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Netflix’s “Squid Game” Season 2 teaser trailer shows Lee Jung-jae return as Player 456, reentering the games with his own agenda.

Netflix’s “Squid Game” Season 2 teaser trailer shows Lee Jung-jae return as Player 456, reentering the games with his own agenda.

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Here’s the answer for “Wordle” #1231 on November 1, 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 November 1’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 was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

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

A number bigger than 3 but smaller than 10.

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 S.

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…

SIXTH.

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.

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As of Oct. 31, get 20% off Sonic X Shadow Generations for Nintendo Switch at Woot.

SAVE $10: As of Oct. 31, get ‘Sonic X Shadow Generations’ for Nintendo Switch for $39.99 at Woot. That’s a 20% discount.

Sonic fans have had it great over the past few years. Sure, there was a bit of a dry spell for a while, but the Blue Blur is back in a big way these days. His latest outing, Sonic X Shadow Generations isn’t a new game, per se, as it’s a remaster of a game called Sonic Generations with the addition of Shadow the Hedgehog as a new player character. But it’s well worth jumping into whether you’re an old or new Sonic fan, and it’s even better if you can get it on sale. And you can, right now.

As of Oct. 31, you can get Sonic X Shadow Generations for Nintendo Switch at Woot for $39.99. That’s $10 off and a discount of 20%. The game just debuted about a week ago, so you’re still getting in on the ground floor here — not too shabby of a deal. This is for the Switch edition only, and you’ll be getting a physical copy, not a digital code.

In 2011, Sonic Generations introduced a new series of Sonic levels with both classic side-scrolling and modern 3D options that delighted fans. Now remastered and including Shadow the Hedgehog, it’s an even larger game than before. Sonic and Shadow will be working together to take on an enemy called Black Doom throughout a varied selection of levels with open world gameplay like that seen in Sonic Frontiers. There are plenty of fun additional features for returning and new players to explore, but for many, Shadow will be the biggest draw.

The game is still quite new, so if you or someone you’re buying gifts for over the holidays is a big Sonic fan, this is one to buy and stash away while it’s on sale.

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‘The Substance’ starts streaming on Oct. 31 on Mubi. Here are the best streaming deals to watch at home, possibly for free.

“Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself?” So asks The Substance, Coralie Fargeat‘s sophomore feature and winner of the Best Screenplay award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. While it’s still floating around theaters, the body horror romp is coming to a streaming service near you just in time for Halloween.

The Hollywood ageism satire stars Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid, and positive word of mouth has made the horror movie a surprise hit. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch The Substance at home and online, including when and where it starts streaming and the best deals to save some money.

What is The Substance about?

The Substance stars Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle, a former A-lister who’s fired from her fitness TV program for the unforgivable crime of aging. Battling with crippling Hollywood ageism, she’s introduced to a new drug known as “the Substance.” A single injection is all it takes for Elisabeth to be reborn as the beautiful and youthful Sue (Margaret Qualley), who then begins her own rise through Hollywood.

Of course, there’s always a catch. The Substance forces you to split time between your two bodies; Elisabeth must spend exactly seven days as herself, then seven days as Sue. When she messes with the balance, things get…bloody.

Check out the official trailer:

Is The Substance worth watching?

The Substance has become the most successful box office release for arthouse distributor and streamer Mubi. The bold and bloody film has been creating a ton of buzz, with audiences giving it a 74 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics rating is even more impressive with a glowing 91 percent.

“Audaciously gross, wickedly clever, and possibly Demi Moore’s finest hour, The Substance is a gasp-inducing feat from writer-director Coralie Fargeat,” the critics consensus reads on Rotten Tomatoes.

While Mashable’s own reviewer wasn’t a big fan, writing that the “horror sci-fi plot of The Substance feels incomplete,” most reviews are very positive. Culture writer Zach Schonfeld may have summed it up best, calling it a “B-movie with an A-list cast” — in a good way. Just be warned, many folks will be squirming in their seats over the amount of blood and gore. It is a body horror movie, after all.

