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How to watch ‘The Watchers’ online in 2024, including the best Max deals that may let you catch the Dakota Fanning movie for free.

If you’re looking for a satisfying horror thriller to kick off spooky season a bit early, look no further than the latest Shyamalan blockbuster The Watchers. The movie was produced by M. Night Shyamalan and written and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan (the famous director’s 25-year-old daughter) in her directorial debut.

The Watchers is “a hell of a scary good time,” according to Mashable’s film editor Kristy Puchko. Dakota Fanning leads a strong ensemble alongside Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan, and Olwen Fouéré. And as of Aug. 30, it’s officially streaming.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch The Watchers at home — including some of the best streaming deals that might let you catch the flick for free.

What is The Watchers about?

Based on the novel of the same name written by A.M. Shine, The Watchers follows a young artist named Mina (Fanning), whose life is derailed when she ends up stranded in a vast forest in western Ireland. When she finds shelter in a bunker alongside three strangers (played by Barbarian‘s Campbell, Outlander‘s Finnegan, and The Northman‘s Fouéré), she unknowingly becomes a captive performer for unseen creatures — aka the watchers. No one knows who they are, what they look like, or what they want. All that is known is they do not want their performers breaking out.

Judging by the trailer alone, viewers are in for a spooky atmosphere and plenty of jump scares:

Is The Watchers worth watching?

The Watchers didn’t dominate at the box office, but it didn’t completely bomb either, grossing just shy of $33 million globally. Against a $30 million budget, according to The Numbers, it at least broke even. Box office numbers don’t always tell the whole story, though.

The film also received largely negative reviews from critics, earning a sad 32 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Mashable’s own film critic, however, had mostly positive things to say about Ishana Night Shyamalan’s directorial debut.

“Admittedly, the final act loses momentum in its eagerness to explain all the finer points of the movie’s lore…Still, The Watchers is a sharply satisfying horror thriller thanks to a crackling cast, unnerving sound design, stomach-churning creatures, and an emotional story that offers far more than cheap thrills.”

Audiences are torn, with the Rotten Tomatoes score currently hovering slightly above the 50 percent mark. In other words, you may hate it or you may love it — but it’s worth watching to find out.

Read our full review of The Watchers.

How to watch The Watchers at home

Less than a month after its theatrical debut, The Watchers became available to watch at home via video-on-demand sites like Prime Video and Fandango at Home (Vudu). You can purchase the film for your digital collection or rent it for 30 days. Within those 30 days, you’ll have just 48 hours to finish the film once you start watching. After that, you’ll lose access.

As of June 28, you can purchase and rent the film at the following retailers:

Prime Video — buy for $18.49, rent for $4.49

Apple TV — buy for $19.99, rent for $5.99

Fandango at Home (Vudu) — buy for $19.99, rent for $5.99

YouTube — buy for $19.99, rent for $5.99

Is The Watchers streaming?

As a Warner Bros. film, The Watchers made its streaming debut on Max starting Aug. 30 — joining the likes of other recent theatrical releases such as Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Civil War, and Dune: Part Two. 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 to watch The Watchers

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

While a monthly Max subscription would run you $9.99 per month with ads, you can save 17% (or $1.66 per month) by paying upfront for a year. An annual plan with ads goes for $99.99 per year, which breaks down to just $8.33 per month. If you’re in it for the long haul, you might as well keep more money in your pocket.

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

If you’d rather not have ads interrupting your viewing experience, you have two options: Max Ad-Free and Max Ultimate. You can opt for an annual Max Ad-Free or Max Ultimate subscription and save 17% compared to a monthly subscription. The Ad-Free tier is $16.99 per month, while the Ultimate tier is $20.99 per month. With a yearly plan, however, those prices drop to just $14.17 per month ($169.99 per year) or $17.49 per month ($209.99 per year).

