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SAVE $80: As of Feb. 7, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are on sale for $349 at Amazon. That's 19% off their list price of $429.
Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bluetooth Headphones $349.00 at AmazonIf you are someone who likes to listen to a lot of music, podcasts, or audiobooks, you will want headphones that can keep up with you and remain comfortable while you're using them. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra offer just this, bringing together excellent sound quality with a comfy fit. They've even landed on our lists of the best noise-canceling headphones and our overall list of the best headphones. If you've had your eye on them, now's a great time to get them as they have a nice $80 discount at Amazon.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are down to $349 at Amazon. This is 19% off their list price of $429, saving you $80. Amazon also has them listed as a limited-time deal, so you'll want to act fast to get them at this price if they've caught your eye.
SEE ALSO: The best noise-cancelling headphones for flying make air travel suck a little lessWe think very highly of these headphones, ranking them as the best noise-canceling options in our roundup of the best headphones, saying, "If you're looking for a headphone experience built around top-of-the-line ANC, all-day wear, and premium features, you'll find that in the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones." In our review, Mashable's Samantha Mangino also said they're "the most comfortable pair of headphones you can buy right now."
Don't miss out on this limited-time deal on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones at Amazon and set yourself up with high-quality headphones that offer a great fit with excellent sound.
Looking for even more headphone and earbud deals? Amazon has quite a few more worth checking out right now. In particular, if you're looking for new earbuds, the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancelation and without are on sale right now at some great prices.
Apple's new iPhone SE is about to see the light of day real soon.
This is according to a new report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, which claims that Apple is planning to launch the new iPhone SE "in the coming days."
SEE ALSO: First porn app 'approved' for the iPhone in Europe. Apple isn't happy.Even though the iPhone SE isn't released with the same fanfare as the flagship iPhone models, it is an incredibly important device for Apple, and this year's version might be even more so.
Rumors claim that the iPhone SE will receive a complete design overhaul. According to Bloomberg, it will look pretty much the same like the iPhone 14, which is the last iPhone to still have a notch on top without the Dynamic Island that's present on newer and 14 Pro models.
Featured Video For You 5 reasons iPhone 16 is the best upgrade for youStill, this is a huge leap from the current iPhone SE, which still has a Home button and massive forehead and chin above and below its 4.7-inch display.
Another big update is Apple Intelligence, reported to be supported on the new iPhone SE, which will sport Apple's A18 chip. Other improvements include Face ID support and a larger display, as well as an Apple-built cellular modem.
The bad news, however, is that Gurman thinks Apple may increase the price compared to the current iPhone SE, which starts at $429, due to all of the new features it's coming with.
The new iPhone SE might launch alongside Apple's new PowerBeats Pro 2 earbuds, which are rumored to launch as early as Feb. 11.
There probably won't be a dedicated launch event for this new device. As is customary for the iPhone SE, Apple will probably just issue a press release and reveal the phone on its website.
SAVE $30: As of Feb. 7, the Soundcore by Anker Q20i headphones are on sale for $39.99 at Amazon. That's 43% off their list price of $69.99.
Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Soundcore by Anker Q20i Headphones $39.99 at AmazonFinding a good pair of noise-canceling headphones at a reasonable price can be tricky, but it's not impossible. The Soundcore by Anker Q20i headphones offer an affordable price tag on a regular day, but right now they've got a 43% discount at Amazon that brings them down to an even better price.
The Soundcore by Anker Q20i headphones are currently on sale for just $39.99 at Amazon, down from their $69.99 list price. This is also their lowest-ever price, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel, which is worth taking advantage of. All available colors are discounted as well, so you can choose between black, blue, and white.
SEE ALSO: For gym rats and picky audiophiles alike, these are the 7 best headphones of 2025These headphones bring high-quality sound to your ears with 40mm dynamic drivers and BassUp technology, but more importantly, they have noise-canceling features that reduce up to 90% of outside noise so you can feel fully immersed in what you're listening to without any outside distractions. On top of that, they have an excellent battery life. You'll get up to 40 hours with noise-cancelation on or up to 60 hours regularly.
This limited-time deal won't stick around for long. Scoop up the Soundcore by Anker Q20i headphones at Amazon while the deal is still live.
If you're looking for even more headphone and earbud deals, there are plenty more worth checking out right now. Also at Amazon, Sony's ULT WEAR headphones are down over $50 at the moment, and if you want to get some new earbuds instead, the Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancelation and without are also on sale right now at Amazon.
Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, Max, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each one!
Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, animation, and more.
But if you're seeking something brand spanking new (or new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.
SEE ALSO: The best Netflix TV shows of 2024Mashable's entertainment team has scoured the streaming services to highlight the most buzzed-about releases of this week and ranked them from worst to best — or least worth your time to most watchable. Whether you're looking for animated adventures, health scammer drama, or a truly ambitious biopic, we've got something just for you.
Here's what's new on streaming, from worst to best.
7. Kinda PregnantTrainwreck's Amy Schumer is back, and using her brash and bawdy brand of humor to tackle the sacred cow of pregnancy. In this rom-com, she stars as Lainy Newton, a middle-aged grade school teacher who's struggling to settle down because she hasn't met the right guy. Meanwhile, her bestie since childhood (Jillian Bell) is married and expecting, as is the Gen Z TikTok influencer (Lizzie Broadway) who drives Lainy bonkers on the daily. So, what a girl to do except pretend to be pregnant around strangers to score some compliments and kindness when she's desperately in need of both?
Featured Video For You Amy Schumer and the 'Kinda Pregnant' cast allow a Paper Magic 8 Ball to interview themHowever, this cringe-worthy coping mechanism becomes a real problem when Lainy meets a charming Zamboni driver (Will Forte, who should be in more rom-coms immediately) and his cool sister (Brianne Howey) — while wearing a foam belly. A screwball comedy about love, sex, jealousy, and yoga farts, Kinda Pregnant is true to Schumer's form, but only fitfully funny. Too many bits feel tired or tawdry. However, the romance subplot was enough to keep pulling us back in. Maybe not suited for a Netflix and Chill night, but a chill girls night, or a movie to throw on while folding laundry? — K.P.