How can I watch The Substance at home?

The Substance made its digital retail debut on Oct. 31, meaning it’s available for purchase at video-on-demand retailers like Prime Video and Apple TV+ for $19.99. The film will likely also be available to rent at a later date.

Here are some quick links to purchase the film on digital:

Prime Video — $19.99

Apple TV+ — $19.99

Fandango at Home (Vudu) — $19.99

Is The Substance streaming anywhere?

In a rare turn of events, The Substance will also make its streaming debut on Oct. 31 for those who don’t want to purchase the film. The only catch is that it won’t be streaming on the usual services like Hulu or Max. Instead, you can watch The Substance on Mubi beginning on Halloween.

Mubi is built for cinephiles. Sure, it’s yet another streaming service, but where it differs is quality. The Mubi library is brimming with the best of international cinema. The streamer showcases a vast array of films from America and abroad, mainstream and independent, classics, new releases, award-winners, and Mubi’s own originals — like The Substance. Mubi subscriptions start at $14.99 per month, but we’ve rounded up a few ways to save some money on the streamer below.

Best overall: Get Mubi as a Prime Video add-on

A Mubi subscription on its own costs $14.99 per month, but Prime members can add it as a Prime Video channel instead and save some money. After a free seven-day trial, the Mubi add-on for Prime Video is just $10.99 per month. That means $4 kept in your pocket each month. Of course, this requires you to have a Prime Video account in order to add the channel. If you don’t already have Prime Video, this isn’t your best option.

If you remember to cancel after watching the movie, you could theoretically watch The Substance for free this way — just saying.

Best long-term deal: Save 33% on an annual subscription

If you’re a movie lover and want to stick around to enjoy more than just The Substance, you can save 33% by paying for a year of Mubi upfront. An annual Mubi subscription costs $119.88 per year, which breaks down to just $9.99 per month instead of the usual $14.99 per month. You’ll still get a seven-day free trial to kick off your subscription as well.

Best for students: Save $5/month on Mubi student subscription

Students really get the winning deal here. If you can prove your student status, you can sign up for Mubi for free for 30 days, then get a discounted subscription for just $9.99 per month. That’s $5/month cheaper than a typical subscription. Plus, with 30 free days, you’ll have plenty of time to watch The Substance and lots of other films before even paying a cent.

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Live stream Houston Texans vs. New York Jets in the NFL for free from anywhere in the world.

TL;DR: Live stream Houston Texans vs. New York Jets for free with a 30-day trial of Prime Video. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It’s time once again for Thursday Night Football. And it could be a huge night for the Houston Texans as they visit the New York Jets.

Houston have a two-game lead atop AFC South following a season sweep against the Indianapolis Colts last week. That puts them 6-2 for the season so far. Some pundits have criticised the Texans’ offence, but the stats speak for themselves.

On paper it looks like a surefire win against the New York Jets, who have lost five in a row. It might not be a case of if Houston beats New York but by how much.

If you want to watch Houston Texans vs. New York Jets for free from anywhere in the world, here’s all the information you need.

When is Texans vs. Jets?

Houston Texans vs. New York Jets takes place at 8:15 p.m. ET on Oct. 31. This fixture will be played at the MetLife Stadium.

How to watch Texans vs. Jets for free

Houston Texans vs. New York Jets is is available to live stream on Prime Video in the U.S., but you don’t need to be subscribed to Amazon Prime to watch this fixture. Instead, you can watch Houston Texans vs. New York Jets (plus more Thursday Night Football fixtures) for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. If you’re abroad for this game, you might need to use a VPN to access the U.S. version of Amazon Prime.

Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

Sign up for a 30-day Amazon Prime trial (if you’re not already a member)

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 the U.S.

