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Only through September 3, get this Function101 Button Remote for Apple TV (including 4K) for just $23.97 through September 3.

TL;DR: This user-friendly Function101 button remote for Apple TV (including Apple TV 4K) is available for just $23.97 (reg. $29.95) through September 3.

Apple TV is a great way to access amazing entertainment. But (you knew a but was coming), the remote is not the best part of the experience. It may be the worst part of the experience. It’s too sleek and slippery in the hand, and the buttons are flat and not very intuitive. That’s why this traditional button remote from Function101 is a definite upgrade to your Apple TV setup. 

This Apple TV button remote, on sale for an affordable $23.97 (reg. $29.95), is ideal for those who miss the simplicity of a more conventional remote. 

It’s designed with traditional remote control buttons that are slightly raised for an easier feel and less slippage. The thoughtfully laid-out buttons provide a tactile and intuitive experience, making it easy to find what you’re looking for without constantly looking down at the remote.

One of the common pain points with the Siri Remote is its reliance on touch controls, which can lead to accidental swipes and unintended actions. The Function101 remote addresses this issue by offering distinct, physical buttons for essential functions like play, pause, rewind, and fast forward. This design minimizes the chances of missteps, making it a more user-friendly option.

By incorporating infrared (IR) technology, it can also help improve the overall TV-watching experience. This allows you to synchronize the remote with your TV, sound bar, or receiver in seconds, enabling you to control the power, volume, and mute functions directly from the same remote.

Say goodbye to the frustrations of the Siri Remote and enjoy a more straightforward, reliable, and comfortable Apple TV experience.

Don’t miss this sale on the Function101 button remote for Apple TV and Apple TV 4K for just $23.97 through Sept. 3.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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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.

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: Home stretch?

The hint for the theme is that they aren’t always counted in the square footage.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The answers are related to exterior spaces attached to homes.

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 BonusSpaces.

NYT Strands word list for August 11

Deck

Patio

Veranda

BonusSpaces

Sunroom

Balcony

Terrace

Looking for other daily online games? Find one you might like – or hints for another game you’re already playing – on Mashable’s Games page.

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Here’s the answer for “Wordle” #1149 on August 11, 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 August 11’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.

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

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:

British pastry.

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…

SCONE.

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

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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 August 11’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.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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

Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories

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

Yellow: Big boats

Green: Icon of the game

Blue: In reference to

Purple: Sounds like a body part

Here are today’s Connections categories

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

Yellow: Large Boat

Green: All-time Great

Blue: Regarding

Purple: Homophones of Body Features

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 #427 is…

What is the answer to Connections today

Large Boat: BARGE, CRAFT, SHIP, VESSEL

All-time Great: BEST, CHAMP, GOAT, LEGEND

Regarding: ABOUT, CONCERNING, ON, TOWARD

Homophones of Body Features: HARE, I, MUSSEL, NAVAL

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.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday’s Connections.

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

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D23 2024: Everything announced and shown at this year’s fan event

Disney’s biennial D23 expo has followed hot on the heels of some surprises at San Diego Comic-Con in July — an event that saw the return of Robert Downey Jr. to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. How do you one up that announcement? With lots and lots of new ones.

Day one of the weekend event saw the return of several Disney classics like The Incredibles, Toy Story, and Frozen. And between Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars, there was something for everyone. That’s why we rounded up every announcement, trailer, teaser, remake, and more so you don’t have to miss a thing.

Moana 2

Kicking off the entertainment showcase was the official trailer for Moana 2. Set three years later, Moana and demigod trickster Maui team up once again to face a new threat to Oceania.

It seems Disney has plans for Moana to be its new flagship Disney Princess, because, on top of the sequel, we’re also getting a live-action remake. That has already started production and can be expected in 2026. However, you can catch Moana 2 on November 27, 2024.

Snow White

This one has been in production hell and subject to some intense controversy since filming wrapped up in 2022. However, the release of the live-action remake of Disney’s 1937 classic is finally on the horizon.

