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FREE AND DISCOUNTED BOOKS: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on March 7-10. You can choose from a selection of indie horror e-books for free.
If you've been on the hunt for some spooky horror books to add to your digital library, today's your lucky day. There's a great selection of indie horror e-books on offer as part of the Indie Author Spring Spectacular. These books are available for free or at a heavily discounted price on the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day.
If this is the first time you've heard of Stuff Your Kindle Day, it's an event that's worth keeping on your radar. Stuff Your Kindle Day gives e-book readers the opportunity to download hundreds of e-books for free or at a much lower price than normal. The bonus is that once you've downloaded something, it's yours to keep forever in your library. It's a win-win for book lovers!
If you're looking for new spooky stories to get lost in, here are some of the best indie horror e-books available on Stuff Your Kindle Day.
When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?Stuff Your Kindle Day took place on Feb. 10, Feb. 14, Feb. 21, and Feb. 28 last month, and another took place this month on March 4, offering everything from monster romance to indie titles for free. And now on March 7-10, you can pick up a selection of indie horror e-books on Indievisible.
Here are just a few of the indie horror e-books you can download for free or at a discounted price.
Best indie horror books to shop on Stuff Your Kindle DayFever Dreams: Spooky Stories by Bethany Russo — $0 $0.99
Shadows of Cathedral Lane by M.G. Mason — $0.99 $5.17
Angel's Mass by MG Mason — $0.99 $2.99
Sacrificial Waters by A.D Jones — $2.99 $10.99
Little Jar of Teeth by A. L. Hatcher — $0 $3.99
The Isle of Darkness by Arabella Federico — $0.99 $4.99
Devils That Prey by David Washburn — $0 $3.99
Echoes of the Forgotten by Michael Nunn — $0.99 $2.99
Apocalypse by Hayley Anderton and Laura Swift — $0 $0.99
MirrorMirror by Shaun Allan — $2.99 $8.99
Anyone can participate in Stuff Your Kindle Day. You don't even need to own a Kindle to get involved.
Kindle, Kobo, and Nook readers can download these books for free or at a discounted price. You can even download these books on your preferred app and read them straight from your phone, as you can also find these free titles on the Google Play and Apple Books apps.
Shop Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + 3 Months of Kindle Unlimited $109.99 at AmazonThese popular e-readers allow you to take hundreds of books on the go. They're made all the better by their extra-long battery life that can keep you reading for longer between charges, and it also boasts an anti-glare display, so you can read anywhere and in all levels of brightness with the Kindle. They start at $109.99, a great price for those on a budget, but if you want to save even more, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited completely free during Stuff Your Kindle Day.
Kindle Unlimited costs $11.99 per month and allows you to borrow up to 20 books per month. For a limited time, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free, saving you $35.97.
SAVE $100: As of March 7, the Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm) is available for $299 at Amazon. That’s 25% off its usual price of $399.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm) $299 at AmazonThe Apple Watch Series 10 is packed with new features, but what really makes it exciting is this price drop. Right now, Amazon has it for $299, shaving $100 off its usual $399 price tag. If you've been waiting for a deal before upgrading your smartwatch, this might be the best one yet.
This model features a larger, always-on Retina display with up to 30% more screen space than older versions. That means bigger text, clearer notifications, and an easier time swiping through your apps. The design is also thinner, lighter, and more comfortable, so it won't feel like a weight strapped to your wrist.
SEE ALSO: I've just scored Apple’s 10th-Gen iPad for under $260 at Amazon. That’s its lowest price in 30 days.Apple went all-in on health tracking, making this watch more than just a step counter. It lets you take an ECG anytime, monitor your heart rate, respiratory rate, and sleep patterns, and even get notifications for high or low heart rates. Apple also added retrospective ovulation estimates, making it a solid choice for those tracking their menstrual cycle.
For fitness lovers, this watch does way more than count steps. The Workout app gives you advanced metrics for different exercises, while training load helps gauge workout intensity. There's even depth and water temperature sensors for swimmers and divers. If you're new to fitness, Apple Fitness+ is included free for three months to help you get started.
Price: $299 $399
Retailer: Amazon
Case Size: 42mm
Display: Always-On Retina, 30% larger
Health Features: ECG, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, ovulation estimates
Fitness Tracking: Workout app, training load, depth and water temperature sensors
Safety Features: Fall Detection, Crash Detection, Emergency SOS, Check In
Durability: Crack-resistant, IP6X dust-resistant, 50m water resistance
Connectivity: GPS, Wi-Fi, iPhone compatibility
Battery: 80% charge in 30 minutes
Eco-Friendly: Carbon neutral with select bands
Beyond fitness and health, the Series 10 keeps you connected when your phone isn't nearby. You can text, take calls, listen to music, use Siri, and get notifications if you're near WiFi or have your iPhone close.
Apple also packed in some serious safety features. Fall Detection and Crash Detection can alert emergency services if you take a hard fall or get into an accident. Emergency SOS lets you call for help at the press of a button, and Check In automatically notifies a loved one when you arrive at your destination.
Apple Watch 10 is also crack-resistant, dust-resistant (IP6X), and water-resistant up to 50m. Apple even made it carbon-neutral when paired with select bands, so it's a little easier on the environment.
SAVE $300: As of March 7, the Bose Smart Soundbar 550 with Dolby Atmos is available for $199 at Walmart. That’s a 60% discount from its regular price of $499.
Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose Smart Soundbar 550 $199 at WalmartGood speakers don’t have to cost a fortune. Walmart just knocked $300 off the Bose Smart Soundbar 550, bringing it down to $199 from its usual $499. That’s a 60% discount on a premium soundbar that upgrades your TV audio without turning your living room into an electronics graveyard of tangled wires and bulky speakers.
Bose packed a lot of tech into this 27-inch soundbar, proving that small doesn’t mean weak. The TrueSpace technology up-mixes stereo and 5.1 audio to create a more immersive sound experience, even when content isn’t Dolby Atmos-encoded. Translation: movies, music, and TV shows sound richer, fuller, and more spread across your space instead of just blasting straight at you.
SEE ALSO: Listen up! Grab Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds for $80 off at Amazon.It also has AI Dialogue Mode, which automatically balances voices and surround sound, so you don’t have to crank up the volume to hear what people are saying. No more rewinding every time someone mumbles their lines.
For a soundbar this size, it pushes sound impressively far. Five transducers, including two that fire upward, help bounce audio off the ceiling to create a sense of height and depth. Bose 550 fills the room in a way that built-in TV speakers can’t compete with, including blockbuster action scenes or just listening to music.
Price: $199 $499
Retailer: Walmart
Length: 27.34 inches
Height: 4.09 inches
Thickness: 2.21 inches
Weight: 6.91 lbs
Audio Tech: Dolby Atmos, TrueSpace
Streaming: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Chromecast
Smart Features: Alexa voice control
App Control: Bose Music app
Streaming is effortless. The Bose Soundbar 550 supports Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Chromecast. You can stream directly from your phone or use Wi-Fi to access internet radio and built-in music services through the Bose Music app. The soundbar also plays nice with Amazon Alexa, so you can control it with voice commands.
At $199, this deal is hard to ignore. It’s not every day that Bose drops a premium soundbar into the budget-friendly range. Walmart’s prices tend to fluctuate, so it’s best to grab this one before it jumps back up.
The United States has gotten serious about Bitcoin — though maybe not as serious as some had hoped.
On Thursday, President Trump signed an Executive Order to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, and a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile.
Essentially, this means that the U.S. government now treats Bitcoin as a reserve asset, similar to gold. However, it does not mean that the government will be buying Bitcoin. From the White House announcement: "The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will be capitalized with bitcoin owned by the Department of Treasury that was forfeited as part of criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings."
"The United States will not sell bitcoin deposited into this Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, which will be maintained as a store of reserve assets," the text of the Order further states.
For a video of Trump signing the order whilst seemingly hearing about it for the first time ever, check out below.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.The Order also states that the "Secretaries of Treasury and Commerce are authorized to develop budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional bitcoin, provided that those strategies impose no incremental costs on American taxpayers." It's unclear what these strategies will be, but at least it leaves some hope for Bitcoin bulls that the U.S. will in the future acquire some additional Bitcoin.