Note: While both tiers offer an ad-free viewing experience, 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

Earlier this month, DoorDash partnered with Max to offer those on the annual DashPass plan free Max with ads subscriptions. If you’re already on an annual DashPass plan, head over to the “Manage Max Subscription” page in your DoorDash account to activate your free subscription. If not, you can sign up for the DashPass annual plan for just $96 per year ($8 per month) and unlock access to the streaming library 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.

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

If you’re a Cricket Wireless customer on the $60 per month unlimited plan, you can also get Max with ads for free, so long as your account remains in good standing. Just head over to Max and select Cricket as your provider to log in. You’ll be able to watch The Watchers and plenty of other Warner Bros. releases at no extra cost. 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 score half-priced Max subscriptions (with ads) for an entire year with Max’s new student discount. That means you’ll pay only $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

Last month, a new bundle deal emerged, offering streamers access to three top apps for one low price. This new deal includes Max, Disney+, and Hulu with ads for just $16.99 per month (reg. $25.97) or ad-free for $29.99 per month (reg. $48.97) — that’s up to 38% in savings. Obviously, this isn’t the cheapest option overall for watching The Watchers, but it will definitely get you the most bang for your buck in the streaming world.

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Live stream Sinner vs. Draper in the 2024 US Open semi final online for free from anywhere in the world.

TL;DR: Live stream Sinner vs. Draper in the 2024 US Open semi final for free on 9Now or TVNZ+. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The story of the US Open has been the progress of Jack Draper. The youngster has surprised everyone by making it through to the semi-final stage. Can he reach another level and make it to the final? It’s not going to be easy, as the top seed stands in his way.

If you want to watch Sinner vs. Draper in the 2024 US Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Sinner vs. Draper in the 2024 US Open for free

Fans can live stream the 2024 US Open for free on these platforms:

Australia — 9Now

New Zealand — TVNZ+

These streaming services are geo-blocked, but anyone from around the world can access these sites with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can unblock 9Now and TVNZ+ from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2024 US Open 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 Australia or New Zealand

Visit 9Now or TVNZ+

Watch Sinner vs. Draper in the 2024 US Open semi final for free from anywhere in the world

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of Sinner vs. Draper without actually spending anything. This clearly isn’t a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch every US Open match before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the US Open?

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

Servers in 105 countries including Australia and New Zealand

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 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Sinner vs. Draper in the 2024 US Open semi final for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

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Live stream Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers in the NFL for free from anywhere in the world.

TL;DR: Live stream Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers for free on 7plus. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers are set to meet in São Paulo in the NFL’s first game in South America, and you can watch all the action without spending anything. This is a big moment for the NFL in an untapped market, so you won’t want to miss a second.

If you’re interested in watching Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers for free, we have all the information you need.

When is Eagles vs. Packers?

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers starts at 8:15 p.m. ET on Sep 6. This fixture takes place at the Arena Corinthians in São Paulo, Brazil.

How to watch Eagles vs. Packers for free

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers is available to live stream for free on 7plus.

7plus is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access 7plus from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the NFL 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 Australia

Visit 7plus

Live stream Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers for free from anywhere in the world

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but top VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By making the most of these deals, you can access free live streams of the NFL without actually spending anything. This is obviously a quick fix, but it gives you enough time to watch Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

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

Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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. With this limited-time deal you’ll also get an extra three months at no additional cost, a whole year of unlimited cloud backup for free, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

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A24’s documentary about clairvoyants, “Look Into My Eyes,” is a self-reflexive film that yields catharsis, whether or not you believe its psychic subjects. Review.

Director Lana Wilson (Miss Americana) had never visited a psychic before shooting Look Into My Eyes, her A24-produced documentary about a group of New York clairvoyants. Her perspective is one of gentle inquiry, but the film eventually reaches far beyond mere curiosity, yielding a deeply resonant work about the ways in which people cope with everything from grief to climate nihilism.

Even if you see spirit-channeling mediums as scammers and bullshit artists, it’s hard not to come away changed. Look Into My Eyes neither seeks to expose nor reaffirm the profession, but rather, through suggestion and implication, it explores these people and what they do. In the process, it comes to an empathetic understanding of why — even if the subjects themselves can’t see the bigger picture.

