- Help
- Google+
TL;DR: Live stream Panama vs. England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN, an Official Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has come down to the final day of group games. And while England have already qualified to the knockout stage, they're feeling the frustration of drawing 0-0 with Ghana in their last game. Now facing Panama to decide the group, England are expected to make some changes to the starting XI and come out all guns blazing. But can Panama surprise them?
If you want to watch Panama vs. England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Panama vs. England?Panama vs. England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 5 p.m. ET on June 27. This fixture takes place at New York New Jersey Stadium.
How to watch Panama vs. England for freePanama vs. England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.
ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Panama vs. England for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend 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 UK
Visit ITVX
Watch Panama vs. England for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Panama vs. England (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.
ExpressVPN's regular 30-day money back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the FIFA World Cup between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.
What is the best VPN for ITVX?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including the UK
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99. That covers you for the duration of the World Cup.
Live stream Panama vs. England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free.
TL;DR: Live stream Croatia vs. Ghana in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN, an Official Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is now down to the last day of group games. Croatia need a win to try and top Group L but Ghana have proved themselves so far, including a strong defensive performance against England. Can Croatia break down Ghana, or will Ghana hold strong again?
If you want to watch Croatia vs. Ghana in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Croatia vs. Ghana?Croatia vs. Ghana in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 5 p.m. ET on June 27. This fixture takes place at Philadelphia Stadium.
How to watch Croatia vs. Ghana for freeCroatia vs. Ghana in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.
ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Croatia vs. Ghana for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend 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 UK
Visit ITVX
Watch Croatia vs. Ghana for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Croatia vs. Ghana (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.
ExpressVPN's regular 30-day money back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the FIFA World Cup between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.
What is the best VPN for ITVX?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including the UK
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99. That covers you for the duration of the World Cup.
Live stream Croatia vs. Ghana in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free.
Today's Mars rovers typically drive at about 500 to 1,000 feet per hour — roughly the length of one to three football fields — and only for short stints at a time.
NASA engineers say they could go so much longer and faster if they could only think more for themselves.
A miniature prototype is already proving that point. On a recent test day, ERNEST, short for Exploration Rover for Navigating Extreme Sloped Terrain, rolled toward a pile of boulders that would stop Curiosity and Perseverance in their tracks. Instead of stalling or waiting for new instructions from controllers, it sized up the rocks, shifted its stance, and climbed straight over — no joystick from 200 million miles away necessary.
The robot, about four-feet long, looks a little like Wall-E or Johnny 5, with four mesh wheels in place of treads. Those wheels can lift and tilt, as if rising on tiptoes. ERNEST has already shown it can trundle about 16 miles across the Colorado desert in California. Engineers were hands-off during the excursion, mostly there to see how far the rover's new brain and body could take it. You can watch how it moves and navigates treacherous obstacles in the two videos below.
The space agency's next-generation of rovers will sense hazards, pick their own paths, manage their power and health, and keep driving without waiting for detailed instructions from Earth. Micromanaging from mission control often means the current rovers sit idle between communication windows. But AI and onboard autonomy could reduce that downtime, allowing the machines to travel faster and farther into new frontiers.
"Integrating artificial intelligence and autonomy software is the future of extraterrestrial rovers because it fundamentally overcomes the communication delays and communication resource constraints associated with space exploration," Ashish Goel, a research technologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told Mashable. "We have already seen that the Perseverance rover is able to drive significantly more distance than the Curiosity rover, despite having a similar mechanical design, primarily because of its ability to think and drive, and better autonomous driving capabilities in general."
SEE ALSO: NASA is daring to rescue a space telescope before it falls to EarthNASA has not announced a mission that would use ERNEST directly, but the agency has been studying concepts for future long-range lunar rovers that would require much greater independence.
One concept, known as Endurance, envisions a rover capable of traveling more than 1,200 miles on the moon over a span of four years, collecting and delivering samples across the lunar surface. To hit that goal, the rover would need to cover 2.5 to 4 miles per Earth day — about what Perseverance does in a year — and keep moving even when Earth can't send new instructions.
That scale of driving creates three big problems for human operators. First, communication takes time and literal bandwidth. A rover can't wait around for engineers to approve every turn of the wheel if it needs to cross a continent's worth of craters. Second, the schedule can't afford daily hand‑holding. Mission planners talk about uplinks, the batches of commands NASA sends as radio signals to a rover, only every couple of weeks, not every day. Third, the rover must survive and stay productive through harsh swings in light and temperature, including long two-week stretches of lunar night.