Watch Houston Texans vs. New York Jets for free from anywhere in the world on Prime Video

The best VPNs for streaming aren’t free, but top VPN services usually offer free trial periods or money-back guarantees. By signing up for these deals, you’ll be able to access free live streams of the NFL without actually spending any cash whatsoever. It’s a short-term solution, but this gives you enough time to watch Houston Texans vs. New York Jets (plus other select NFL fixtures) before recovering any initial investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, 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 always secure

Fast connection speeds

Up to eight simultaneous connections

30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is currently available for $99.95. Within this limited time deal you’ll 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 Texans vs. Jets for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

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“Succession” star Kieran Culkin appeared on “The Late Show” and told Stephen Colbert why he still hasn’t seen the finale.

“Succession” star Kieran Culkin appeared on “The Late Show” and told Stephen Colbert why he still hasn’t seen the finale.

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“Daily Show” host Ronnie Chieng has responded to Joe Biden’s recent “garbage” comment about Trump supporters.

“Daily Show” host Ronnie Chieng has responded to Joe Biden’s recent “garbage” comment about Trump supporters.

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A roundup of the best British horror movies, from classic comedies like “Shaun of the Dead” to newer nightmares like “Starve Acre”.

There are a whole host of tempting and terrifying horror movies out there. So many, in fact, that it can be difficult to know where to start.

But if you like your scares with a side of repression, bad weather, and occasional self-deprecation, then you could do a lot worse than beginning in Britain.

For the following list of best British horror films we’ve grouped together the old and the new, the weird and the terrifying, in no particular order — from cult classics like Threads and The Wicker Man to the more recent scares of Saint Maud and His House. Cushions at the ready…

His House (2020)

The best types of horror films are more than just a trickbox of scares. Some are character studies, others explore deeper themes or grapple complex social issues, and a few manage to move you in more ways than just a raising of the pulse. Writer-director Remi Weekes’ debut His House does all of the above at once.

Following asylum seekers Bol (Sope Dirisu) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku) as they arrive in the UK from South Sudan only to be thrust into an unforgiving world of bureaucracy and racism, His House melds drama with a claustrophobic haunted house mystery. Noises echo in the walls, and Bol’s fear and paranoia grows along with ours. But it’s only as the movie progresses, and Jo Willems’ creative cinematography starts hinting at what took place in the past, that the true horror of His House is revealed.* — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor

How to watch: His House is now streaming on Netflix.

The Appointment (1982)

Prophetic nightmares, a swooning score, and the uncanny feeling that if Twin Peaks had been relocated to middle class Berkshire, it might start like this…

Originally planned as part of a (promptly abandoned) series of TV films, this uniquely weird slice of anxiety from 1981 was to be director Lindsey Vickers’ first and only feature. Despite brief festival success and a few regional TV broadcasts, The Appointment slipped into mythic obscurity for 40 years. Rediscovered like a cursed tape from the vaults of repression, it follows Edward Woodward (flammable lead of iconic British folk horror The Wicker Man, also in this list) as a father who misses his precociously doting daughter’s violin recital in favour of a business appointment. And that’s about it.

And yet, every scene in the ominously dreamy film trembles with unease. The film’s previous disappearance, like the disappearance that stalks its narrative, acts like a hard-to-decipher warning for something unseen. Without overt shock or graphic gore, it trembles with the same haunted logic and trauma of certain public safety broadcasts: mundane familiarity and the cautionary tale teetering over the clipped, polite abyss of English fear. — David Spittle, Writer

How to watch: The Appointment is available to stream on BFI Player and Prime Video.

The Descent (2005)

Experiencing Neil Marshall’s spelunking nightmare The Descent in the cinema was truly a singular experience, especially if you had no idea you were in for a nasty little thriller about six female friends who reunite one year after a tragedy to explore an underground cave system together — as you do — only for it all to go terribly horribly wrong — as it does! The theater walls themselves seemed to close in on you as the film grew tighter, more constricted, and claustrophobic, and that was even before any of those creepy crawlers showed up. 