It’s also incredibly self-reflexive. The movie not only frames psychic readings as a kind of art form, but it also begins to subtly mimic and embody their emotional scope. As it progresses, Wilson’s aesthetic approach begins to morph, molding her storytelling lens in potent ways, resulting in one of the most unexpectedly affecting documentaries this year.

What is Look Into My Eyes about?

The film begins, as most traditional documentaries do, with a series of talking-head interviews. However, its approach to this filmmaking norm is distinctly non-traditional. Instead of cutting away to montages or stock footage for broader context, it stays locked in on each of these segments in long, unbroken close-ups, allowing these secondary subjects — those who seek out psychic readings — to unburden themselves across the table from various self-proclaimed mediums. Some of these clients search for solutions to everyday problems, like a lack of motivation in the face of a rapidly changing world. Others speak strangely and obliquely of traumatic events in their past; a middle-aged nurse recalls having seen a young girl die from a gunshot wound to the head 20 years prior, casually asking her psychic, “How is she?” It would be downright eerie if it weren’t so conversational in tone. 

The production spent months scouting prospective subjects with street-side offers of lengthy readings before pairing them up with each psychic, none of whom were given information on their clients prior to meeting them. This behind-the-scenes decision making is never shown, but the invisible selection process is part of the movie’s sleight of hand. The trick therein doesn’t create fiction, but rather, unearths and accentuates the existing, deep-seated drama in people’s lives. The frame lingers on loaded questions like “How is she?” just long enough for us to process them before it moves quickly on to the next client, the next clairvoyant, and the next warm, intimate, low-lit space (courtesy of cinematographer Stephen Maing). However, for nearly its first half hour, it barely shows us the faces of its many psychics. Wilson doesn’t yet let us look into their eyes, but builds its context through their point of view. These numerous head-on close-ups of clientele eager for answers, willing to shell out cash for some semblance of closure, is the everyday reality of each psychic as seen through their own eyes. All we see of them initially, as they perform their readings, are brief profile shots that shroud them in shadow and mystery.

This makes it seem as though the movie’s subjects are people who seek answers from psychics and their ilk. That may even be initially true; some of these interviews come full circle to a place of moving catharsis. However, the purpose of this is to quickly find the value in what these psychics do, presenting it in emotional terms as their clients thank them or break down in tears. This helps immensely when the movie suddenly flips its switch and depicts the rare readings gone wrong, where a few of the psychics’ interpretations (of vibes, or spirits, or what have you) lead to perplexed expressions from their clients. Given the positive outcomes the movie does present, that they finally get something wrong feels deeply unfortunate, rather than a chance at mockery.

From there on out, the psychics themselves finally enter the spotlight as the documentary’s true subjects. The camera follows these vivid characters home, and to work, and through their most mundane and familiar trials, humanizing them in ways that render the question of “Is what they do real?” both highly irrelevant, and entirely besides the movie’s point.

The question it raises instead feels almost accidental, but entirely prescient: To what degree are psychic readings a kind of performance art?

Look Into My Eyes likens psychic readings to art and therapy.

The way the film unfurls information is nearly comical on paper. As each psychic introduces themselves in their private spaces — particularly memorable is a gay white man from the South, whose apartment is cramped and messy — it isn’t long before they begin talking about movies, followed by theater, music, and other art forms in which they’re deeply invested. Some of them are former or current playwrights. Some like to sing. Others enjoy putting on costumes, while a few of them even continue to audition for roles on TV, having studied acting in grad school.

At no point does the film explicitly comment on this, but it comes up like clockwork during nearly every interview, and is usually telegraphed by the classic film posters on each psychics’ wall. One woman, a Queens native who claims to channel the spirits of people’s pets (both living and dead) regales the audiences with tales of how John Waters‘ cinema helped her find herself as an outsider. Another psychic reminisces about watching his favorite movie with his departed brother, and breaks down in tears. Before long, even the amusing predictability of each interview leads to something emotionally revelatory.

