Bitcoin — though maybe not as serious as some had hoped.
On Thursday, President Trump signed an Executive Order to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, and a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile.
Essentially, this means that the U.S. government now treats Bitcoin as a reserve asset, similar to gold. However, it does not mean that the government will be buying Bitcoin. From the White House announcement: "The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will be capitalized with bitcoin owned by the Department of Treasury that was forfeited as part of criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings."
"The United States will not sell bitcoin deposited into this Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, which will be maintained as a store of reserve assets," the text of the Order further states.
For a video of Trump signing the order whilst seemingly hearing about it for the first time ever, check out below.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.The Order also states that the "Secretaries of Treasury and Commerce are authorized to develop budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional bitcoin, provided that those strategies impose no incremental costs on American taxpayers." It's unclear what these strategies will be, but at least it leaves some hope for Bitcoin bulls that the U.S. will in the future acquire some additional Bitcoin.
The other part of the Order talks about the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile, which consists of "digital assets other than bitcoin owned by the Department of Treasury that was forfeited in criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings."
SEE ALSO: 4 reasons why Bitcoin value is nosediving. (Hint: It's Trump.)For these, however, it's clearly stated that "the government will not acquire additional assets for the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile beyond those obtained through forfeiture proceedings."
Sorry, the U.S. govt. will not be buying your altcoin bags.
With Bitcoin price mostly going up since the digital asset was created 15 years ago, the U.S. govt. missed out on some easy gains by selling some of the Bitcoins it acquired through various means — according to the White House, "premature sales of bitcoin have already cost U.S. taxpayers over $17 billion."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.According to freshly appointed crypto czar David Sacks, the U.S. govt. still owns "about 200,000" BTC. One of the tasks of the U.S. government's new Crypto Task Force will be to audit and evaluate how much crypto it owns, exactly.
TL;DR: Get a Luvly Holistic Face Yoga App lifetime subscription for just $59.99.
Whether you have a twelve-step skincare routine or you're looking to step up your face maintenance, you're going to want to check out Luvly Holistic Face Yoga. This app will change your self-care setup, and a lifetime license is currently on sale for just $59.99 (reg. $300) — the best price anywhere online.
Self-care? There's now an app for thatLooking to add self care to your routine? Luvly is working to make sure you carve out some time for yourself and unlock your natural beauty with this game-changing app. Their holistic focus works to unite the body, mind, and soul with an emphasis on combining face yoga, skincare, stress management, and healthy foods for serious self-improvement.
Face yoga may be trendy in your TikTok algorithm, but Luvly aims to make that facial fitness a priority. The app provides easy-to-follow sessions that can help enhance your face's tone and radiance — without any invasive procedures or trips to the doctor.
Guided self-massage turns you into the masseuse, helping you pamper yourself from the comfort of home with the help of their expert guides (and without shelling out a dime at the spa!).
If tending to your skin was on your 2025 bucket list, Luvly makes it easier than ever with skincare routines that cater to your specific needs and goals. There's also a cosmetic scanner available when you're on the go so you can make the best choices about your skincare products.
Luvly's holistic approach also focuses on your stress load and diet. Breathing and meditation exercises aim to bring down your day-to-day stressors by teaching you relaxation techniques you can take throughout your day.
Personalized meal plans offer options full of ingredients that can promote health and beauty from the inside out, rounding out the app's helpful offerings.
All this is included for life with this subscription offer.
Enjoy a lifetime of Luvly Holistic Face Yoga Premium for just $59.99 right here for a limited time.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: Gismart Luvly Holistic Face Yoga App - Premium: Lifetime Subscription $59.99TL;DR: Play golf year-round with the Phigolf Home Golf Game Simulator Sensor, just $89.97 (reg. $199) through March 30.
Golf simulators used to be expensive, but the technology has grown a lot in the last few years. Now, you can bring your favorite game home with you, and you don't even need new clubs. Phigolf lets you work on your swing all year by putting a lifelike golf simulator right there on your screen. You can even play with your own clubs, and it's only $89.97 (reg. $199).
Improve your golf game from anywhereIf you're feeling a little rusty ahead of golf season, Phigolf World Tour Edition can get you back in shape before you hit the green. Its Smart Motion Sensor — which plugs into the end of a swing trainer or your own club — keeps track of all your swing data and transmits it to the Phigolf companion app. This offers real-time trajectory projections as you play.
Phigolf's 3D Data-Analysis System gives you feedback on your golf swing tempo, head speed, club path, face angle, and shot distance. This lets you tweak things and improve as you play, whether you're swinging, chipping, driving, or putting.
This World Tour Edition lets you play on realistic simulations of over 38,000 golf courses worldwide. They've all been precisely measured by GPS mapping trusted by Bushnell, GolfNow, and Yamaha, so it'll feel like you've transported there with your clubs.
Aside from helping your game, you'll also get access to a global golf community to connect with like-minded golf lovers. Make friends and then enjoy head-to-head rounds or tournaments right alongside them.