Starring: Amy Schumer, Jillian Bell, Lizzie Broadway, Brianne Howey, Urzila Carlson, and Will Forte
How to watch: Kinda Pregnant debuts on Netflix on Feb. 6.
6. The Lion King at the Hollywood BowlLast May, Disney celebrated 30 years of The Lion King with a special concert at the Hollywood Bowl, which honored not only the Oscar-winning 1994 animated movie, but also the Broadway musical adaptation, the 2019 live-action remake, and its prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King. This meant that gathered together were members of the original cast, like Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Jason Weaver, and Ernie Sabella, as well as members of the remake's ensemble, like Billie Eichner, as well as Broadway luminaries Heather Headley and Bradley Gibson, composer Lebo M, and EGOT-achiever Jennifer Hudson. Now, Disney+ is bringing all of this and more into your home in a one-hour-and-seven-minute presentation.
Behind-the-scenes clips of the makings of these movies and this event are interspersed with the recorded live performances of all of those above, intercut with the elated reactions of the fans and celebrities present. (Keep an eye out for Craig Robinson, Mark Ruffalo, and the Kardashian clan, as they stand up and cheer in different sections of the show.) As teased in the trailer, the incredible costumes from the Broadway show are combined with projections and sheer star power to bring fresh life to long-beloved songs. Props to Lane and Sabella, who are as silly and seemingly spontaneous as Timon and Pumbaa were at their best. Personally, my favorite moment is Irons, dressed in boho business attire, singing "Be Prepared" as dancers dressed as hyenas swarm the stage and trek out into the audience. But I've always loved a biting villain song. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor
Starring: Lebo M, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Jason Weaver, Ernie Sabella, Billy Eichner, Heather Headley, Bradley Gibson, North West, and Jennifer Hudson
How to watch: The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl debuts on Disney Plus on Feb. 7.
5. Apple Cider VinegarNetflix brings the true story of Australian influencer and scammer Belle Gibson (Booksmart's Kaitlyn Dever) to life in Apple Cider Vinegar. Belle built a wellness empire — complete with an app and cookbook — after she claimed she was treating her brain cancer with a healthy diet. But in reality, she never had cancer. The limited series intertwines her monstrous lie with the story of rival influencer Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey, It's What's Inside), who actually has cancer and is opting for a bogus all-natural treatment plan.
But while the highly stylized Apple Cider Vinegar tries to make points about how wellness grifters thrive off of the rise of social media, it ultimately lacks the depth to tackle this topic fully. As I wrote in my review, "Apple Cider Vinegar co-opts the aesthetics of aspirational social media posts in order to highlight just how big a role these platforms played in Belle's rise. But in making use of this visual language, is it really commenting on how shallow and artificial influencers' posts can be? Or is it falling prey to that very same artificiality?" — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Aisha Dee, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Mark Coles Smith, Ashley Zukerman, Susie Porter, Matt Nable, Phoenix Raei, Chai Hansen, Richard Davies, Essie Davis, Kieran Darcy-Smith, Catherine McClements
How to watch: Apple Cider Vinegar debuts on Netflix on Feb 6.
4. We Live in TimeThe heart-wrenching romance drama starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield hits Max this week, and if you didn't weep in cinemas through We Live in Time, now's your chance in the privacy of your own home. Pugh and Garfield play Almut and Tobias, two people who meet, fall head over heels, and start their life together — the film bounces between past and present, through tender snapshots of their relationship. But life throws deeply unfair turns at us, as they figure out how to manage the cruelest of mistresses, time.
SEE ALSO: Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield on how food is used as a form of intimacy in 'We Live in Time'Despite the amount we cried over the film (who couldn't?), we didn't fall as hard for it as we'd hoped. Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko wrote in her review, "On paper, We Live in Time seems thoughtfully formulated to be the perfect tearjerker for today. John Crowley, the celebrated helmer of the stunning Saoirse Ronan romance Brooklyn, teams with heralded actors/internet darlings Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield in a weepy romance of wooing and tragic loss. And yet, while peppered with sex scenes and adoring close-ups, this is not a hot or even sweaty embrace of lust and love, but a soggy handshake of a film that underwhelms despite its star power." — S.C.
Starring: Florence Pugh, Andrew Garfield, Lee Braithwaite, Grace Delaney, Aoife Hinds, Adam James, Douglas Hodge, Niamh Cusack, Amy Morgan, Lucy Briers
How to watch: We Live in Time is streaming on Max Feb. 7.
3. Piece By PieceOne of the most ambitious ways to do a biopic, Pharrell Williams' Piece By Piece is coming to Peacock. The music icon's life and career is traced using Lego mini figures, recreating both his childhood, emergence into music, his work with N.E.R.D., production as The Neptunes, and meteoric rise to superstardom. There's plenty of appearances from the epic collaborators among Williams' career, with cameos from Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott, Daft Punk, Gwen Stefani, and more.
SEE ALSO: Why Pharrell Williams made his biopic ‘Piece by Piece’ a Lego movieAs Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko wrote in her review, "Piece By Piece is a winsome reinvention of the music biopic. Animation is enthusiastically employed to bring the audience into the experience of being Pharrell Williams. The colorful blocks not only allow the construction of musical beats to become a physical act rather than an abstract idea, but also give a Ratatouille-like understanding of how this art form affects its hero."
Starring: Pharrell Williams, Missy Elliott, Kendrick Lamar, Gwen Stefani, Morgan Neville, Timbaland, Tyler, the Creator, Pusha T, Daft Punk, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake
How to watch: Piece by Piece is streaming on Peacock Feb. 7.