The other part of the Order talks about the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile, which consists of "digital assets other than bitcoin owned by the Department of Treasury that was forfeited in criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings."
SEE ALSO: 4 reasons why Bitcoin value is nosediving. (Hint: It's Trump.)For these, however, it's clearly stated that "the government will not acquire additional assets for the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile beyond those obtained through forfeiture proceedings."
Sorry, the U.S. govt. will not be buying your altcoin bags.
With Bitcoin price mostly going up since the digital asset was created 15 years ago, the U.S. govt. missed out on some easy gains by selling some of the Bitcoins it acquired through various means — according to the White House, "premature sales of bitcoin have already cost U.S. taxpayers over $17 billion."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.According to freshly appointed crypto czar David Sacks, the U.S. govt. still owns "about 200,000" BTC. One of the tasks of the U.S. government's new Crypto Task Force will be to audit and evaluate how much crypto it owns, exactly.
TL;DR: Get a Luvly Holistic Face Yoga App lifetime subscription for just $59.99.
Whether you have a twelve-step skincare routine or you're looking to step up your face maintenance, you're going to want to check out Luvly Holistic Face Yoga. This app will change your self-care setup, and a lifetime license is currently on sale for just $59.99 (reg. $300) — the best price anywhere online.
Self-care? There's now an app for thatLooking to add self care to your routine? Luvly is working to make sure you carve out some time for yourself and unlock your natural beauty with this game-changing app. Their holistic focus works to unite the body, mind, and soul with an emphasis on combining face yoga, skincare, stress management, and healthy foods for serious self-improvement.
Face yoga may be trendy in your TikTok algorithm, but Luvly aims to make that facial fitness a priority. The app provides easy-to-follow sessions that can help enhance your face's tone and radiance — without any invasive procedures or trips to the doctor.
Guided self-massage turns you into the masseuse, helping you pamper yourself from the comfort of home with the help of their expert guides (and without shelling out a dime at the spa!).
If tending to your skin was on your 2025 bucket list, Luvly makes it easier than ever with skincare routines that cater to your specific needs and goals. There's also a cosmetic scanner available when you're on the go so you can make the best choices about your skincare products.
Luvly's holistic approach also focuses on your stress load and diet. Breathing and meditation exercises aim to bring down your day-to-day stressors by teaching you relaxation techniques you can take throughout your day.
Personalized meal plans offer options full of ingredients that can promote health and beauty from the inside out, rounding out the app's helpful offerings.
All this is included for life with this subscription offer.
Enjoy a lifetime of Luvly Holistic Face Yoga Premium for just $59.99 right here for a limited time.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: Gismart Luvly Holistic Face Yoga App - Premium: Lifetime Subscription $59.99TL;DR: Play golf year-round with the Phigolf Home Golf Game Simulator Sensor, just $89.97 (reg. $199) through March 30.
Golf simulators used to be expensive, but the technology has grown a lot in the last few years. Now, you can bring your favorite game home with you, and you don't even need new clubs. Phigolf lets you work on your swing all year by putting a lifelike golf simulator right there on your screen. You can even play with your own clubs, and it's only $89.97 (reg. $199).
Improve your golf game from anywhereIf you're feeling a little rusty ahead of golf season, Phigolf World Tour Edition can get you back in shape before you hit the green. Its Smart Motion Sensor — which plugs into the end of a swing trainer or your own club — keeps track of all your swing data and transmits it to the Phigolf companion app. This offers real-time trajectory projections as you play.
Phigolf's 3D Data-Analysis System gives you feedback on your golf swing tempo, head speed, club path, face angle, and shot distance. This lets you tweak things and improve as you play, whether you're swinging, chipping, driving, or putting.
This World Tour Edition lets you play on realistic simulations of over 38,000 golf courses worldwide. They've all been precisely measured by GPS mapping trusted by Bushnell, GolfNow, and Yamaha, so it'll feel like you've transported there with your clubs.
Aside from helping your game, you'll also get access to a global golf community to connect with like-minded golf lovers. Make friends and then enjoy head-to-head rounds or tournaments right alongside them.
This Kickstarter-funded simulator is perfect for all golf lovers, no matter their skill set. There's even training programs if you want to take a few off your game.
This item is open box, which means it was likely excess inventory or returned from a retail store. It's been verified to still be in new condition and has been placed in clean packaging that won't be a branded box, resulting in a great deal for you.
Get the Phigolf Home Golf Game Simulator Sensor and a Generic Swing Stick Set for only $89.97 through March 30.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: Phigolf Phigolf Home Golf Game Simulator Sensor & Generic Swing Stick Set (Open Box) $89.97TL;DR: Charge up to six devices at once with Flash Pro Plus, now $229.99 (reg. $319).
Keeping all of your devices charged up can feel like a full-time job... especially when you're traveling or constantly on the go. That's where a good power bank comes in handy, like the Flash Pro Plus. You can save $90 and avoid a dreaded dead battery with this one, now $229.99, right here for a limited time.
Charge up with this pocket-sized powerhouseWhether you're trying to clean up your nightstand and ditch unsightly cords or you are in desperate need of a power bank while you're on the road, the Flash Pro Plus is ready to become your champion of charging. Powered by Panasonic and crowdfunded on Indiegogo, this model is portable, speedy, and works with both Apple and Android.
A large capacity of 25,000mAh provides ample power to keep your go-to gadgets powered up — from smartphones to USB-C laptops with the 100W USB-C port to tablets or any other USB-powered item. It's even safe for low voltage devices like headphones or vapes.
The Flash Pro Plus is ready to support up to six devices simultaneously and works efficiently by employing fast charging tech like Apple Fast Charge to get your iPhone, Airpods, or Apple watches juiced up quickly.
There's no questioning how much juice your power bank has left thanks to the OLED display, which offers real-time info on the battery percentage and power output coming from each port.
It also supports 15W MagSafe Compatible Wireless Charging, so you can just place your smartphone on top and skip plugging in altogether.
Once you've drained the power bank, don't worry. Recharging the Flash Pro Plus from 0% to 100% takes as little as 70 minutes. And if you're planning on taking it along on your next adventure, you can rest easy knowing it's TSA and EASA-approved and safe for airlines.
Get the Flash Pro Plus for just $229.99 right here for a limited time.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: Chargeasap Flash Pro Plus 100W USB-C 25000mAh Graphene Power Bank w/ Magsafe Compatibility $229.99It's time for horror fans to get to know James Ashcroft. The New Zealand actor turned writer/director awed critics in 2021 with Coming Home in the Dark, a movie so scary that it literally knocked me out of my seat. Now, he's back with a sophisticated yet elegantly demented follow-up, The Rule of Jenny Pen, a psycho-biddy thriller that pits heralded actors John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush against each other in a deranged battle of wills.
Traditionally, this horror subgenre — which is also referred to as hagsploitation and includes classics like What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? — centers on an aging woman who is so isolated that she's become mentally unstable, and a threat to any who crosses her path. This distinctly disturbing subgenre is often used to explore the way aging women are disregarded by society, to our peril. Essentially, though aging and forgotten, these women still carry the power to torment or even kill. It might even be viewed that their petty grievances and gnarly obsessions are what keeps them alive. With The Rule of Jenny Pen, Ashcroft places men in a psycho-biddy scenario, reflecting how some horrors of aging aren't reserved just for women.
This makes for a movie that is in turn manic, eerie, disturbing, and shocking. It's little wonder The Rule of Jenny Pen has been praised by icon of horror Stephen King as "one of the best movies I've seen."
The Rule of Jenny Pen hauntingly echoes What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? John Lithgow as Dave Crealy with Jenny Pen in James Ashcroft's "The Rule of Jenny Pen." Credit: Stan Alley / An IFC Films and Shudder Release.Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush stars as Judge Stefan Mortensen, who uses his bench not only to determine justice but also to morally reprimand the defendants who come before his snarling gaze. That is, until a near-fatal stroke forces him into a retirement home. Partially paralyzed, the judge must use a wheelchair and depend on the care workers for some of his more intimate needs. While he's insistent this is temporary, just until he can recover, a creeping dread suggests there is no escape from his failing body and this institution dedicated to housing — and hiding away — the old and infirm.