To handle that, the team behind Endurance argues for true onboard autonomy, not just smarter cruise control, according to a paper from the 2025 IEEE Aerospace Conference. The rover must control its own route, power use, thermal limits, and health checks. It has to pick paths that meet science goals while steering clear of boulders, craters, and sand traps. When something goes wrong, it needs to diagnose at least some problems on its own.
"The frequency of anomalies," the authors wrote, "has to be sufficiently low to maximize the mean-distance between interruptions, i.e., the distance traversed before the rover has to stop and call home for help."
ERNEST has already shown it can trundle about 16 miles across the Colorado Desert in California. Credit: NASA / JPL-CaltechThat's where AI and ERNEST come in. Engineers first built even smaller, half‑scale rovers and ran them through a sandbox full of artificial moondust. They tried 11 different ways to control the suspension before they arrived at the design. The prototype can squat, lean, or walk over obstacles and spread its weight when the ground looks soft.
To replace a human operator, the team turned to reinforcement learning, a type of AI where a robot learns by trial and error. JPL's Dynamics and Real‑Time Simulation Lab built a virtual world that mimics ERNEST's behavior on different slopes, surfaces, and rock fields. Engineers fed the simulator the data from real hardware tests, then virtually drove for thousands of hours.
After months of digital practice, they moved the new driving "brain" into the real rover and sent it into the lab's Mars Yard, a sort of obstacle course for extraterrestrial robots. There, ERNEST navigated sand ripples, rubble piles, steps, and steep slopes. It chose when to lift a wheel, when to crab crawl sideways, and when to pick a safer way around trouble.
But autonomy has to reach far beyond clever footwork. A rover needs sharp perception to navigate through some of the trickiest lighting conditions in the solar system. On the moon, for instance, sunlight can blast one side of a scene and plunge the rest into deep shadow. Dust and rock don't scatter light the way air does on Earth, so cameras can see both blinding glare and pitch dark in the same frame. That mix makes it hard to spot hazards and estimate distance.
To address those challenges, engineers want to give future rovers sharper "eyes" — better cameras, headlights, and laser 3D mapping — so the onboard AI has enough information to make informed steering decisions.
"As more capable computers become available for space missions, we can leverage the advancements in AI and autonomy to go farther, faster, and into more challenging environments, to unlock more scientific insights from our future planetary rovers," Goel said.
TL;DR: ChatOn Premium is just $69.99 for three years during Deal Days, giving you access to multiple leading AI models, image and video tools, and real-time web search in one platform.
Opens in a new window Credit: AIBY ChatOn Multi-AI Assistant Premium Plan (3 Year Subscription) $69.99AI tools are changing every month. Managing subscriptions to all of them? Not so fun.
That’s why ChatOn stands out during Deal Days, our answer to Prime Day. Through June 28, new users can get a three-year ChatOn Premium subscription for just $69.99 (reg. $119.99), unlocking access to multiple leading AI models and productivity tools from a single, dedicated app.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!Instead of bouncing between platforms, ChatOn puts GPT, Claude, Gemini, Sonar, and other AI models under one roof. This lets you switch to the model that fits the task without opening another app or managing another account.
The platform goes beyond chat, too. ChatOn includes AI image generation, image editing, video creation tools, document analysis, OCR text extraction, and real-time web search with source links. That makes it useful not only for brainstorming and writing but also for fact-checking, summarizing documents, and organizing projects.
One of the most practical features is the library of more than 100 ready-made prompts. Rather than starting from a blank page, users can jump straight into common tasks like content creation, planning, research, productivity, and business projects.
ChatOn also works across iOS, Android, and the web through a single account, making it easy to pick up where you left off regardless of device.
For people who use AI regularly, this isn’t really about finding the cheapest option. It’s about simplifying the experience. Instead of managing multiple tools that each do one thing well, ChatOn brings together several of the industry’s most popular AI models and features into a single workspace.
That’s a compelling proposition any time of year. During Deal Days, it’s a little easier to justify.
Get a 3-year subscription to ChatOn AI for a one-time $69.99 (reg. $119.99) through June 28.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
TL;DR: Get Microsoft Windows 11 Pro for just $9.97 (reg. $199) through June 28.
Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 11 Pro $9.97Prime Day may be grabbing headlines, but some of the most interesting software deals are already happening elsewhere. During Deal Days (our answer to Prime Day), Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is available for just $9.97 through June 28 (reg. $199) — a surprisingly low price.
