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I'll admit it: I miss the 2000s frozen yogurt craze. There was a shop on every corner and an endless array of flavors and toppings. I never thought the day would come when I could bring that joy home until I was introduced to the Ninja Swirl.

After testing the Ninja Creami, I got used to having homemade frozen dessert on command. So when Ninja reached out about the debut of its latest Creami device, the Ninja Swirl, which lets you make soft serve at home, I was all ears.

I got a sneak peek of the Ninja Swirl at the brand's event in early February, and it certainly got me hyped to bring it home. Now that I've tested it, here's what I think about the Ninja Swirl.

Reliving the froyo craze thanks to the Ninja Swirl. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable How does the Ninja Swirl work? Place the pint on the left side of the machine, and you'll have fresh soft serve within seconds. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Ninja Swirl builds off of the original Creami technology. Each Swirl comes with two pints to mix up your concoctions. Once filled, the pints must be frozen for 24 hours before you can "spin" them. You can think of the spinning process as a reverse blender. Instead of the blade sitting at the bottom, it comes down from the top, cutting and spinning through the ice cream until it's as creamy as what you buy from the store.

Each Creami has a variety of settings, including ice cream, lite ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, gelato, and milkshake. Plus, there are settings to re-spin if your mix is not the right texture or you want to add mix-ins.

The Swirl adds a new feature for dispensing soft serve. The pints that come with the Swirl all have a dispensing feature, which is utilized when you place them in the left-hand dispenser. Then, you pull the lever, and the machine pushes the ice cream out.

How is the Ninja Swirl different than the Creami?

The most significant difference between the Swirl and the standard Creami is the ability to make soft serve. The regular and deluxe Ninja Creami produce scoopable ice cream or frozen drinks, and the Swirl can do all of that, plus make soft serve. Part of the soft serve process is the inclusion of a soft serve dispenser that feels like you're working at an ice cream shop, with a handle to pull and everything.

SEE ALSO: TikTok is in love with the Ninja Creami, but am I?

The biggest difference between soft serve and regular ice cream is air. Soft serve adds more air to achieve a light and fluffy texture compared to denser ice cream. In standard ice cream making, air is added during the churning and freezing process; however, the Ninja Creami brings air into play during the spinning process.

The Ninja Swirl features a setting that adds more air to the product so it's ready to dispense as soft serve.

It's creamier than ever The Ninja Swirl (right) spins pints to creamy perfection compared to the standard Ninja Creami (left). Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

When I was first introduced to the Ninja Swirl, I was intrigued by the brand's claim that this new device added more air to the spinning process to replicate classic soft serve or froyo. I was cautiously optimistic about this but still hesitant. My previous experience with the Ninja Creami was that getting the right texture, one that's genuinely creamy and easy to scoop, requires at least one re-spin, but often more.

So when I first used the Ninja Swirl, I wanted to try my go-to Creami recipe for chocolate hazelnut froyo. I mixed plain Greek yogurt with a chocolate hazelnut spread and let it freeze for over 24 hours. When it came time to spin the pint, my jaw was on the floor when, after one spin, it turned out to be the smoothest ice cream (pictured above, right) I'd ever seen from a Creami. Usually, getting anywhere near that consistency requires multiple spins, and even then, it's still a little too thick (pictured above, left).

Ninja has clearly improved the technology between models and has struck gold. The spinning process is more powerful than ever on the Ninja Swirl, regardless of whether you're making soft serve or scoopable ice cream.

You never have to leave the house for soft serve again

There's nothing I love more than leaving the house on a late summer evening to indulge in a cone of soft serve. It's something you can't get at home, unlike a pint of ice cream you buy at the grocery store. But now, with the Ninja Swirl, I don't have to leave the house for soft serve.

Using the Ninja Swirl's soft serve feature is impossibly easy. After spinning your pint on the soft serve setting, install the soft serve lid attachment and install the whole pint into the dispensing portion. Then, using the lever on the right side of the machine, release the ice cream.

Despite being non-dairy, the pineapple whip I made was exceptionally creamy. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

I tried a couple of different recipes for the soft serve mechanism, both dairy and non-dairy. The creamiest was, unsurprisingly, the dairy-based froyo, which dispensed evenly without any air pockets to disrupt the flow of dispensing. The fruit whip I made, an ode to a Dole whip, still faired pretty well in the machine. It looked really smooth and silky after spinning, so I had high hopes when I went to dispense it.

It had a less consistent flow than the dairy recipe I made. Ninja warns users that they might hear some popping during the soft serve dispensing, just air pockets getting pushed out. I definitely experienced quite a lot of popping with the fruit whip, which resulted in a less consistent flow. My swirls weren't as pretty as they were with the froyo, but the ice cream's texture was fine while eating it. It just might not look as Instagrammable as other recipes.

That being said, using the soft serve dispenser is just straight-up fun. Pulling the lever and swirling the ice cream feels like you're back in the froyo shop.

It's made for meal preppers and protein maxxers

The Ninja Creami became an internet sensation through creators in the health and fitness space. Users see the device as a way to enjoy ice cream while still hitting their daily macros. At the Ninja event I attended, the brand doubled down on the Swirl's spot in the health space, collaborating with health and fitness creator John Jung to highlight the new Creamifit setting.

Creamifit is designed to work best with recipes that include protein powders or shakes, which is a huge draw for users already tapping the Creami to make protein-focused desserts.

SEE ALSO: The best fitness trackers you can buy in 2025: From smartwatches to rings

I had an issue with the Creami in my first review: the pints require 24 hours of freezing before use, so it's not like you can just have some ice cream on a whim. That remains the case for the Ninja Swirl, so it's best fit for meal preppers who want to prep a few pints at the beginning of the week so they're ready to go when the mood strikes.

It isn't great for single servings — or a crowd

The only real drawback I've found to the Ninja Swirl's soft-serve feature is that it's not great for single servings or a crowd. At 16 oz, it's best used to produce four four-ounce servings. At the Ninja event, I noticed the Ninja team needed to swap out the pints after about four people served themselves. So, if you're planning on serving a crowd, prepare to have some backup pints ready.

If it's just you enjoying the soft serve, you'll have leftovers. The issue here is that the ice cream dispenses directly from the pint in which it's frozen. It gets pretty messy during dispensing, so it's not great to throw it back in the freezer like I would with the pints I used in the standard Creami.

That being the case, I found myself reaching for the Swirl a lot less during the week. When it's just me and my partner, we don't want to polish off a pint, just the two of us, and we don't want to deal with the messy leftover pint. So, I waited until we had a couple more people over before using the soft serve function.

If you want to enjoy the soft serve in single servings, I recommend having a clean pint on hand and moving your leftovers there after use.