This Kickstarter-funded simulator is perfect for all golf lovers, no matter their skill set. There's even training programs if you want to take a few off your game.
This item is open box, which means it was likely excess inventory or returned from a retail store. It's been verified to still be in new condition and has been placed in clean packaging that won't be a branded box, resulting in a great deal for you.
Get the Phigolf Home Golf Game Simulator Sensor and a Generic Swing Stick Set for only $89.97 through March 30.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: Phigolf Phigolf Home Golf Game Simulator Sensor & Generic Swing Stick Set (Open Box) $89.97TL;DR: Charge up to six devices at once with Flash Pro Plus, now $229.99 (reg. $319).
Keeping all of your devices charged up can feel like a full-time job... especially when you're traveling or constantly on the go. That's where a good power bank comes in handy, like the Flash Pro Plus. You can save $90 and avoid a dreaded dead battery with this one, now $229.99, right here for a limited time.
Charge up with this pocket-sized powerhouseWhether you're trying to clean up your nightstand and ditch unsightly cords or you are in desperate need of a power bank while you're on the road, the Flash Pro Plus is ready to become your champion of charging. Powered by Panasonic and crowdfunded on Indiegogo, this model is portable, speedy, and works with both Apple and Android.
A large capacity of 25,000mAh provides ample power to keep your go-to gadgets powered up — from smartphones to USB-C laptops with the 100W USB-C port to tablets or any other USB-powered item. It's even safe for low voltage devices like headphones or vapes.
The Flash Pro Plus is ready to support up to six devices simultaneously and works efficiently by employing fast charging tech like Apple Fast Charge to get your iPhone, Airpods, or Apple watches juiced up quickly.
There's no questioning how much juice your power bank has left thanks to the OLED display, which offers real-time info on the battery percentage and power output coming from each port.
It also supports 15W MagSafe Compatible Wireless Charging, so you can just place your smartphone on top and skip plugging in altogether.
Once you've drained the power bank, don't worry. Recharging the Flash Pro Plus from 0% to 100% takes as little as 70 minutes. And if you're planning on taking it along on your next adventure, you can rest easy knowing it's TSA and EASA-approved and safe for airlines.
Get the Flash Pro Plus for just $229.99 right here for a limited time.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: Chargeasap Flash Pro Plus 100W USB-C 25000mAh Graphene Power Bank w/ Magsafe Compatibility $229.99It's time for horror fans to get to know James Ashcroft. The New Zealand actor turned writer/director awed critics in 2021 with Coming Home in the Dark, a movie so scary that it literally knocked me out of my seat. Now, he's back with a sophisticated yet elegantly demented follow-up, The Rule of Jenny Pen, a psycho-biddy thriller that pits heralded actors John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush against each other in a deranged battle of wills.
Traditionally, this horror subgenre — which is also referred to as hagsploitation and includes classics like What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? — centers on an aging woman who is so isolated that she's become mentally unstable, and a threat to any who crosses her path. This distinctly disturbing subgenre is often used to explore the way aging women are disregarded by society, to our peril. Essentially, though aging and forgotten, these women still carry the power to torment or even kill. It might even be viewed that their petty grievances and gnarly obsessions are what keeps them alive. With The Rule of Jenny Pen, Ashcroft places men in a psycho-biddy scenario, reflecting how some horrors of aging aren't reserved just for women.
This makes for a movie that is in turn manic, eerie, disturbing, and shocking. It's little wonder The Rule of Jenny Pen has been praised by icon of horror Stephen King as "one of the best movies I've seen."
The Rule of Jenny Pen hauntingly echoes What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? John Lithgow as Dave Crealy with Jenny Pen in James Ashcroft's "The Rule of Jenny Pen." Credit: Stan Alley / An IFC Films and Shudder Release.Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush stars as Judge Stefan Mortensen, who uses his bench not only to determine justice but also to morally reprimand the defendants who come before his snarling gaze. That is, until a near-fatal stroke forces him into a retirement home. Partially paralyzed, the judge must use a wheelchair and depend on the care workers for some of his more intimate needs. While he's insistent this is temporary, just until he can recover, a creeping dread suggests there is no escape from his failing body and this institution dedicated to housing — and hiding away — the old and infirm.
Notably, Ashcroft paints the retirement facility itself as a cheery place, portrayed in cool pink tones, where the residents are offered a variety of activities from games to dancing, and the caregivers are devoted and kind, if not always receptive. The horror creeps in with the introduction of Dave Crealy, played two-time Academy Award nominee John Lithgow. A longtime resident of the facility, Crealy is regarded by the caregivers as a jolly eccentric who laughs loudly, loves to sing and dance, and treasures his dolly, an eyeless hand puppet he calls Jenny Pen. But when they're not looking, Crealy is a brutal bully, tormenting the other residents through intimidation, violence, and humiliation. But he may have met his match in the proud Mortensen.