Even at home, the film still plays like gangbusters. Just wrap a blanket over your head and turn off all the lights, and you will feel like you’re right there in the Bava-esque underground alongside former besties Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) and Juno (Natalie Mendoza), third-wheel Beth (Alex Reid), sisters Rebecca (Saskia Mulder) and Sam (MyAnna Buring) — and who could forget the smidge-too-enthusiastic Holly (Nora-Jane Noone)? — as the walls close in and the blackness starts blinking, then biting, back.* — Jason Adams, Writer

How to watch: The Descent is streaming on Max.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Edgar Wright may be a fairly well known Hollywood director these days, but two decades ago his big feature break came in the form of this horror comedy classic. Shaun of the Dead follows Shaun (Simon Pegg, who co-wrote the film with Wright) and Ed (Nick Frost), two friends making a last stand against the zombie apocalypse in their local London pub, The Winchester. The first instalment of the Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz/The World’s End) is an endlessly quotable mish-mash of sweary violence, memorable one-shots and Wright’s trademark British underdog humour. — S.H.

How to watch: Shaun of the Dead is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Host (2020)

A near full-length Covid pandemic horror movie that takes place entirely via video chat, Rob Savage’s Host follows a group of friends taking part in a Zoom seance that goes horribly wrong.

“Noting that Host is “almost” full length is not to designate it as a short, but to acknowledge how much story gets packed into a run time of under an hour,” wrote Alexis Nedd in her Mashable review. “The movie uses every single minute to set up its characters, foreshadowing, and twists while still leaving time for screamingly violent horror goodness. Savage is no stranger to tight scripting, having drawn critical acclaim for his previous horror shorts Dawn of the Deaf (2016) and Salt (2017), but Host stands out as remarkable for getting a full film’s worth of plot within the external time constraint of a non-subscription Zoom call.” — S.H.

How to watch: Host is now streaming on Shudder.

Dead of Night (1945)

Misleadingly renowned for their comedies (realistically only a tenth of the studio’s productions), Ealing Studios conjured one of the greatest anthology horrors of all time: Dead of Night (1945). With distinct “tales around the fireside” vibes, this is a prime choice for anyone seeking a cosy autumnal classic.

An architect (Mervyn Jones who, in 1963, starred in The Old Dark House and Day of the Triffids) is called out to an old cottage where he loses no time in telling the owner, and his assembled guests, that he has seen them all before in a recurring dream. Each of the guests, after a hubbub of natter, begins to tell of their own encounters with, or coveted stories of, the supernatural.

With stories that range from the endearingly daft (a haunted golf course) to the genuinely chilling (mirror world murders and maniacal ventriloquists), Dead of Night spins a ruddy delightful smorgasbord of ghostly treats with the verve of truly classic British cinema. The highlight has to be Michael Redgrave and his terrifying dummy, Hugo: an incredibly acted forerunner to all things “creepy doll”, from Magic (1979) and Dead Silence (2007) to Goosebumps and Child’s Play (1988). — D.S.

How to watch: Dead of Night is available to rent on BBC iPlayer.

The Wicker Man (1973)

No, not the 2006 remake with Nicholas Cage. Robin Hardy’s 1973 folk horror walked so the likes of Midsommar could run, following police officer Sergeant Neil Howie (The Appointment‘s Edward Woodward) as he investigates a disappearance on a remote Scottish island. The problem? The island is an absolutely textbook case of everybody-here-is-in-on-something, with strange rituals and bizarre encounters plunging Howie deeper into an entirely justifiable sense of unease. Splicing a haunting folk score with a truly horrifying final sequence that’ll burn itself into your memory, The Wicker Man is British horror viewing at its most essential. — S.H.

How to watch: The Wicker Man is streaming on Prime Video.

Saint Maud (2019)

The unnervingly sinister directorial debut from Rose Glass, Saint Maud will get under your skin, and we really mean that. This truly frightening, erotic, psychological horror is led by the terrifyingly talented Morfydd Clark, who brings a dark and disturbing level of care to her role as deeply pious hospice nurse Maud.