It's still way too loud — and even bigger than before

The number one complaint you will hear about the Ninja Creami is its loudness. Imagine a powerful vacuum and then crank it up a couple of notches kind of loud. This makes it less than ideal for parents looking to sneak in a late-night snack when the kids are asleep, apartment dwellers sharing a wall with their neighbors, or pet owners. My cat seriously hates the Ninja Swirl, even if he begs me for the fruits of its labor.

Unfortunately, the Swirl is just as loud as the Creami, as you can hear from the video above. While it's a total pain hearing it go on for six minutes, it's an unavoidable part of the Swirl and Creami experience.

The Ninja Swirl takes up valuable counter space. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Because of the addition of the soft serve dispenser, the Ninja Swirl is a lot bigger than the Creami. As an apartment dweller with already limited counter space, I may not be able to justify making the Swirl a permanent fixture in my kitchen. However, if you have endless counter or storage space or just really love ice cream, making room for it is a worthy sacrifice.

Is the Ninja Swirl worth it? Should you indulge in soft serve at home? Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Yes, the Ninja Swirl is worth it. Having tested both the standard Ninja Creami and the Ninja Swirl, the Swirl is the better investment as an ice cream maker. It has improved performance, requiring fewer re-spins to achieve a creamy consistency. Soft serve or froyo fiends will love the new dispensing feature, which is exceptionally easy to use and, not to mention, really fun.

There are certainly drawbacks, such as its size and how loud it is to use, but if you're prepared for both, there's no reason that it will inhibit your experience using it.

It will cost you $349.99; however, with the capability to make both soft serve and scoopable ice cream, it's the best-valued Creami device yet.

Ninja Swirl by Creami $349.99 at Amazon
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TL;DR: The NanoPhone does everything a normal smartphone can do in a fraction of the size, and it's on sale for $99.97 (reg. $199). 

Big phones are good for a lot of things, but portability isn't one of them. If you want something a little easier on the pockets, then check out the NanoPhone. It looks like an iPhone, works like an Android, and is about the size of a credit card. This tiny phone does everything you'd expect of a regular smartphone at a fraction of the size and a pretty small price: just $99.97 (reg. $199) during this limited-time sale. 

The pocket-friendly phone

Despite its small size, this little smartphone doesn’t skimp on the essentials. It comes equipped with a clear, responsive touchscreen that makes navigation a breeze, whether you're scrolling through your contacts or browsing the web. The intuitive interface is designed to keep things simple, so you can easily manage calls, texts, and apps without the bulk of a standard smartphone.

The NanoPhone also has a great camera, perfect for capturing those on-the-go moments when you don’t have your full-sized device handy. Plus, it supports Bluetooth connectivity, so you can pair it with wireless headphones or a smartwatch for a seamless experience.

Battery life won’t be an issue either. The NanoPhone is designed to last throughout your day, whether you’re making calls, streaming music, or checking your emails. And with expandable storage, you can carry all your essential apps, photos, and files without compromise.

Whether you’re hitting the gym, going for a run, or just want to travel light, the NanoPhone is a practical solution that could fit your lifestyle.

Small in size and big on features, it's ready to go wherever life takes you.

You have until March 16 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get a NanoPhone on sale for $99.97. 

No coupon needed. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mutant Design Lab NanoPhone - A Miniaturized Smartphone Packed with Mega Features! $99.97
$199.99 Save $100.02 Get Deal

TL;DR: Save 44% on the MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card, now just $23.97 (reg. $42) through March 30. 

A lot wallet is a quick way to ruin your whole week. Trackers like AirTags work on a lot of different things, but they don't really fit in sleek items like wallets or ID badges. That's why it's good news the MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card just hit the scene. 

This razor-thin tracker works like an AirTag, but it can fit in all those extra-narrow spots AirTags just can't. And through March 30, you can get a MagTag Ultra on sale for only $23.97 (reg. $42). 

Easily track anything

The MagTag Ultra is just 1.5mm thick and the size of a credit card. It slips easily into everything from wallets to purses, backpacks, or passport pouches. A built-in keyring hole is also available to help attach MagTag to keys, bags, name tags, or ID lanyards. 

Here's how it works.

This sleek tracker works with Apple's FindMy app, so there are no other apps to download or monitor. And aside from keeping tabs on its location with precision global tracking, you can also get instant alerts.

Get a notification if you accidentally leave behind your items with MagTag. Don't worry if you lose them — you'll easily be able to find them again thanks to a loud beeping noise that alerts you. 

Don't worry about battery life. It lasts up to five months on a full charge. If the battery gets low, just pop it on any Qi wireless charger.

The MagTag is IP68 waterproof and dustproof, so it's ready to tag along on even the wildest vacations and adventures... or just on rainy daily commutes. 

Keep your belongings safe with the MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card, on sale for just $23.97 now through March 30.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: MagTag MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card - Works with Apple Find My App $23.97
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TL;DR: Through March 16 only, get a Babbel lifetime subscription for $129.97 when you use code LEARN40.

Spring is coming in hot (or wet), so it’s time to start getting ready for your spring and summer travel plans. Instead of vowing to hit the gym or buying more stuff — we don’t blame you — why not set out to learn a new language? Traveling will never be the same, and you’ll connect with more people in your community. 

Babbel is one of the world’s favorite language-learning apps, and we’re offering a terrific price drop via StackSocial: $129.97 (reg. $599). 

Conquering a second language won’t be easy, but Babbel makes it fun and rewarding. The app gets you started by setting a weekly goal, motivating you to come back daily to maintain a learning streak. But, with a Babbel lifetime subscription, you never have to feel rushed — take breaks and return anytime.

Choose from 14 language courses and start taking lessons. You’ll learn to introduce yourself, ask for directions, and hold basic conversations. 

Babbel also helps you practice your pronunciation and accent with speech-recognition technology. This is how you hone your skills before interacting with native speakers in your area or while you travel. One of our team members has been using Babbel for over a year, and she can speak German fairly well.

Even though there are free language apps out there, Babbel offers a lifetime, ad-free, and deep learning experience to help you reach your goals.

Just don’t miss this limited-time pricing, which gets you lifetime access for just $129.97 (reg. $599) through March 16 at 11:59 p.m. PT with code LEARN40.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Babbel Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $169.99
$599 Save $429.01 Get Deal

TL;DR: MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. Grade-A refurb. Just $377.99. Grab it through March 30.

Sometimes, you just need a MacBook. Whether it's to run specific software or because that's just what everyone at work uses and it'd be really inconvenient to switch, a Mac is on the menu, but don't worry. Your budget can handle it. 

Macs may have earned their expensive reputation, but there are a few affordable options left. This MacBook Pro would normally cost $1,499, but now it's only $377.97. Take a look. 

