mashable-rss

Live stream New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings in the NFL for free in the UK.

TL;DR: Live stream New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings for free on RTL+. Access this free streaming platform from the UK with ExpressVPN.

The New York Giants are taking on the Minnesota Vikings in round one of the NFL. There are a lot of interesting matchups in the opening round of the season, and this is no exception. There are plenty of intriguing storylines to keep tabs on, but at the end of the day, the result is what matters most.

If you’re interested in watching New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings for free in the UK, we have all the information you need.

When is Giants vs. Vikings?

New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings starts at 6 p.m. BST on Sep 8. This fixture takes place at MetLife Stadium.

How to watch Giants vs. Vikings for free in the UK

New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings is available to live stream for free on RTL+.

RTL+ is geo-restricted to Germany, but anyone in the UK can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Germany, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access RTL+ from the UK.

Live stream New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings for free by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

Open up the app and connect to a server in Germany

Visit RTL+

Live stream New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings for free in the UK

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but top VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can access free live streams of the NFL without actually spending anything. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to stream a number of NFL fixtures before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

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

Servers in 105 countries including Germany

Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

Fast connection speeds

Up to eight simultaneous connections

30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95, saving you 49% on list price. This deal includes an extra three months of coverage, a year of unlimited cloud backup, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings for free in the UK with ExpressVPN.

Read More 

Here’s the answer for “Wordle” #1177 on September 8, as well as a few hints, tips, and clues to help you solve it yourself.

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 September 8’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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 used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

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.

Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:

A creative act that’s spoken in the past tense.

Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…

Today’s Wordle starts with the letter D.

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…

DRAWN.

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

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

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.

Read More 

Connections is a New York Times word game that’s all about finding the “common threads between words.” How to solve the puzzle.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game 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 September 8’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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 categories

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

Yellow: Making a cake

Green: Increasing blood pressure

Blue: Religious servants

Purple: Boy bands and duos

Here are today’s Connections categories

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

Yellow: Verbs in a Cake Recipe

Green: What A Heart Does When Excited

Blue: Ecclesiastical Titles

Purple: ___Boys

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 #455 is…

What is the answer to Connections today

Verbs in a Cake Recipe: BAKE, BEAT, FROST, PREHEAT

What A Heart Does When Excited: POUND, PUMP, RACE, THROB

Ecclesiastical Titles: BISHOP, PASTOR, POPE, PRIOR

___Boys: BAD, BEACH, HARDY, PET SHOP

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.

Read More 

Mikey Madison holds nothing back in Sean Baker’s “Anora,” and we’re elated. TIFF 2024 review.

Celebrated indie writer/director Sean Baker isn’t precious about sex. On social media, pearl-clutchers chatter about love scenes being unneeded in media. In politics, our bedroom activities and identities become fear-mongering talking points. Meanwhile, Baker shrugs off such puritanical shame, turning out one critically heralded movie after another that offers a defiantly casual yet humane portrait of sex work in the U.S.

Among his most notable: Tangerine, which won a slew of Gotham Awards, follows two enchanting trans sex workers around during a harried Christmas in Los Angeles. The Florida Project, which features Willem Dafoe in an Oscar–nominated supporting role, centers on the mischievous child of a sex worker, being raised in candy-colored squalor under the shadow of the Disney theme park. Palme d’Or nominee Red Rocket stars Simon Rex as a washed-up porn star looking for a new lease on life with a fresh-faced ingénue. Now, Baker’s Palme d’Or winner Anora chases the Pretty Woman dream — a “hooker with a heart of gold” marries a wealthy white knight — to a far less Hollywood ending. 

Rejecting both the Holly Golightly/Vivian Ward version of sex for sale and the gritty thriller route of treating sex work as scandalous set dressing, Baker has made films about Americans living on the fringe of a society that wants yet rejects them. And Anora may be his best yet.  

Anora is outrageous, sexy, and hilarious. 

Written and directed by Baker, Anora stars Mikey Madison (Scream 5, Better Things) as its eponymous heroine (and she would really prefer it if you called her Ani). When she’s not getting shit from her sister/roommate in their humble Brooklyn apartment, the twentysomething is shaking her G-string-clad bum at a strip club with a beguiling smile on her face. Like Baker’s previous films, sex work is shown with a mix of frankness and humor. So amid a montage of lap dances, Ani is also shown eating dinner out of a Tupperware while arguing with her boss about her rights as a freelance contractor. This snatch at office comedy is a simple way to demystify a job that’s such a point of fascination and condemnation for American audiences. 

However, Ani soon finds a way out of this grind when a sweet-faced and suspiciously wealthy Russian boy offers her a sugar daddy deal. What begins as a house call soon escalates into a trip to Vegas and a quickie wedding. But this isn’t a flat-out love match for either. For Ani, it’s a chance to be a trophy wife to a young, hot, rich husband with whom she actually enjoys hanging out. For Vanya (Mark Eidelshtein), Ani is a ticket to a green card that can keep him in the U.S. and away from the tedious demands of his oligarch parents back in Russia. As you might expect with such a setup, their honeymoon is short-lived. Before long, a couple of thick-necked goons come knocking at Vanya’s New York City home, demanding an explanation about the rumor he’s married beneath his station. 

Mafia movies train us to brace for violence in such a scenario. And Baker delivers, but not in the way you’d expect. Rather than showing men brutalizing a beautiful, scantily clad young woman (a real danger for women in sex work), Ani turns the tables — and shatters them — in a sequence that is wild and unnervingly funny.

Far from a frightened mouse, Ani rages at these intruders who aim to bully her out of her dream and into an annulment. What follows is a wonderfully bewildering road trip movie. With Vanya having fled in a juvenile panic, it’s up to a reluctant Ani, a motley crew of brooding Armenian brothers (Karren Karagulian and Vache Tovmasyan), and a bit of extra muscle in the introverted but emotionally intelligent Igor (Yura Borisov) to find the thrill-seeking heir before his very pissed-off parents land in their private jet. 