2. Invincible Season 3Truly embodying its title, Invincible is back! Season 3 of the animated adaptation of Robert Kirkman's comics sees the return of Mark Grayson aka Invincible (voiced by Beef's Steven Yeun) and all the carnage that usually accompanies him. We meet Mark being put through his paces by the Global Defense Agency's Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins) in an attempt to power up in preparation for another Viltrumite face-off. And things just get more chaotic from there (as is the Invincible way). — S.C.
Starring: Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, Walton Goggins, Simu Liu, Gillian Jacobs, Jason Mantzoukas, Aaron Paul, Kate Mara, Xolo Maridueña, John DiMaggio, Tzi Ma, Christian Convery, Andrew Rannells, Sterling K. Brown, Zazie Beetz, Chris Diamantopoulos, Zachary Quinto, Melise, Grey Griffin, Ross Marquand, Seth Rogen
How to watch: Invincible is now streaming the first three episodes of Season 3 on Prime Video, with new episodes weekly.
1. Clean SlateWhat happens when legendary TV producer Norman Lear (All in the Family) teams up with four-time Emmy-nominated Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox? You get Clean Slate, a terrifically funny and heart-warming sitcom about a Black family in Alabama reconnecting across cultural collisions.
Cox stars as Desiree Slate, who after crashing and burning as a New York City gallerist comes home to her widowed father, a caring but recklessly big-mouthed carwash owner named Harry (George Wallace). Her arrival is a surprise on two fronts: 1) they've been estranged for 23 years and 2) she's since come out as a trans woman. In this endearing series, the two learn to communicate across the generation gap, tackling everything from the confounding nature of chia seed pudding to how to deal with a transphobic pastor. Bouncy and smart, Clean Slate is a sitcom true to Lear's vision of America, as a melting pot of ideas, identities, and families who are family — even when they frustrate the hell out of each other. — K.P.
SEE ALSO: 'Clean Slate' review: Norman Lear and Laverne Cox team up for a fresh twist on a classic sitcom formulaStarring: Laverne Cox, George Wallace, Telma Hopkins, D.K. Uzoukwu, Jay Wilkison, and Norah Murphy
How to watch: Clean Slate debuts on Prime Video on Feb. 6.
SAVE $1,700: As of Feb. 7, the 77-inch Samsung S84D 4K OLED Smart TV is on sale for $1,599.99 at Best Buy. That's down $1,700 from its retail price of $3,299.99.
Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 77-Inch Class S84D Series 4K OLED TV $1,599.99 at Best BuyBest Buy has been offering some incredible TV deals over the last few weeks. If you've been looking to upgrade to a bigger TV for your home, they've had plenty on offer from 100-inch models to 65-inch models. If you want something between those, this 77-inch Samsung S84D 4K OLED Smart TV is definitely worth a look as it's marked down by a whopping $1,700.
This has dropped its price from $3,299.99 to $1,599.99, which is an excellent deal for such a huge TV. Not only that, it also comes with one month free of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. If you're a gamer, this is a great way to test out the Game Pass library on a brand new, high-quality screen.
SEE ALSO: Get ready for The Big Game with these great deals on Roku devicesAlongside a massive 77-inch screen size, this TV boasts 4K resolution and an OLED display that brings colors to life in vibrant detail with incredible contrast. It also comes with Dolby Atmos built in that provides a nice treat for your ears with any shows and films you watch to really immerse you in the action.
On top of that, the Samsung S84D is also a smart TV. So if you're subscribed to quite a few streaming services, you can have them all ready to access in one convenient place.
If you've been looking to upgrade your TV, now's the time to do it with this excellent deal on the 77-inch Samsung S84D 4K OLED Smart TV at Best Buy.
As mentioned earlier, there are quite a few more TV deals worth exploring right now. Also at Best Buy, you can score a sweet deal on the Samsung 98-inch Q80C QLED 4K UHD Smart TV, if you want another big option to look at. The Samsung 85-inch DU7200 Series Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV is also on sale there right now, and it even comes with a bonus Samsung 40-inch TV.
TL;DR: Live stream Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns in the NBA with FuboTV, Sling TV, or YouTube TV.
The Utah Jazz head to Footprint Center to face the Phoenix Suns in a Western Conference matchup. The Jazz are 12-37, which puts the team in 14th place. The Suns are 25-25, which puts the team 10th place.
The Jazz have lost three of their last five games, and are coming off a loss to the Indiana Pacers. The Suns have lost four of their last five games, and are coming off three consecutive losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder and back-to-back losses to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Jazz and the Suns have faced off three times already this season. The Suns have come out on top in each one of those matchups.
When is Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns?Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns in the NBA starts at 10 p.m. ET on Feb. 7. This game takes place at Footprint Center in Phoenix.
How to watch Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix SunsYou need to choose a streaming service to watch the NBA without cable or satellite TV. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for the Jazz vs. Suns basketball game.
Best for single game: FuboTV Opens in a new window Credit: Fubo TV FuboTV Pro Plan Get DealFuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.
FuboTV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, FOX, FS1, FS2, Golf Network, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.
Most live sports: YouTube TV Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV $49.99/month for your first two months (save $46) Get DealYouTube TV's base plan is $49.99 per month for two months for new subscribers ($72.99 per month regularly). The base plan includes over 100 live TV channels, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and NBA TV.
Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling TV Sling Orange Plan Get DealSling TV suggests the streamer's Orange Plan for the game, which costs $20 for the first month and $40 monthly after that.
Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBA TV, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.
How to watch Jazz vs. Suns from anywhere in the worldIf you're traveling outside of the U.S. during this game, you might need to use a VPN to unblock this live stream. VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server, meaning you can unblock live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.
Sign in to your favorite streaming app
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to live streams of the NBA without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for the NBA?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns in the NBA with ExpressVPN.
When it comes to shopping for the best cheap laptops, you can do a lot with $1,000. (Heck, even $500 cuts some mustard nowadays.) But you'll probably have to make some compromises along the way to stay below that price point.