A masterpiece of maddeningly precise sound editing and lighting — Glass wields chiaroscuro and close framing with the same level of suffocating, sensual control as its protagonist — Saint Maud is unrelentingly threatening as Maud takes her role as her patient’s “saviour” to horrifying lengths. We’re already living in a constant state of unease this year, and Glass’s brilliant film, with Adam Janota Bzowski’s haunting score, will plunge you deeper into it.* — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor

How to watch: Saint Maud is now streaming on Prime Video.

The Power (2021)

Following a nurse starting at a London hospital in the 1970s, Corinna Faith’s The Power uses its historical backdrop — in particular the nightly planned blackouts resulting from a war between trade unions and the UK government — to claustrophobic and unnerving effect.

“Faith pushes us to confront this with shaky, lamplit journeys down black corridors, and lingering shots of dark cupboards, constantly building tension that ramps up as Val’s now-dreaded nightshift begins,” I wrote in my Mashable review. “The nightly blackouts that form the film’s backdrop mean that the majority of patients are relocated at the end of the day, with only a couple of hospital wards remaining operational. The rest of the building is plunged into oppressive darkness. It’s the perfect setup for building a creeping sense of dread, in other words, and Faith does this with a deft hand. There are plenty of jump scares, too, but these never feel gratuitous — like all the best scary films, The Power‘s horror is used to draw out the movie’s main themes, rather than wielding them for mere shock value.” — S.H.

How to watch: The Power is now streaming on Shudder.

Threads (1984)

Infamously grim and enduringly potent, Barry Hines’ Threads depicts the devastating fall out of a nuclear war with unsparing realism. Set in the grey and smoking ruins of Sheffield, it begins by recalling the social realist grit of a Ken Loach drama — Hines in fact (also a novelist) wrote the book that became Ken Loach’s film Kes (1969) and collaborated with him in its adaptation – and yet by the end of Threads, its gruelling futility drags it into a far heavier, and far too real, vision of horror.

It’s hard to believe it ever aired on TV in the first place, but these televisual roots go further back – having been partially inspired by another BBC film that, deemed too horrifying, was pulled from its provisional screening at the last minute: Peter Watkins’ The War Game.

The brutal and spiralling logic of Threads matches the upsetting intensity of a Michael Haneke film (like a global version of The Seventh Continent) which, when presented with the attributes of documentary realism, underlines its heavy truth: its horror is the horror of a tragic reality that has happened, and can happen again.

Combine with Raymond Briggs’ When the Wind Blows (1986) to really snuff out the hope in your heart. — D.S.

How to watch: Threads is now streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Shudder in the U.S.

28 Days Later (2002)

Boyle and Garland revitalized the zombie genre with 2002’s 28 Days Later, a film that throws us headfirst into a brutal world that’s just 28 days into the apocalypse.

The apocalyptic culprits here are humans infected with the “rage virus,” which turns its victims into mindlessly violent — and scarily speedy — attackers. (Though not the first film to feature fast zombies, 28 Days Later is certainly the movie that popularized them.) While the nameless Infected hordes provide many terrifying scares and some effective body horror, especially in the film’s “turning” scenes, it’s 28 Days Later‘s human drama that invokes the most fear. 

From the moment bike courier Jim (Cillian Murphy) wanders across a deserted Westminster Bridge, we’re forced to consider how we’d react in the face of the apocalypse. Some of the survivors Jim encounters offer him kindness, while others, like army officers in the film’s stomach-churning third act, have far more sinister, self-serving plans for the future. Blurring the lines between human and monster, and boasting some of the zombie genre’s most iconic imagery, there’s no doubt 28 Days Later is among Garland’s best work.* — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: 28 Days Later is streaming on Apple TV+.

Kill List (2011)

Crime meets folk horror in Ben Wheatley’s gritty cult classic Kill List, a story about two former soldiers who’ve turned to contract killing to make ends meet. Jay (Neil Maskell) and Gal (Michael Smiley) receive the titular list from a shadowy figure who wants three people dead, and what follows is a twisty journey in which the two men quickly realise all isn’t as it seems. This is one of those films that keeps you guessing right up until the end, splicing dark realism with a creepy side of witchcraft. — S.H.