Mikey Madison is a force of nature. 

Anora demands a lot of its leading lady.

Ani’s work means Madison’s body is on recurring display, performing steamy dances and acrobatic pole work in long shots that keep every extension in frame. The emotional arc of the story has dizzying highs and gut-churning lows, while the stunt work includes (but isn’t limited to) the previously mentioned fight scene with shattered glass and a broken nose (not hers). On top of all of this, Madison must shoulder the story as every man in the vicinity of her heroine acts like a buffoon or a bully.

All this demands more than being Julia Roberts-level charming, which she is. It demands a smirking self-awareness, an edged brand of humor, and a vulnerability that can flash to defense in the blink of an eye. Madison isn’t performing Ani; she’s bringing to life a woman in full, from her carefully lacquered pedicure to her tinsel hair extensions. Ani might not be like someone you know, but by the end of the movie you will know her intimately. 

It’s easy to fall in love with Ani. And we’re not the only ones who do. 

Yura Borisov is superb in Anora. 

From Tangerine‘s Mya Taylor to The Florida Project‘s Brooklynn Prince to Red Rocket‘s Simon Rex, Baker has an eye for casting. In his homeland of Russia, Yura Borisov has a sizable filmography. And whether you’re familiar with it or not, it’s easy to see why from the moment he makes eye contact with Ani. Though Igor is brought along in case there’s trouble, his face is not one of aggression or threat. He’s not some Goon #2, as his eyes glisten with a sharp understanding of every situation he finds himself in.

While all around him there’s hollering and proselytizing and drama, his words are few and his tone is soft. Steadily and subtly, he becomes a counterpoint to the other characters, quietly making space for Ani’s feelings and thoughts where others reject them. It’s character work that relies so heavily on physicality that every shift of his eyebrow, shrug of his shoulder, or flex of his finger carries weight. And as Ani begins to notice this, the film moves further and further from the conventions of a mafia drama or a Hollywood happy ending, into a path that is Baker’s to chart. And where it ends up is at once funny, frustrating, and yet satisfyingly cathartic. 

Anora is hands down one of the year’s best. 

Ushering audiences from the back rooms of a sweaty strip club to the silk sheets of a posh condo, to the dazzling, neon-lit promenade of Las Vegas and back to the pungent Russian restaurants of Coney Island, Anora is magnificently alive. Madison is its shining star, her charisma absolute as she wields a Brooklyn accent like a whip to dazzle with or wreak havoc as she sees fit. The supporting cast — including Lindsey Normington as a vicious rival — is terrifically grounded in Baker’s Brooklyn of bumbling intimidation and reckless lust, nurturing sharp comments and sharper punchlines. But Borisov proves the perfect foil to Madison, allowing her to glow all the brighter under his gaze. He reflects our own growing awe of this badass broad who won’t — to borrow from another 2024 cinematic sex worker — will not accept a life she does not deserve.

Underscoring this passionate tone, the cinematography of Drew Daniels draws us in closer, following over Ani’s shoulder as she strides onto a stage or into a challenge. The resplendent colors — rich reds, cool teals — are set off against environments of posh beiges or urban grays, setting Ani apart as extraordinary in every moment. Altogether, Anora is a visceral experience, making its audience not voyeurs but one of the crew. Thus embedded, our pulses race, our eyes grow wide, our hearts dance as our heroes do. Anora offers a glorious thrill, as bold as it is brilliant.

Anora was reviewed out of the Toronto International Film Festival, and will open in theaters on Oct. 18, 2024.

Read More 

Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Justin Theroux walk us through the shenanigans they went through to create the incredible lipsync scene in ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’

Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Justin Theroux walk us through the shenanigans they went through to create the incredible lipsync scene in ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’

Read More 

Watch Phoenix Mercury vs. Seattle Storm in the WNBA from anywhere in the world.

TL;DR: Watch Phoenix Mercury vs. Seattle Storm in the WNBA with WNBA League Pass. Avoid blackouts and watch the WNBA from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The WNBA 2024 playoffs kick off later this month, and both the Phoenix Mercury and the Seattle Storm have now qualified. As they go into this next fixture, each team will be looking to improve their positioning.

If you want to watch Phoenix Mercury vs. Seattle Storm in the WNBA from anywhere in the world, keep reading to find out all the information you need.

When is Phoenix Mercury vs. Seattle Storm?

Phoenix Mercury vs. Seattle Storm in the WNBA starts at 9 p.m. ET on Sept. 7. This fixture takes place at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.

How to watch Phoenix Mercury vs. Seattle Storm

You can catch the rest of the 2024 WNBA season with the WNBA League Pass.

However, the WNBA League Pass might not show locally televised games live in the participating teams’ local areas. But all you need is a VPN to work your way around this. It works by hiding your real IP address and connecting you to secure servers in other locations. This means you can watch every WNBA League Pass game live, excluding games hosted by Amazon Prime Video.

To access every WNBA League Pass game, follow these easy steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with no broadcast deals for the WNBA

Log in to WNBA League Pass

Stream Phoenix Mercury vs. Seattle Storm plus other WNBA games live (except games hosted by Amazon Prime Video)

What is the best VPN for the WNBA?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for hiding your real IP address and streaming more sport, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries

Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

Fast connection speeds free from throttling

Up to eight simultaneous connections

30-day money-back guarantee

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

Stream Phoenix Mercury vs. Seattle Storm in the WNBA from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Read More 

“April,” directed by Déa Kulumbegashvili, reviewed out of the Venice International Film Festival, is a powerful film about a Georgian obstetrician performing illegal abortions.