The teaser trailer gives us our first looks at Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot as Snow White and the Evil Queen respectively, along with its heavily-CGI’d world. This one hits theaters on March 21, 2025.

First look at Stitch in the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch

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Lilo & Stitch is another classic Disney film that no one really asked for a live-action remake of, but we’re getting one anyway. Given Disney’s visual effects track record when it comes to anthropomorphic animals, our first look at Stitch is exactly what one would expect, which boils down to “yep, that’s him alright.”

Beyond that initial teaser at D23, it was also announced that this adaptation of the 2002 cult classic will get a Summer 2025 release.

Incredibles 3 announcement

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With Fantastic 4 getting some love as of late, it makes sense that the family film franchise inspired by Marvel’s First Family is announced to be making its return. Helmed by long-time writer and director of the series Brad Bird, Incredibles 3 was announced as in production at Pixar.

No further details have been provided outside the announcement. It should be noted that Incredibles 2 was the highest-grossing animated film of all time until Inside Out 2 took the throne.

Toy Story 5 teaser

Speaking of beloved animated Pixar movies that … maybe should’ve ended two films ago, fans at D23 got a small teaser for Toy Story 5. According to director Andrew Stanton, Woody, Buzz, and the gang will be fighting to stop their new child from becoming an iPad kid.

“This time around, it’s toy meets tech,” Stanton said at D23. “It’s going to be fun, and we can’t wait for you all to see it in the summer of 2026.”

Frozen 3

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Oscar-winning film Frozen is set to get its third movie in the franchise sometime in 2027, according to its creator Britney Lee. There was also a small teaser shown to guests at D23 that showed Elsa and Anna riding a white horse and a brown stag.

Beyond that, it was also announced that after the release of Frozen 3, there are plans for a Frozen 4.

Zootopia 2

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Oh, look, another sequel. This time, it’s for the hit Disney film Zootopia, which saw bunny cop Judy Hopps blackmail fox con artist Nick into helping her solve a crime.

The duo is back again with Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan as a snake named Gary. The casting of Quan was the big news regarding this announcement, but fans of the series can expect this to hit theaters around Thanksgiving of next year.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

Skeleton Crew is set during the New Republic era, the years after Return of the Jedi, and based on its plot synopsis, will be about four kids lost in the galaxy trying to make their way home. Jude Law is also set to make his debut in the galaxy far, far away, this time as a force user named Jod Na Nawood.

We also got a first look at what the suburbs look like in the Star Wars universe. Based on the trailer shown at D23, this show is heavily inspired by classic Steven Spielberg films like E.T. and Hook.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew premieres on Disney+ on Dec. 3.

Agatha All Along

A new trailer for the WandaVision sequel series Agatha All Along hit the stage at D23, along with a performance of an original song, “The Ballad of the Witches Road.”

Kathryn Hahn will reprise her role as the witch Agatha Harkness and is joined in the show by costars Joe Locke, Patti LuPone, Aubrey Plaza, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, and Debra Jo Rupp.

The show will follow Hahn in the aftermath of WandaVision having to face a “magical gauntlet of trials” along the Witches Road as she seeks to gain her powers back.

The first two episodes of Agatha All Along will premiere on Disney+ on September 18.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps snippet

Fans at D23 got an exclusive sneak peek at the initial teaser trailer for Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps starring Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing). This didn’t stop fans from recording it and posting it across social media though, and it can easily be found by searching.

The trailer is the same one shown at SDCC last month and is made from lots of test footage and conceptual previsualization reels. Still, what Marvel has on hand now with filming still ongoing is pretty impressive.

Alongside the all-star cast as Marvel’s First Family, the film will also star Julia Garner (Ozark) as the Silver Surfer’s lover Shalla-Bal, and Ralph Ineson (The Witch, The First Omen) as the world-devouring entity Galactus. Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and John Malkovich will also co-star in undisclosed roles.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to release on July 25, 2025.