This isn’t a stripped-down version or a temporary subscription. It’s a lifetime Windows 11 Pro license, designed for people who want more from their PCs than basic web browsing and email.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!The biggest difference between Windows 11 Home and Pro comes down to capability. Windows 11 Pro includes BitLocker encryption to help protect sensitive data, Hyper-V for running virtual machines, Windows Sandbox for safely testing applications, and Azure AD support for business and professional environments.
If you’ve ever needed developer tools, advanced security, or workplace-ready features, this is the version built for that.
You also get everything that makes Windows 11 appealing in the first place. Snap Layouts make multitasking easier, DirectX 12 Ultimate helps maximize gaming performance, and Microsoft’s built-in Copilot AI assistant can help summarize information, answer questions, and generate content directly from your desktop.
What makes this deal particularly interesting is that it isn’t about settling for an older version to save money. It’s about getting the full professional edition of Microsoft’s latest operating system at a price that feels more like a pricing error than a software upgrade.
Before purchasing, make sure your PC meets Microsoft’s Windows 11 system requirements. This license is intended for compatible computers that need a new Windows license.
If your PC is ready, Deal Days may be the perfect excuse to upgrade now rather than waiting for the next big sale event.
Get a lifetime license to Windows 11 Pro for a one-time $9.97 (reg. $199) through June 28.
Click here to view more of the Deal Days collection.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
TL;DR: Get a Microsoft Visio 2021 lifetime license for the lowest price yet, just $9.97 (reg. $249.99).
Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional: Lifetime License for Windows $9.97Turning complex data into something a coworker can read at a glance usually means hours in PowerPoint or Adobe Illustrator. If you want a shortcut, try Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional. This diagramming tool ships with hundreds of templates and over 250,000 shapes, and a lifetime license for Windows is on sale for the lowest price ever right now, just $9.97 (reg. $249.99).
You don’t need to be a designer to design something anymore. Microsoft Visio’s templates cover flowcharts map processes, decision trees, approvals, and a lot more all in one. Org charts pull straight from Excel, Exchange, or Microsoft Entra ID and update automatically as people move around. Floor plans use accurate, scalable measurements for office redesigns or retail layouts. SWOT and fishbone diagrams help with brainstorming. Network diagrams handle device, server, and connection layouts for IT and engineering teams.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!Past the templates, Visio includes more than 250,000 shapes that drag and drop straight onto the canvas. Diagrams can be linked to live data from internal and external sources, so an org chart or a network map updates as the underlying spreadsheet changes. Visio Professional also supports industry standards like BPMN 2.0, IEEE, and UML 2.5. That makes it the right pick for engineering, IT, and operations teams that need consistent, audit-friendly visuals. Updates roll out at no extra cost over the life of the license, so the templates stay current as new standards emerge.
Touch-enabled devices can use a finger or pen to draw and annotate diagrams directly on the screen. That makes Visio handy for quick whiteboarding sessions or working off a Surface during meetings. The interface mirrors other Microsoft apps, so anyone already running Word or PowerPoint won’t have to relearn the menus.
Turn your complex data into a clear visual. Get a Microsoft Visio $9.97, the lowest price ever, before June 28 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
AdultFriendFinder is one of the wildest, most popular adult dating sites on the entire internet, and it has held that position for decades, but all of that attention comes with a price. The site is also notoriously plagued by bots, fake profiles, and scammers, and using it well requires both being aware of this problem and knowing how to navigate it.
Luckily, if you've got even a minimum of internet savvy in you, plus maybe some experience being targeted for online scams before ("once bitten, twice shy" and all), you should have no trouble avoiding the bad actors and safely enjoying all of the adult fun AFF has to offer, even in the era of agentic AI.
To help you protect yourself, here are the three most common AI chatbots you may encounter on AdultFriendFinder, including information about how to spot them and how to defuse them once you've identified them.
Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder Learn More The promotional chatbotBy far the most common type of bot deployed on AFF is the promotional bot, and thankfully, these are also the most harmless, although that doesn't mean they can't also be annoying or a major waste of your time.
Promotional bots are designed to direct traffic to a specific location, which might be a Linktree, OnlyFans account, or even just an Instagram page. Most of the time, they function more as advertisements rather than scams. In other words, they directly declare their intentions ("Visit this page to see my private content") rather than hide it, but occasionally they take a page out of the scamming chatbot method (see below) and engage you in superficial conversation before urging you to go off the site with a link.