Under the hood

This MacBook Pro is ready for work, creative projects, or just managing those little everyday tasks that pile up. It features a 3.1GHz Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz, so it’s fast enough to handle multitasking, basic video editing, or running demanding software. You've got 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, which means you'll have plenty of speed and storage.

The 13.3-inch Retina display shines with a 2560x1600 resolution and 500 nits brightness. Visuals are sharp and colors look vibrant, which is nice if you're using your MacBook for art or streaming.

Notice something different about this model? It has a Touch Bar instead of function keys. The Touch Bar automatically adapts to whatever app you're using, so it can manage basic computer functions and media controls or even become a color picker. It also has Touch ID for that extra touch of security. 

The Grade "A" refurbished rating means the only noticeable sign that this is a refurb is the price. The computer itself is in near-mint condition. 

Don't miss your chance. 

March 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT is the cutoff to get a MacBook Pro on sale for $377.97. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro 13" Touchbar (2017) 3.1GHz i5 8GB RAM 512GB SSD Space Gray (Refurbished) $377.97
$1,499 Save $1,121.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Get a MacBook Air with 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD for only $249.97 (reg. $999) through March 30. 

If you want a MacBook, here's your chance. This MacBook Air would normally cost $999, but now you can get one on sale for $249.97. 

There are only a few left. 

Limited stock that's going fast

Don’t let its lightweight design fool you—the 2017 MacBook Air is a powerhouse. Featuring a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD storage, it’s built to handle multitasking, presentations, spreadsheets, and more.

Whether you’re organizing your calendar, editing photos, or streaming your favorite shows, the 13.3" widescreen display with 1440x900 resolution allows for crisp visuals and a smooth user experience.

This grade-A refurbished model is in near-mint condition and delivers the same high performance as a new MacBook Air at a fraction of the cost. With minimal to zero scuffing, you’re getting a like-new laptop that’s been tested and verified for reliability. 

With Wi-Fi connectivity, you can work or browse from anywhere. Use Bluetooth to transfer files seamlessly or pair with accessories like headphones or a mouse. The 12-hour battery life keeps you powered through meetings, study sessions, or creative projects.

This MacBook Air delivers premium Apple quality at an incredible price. Compare this to the cost of a new model, and you’re saving big without compromising on performance.

Until March 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT, it's only $229.97 to get a MacBook Air. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 13.3" (2017) 1.8GHz i5 8GB RAM 128GB SSD Silver (Refurbished) $229.97
$999 Save $769.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Harness the power of AI and get this lifetime subscription to AI MagicX on sale for £20.14 (reg. £250.96) when you use the code MAGIC35 at checkout through 30 March.

Ever thought about having your own virtual assistant that would do whatever you wanted it to? While we're not offering an assistant that can fold your laundry and do your dishes (yet!), there is a great deal available on a helpful AI generator and editor by AI MagicX.

Imagine having a powerful AI tool at your fingertips that can generate high-quality text, stunning visuals, and professional designs with just a few clicks. Now you can with lifetime access to AI MagicX, on sale for only £20.14. No more staring at a blank screen or struggling with design software.

AI-powered services you can use:

• AI Logo Designer

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• AI Story Generator

• Document Editor

What sets MagicX apart is its user-friendly interface and advanced capabilities. With this tool, you can easily and quickly create engaging blog posts, chatbots, social media content, marketing materials, and so much more. The AI-powered editor ensures that your content is not only visually appealing but also grammatically correct. You can use the design features to create stunning graphics and layouts without needing any prior experience.

Save time and let AI figure it out for you. 

Score this great price on a lifetime subscription to AI MagicX on sale for only £20.14 (reg. £250.96) for a limited time. Just be sure to use the discount code MAGIC35 at checkout.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: AI Magicx AI MagicX: Lifetime Subscription £20.14 at the Mashable Shop
£250.96 Save £230.82 Use code 'MAGIC35' Get Deal

TL;DR: Live stream England vs. Italy in the 2025 Six Nations for free on ITVX. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

England are still in the hunt for the 2025 Six Nations after a dramatic victory over Scotland in the last round. They will be looking to build on that impressive result with another win against Italy. In front of their own supporters, England will be favorites to win this matchup.

If you want to watch England vs. Italy in the 2025 Six Nations for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is England vs. Italy?

England vs. Italy in the 2025 Six Nations starts at 3 p.m. GMT on March 9. This fixture takes place at Twickenham Stadium.

How to watch England vs. Italy for free

England vs. Italy in the 2025 Six Nations 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 handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX from anywhere in the world.

Live stream England vs. Italy from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit ITVX

5. Live stream England vs. Italy for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch England vs. Italy without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream this game before recovering your investment.

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 eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream England vs. Italy in the 2025 Six Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream India vs. New Zealand in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final is finally here. India and New Zealand have looked like the most likely candidates to make it to this stage from the outset of this electric competition. India have won every game on their journey to this final. New Zealand have only lost once (to India), and they looked incredibly impressive in their semi-final win over South Africa.

The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final is all set for fireworks. If you want to watch India vs. New Zealand in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is India vs. New Zealand?

India vs. New Zealand in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final starts at 4 a.m. ET on March 9. This ODI takes place at the Dubai International Stadium.

How to watch India vs. New Zealand for free

The following platforms are offering coverage of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy:

• Australia — Prime Video (free with 30-day trial)

• India — Disney+ Hotstar

• New Zealand — Sky TV NZ

• Pakistan — Tamasha (free) and PTV (free)

• UK — Sky Sports

• USA — Willow and Sling TV

The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy is available to live stream for free in Pakistan. The free streaming platforms are geo-restricted to Pakistan, but anyone can access these free live streams with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Pakistan, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy from anywhere in the world.

Live stream the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit Tamasha or PTV

5. Live stream India vs. New Zealand for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

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 access free live streams of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream India vs. New Zealand before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for live sport?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Pakistan

• 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 India vs. New Zealand in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final for free with ExpressVPN.

You ever get the feeling that your pet can sense something you don't? Maybe it's the way they hard stare at an empty corner. Maybe it's that abrupt bark in the middle of the night, or the skittering paws propelling them out of a room at a moment's notice. Whatever the quirk, it leaves you feeling shaken and wishing they could just talk and spill the spooky tea. Good Boy drops audiences into this scary terrain, centering its haunted house story on a dedicated dog who is desperately trying to warn his human bestie about the supernatural threats closing in. 

Focusing on a dog in danger is a bold move. There's a general unspoken rule in Hollywood that though you can kill scads of humans in movies, you'll outrage your audience if you kill the dog. Our empathy might not extend to every slasher victim or a nameless gang of gun-toting minions, but our hearts immediately go out to a dog in danger. There's a whole website dedicated to warning tenderhearted dog lovers if a canine will die in a movie. Hell, the wildly popular action series John Wick is predicated on this very idea, knowing we will watch a man kill hordes to avenge his beloved puppy.