That doesn't mean you have to settle for a total clunker that doesn't tick any of the boxes on your must-have specs list. It just means you have to shop a little smarter than someone with unlimited funds.
That's where we come in. The Mashable team is constantly reviewing new laptops with different operating systems and use cases, and we recommend several affordable machines that meet most, if not all of our performance, battery life, and build quality standards.
Our top picksAs of February 2025, we believe the best cheap MacBook is the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air powered by the previous-generation M2 chip. It's speedy enough for most people, lasts all day, has an excellent keyboard, and starts at $999 (though it's often on sale for well under $900). What's more, it recently got a welcome bump to 16GB of base RAM.
Among Windows PCs, the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (Gen 9) is currently the best laptop under $1,000 that we've tried. It has a peppy processor and a good battery life, it doubles as a tablet, and it starts at $899.99.
If you're really into Microsoft machines, look into the Surface Laptop Go 3. The company's current cheapest offering is a super portable notebook with a chic look and a clicky keyboard — though I'd encourage shoppers to find it on sale, given its older CPU. It otherwise starts at $799.99.
SEE ALSO: Best MacBooks 2025: Which model would we buy?The best cheap Chromebook is the $499 HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch, with its big, vibrant display and competent everyday performance. It also supports some useful AI features and multimedia editing apps.
Cheap gaming laptops don't get much better than the Acer Nitro V 15, which combines a cool design with cool Triple-A performance for $999 as tested. (The base model is only $749.) We also recommend the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE as an even cheaper "cheap gaming laptop" pick: It streams high-end titles well, comes with a really nice 120Hz display, and retails for only $649.
Other cheap laptops on our radarWe'll soon review the all-new Asus ZenBook A14, the "world's lightest Copilot+ PC," which features an OLED display, a neutral-toned chassis made out of a durable material called "Ceraluminum," and an advertised battery life of up to 32 hours. We briefly tried it in Asus' private showroom at CES 2025, and it left us extremely impressed. It starts at $899.99.
We also have the latest Framework Laptop 13 in hand for testing. While it comes in just over our "budget" threshold of $1,000 when purchased prebuilt (the DIY Edition starts at $899), the fact that it's upgradable and repairable makes it seem like a solid long-term value. We were big fans of an older version.
Read on for Mashable's in-depth guide to the best cheap laptops of 2025. FYI: We've listed the pricing and specs of our testing units, which may not apply to each laptop's base model.
TL;DR: Live stream Philadelphia 76ers vs. Detroit Pistons in the NBA with FuboTV, Sling TV, or YouTube TV.
The Philadelphia 76ers head to Little Caesars Arena to face the Detroit Pistons in an Eastern Conference matchup. The Sixers are 20-30, which puts the team in 11th place. The Pistons are 25-26, which puts the tram in seventh place.
The Sixers have lost three of their last five games, and are coming off a loss to the Miami Heat. The Pistons have lost three of their last five games, and are coming off back-to-back losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks.
When is Philadelphia 76ers vs. Detroit Pistons?Philadelphia 76ers vs. Detroit Pistons in the NBA starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 7. This game takes place at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
This game will air on ESPN.
How to watch Philadelphia 76ers vs. Detroit PistonsYou need to choose a streaming service to watch the NBA without cable or satellite TV. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for the Sixers vs. Pistons basketball game.
Best for single game: FuboTV Opens in a new window Credit: Fubo TV FuboTV Pro Plan Get DealFuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.
FuboTV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, FOX, FS1, FS2, Golf Network, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.
Most live sports: YouTube TV Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV $49.99/month for your first two months (save $46) Get DealYouTube TV's base plan is $49.99 per month for two months for new subscribers ($72.99 per month regularly). The base plan includes over 100 live TV channels, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and NBA TV.
Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling TV Sling Orange Plan Get DealSling TV suggests the streamer's Orange Plan for the game, which costs $20 for the first month and $40 monthly after that.
Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBA TV, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.
How to watch Sixers vs. Pistons from anywhere in the worldIf you're traveling outside of the U.S. during this game, you might need to use a VPN to unblock this live stream. VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server, meaning you can unblock live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Philadelphia 76ers vs. Detroit Pistons for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.
Sign in to your favorite streaming app
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to live streams of the NBA without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream Philadelphia 76ers vs. Detroit Pistons before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for the NBA?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Philadelphia 76ers vs. Detroit Pistons in the NBA with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets in the NBA with FuboTV, Sling TV, or YouTube TV.
The Miami Heat head to Barclays Center to face the Brooklyn Nets in an Eastern Conference matchup. The Heat are 25-24, which puts the team sixth place. The Nets are 17-34, which puts the team in 12th place.
The Heat have won three of their last five games, and are coming off a win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Nets have also won three of their last five games, but are coming off a loss to the Washington Wizards.
The Heat and the Nets have faced off twice this season, the Heat came out on top in both matchups.
When is Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets?Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets in the NBA starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 7. This game takes place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
How to watch Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn NetsYou need to choose a streaming service to watch the NBA without cable or satellite TV. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for the Heat vs. Nets basketball game.
Best for single game: FuboTV Opens in a new window Credit: Fubo TV FuboTV Pro Plan Get DealFuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.
FuboTV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, FOX, FS1, FS2, Golf Network, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.
Most live sports: YouTube TV Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV $49.99/month for your first two months (save $46) Get DealYouTube TV's base plan is $49.99 per month for two months for new subscribers ($72.99 per month regularly). The base plan includes over 100 live TV channels, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and NBA TV.
Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling TV Sling Orange Plan Get DealSling TV suggests the streamer's Orange Plan for the game, which costs $20 for the first month and $40 monthly after that.
Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBA TV, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.
How to watch Heat vs. Nets from anywhere in the worldIf you're traveling outside of the U.S. during this game, you might need to use a VPN to unblock this live stream. VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server, meaning you can unblock live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.