John Lithgow is a terrific terror in The Rule of Jenny Pen. John Lithgow as Dave Crealy with Jenny Pen in James Ashcroft's "The Rule of Jenny Pen." Credit: Stan Alley / An IFC Films and Shudder Release.Known for everything from 3rd Rock From the Sun to Trial & Error to Conclave, Lithgow has long been an actor who can leap from comedy to drama without missing a step. Here, Lithgow's natural height of 6'4" is brilliantly used to have Crealy tower over Mortensen, who uses a wheelchair that he feels showcases his infirmity. In an interview with Mashable, Lithgow, who executive produced alongside Rush, shared how he sought out silvery contact lenses and gnarly prosthetic teeth to build his concept of Crealy, adding on a scruffy beard for good measure. The effect is realistic and unnerving, transforming the beloved performer's face into something just off of what we've come to know. His smile becomes more easily menacing, his stare sharper and colder.
When Crealy begins creeping into Mortensen's room at night to harass him, he carries an eerie stillness, like a tiger stalking its prey. The contrast between the tall man and the small, battered puppet is unnerving on its own. But Ashcroft amplifies the energy of malice by slicing through his daytime color palette of pinks with a giallo red, punctuated by sharp lines or quick cuts that turn this everyday setting into a surreal prison. This perturbing posturing is what Crealy effects as he abuses his fellow residents, forcing them into embarrassing submission or tugging mercilessly on catheters. Yet Crealy is at his most frightening during the day, in plain sight.
There, where any aide or resident might see, he taunts the judge with a song and dance. The tune itself is a Cockney pub song, "Knees Up Mother Brown." And Crealy sings it with the enthusiasm that its name might suggest. But Crealy's focus, as he lifts his knees high and sings loudly, is to rub in Mortensen's face his mobility, his autonomy, his power. Because of course Mortensen has reported Crealy to the carers, but who could believe such a jovial old fool could be as cruel as described? This song then becomes about Crealy pouring salt into the wounds he's already inflicted. With a love of cheerful performance (and his own version of "I've Written a Letter to Daddy"), Crealy is a mercurial Baby Jane Hudson to Mortensen's Blanche (Joan Crawford), who also uses a wheelchair in Baby Jane. However, Mortensen hasn't been battered down by decades of abuse and guilt, and so will fight back in his own way. And the results are sensational and scary.
The Rule of Jenny Pen unblinklingly reveals the indignities of aging. Nick Blake as Tobias in "The Rule of Jenny Pen." Credit: Stan Alley / An IFC Films and Shudder Release.The titular puppet is suitably creepy. The man who wields her like a weapon is enchantingly horrifying. But the most penetrating terror of The Rule of Jenny Pen is that Crealy's campaign of abuse can exist at all. In the opening scene, Mortensen is presented as a man infallible, with the power of privilege, respect, and status. But one stroke and he is struck down, losing his autonomy because of his disability. More than that, he loses his voice because of the agism that urges society to ignore the elderly.
Mortensen is ignored like the pleas for love or attention of any psycho-biddy. His claims about Crealy written off with a banal smile from a caregiver more determined to clean him up than hear him out. Desperate to not lose himself to this wall of ignorance, Mortensen does battle with his bully. But like Coming Home in the Dark, Ashcroft sets up a story that can have no happy ending. For there is no escape from the decay aging brings, not only psychically but also psychologically and — perhaps most crucially — socially.
Like in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? someone will lose this battle of wills, but no one will win. And in that, The Rule of Jenny Pen leaves us with a harrowing final image, simple yet unforgettable. In the end, The Rule of Jenny Pen becomes not just a frightening warning but also a haunting call for empathy — a memento mori of sorts, reminding the viewer, "As I am, you will be."
The latest from writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place, 65), Heretic is intricate, intellectual, and eerie. Beyond the religious debate and blueberry pie lies Hugh Grant in one of the most surprising roles of his career. "What really sets Heretic apart is Grant, the absolute monster of a man he plays, and just how awfully familiar that man is," Mashable's reviewer writes. You may never look at his Notting Hill performance the same again after watching.
The A24 religious horror gem is finally available to stream, so you can catch Grant take on the role of creepy Mr. Reed at home. Here's everything you need to know.
What is Heretic about?Loner Mr. Reed (Grant) is visited by two Mormon missionaries (Yellowjackets' Sophie Thatcher and The Fabelmans' Chloe East) in A24's Heretic. The girls are hoping to teach him about the Church of Latter Day Saints, but get more than they bargained for when he traps them in his house. To exit, they face a loaded choice: the door labeled "belief" or "disbelief."
Get a glimpse of Hugh Grant channeling his inner horror villain in the official trailer below:
Is Heretic worth watching?"Here, you'll witness Grant both as you've never seen him before (downright terrifying!) and exactly as you've seen him before (charming with a side of self-deprecation). The combination is downright bone-chilling, with Grant's performance providing nonstop terror even as Heretic's theological frights remain fairly surface level," Mashable's Belen Edwards writes in her review. For Grant alone, Heretic is worth watching. But don't just take our word for it — the A24 horror film also currently holds a 91 percent critic rating and 76 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, earning it the "certified fresh" label.