Good Boy's independent director/co-writer/cinematographer/producer Ben Leonberg realizes this, and puts his viewers through the wringer by casting his sweet family pet, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever named Indy, to be tormented by ghosts and vicious visions of doom and death. The resulting horror movie had me yelping like I was a kid seeing her first scary movie. Props to you, Ben and Indy. 

With one clever gimmick, Good Boy brings fresh life to horror cliches.  Indy, the dog star, behind the scenes of "Good Boy." Credit: What's Wrong with Your Dog? LLC

Penned by Leonberg and Alex Cannon, the scares of Good Boy do start standard: flickering lights, a creepy sound coming from an unlit basement, a dark figure lurking in the shadows, and glowing eyes in a black night. Yet by putting a dog in these scenarios, the filmmakers play on a delicious knowledge imbalance that fuels suspense. We, as humans who've watched (arguably too many) horror movies, can clock these conventions from their first appearance. We immediately understand there's a malevolent supernatural force toying with Indy and his human, Todd (Shane Jensen). But Indy, much like the little girl in Poltergeist, he has no context for what's happening around him, so we fear for him even before he fears for himself.

The plot of Good Boy is simple. Feeling ill, Todd decides to escape his cramped city apartment for an cabin upstate, where his late grandfather (Larry Fessenden) lived. But long abandoned, the vibe is far from cozy. Indy, which is both the character's name and his dog actor's name, doesn't like it from first sniff. While Todd gets to the arduous task of starting up the electric generator and ducking calls from his concerned sister, Vera (Arielle Friedman), Indy is immediately alert to strange energies. 

While we might realize the threat before Indy — or at least more keenly — there's a mystery in what these spirits want and a mounting stress in how oblivious Todd is to all of it. While Todd has the ability to take them away from this creepy space, Indy is trapped because he's not being heard! 

Good Boy's dog star Indy gives an impeccable performance.  Indy and his plush stunt double, "Findy." Credit: What's Wrong with Your Dog? LLC

Beyond being a scary-as-hell watch for dog lovers, Good Boy has a built-in allure as Indy is just a star from his first frame. His dark eyes, floppy ears, and sweet expression make him instantly lovable. But more than that, he is so game for whatever Leonberg directs him to do. Staying and staring into an eerie abyss? Jumping into action? Reacting to a burst of blood? Racing to Todd to protect him? Indy is a good boy, through and through. 

Leonberg's personal connection with his star/pet surely plays a crucial role here, as Indy's comfort with him allows for an ambitious array of sequences with specific asks. To be clear, it never appears the dog was put in any real danger, and the end credits promise, "No animals were harmed in the making of this film." Shot over three years, it seems Leonberg had the time, patience, and appreciation for his animal companion/collaborator to nurture a truly moving performance. 

On top of Indy's screen presence, Leonberg balances the film with smart cinematography that plays on horror lovers' expectations. The out-of-focus background, flanked by shadows, draws our eye behind the lovable dog, because slashers and haunted house movies have taught us to look where our heroes are not. Moreover, a wealth of close-ups of Indy draw us again and again into his softness and his trusting gaze, pinning us to the ground in fear for him. 

Good Boy is basically about how we don't deserve dogs.  Director Ben Leonberg and Indy, behind the scenes of "Good Boy." Credit: What's Wrong with Your Dog? LLC

More than an internet meme, that sentiment feels like the thesis of Good Boy. Todd is far from a bad pet caregiver, but he is so caught up in his own problems that he's blind to everything Indy is experiencing. From a long-distance phone call, sister Vera introduces the very real way dogs can smell things we can't, not just bombs or drugs but incoming death. Indy is an oracle ignored by the one he wants to protect most. 

Forget complex heroes. Good Boy offers the goodest of boys, putting its viewers in a vice grip of suspense. When clamoring gray hands reach out for him in a jump scare, I screamed so loud I shocked myself. And I did it again and again as this haunted house story ramped up. Leonberg's pacing is fitful, pitching Indy into new scenes of tension in basements, bedrooms, dog houses, and the wider woods. And then after a spiking scare, the narrative jumps to some time later. How long is unclear, giving the film that surreal passing of time that happens when your schedule is out of your control. We, like Indy, are a prisoner to the whims of Todd. Within this whirl, it's impossible to get your footing. Clues drop about what this supernatural force is and what it wants, but the mystery is secondary to the suffocating fear that Indy might not survive. 

I won't answer that for you. But I will say that Leonberg understands the power of his leading dog and what his audience wants. That understanding allows him to tighten the chokehold he has on us through a climax both chilling and satisfying. In the end, Good Boy is a deceptively simple horror movie that hits hard. You'll gasp. You'll scream. You'll pull your hands over your eyes and hope desperately for the best. It's a ruthless blast. 

Good Boy was reviewed out of its World Premiere at 2025 SXSW film festival in the Midnighter section. 

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 9 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 9 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Kitty corner

These words are purrfect.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The words are feline focused.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is CatBehavior.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for March 9

• Snuggle

• Hiss

• Purr

• Swat

• Pounce

• CatBehavior

• Stretch

• Blink

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.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for 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. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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

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

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Against the rules

• Green: Blue 42

• Blue: Against the rules on the court

• Purple: Artsy

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

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

• Yellow: Banned by baseball

• Green: Pre-snap football motions

• Blue: Types of fouls in basketball

• Purple: Art but make it sports

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 #167 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Banned by baseball - BETTING, CORKED BAT, SPITBALL, STEROIDS

• Pre-snap football motions - AUDIBLE, HARD COUNT, MOTION, SHIFT

• Types of fouls in basketball - FLAGRANT, LOOSE BALL, OFFENSIVE, TECHNICAL

• Art but make it sports - DRAW PLAY, GALLERY, PITCH FRAMING, THE PAINT

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

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's The Mini crossword answers for March 9 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Tools used to interact with a computer

• Green: Substances used in construction

• Blue: Acts of kindness or assistance

• Purple: Hit songs from the early 1980s

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

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

• Yellow: Computer Input Devices

• Green: Building Materials

• Blue: Helpful Deed

• Purple: #1 Songs From 1982

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 #637 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Computer Input Devices: MICROPHONE, MOUSE, SCANNER, TABLET

• Building Materials: BRICK, CONCRETE, METAL, STONE

• Helpful Deed: FAVOR, KINDNESS, SERVICE, SOLID

• #1 Songs From 1982: ABRACADABRA, CENTERFOLD, MICKEY, PHYSICAL

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 March 9

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.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for March 9 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for March 9, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A selfish desire for more than you need.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There is one letter that appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter G.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

GREED.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 9

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.