Déa Kulumbegashvili’s April is a bone-rattling drama about what it means to be a woman in the country of Georgia. The nation’s laws permit pregnancy termination only up to 12 weeks — before some people even know they’re expecting — and even then, rural stigma prevents many of them from accessing care. Kulumbegashvili places her protagonist Nina (Ia Sukhitashvili) against this volatile backdrop, as an obstetrician who risks her career by driving to far-flung villages to help pregnant women in need of abortions.

While the film’s focus is the aspersions cast on Nina’s character, it tells its story in oblique ways, with stunning confrontations of violence and bodily function that form a visceral fabric. The film presents life as an overlapping showreel of birth, death, pregnancy, abortion, and sex, all facets of female experience that Kulumbegashvili merges into a monstrous beast — not just narratively, but literally, through nightmarish imagery.

All the while, April unfolds with the kind of unrelenting tension that takes it from understated drama to razor-wire thriller, a metamorphosis owed not to speeding up its images, but slowing down and lingering on them for jaw-dropping lengths of time. It’s a film that induces revulsion, but at the same time, is too magnetic to divert your eyes away from.

What is April about?

The opening sounds and images of April are squirm-inducing, but immediately hypnotic. A humanoid figure wanders in a dark and empty void, naked and hunched-over — either like a fetus, or an old woman — as breathy whispers consume the soundscape. These gradually transform to sounds of laughter and children playing, as though this mysterious being were separated from some phantom family by only a thin layer of reality. Even before the movie presents its subject, it calls to mind images of abortion and of aging, woven together in some nightmare of anxious regret.

Without warning, stray shots of rain and cautious observed natural landscapes yank us into a hospital room, as Kulumbegashvili captures a woman giving birth under harsh fluorescents — but this beautiful, bloody, painful miracle of life ends in death. The mother and her husband launch an inquiry against Nina as to why their baby died, placing the OBGYN under a spotlight of her own, and leaving looming doubts for the audience as to whether she was at fault.

Nina, middle-aged and single, makes for an easy target by men looking to question her character — especially as she’s long been the subject of rumors about illegal abortions. Her superiors at the hospital seem willing to look the other way, but only up to a point. Given the investigation, who better to throw under the bus than the aging spinster who already has a black mark against her?

However, none of this stops Nina from continuing to to travel to rural villages on her own time to perform what she sees as her duty toward uneducated women whose lives would be ruined by unmarried pregnancy — thanks to threats from local men — even if they wanted to be mothers in the first place. She represents a choice, or at least an option, when these women have none, even if it puts her own choices at risk.

April is dreamlike, but hauntingly realistic.

Just as often as Kulumbegashvili’s cuts to the aforementioned, formless creature, it presents lengthy scenes of Nina traveling to the countryside that offer space for viewers to ruminate — and to recover. The tension the movie otherwise holds can be debilitating.

Take, for instance, a lengthy abortion scene. When Nina helps a young mute girl, Nana (Roza Kancheishvili), terminate her pregnancy, Kulumbegashvili’s camera — courtesy of cinematographer Arseni Khachaturan — focuses not on any one character, but the meeting of hands and bodies. The procedure itself is obscured, but the frame’s focus is Nana’s torso as she lies on a plastic tablecloth. On one side of the frame, Nina works diligently to protect the young girl’s future. On the other side, the girl’s mother, Mzia (Ana Nikolava), holds and comforts her. It’s a traumatic sequence due to the emotions it expresses and conjures by juxtaposing a mother’s act of love with a daughter’s yelps of pain, through a procedure that could have its own serious consequences, should it be discovered.

The women in April are all caught between a rock and a hard place, and Nina’s story embodies theirs in microcosm. She becomes, in the process, a kind of cypher of womanhood, and at times she even imagines herself as the formless creature (especially when she sleeps with one of her superiors), as though her self-perception and fears of aging were tied to pregnancy and sex. Her personal relationship to pregnancy, however, is never clarified — whether she’s ever been pregnant, or had an abortion herself — because she seems to wall that part of herself off from other people. Perhaps it’s necessary for the job.

In April, there’s a violence and beauty inherent to both pregnancy and abortion, just as there is to nature. Kulumbegashvili seems to frequently draw this comparison through transitions that involve thundering rain and lush, flowery landscapes. However, violence of a different kind lurks in every corner, too, and appears suddenly, without warning. 

April makes the violence of men feel gut-churning. 

In an early scene, when the father who accused Nina confronts her, the scene is eerily quiet, until he has an outburst and spits in Nina’s face. The sound this makes, and the impact it has in the process, is as visceral (if not more so) than any image of birth or abortion that Kulumbegashvili presents. Although male doctors and administrators claim to be on Nina’s side, the frame places them at odds with her even in its narrow, square-ish aspect ratio, seating them at an office table alongside the aforementioned father, as though she were a criminal on trial.

The violence of men, through their actions, and through the constraints they create, is practically the glue that binds April together — even when the movie veers toward empowering carnal pleasures. Nina, perhaps to cope with the pressures ( or maybe she just feels like it) cruises through the night and picks up men to hook up with. However, there’s a thin line between pleasure and pain, and not in a sexy way. Men try to take advantage of her, and become violent with a quickness, turning quiet moments oppressively loud, like gunshots echoing through the night.

There’s a similarly razor-thin margin between sex and death, if only because of the consequences imposed on sex — or rather, on women for having sex — that manifests in several ways. Sex itself leads to violence. Or it leads to pregnancy, which forces some women to put their lives at risk, whether they have abortions or not. Much of this is implied or referenced rather than shown outright. But the specter of these possibilities is ever-present, reinforced through Kulumbegashvili’s frames, which capture the powerful gazes of men through unbroken stares at the camera and the minimized position of women through their miniscule size in frame.

April is a ghostly film that beats with life at its most fragile, contrasted with shots of natural landscapes in ways that suggest (and force) a deeper reflection on the body and spirit. It’s deeply discomforting in ways that cinema ought to be when making such a complex point about the ways women’s experiences — or experiences defined by gendered violence, from the womb to the tomb — are so intrinsically bound by personal fears and desires, and by the fragility of personal autonomy in a world that so easily legislates it away through shame. It’s a masterful work.