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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to live streams of the NBA without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets before recovering your investment.
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The deadline to file your 2024 taxes is still a few months away, but that doesn't mean you should wait — and there's a plethora of options to get your taxes sent off quick, and free.
SEE ALSO: Tax season is here: All the details on IRS Free FileAnd if you anticipate getting a hefty refund back, it may behoove you to get that process started now so you can keep an eye on that check or direct deposit before it gets to you.
Can I track my tax refund?Yes, individuals who file both online and in-person can use the IRS' website to track the status of their tax refund. Refund status is available 24 hours after you e-file a current-year return, 3 or 4 days after you e-file a prior-year return, or 4 weeks after you file a paper return, the IRS explains.
The webpage is updated once a day, overnight, so check daily if you're concerned. The IRS also operates the IRS2Go app, where you can check the status of your return, amend your filing, and track your refund.
Total TimeStep 1: Go to the IRS Refund Status page.
Visit the Where's My Refund? website.
Step 2: Fill out the required information and submit the form.
You will need your (or your partner's) Social Security Number or ITIN and exact refund amount, which can be found on your return.
Step 3: Evaluate the status of your refund.
The page will show one of three statuses:Return Received. The IRS is still processing your return and hasn't sent out your refund yet.Refund Approved. The IRS has approved your refund and are preparing to issue it. The page should display a date — this is when it is expected to be sent out.Refund Sent. The IRS has your refund to your bank for disbursement or sent to you in the mail. According to the IRS, it may take 5 days for it to show in your bank account or several weeks for a refund in the mail.
The refund status page may also prompt you to contact the IRS directly if there is an issue with your return or refund. Learn how to speak to a human at the IRS if you're stuck in the automated messages loop.
Scientists have found a quasar spewing a gigantic radio jet in space at a time in the early universe when such objects are nearly impossible to find.
Quasars, a portmanteau for "quasi-stellar objects," are blindingly bright galaxy cores. Through powerful telescopes, these distant objects can look like stars, but they're the resulting light from feasting supermassive black holes.
The jet, sprawling at least 200,000 light-years, double the span of the Milky Way, emerges from the J1601+3102 quasar, born less than 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang. Though a billion years later may not seem like the early days, that period occurred when the universe was only nine percent of its current age of 13.8 billion — making it a mere toddler.
"It’s only because this object is so extreme that we can observe it from Earth, even though it’s really far away," said Anniek Gloudemans, a research fellow at the federally funded NOIRLab, in a statement.
SEE ALSO: Scientists found a colossal black hole near the dawn of time The J1601+3102 quasar's radio jet was first discovered by the Low Frequency Array Telescope. Credit: LOFAR / DECaLS / DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys / LBNL / DOE / CTIO / NOIRLab / NSF / AURAFinding this radio jet, first discovered by the European Low Frequency Array Telescope, is an enormous achievement. Follow-up observations ensued in near-infrared light with the Gemini North Telescope and in visible light with Hobby Eberly Telescope. A research team has characterized the object in a new paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
These jets become elusive the farther back in time astronomers try to look because of the so-called cosmic microwave background. The ancient radiation, the earliest fossil of light from 380,000 years after the Big Bang, tends to swamp out more subtle signals.
Although quasars are technically difficult to find in the early universe, the nearest quasars to Earth are still several hundred million light-years away. That quasars aren't found closer to home is a clue they are ancient relics. Scientists continue to hunt for them because they provide insight into the evolution of galaxies and the universe as a whole.
Black holes in general are some of the most inscrutable things in space. Astronomers believe these invisible giants skulk at the center of virtually all galaxies. Falling into one is an automatic death sentence. Any cosmic stuff that wanders too close reaches a point of no return.
But scientists have observed something weird at the edge of black holes' accretion disks, the rings of rapidly spinning material around the holes, like the swirl of water around a bathtub drain: A tiny amount of the material can suddenly get rerouted. When this happens, high-energy particles get flung outward as a pair of jets, blasting in opposite directions, though astronomers haven't quite figured out how they work. It's also still a mystery when exactly in cosmic history the universe started making them.
Despite this jet's length, it's a pipsqueak compared to others scientists have discovered in later eras. Porphyrion, observed 6.3 billion years after the Big Bang, has a 23 million light-year-long jet. The J1601+3102 quasar is also of modest size, just 450 million times more massive than the sun. Quasars are sometimes known to tip scales at billions of times heavier than the sun.
"Interestingly, the quasar powering this massive radio jet does not have an extreme black hole mass compared to other quasars," Gloudemans said. "This seems to indicate that you don’t necessarily need an exceptionally massive black hole or accretion rate to generate such powerful jets in the early universe."
Out of the frying pan, into the fryer. TikTok might've skirted the previous Jan. 19 deadline, but a potential ban still looms under President Donald Trump's administration.
Upon taking office, Trump directed the Department of Justice to delay enforcing the TikTok ban for 75 days, which created a new April 5 deadline. That may seem like a lot of time to find a sale or resolution with ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, but deadlines have a habit of sneaking up.
We've got the details on what's happened since Trump's inauguration and what to expect in the coming weeks and months.
SEE ALSO: As TikTok faces a ban, creators brace for an uncertain future What needs to happenBasically, the same thing needs to happen as the last deadline. TikTok needs to sell its U.S. business or find some other resolution that satisfies Congress and the Trump administration. That makes the ultimate end goal a bit fungible, but it seems negotiations are underway.
Multiple groups and entities, including the U.S. government, have been reportedly lining up to purchase TikTok. Trump is reportedly interested in starting a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, which could, in turn, purchase TikTok.
"We're going to be doing something perhaps with TikTok, perhaps not," Trump said this week. "If we make the right deal, we'll do it, otherwise we won't. But I have the right to do that. And we might put that in the sovereign wealth fund, whatever we make, or if we do a partnership with very wealthy people. A lot of options. But we could put that as an example in the fund."