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

Attack the Block (2011)

Featuring John Boyega’s feature-length film debut and co-starring future Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker, Attack the Block is one of the most creative and fun monster movies of the decade.

Written and directed by Joe Cornish (also his feature-length film debut), this British sci-fi comedy horror sees a group of teenagers, led by Boyega, who must defend their council estate from some incredibly pissed-off aliens — or rather, “big alien gorilla wolf motherfuckers” — all on Guy Fawkes Night. It’s gruesome and hilarious, and produced by the studio behind Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.* — S.C.

How to watch: Attack the Block is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

The Other Side of the Underneath (1972)

Not a horror film by design, in fact nowhere near any kind of genre, Jane Arden’s 1978 radical feminist interrogation of mental illness becomes a truly horrifying form of feral catharsis, anguished therapy, and psychosexual derangement.

Adapting her own experimental play, A New Communion for Freaks, Prophets and Witches (1971), Arden’s painfully unsettling drama also acts as a provocative intervention in documentary. Much of the group therapy portrayed was collectively undergone by the cast, and often under the influence of psychedelic drugs and alcohol. The result, though less result and more labyrinthine record of a process, is a raw, nightmarish, and boldly incoherent howl of rage and resistance.

Defiantly counterculture, bridging aspects of the anti-psychiatry movement, feminism, avant-garde art, psychedelia, and insanity, Arden’s unique work is as intellectually uncompromising as it is conceptually and visually fractured. In short, this is not a film to recommend lightly.

If you want to be shaken, challenged, and confronted by a fiercely — even dangerously — volatile form of filmmaking, take a leap into the Other Side. — D.S.

How to watch: The Other Side of the Underneath is streaming on Shudder.

Possum (2018)

Puppets have long been popular horror fodder, but the spider-like creation in Possum is its own unique breed of nightmare. Writer/director Matthew Holness’ film is part psychological horror and part kitchen sink misery, following disgraced puppeteer Philip (Sean Harris) back to his childhood home to confront his past experiences — and the recent disappearance of a teenage boy. This one is disturbing for all manner of reasons, from the hideous and recurring puppet to the repressed memories that bleed from Philip’s past into his strange present. — S.H.

How to watch: Possum is streaming now on Shudder.

Censor (2021)

Censor is an unsettling debut from director Prano Bailey-Bond, a twisted ode to horror films and particularly “video nasties” (a term that rose to prominence in the UK in the ’80s to describe unregulated horror or exploitation films distributed on VHS tapes that came under scrutiny for their “obscene” content). In Censor, meticulous film censor Enid (Raised by Wolves star Niamh Algar) valiantly shields audiences from gory or “inappropriate” content onscreen. When she’s assigned a new disturbing film to review, it triggers memories of a traumatic event from her childhood. Bailey-Bond’s lurid, vibrant, and haunting film references everything from Martin Parr’s photography to Dario Argento’s Suspiria to Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead and Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond in a bleak, Thatcher-era Britain.* — S.C.

How to watch: Censor is available to rent/buy on Apple TV, BFI Player, and Amazon Prime in the UK and on Amazon Prime in the U.S.

Enys Men (2022)

Taking inspiration from the televisual BBC Ghost Stories for Christmas, lesser-known folk horror gems like The Shout (1978) and the crash-zoom enthusiasm of ’70s cinematography, Enys Men (2022) is a timeless and timely ghost poem for the environment: An environment at once frail and elemental where time unravels in a looping (un)reality of menacing lichen and convulsive memory.