Do these psychics see a connection between their love of cinema and performance art and their proclivity for spiritual readings? Some do — one likens it to her improv background, and compares the emotional impulses of both forms — but for the most part, Look Into My Eyes gestures towards the possibility of them being drawn to psychic readings as a means of expression, but doesn’t force a didactic conclusion about why. The logistical reality of what they do isn’t nearly as vital, in the film’s purview, as its emotional reality, which is therapeutic — for their clients, and in many cases, for themselves.

As is the case with actual therapy, there’s a racial component to some of the readings too, making the case that the personal experiences and outlooks of each psychic (much like that of therapists) can assist in better understanding clients or patients. One white psychic conceives of a Black woman’s trauma only through the lens of pop culture, while a middle-aged Black psychic connects with her young Black client through a more nuanced understanding of his place in white America. Similarly, a Chinese American woman adopted by white parents seeks spiritual answers about belonging, and she finds them at the table of an Asian American psychic who was similarly adopted. Several of these psychic-clients pairings feel fated, and while it’s hard to know how much of this was coincidence and how much was research and planning by the production, the outcomes feel both unexpected and satisfying for both parties across the table.

Are the readings themselves accurate? Some might be, though they’re usually general enough to depend on interpretation, like a Nostradamus prophecy. If you go into Look Into My Eyes as a believer in clairvoyance, you’ll likely have that belief reflected back to you, just as skeptics might latch on to the more performative aspect of these readings, or the few which happen to be wrong. However, seeing the way each psychic’s story plays out, between the search for meaning in their own lives and the ways in which they try to make sense of the world, renders any sense of journalistic investigation moot. Look Into My Eyes is pure sensation.

The film is also a mischievous bait-and-switch by Wilson, who uses its visual and narrative transformations to turn the psychics’ lenses back on themselves — and the movie’s lens on itself as well.

Look Into My Eyes is a cinematic psychic reading.  

The film eventually evolves into an intimate sit-down with several mediums in private spaces as they unburden themselves; this neatly mirrors its lengthy prologue, the initial half hour or so in which various clients do the same. During that extended introduction, the psychics are rarely seen or heard, and since the camera meets their clients’ gaze, it essentially embodies the psychics’ own POV, granting them a sense of narrative control.

But the moment Wilson begins focusing on the psychics as subjects in front of the camera — the instant the lens probes further and deeper than a profile shot — that sense of control at the table, during their readings, is all but stripped away. They become not only the movie’s central subjects, but in its visual parlance, they become akin to their clients, lost in search of answers to painful questions in their personal lives.

Some came to the profession as a means to channel and deal with the deaths of people they loved. Others don’t even fully believe in the veracity of what they do, but they continue to do it anyway, as though it were a spiritual mission. Like their initial presentation, the filmmaker herself is never seen and is only heard on occasion, but through the mere suggestion of her presence, it becomes hard not to wonder how she feels about each subject, and to what degree she might be judging them, or even manipulating them. At one point, a young psychic turns out to know the deceased person for whom a client requests a reading, and both parties are fascinated by the sense of cosmic coincidence, but the question of whether this was planned by Wilson on some level continues to linger.

In this manner, Look Into My Eyes becomes akin to a psychic reading itself in the most emotionally intimate way, practically forcing believers and skeptics alike to understand something fundamental about the act of clairvoyance, without necessarily lending credence to either belief or skepticism. The psychics speak constantly about the emotional impulses they feel during these readings, which they in turn intuit. Whether strictly “real” or not, this is a kind of wordless understanding that emanates from within them, and is rooted in their own lived experiences. And so, by turning the film’s dynamic on its head — by “reading” the psychic subjects, as it were — Wilson practically forces viewers of all stripes to similarly intuit emotional information about their inner lives, based on visual cues and suggestions. The film practically urges us to follow the same emotional logic they employ, which leads them to grand conclusions about people’s fate, and their place in the world.