Have you every had a day so terrible that it felt like the world was out to get you specifically? If so, you might relish the hilarious indignities inflicting the grumbling protagonist of The Ballad of Wallis Island. Written by and starring Tom Basden and Tim Key, this charming comedy centers on the bond that builds between a (folk) rock star and an eccentric millionaire. But not in any way you might expect, in that neither is living some enviably glitzy high life, and they're both shades of goofy. 

SEE ALSO: The SXSW premieres you need to know about

Their story begins with Herb McGwyer (Basden), of the 2010's folk rock band McGwyer Mortimer, arriving at a remote island, where he's been contracted to play a private concert for an obscene amount of money. But the price tag sets an expectation that the host will not meet. Not only is this island a bit of a fixer-upper with no dock, much less a harbor, but the private concert is for an audience of one, a super-fan desperate to reconnect to the music of his youth. 

Far from a highfalutin snob, the affluent Charles Heath (Tim Key) is a humble man who wears waders to meet his famous guest, then accidentally causes Herb and his baggage to tumble into the tides. It's a rough start, and things will only get rougher for Herb when he learns that his ex-girlfriend/former bandmate Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan) will soon be arriving too — along with her new husband, Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen). 

What should have been an easy gig quickly becomes a cavalcade of embarrassments, forcing Herb to revisit the romance that defined his work and his past, and to reassess what he wants of his future. Unexpectedly, this story of rock stars and a millionaire super-fan is deeply relatable, warmly funny, and profoundly sweet. 

The Ballad of Wallis Island features a finely tuned comedy duo. 

Key plays a lovable fool who can't read the room but is quick to offer a bowl of rice pudding, even if that won't save Herb's cellphone from its ocean swim. Basden is his straight man, exuding a self-seriousness that practically demands to be dressed down. This happens quite literally as Herb's fall into the water forces him to abandon his soaked-through cool guy clothes for Charles' hand-me-downs, which include concert merch from McGwyer Mortimer. Imagine running into your ex while wearing a T-shirt with an old photo of the two of you on it, and you'll have some idea of the hell that is Herb's stay on Wallis Island. 

Even dressed similarly, the two are perfect foils. Herb is reedy, arrogantly stiff, and a pessimist, endlessly vexed by each new surprise about Wallis Island, such as the revelation that it has no arena, theater, or bandshell, so he will be playing on a stone beach. By contrast, Charles is portly and endlessly chipper, an optimist seeking to reconnect to the world through the music (and musicians) that have given him such joy, even in the hard times. They don't battle as much as Herb fusses and Charles rushes to soothe, only to cause further frustrations. Basden and Key have the comedy balance of these two finely tuned, not only because they wrote the script but also because this feature film is based on their award-winning short film, "The One And Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island."

The short's director James Griffiths reteams with the pair for The Ballad of Wallis Island, and together they hone a more sophisticated vision of their story, one of love, loss, and moving on. Simple beats of Charles missing the social cue are not just hit but lovingly luxuriated in, creating a sort of cringe comedy where we can laugh at this buffoon and recognize how often we've been just as bumbling. Yet these two connect, because as different as they are, they are lonely and yearn not to be anymore. 

Carey Mulligan is smartly cast in The Ballad of Wallis Island. 

Basden and Key have had years to adjust the balance of their comedic interactions as Herb and Charles. Nell is a new addition, not appearing in the short film. Basden and Key carefully evolved their script, weaving in Nell and Michael, who bring with them a breezy attitude and new complications for Herb. With a radiant smile and a chicly bohemian energy, Mulligan strides into Wallis Island, confidently bringing a less indulgent perspective that only makes Charles and Herb funnier in comparison. 

The three-time Academy Award-nominated actress doesn't outshine her co-stars. Instead, the lightness she brings as Nell neatly knits in pathos. It's easy to see why Herb fell for her, and why he still longs for her. In scenes where they sing together, the audience may well be with Charles in wishing for their reunion, on stage and maybe in love. Yet, Mulligan is careful not to divulge too much as Nell, who seems keenly aware of Herb's feelings and sagely mindful not to toy with them. The dance she does around his mercurial moods suggests a deeply developed intimacy that Nell still honors in some sense. Then, when the two sing together, the movie shifts from silly to sublimely sincere. 

But beyond this central trio, The Ballad of Wallis Island also boasts some shrewd supporting players. As Nell's husband, Ndifornyen is sharp, quick to stand up for his wife and smart to be suspicious of Herb. Yet Basden and Key are sure to give Michael more to do than play romantic rival, giving him quirks that add complexity amid the conflicts. Then, there's Sian Clifford, who might be best recognized as the tightly wound Claire from the brilliant Fleabag. ("I look like a pencil!") Here in Wallis Island, her vibe is more relaxed as she plays Amanda, a friendly but comically oblivious shopkeeper who is mystified by requests for dried rice and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. (She offers a can of peanut butter and a coffee cup, because Amanda is nothing if not obliging.)

Completing the picture of The Ballad of Wallis Island is a terrifically chosen setting. The island itself is cobbled together by a rocky beach, winding footpaths, chipped paint houses, rich greenery, and a precariously placed tennis court. There are some signs of wealth in its remoteness, among other outlying signifiers. Its rough-and-tumble charm is well suited to its resident millionaire, though an understandable frustration to its visiting rock stars. But just as Charles grows on Herb, so too do the virtues of this less-than-cozy island grow on all of us. 

Ultimately, The Ballad of Wallis Island is not only deeply charming and laugh out loud funny for all its social foibles and comedy duo banter, but it's also cathartic. The careful crafting of the relationships herein makes for a story you can't help but get tangled in, perhaps relating to one figure then another. So, by the end, as Basden and Key strike their final chord of this masterfully charted comedy, you feel it reverberate warmly in your heart, carrying you out of the theater with a song still playing there. 

The Ballad of Wallis Island was reviewed out of the 2025 SXSW Film Festival. The movie's theatrical release will follow. 

The term "cult classic" has come to mean nothing in the modern age, when just about anything can be found online. Yet O'Dessa, a rock musical about destiny, defiance, and dictatorship, feels like it could have become a true cult classic — not just a movie that finds a fandom, but the kind of oddball cinema that would be so clung to by a group of movie misfits that it would be passed around on VHS like a treasured relic. And I can't think of anything more you might want from a rock musical but for it to sing out for the freaks and weirdos. 

Written and directed by Geremy Jasper (Patti Cake$), O'Dessa begins on a barren farm, far from anything, where the title hero sings of the fate her father promised her. She is the Seventh Son, whose song on her heirloom six-string guitar is foretold to save the world from a ruthless tyrant, who wallows in wealth and attention while his people starve.

Bringing in shades of such queer gems as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Legend of Billie Jean, O'Dessa forges a genderfuck musical that's riveting, romantic, repulsive, and rocking in turns. 