An isolated botanist (Mary Woodvine) carries out her research on an invented island (“Enys Men” is Cornish for “Stone Island”), an outpost at the end of the world, inhabited by the coal-smeared phantoms of a bygone mining community and the cosmic disorientation of a standing stone that refuses to stand still. Although this might sound like the genre pic ‘n mix of a psychotronic madman, it is in fact an elegantly unnerving tone-poem of landscape and loss. Or maybe it is better understood as director Mark Jenkin (of runaway Cornish success Bait) tuning into lost transmissions from another time — a world we have forgotten or try, at our own peril, to forget.

Rightly celebrated for shooting and processing his own films and working against the odds of industry funding, Mark Jenkin brings the corporeal grain and tactility of celluloid back into the soul of cinema. — D.S.

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

Starve Acre (2023)

Daniel Kokotajlo’s nightmare folk horror – based on Andrew Michael Hurley’s novel of the same name – will make you never look at rabbits the same way again. Following a university professor (Matt Smith) and his wife (Morfydd Clark) in the aftermath of their son’s tragic death, the movie deals in local legends and the mysterious presence of a figure named Jack Gray — an unseen spirt that haunted their son and seems determined to continue haunting the couple. A truly upsetting meditation on unimaginable grief with some stunning performances and horrifying moments (if you’re a bit confused after the ending, we have an explainer on Mashable). — S.H.

How to watch: Starve Acre is streaming now on Apple TV+.

The Borderlands (2013)

Found footage, when done well, has the capacity to be one of the most unnerving horror subgenres of all. Elliot Goldner’s The Borderlands is no exception. Following a team employed by the Catholic Church to prove or debunk miracles, the film follows Deacon (Gordon Kennedy) and Gray (Robin Hill) as they investigate a bizarre baptism video at a rural church in the South of England. Things get expectedly creepy, but the turn they take — and the movie’s hellish final third — is anything but predictable. — S.H.

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

Last Night in Soho (2021)

Writer/director Edgar Wright’s latest outing involves a hopeful fashion student (Thomasin McKenzie), a ’60s lounge singer (Anya Taylor-Joy), and – as Mashable’s Alison Foreman writes in her review – an “eerily enchanting time travel voyage.”

“The result is a fascinating meditation on externally inflicted self-doubt, which is somehow both profoundly heartbreaking and a bit of a popcorn thriller,” she writes. “It’s an exquisite change of pace for Wright that feels less like the darker side of the guy behind Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World than the twisted sister of Damien Chazelle’s La La Land or Whiplash.”* — S.H.

How to watch: Last Night in Soho is available to stream on Sky/NOW TV in the UK and on Max in the U.S.

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

*This blurb has appeared on a previous Mashable list.

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Answers to each clue for the October 31, 2024 edition of Arkadium daily mini crossword on Mashable.com.

The Daily Mini Crossword is one of the many popular daily word games available on Mashable. Powered by Arkadium, the mini crossword offers a speed round of puzzle fun with clues that are sure to challenge experienced crossword enthusiasts.

But there’s no need to let the challenge get in the way of your enjoyment! If moments are turning to minutes after getting stuck on a clue, find the answers you need to progress right here.

And when you’re done, check out the many other word games you can play on Mashable, including a full-size crossword.

Also, if you get stuck on any other daily word games, such as Wordle, Connections, or Strands — we have you covered.

Here are the clues and answers to Daily Mini Crossword for Thursday, October 31, 2024:

Across

Flabby

The answer is Soft.

Dragon’s down

The answer is Scale.

Artist’s aid

The answer is Easel.

Disney princess

The answer is Ariel.

Dry run

The answer is Test.

Down

Halloween habit

The answer is Scare.

Mirage subject

The answer is Oasis.

Armada

The answer is Fleet.

Show and ____

The answer is Tell.

Airplane assignment

The answer is Seat.

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

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

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

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Hints and answers to today’s Hurdle all in one place.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it’ll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Similar to an onion.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

CHIVE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Emerged.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

AROSE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

More this than older things are.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

NEWER

Hurdle Word 4 hint

YouTubers ask you to do this to subscribe.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

CLICK

Final Hurdle hint

A font feature that some prefer over sans.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

SERIF

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

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