April was reviewed out of its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.

Read More 

Alex Ross Perry takes the concert film and the music biopic to strange and hilarious heights with “Pavements,” about the band Pavement. Review.

Every band has its biggest fans. The ’90s slacker/alt rock group Pavement is probably the greatest, most vital musical group in existence to someone, but right from its opening frames, Alex Ross Perry’s Pavements deflates the grandeur of this idea, sarcastically overstating the band’s stature in its opening text. In an age of musical biopic plenty, this semi-ironic, postmodern take — which runs through Perry’s part drama, part documentary, and part mockumentary — may be just what the doctor ordered.

To those with only passing knowledge of the Stockton, California, rockers — Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich, Scott Kannberg, Steve West, and Mark Ibold — this approach to the band’s concert footage may seem counterproductive, but it also perfectly embodies their lackadaisical, experimental facade. The unique form of Perry’s film has its strengths and drawbacks. However, like Pavement itself, what sets the film apart is its outright refusal to adhere to tradition. It is, for better or worse, unique.

What is Pavements about?

Through split screens that contrast the group’s late-’90s breakup with its 2022 reunion, Pavements establishes a sense of visual and narrative duality early on. While the film eventually chronicles the lives of its members (and the band’s life as a whole) in slightly more linear fashion, this contrast establishes what appear to be the film’s dramatic parameters: an early success story later granted a new lease on life. However, the strange nature of the band’s revival soon begins fading into view, revealing just how idiosyncratic this movie truly is.

Much of the movie unfolds in side-by-side split screen, which has become a common technique in musical docs, from Todd Haynes’ Rothko-inspired The Velvet Underground to the self-generating, new-each-time Eno. However, Pavements uses this visual cue for tongue-in-cheek purpose early on. On one side, the band’s frontman Stephen Malkmus espouses his youthful, perhaps naive philosophies in a decades-old video. On the other, actor Joe Keery (Steve Harrington on Stranger Things) begins reciting the very same words, with remarkably similar intonations. This reveals — amusingly, and acerbically — that the movie’s real subjects exist alongside fictitious versions of them, a group of young actors (including the likes of Nat Wolff and Griffin Newman) who have been cast in a film called Range Life, a prestige biopic practically designed to win awards.

The doc veers between presenting the making of this satirical project and presenting it as a movie within a movie, whose footage is sprinkled sporadically throughout Pavements (rife with its own “For Your Consideration” watermark, as though it were a screener for award voting). Perry really did direct and exhibit this feature-length, Bohemian Rhapsody–style satire in New York last year — starring seasoned performers like Jason Schwartzman and Tim Heidecker in biopic stock roles, like the band’s manager and a record executive — with the intention of including this premiere footage in the documentary. 

Soon, Pavements begins documenting not just the band themselves, but the development of three parallel art projects that go hand in hand with the band’s recent reunion: the aforementioned movie, a museum installation dedicated to the group, and Slanted! Enchanted!, a Broadway-style jukebox musical starring Michael Esper and Zoe Lister-Jones that pulls from the band’s discography.

Pavements takes a multifaceted approach to its subjects.

The film cuts between its four aforementioned trajectories — the band and its performance, the biopic and its making, the museum, and the show, each with its own dedicated, roughly equal screen time — with reckless abandon. However, these subjects can be paired up along two interesting axes. On one hand, old footage of the band, when contrasted with their museum commemoration, serves to contrast the past and present, and eventually creates a chronology, albeit non-chronologically. On the other hand, the biopic project is tongue-in-cheek, as though it were more about the biopic genre than about Pavement themselves, and thus, it embodies the group’s ironic musings. But this could not feel more different from the musical theater project, which draws from the group’s lyrics and melodies to create a sincere story (this show also really did premiere, in 2022).

While Pavements might seem like it meanders for the first of its two hours, cutting rapidly between these four trajectories helps weave together a complete fabric — about the band’s story then and now, and about the conflict between their approach and the meaning behind their work. While watching the movie, you may not feel like you’re learning anything about the group or its members, but all that really means is you aren’t learning things according to the linear, straightforward language that most music docs and biopics have established.

However, the film’s most entertaining segments are undoubtedly those featuring Keery, which chronicle his fictitious preparation process in meticulous detail. More than anything or anyone in Pavements, the actor seems to embody the group’s spirit through his Borat-like pranks, in which he sits down with accent coaches to prepare for his role as Malkmus and meets up with various people he thinks might be able to help him stay in character. Fittingly, the only music film Pavements resembles in any fashion is Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.

What does Pavements actually have to say about the band Pavement?

The film, amidst its head-spinning montage approach, goes to ludicrous lengths with its movie-in-a-movie, all but presenting it in full during its runtime. However, this extended lark isn’t really about the band, per se, the way the other segments are — none of which are individually sufficient to make any viewer a Pavement expert. Beyond a few dates and events, you’re unlikely to come away from Pavements knowing much more about its members and their college disc jockey days than when you went in, which understandably elicits the question: “What’s the point?”

The point, it would seem, lies in the making of the film itself, as an anti-biopic that runs counter to everything a standard Hollywood biopic is — or rather, what it represents. If Pavement was an anti-institution band, then Pavements is its anti-institution movie made with their participation. In presenting a hilariously schmaltzy vision of what a straightforward biopic might have looked like, Perry helps them avoid an overly serious canonization.

In a way, he helps keep them young. Bands, when they reach a certain age or threshold, become nostalgic cover acts for themselves, and Pavements is determined to prevent this from happening at all costs, even if it means crafting a movie on the verge of avant-garde that might alienate half its audience.