Read our full review of Heretic.
How to watch Heretic at home Credit: A24Heretic made its at-home debut via digital on-demand retailers like Prime Video and Apple TV on Dec. 10 — about a month after its theatrical release. You can purchase it for your digital collection or rent it for 30 days. Just note that with rentals, you'll only have 48 hours to finish the film once you begin.
Here are some quick links to buy or rent Heretic online:
Prime Video — $5.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy
Apple TV — $5.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy
Fandango at Home (Vudu) — $5.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy
YouTube — $4.99+ to rent, $19.99 to buy
Google Play — $4.99+ to rent, $19.99 to buy
The A24 horror film is set to make its streaming debut on Max on March 7. Max subscriptions start at $9.99 per month, but there are a few different ways to save some money on your plan. We've rounded up the best Max streaming deals for you below.
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If you've seen Heretic, chances are high you'll never see Hugh Grant the same way again.
This ominous, brazenly academic, and complex A24 horror film from co-writers/co-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place) quite literally traps you in a maze of unspoken threat, religious debate, and blueberry pie, with Grant's horribly hospitable Mr. Reed proving one of the more surprising villains in modern horror.
SEE ALSO: What to watch: Best scary moviesBut how about that ending? What actually happened with the big reveal, and what was with that final moment? We're going to dig into the unsettling details of the ending of Heretic, so consider this your massive spoiler warning.
What's Heretic about? Credit: A24On a dark and stormy afternoon, Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are assigned to visit addresses who've previously signed up for further information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Next on their list is Mr. Reed (Grant), who invites them in on the socially appropriate premise that his wife's baking in the next room.
Mr. Reed seems quite charming at first, engaging the pair in a deep conversation about faith and how "religion isn't at the centre of culture anymore." But it soon becomes apparent that there's something off; for example, this self-described scholar of religion may brandish a "hubby" mug, but his wife is nowhere to be seen. It's not until Mr. Reed reveals his more sinister methods of testing one's faith and enlightenment that the two women realise they're in real danger. In order to leave the house, Mr. Reed insists they choose one of two doors, one labeled "belief" and one labeled "disbelief." But where do they lead?
What happens at the end of Heretic? Credit: A24The end of Heretic is a whirl of tense debate over belief and reality, gut-churning reveals, and violent ends. But it's also simply a man craving ultimate control over women, and masking his homicidal desires with long-winded lectures on the pitfalls and catches of modern religion.
After a terrifying ordeal and a vicious attack on Barnes, Paxton adopts her friend's strategy to "challenge" Mr. Reed, changing her tact from survival-based politeness to one of a more aggressive exchange. She debates the concept of belief with him, before accusing him of being a charlatan — the "miracle" they were forced to watch in Mr. Reed's basement was a ruse. Paxton figures out there has to be another entrance into the basement to test her theory, and finds a trapdoor. She's encouraged yet again by Mr. Reed to test her faith and decides to climb down into it, though she really has no choice at this point.
There, she finds the nucleus of Mr. Reed's sinister operation: a tunnel emblazoned with sinister occult symbols that leads to a freezing cold room. Here, she discovers multiple women imprisoned in cages, in extremely poor health and starving. Paxton was right. Every time Mr. Reed traps a woman in his maze-house, he poisons another via pie to "demonstrate" the miracle to the newly trapped, replacing them with one of the women in the cages. The macabre switcheroo lets him seemingly play God over and over again — while taking notes. Mr. Reed probably signs up for "more information" to lure religious representatives to his home, and the whole thing works like clockwork; the lights are timed, the locks are automatic, and the script is set.
Paxton is "allowed" to find these women by Mr. Reed so he can gleefully declare the true religion: control. He follows her through another door into the caged area for his "a-ha!" moment. But she stabs him with her concealed letter opener and uses his exit to escape. However, she gets lost in the maze-like house, retreating to the basement. There, Paxton is stabbed by a suddenly reappearing Mr. Reed, who took the tunnel. Bleeding, she does one thing he did not expect: She prays. As she does, Barnes suddenly stabs Mr. Reed with the nail board in her final act. Paxton musters the strength to return to the study where she uses Mr. Reed's wooden house map to find a small vent to crawl out through, and she stumbles through the woods to freedom. Finally, a butterfly lands on her finger, then disappears.
What's Mr. Reed's actual motivation here? Credit: A24Earlier in the film, when they're first invited in, Mr. Reed asks the missionaries their thoughts on one big question: "What is the one true religion?" It keeps coming up over the course of the film, with Mr. Reed confessing he's tried "every sect, cult, and doctrine" out there looking for the answer, trawling ancient history and modern religions, and eventually coming to one conclusion: Control is the one true religion. Essentially, Mr. Reed is practicing contrived experiments in his macabre basement theatre to "prove" this, after lengthy mansplaining monologues about Monopoly, Jar Jar Binks, and Radiohead to bolster his arguments.