Sadie Sink shines as the rambler heroine of O'Dessa. 

Described by her "dirt-farmer" mother as a "19 year old with stars in her eyes," O'Dessa's story begins in cliche. Played by Sink, this farm girl dreams of the big city and the culture and chaos it promises. Satylite City promises a chance to get on television and fulfill her fortune as a "rambler," like her dearly departed father. With her heirloom guitar and folk-country songs, she hopes to open hearts and change minds. But between her and greatness, she'll come across deceitful "train rats," uncaring pawn shop dealers, sneering brutes, and a sultry lounge singer in a fringed mask that's very Orville Peck. The last of these veers her path into one of romance, rescue, and revenge.

Flipping the gender expectations of such a story on its head, not only is the "Seventh Son" promised to be the hero of enlightenment a girl, without question, but also the beautiful and tragic singer, whose body and song are on sale for survival, is played by a man. Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Mufasa: The Lion King, Cyrano) co-stars opposite Sink as Euri Dervish, whose dashing facade hides a tender heart eager for true love.

As teased in the trailer, the two fall for each other fast, finding love in a hopeless place, full of shadows and neon lighting. Even as they plan their nuptials, gender expectations are challenged, as she wears a rockabilly tuxedo and he favors a gown with a matching red veil. Stranger Things' Sink is enchanting as the androgynous busker, while Harris is beguiling as her wounded but warm-hearted lover. But the freedom to love as you like is challenged in Satylite City, which is ruled by an iron fist, or more specifically an electrified one. 

Regina Hall creates an epic villainess in O'Dessa. 

Reigning high over all the residents of Satylite City is the ever-beaming dictator Plutonovich (The Last of Us' Murray Bartlett). With outrageous (but empty) promises and a constant TV broadcast of himself, he mesmerizes the masses into complacency, even as the world falls to ruin around them. If anyone dares speak out against his narcissistic tyranny, they'll get knocked down by his enforcer, Neon Dion (Regina Hall), who brandishes brass knuckles that carry the electrical charge of a Taser in their punch.

Hall has long been a chameleon who can gracefully leap from outrageous comedies like Girls Trip to heartfelt dramedies like Support The Girls to the chilling suspense of The Master. In O'Dessa, the rightfully acclaimed actress seems to be channeling Grace Jones in a rockin' '80s New Wave/punk style with an exciting don't-fuck-with-me attitude. Wearing sharp-shouldered leather and bangs so blunt they could smash through concrete, Hall's stare is leveling as she takes in Neon Dion's prey. Her physicality is purposeful, and intimidating. Even a limp informed by her character’s tragic backstory only makes her seem harder. Her villainy should make us hate her, but she's so fashionable and thrilling that we could never hate her.

She is a vision of things both terrible and enticing, bringing with her swagger and fury a wealth of world-building beyond the expensive and vivid production design. And in this, Hall plays a clever foil to Plutonovich, with his large lying smile and the jubilant energy of a supercharged reality TV show host. Together, these two performances create a villainy landscape that is intoxicating enough for viewers to understand why so many in Satylite City have fallen into its allure, but toxic enough to crave its undoing. 

O'Dessa's soundtrack is largely spectacular.

Many characters will sing across this tale, but Sink is the frontman. Her O'Dessa experiences the edgy glow-up of a country girl gone rock 'n' roll. Her songs shift accordingly moving away from folksy country melodies to more provocative guitar playing and subject matter. Harrison oozes with sex appeal and steamy songs catered to nightclub audiences. And with each of these, the world of O'Dessa grows richer more riveting. However, when it comes to the heroine's big moment and the song that will change the world. I was admittedly let down. 

In Rocky Horror, the climactic "I'm Going Home" is a song delivered by a malevolent misfit, and yet it's so gloriously emotional and strange that you can’t help feeling for Frank even as he gets his final comeuppance. O'Dessa is not that daring. It is the heroic O'Dessa who will get the final song, and hers — while earnestly performed — just doesn’t feel like a finale. There's a lack of energy or perhaps panache that left me yearning for something more in line with Pat Benatar's "Invincible," the anthem for The Legend of Billie Jean, another movie where a resilient teen girl was all that stood between corrupt authority and the truth. O'Dessa's style transformation mirrors Billie Jean's, shifting from long girlish locks that men and mothers adore to a defiantly short and edgy wet look with a rocker garb to match. So, I simply expected more from O'Dessa's climactic number. 

Still, along the way Jasper paves O’Dessa’s path with treasures. Most of the music is delicious as it transitions from country to rock to funk and beyond. The vivid color palette paints a world of surreal pollution and blazing beauty. The performances not only from the leads but also the likes of circus-performing bit players and character actor Mark Boone Junior add texture with each flickering moment of magic and menace. Rather than a glossy aesthetic, Jasper knowingly embraces the grubby, with dirt and glitter giving the film a queer punk energy that infuses each moment with spontaneity and potential.

For all these reasons, O’Dessa feels less like a new movie and more like an old lost gem, finally uncovered. It’s an intoxicating pastiche of color and sound, joy and pain. Admittedly, Jasper's choice to keep the impact of the most gruesome violence offscreen, implied over shown, might undercut the underground aesthetic. But overall, O’Dessa is an exhilaratingly strange and sensational rock musical, studded by powerful screen presences and topped off with scads of WTF flare. 

O'Dessa was reviewed out of the 2025 SXSW Film Festival. The Searchlight Pictures release will debut on Hulu on March 20.

Not every movie needs a sequel. 2018's sharply funny thriller A Simple Favor certainly didn't seem poised for one, as its happy ending plopped its duplicitous villainess in prison with a decades-long sentence. But when you created a bad bitch as wickedly fun to watch as Emily Nelson — aka Hope McLanden — wouldn't it be a crime to lock her up for good? You bet your ass, baby. 

Blake Lively returns as the fearsome and fashion-forward femme fatale, opposite Anna Kendrick, reprising the role of true-crime obsessed mommy influencer Stephanie Smothers. And while their chemistry onscreen is as good as it was in the 2018 movie, Another Simple Favor is at its best when it lets Lively cut loose in blooming psycho-biddy fashion. 

As the previous film blended film noir and comedy, its sequel folds in influences from such campy treasures as The Talented Mr. Ripley, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, and House of Gucci. Which is to say, director Paul Feig knows his audience. 

Another Simple Favor goes bigger and bolder.  Anna Kendrick stars in "Another Simple Favor." Credit: Amazon MGM Studio

Written by A Simple Favor's Jessica Sharzer and Shutter Island's Laeta Kalogridis, this sequel is smartly self-aware. Some elements will throwback to the first movie, like Stephanie's story beginning in media res with an update to her vlog followers. This time, instead of just being mid-investigation, Stephanie is under house arrest in a chic Italian villa in Capri, accused of murdering Emily's husband. 