Daredevil: Born Again snippet

Alongside Fantastic Four, Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again sequel series also had its exclusive trailer leaked on the internet by phone-happy fans. Feel free to search, because we won’t be embedding the trailer for this one here either.

Serving as a continuation of the beloved Netflix Daredevil, Charlie Cox and his co-stars Vincent D’Onofrio (Kingpin), Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page), and Elden Henson (Foggy Nelson) all return to make their official debuts into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The trailer shown at D23 was jam-packed with surprises such as the return of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye. Alongside them was our first look at the costumed vigilante White Tiger.

There’s no official trailer yet, but the show is set to release on Disney+ on March 1, 2025.

Avatar 3 is now Avatar: Fire and Ash

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After the smash success of Avatar: The Way of Water, it makes sense that its planned follow-up film will be all about fire. Director James Cameron and stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña took took the stage to reveal the official title to the next film in the franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash.

While no official details of the sequel were revealed, Cameron did show attendees concept art from the film showing the Ash People of the Na’vi and their otherworldly masks — taking clear inspiration from traditional Native American ghost dances.

The planned release date for Fire and Ash is December 19, 2025, but if you can’t wait and want some Na’vi lore to fill the gap, check out Massive Entertainment’s Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora video game.

Freaky Friday 2 is now Freakier Friday

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While there aren’t a lot of details about this film, stars Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee-Curtis appeared on stage to announce that Freaky Friday 2, the sequel to the 2003 film, will officially be titled Freakier Friday.

According to a Disney press release, the sequel sees the return of mother-daughter duo Tess and Anna Coleman (Curtis and Lohan respectively) as Anna and her daughter prepare to marry into a new family.

Also returning in Freakier Friday from the original cast are Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Rosalind Chao.

Freakier Friday is set to release sometime in 2025.

Tron: Ares

Finally to cap off this round-up of D23’s entertainment showcase was the reveal and first look at the third film in the Tron franchise, Tron: Ares.

Jeff Bridges once again returns to the series set in the world inside a computer mainframe. Co-starring alongside Bridges are Evan Peters, Greta Lee, and Jared Leto as the titular Ares, a highly sophisticated AI sent to the real world for an undisclosed mission. It was also revealed that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ band Nine Inch Nails will be composing the film’s soundtrack.

Tron has become one of the unlikeliest films to get a third film considering the 1982 film and 2010’s Tron: Legacy had disappointing box office returns. However, we won’t complain about getting more.

Tron: Ares is set to release on October 10, 2025.

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Disney’s ‘Moana 2’ trailer expands on the lore of the original

Disney’s ‘Moana 2’ trailer expands on the lore of the original

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‘Snow White’ teaser trailer sees Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler in the spotlight

‘Snow White’ teaser trailer sees Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler in the spotlight

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Answers to each clue for the August 10, 2024 edition of NYT’s The Mini crossword puzzle.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times‘ revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player’s flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

Here are the clues and answers to NYT’s The Mini for Saturday, August 10, 2024:

Across

Berkeley school, for short

The answer is Cal.

Erin Brockovich has one in the movie “Erin Brockovich”

The answer is Cameo.

“Whoops, I forgot about that”

The answer is Oh right.

Longtime comic strip with anthropomorphic animals, with “The”

The answer is Farside.

Disc for disc golf

The answer is Frisbee.

Narcissist’s problem

The answer is Ego.

On the ___ (running away from capture)

The answer is Lam.

Stimpy’s cartoon pal

The answer is Ren.

Stammering syllables

The answer is ERs.

Down

Fare eaten by scavengers

The answer is Carrion.

Not quite right

The answer is Amiss.

Clear to read, as handwriting

The answer is Legible.

Listing on a credit card statement

The answer is Charge.

“My goodness!”

The answer is Oh dear.

Hoped-for outcome of a job interview

The answer is Offer.

Abounds (with)

The answer is Teems.