Mr. Reed has built a maze-like trap for faith-driven women, one that manipulates them into doubting their beliefs as a distraction from the fact that they're being held captive by a homicidal man. "It's easy to control someone who's lost everything," he says. The number of women under Mr. Reed's control also nods to the very first question he asked of Barnes and Paxton in the living room: "How do you feel about polygamy?" It's a foreshadowing you may have glossed over, but an uncomfortable opener nonetheless.
At the end of the day, this is a man who wants to exercise power over women. Ultimately, it's not about religion, and it's not about faith; it's about violent, male control. From the moment Barnes and Paxton entered Mr. Reed's metal-lined, deadlocked house, he knew he had a literally captive audience for his findings.
However, they outwitted him, with Barnes making a final sacrifice to save her friend.
What's the deal with the butterfly? Credit: A24At the very end of the film, we see Paxton stumbling through the woods in her final escape from Mr. Reed's house. In the final frames, a butterfly lands on her finger, then disappears.
It's likely the butterfly is a representation of her fallen friend, Barnes, who was present in an earlier scene when the three discussed what happens when we die. Paxton had said she would like to be reincarnated as a butterfly, and that she'd land on the tips of the fingers of her loved ones to make sure they knew it was her. Barnes may have been trying to let Paxton know she was with her.
Alternatively, Paxton just had a near-death experience, so perhaps the butterfly is a representation of herself, on another plane of existence, checking in.
As the butterfly disappears almost immediately, we're left in an ambiguous state of whether Paxton saw what she wanted to see (affirming that believing is seeing) or not. Was her hallucination proof of belief or a fabricated vision?
Heretic is now streaming on Max.
UPDATE: Mar. 5, 2025, 3:19 p.m. EST This was first published on Nov. 9, 2024. It has been updated to reflect streaming options.
What would happen if any of Hugh Grant's famed rom-com characters — think William from Notting Hill or the prime minister from Love Actually — trapped you in a house of horrors? That's not too far off from what you'll get in Heretic, the latest horror offering from writer-director duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place, 65).
Yes, Grant has leaned further into villain archetypes in the past few years, from Paddington 2's egotistical Phoenix Buchanan to Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' roguish Forge. But no film has weaponized his talents to as frightening an extent as Heretic. Here, you'll witness Grant both as you've never seen him before (downright terrifying!) and exactly as you've seen him before (charming with a side of self-deprecation). The combination is downright bone-chilling, with Grant's performance providing nonstop terror even as Heretic's theological frights remain fairly surface level.
SEE ALSO: Hugh Grant will scare your socks off in exclusive 'Heretic' clip What's Heretic about? Hugh Grant in "Heretic." Credit: A24Grant plays Mr. Reed, a seemingly friendly man who opens his door to Mormon missionaries Sister Paxton (The Fabelmans' Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Yellowjackets' Sophie Thatcher). The pair have already had a rough day of lugging their bikes up and down steep stairs, getting made fun of by local teenage girls, and weathering the beginnings of a gnarly rainstorm. After all that, Mr. Reed's genuine interest in the Mormon Church is just the pick-me-up they need. And while mission rules forbid them from being alone with him without a woman present, he insists that his shy wife is just in the kitchen whipping up a marvelous blueberry pie. That's all the confirmation Paxton and Barnes need to enter his home and start teaching him about their faith.
Once inside, though, the red flags start piling up. Turns out Mr. Reed knows quite a bit about Mormonism. Look no further than his heavily marked-up copy of the Book of Mormon. ("More like Mr. Read," Paxton jokes, desperate to land her first baptism.) Then there are his pointed probes about Mormon founder Joseph Smith and polygamy. At first glance, these could just be mistaken for run-of-the-mill religious skepticism. But when coupled with personal questions about the death of Barnes' father, it's clear something more sinister is afoot. From here, all Heretic needs is one push — in this case, the reveal that "Mrs. Reed" is nothing more than a blueberry-scented lie — to send Paxton and Barnes hurtling into hell.
SEE ALSO: 25 of the best Christmas horror movies to haunt your holiday"Hell" of course being the back section of Mr. Reed's house, which includes a chapel he built himself, as well as two staircases — one marked "belief," the other "disbelief" — leading down into the darkness. These staircases become the focal point for a religious battle of wits, as Mr. Reed tests the Sisters' faith to its limit.
Heretic's religious horror is not the scariest thing about it. Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher in "Heretic." Credit: A24Most of this battle of wits plays out in conversation, with Heretic quickly cementing itself as the chattiest horror movie of the year. (While introducing Heretic at this year's Fantastic Fest, Beck and Woods said they created it as the inverse to A Quiet Place, which created scares without any dialogue.) As Mr. Reed lures Paxton and Barnes deeper into his web, each conversational turn and cutting question become cause for more and more dread. Yet that's less due to the actual content of the conversations, and more about Beck and Woods' claustrophobic direction of this three-hander. Tight close-ups on Mr. Reed, Paxton, and Barnes' faces keep us locked into their discussion, while the single-location setting reminds us that there is no escape.