Do the movie posters in the background, on the psychics’ walls, mean everything — or nothing at all? No bit of dialogue in Look Into My Eyes pushes viewers towards an answer one way or another. The film features no insert shots of objects or environmental details that suggest either sincerity or irony in its filmmaking. The only context it offers is the people themselves, and how deeply they feel. In the process, whether or not Wilson believes her subjects remains obscured. The movie never tips its hand. It has no tell. Rather, it remains tethered to its subjects for most of its runtime, continuously looking into their eyes so that we might make instinctive connections with them, and better understand their grief and isolation, through a filmic interpretation beyond words.

Look Into My Eyes opens in select theaters Sept. 6.

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“Pachinko” showrunner Soo Hugh discusses the challenges that came with shooting on a rice farm for Season 2.

Pachinko Season 2, episode 3 shifts gears in a major way, as Sunja (Minha Kim) and her family flee to the Japanese countryside in order to escape the bombing of Osaka. There, they live and work on a rice farm (as opposed to the sweet potato farm in Min Jin Lee’s original novel). But as shooting for this stretch of the season got underway, production encountered an unlikely challenge: the rice itself.

“The amount of meetings we had on rice is pretty funny,” Soo Hugh, creator and showrunner of Pachinko, told Mashable.

Originally, Hugh thought production could use fake rice plants for the farming sequence, which she describes as one of her favorite moments in the book. However, procuring enough fake rice plants to fill an entire farm would have been far too costly. The Pachinko crew would have to work with the real rice plants at the Korean rice farm where shooting took place.

These real plants presented their own logistical issues. Sunja and her family are on the rice farm for months, meaning the show’s version of the rice farm would have to play out different seasons.

“When Sunja, Hansu [Lee Minho], and her family first arrive, you’ll notice they arrive in winter, so there can be no rice there,” Hugh explained. “But then when we cut back to them, it is now the first part of spring, so the rice is supposed to just start growing. Later on, we go through the whole cycle of the rice farm. At the end of that sequence, it’s the harvest.”

Since Pachinko wasn’t shooting over the course of an entire year, production had to grow out rice fields of varying heights. So as the series shot in Toronto in March of 2023, a crew flew out to Korea to begin cultivating seeds. That way, by the time the shoot in Korea started at the end of May, the rice fields would be camera-ready.

However, that cultivation process wasn’t without its challenges, either. “We had a lot of weather issues where the rice ended up actually growing too fast. We were so worried that we weren’t going to get enough rice, and then, because of the rains, we had an overabundance,” Hugh said.

Luckily, the abundance of rice you see onscreen in Pachinko Season 2 didn’t go to waste. On top of starring in one of the best shows of 2024, the rice ended up being harvested for real by the owners of the farm where shooting took place.

“Someone out there is eating Pachinko rice,” Hugh said.

Pachinko Season 2 is now streaming, with a new episode every Friday.

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“Rebel Ridge,” about an ex-Marine taking down a group of corrupt cops, is now streaming on Netflix.

There’s a moment in Rebel Ridge where ex-Marine Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) ends a phone call to his adversaries with a threat that would send a chill up anyone’s spine. He takes a beat, looks at a cop he’s holding captive, and asks, deadpan, “I put too much sauce on that?”

The audience, like Terry, knows there’s only one right answer: Nope, you used the exact right amount.

The same goes for Rebel Ridge, which is filled to the brim with cinematic sauce. Packing shades of Rambo’s First Blood, as well as director Jeremy Saulnier’s other films, like Blue Ruin and Green Room, Rebel Ridge is a monster of a thriller that thrives on perfectly calibrated tension — and on dissecting the injustices at the heart of America’s justice and policing systems.

What’s Rebel Ridge about?

Rebel Ridge opens with a foreboding image: A police car prowls behind Terry as he bikes toward the town of Shelby Springs. With Iron Maiden blaring in his ears, he doesn’t realize he’s being tailed until the cops ram him off the road.