Notably, Ashcroft paints the retirement facility itself as a cheery place, portrayed in cool pink tones, where the residents are offered a variety of activities from games to dancing, and the caregivers are devoted and kind, if not always receptive. The horror creeps in with the introduction of Dave Crealy, played two-time Academy Award nominee John Lithgow. A longtime resident of the facility, Crealy is regarded by the caregivers as a jolly eccentric who laughs loudly, loves to sing and dance, and treasures his dolly, an eyeless hand puppet he calls Jenny Pen. But when they're not looking, Crealy is a brutal bully, tormenting the other residents through intimidation, violence, and humiliation. But he may have met his match in the proud Mortensen.
John Lithgow is a terrific terror in The Rule of Jenny Pen. John Lithgow as Dave Crealy with Jenny Pen in James Ashcroft's "The Rule of Jenny Pen." Credit: Stan Alley / An IFC Films and Shudder Release.Known for everything from 3rd Rock From the Sun to Trial & Error to Conclave, Lithgow has long been an actor who can leap from comedy to drama without missing a step. Here, Lithgow's natural height of 6'4" is brilliantly used to have Crealy tower over Mortensen, who uses a wheelchair that he feels showcases his infirmity. In an interview with Mashable, Lithgow, who executive produced alongside Rush, shared how he sought out silvery contact lenses and gnarly prosthetic teeth to build his concept of Crealy, adding on a scruffy beard for good measure. The effect is realistic and unnerving, transforming the beloved performer's face into something just off of what we've come to know. His smile becomes more easily menacing, his stare sharper and colder.
When Crealy begins creeping into Mortensen's room at night to harass him, he carries an eerie stillness, like a tiger stalking its prey. The contrast between the tall man and the small, battered puppet is unnerving on its own. But Ashcroft amplifies the energy of malice by slicing through his daytime color palette of pinks with a giallo red, punctuated by sharp lines or quick cuts that turn this everyday setting into a surreal prison. This perturbing posturing is what Crealy effects as he abuses his fellow residents, forcing them into embarrassing submission or tugging mercilessly on catheters. Yet Crealy is at his most frightening during the day, in plain sight.
There, where any aide or resident might see, he taunts the judge with a song and dance. The tune itself is a Cockney pub song, "Knees Up Mother Brown." And Crealy sings it with the enthusiasm that its name might suggest. But Crealy's focus, as he lifts his knees high and sings loudly, is to rub in Mortensen's face his mobility, his autonomy, his power. Because of course Mortensen has reported Crealy to the carers, but who could believe such a jovial old fool could be as cruel as described? This song then becomes about Crealy pouring salt into the wounds he's already inflicted. With a love of cheerful performance (and his own version of "I've Written a Letter to Daddy"), Crealy is a mercurial Baby Jane Hudson to Mortensen's Blanche (Joan Crawford), who also uses a wheelchair in Baby Jane. However, Mortensen hasn't been battered down by decades of abuse and guilt, and so will fight back in his own way. And the results are sensational and scary.
The Rule of Jenny Pen unblinklingly reveals the indignities of aging. Nick Blake as Tobias in "The Rule of Jenny Pen." Credit: Stan Alley / An IFC Films and Shudder Release.The titular puppet is suitably creepy. The man who wields her like a weapon is enchantingly horrifying. But the most penetrating terror of The Rule of Jenny Pen is that Crealy's campaign of abuse can exist at all. In the opening scene, Mortensen is presented as a man infallible, with the power of privilege, respect, and status. But one stroke and he is struck down, losing his autonomy because of his disability. More than that, he loses his voice because of the agism that urges society to ignore the elderly.
Mortensen is ignored like the pleas for love or attention of any psycho-biddy. His claims about Crealy written off with a banal smile from a caregiver more determined to clean him up than hear him out. Desperate to not lose himself to this wall of ignorance, Mortensen does battle with his bully. But like Coming Home in the Dark, Ashcroft sets up a story that can have no happy ending. For there is no escape from the decay aging brings, not only psychically but also psychologically and — perhaps most crucially — socially.
Like in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? someone will lose this battle of wills, but no one will win. And in that, The Rule of Jenny Pen leaves us with a harrowing final image, simple yet unforgettable. In the end, The Rule of Jenny Pen becomes not just a frightening warning but also a haunting call for empathy — a memento mori of sorts, reminding the viewer, "As I am, you will be."
The latest from writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place, 65), Heretic is intricate, intellectual, and eerie. Beyond the religious debate and blueberry pie lies Hugh Grant in one of the most surprising roles of his career. "What really sets Heretic apart is Grant, the absolute monster of a man he plays, and just how awfully familiar that man is," Mashable's reviewer writes. You may never look at his Notting Hill performance the same again after watching.
The A24 religious horror gem is finally available to stream, so you can catch Grant take on the role of creepy Mr. Reed at home. Here's everything you need to know.
What is Heretic about?Loner Mr. Reed (Grant) is visited by two Mormon missionaries (Yellowjackets' Sophie Thatcher and The Fabelmans' Chloe East) in A24's Heretic. The girls are hoping to teach him about the Church of Latter Day Saints, but get more than they bargained for when he traps them in his house. To exit, they face a loaded choice: the door labeled "belief" or "disbelief."
Get a glimpse of Hugh Grant channeling his inner horror villain in the official trailer below:
Is Heretic worth watching?"Here, you'll witness Grant both as you've never seen him before (downright terrifying!) and exactly as you've seen him before (charming with a side of self-deprecation). The combination is downright bone-chilling, with Grant's performance providing nonstop terror even as Heretic's theological frights remain fairly surface level," Mashable's Belen Edwards writes in her review. For Grant alone, Heretic is worth watching. But don't just take our word for it — the A24 horror film also currently holds a 91 percent critic rating and 76 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, earning it the "certified fresh" label.
Read our full review of Heretic.
How to watch Heretic at home Credit: A24Heretic made its at-home debut via digital on-demand retailers like Prime Video and Apple TV on Dec. 10 — about a month after its theatrical release. You can purchase it for your digital collection or rent it for 30 days. Just note that with rentals, you'll only have 48 hours to finish the film once you begin.
Here are some quick links to buy or rent Heretic online:
Prime Video — $5.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy
Apple TV — $5.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy
Fandango at Home (Vudu) — $5.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy
YouTube — $4.99+ to rent, $19.99 to buy
Google Play — $4.99+ to rent, $19.99 to buy
The A24 horror film is set to make its streaming debut on Max on March 7. Max subscriptions start at $9.99 per month, but there are a few different ways to save some money on your plan. We've rounded up the best Max streaming deals for you below.
The best Max streaming dealsBest for most people: Save 16% on Max with ads annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max (with ads) yearly subscription $99.99 per year (save 16%) Get DealThe most straightforward way to watch Heretic on Max would be to sign up for a single month of the service with ads, then cancel before you're charged for another. If you choose an annual subscription instead, however, you can save up to 16%. Rather than $9.99 per month, it'll cost you about $8.33 per month when you pay upfront for the year.
Best Max deal with no ads: Save 16% on a Max Ad-Free annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max (No Ads) annual subscription $169.99 per year (save 16%) Get DealIf you prefer an ad-free viewing experience, you can also save 16% on a yearly Max ad-free plan. There are two tiers to choose from: Max Ad-Free and Max Ultimate Ad-Free. The basic ad-free tier costs $16.99 per month or $169.99 per year (about $14.17 per month), while the Ultimate tier costs either $20.99 per month or $209.99 per year (about $17.50 per month). Both tiers offer an ad-free viewing experience, but the Ultimate tier takes things a step further with 4K Ultra HD video quality and Dolby Atmos.
Best Max deal for Cricket customers: Free Max with ads for customers on the $60/month unlimited plan Opens in a new window Credit: Cricket / Max Max (with ads) Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month plan Get DealAs of March 2025, the only way to get a Max subscription for free is through Cricket Wireless. If you're on Cricket's $60 per month unlimited plan, you'll get a free Max with ads subscription, no questions asked. That's a $99.99 per year value. Once you're signed up for the plan, just head over to the Max app, choose Cricket as your provider, and enter your credentials to log in. Check out the terms and conditions on Cricket's website to learn more.