Ostensibly, the theological debate that this trio engages in is meant to be the meat of Heretic's horror, as Paxton and Barnes reckon with their relationship to God in a time of crisis. But the film's religious discourse is mostly skin-deep — albeit fun.
SEE ALSO: 10 terrifying religious horror movies you can stream right nowTake, for example, a show-stopping monologue from Grant, delivered like a sermon from his own pulpit, about the iterative connections between everything from religion to Monopoly to Lana Del Rey. (A Jar Jar Binks impression makes its way in there too, and Grant makes a delightful meal of it, as he does with everything else in the film.) The actual messaging about religion being nothing more than an elaborate marketing farce isn't particularly groundbreaking — you could just as easily find these ideas on any atheist message board. It's the way Grant delivers it, with all the panache of a smarmy debate bro, that really sets your teeth on edge.
That's because Heretic mines its greatest scares not from its questions about religion, but from the age-old truth that it's just really terrifying to be a woman alone with a strange man. Especially when that strange man combines the mannerisms of rom-com Hugh Grant with the trap-loving sensibilities of Saw's John Kramer.
Hugh Grant in Heretic is some of the best horror casting in recent memory. Hugh Grant in "Heretic." Credit: A24The root of Heretic's true horror begins with Grant's performance. Here, the actor is fully in what'd we consider to be his rom-com mode, employing the tricks he uses in his romantic roles. Mr. Reed is all affable grins and shrugs, politely tripping over his words, then mugging apologetically when he mixes up names or asks an uncomfortable question. He seems almost sorry to be asking Barnes and Paxton to head into his creepy basement, when in reality he's in total control.
That knowing lack of acknowledgment of his control carries over into Beck and Woods' script. While some of Heretic's religious musings can feel overwritten, Mr. Reed's social manipulation of the Sisters is spot-on. He claims, time and time again, that he isn't pressuring them — never mind the fact that he's locked them in his house. He accuses Barnes and Paxton of getting too worked-up, discounting their very valid fears about him. Who can stay calm when a man is, once again, coercing them into his basement?
East and Thatcher play Paxton and Barnes' reactions perfectly, with the pair attempting to defuse the situation without upsetting Mr. Reed. Their discomfort comes through at first in small ways. Thatcher's firmer Barnes refuses a drink from Mr. Reed, while East's sweet, more unsure Paxton responds to most of his questions through awkward giggles. But as the cracks in Mr. Reed's façade begin to show, the panic becomes ever clearer on the Sisters' faces, even as they try to remain polite. Repeated questions to meet Mrs. Reed become shorthand for terror. Paxton and Barnes invent excuses to try to extricate themselves. Later, they dull down their intelligence and beliefs in an attempt to appeal to what they think Mr. Reed wants from them — Paxton even thanks him as she begins her descent downstairs. It's a stomach-churning, yet all-too relatable moment of panicked nicety in a film full of them. How do you push away a man who won't allow you to remove yourself from his vicinity? A man who wants to use his religious beliefs to control and mold you to his will — again, sound familiar?
These scenes of Paxton and Barnes diminishing themselves make the moments when they fight back all the sweeter. They choose to meet Mr. Reed on his own intellectual turf, challenging him on his clearly well-rehearsed points. And whether or not you agree with Mr. Reed's religious beliefs or the Sisters', each rebuttal of theirs hits hard by virtue of them facing down their captor.
Heretic's dialogue — no matter how high school debate-y it threatens to get — is delivered with such malevolent fun by Grant and such ferocity by East and Thatcher that by the time the film falls into more traditional slasher mode, it's a shame to part with these conversations. Frightening reveals and boatloads of religious and occult iconography (much of it delivered in impressively crafted statues and images throughout Mr. Reed's house) certainly get the blood pumping. But they're something you could see in any religious horror movie. What really sets Heretic apart is Grant, the absolute monster of a man he plays, and just how awfully familiar that man is.
Heretic is now streaming on Max.
UPDATE: Mar. 5, 2025, 3:15 p.m. EST This review was first published on Nov. 8, 2024. It has been updated to reflect streaming options.
The second feature by Zambian-Welsh director Rungano Nyoni, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is a brilliantly wry film of funeral traditions and familial idiosyncrasies. Tackling dark familial secrets with acerbic wit, it explores a culture of silence around sexual abuse. The result is a fiercely feminist tale filled with powerful observations, told through the eyes of a woman struggling with her commitment to community, as she’s backed into corners by social norms.
While the movie's humor and visual form verge on surreal, a deceptively withheld lead performance by Susan Chardy — who plays Shula, a woman visiting her Zambian hometown after many years abroad — helps ground it within social realism. Nyoni, who was similarly born in Zambia but raised in Britain, strikes this visual and tonal balance with an expert hand right from her opening scenes, which follow the surprising discovery of a dead body on an isolated road.
From there on out, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl sweeps through its mere 99 minutes with clamorous force. Implications eventually give way to revelations, but the story remains rooted in burning questions of how best to challenge a foundational status quo without breaking the bonds of family, recalling films like Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding, but blazing a unique path.