You're very unlikely to encounter promotional chatbots in one-on-one conversations through the AFF matchmaking system, since chatting here requires a paid account, but you'll run into them often in the more public areas, especially the live webcam shows.
Your best approach here is to ignore them entirely. If you do happen to find a performer who interests you, the minimum you should do before clicking the link is verify the destination address, since there's always the chance you'll be directed to a malicious site.
SEE ALSO: The best hookup apps for 2026: I swiped until my thumb hurt The scamming chatbotBetween its account verification system (known as ConfirmID) and the fact that all private, one-on-one chats on the site are confined to paying members, you're not likely to have a chatbot slide into your DMs, but that doesn't mean it's unheard of, either.
For scammers, AI chatbots are an easy way to scale up their fraudulent schemes, since outsourcing the phishing expeditions to AI enables them to potentially reach hundreds or even thousands more people. Worse still, as we're in the midst of widespread AI adoption, these chatbots are getting better and better, which makes them harder to recognize. They absolutely can hold a conversation and even crack jokes, so unlike ten or even five years ago, when most chatbots failed the Turing test within minutes of speaking with them. The latest models can happily hold a back-and-forth conversation for some time.
The two major red flags here, however, are reliable indicators that you're talking to a scammer. First, they will, at some point, attempt to create a sense of urgency, either by telling you a story or appealing to your sympathy. Next, they will ask you to click a link or take the conversation to a third-party chat program.
As soon as this happens, your best defense is to disengage. But if you're really uncertain, you can also ask the person to verify their identity, like with a phone or video call. If they're resistant, you can be assured they're actually a bot.
SEE ALSO: Is AdultFriendFinder safe to use? What a cybersecurity expert says. The fake streamerLarger webcam sites have been taken over by fake streams, but even a smaller hosting platform like AFF isn't immune to the problem. The scam works in one of two ways: either the streamer uses pre-recorded videos, often of total strangers, to falsify their livestream, or else they use generative AI and a low-quality feed to pass off a fake stream as a real one.
In both cases, the real scam happens in the comment section, where the streamer or AI agent requests tips or subscriptions, or else tries to send the stream viewers to a third-party site for more content.
The two major tells for these types of scams are, first, the speed at which the "streamer" is able to type in chat, and second, the obvious disconnect between the actions of the "streamer" on webcam and the typing supposedly going on as they reply in the comment section.
AdultFriendFinder has two major camming areas — the Member Webcams section and the Pro Models section — and of the two, the latter is far more infiltrated by bots. Member Webcams rarely draw more than a dozen viewers, while professional feeds often attract hundreds, making them a much more lucrative target for scammers.
Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you watch the NBA.
As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: GOAT
Green: NBA Champions
Blue: Women's legends
Purple: Sounds like an NFL player
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: A Revered Star
Green: Last Four NBA Champions
Blue: WNBA Players in the Basketball Hall of Fame
Purple: Starts with an NFL Starting QB
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #642 is...
What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?A Revered Star: GREAT, ICON, LEGEND, SUPERSTAR
Last Four NBA Champions: BOSTON, DENVER, NEW YORK, OKLAHOMA CITY
WNBA Players in the Basketball Hall of Fame: CASH, CATCHINGS, LESLIE, WHALEN
Starts with an NFL Starting QB: JACKSONVILLE, MAYER, WILLIAMSPORT, YOUNGSTER
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.
Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.
How to play PipsIf you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 27, 2026The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:
Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.
SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for June 27, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for June 27 PipsEqual (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed vertically.
Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically.
Number (6): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 6. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically; 3-5, placed horizontally.
Number (6): Everything in this orange space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally.
Number (6): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally.
Medium difficulty hints, answers for June 27 PipsNumber (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically; 2-3, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically.
Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.
Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically.
Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically; 6-6, placed vertically.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.
Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically.
Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically; 3-1, placed vertically.
Number (16): Everything in this space must add up to 16. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically; 6-1, placed vertically.
Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically.
Hard difficulty hints, answers for June 27 PipsNumber (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically.
Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically.
Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 5-0, placed horizontally.
Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 5-0, placed horizontally.
Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.
Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally.
Number (6): Everything in this red space must add up to 6. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically.
Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.
Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 2-2, placed horizontally.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you like game nights.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for June 27, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Board game
Green: Walk the walk
Blue: Lined
Purple: Gallops
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
Here are today's Connections categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Monopoly squares
Green: Components of a fashion show
Blue: Commonly striped things
Purple: Ending in horse gaits
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #1112 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayMonopoly squares: BOARDWALK, INCOME TAX, SHORT LINE, WATER, WORKS
Components of a fashion show: CATWALK, COLLECTION, DESIGNER, MODEL
Commonly striped things: BARBER POLE, BILLIARD BALL, CREDIT CARD, CROSSWALK
Ending in horse gaits: DECANTER, ENVELOPE, FIREWALK, FOXTROT
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 27, 2026Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a city dweller.
Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 27, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Suite re-leaseThe words are related to home.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThese words describe dwellings.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Apartments.
NYT Strands word list for June 27Loft
Studio
Apartments
Flat
Efficiency
Condo
Penthouse
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love to gossip.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 27, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for June 27, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:Rumor.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?The letter O appears twice.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
SCOOP
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.
SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hintDrift.
SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answerGLIDE
Hurdle Word 2 hintCarryC.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 27, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 AnswerSLING
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
Hurdle Word 3 hintCoral reef.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 27 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 27, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answerATOLL
Hurdle Word 4 hintCrazy.
Hurdle Word 4 answerNUTTY
Final Hurdle hintPink shade.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answerMAUVE
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Best Prime Day Grooming Deal: In the closing hours of Amazon's Prime Day sale, you can save 40% on the Laifen Electric Shaver. Normally, $179.99, it's marked all the way down to $107.99 for a limited time.
Opens in a new window Credit: Laifen Laifen Waterproof Electric 3-Blade Razer $107.99 at AmazonBefore I was Mashable's tech editor, I spent years reviewing grooming and skincare products. And in my career, I've tested at least a dozen electric shavers, and probably closer to two dozen. For Amazon Prime Day 2026, you can score a great deal on my favorite electric shaver, which comes from a brand you've probably never heard of.
Laifen first came onto our radar for making the best Dyson Supersonic hair dryer alternative, and the brand has been expanding its line of personal care and beauty tech gadgets in recent years. It now sells some impressive devices, and in my experience, the brand's products are durable, well-designed, and practical. In short, everything I want in a grooming gadget.
The Laifen 3-Blade Electric Shaver is normally a bit expensive to recommend at $179.99, which is why I have to highlight this Prime Day grooming deal. This waterproof shaver is currently discounted by 40%, bringing the price down to a much more reasonable $107.99. That beats its previous all-time low sale price by almost $40.
This product won me over for a lot of reasons. One, I think anything more than three blades is overkill. Two, I'm a sucker for transparent product designs, and I love how you can see into the device's motor. Three, it has a battery that seems to last forever. On top of all that, it's fully waterproof, compact enough for travel, and it fits my face and facial hair just right.
So, if you want to upgrade your electric shaver or finally ditch the disposables, this product gets my full recommendation as an experienced grooming writer. While I think of this as a men's grooming product, it would work just as well for women.
Laifen 3-Blade Electric Shaver — $107.99 $179.99 (save $72)
Amazon Prime Day is ending today, and we're working around the clock to get you the biggest deals before it's all over. Remember: Amazon Prime Day 2026 runs until Friday, June 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT, and the best Prime Day deals are set to expire soon.
Prime Day is a four-day sale that sometimes feels a lot longer, but even on the very last day of the sale, Amazon was still dropping new discounts. Some popular products are now cheaper than they were on the first day of the sale. Is that entirely fair to people who purchased these items earlier in the sale? We'll let you answer that rhetorical question for yourself.
So, even as we enter the final hours of Amazon Prime Day 2026, there are still some deals coming in. Here are the best last-minute deals on products that dropped in price on the last day of the sale.
Nespresso Vertuo Next Coffee and Espresso Maker Opens in a new window Credit: Nespresso Nespresso Vertuo Next Coffee and Espresso Maker $89 at AmazonAmazon has discounted pretty much the entire line of Nespresso appliances for Prime Day, including deals on Nespresso pods. Previously on sale for $99, this popular countertop kitchen gadget was the subject of a Friday lightning deal, which dropped the price by an additional $10. So, good news for last-minute shoppers, and not-so-good news for early birds.