Still, even when the various narrative threads in Pavements start to meander, the movie remains an entrancing sensory experience, given just how much screen time is dedicated to performance footage, both real and re-created. At the end of the day, despite the tricks and pranks Perry pulls, he knows full well that the reason people show up to musical biopics in the first place — and the reason they’re made to begin with — is music that connects with people’s sensibilities. This, he delivers in spades, all while maintaining a reverence for Pavement by being, well, irreverent.

Pavements was reviewed out of its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.

Read More 

Where is the original ‘Beetlejuice’ streaming? Catch the best Max streaming deals and watch Tim Burton’s 1988 movie before heading to theaters for part two.

The ghost with the most makes his return to the big screen this September and fans (including me) are beyond excited for the sequel nearly four decades in the making. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will once again star Michael Keaton as the titular character, alongside Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz. Also returning for the Beetlejuice sequel is Catherine O’Hara as fashion icon and artist Delia Deetz. And of course, it would all be meaningless without Tim Burton back in the director’s chair.

Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Arthur Conti all join in the fun this time around, so you know we’re in for a spooky good time.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opens nationwide on Sept. 6, and it’s also available in IMAX. Before you make your way to the theater, however, you might want to touch up on the OG 1988 film. We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know to catch up with your favorite bio-exorcist, including the best streaming deals.

Where Is Beetlejuice streaming?

As a Warner Bros. film, Beetlejuice is currently streaming on Max. The sequel will also find its way onto the streamer eventually — after its theatrical run, most likely months from now. Max subscriptions start at $9.99 per month, but we’ve rounded up a few ways you can save some money on your plan below.

Best Max streaming deals

Best Max streaming deal for most people: Save 17% on Max with ads annual subscription

A monthly Max subscription goes for $9.99 per month, but you can save 17% (or $1.66 per month) by paying for a whole year upfront. An annual plan with ads costs $99.99 per year, which breaks down to just $8.33 per month. Not only will it keep more money in your pocket in the long run, but it’ll also give you access to Max to watch the original now and the sequel when it arrives on the service.

Best Max deal with no ads: Save 22% on a Max Ad-Free annual subscription

Want an ad-free viewing experience? You have two options: Max Ad-Free and Max Ultimate. The Ad-Free tier costs $16.99 per month, but you can save 17% by opting for the annual plan. Likewise, the Ultimate tier costs $20.99 per month, but offers a 17% discount on the annual plan. That discount drops the plans to just $14.17 per month ($169.99 per year) or $17.49 per month ($209.99 per year), respectively.

Note: 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 immersive audio.

Best way to get Max for free: Sign up for a DashPass annual plan

Recently announced, DoorDash has partnered with Max to offer customers with the annual DashPass plan free Max with ads subscriptions. If you’re already on the annual DashPass plan, you can just head over to the “Manage Max Subscription” page in your DoorDash account to activate your free subscription. If you’re not, you can sign up for a DashPass annual plan for just $96 per year ($8 per month) and unlock access to the streaming library — including Beetlejuice — for free. That’s a $99.99 value for zero dollars. Plus, with your DashPass plan, you’ll also have access to free food delivery all year.

Read more about terms and eligibility requirements on the DoorDash FAQ page.

Another way to get Max for free: Free Max with ads for customers on the $60/month Cricket unlimited plan

Here’s another way you can get Max for free: the Cricket Wireless $60 per month unlimited plan includes Max with ads. So long as your account remains in good standing, you’ll have unlimited access to the Max library at no extra cost. Just head over to Max and select Cricket as your provider 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 monthly for one year

College students can get Max (with ads) for an entire year at half price with Max’s new student discount. That means you’ll pay $4.99 per month instead of the usual $9.99. Just verify your student status with UNiDAYS, then head back over to Max and redeem your unique discount code to stream for 50% off.

Best bundle deal: Get Max, Disney+, and Hulu for up to 38% off

A new bundle deal emerged last month, and it’s a doozy. You can now get Max, Disney+, and Hulu with ads all for just $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. It’s one of the best ways to get more bang for your buck in the streaming world.

Other ways to watch Beetlejuice online

If you don’t want to sign up for yet another streaming service, we don’t blame you. You can still watch the original Beetlejuice movie online thanks to digital on-demand services like Prime Video and YouTube. The film is available to rent or purchase at the following retailers:

Prime Video — rent for $3.79 with Prime, buy for $7.99 with Prime

YouTube — rent for $3.99, buy for $7.99

Apple TV — rent for $3.99, buy for $7.99

Google Play — rent for $3.99, buy for $7.99

Fandango at Home (Vudu) — rent for $3.99, buy for $7.99

Note: Renting a film gives you 30 days to watch and just 48 hours to finish once you begin.

Read More 

“American Fiction,” “Bottoms,” “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” “Thelma,” and “Walk Hard” are among the best comedies on Amazon Prime Video right now.

Overwhelmed by the state of the world? Trying to find something fun to watch on your friendly neighborhood international multibillion-dollar corporation’s streaming service? It’s OK to ignore the ever-growing pile of worthy but harrowing dramas and acclaimed documentaries on your watchlist for another hour or two. Treat yourself by hitting play on some of the finest comedies in the Amazon Prime Video library.

From old faves to cult comedies and sweet hidden gems, whether you’re after a highbrow chuckle, crumb-spraying sputters, or screeching, hysterical, hang-on-hang-on-just-pause-for-a-moment cackling, Prime Video has got something to split your sides.