The exotic location immediately ups the spectacle of this sequel, which Feig embraces with glorious aerial shots of the landscape, a mountain peppered with gorgeous homes, a charming shopping center, a devilishly high cliff with rocks all the way down and ominously crashing waves below. But how did Stephanie wind up here? Well, while on a failing book tour for "The Faceless Blonde" — a memoir written about her time with Emily — she's surprised by the bombshell herself. And Emily has an offer Stephanie cannot refuse: Be my maid of honor, or else I'll sue you into oblivion for writing this book. 

See, Emily's not only out of prison ("Out on appeal! Our legal system is so fucked," she grins like the Cheshire Cat.) but also is remarrying a devastatingly macho Italian man named Dante Versano (Michele Morrone). And the only one this beguiling bride-to-be wants by her side at her destination wedding is her best friend — bygones be bygones? 

While obviously hesitant, Stephanie doesn't want to be sued — plus Emily's ambush at her book event has gotten the internet abuzz about "The Faceless Blonde." So this trip could be great for sales — as long as she isn't murdered (and maybe even then.) But when Emily's husband turns up dead, Stephanie needs to clear her name — and turn up fresh clues and freaky secrets to do it! 

Blake Lively is next level in Another Simple Favor.  Blake Lively, Michele Morrone, Alex Newell and Anna Kendrick star in "A Simple Favor." Credit: Amazon MGM Studio

The joys of Emily Nelson in the first film were how she was achingly chic and frankly scary. To a grade school pick-up, she wore clothes that looked like she'd just stepped off a runway. She carried herself not only with an enchanting confidence, but with an edge that threatened to slice the throat of any who would mess with her. She was a female fantasy version of the femme fatale, turning that power to seduce into a seductive power to live truly give-a-fuck free. Yet Lively also brought a tenderness to Emily's twisted backstory and a cutting sense of humor, all of which made this villainess endlessly exciting. Her potential seemed limitless. 

In this sequel, Sharzer and Kalogridis double down on Lively, giving her fresh meat to sink her teeth into with a plotline that includes the mafia and a fresh cache of toxic family secrets. Cheekily, the screenwriters lean into this with a brief re-enactment of a classic moment from The Godfather Part 2, the rare sequel so beloved that many consider it better than its highly acclaimed original. It's a nod to film lovers that Feig and company understand how audiences cringe at sequels — but also why we can rarely deny their appeal. We crave more. 

The more worth indulging in here is Lively smoothly switching from elegantly threatening to crassly funny to intimidatingly unhinged. The Italian backdrop, where a fish-out-water American is awed and annoyed by wealthy locals recalls The Talented Mr. Ripley, allowing the audience to ogle the gorgeous surroundings and obscene wealth while still connecting to the hero, who's arguably a parasite, feeding off those around them. (Stephanie’s assumption that everyone at this ultra exclusive wedding would want to be backdrop in her live blogs is truly wild.) Despite her gluten-free sugar-cookie sweetness, Stephanie is after all exploiting Emily's wedding and access to all this luxury for her blog. But the cost for admission could be her life.

While Kendrick is back in the swing of this plucky amateur sleuth, Another Simple Favor drags when Lively isn't onscreen. Whether flirting or threatening Emily, or plunging back into a flashbacks in a moody dance hall, where she rocks the undeniable allure of Lady Gaga in House of Gucci as a blue-collar brunette wooing one of Italy's most eligible bachelors, Lively is pure fire. And she's got the wardrobe to match. 

Another Simple Favor's wardrobe is beyond outstanding.  Blake Lively stars in "Another Simple Favor." Credit: Amazon MGM Studio

Feig and company are well aware that we gagged over the eleganza of Emily's sexy power suits, and aim to top that fashion spectacle in this sequel. They do it, with aplomb. Props to the entire costume department. From the moment Emily makes her entrance, she is a vision who uses her wardrobe to speak volumes. As teased in the trailer, she swans back into Emily's life wearing a white and gray horizontally striped suit, which while fiercely draped evokes the old-school prison uniform, up to a high button collar. 

By contrast, Stephanie's costumes are defiantly — and comically — unchic, like when she shows up to board a private jet wearing mismatched sweatpants, dull sneakers, and a travel pillow, already secured around her neck. Meanwhile, Emily is dressed like a Golden Age gangster, her dark dress slacks and shirt set off by pale grey suspenders, a dynamically pinned tie, a fedora, and a blood-red rose. This look proves to be a warning of the kind of people who will be on that plane. 

More clues drop through fits, like on the wedding day when the bride's veil unveils a deep red ombre on the end of her train, reminiscent of the blood spilled. Even when dripping in jewels — wearing necklaces so decadent they serve as shirts too dazzling for this world — Emily is intimidating and exhilarating. Lively is living for every look, be it brazen or outright bonkers. Simply put, Blake ate. It's just unfortunate not every character is so thought out. 

Another Simple Favor suffers in the supporting characters — not cast.  Bashir Salahuddin, Alex Newell, Andrew Rannells, Aparna Nancherla, Kelly McCormack star in "Another Simple Favor." Credit: Amazon MGM Studio

The first film offered a snarking trio of parent peers (Andrew Rannells, Kelly McCormack, and Aparna Nancherla) to provide color commentary on the dramas of Emily and Stephanie. They're back, but only briefly as the plot swiftly abandons Stephanie's cozy stomping grounds. But she's not alone in Capri, bringing with her book agent Vicky (Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist's Alex Newell), who is little more than a plot device. 

To keep Stephanie from seeming too callous, someone needs to remind the audience that drama on this trip — and yes even murder — would be great for Stephanie's book sales. However, Vicky is such a thinly written character that — against a backdrop where nearly every other actor in this movie is white — she becomes reduced to the "sassy Black friend" stereotype, who exists solely for clips and to prop up the white heroine. While Newell shined on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, she's given so little to do here that she can't register beyond this tired and problematic trope. 

Other supporting players also suffer, like Taylor Ortega as a comically unskilled stalker and Bashir Salahuddin, returning as Detective Summerville, who's barely in the movie, with his biggest moment being on the phone while half asleep. To Morrone's credit, while his Dante is a sketch of ferocious machismo, he brings enough verve to the part to keep things fun. 

Allison Janney and Elizabeth Perkins star in "Another Simple Plan." Credit: Amazon MGM Studio

While these characters are jarringly underwritten, Sharzer and Kalogridis find fresh angles for Henry Golding, who played Emily's husband Sean in the first film, and some fresh chaos to be mined by Elizabeth Perkins, who takes over the role of Emily's mother from Hacks' Jean Smart. But the real standout of the supporting cast is Allison Janey to the surprise of no one. Playing a long lost relative of Emily's, Janey brings the sharp comic timing and chameleon-like ability to shift tone that's made her a treasure in films like Juno, I, Tonya, and Drop Dead Gorgeous. 