LG C5 OLED 65-Inch TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon LG C5 OLED 65-Inch TV $1,099.99 at AmazonWho doesn't love a big TV? It has an incredible 65-inch display with stellar color contrast. Your movies, TV shows, and video games have never looked so good. If you're a gamer, you'll be happy to know that its 144Hz refresh rate will keep your gameplay smooth. This award-winning OLED TV was a trending product this Prime Day, and with a bonus $100 discount, we've named it the best TV deal of the event.
Amazon Echo Spot smart alarm clock Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Spot $39.99 at AmazonThe Amazon Echo Spot works as a great alarm clock to get you up in the morning. You can see the weather, reminders, and time with it. It also contains an eero built into it, so this device doubles as a mesh WiFi extender to help extend your internet! If that's not enough, it also triples as an Alexa smart speaker.
More Amazon Echo Show device deals Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Show 5 $49.99 at AmazonThis Amazon Echo Show 5 has a 5.5-inch display and can stream music, shows, and podcasts. It has other functions like putting your photos on display when not in use, and control smart devices like your lights and thermostats when you're away. Talk about useful!
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Dot $29.99 at AmazonThe Amazon Echo Dot can play music from streaming services like Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify, making it the perfect little stereo for you. Plus, it has Alexa, so you can ask it questions and get some helpful answers, as well as set hands-free timers.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Dot Kids $29.99 at AmazonThe Echo Dot Kids is made specifically for children, and includes a new sleep studio to help kids calm down. It also has thousands of kid-friendly audiobooks to keep them occupied while learning.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select coupon deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select $9.99 at AmazonThis Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select Select offers 4K streaming, making your TV shows and movies look better than ever. You'll get access to almost every single entertainment app like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and more. As Prime Day drew to a close, Amazon resurrected a classic coupon deal on this product, which was previously on sale for $14.99. Using the on-page coupon or the coupon code FTVSELECT, Prime members can save $30 on this streaming stick and pay just $9.99.
Honorable mention: Ninja Slushi offer at Walmart Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart Ninja Slushi $179.99 at WalmartSo this one isn't an Amazon Prime deal, but there are a ton of retailers that, not-so-coincidentally, are hosting their own summer sales at the moment. Amazon's $199.99 deal on the Ninja Slushi frozen drink maker proved extremely popular at the beginning of the sale, so much so that it quickly sold out. However, yesterday, we noticed that Walmart is now selling this kitchen appliance for $179.99, even less than the SharkNinja online store. This Mashable-tested appliance is a lot of fun in the summer, when you can use it to whip up frozen margs.
You've probably got a 3D printer on one of your wishlists somewhere. You've just been waiting for the price drop. Now that it's Prime Day, it's prime time to snag one at a reasonable price. These machines rarely see steep discounts the rest of the year, so Amazon's big sale event is one of the few times you'll see prices that might make you consider finally snagging one.
In addition to some of our favorites from brands like Elegoo, we've also found Bambu Lab Prime Day deals that are still available in the final hours of the sale. So, take advantage of these offers on budget 3D printers, with entry-level options priced low enough to make buying a 3D printer feel a lot more accessible.
But rather than send you digging through Amazon's deal listings, we've pulled together the 3D printer deals that are actually worth your cash. Here's what to grab before Prime Day comes to an end.
Best overall Prime Day 3D printer deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Elegoo Centauri Carbon 3D Printer $299.98 at AmazonThis beginner-friendly 3D printer is a zippy option that can achieve up to 500 mm/s print speeds and 20,000 mm/s acceleration, which means it can churn out projects surprisingly quickly. It has a full auto-calibration cycle as well, so you don't have to spend time learning how to do what might end up being frustrating or mundane tasks on your own. The result is strong, lightweight parts that are also heat-resistant. That means the resulting parts are perfect for cars, drones, and other similar options.
Mashable reviewer Adam Doud found it a "nice, contained, all-in-one solution" for those looking to get into the space.
Best Prime Day 3D printer with AMS deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Bambu Lab P1S with AMS $499.99 at AmazonThis Bambu Labs favorite combines Kevlar and thick insulation to manufacture strong, solid products and parts. It has a 1-clip quick swap nozzle, full-auto calibration, and an automatic material system (AMS) that can swap between different spools mid-print. That means you can get multi-material printing as well as filament backup for a smoother overall print experience. The multiple-spool setup is an important addition with this model, and its sale price makes it well worth grabbing while it's still discounted. Being able to quickly swap colors is a highly underrated feature you won't know you've been missing until you have it.