So here we go: the best comedy movies now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

1. Walk Hard

If you’ve never seen this underappreciated, star-studded work of genius, it’s time to fix that. The story of the rise, fall, and rise again of country-rock legend Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly) is a pitch-perfect parody of all the Oscar-bait music biopics you know and love, from Walk the Line and Ray to the documentary Bob Dylan: Don’t Look Back. In its own right, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is an epic tale, which Reilly’s commitment makes surprisingly affecting for a film where someone gets accidentally cut in half with a machete (which people constantly keep bringing up). The songs are genuinely great. It’s as endlessly quotable in your daily life as golden-era Simpsons. Plus, the cast is uniformly great — from The Office‘s Jenna Fischer and character actress Margo Martindale to a raft of cameos too good to spoil here. — Caitlin Welsh, Australia Editor

How to watch: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

2. Bottoms

In Emma Seligman’s follow-up to Shiva Baby, Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri co-star as PJ and Josie, a pair of unpopular lesbians ignored or reviled by everyone at their high school. Faced with the prospect of another year of virginhood, the BFFs come up with a plan. They’re going to start a fight club! They’ll teach cheerleaders self-defense, and maybe somehow along the way, they’ll also get to sleep with said cheerleaders. The plan has a lot of holes — PJ and Josie don’t know anything about self-defense, for starters — but don’t worry about it, OK? They’ll figure it out! Just keep those nosy boyfriends out of the gym. 

Bottoms is a ridiculous teen comedy that pays homage to high school movie tropes while blazing a new irreverent trail of its own. With a laugh-out-loud script co-written by Sennott and Seligman, an unforgettable performance from Nicholas Galitzine as an idiotic football player, Marshawn Lynch stealing scenes as a supportive teacher, and tons of fake blood, Bottoms is an instant teen movie classic. — Kristina Grosspietsch, Freelance Contributor

How to watch: Bottoms is now streaming on Prime Video.

3. Napoleon Dynamite

The movie that launched a thousand VOTE FOR PEDRO T-shirts retains the oddball spirit that made it a hit in the first place. As Napoleon (Jon Heder) navigates high school in small-town Idaho — from class president elections to asking his crush to the dance — he must also deal with his awkward family members and their schemes — and take care of Tina the llama, who won’t eat her darn food. For every joke and quote that’s been memed into the ground, there’s another slyly hilarious one you’ve forgotten about. — C.W.

How to watch: Napoleon Dynamite is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

4. Spaceballs

The legendary Mel Brooks’ 1987 parody of Star Wars (and Star Trek, and Alien…) is both a snapshot of its time and an ageless comedy classic. For the uninitiated: Rick Moranis plays villain Dark Helmet, a goofy megalomanic in a giant not-Darth-Vader helmet whose ship goes to speeds including Ludicrous and Plaid. Meanwhile, mercenary and scoundrel Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) leads a ragtag bunch of misfits against Dark Helmet, including sassy Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga), her robot maid Dot Matrix (the late, great Joan Rivers), and Starr’s half-man-half-dog, ever-loyal companion Barf (John Candy). — C.W.

How to watch: Spaceballs is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

5. American Fiction

Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) is an author without an audience. His novels receive critical praise but no one actually reads them. After his latest manuscript is rejected by his publisher for not being “Black enough,” Monk writes a fake, satirical book mocking Black literary stereotypes. And… it’s a hit.

Written and directed by Cord Jefferson, American Fiction is a razor-sharp comedy-drama for the modern era. The cast — which includes Tracee Ellis Ross, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Issa Rae, and Sterling K. Brown — is sublime, the message is piercing, and the writing is air-tight. American Fiction was nominated for a slew of Oscars, and brought home Best Adapted Screenplay — K.G. 

How to watch: American Fiction is now streaming on Prime Video.

6. Paddington

Do you like your comedy cozy? 2014’s Paddington is the sweet and silly watch of your dreams. Written and directed by Paul King (whom comedy nerds might know from The Mighty Boosh), Paddington tells the story of an anthropomorphic bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) who journeys from darkest Peru to London in search of a new life. The Brown family takes him in, and he explores his new world with curiosity and kindness, blithely unaware that he’s about to become an evil taxidermist’s next big target. Will the Browns help to save Paddington? And will Paddington save them along the way? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! 

This absolutely delightful movie is full of British acting greats at their zaniest and visibly having the time of their lives: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, and more. Yes, Paddington is a family film, but its joys will win over audiences of any age. (Same goes for the equally fantastic Paddington 2!). — K.G. 

How to watch: Paddington is now streaming on Prime Video.

7. UHF

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic co-wrote and stars in this cult classic about a dreamer with a wild imagination who suddenly finds himself running a local TV station. Then, he finds sudden success by letting his goofy janitor (Seinfeld‘s Michael Richards) host a chaotic kids’ show. Inspired by that chaos, they program an ever-weirder lineup of absolutely wild shows, taking on the suits at the big networks in a classic underdog arc. Weird Al plays the straight man here, imbuing his earnest hero with a can-do spirit you want to root for. Plus, a pre-The Nanny Fran Drescher sails in to show why she ended up a star. — C.W.

How to watch: UHF is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

8. The Nice Guys

Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling lead a stacked cast in this buddy cop neo-noir mashup. Gosling is Holland March, a low-level private investigator in 1970s Los Angeles looking into the strange death of porn star Misty Mountains. Unfortunately, gruff enforcer Jackson Healy (Crowe) has also been hired — to scare March off the scent. As the two butt heads, the mystery of Misty’s murder begins to unfold, and they form an unlikely and tenuous alliance. 

Co-written and directed by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Last Action Hero, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3, and more), The Nice Guys is a magnetic, fast-paced action comedy with a smart script, a multifaceted mystery, and a strong sense of style. — K.G. 

How to watch: The Nice Guys is now available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

9. Catherine Called Birdy

Bella Ramsey is vibrant and charming as Catherine (aka Birdy), a headstrong 14-year-old medieval lady whose father (Andrew Scott) has decided to marry her off to secure wealth for the family. Birdy has other plans for her future. Chief among them? Not being married to a 50-year-old slob. But even more importantly, Birdy yearns for freedom. She will stop at nothing to deter her would-be suitors, much to her family’s chagrin. Written and directed by Lena Dunham (and adapted from Karen Cushman’s beloved 1994 novel), Catherine Called Birdy is a clever and spirited coming-of-age comedy with a whole lot of heart. — K.G. 