Best Max deal for students: Save 50% on Max with ads Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max Student $4.99 per month for 12 months Get DealCollege students can sign up for an entire year of Max with ads for just $4.99 per month rather than the usual $9.99. That's 50% in savings. All you have to do is verify your student status through UNiDAYS, and you'll receive a unique discount code that will drop the price.
Best bundle deal: Get Max, Disney+, and Hulu for up to 38% off Opens in a new window Credit: Disney / Hulu / Max Disney+, Hulu, and Max $16.99 per month (with ads), $29.99 per month (no ads) Get DealIt may not be the cheapest way to get Max, but you can definitely get the most bang for your buck by bundling your Max subscription with Hulu and Disney+. You can get all three services with ads for only $16.99 per month (reg. $25.97) or without ads for $29.99 per month (reg. $48.97). That's up to 38% in savings.
If you've seen Heretic, chances are high you'll never see Hugh Grant the same way again.
This ominous, brazenly academic, and complex A24 horror film from co-writers/co-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place) quite literally traps you in a maze of unspoken threat, religious debate, and blueberry pie, with Grant's horribly hospitable Mr. Reed proving one of the more surprising villains in modern horror.
SEE ALSO: What to watch: Best scary moviesBut how about that ending? What actually happened with the big reveal, and what was with that final moment? We're going to dig into the unsettling details of the ending of Heretic, so consider this your massive spoiler warning.
What's Heretic about? Credit: A24On a dark and stormy afternoon, Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are assigned to visit addresses who've previously signed up for further information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Next on their list is Mr. Reed (Grant), who invites them in on the socially appropriate premise that his wife's baking in the next room.
Mr. Reed seems quite charming at first, engaging the pair in a deep conversation about faith and how "religion isn't at the centre of culture anymore." But it soon becomes apparent that there's something off; for example, this self-described scholar of religion may brandish a "hubby" mug, but his wife is nowhere to be seen. It's not until Mr. Reed reveals his more sinister methods of testing one's faith and enlightenment that the two women realise they're in real danger. In order to leave the house, Mr. Reed insists they choose one of two doors, one labeled "belief" and one labeled "disbelief." But where do they lead?
What happens at the end of Heretic? Credit: A24The end of Heretic is a whirl of tense debate over belief and reality, gut-churning reveals, and violent ends. But it's also simply a man craving ultimate control over women, and masking his homicidal desires with long-winded lectures on the pitfalls and catches of modern religion.
After a terrifying ordeal and a vicious attack on Barnes, Paxton adopts her friend's strategy to "challenge" Mr. Reed, changing her tact from survival-based politeness to one of a more aggressive exchange. She debates the concept of belief with him, before accusing him of being a charlatan — the "miracle" they were forced to watch in Mr. Reed's basement was a ruse. Paxton figures out there has to be another entrance into the basement to test her theory, and finds a trapdoor. She's encouraged yet again by Mr. Reed to test her faith and decides to climb down into it, though she really has no choice at this point.
There, she finds the nucleus of Mr. Reed's sinister operation: a tunnel emblazoned with sinister occult symbols that leads to a freezing cold room. Here, she discovers multiple women imprisoned in cages, in extremely poor health and starving. Paxton was right. Every time Mr. Reed traps a woman in his maze-house, he poisons another via pie to "demonstrate" the miracle to the newly trapped, replacing them with one of the women in the cages. The macabre switcheroo lets him seemingly play God over and over again — while taking notes. Mr. Reed probably signs up for "more information" to lure religious representatives to his home, and the whole thing works like clockwork; the lights are timed, the locks are automatic, and the script is set.
Paxton is "allowed" to find these women by Mr. Reed so he can gleefully declare the true religion: control. He follows her through another door into the caged area for his "a-ha!" moment. But she stabs him with her concealed letter opener and uses his exit to escape. However, she gets lost in the maze-like house, retreating to the basement. There, Paxton is stabbed by a suddenly reappearing Mr. Reed, who took the tunnel. Bleeding, she does one thing he did not expect: She prays. As she does, Barnes suddenly stabs Mr. Reed with the nail board in her final act. Paxton musters the strength to return to the study where she uses Mr. Reed's wooden house map to find a small vent to crawl out through, and she stumbles through the woods to freedom. Finally, a butterfly lands on her finger, then disappears.
What's Mr. Reed's actual motivation here? Credit: A24Earlier in the film, when they're first invited in, Mr. Reed asks the missionaries their thoughts on one big question: "What is the one true religion?" It keeps coming up over the course of the film, with Mr. Reed confessing he's tried "every sect, cult, and doctrine" out there looking for the answer, trawling ancient history and modern religions, and eventually coming to one conclusion: Control is the one true religion. Essentially, Mr. Reed is practicing contrived experiments in his macabre basement theatre to "prove" this, after lengthy mansplaining monologues about Monopoly, Jar Jar Binks, and Radiohead to bolster his arguments.
Mr. Reed has built a maze-like trap for faith-driven women, one that manipulates them into doubting their beliefs as a distraction from the fact that they're being held captive by a homicidal man. "It's easy to control someone who's lost everything," he says. The number of women under Mr. Reed's control also nods to the very first question he asked of Barnes and Paxton in the living room: "How do you feel about polygamy?" It's a foreshadowing you may have glossed over, but an uncomfortable opener nonetheless.
At the end of the day, this is a man who wants to exercise power over women. Ultimately, it's not about religion, and it's not about faith; it's about violent, male control. From the moment Barnes and Paxton entered Mr. Reed's metal-lined, deadlocked house, he knew he had a literally captive audience for his findings.
However, they outwitted him, with Barnes making a final sacrifice to save her friend.
What's the deal with the butterfly? Credit: A24At the very end of the film, we see Paxton stumbling through the woods in her final escape from Mr. Reed's house. In the final frames, a butterfly lands on her finger, then disappears.
It's likely the butterfly is a representation of her fallen friend, Barnes, who was present in an earlier scene when the three discussed what happens when we die. Paxton had said she would like to be reincarnated as a butterfly, and that she'd land on the tips of the fingers of her loved ones to make sure they knew it was her. Barnes may have been trying to let Paxton know she was with her.
Alternatively, Paxton just had a near-death experience, so perhaps the butterfly is a representation of herself, on another plane of existence, checking in.
As the butterfly disappears almost immediately, we're left in an ambiguous state of whether Paxton saw what she wanted to see (affirming that believing is seeing) or not. Was her hallucination proof of belief or a fabricated vision?
Heretic is now streaming on Max.
UPDATE: Mar. 5, 2025, 3:19 p.m. EST This was first published on Nov. 9, 2024. It has been updated to reflect streaming options.
What would happen if any of Hugh Grant's famed rom-com characters — think William from Notting Hill or the prime minister from Love Actually — trapped you in a house of horrors? That's not too far off from what you'll get in Heretic, the latest horror offering from writer-director duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place, 65).
Yes, Grant has leaned further into villain archetypes in the past few years, from Paddington 2's egotistical Phoenix Buchanan to Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' roguish Forge. But no film has weaponized his talents to as frightening an extent as Heretic. Here, you'll witness Grant both as you've never seen him before (downright terrifying!) and exactly as you've seen him before (charming with a side of self-deprecation). The combination is downright bone-chilling, with Grant's performance providing nonstop terror even as Heretic's theological frights remain fairly surface level.
SEE ALSO: Hugh Grant will scare your socks off in exclusive 'Heretic' clip What's Heretic about? Hugh Grant in "Heretic." Credit: A24Grant plays Mr. Reed, a seemingly friendly man who opens his door to Mormon missionaries Sister Paxton (The Fabelmans' Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Yellowjackets' Sophie Thatcher). The pair have already had a rough day of lugging their bikes up and down steep stairs, getting made fun of by local teenage girls, and weathering the beginnings of a gnarly rainstorm. After all that, Mr. Reed's genuine interest in the Mormon Church is just the pick-me-up they need. And while mission rules forbid them from being alone with him without a woman present, he insists that his shy wife is just in the kitchen whipping up a marvelous blueberry pie. That's all the confirmation Paxton and Barnes need to enter his home and start teaching him about their faith.