What is On Becoming a Guinea Fowl about? Credit: Chibesa Mulumba / A24.The movie's strange but revealing contrasts emerge minutes into its runtime, as Shula drives home from a costume party and discovers the corpse of her uncle — her mother's brother, Fred (Roy Chisha) — lying by the roadside. Dressed in a baggy black outfit reminiscent of '90s Missy Elliot, and wearing a bedazzled helmet that recalls Phantom of the Paradise, Shula exacerbates this visual disconnect with her icy, sardonic expression. When she calls her father (Henry B.J. Phiri) to relay the news, Fred's death isn't even the first thing she brings up.
While her response initially seems mysterious, one of the movie's fleeting hints of surrealist imagery wordlessly unveils what might be going on. As though she were having an out-of-body experience, she briefly sees her younger, adolescent self (played by Blessings Bhamjee) standing over Fred's body with a stern expression, wearing the very same ridiculous costume. It's bizarre, droll, and heartbreaking all at once, hinting at a character stuck in time, unable to move past something.
While the film eventually goes on to detail the reasons for her muted response, it isn't all that hard to put two and two together, especially when her inebriated cousin Nsansa (Elizabeth Chisela) shows up and pokes fun at her deceased relative as he lays nearby, referring to him as a "pervert." Their humor may seem cruel at the outset, but Shula and Nsansa's eyes suppress a lingering anguish that neither of them wants to discuss — or perhaps can't bring themselves to address.
As the days go by, and Fred's extended family arrives for his last rites, Shula reluctantly goes along with the various funeral traditions that involve the subservience of younger women, both to their older aunts — whose collective voice and physical presence envelopes the younger characters — and to the men of the family. It's her duty to cook, for instance, no matter her own emotional state, and she and several other women walk around the house on their knees or on all fours as part of their ritualistic duties, as more relatives gather and scenes grow more cacophonous.
However, as Shula and Nsansa fetch their younger cousin Bupe (Esther Singini) from her college dormitory, the latter's pained demeanor, and a video confession she records, make it all the more urgent for Shula to try and convince her family of who Fred really was, and the things he may have done to his younger female relatives on more than one occasion.
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl creates drama through implication. Credit: Chibesa Mulumba / A24While the details of Fred's past eventually come to light, Nyoni trusts her viewers to use inference and imagination. In the process, she paints a stark picture of the kind of memories that might be swirling in Shula's mind, as she balances being physically present for the funeral — and being there for her family — while being mentally checked out much of this time for the sake of her sanity.
The movie's harsh, upsetting soundscape (courtesy of composer Lucrecia Dalt) goes a long way toward crafting its atmosphere, creating an imposing space from which the younger women in the family have to constantly escape in order to breathe. More often than not, Shula, Nsansa, and their friends find themselves hidden away in a closet or pantry in order to steal swigs of alcohol and speak openly about Fred, in ways they cannot in front of the film's extended cast.
It's also worth noting that, while the structural impositions placed on Shula and her cousins are distinctly patriarchal, the men of their family rarely feature on screen. Instead, the constraints placed around the women are the focus, and the audience discovers each as it first appears in matter-of-fact fashion. These cultural curtailments are entirely self-evident, self-perpetuating, and widely understood, but they also serve logistical functions. For example, Shula is made to cook for Fred's young widow, Chichi (Norah Mwansa); someone has to.
The women of Shula's family all gather under one roof and sleep packed like sardines, making it hard to find moments of respite — especially when mourning Fred becomes a collective, at times performative, act. Shula's mother (Doris Naulapwa) cared deeply about her late brother, but the more mourners who gather, the more the lines between genuine affection and the demands of tradition begin to blur, and the more Shula’s extended family becomes concerned with keeping the peace, rather than acting on complaints about their loved ones.
When Shula tries to take a moment for herself, her numerous, yammering aunties yank her back into thick of things, usually at night, though she returns and re-settles into the family’s rhythms without a fuss. She knows this is what she must do, even though what she really wants is to scream from the rooftops about the type of person Fred really was.
Susan Chardy delivers a quiet, powerhouse performance. Credit: Chibesa Mulumba / A24The first time we see Shula's face — when she removes her bejeweled costume — Chardy's eyes are immediately striking. Her hair is frayed, which compliments the way she embodies a sense of exhaustion and repression. Nyoni's screenplay, which withholds information pivotal to the plot (and to Shula’s emotional state) for lengthy stretches, simply would not work if the movie's lead performance weren't so consistently captivating.
Chardy's approach to creating Shula is distinctly top-down, from stillness that disguises subtle movement (and movement that overcompensates for a desire to stay still) to her accent work and code-switching. Much of the movie is in Bemba, but for its English-language dialogue, whether Shula speaks with Chardy's natural English accent, or a Zambian accent, or a mix of the two, usually depends on who she's talking to, and with how much emotional force.
Shula is, effectively, a person in flux, who feels as though she has worked hard to escape her hometown — not just physically, but emotionally and socially — but is constantly drawn back into its orbit. Like Nyoni, Chardy was born in Zambia and raised in Britain, and together, they pour their emigrant anxieties into Shula, a woman who floats through the world buoyed by despondent fury at her inability to change the past, or the future.