Plenty of companies and groups have also been connected to a potential sale. In the last 10 days or so, that list includes Oracle, Microsoft, and various rich celebrities.
ByteDance has seemed quite resistant to selling, but that may be changing as the April 5 deadline looms. ByteDance board member Bill Ford said at an Axios event late last month that he expects a sale to happen.
“It's in everybody's interest," Ford said.
That may be the case, but the clock is once again ticking.
Right from its opening moments, sheep herding drama Bring Them Down hurls its audience into a waking nightmare.
A car careens down a winding road in western Ireland. Inside, a woman in the passenger seat (Susan Lynch) tells her driving son Michael (Christopher Abbott, Wolf Man, Sanctuary) that she is leaving his father. His reaction? To speed up to a dangerous degree. Writer-director Christopher Andrews never shows us Michael in this opening, only his mother and his girlfriend Caroline's (Nora-Jane Noone) increasing panic at his recklessness. We're locked in with them, hurtling through a frightening situation beyond our control. Andrews escalates that terror to a fever pitch before the inevitable happens: Michael crashes the car, killing his mother and permanently scarring Caroline's face.
SEE ALSO: 'The Monkey' review: Osgood Perkins' take on Stephen King is a hell of a good timeThe crash is just the beginning of Bring Them Down's violent tragedy, an explosive start to a directorial debut that simmers with panic and dread. As Andrews brings that tension to a boil, he crafts a vicious saga of feuding families, toxic masculinity, and the poor, innocent sheep caught in the middle of it all.
What is Bring Them Down about? Christopher Abbott and Colm Meaney in "Bring Them Down." Credit: Patrick Redmond / MUBIBring Them Down picks up several years after the opening car crash. Michael is now the sole caretaker for his ailing, belligerent father Ray (Colm Meaney), and he's also taken over the family's centuries-old sheep herding business. He and Ray share their mountain with another sheep herding family, made up of patriarch Gary (Paul Ready), Caroline, and their son Jack (Barry Keoghan, Saltburn, The Banshees of Inisherin). Slight animosity already bubbles between Gary and Ray, but when Jack steals two of Michael's rams and claims they've died, he blows the families' dispute wide open. Taunts give way to violence, which gives way to a brutal quest for vengeance on Michael's end.
SEE ALSO: 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' review: Jennifer Lopez dazzles, but is that enough?With Michael's goal in mind, Bring Them Down could just be a straightforward vengeance story. But Andrews opts for a Rashomon-style perspective switch that offers up both Michael and Jack's points of view on the transpiring events. That tactic, complete with Abbott and Keoghan's performances, makes Bring Them Down a tense two-header.
Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan go head-to-head in Bring Them Down. Christopher Abbott, Barry Keoghan, and Nora Jane-Noone in "Bringe Them Down." Credit: Nick Cooke / MUBIAbbott and Keoghan have both carved out space for themselves as daring actors unafraid of stranger roles, so it's a pleasure to watch them square off in the intense pressure cooker of Bring Them Down.
Abbott's Michael is a quiet loner, but the opening car crash sequence proves that his quietude hides a seething, reckless rage. Caroline's scar remains physical proof of this, an omnipresent reminder that, while we might feel sympathy for Michael for his sheep troubles, he still has much to atone for. There's the sense that him caring for his father — the very man his mother was trying to escape — is part of that, especially since Ray berates Michael at every turn.
As Jack, Keoghan's role is twofold. From Michael's perspective, Jack is a slippery antagonist hellbent on wrecking his life. Once we see Jack's point of view, we realize he's a desperate screw-up working at the whims of others, like his father Gary or his cousin Lee (Aaron Heffernan, Brassic). Jack doesn't understand the consequences of what he's done until it's too late. Through his eyes, Michael becomes a quietly menacing force, recalibrating our perception of the man we spent the first half of the film with. Both Abbott and Keoghan work wonders with the perspective switches, finding new facets of two very complicated men who may be more alike than they'd know.
SEE ALSO: 'Peter Hujar's Day' review: Ira Sachs gently brings 1970s New York to life through a dramatic experimentAfter all, Jack's desire to please and help Gary calls to mind Michael's reaction to his mother wanting to leave Ray: He would do anything, no matter how awful, to appease his father. That cycle of sons doing the unthinkable for their fathers is the heart of Bring Them Down's examination of toxic masculinity. Michael has already been warped by his relationship with Ray, whose horrible treatment of his son likely stems from his own father, and his father before him. Jack, several years younger than Michael, may not be too far behind.
History continues to repeat itself elsewhere with Caroline. Like Michael's mother, Caroline is planning on leaving her husband, but she keeps getting drawn into Gary and Jack's rivalry with Ray and Michael. She's an innocent caught up in this storm, and she's not the only one.
The sheep scenes in Bring Them Down are not for the faint of heart. Christopher Abbott in "Bring Them Down." Credit: Patrick Redmond/MUBIMichael's mother and Caroline aren't the only casualties of Bring Them Down's men. Michael's sheep herd suffers greatly, in a grotesque animal mutilation scene that may already be one of the year's most upsetting sequences. Remember when Jenny the donkey died as a result of a bitter feud in The Banshees of Inisherin? The fate of Bring Them Down's sheep makes that look like a fairy tale.
Aside from the occasional shot of bloody flesh and wool, Andrews lets much of the sheep mutilation play out through sound. Hannah Peel's thumping, percussion-heavy score is pure sonic dread, while Gert Janssen's sound design is a stomach-churning combination of squelching and sheep bleating. (Don't worry: According to Bring Them Down's press notes, Andrews made the distressed sheep noises himself, which were then edited.)
The entire sequence, like the opening car crash, feels like a grounded nightmare from which there is no escape. Neither Michael nor Jack can outrun the sheep's pain either, culminating in a darkly funny climax that blurs the lines between human and animal. There's no forgetting the horrors they've wrought or their near-pitiable final confrontation, just as there's no forgetting Bring Them Down.