Once inside, though, the red flags start piling up. Turns out Mr. Reed knows quite a bit about Mormonism. Look no further than his heavily marked-up copy of the Book of Mormon. ("More like Mr. Read," Paxton jokes, desperate to land her first baptism.) Then there are his pointed probes about Mormon founder Joseph Smith and polygamy. At first glance, these could just be mistaken for run-of-the-mill religious skepticism. But when coupled with personal questions about the death of Barnes' father, it's clear something more sinister is afoot. From here, all Heretic needs is one push — in this case, the reveal that "Mrs. Reed" is nothing more than a blueberry-scented lie — to send Paxton and Barnes hurtling into hell.
SEE ALSO: 25 of the best Christmas horror movies to haunt your holiday"Hell" of course being the back section of Mr. Reed's house, which includes a chapel he built himself, as well as two staircases — one marked "belief," the other "disbelief" — leading down into the darkness. These staircases become the focal point for a religious battle of wits, as Mr. Reed tests the Sisters' faith to its limit.
Heretic's religious horror is not the scariest thing about it. Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher in "Heretic." Credit: A24Most of this battle of wits plays out in conversation, with Heretic quickly cementing itself as the chattiest horror movie of the year. (While introducing Heretic at this year's Fantastic Fest, Beck and Woods said they created it as the inverse to A Quiet Place, which created scares without any dialogue.) As Mr. Reed lures Paxton and Barnes deeper into his web, each conversational turn and cutting question become cause for more and more dread. Yet that's less due to the actual content of the conversations, and more about Beck and Woods' claustrophobic direction of this three-hander. Tight close-ups on Mr. Reed, Paxton, and Barnes' faces keep us locked into their discussion, while the single-location setting reminds us that there is no escape.
Ostensibly, the theological debate that this trio engages in is meant to be the meat of Heretic's horror, as Paxton and Barnes reckon with their relationship to God in a time of crisis. But the film's religious discourse is mostly skin-deep — albeit fun.
SEE ALSO: 10 terrifying religious horror movies you can stream right nowTake, for example, a show-stopping monologue from Grant, delivered like a sermon from his own pulpit, about the iterative connections between everything from religion to Monopoly to Lana Del Rey. (A Jar Jar Binks impression makes its way in there too, and Grant makes a delightful meal of it, as he does with everything else in the film.) The actual messaging about religion being nothing more than an elaborate marketing farce isn't particularly groundbreaking — you could just as easily find these ideas on any atheist message board. It's the way Grant delivers it, with all the panache of a smarmy debate bro, that really sets your teeth on edge.
That's because Heretic mines its greatest scares not from its questions about religion, but from the age-old truth that it's just really terrifying to be a woman alone with a strange man. Especially when that strange man combines the mannerisms of rom-com Hugh Grant with the trap-loving sensibilities of Saw's John Kramer.
Hugh Grant in Heretic is some of the best horror casting in recent memory. Hugh Grant in "Heretic." Credit: A24The root of Heretic's true horror begins with Grant's performance. Here, the actor is fully in what'd we consider to be his rom-com mode, employing the tricks he uses in his romantic roles. Mr. Reed is all affable grins and shrugs, politely tripping over his words, then mugging apologetically when he mixes up names or asks an uncomfortable question. He seems almost sorry to be asking Barnes and Paxton to head into his creepy basement, when in reality he's in total control.
That knowing lack of acknowledgment of his control carries over into Beck and Woods' script. While some of Heretic's religious musings can feel overwritten, Mr. Reed's social manipulation of the Sisters is spot-on. He claims, time and time again, that he isn't pressuring them — never mind the fact that he's locked them in his house. He accuses Barnes and Paxton of getting too worked-up, discounting their very valid fears about him. Who can stay calm when a man is, once again, coercing them into his basement?
East and Thatcher play Paxton and Barnes' reactions perfectly, with the pair attempting to defuse the situation without upsetting Mr. Reed. Their discomfort comes through at first in small ways. Thatcher's firmer Barnes refuses a drink from Mr. Reed, while East's sweet, more unsure Paxton responds to most of his questions through awkward giggles. But as the cracks in Mr. Reed's façade begin to show, the panic becomes ever clearer on the Sisters' faces, even as they try to remain polite. Repeated questions to meet Mrs. Reed become shorthand for terror. Paxton and Barnes invent excuses to try to extricate themselves. Later, they dull down their intelligence and beliefs in an attempt to appeal to what they think Mr. Reed wants from them — Paxton even thanks him as she begins her descent downstairs. It's a stomach-churning, yet all-too relatable moment of panicked nicety in a film full of them. How do you push away a man who won't allow you to remove yourself from his vicinity? A man who wants to use his religious beliefs to control and mold you to his will — again, sound familiar?
These scenes of Paxton and Barnes diminishing themselves make the moments when they fight back all the sweeter. They choose to meet Mr. Reed on his own intellectual turf, challenging him on his clearly well-rehearsed points. And whether or not you agree with Mr. Reed's religious beliefs or the Sisters', each rebuttal of theirs hits hard by virtue of them facing down their captor.
Heretic's dialogue — no matter how high school debate-y it threatens to get — is delivered with such malevolent fun by Grant and such ferocity by East and Thatcher that by the time the film falls into more traditional slasher mode, it's a shame to part with these conversations. Frightening reveals and boatloads of religious and occult iconography (much of it delivered in impressively crafted statues and images throughout Mr. Reed's house) certainly get the blood pumping. But they're something you could see in any religious horror movie. What really sets Heretic apart is Grant, the absolute monster of a man he plays, and just how awfully familiar that man is.
Heretic is now streaming on Max.
UPDATE: Mar. 5, 2025, 3:15 p.m. EST This review was first published on Nov. 8, 2024. It has been updated to reflect streaming options.
The second feature by Zambian-Welsh director Rungano Nyoni, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is a brilliantly wry film of funeral traditions and familial idiosyncrasies. Tackling dark familial secrets with acerbic wit, it explores a culture of silence around sexual abuse. The result is a fiercely feminist tale filled with powerful observations, told through the eyes of a woman struggling with her commitment to community, as she’s backed into corners by social norms.
While the movie's humor and visual form verge on surreal, a deceptively withheld lead performance by Susan Chardy — who plays Shula, a woman visiting her Zambian hometown after many years abroad — helps ground it within social realism. Nyoni, who was similarly born in Zambia but raised in Britain, strikes this visual and tonal balance with an expert hand right from her opening scenes, which follow the surprising discovery of a dead body on an isolated road.
From there on out, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl sweeps through its mere 99 minutes with clamorous force. Implications eventually give way to revelations, but the story remains rooted in burning questions of how best to challenge a foundational status quo without breaking the bonds of family, recalling films like Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding, but blazing a unique path.
What is On Becoming a Guinea Fowl about? Credit: Chibesa Mulumba / A24.The movie's strange but revealing contrasts emerge minutes into its runtime, as Shula drives home from a costume party and discovers the corpse of her uncle — her mother's brother, Fred (Roy Chisha) — lying by the roadside. Dressed in a baggy black outfit reminiscent of '90s Missy Elliot, and wearing a bedazzled helmet that recalls Phantom of the Paradise, Shula exacerbates this visual disconnect with her icy, sardonic expression. When she calls her father (Henry B.J. Phiri) to relay the news, Fred's death isn't even the first thing she brings up.
While her response initially seems mysterious, one of the movie's fleeting hints of surrealist imagery wordlessly unveils what might be going on. As though she were having an out-of-body experience, she briefly sees her younger, adolescent self (played by Blessings Bhamjee) standing over Fred's body with a stern expression, wearing the very same ridiculous costume. It's bizarre, droll, and heartbreaking all at once, hinting at a character stuck in time, unable to move past something.
While the film eventually goes on to detail the reasons for her muted response, it isn't all that hard to put two and two together, especially when her inebriated cousin Nsansa (Elizabeth Chisela) shows up and pokes fun at her deceased relative as he lays nearby, referring to him as a "pervert." Their humor may seem cruel at the outset, but Shula and Nsansa's eyes suppress a lingering anguish that neither of them wants to discuss — or perhaps can't bring themselves to address.