How to watch: Catherine Called Birdy is now streaming on Prime Video.

10. I Want You Back

A rom-com starring Charlie Day and Jenny Slate, I Want You Back enchanted Mashable’s Nicole Gallucci with its willingness to skip over some of the most played-out tropes of the genre. “Every successful rom-com has a source of authentic chemistry, and Slate and Day’s natural rapport delivers,” she wrote in her review. “The two shine as heartbroken hot messes who desperately want their search for soulmates to be over, and their shared sense of humor proves to be ceaselessly charming.” — C.W.

How to watch: I Want You Back is now streaming on Prime Video.

11. The Big Sick

Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani’s Oscar-nominated screenplay fictionalizes a rocky period from early in their real-life relationship, when Gordon was seriously ill. While it does get emotionally intense in parts, it’s also hysterically funny — from a scene where Emily (Zoe Kazan) freaks out over the prospect of pooping when Kumail (Nanjiani, playing a version of himself) is in the apartment, to what might be the single best and darkest 9/11 joke made on film to date. — C.W.

How to watch: The Big Sick is now streaming on Prime Video.

12. Bridesmaids

If you haven’t seen Bridesmaids, written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, we’re so sorry that you’ve obviously been trapped in a siren’s cave for the last 11 years — because there is simply no other excuse. Bridesmaids was an era-defining film. In 2011, there were still prominent male comedians claiming women couldn’t be funny! Bridesmaids put an end to the debate.

Wiig stars as Annie, a wayward thirtysomething who feels out of step with her best friend Lillian (a perfect Maya Rudolph) when she meets the other women in Lillian’s bridal party. What follows is both romantic comedy and buddy flick, stuffed to the brim with punchlines, physical gags, and a repulsive and unforgettable gross-out scene. The entire cast here is flawless: Rose Byrne is delightfully haughty. Jon Hamm is perfect as a hot idiot. Chris O’Dowd is a swoon-worthy love interest, and Melissa McCarthy was nominated for a dang Oscar for her scene-stealing performance as another misfit bridesmaid. Please escape the siren’s cave and see this legendary comedy — for your own good!* — K.G.

How to watch: Bridesmaids is now available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

13. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

This one’s another comedy that gets you right in the feels on a regular basis, but this time with the quintessential Wes Anderson charm. Inspired by, paying homage to, and gently parodying the legendary ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, Steve Zissou (Bill Murray, arguably never better) leads a somewhat disgruntled crew played by a slate of stars (Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, and more) on a mission to capture the rare shark that killed the cranky Captain’s partner. Soundtracked by a gorgeous array of David Bowie covers — performed in Portuguese by cast member Seu Jorge — The Life Aquatic is what to put on when you feel like being taken on an adventure. — C.W.

How to watch: The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

14. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

The sequel to Sacha Baron Cohen’s mockumentary Borat was a bright spot in an otherwise grim 2020. It scored Oscar nominations and critical acclaim, especially for Bulgarian actor Maria Bakalova, who stole the spotlight as Borat’s awkward daughter, Tutar.

Both films follow Baron Cohen, disguised as boorish, backward journalist Borat Sagdiyev, as he endeavors to understand American culture through a series of improvisation set-ups at the expense of unsuspecting real people. Not only is it as viciously funny as the original, but also, this sequel caught in its net then-President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani in a notorious hotel room scene. It’s one of the strangest and most oddly affecting products of cinema’s — and the world’s — weirdest years ever. — C.W.

How to watch: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is now streaming on Prime Video.

15. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is the definition of a crowd-pleaser. Thrilling action sequences, ridiculous side characters, beloved actors playing gleefully against type, plenty of Easter eggs for the hardcore DnD fans — this is one adventure you don’t want to miss. 

Chris Pine is Edgin Darvis, a bard and peacekeeper who turned to a life of thievery to support his daughter following the death of his wife — and was thrown in jail for it. After escaping with his friend Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), Edgin will stop at nothing to reunite with his daughter.* — K.G.

How to watch: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is now streaming on Prime Video.

16. The Sapphires

A little bit Dreamgirls, a little bit That Thing You Do!, and a whole lot of stellar soul covers: That’s the Australian period musical-comedy The Sapphires. The film follows four young singers from a remote Indigenous community (Jessica Mauboy, Miranda Tapsell, Deborah Mailman, and Shari Sebbens) in the 1960s, who are discovered by an aimless manager (Chris O’Dowd), who turns them into a perfectly choreographed girl group bound for Vietnam to perform for the troops. Totally charming, this is one to watch with your parents. — C.W.

How to watch: The Sapphires is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

17. Barbie

Frankly, the promotional journey for Barbie was so full of pink, so joyful, so fun, that would have been Kenough. The movie could have been a silly trifle, and we’d likely have been pleased. But writer/director Greta Gerwig brought us the universally heralded coming-of-age comedy Ladybird and then the rapturous re-imagining of Little Women. Her Barbie wasn’t going to stop at playful. Instead, it parodied the patriarchy with horses, Stallone-inspired fashion, and a rousing dream ballet fueled by an actual banger, “I’m Just Ken.”

Margot Robbie was picture-perfect as a Barbie who realizes the world is much bigger than the dreamhouse-dotted Barbie Land. Ryan Gosling was nominated for a rare comedy Oscar for his delightfully deranged take on the insecure man doll who couldn’t cope, and so turned to conquering. (Napoleon relates!) While detractors have argued the film’s girl-power messaging is simplistic, it’s hard to deny that Gerwig did more with this IP than we could have dreamed. Sure, Barbie is a glossy toy commercial. But it’s a glossy toy commercial that not only has something to say, but does so through spectacular filmmaking that folds in eye-popping practical effects, enthralling details, discontinued dolls, and jokes that were way outside the box. From Weird Barbie to that on-point Pride and Prejudice mini-series namedrop, Barbie had us so giddy that we felt like kids again.* — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor

How to watch: Barbie is now available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

18. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Steve Martin and Michael Caine have excellent chemistry as con men with opposite styles. Caine’s Lawrence is elegant and debonair, while Martin’s Freddy is brusque and fairly obvious. Predictably, when the two grifters meet in the south of France, they want the other to vacate their territory. The only way to settle the dispute? A contest of con-artistry! Whoever can hustle $50,000 from the “United States Soap Queen,” Janet Colgate (Glenne Headly), wins. 1988’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels — which is itself a remake of 1964’s Bedtime Story — is a slapstick, buoyant, and smartly crafted comedy that has since been adapted into a Broadway musical and a 2019 remake (The Hustle starring Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson). But ignore all of those. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is the best and brightest of the bunch. — K.G.