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On paper, We Live in Time seems thoughtfully formulated to be the perfect tearjerker for today. John Crowley, the celebrated helmer of the stunning Saoirse Ronan romance Brooklyn, teams with heralded actors/internet darlings Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield in a weepy romance of wooing and tragic loss. And yet, while peppered with sex scenes and adoring close-ups, this is not a hot or even sweaty embrace of lust and love, but a soggy handshake of a film that underwhelms despite its star power.
It’s shocking how We Live in Time had the pieces that should’ve been the stuff of Oscar acclaim and audience adoration. But despite bringing together two of the hottest young actors currently working, Crowley’s movie is astonishingly middling, set apart from forgettable fare only by a time-skipping device that feels inexplicable at best and frustrating at worst.
We Live in Time's plotting gimmick does not work.We Live in Time begins with a couple already so well established that they have a cozy morning routine. Ambitious chef Almut (Pugh) goes on a long picturesque run through a lovely forest, foraging ingredients along the way to use in her next culinary experiment. She returns home to a gorgeous cottage and gets to work in her pretty kitchen, while her loving husband Tobias (Garfield) is still sleeping comfortably in their bed.
No sooner is their bliss established over a breakfast in bed than the movie leaps back to before they met, when he was just a sad sack on the brink of divorce with his first wife. There’s thrilling chemistry following a literal car crash of a meet-cute, with Pugh’s signature charm sparking against Garfield’s unflappable wholesomeness. Other moments, like their much memed ride on a merry-go-round, are winsome. But they are tossed into this film with little regard to pacing or theme or any kind of apparent logic.
SEE ALSO: Horrible 'We Live in Time' horse becomes instant meme Featured Video For YouDespite the flashes back and forward, their story is straightforward, the stuff of weepy beach reads. They fall in love while she is building her first restaurant, and he is dealing with the end of his first marriage. They nearly break up realizing they have different expectations around children. But they will overcome these issues, as they will her first battle with cancer and its brutal chemo treatments. The main plot of the film takes place once they’ve had their daughter and are faced with the recurrence of the cancer, more aggressive than before. The question becomes, will Almut endure another round of body-wilting chemo that may not even save her life? Or will she reject treatment to make the most of the time she has left?
The second cancer battle alone could have made an interesting movie. But because this screenplay aims to loop back-and-forth to show the breadth of their entire relationship,We Live in Time feels more like postcards of a relationship than a portrait that is fleshed out or remotely captivating. There’s so little sense of cohesion from sequence to sequence, it’s hard to get emotionally invested in these characters, even if you’re someone who has been a fan of the actors, as I am.
Florence Pugh shines. Andrew Garfield is stranded.This is the kind of role that seems perfect for Florence Pugh, as it is a woman who is dealing with conflicting emotions that demand she smile and frown with equal passion. Almut loves her husband and her child, but also wants to be more than just “someone’s dying mum.” So when an opportunity to compete in a high-level cooking competition arises, she can’t bring herself to turn it down, even if it means pushing her body to its limits and spending less time at home.
Again, this could’ve made a compelling story on its own. But We Live in Time aims to create some sort of balance by also following Tobias, who has much less to do. Where Almut is established as having desires outside of her marriage, her husband exists solely to mope when she disappoints him. He’s just Ken, an accessory to hang on her like an anchor. Which is wild because Tobias’s arguments in the film — for honesty in their marriage and for attempting a new round of chemo — are valid, yet undermined by a plotting that treats him as a clingy obstacle to Almut’s professional dreams.
While Garfield delivers a soulful performance with big watery eyes, the scattered structure of the film gives him little to build on. Tobias is so thinly realized that the audience is left to fill in the gaps, perhaps with prior appreciation for Garfield or a general affection for Nicholas Sparks–style romances where the besotted lovers are doomed to be separated by death. In either case, the film on its own is frustratingly fractured.
Crowley fails to elevate a lackluster script.To be clear, We Live in Time is not the worst movie of the year. That’d be the repulsive and abysmal relaunch of The Crow. It’s not the biggest bomb of the year, which looks to be Eli Roth’s messy adaptation of Borderlands. It’s not even a movie arguably enhanced by some sort of scandal, like Pugh’s Don’t Worry Darling or 2024’s other recent weepy It Ends With Us. In fact, We Live in Time will likely be bolstered by the incredible chemistry its stars are sharing on red carpets and cheeky promotional interviews. But on its own, this movie is far less than the sum of its parts.
The cancer story could have been enough to sustain it. Perhaps with flashbacks to bolster our understanding not only of this couples' love but also the hardships they’ve traversed before. It could have been a delicately balanced story from both perspectives, exploring how sometimes even the choice of life or death is achingly complicated. But Crowley’s execution of Nick Payne’s woe-infested scribblings of a screenplay manages neither. The time jumps feel like artless novelty, attempting to distract from how threadbare this story actually is — particularly Almut’s first round of cancer, which makes up three short scenes.
While Pugh and Garfield give their all to Almut and Tobias, the chaotic smattering of scenes provides no build in emotional tension. In fact, jumping from the couple already together to not having met undercuts scenes of nervous flirtation with inevitability. It’s like for everything that might work in this film, there’s something else that works against it. Sequences like their first conversation in a hospital hallway and a birth sequence wildly alive with energy offer moments of hope that Crowley and company will cut their way through the messy plot device of time-skipping to hook into something unshakably profound.
But in the end, We Live in Time is profoundly mediocre, lacking the verve, sexiness, and raw human emotion we’ve come to expect from Pugh and Garfield.
We Live in Time is now streaming on Max.
UPDATE: Feb. 6, 2025, 2:41 p.m. EST "We Live in Time" was reviewed out of its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. This article, originally published on Sept. 16, has been updated to include viewing options.