As the days go by, and Fred's extended family arrives for his last rites, Shula reluctantly goes along with the various funeral traditions that involve the subservience of younger women, both to their older aunts — whose collective voice and physical presence envelopes the younger characters — and to the men of the family. It's her duty to cook, for instance, no matter her own emotional state, and she and several other women walk around the house on their knees or on all fours as part of their ritualistic duties, as more relatives gather and scenes grow more cacophonous.
However, as Shula and Nsansa fetch their younger cousin Bupe (Esther Singini) from her college dormitory, the latter's pained demeanor, and a video confession she records, make it all the more urgent for Shula to try and convince her family of who Fred really was, and the things he may have done to his younger female relatives on more than one occasion.
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl creates drama through implication. Credit: Chibesa Mulumba / A24While the details of Fred's past eventually come to light, Nyoni trusts her viewers to use inference and imagination. In the process, she paints a stark picture of the kind of memories that might be swirling in Shula's mind, as she balances being physically present for the funeral — and being there for her family — while being mentally checked out much of this time for the sake of her sanity.
The movie's harsh, upsetting soundscape (courtesy of composer Lucrecia Dalt) goes a long way toward crafting its atmosphere, creating an imposing space from which the younger women in the family have to constantly escape in order to breathe. More often than not, Shula, Nsansa, and their friends find themselves hidden away in a closet or pantry in order to steal swigs of alcohol and speak openly about Fred, in ways they cannot in front of the film's extended cast.
It's also worth noting that, while the structural impositions placed on Shula and her cousins are distinctly patriarchal, the men of their family rarely feature on screen. Instead, the constraints placed around the women are the focus, and the audience discovers each as it first appears in matter-of-fact fashion. These cultural curtailments are entirely self-evident, self-perpetuating, and widely understood, but they also serve logistical functions. For example, Shula is made to cook for Fred's young widow, Chichi (Norah Mwansa); someone has to.
The women of Shula's family all gather under one roof and sleep packed like sardines, making it hard to find moments of respite — especially when mourning Fred becomes a collective, at times performative, act. Shula's mother (Doris Naulapwa) cared deeply about her late brother, but the more mourners who gather, the more the lines between genuine affection and the demands of tradition begin to blur, and the more Shula’s extended family becomes concerned with keeping the peace, rather than acting on complaints about their loved ones.
When Shula tries to take a moment for herself, her numerous, yammering aunties yank her back into thick of things, usually at night, though she returns and re-settles into the family’s rhythms without a fuss. She knows this is what she must do, even though what she really wants is to scream from the rooftops about the type of person Fred really was.
Susan Chardy delivers a quiet, powerhouse performance. Credit: Chibesa Mulumba / A24The first time we see Shula's face — when she removes her bejeweled costume — Chardy's eyes are immediately striking. Her hair is frayed, which compliments the way she embodies a sense of exhaustion and repression. Nyoni's screenplay, which withholds information pivotal to the plot (and to Shula’s emotional state) for lengthy stretches, simply would not work if the movie's lead performance weren't so consistently captivating.
Chardy's approach to creating Shula is distinctly top-down, from stillness that disguises subtle movement (and movement that overcompensates for a desire to stay still) to her accent work and code-switching. Much of the movie is in Bemba, but for its English-language dialogue, whether Shula speaks with Chardy's natural English accent, or a Zambian accent, or a mix of the two, usually depends on who she's talking to, and with how much emotional force.
Shula is, effectively, a person in flux, who feels as though she has worked hard to escape her hometown — not just physically, but emotionally and socially — but is constantly drawn back into its orbit. Like Nyoni, Chardy was born in Zambia and raised in Britain, and together, they pour their emigrant anxieties into Shula, a woman who floats through the world buoyed by despondent fury at her inability to change the past, or the future.
To challenge an existing structure isn’t a logistical act, but a deeply human one, and Nyoni unfurls the distressing, amusing, and wholly enrapturing results of engaging with this necessary transformation. Through biting observations, careful camera movement, and performances that flesh out the hidden contours of every scene (and every character dynamic), On Becoming a Guinea Fowl bursts to life in unassuming ways. Though perhaps just as surprising as the movie’s simple visual conception is the complexity with which it arrives at its most powerful scenes, which center on the thin line between complicity and self-preservation, and on the rigid realities of belonging to a community while trying to re-shape it from within.
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl opens in limited release on March 7, 2025.
UPDATE: Mar. 5, 2025, 4:03 p.m. EST "On Becoming a Guinea Fowl" was reviewed out of its U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival. This review was first published on Oct. 10, 2024, and it has been updated to reflect theatrical viewing options.
Plenty of horror films have moments that stay with you, but there aren't many with final images as disturbing as Starve Acre's.
The entire last act of Daniel Kokotajlo's movie — based on Andrew Michael Hurley's novel of the same name — is intense, so much so that you may be struggling to make sense of what in the rabbit-nurturing heck you just witnessed.
To try and help piece together the final happenings of this '70s Yorkshire-set horror, we've broken down all the key questions below, from the legend of Dandelion Jack to what really happened to that poor little boy.
SEE ALSO: The 13 best horror movies of 2023, and where to watch them What's Starve Acre about?After their young son Owen (Arthur Shaw) dies from an asthma attack, Richard (Matt Smith) and Juliette (Morfydd Clark) both experience strange happenings while struggling to deal with their overwhelming grief. On a sabbatical from the university where he teaches, Richard digs in a nearby field to try and uncover the remaining roots of a legendary tree written about in his abusive father's diaries.
While digging Richard discovers the skeleton of a hare, which he boxes up and takes home — only to find that the creature seems to be slowly regenerating itself whenever he looks at its remains alone.
Juliette, meanwhile, is haunted by depression, guilt, and visions of her son, leading her to be open to a visit from local medium Mrs. Forde (Melanie Kilburn).
A troubled family. Credit: BFI What happens at the end of Starve Acre?The remains of the hare completely regenerate, and the now-living creature comes back to the house after Richard and Juliette try to release it into the wild. Juliette becomes obsessed with it, believing it to be the manifestation of a Pagan spirit the locals called Dandelion Jack.
Richard, meanwhile, uncovers the remains of the perfectly preserved "Whistling Tree" that his father was obsessed with. His colleague Steven (Robert Emms) comes to help him dig, but Juliette has a vision that Steven has come to take the hare away from her. She takes a knife and murders Steven, before persuading Richard that Dandelion Jack has come to give them a second chance after their son's death.
In the final moments of the film, Richard kills Juliette's visiting sister Harrie (Erin Richards), providing Dandelion Jack with the third sacrifice needed to complete the legend and cross over from the spirit world.
What's the local legend about Dandelion Jack?Hang on a minute — who's Dandelion Jack? And what exactly is this local legend? We get glimpses of the story in the writings of Richard's father Neil, but the most concise explanation comes from Richard himself when he tells his colleague what the Whistling Tree is meant to be.
"The womb of nature," says Richard. "The pagan's entrance to the spirit world."
One of these spirits is Dandelion Jack. The legend goes that three human sacrifices are needed to open the doorway and let him in: a child, a woman, and a man. In this case Owen is the first sacrifice, then Steven, and then finally Harrie.
What really happened to their son, Owen?Before he dies, Owen speaks about Dandelion Jack, using the spirit's other name, Jack Grey. He says Jack Grey has been "whistling" to him. The implication is that Dandelion Jack's spirit is able to influence and communicate with members of Richard's family in an attempt to free himself from the spirit world, first telling Owen to do bad things and then causing his mother not to intervene while he's having an asthma attack.
"When Owen had the asthma attack, I didn't freeze up," Juliette tells Richard towards the end of the film. "I had a moment of clarity that we'd be better off without him. And that was thanks to Jack."
It seems as though Dandelion Jack's spirit was pulling the strings all along, with the goal being to make Owen his first sacrifice.
Juliette treats the hare like a new child. Credit: BFI What's the deal with the hare?The hare seems to be a physical manifestation of Dandelion Jack. Richard discovers the remains while digging near the buried Whistling Tree (the doorway to Jack's spirit world), and the hare regenerates after Owen — the first sacrifice — has been made.
Whether the hare is Jack's final form is unclear. The film ends at the moment when all three sacrifices have been made, and Juliette has just begun to "nurture" (ick) the hare like a child.
Maybe it's for the best that we don't stick around to find out what happens next.
Starve Acre is now streaming on Shudder.