While unspoken, the threat of police brutality against Black men hangs over the ensuing traffic stop. Terry spends much of the sequence trapped in the back of the cop car, while white officers Evan Marston (David Denman) and Steve Lann (Emory Cohen) roam around freely, looking down at Terry from the outside. There’s a real sense of claustrophobia from Terry’s perspective, highlighting a power imbalance that only grows more skewed as the scene plays out.

Marston and Lann find $36,000 in cash in Terry’s bag, some of which Terry intends to use to post bail for his cousin Mike (C.J. LeBlanc), who’s headed to prison for weed possession. Terry explains that the rest of the money will help him and Mike start a boat-hauling business. The cops confiscate the cash anyway, claiming that it’s drug money. Without the cash, and with the clock ticking until Mike’s prison transfer, Terry tries to bring his case to police chief Sandy Burnne (a spectacularly slimy Don Johnson). But as it becomes clear how corrupt Sandy and his cronies are, Terry realizes that the only way he’ll get his money back is by taking matters into his own hands.

Rebel Ridge is a tight thriller about corruption.

As the Shelby Springs police department quickly learns, Terry is a force in his own right. In a sequence that’s as suspenseful as it is darkly humorous, the cops discover that Terry was a martial arts instructor for the Marines, and that he could probably take any of them out in two seconds if he was so inclined. Lucky for them, he’s not… yet. Early action scenes involving Terry see him trying to de-escalate conflict and avoid collateral damage, a choice that’s on par with his training. Don’t expect any Green Room-level box cutter shenanigans from Saulnier here, although there’s still much pleasure to be had in Terry’s cool, efficient style of combat.

Over the course of Rebel Ridge, though, the powers that be in Shelby Springs will push Terry to more extreme measures. The police department, rife with racism, antagonizes him at every turn. Indifferent officials at City Hall turn away from his pleas for help. Only law clerk Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb) is willing to help — especially when her work on Mike’s case begins to uncover a town-wide conspiracy.

From here, Saulnier spins a tale that goes beyond Terry’s attempts to help Mike, showing how everyone in Shelby Springs is impacted by — or complicit in — the cops’ scheming. Basically, if you didn’t know much about civil asset forfeiture before watching Rebel Ridge, you’re going to know a lot about it by the end of the film — and be livid about it!

Terry and Summer’s thorough unspooling of Shelby Springs’ dark secrets builds nicely to spurts of explosive action, including a pulse-pounding shootout at a police station. There isn’t as much fighting in Rebel Ridge as trailers may have you believe — this is definitely a quality over quantity situation — but they’re informed so much by the investigative work that came before them that they still pack a mighty punch. Plus, as we see right from Terry’s first interaction with the cops, Saulnier has a knack for wringing the most tension from any dialogue-heavy scene, so that every exchange will send you to the edge of your seat.

Aaron Pierre delivers a star-making performance in Rebel Ridge.

At the heart of Rebel Ridge is Aaron Pierre’s remarkable performance, one that’s part action hero, part negotiator. He’s the very definition of commanding as the often soft-spoken — but never meek — Terry. A taut intensity burns through his every word, unleashing itself when Terry finally gets physical with the people who have wronged him. Even then, Pierre’s execution of Rebel Ridge‘s action is remarkably calm and calculated. He’s a one-man army who won’t be denied.

Pierre is also strikingly funny when he needs to be. Take the aforementioned sauce line, or a moment when he fakes Sandy out with a truce proposal, then hits him with a no-nonsense, “nah.” If overdone in another performer’s hands, these badass one-liners could risk undermining Rebel Ridge‘s exquisitely built tension. Instead, Pierre’s delivery both breaks the tension just enough for a laugh, yet continues to build it with the promise that Terry is not a guy to be messed with. This is a star-making performance, pure and simple, and Pierre — who’s done remarkable work in projects like The Underground Railroad — deserves to go straight to the stratosphere following this film.

So too, does Rebel Ridge, which checks all the boxes any thriller aficionado could possibly want, and then some. Full of action and crackling dialogue that’ll leave you buzzing, and enough real-world issues to leave you fuming, Rebel Ridge cements itself as one of standout action films of the year.