Best Prime Day resin 3D printer deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Elegoo Mars 4 Ultra $239.99 at AmazonThis is a great (and affordable) option for anyone looking to get into 3D printing. It uses resin for its creation, with a 4K resolution that makes for crispy creations. Each layers cure in just under 3 seconds as well, so whether you're using a second machine to whip up some extra detailed miniatures for a campaign or you're testing the 3D printing waters, this is a smart way to kill both birds with one stone. And it's a much more forgiving purchase overall for your bank account in comparison to a full-sized 3D printer, after all.
TL;DR: 1min.AI gives you access to ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and more for life, and it’s only $70 during Deal Days.
Opens in a new window Credit: 1minAI 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription $69.97AI subscriptions are expensive, and it only gets worse when you need more than one. ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro, and Gemini Advanced each cost $20 a month, every month, and that’s before you start paying for image, voice, or video tools. If you want a way out, try 1min.AI. This platform gives you lifetime access to many of the AI models you already use, and during Deal Days, it’s only $69.97 (reg. $540).
1min.AI gives you access to popular AI models you can use for everything from writing and image generation to grammar checks, audio transcription, or translation between languages. Instead of trying to use one AI tool for everything, you can chat with GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini, Llama, Mistral, or Cohere, among others. You can also generate images, upscale or extend them, remove backgrounds, swap faces, or even create 3D images when text alone won’t cut it.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!Voice and video features come with the same lifetime plan. You can clone a voice, generate text-to-speech narration, or clean up a muddy recording without leaving the app. Video tools handle text-to-video and image-to-video generation when a static image isn’t enough on its own. Upload a PDF and chat with it directly instead of scrolling through 60 pages, or drop in a YouTube link to get a transcript, summary, or translation in seconds.
Advanced Business Plan access runs on a shared credit pool of 4 million credits a month. That works out to roughly 1.1 million words, 1,186 images, or 37 short videos in any combination you need. Daily logins add another 15,000 free credits on top of that. Up to 20 team members can share a single workspace with shared brand voices, prompt libraries, and unlimited storage. A recent update also put the app on iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, and Windows alongside the web version.
Replace all your AI subscriptions. Get a 1min.AI lifetime subscription on sale for $69.97 until June 28 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Be sure to check out the full Deal Days collection before the sale ends.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Whatever you may think of Olivia Wilde as a filmmaker, it's impossible to deny she has a good eye for crafting comedy. In 2019, the American actress who'd proved herself as a sultry starlet thrilled audiences and critics alike with her directorial debut Booksmart. Universally lauded, the teen comedy teamed Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as a pair of intellectually bright but socially oblivious besties, and the results were heart-warming and hilarious.
SEE ALSO: A24's 'The Invite' trailer: Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton really dig Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde's vibeWith Wilde's follow-up, however, she fumbled. Don't Worry Darling, a psychological thriller starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, was not only plagued with rumors of on-set discord and bad press before it even premiered, but savaged by critics once it did for its nonsensical plotline and underwhelming leading man.
Thankfully, Wilde's back with another comedy that combines sexual anxiety with a crackling cast. Pulling double duty as director and star, Wilde appears opposite Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton in The Invite. The quartet plays two couples whose relationships shift dramatically over the course of one dinner party.
Together, they create a sex comedy that's absolutely hysterical, ribbed with cringe and swagger. But Wilde is the film's weak link.
The Invite is blisteringly funny. Credit: Courtesy of A24Based on Cesc Gay's critically heralded 2020 Spanish comedy Sentimental, The Invite is largely confined to a sprawling San Francisco apartment that's been newly renovated. There lives bickering married couple Angela (Wilde) and Joe (Rogen), with their young daughter, who will be spoken of but never seen as she's away for a slumber party on this pivotal night.
Screenwriting team Will McCormack and Rashida Jones (Celeste and Jesse Forever) swiftly establish the disharmony in this home with the kind of lived-in arguments that begin mundane, but grow malevolent as the years go by. Thus, when Joe tumbles in after an uninspired day as a music teacher for bored band geeks, he's met not with a greeting but with Angela's demand that he take his shoes off and put away his folding bike before he can even take a breath.
An aspiring artist who's channeled all her creative energy into this renovation, Angela is desperate to impress the couple's chic upstairs neighbors, Pina (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton), who she's invited over for dinner. After months of seeing them in the elevator or hearing them through the floor, Angela is practically giddy to get closer to this curious couple. Joe, on the other hand, mostly wants to tell them to quiet down their loud late-night sex — in part because hearing such thunderous lovemaking only makes the quiet chasteness of their own bedroom all the more obvious.