2024 is proving a sensational year for the revival of the music biopic. Sure, it started off weak with the bog-standard One Love and the infuriating Back to Black. But summer brought the brazen rebellion of Kneecap, which played like an early Guy Ritchie crime romp. And the Toronto International Film Festival brought the wowing double act of Better Man, which reimagines British pop star Robbie Williams as a literal dancing monkey, and Piece By Piece, in which American rapper/songwriter/producer/fashion designer Pharrell Williams spins his life story into a Lego movie.
Even when the stories hit familiar beats of a rags-to-riches arc, both of these remarkable reinventions make their material stand out through style. But where Better Man embraces a warts-and-all approach, Pharrell Williams — with the collaboration of heralded documentarian Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom, Won't You Be My Neighbor?) delivers an inspirational animated biopic for all ages.
SEE ALSO: 42 movies you'll want to see this fallGlossing over the low points of Williams' journey earned the film mixed reviews out of its debut at Telluride Film Festival. But the more I mulled over what this movie does offer, the more I was won over by its playful, glossy approach.
Piece By Piece turns America's biggest hip-hop stars into minifigs. Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani in "Piece By Piece." Credit: Courtesy of Focus FeaturesTo find the arc of Williams' story, Neville interviewed the multi-hyphenate star, his wife Helen Lasichanh, and a dazzling array of collaborators and colleagues, including Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, The Neptunes' Chad Hugo, Gwen Stefani, and many more. In an interview with Mashable, Williams revealed many of these interviewees had no idea their contribution would be filtered through a Lego lens, and only discovered they'd been transformed into minifigs when the first trailer hit.
Neville's visual translation of these interviews includes amusing flourishes, like turning Snoop Dog into a Lego Doberman, and making metaphors about bakeries literal, with Lego Pharrell selling sweet treats the way he sold hit beats. In one instance, the idea of blowing one's mind with a sick bit of music is illustrated by having a smiling minifig’s head pop right off its base in amazement. These choices bring a playfulness into the film that not only is sure to delight fans of The Lego Movie and The Lego Batman Movie, but also reflects the tone of Williams' hits, like "Happy" and "Get Lucky."
More than this however, by turning himself into a plaything, Piece By Piece gives Williams a creative distance to reflect on his own life as if it is one of his many media projects. Through warm narration, he opens up about his childhood in the Atlantis Apartments in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The colorful blocks not only reconstruct his humble home but also a more fantastical version of Atlantis, where an Afro-wearing baby Pharrell swims about with a giant goldfish as Poseidon looks on. This charming spectacle showcases Pharrell's imagination manifesting big, surreal scenarios, which becomes a recurring theme — down to dreaming up a Lego music biopic.
Piece By Piece is a Little Engine That Could tale that kids will relish. Credit: Courtesy of Focus FeaturesAfter this whimsical dip into brick-made oceans, Williams admits he was considered an oddball by others, confessing, "It broke my spirit." But weird kids out there (or the weird adults they became) might find solace as little Pharrell finds his crew, each of whom also revels in making music. From there, Piece By Piece becomes a story of succeeding by staying true to yourself and putting in the work to build your dream, brick by brick. Along the way, Neville laces various hits that Pharrell has contributed to, from "Hot in Herre" and "Shake Ya Ass" to "Hollaback Girl" and "Blurred Lines." (Parents, don't fret. Some of the racier lyrics have been delicately plucked out.)
While it's initially fun to indulge in the nostalgia as Neville recreates iconic music videos with minifigs, this device begins to get old as the story of his rise makes for a lot of name- and track-dropping. Pardon the pun, but things get a bit one-note. Then when it comes to a low point — a necessity for any biopic or story for that matter — Williams pulls back.
Piece By Piece can't commit to its big swing. Credit: Courtesy of Focus FeaturesRosy memories of childhood troubles is one thing, but sharing why his career took a dip is a Lego bridge too far. Instead of probing questions, Neville paves a path with platitudes about how his subject's greatest weakness is he has too many ideas. Colleagues speak vaguely about some business missteps or shameless yes-men who gave Williams bad advice, and these unnamed negative influences are imagined as a trio of gray-skinned ghouls wearing smiles and business suits.
Here the film suffers. Even with the mask of the minifig, Williams can't let his audience into the dark moments. (On the other hand, this is where Better Man positively thrives.) Swiftly, Williams has reconnected with his pure inspiration, and the third act becomes a rousing celebration of song, dance, and Lego bits humorous and heartfelt. But this fumbled beat undercuts the movie's message. Being true to yourself isn't a one-time battle; it's ongoing. But with a community — like the minifig friends and family in Piece By Piece — one might get their block knocked off and still rebuild.
Even with help from an on-screen avatar, can Williams not admit the ugly truths of his own story? Or did he and Neville fear self-doubt in anything but the briefest mention might bring down the joy of their movie? To that, I'd point to the other Lego movies, where the Lego universe and Lego Gotham are brought to the brink of utter destruction without us losing faith in their minifig heroes. Heck, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part even made the dark side of its happy hero the minifig villain!
This wobble aside, Piece By Piece is a winsome reinvention of the music biopic. Animation is enthusiastically employed to bring the audience into the experience of being Pharrell Williams. The colorful blocks not only allow the construction of musical beats to become a physical act rather than an abstract idea, but also give a Ratatouille-like understanding of how this art form affects its hero. His synesthesia is showcased in waves of color as the beat bounces.
While this colorful concept means Piece By Piece can be a hit with kids, it's easy to wish the movie dared to delve a bit more into the problems of being a grown-up. But all in all, Piece By Piece is a delight that could well have audiences dancing in the aisles.
Piece By Piece is now streaming on Peacock.
UPDATE: Feb. 6, 2025, 4:24 p.m. EST "Piece By Piece" was reviewed out of its International Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. This review was originally published on Sept. 12, 2024, and has been updated to reflect viewing options.
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