Rebel Ridge is now streaming on Netflix.

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The NYT Strands hints and answers you need to make the most of your puzzling experience.

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

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

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

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

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Just right

These words will likely take you back to childhood.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The answers all relate to a classic children’s story.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today’s NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today’s spangram is ThreeBears.

NYT Strands word list for September 6

Porridge

Mama

Papa

Baby

ThreeBears

Chairs

Beds

Soft

Hard

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and if you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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

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Live stream Sinner vs. Draper in the 2024 US Open semi final online for free in the UK.

TL;DR: Live stream Sinner vs. Draper in the 2024 US Open semi final for free on 9Now or TVNZ+. Access these free streaming platforms from the UK with ExpressVPN.

Tennis fans in the UK will be desperate to follow the progress of Jack Draper in the US Open. You can watch his massive semi-final clash with Sinner on a number of paid subsciption services, but what about free alternatives? This is where we can help.

If you want to watch Sinner vs. Draper in the 2024 US Open for free in the UK, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Sinner vs. Draper in the 2024 US Open for free in the UK

Fans can live stream the 2024 US Open for free on these platforms:

Australia — 9Now

New Zealand — TVNZ+

These streaming services are geo-blocked, but anyone in the UK can access these sites with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can unblock 9Now and TVNZ+ from the UK.

Live stream Sinner vs. Draper in the 2024 US Open 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 Australia or New Zealand

Visit 9Now or TVNZ+

Watch Sinner vs. Draper in the 2024 US Open semi final for free in the UK

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of Sinner vs. Draper without actually spending anything. This clearly isn’t a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch every US Open match before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the US Open?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the US Open for free in the UK, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries including Australia and New Zealand

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 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Sinner vs. Draper in the 2024 US Open semi final for free in the UK with ExpressVPN.

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Live stream Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers in the NFL for free in the UK.

TL;DR: Live stream Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers for free on 7plus. Access this free streaming platform from the UK with ExpressVPN.

The NFL’s first game in South America sees the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers come together in São Paulo. It’s going to be a special occasion, and you can watch every play from the UK without spending anything.

If you’re interested in watching Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers for free in the UK, we have all the information you need.

When is Eagles vs. Packers?

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers starts at 1:15 a.m. BST on Sep 7. This fixture takes place at the Arena Corinthians.

How to watch Eagles vs. Packers for free in the UK

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers is available to live stream for free on 7plus.

7plus is geo-restricted to Australia, but fans 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 Australia, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access 7plus from the UK.

Unblock 7plus to live stream the NFL 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 Australia

Visit 7plus

Live stream Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers for free from 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 live stream top 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 a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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. With this limited-time deal you also get an extra three months of coverage, a year of unlimited cloud backup, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers for free in the UK with ExpressVPN.

Read More 

Live stream Fritz vs. Tiafoe in the 2024 US Open online for free from anywhere in the world.

TL;DR: Live stream Fritz vs. Tiafoe in the 2024 US Open for free on 9Now or TVNZ+. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It feels appropriate that the US Open has two Americans battling it out for a place in the final. It’s going to be an epic contest between Fritz and Tiafoe, and you can watch every shot without spending anything.

If you want to watch Fritz vs. Tiafoe in the 2024 US Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Fritz vs. Tiafoe in the 2024 US Open for free

Fans can live stream the 2024 US Open for free on these platforms:

Australia — 9Now

New Zealand — TVNZ+

These streaming services are geo-blocked, but anyone from around the world can access these sites with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can unblock 9Now and TVNZ+ from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2024 US Open 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 Australia or New Zealand

Visit 9Now or TVNZ+

Watch Fritz vs. Tiafoe in the 2024 US Open for free from anywhere in the world

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of Fritz vs. Tiafoe without actually spending anything. This clearly isn’t a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch every US Open match before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the US Open?

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

Servers in 105 countries including Australia and New Zealand

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 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Fritz vs. Tiafoe in the 2024 US Open for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Read More