To challenge an existing structure isn’t a logistical act, but a deeply human one, and Nyoni unfurls the distressing, amusing, and wholly enrapturing results of engaging with this necessary transformation. Through biting observations, careful camera movement, and performances that flesh out the hidden contours of every scene (and every character dynamic), On Becoming a Guinea Fowl bursts to life in unassuming ways. Though perhaps just as surprising as the movie’s simple visual conception is the complexity with which it arrives at its most powerful scenes, which center on the thin line between complicity and self-preservation, and on the rigid realities of belonging to a community while trying to re-shape it from within.
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl opens in limited release on March 7, 2025.
UPDATE: Mar. 5, 2025, 4:03 p.m. EST "On Becoming a Guinea Fowl" was reviewed out of its U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival. This review was first published on Oct. 10, 2024, and it has been updated to reflect theatrical viewing options.
Plenty of horror films have moments that stay with you, but there aren't many with final images as disturbing as Starve Acre's.
The entire last act of Daniel Kokotajlo's movie — based on Andrew Michael Hurley's novel of the same name — is intense, so much so that you may be struggling to make sense of what in the rabbit-nurturing heck you just witnessed.
To try and help piece together the final happenings of this '70s Yorkshire-set horror, we've broken down all the key questions below, from the legend of Dandelion Jack to what really happened to that poor little boy.
SEE ALSO: The 13 best horror movies of 2023, and where to watch them What's Starve Acre about?After their young son Owen (Arthur Shaw) dies from an asthma attack, Richard (Matt Smith) and Juliette (Morfydd Clark) both experience strange happenings while struggling to deal with their overwhelming grief. On a sabbatical from the university where he teaches, Richard digs in a nearby field to try and uncover the remaining roots of a legendary tree written about in his abusive father's diaries.
While digging Richard discovers the skeleton of a hare, which he boxes up and takes home — only to find that the creature seems to be slowly regenerating itself whenever he looks at its remains alone.
Juliette, meanwhile, is haunted by depression, guilt, and visions of her son, leading her to be open to a visit from local medium Mrs. Forde (Melanie Kilburn).
A troubled family. Credit: BFI What happens at the end of Starve Acre?The remains of the hare completely regenerate, and the now-living creature comes back to the house after Richard and Juliette try to release it into the wild. Juliette becomes obsessed with it, believing it to be the manifestation of a Pagan spirit the locals called Dandelion Jack.
Richard, meanwhile, uncovers the remains of the perfectly preserved "Whistling Tree" that his father was obsessed with. His colleague Steven (Robert Emms) comes to help him dig, but Juliette has a vision that Steven has come to take the hare away from her. She takes a knife and murders Steven, before persuading Richard that Dandelion Jack has come to give them a second chance after their son's death.
In the final moments of the film, Richard kills Juliette's visiting sister Harrie (Erin Richards), providing Dandelion Jack with the third sacrifice needed to complete the legend and cross over from the spirit world.
What's the local legend about Dandelion Jack?Hang on a minute — who's Dandelion Jack? And what exactly is this local legend? We get glimpses of the story in the writings of Richard's father Neil, but the most concise explanation comes from Richard himself when he tells his colleague what the Whistling Tree is meant to be.
"The womb of nature," says Richard. "The pagan's entrance to the spirit world."
One of these spirits is Dandelion Jack. The legend goes that three human sacrifices are needed to open the doorway and let him in: a child, a woman, and a man. In this case Owen is the first sacrifice, then Steven, and then finally Harrie.
What really happened to their son, Owen?Before he dies, Owen speaks about Dandelion Jack, using the spirit's other name, Jack Grey. He says Jack Grey has been "whistling" to him. The implication is that Dandelion Jack's spirit is able to influence and communicate with members of Richard's family in an attempt to free himself from the spirit world, first telling Owen to do bad things and then causing his mother not to intervene while he's having an asthma attack.
"When Owen had the asthma attack, I didn't freeze up," Juliette tells Richard towards the end of the film. "I had a moment of clarity that we'd be better off without him. And that was thanks to Jack."
It seems as though Dandelion Jack's spirit was pulling the strings all along, with the goal being to make Owen his first sacrifice.
Juliette treats the hare like a new child. Credit: BFI What's the deal with the hare?The hare seems to be a physical manifestation of Dandelion Jack. Richard discovers the remains while digging near the buried Whistling Tree (the doorway to Jack's spirit world), and the hare regenerates after Owen — the first sacrifice — has been made.
Whether the hare is Jack's final form is unclear. The film ends at the moment when all three sacrifices have been made, and Juliette has just begun to "nurture" (ick) the hare like a child.
Maybe it's for the best that we don't stick around to find out what happens next.
Starve Acre is now streaming on Shudder.
UPDATE: Mar. 5, 2025, 3:29 p.m. EST This was first published on Sept. 6, 2024 It has been updated to reflect streaming options.
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