UPDATE: Mar. 5, 2025, 3:29 p.m. EST This was first published on Sept. 6, 2024 It has been updated to reflect streaming options.
Now that Lady Gaga has finished sing-narrating the lives of her SNL colleagues, it's time to prepare for Saturday's show with a series of the usual promo skits.
In the video above she joins Bowen Yang for some jokes about everything from Timothée Chalamet to Coachella, ending with a bit where Yang shows her his "Alejandro" tattoo — the Alejandro in question being Alejandro Mayorkas, "the seventh United States secretary of Homeland Security."
"Keep up," says Yang.
SAVE $90: As of March 7, the Apple iPad (10th Generation, 64GB, Wi-Fi) is available for $259.99 at Amazon. That’s 26% off its usual price of $349.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad (10th Gen, 64GB) $259.99 at AmazonFancy a brand new iPad without the Apple tax? According to the listing, the 10th-generation iPad has dropped to $259.99 at Amazon, its lowest price in 30 days. The usual price is $349, so this deal knocks it to something much easier to justify. If your current tablet is lagging, cracked, or outdated, this could be the upgrade you've been waiting for.
The 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display makes everything look sharp and colorful. Watching videos, scrolling through social media, or attempting to get some work done? The screen keeps things crisp. True Tone automatically adjusts brightness based on your surroundings, so you won't get blinded by a too-bright display when checking an email at night.
SEE ALSO: The roborock Qrevo Edge robot vacuum is down to its lowest-ever pricePerformance is powered by the A14 Bionic chip, the same one used in the iPhone 12. It's not the latest processor, but it handles day-to-day tasks without a problem. Browsing, streaming, note-taking, and even some light gaming all run smoothly. It's not meant to replace a laptop, but it does the job well for casual use.
This model supports the first-generation Apple Pencil, making it a good choice for students, casual artists, or anyone who prefers handwritten notes. It also works with the Magic Keyboard Folio, which adds a detachable keyboard and a protective back panel. Of course, both accessories are sold separately because Apple loves to keep things interesting.
Price: $259.99 $349
Retailer: Amazon
Display: 10.9-inch Liquid Retina
Processor: A14 Bionic chip
Storage: 64GB
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6
Battery Life: All-day battery
Security: Touch ID
Pencil Support: Apple Pencil (1st Gen)
Keyboard Support: Magic Keyboard Folio (sold separately)
WiFi 6 speeds up browsing and streaming, while Touch ID keeps things secure. The battery lasts all day, though that depends on how you use it. A mix of web browsing, video calls, and social media should get you through without needing to charge. A long binge-watch session might be a different story.
At $259.99, this is a great price for a reliable iPad that can handle everyday tasks. These discounts don't always stick around, so now's a good time to grab one if you've been thinking about it.
Ever since her introduction in Severance's Season 2 premiere, new Lumon hire Miss Huang (Sarah Bock) has been bombarded by a storm of fan theories. Is she a robot? A clone? Why else would a child be on the Severed Floor unless something truly dastardly was going on?
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2, episode 8 drops a game-changing twist about Ms. CobelNow, viewers can put their theories to rest, because "Sweet Vitriol," the eighth episode of Severance Season 2, finally confirms why Miss Huang works at Lumon. And while the answer isn't as sci-fi-heavy as robots or clones, it's still fairly sinister.
Miss Huang is basically a Lumon intern, just like Harmony Cobel once was. Sarah Bock in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+"Sweet Vitriol" focuses on Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette), so we actually don't see Miss Huang at all in this episode. However, we do hear a phrase that links the two. On Jan. 22, the Lumon LinkedIn page congratulated Miss Huang for being "this quarter's Wintertide Fellow." Those words pop up again in episode 6, "Attila," when Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) tells Miss Huang, "You cannot graduate from this fellowship until I have deemed you Wintertide material."
Based on the word "fellowship," the exchange with Milchick implies Miss Huang is some kind of intern at Lumon, while "Wintertide" is the standard she must aspire to. But Severance leaves the specifics of Lumon's fellowship up in the air until episode 8.
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' creator Dan Erickson breaks down Gemma's 'nightmarish' experience at LumonIn "Sweet Vitriol," Cobel's Aunt Sissy (Jane Alexander) mentions Cobel's own Wintertide Fellowship as a badge of honor bestowed by Jame Eagan (Michael Siberry) himself. Later, as Cobel looks through her yearbook for the Myrtle Eagan School for Girls, she finds a photo of her accepting the Wintertide Fellowship from Jame. The text below the image states, "Harmony Cobel's outstanding dedication to the Nine Core Values has earned her the distinguished honor of being selected as the Year of Wiles Wintertide Fellow."
So there you have it. When it comes to Miss Huang, there are no clones or robots at play. Just a highly prestigious Lumon internship for people who have been brought up within the cult of Eagan and Lumon, like Cobel was.
That reality is disturbing in and of itself, though. If Miss Huang's upbringing was anything like Cobel's was before she landed the Wintertide Fellowship, she would have essentially been raised by Lumon, molded to fit their standards. Plus, there's the constant reminder that this is "child fucking labor," as Cobel's old flame Hampton (James Le Gros) so aptly describes his and Cobel's time in the ether factory.
SEE ALSO: Can consent exist in 'Severance'?(The ether mill is also where Kier Eagan and his twin Dieter worked as children according to the story told in "Woe's Hollow," meaning child labor is just another messed-up pillar of Lumon Industries.)
Seeing the way Lumon manipulates children with systems like the Eagan schools and the Wintertide Fellowship serves as a stark reminder of its insidious reach throughout the world. The company isn't content just controlling adults: It has to get its hooks in future generations too. With Miss Huang, we could be seeing a future Cobel — but look at Cobel's life now. Look at how Lumon chewed her up and spat her out. Please, someone break Miss Huang out of Lumon's grasp so she doesn't end up the same way. Let her go play her theremin in peace!
Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.
After a revelatory episode 7, Severance Season 2 takes a frigid turn in episode 8, "Sweet Vitriol." The episode focuses solely on Harmony Cobel's (Patricia Arquette) icy homecoming to the town of Salt's Neck. Once home to a Lumon ether factory, the town has since deteriorated after the company drained it dry.
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' creator Dan Erickson breaks down Gemma's 'nightmarish' experience at LumonThe Salt's Neck factory is just one of the many puzzle pieces that make up Cobel's history, which we learn about in greater depth throughout all of "Sweet Vitriol." The episode dives into her family life, introducing her fanatical Kier-worshipping Aunt Sissy (Jane Alexander) and touching on her late mother Charlotte, who never bought into the cult of Kier. "Sweet Vitriol" also reveals that Cobel took part in the prestigious Wintertide Fellowship, the very same fellowship Miss Huang (Sarah Bock) is completing at Lumon.
Most importantly, though, Severance drops a major bomb: Cobel is the true inventor of the severance procedure.
Harmony Cobel is the real inventor of severance. Britt Lower and Patricia Arquette in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+In the final scenes of "Sweet Vitriol," Cobel retrieves the very thing she came to Salt's Neck to find: an old notebook. Its pages contain graphs of brain waves — including "standard pre-severed brain waves" — as well as sketches of the severance chip.
"Mine! My designs!" Cobel yells at Sissy as she leafs through the book. "Circuit blueprint, base code, Overtime Contingency, Glasgow Block. All of it."
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2, episode 8 finally confirms Miss Huang's whole dealWith that, it's clear: Jame Eagan (Michael Siberry) isn't actually the inventor of severance, as Lumon would have the world believe. Instead, it was none other than Cobel, who may have even started work on the concept of severance in her days as a Wintertide fellow. Yet the cult of Kier forbade her from taking ownership of the invention.
"It was told Kier's knowledge is for all," she tells Sissy. "If I sought credit, I would be banished."
So not only does Lumon torture its employees, it also plagiarizes children! What new lows will the company stoop to next?
Cobel inventing severance explains why she was so obsessed with Mark and Gemma. Patricia Arquette in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+"Sweet Vitriol" sets up a fascinating arc for Cobel going forward. Not only does she seem to be willing to help Mark (Adam Scott) and Devon (Jen Tullock) with Mark's reintegration, she also has left Salt's Neck with her old notes. Could she be trying to claim the credit she's owed, decades down the line?