But as suggested in The Invite's first teaser, Pina and Hawk bring more than a bottle of wine to this dinner party. Oozing a seductive confidence, the flirtatious pair seem ever on the verge of tumbling into PDA or an indecent proposal. The tension of The Invite's second act is how Joe and Angela will handle such an offer, with one seemingly crushing ahead of their arrival and the other convinced he'll be crushed by the results.
You likely won't predict exactly how this could-be orgy plays out. But you will cackle at The Invite's sex-positive yet preposterously silly climax.
Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton are fantastically funny in The Invite.To Wilde's credit, she initially puts her co-stars in their comfort zones. Rogen plays an insecure stoner whose self-defense mechanism is jokes. Norton is his foil, a frustratingly confident and erudite man who's dashing and nakedly in touch with his own feelings. As Pina, Cruz oozes an easy sensuality with an enviable cool.
However, The Invite pushes past these familiar places, giving the actors room to stretch into comic extremes. Rogen's stoner pops off with comically combative observations. Norton's non-toxic masculinity blooms into a bizarre runner about Hawk's deep love of floor rugs. And Cruz's mature breeziness persists whether she's talking about her flan recipe or her love of pegging. But the way she repeatedly says "my boobs" with pointed nonchalance is hilarious all on its own.
Whether they are fighting or flirting, there's a heady intensity in The Invite, reminiscent of the tension of Roman Polanski's Carnage, which also featured two couples in one room, hashing out much more serious problems. As a director, Wilde thoughtfully stages the unfolding sexual tension across an apartment full of corners perfect for heated exchanges and innuendo. The static camera favored by cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra creates an unobtrusive view into this intimate night. Wide shots early on give us a sense of distance from the lovers, but creep into close-ups as the topics get hotter.
This creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that exacerbates the social stakes of each interaction. Because, of course, if tonight gets weird, Joe and Angela will still see Pina and Hawk in the elevator, in the lobby, and through their windows. So, a sense of cat-and-mouse comes into play, where it's not enough to say what's screaming in their hearts, but to do so in a way that feels like winning. Because if they don't, they'll always be losers in this newly renovated home.
Working with editors Anthony Boys and Yorgos Mavropsaridis, Wilde builds a tension in The Invite that was too often absent in Don't Worry, Darling. And to her credit, she's committed to capturing Angela's electrifying need to be seen through every comment about interior design, each placement of an appetizer, and any glance at Joe, Pina, or Hawk. But she can't keep up with her cast. Where Rogen, Cruz, and Norton seem to bloom over the course of the film, Wilde seems to be straining to flesh out Angela from an archetypal self-hating nag. The other performances here feel lived-in, perhaps because the actors in them begin in familiar roles. But Wilde, whose niche might be the unflappable beauty (Tron: Legacy; Don't Worry, Darling) begins in a place of strained panic, and even as Angela begins to relax, the strain persists.
It's easy to understand why she'd want to be a part of this ensemble even as she directs the film. But when her co-stars are operating at such a high level of developing sexual tension, comedic timing, and pathos, Wilde's performance feels thinner in comparison. Which is not to say hers is not a good performance — it's just not a great one.
This qualm aside, I was enchanted by The Invite. McCormack and Jones' screenplay is smartly written, bringing emotional depth to all four lovers, while solidly establishing the relatable frustrations of long-term relationships. Wilde's direction is deceptively simple in its aesthetic, favoring cinematography that allows us to spy without the discomfort of voyeurism. This keeps the tone light even as the talk turns dirty. And with an ensemble that's totally game to embrace the silly, sexy, and subversive, The Invite is ruthlessly entertaining.
The Invite opens in theaters on July 3.
Take a New York Minute to Review Your Recovery Plan Don Henley is right: everything can change in a New York...
I Lost all of my Photos In every disaster I have ever responded to from here to...
Boston's most important responders: Bostonians The people of Boston are to be congratulated for being...
3 Values Your Business Continuity Plan Should Have Your business lives with risk every day from competitors...
Take a New York Minute to Review Your Recovery Plan Don Henley is right: everything can change in a New York...
Digital Privacy: A Catch 22 Mobility, convenience, accessibility and real-...
3 Values Your Business Continuity Plan Should Have Your business lives with risk every day from competitors...
I Lost all of my Photos In every disaster I have ever responded to from here to...