Like Emily Nelson, Another Simple Favor is a shapeshifting creature, transforming in tone moment to moment to revel in biting humor, relish in mob drama, plunge into the delicious depths of mad women in the psycho-biddy subgenre, and showcase fashion, telling, sensational, and shocking. Is it better than the original? Yes and no.

This is a far messier movie that the first, where the imbalance between the appeal of the plucky Stephanie and the devious Emily is even greater than before and the supporting characters are littered with undercooked roles. However, if your favorite bits of A Simple Favor was Lively embracing her inner bad girl and delivering face and looks? You'll cherish this divinely twisted thriller. 

Another Simple Favor was reviewed out of its world premiere at 2025 SXSW. The film will premiere on Prime Video on May 1.

Reddit's automated moderation system is apparently flagging the word "Luigi" as potentially violent, The Verge reported.

On Friday, a post appeared on the r/FreeLuigi subreddit stating, "PSA: the word 'luigi' is now flagged by reddit for violence." A screenshot of a comment about the video game Luigi's Mansion 3 on the r/popculture subject shows a highlight of the word "Luigi" and a tag, "Check for Violence - [Luigi]."

Reddit

r/FreeLuigi is a community dedicated to Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect in the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Since Mangione's arrest in December, he has received a flood of support online, both because of his status as a "folk hero" amid outrage at the U.S. healthcare system, and because of his physical attractiveness. His legal defense team recently created a website as supporters donate to his defense fund and follow his case. Mangione is currently being held in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, according to the website.

A Reddit spokesperson told The Verge that there isn't a "sitewide filter for the word 'Luigi' or expectation that users stop talking about Luigi Mangione." Despite this, however, the same user posted a second example of Reddit "flagging" Luigi, telling the user to check for violence.

Mashable has reached out to Reddit and will update this story if we hear back.

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Over the last few years, Novocaine star Jack Quaid has carved himself a niche by playing the everyman archetype with a genre twist.

In The Boys, he's a nobody thrust into a world of superheroes. In Star Trek: Lower Decks, he's an ambitious worker bee on a starship. And in 2025's Companion, he's a sinister (yet all too familiar) "nice guy" with a robot girlfriend.

SEE ALSO: 'Novocaine' trailer: Jack Quaid goes on a gnarly quest for vengeance

Quaid's leading role in Novocaine feels like a natural continuation of these genre-bent everymen. He plays Nathan Caine, a mild-mannered assistant bank manager who has congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA), a genetic disorder that impacts his nervous system to the point that he can't feel pain or temperature.

Usually, Nathan's CIPA causes everyday annoyances that he takes careful steps to manage. He can't eat solid food for fear of biting his tongue off, so he blends it. He can't feel pressure in his bladder, so he sets timers for bathroom breaks. But when his crush Sherry (Amber Midthunder) is taken hostage, he unleashes his CIPA as a superpower, fighting his way through stabs, gunshot wounds, and more to get to her. The ensuing ride is the perfect showcase for Quaid's charms, as he elevates a serviceable action comedy to a damn great time.

What's Novocaine about? Amber Midthunder and Jack Quaid in "Novocaine." Credit: Paramount Pictures

The first act of Novocaine sees Quaid in prime "regular guy" mode. As Nathan, he wakes up, goes about his morning routine, heads to the bank, and crushes on bank teller Sherry from afar. After a coffee spill meet-cute, Sherry invites him out to lunch, then to an art gallery opening. They open up to each other about things they hide from the world: He tells her about how his CIPA led to him being a punching bag at school and causes him to withdraw from social gatherings. She tells him about her self-harm and her upbringing in a troubled foster home. The night culminates in a tender hookup that has Nathan hearing wedding bells.

SEE ALSO: Watch Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid react to the totally meta Goo Goo Dolls easter egg in 'Companion'

At face value, this opening sequence is just a run-of-the-mill first date, one that can't hold a candle to the rom-com greats. But Quaid's game combination of daffiness and vulnerability lends a pleasant sweetness to Nathan's conversations with Sherry. As Sherry, Midthunder is saddled more with a manic pixie dream girl-type role — look, she encourages him to eat his first bite of pie! — but don't worry. Novocaine features its fair share of twists that allow Midthunder to showcase more of the star power she displayed in 2022's Prey.

Speaking of star power, Quaid's kicks into high gear when Nathan begins his quest to take down the trio of bank robbers who kidnap Sherry. Once again, he's the everyman stuck in a high-stakes situation. He's never shot a gun, and he doesn't really know how to fight, resulting in some hysterical scenes in which a hapless Nathan bumbles through intimidating his adversaries. He can't bluff to save his life, but my goodness, does he commit.

Crucially, though, Nathan also doesn't know how to feel pain, and that proves to be the secret sauce Novocaine needs.

Jack Quaid brings humor to Novocaine's fun fights. Jack Quaid in "Novocaine." Credit: Paramount Pictures

Turns out all you need to do to freshen up some tried-and-true fight scene tropes is to take away one fighter's ability to feel pain. Take Novocaine's restaurant kitchen fight scene, Nathan's first real one-on-one test. Kitchen fights are an action movie mainstay. Recent blockbusters like 2023's John Wick 4 and 2024's Monkey Man delivered scorching kitchen-set battles, and of course, who can top the kitchen showdown in The Raid 2?

But Novocaine manages to find its own kitchen fight magic by removing Nathan's pain from the equation. Now, you've got someone who's unafraid to reach into a vat of boiling oil or use a red-hot skillet as a weapon. Nathan may not be a physical match for his opponent, but his ability to withstand agony levels the playing field.

SEE ALSO: 'The Electric State' review: Imagine 'Ready Player One' but worse

Directors Robert Olsen and Dan Berk stay trained on Nathan for much of the fight, highlighting Quaid's aptitude for physical comedy and every little surprised expression that crosses his face as he realizes just how much his CIPA can benefit him in this life-or-death situation.

Thanks to that realization, Nathan finds consistently more inventive ways to take down his foes, no matter the physical damage they do to him. The disconnect between his normal guy vibes and his gnarly appearance makes for some of Novocaine's best comedy. Case in point: Nathan casually slicing his arm open in order to remove a bullet. Quaid keeps talking through it like everything is normal, but the blood oozing from his arm suggests otherwise.

That's only the tip of Novocaine's gnarly iceberg, which puts Nathan's body through the ringer, even if he may stay chipper for quite a bit of it. And while I don't actively wish harm on movie protagonists, I will say that thanks to Quaid, it's never been more fun watching someone get hurt.

Novocaine hits theaters March 14.