But even more fascinating is how the severance invention reveal re-contextualizes Cobel's earlier obsession with Mark and Gemma/Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman). Throughout Season 1, she found ways to push them together, like having Ms. Casey observe the MDR workers. Cobel was clearly trying to study if either remembered the other from their Outie lives. As a married couple, they were the perfect test subjects to see whether emotions or relationships could bleed through the severance barrier. Her adopted persona, Mrs. Selvig, was another opportunity to see whether Outie Mark's life had changed since his Innie reconnected with another version of Gemma.
SEE ALSO: Can consent exist in 'Severance'?Cobel could have just been carrying out this strange experiment in the grander service of Lumon, but knowing that she created the severance procedure itself adds a deeper personal stake to it. She was really trying to see if her invention could hold up under the most rigorous tests, if the procedure she created — and can't take credit for — has limits, or if she's created something impenetrable to even love and grief. Has she played god, or is she fallible?
That reasoning is also why reintegration scares her so much. Reintegration risks spilling Lumon secrets, but more than that, it risks undermining her life's work.
Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.
Episode 8 of Severance Season 2 takes us away from the Lumon factory for a fairly grim trip down memory lane, with Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) heading back to her childhood home to retrieve something important.
The house itself is cold, barren, and unwelcoming, but it does contain a few props and details that help shed more light on why Cobel is the way she is.
From Lumon plaques to old school annuals, we've rounded up some of the things you may have missed.
What clues are there in Harmony Cobel's childhood home?The first thing we see as Harmony rushes upstairs is a Lumon plaque on the wall. This reads:
Quarterly Striver
4th quarter
Year of Vision
Youth Apprentice Matron
Celestine "Sissy" Cobel
"Sissy" Cobel is presumably Harmony's elderly relative — possibly an aunt? — who's less than happy about her sudden arrival. The wider implication is that Harmony has very much grown up in a Lumon family. The company has always been a part of her life, because it's been part of the lives of the generation above her.
This is emphasized even more in the next room Harmony searches, which contains a shrine to Kier Eagan similar to the one we saw her sitting in front of in Season 1. At the top of the shrine are four statue heads representing the four tempers: woe, frolic, dread, and malice. There's also a news cutting titled "Jame Eagan Assumes Role as Lumon CEO," a poster titled "Work-Life Balance," and cards showing "Lumon's Core Principles." Behind the image of Kier, meanwhile, is a card that reads "YOU MUST BE CUT TO HEAL." All of these things act as a reminder that Lumon is every bit as much of a religious cult as it is a company.
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' finally reveals what Lumon is doing to Gemma. It's terrifying.Finally, when Harmony goes outside to the store, she finds a book titled Annual Reminiscences. The logo at the top is "ME," which apparently stands for the "Myrtle Eagan School for Girls." Inside are photos of a teenage Harmony Cobel with a hockey team, a photo of her as class valedictorian, and finally a picture of her above the heading "Jame Eagan Wintertide Fellowship."
Are any of these small details going to be the key to unlocking Severance's deeper mysteries? Probably not. But they go some way to showing just how deep Lumon's roots go, and how much of an impact the company has had on local communities and the families within them. Episode 8 gives a clear insight into why Harmony is the way she is; she's essentially been groomed by Lumon from a very young age, with the company dominating everything from her education and working life to her religion and home life.
Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.
MAX BUNDLES: Max is offering a few different bundle deals so you can stream from its library without making a massive dent in your wallet.
The best Max deals and bundles in March 2025: Best Bundle Deal Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle $16.99/month with ads, $29.99/month ad-free Get Deal Best Student Discount Max Student Discount Students save 50% on Max Basic With Ads plan Get Deal Best Bundle with Hulu Hulu with Max Add Max to your Hulu base plan from $9.99 per month Get DealSome of the most prestigious shows and films live on Max's streaming service. From Game of Thrones to Dune: Part Two and so much more, Max is worth the investment for those looking to dive into the most talked about pieces of entertainment. And with highly-anticipated upcoming shows like the second season of The Last of Us on the horizon, there's no better time than now to start looking at plans and bundles.
The good news is that Max has a few different bundles available at the moment that are worth checking out, including the big bundle with Disney+ and Hulu. With streaming prices on the rise, a bundle like this can be a great way to save some cash while getting access to your favorite services.
SEE ALSO: The best Hulu deals and bundles in March 2025Alongside that deal and a couple more, we've also broken down Max's standard plans in case you're just interested in its service on its own.
Best Bundle Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Max Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle $16.99/month with ads, $29.99/month ad-free Get Deal Why we like itThe Max, Disney+, and Hulu bundle is a top-tier choice for those looking to have access to some of the biggest streaming services around. Starting at $16.99 per month, this bundle grants you access to Hulu, Disney+, and Max's streaming services for a much lower price than what you'd pay for them on their own. If you've already got Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions, this bundle is worth every cent. If you're interested, there are two plan options to choose from:
Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle (with ads) — $16.99 per month (save 43%)
Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle (no ads) — $29.99 per month (save 42%)
It's always nice when streaming services have a deal for students, and Max's offer is definitely worth taking advantage of. Students who can verify their status with UNiDAYS are eligible to get the Max Basic With Ads plan for just $4.99 per month. That's a 50% discount off its usual price of $9.99 per month. After verifying your status, you'll receive a unique code that can be used to redeem the discounted plan on Max.
Max Student Discount — $4.99 per month (save 50%)
If you're not interested in the Disney+, Hulu, and Max mega bundle, you can just get Hulu and Max together if you already have a Hulu base plan, which starts at $9.99 per month. Max (With Ads) can be added onto your plan for $9.99 per month, or you can splash out on the Max (No Ads) plan for $16.99 per month.
Hulu with Max add-on — from $9.99 per month
Max offers a few different subscription plans. If you don't mind having to sit through ads, Max's Basic With Ads plan starts at $9.99 per month or you can get the annual plan for $99.99 per year, which ultimately saves you $19. If you can't stand ads and don't mind throwing down a bit more cash, the Standard plan will cost you $16.99 per month or $169.99 per year, which saves you $33. If you really want to go big on a Max plan, you can spring for the fancy Premium plan, which costs $20.99 per month or $209.99 per year.
Below we've broken down what comes with each of these plans, per Max's website, so you can know a bit more before you buy.
Basic With Ads — $9.99 per month, $99.99 per year (save $19)
Stream on two devices at once
Full HD 1080p resolution
Standard (Ad-free) — $16.99 per month, $169.99 per year (save $33)
Stream on two devices at once
Full HD 1080p resolution
30 downloads to watch on the go
Premium (Ad-free) — $20.99 per month, $209.99 per year (save $41)
Stream on four devices at once
4K Ultra HD video quality (as available)
Dolby Atmos immersive audio (as available)
100 downloads to watch on the go
If you're wondering where to start once you've set yourself up with a Max subscription, we've got an excellent selection of recommendations to point you in the right direction. Looking for a great TV show to kickstart your next binge-watching session? Have a look through our roundup of the 20 best TV shows streaming on Max. Or if you prefer movies, we narrowed down the 25 best movies on Max to make your next movie night a spectacular one.
TL;DR: A wide range of online courses from Harvard University are available to take for free on edX.
edX is the best place to find online courses from some of the top educational institutions in the world. And this list of famous schools includes Harvard University. It doesn't get much better than that.
You can find online courses from Harvard Universityon popular topics like AI, cybersecurity, game development, public speaking, and so much more. And better yet, these online courses are available to take for free. Yes, that's right. You could become a student of Harvard University without spending anything.
We have checked out everything on offer and lined up a standout selection of online courses to get you started. These are the best free online courses from Harvard University this month:
Building Personal Resilience: Managing Anxiety and Mental Health
Early Childhood Development: Global Strategies for Implementation
Structure and Function of Argument: Introduction to Critical Thinking
The Path to Happiness: What Chinese Philosophy Teaches us about the Good Life
The catch with these free courses is that they don't include certificate of completiona or graded assignments and exams. But you can still enroll at any time and start learning at your own pace, so what's stopping you from enrolling right now?
Find the best free online courses from Harvard University with edX.
Opens in a new window Credit: Harvard University Harvard University Courses Free at edX Learn More
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