How to watch: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is now streaming on Prime Video.

19. Heathers

What’s your damage? Long before Mean Girls was hitting popular bitches with buses, this 1989 pitch-black comedy bridged the gap between the John Hughes era and the more cynical teen cinema that would emerge in the ’90s. Winona Ryder and Christian Slater star as Veronica and J.D., a discontented popular girl and outcast newcomer, respectively, who take revenge on a cruel clique of rich girls named Heather. The film takes the viciousness of high school to a darkly hilarious extreme, with its own snarky vernacular and vision of ’80s excess (croquet! in blazers!). — C.W.

How to watch: Heathers is now streaming on Prime Video.

20. Thelma

When 93-year-old Thelma receives a phone call from her grandson claiming he’s been arrested and needs money, she wires $10,000 immediately. The only problem? Her grandson is fine. He’s not in jail. Thelma has been scammed! And when faced with disinterest from the police, Thelma takes it upon herself to track down these con artists herself and get her money back. June Squibb is superb as the nonagenarian on a mission, recruiting help from other seniors to achieve her goal — and she gets to ride a sick scooter! — K.G.

How to watch: Thelma is now available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

21. Dr. Strangelove

A bruising Cold War satire, Stanley Kubrick’s paradigm-shifting Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb makes a mockery of nuclear war strategy. The reaction upon its release in 1964 was ecstatic. Few movies before had dared to so boldly deride seemingly prestigious institutions like the Pentagon and the Presidency — or to cheerfully lampoon nuclear armageddon.

When an Air Force bomber receives the order to drop the bomb on the USSR, the U.S. government scrambles to discover who gave the order, who is actually in charge, and how they can avoid doomsday. Strangelove stars a peerless Peter Sellers in multiple roles, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, and more — as well as James Earl Jones in his film debut! — K.G. 

How to watch: Dr. Strangelove is now streaming on Prime Video.

22. His Girl Friday

This classic screwball rom-com, adapted from the play The Front Page, sees star reporter Hildy Johnson take on one last assignment with her editor ex-husband before she gets out of the game for good to remarry and retire to a quiet life of motherhood. If you’re a little burned out on contemporary comedy, there’s nothing better for the soul than watching a dame with moxie stalk around in gorgeous skirt suits tossing out rapid-fire banter in a Mid-Atlantic accent. As Hildy Johnson, Rosalind Russell does it better than just about anyone. Throw in Cary Grant as the former boss who’s still in love with her — and still gives as good as he gets — and this 1940 film still crackles with energy and wit. — C.W.

How to watch: His Girl Friday is available for rent on Prime Video or via Amazon Freevee.

23. Galaxy Quest

Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, and Daryl Mitchell are the fictional crew of a cult TV sci-fi series, Galaxy Quest. Years after the show’s been off the air, they float from convention to convention, signing autographs and wishing their careers had gone in a different direction. Until one day, they’re kidnapped by aliens who saw their TV broadcast from across the galaxy and thought it was real! Uh oh! Now the aliens hope Tim Allen and crew can defend their planet against an invading force, while the hapless band of actors just hopes they can keep up the ruse long enough to find a way home. Galaxy Quest is a deeply silly movie that packs a sneaky emotional punch. An absolute winner, through and through.* — K.G.

How to watch: Galaxy Quest is now available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

24. 21 Jump Street

21 Jump Street is an energetic and self-aware buddy comedy that premiered in 2012… and it feels very 2012, in that breezy, fun, bro-movie sort of way. Just like in the original ’80s TV show, Jump Street features young cops going undercover in a high school — but there’s a twist. While Channing Tatum’s Greg was a popular kid in his glory days, modern Gen Z students look down on his “school sux” attitude. On the other hand, his partner Morton (Jonah Hill), who was always nerdy Greg’s sidekick, suddenly fits in, and this undercover gig becomes a chance to rewrite his disastrously uncool youth. 21 Jump Street is a gas, and it’s smarter and funnier than you’d expect for a nostalgic reboot, thanks to Phil Lord and Christopher Miller at the helm (Clone High, The Lego Movie), a sharp script by Michael Bacall, and an excellent ensemble cast that includes Brie Larson, Rob Riggle, Ellie Kemper, and Ice Cube. — K.G.

How to watch: 21 Jump Street is now streaming on Prime Video.

25. Late Night

Mindy Kaling and a wonderful Emma Thompson spark off each other in this spiky, smart comedy set in the world of late-night TV. Kaling’s script follows Molly, an aspiring comedy writer who lands in the male, pale, and stale writer’s room ruled with an iron fist by Thompson’s legendary host, Katherine Newbury. (Oh, for a world where a woman was allowed to become a legendary late-night host.) While there’s a sweet romance side plot with one of the many hey-it’s-that-guy faces in the writing staff, the real focus is the relationship between Molly and Katherine, and their quest to work out what’s really funny, and why. It’s hilarious and heartfelt. — C.W.

How to watch: Late Night is now streaming on Prime Video.

UPDATE: Sep. 3, 2024, 2:21 p.m. EDT This article was originally published on February 25, 2022 and has been updated to reflect the current streaming options.

Read More