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

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‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ is now available to watch at home on digital. Streaming details will be announced at a later date.

Curious how the apocalyptic world in A Quiet Place came to be? Following the success of the first two films, the hit horror franchise has expanded with a prequel dubbed A Quiet Place: Day One. John Kransinski, who directed and starred in the first two films, is no longer involved in the latest, sans a “story by” writing credit. Day One instead is written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, who brought us the unique Nic Cage culinary thriller Pig in 2021. The cast is led by Lupita Nyong’o (Us), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things), Djimon Hounsou, reprising his role from A Quiet Place Part II, and a very cute cat.

A Quiet Place: Day One debuted in theaters in late June and has already made its way to digital on demand services just over a month later. We’re still waiting on an official streaming date, but here’s how you can watch it at home in the mean time — as well as everything else you need to know.

What is A Quiet Place: Day One about?

Day One takes place in one of the loudest places on Earth: New York City. So, what happens when noise-sensitive aliens crash land in the city that never sleeps? Chaos. That’s the main premise of the apocalyptic alien prequel.

The story follows Sam (Nyong’o), a terminally ill hospice patient who reluctantly agrees to take a trip into Manhattan only to find herself stuck in the city when the horrifying extraterrestrials take over. As she navigates the alien apocalypse, Sam and her service cat Frodo attract the attention of a young law student named Eric (Quinn). The odd couple (and the cat) embark on a journey through the city swarming with aliens and their only hope for survival is to remain absolutely silent.

Check out the official trailer for a better idea of what Day One is all about:

Is A Quiet Place: Day One worth watching?

Listen, prequels are hard to get right — and they’re bound to ruffle some feathers. With an 86 percent critic rating and a 73 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, A Quiet Place: Day One mostly got it right.

Mashable Film Editor Kristy Puchko thought parts of the film were enchanting. She appreciated the “captivating screen presence” of Nyong’o and Quinn, but felt that “the love story at its core can’t shine amid the required carnage and urban devastation demanded by the prequel’s promise.” Thus, the film as a whole didn’t quite equal the sum of its parts.

However, with the largely positive critic ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, many others felt that the prequel did hold up. That’s the best thing about movies — everyone can form their own opinion. For what it’s worth, horror master Stephen King gave it his stamp of approval.

Read our full review of A Quiet Place: Day One.

How to watch A Quiet Place: Day One at home

Just a little over a month after A Quiet Place: Day One made its theatrical debut, it became available to watch at home via video-on-demand sites like Prime Video and Apple TV+. You can now purchase the film for your own digital library or rent it for 30 days. Something to keep in mind: once you start watching a rental, you’ll have just 48 hours to finish it before you lose access. If you’d rather wait and stream Day One, keep reading to learn more.

As of Aug. 2, you can purchase and rent the film at the following retailers:

Prime Video — $18.49 to rent with Prime, $23.49 to buy with Prime

Apple TV — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy

Fandango at Home (Vudu) — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy

Google Play — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy

Is A Quiet Place: Day One streaming?

While there has been no official announcement regarding the streaming date of A Quiet Place: Day One, we know it will eventually make its debut on Paramount+. Paramount theatrical releases typically head straight to the streaming counterpart after they run in cinemas. Conveniently, A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II are both streaming on Paramount+ as well, so you can watch the entire franchise with a single subscription.

Stay tuned for the official announcement in the coming months. If you want to prepare, you can sign up for a Paramount+ subscription ahead of time. Monthly subscriptions start at just $5.99, but there are also some ways you can save money on your plan. Check out the best Paramount+ streaming deals below.

The best Paramount+ streaming deals

Most affordable: Get a free 7-day trial, then one month of Paramount+ Essential for just $5.99

Want to spend the least amount of money possible to watch A Quiet Place: Day One and its predecessors? Your best bet is to wait until the official streaming date drops and sign up for a month of Paramount+ Essential for just $5.99. If you’re new to the streamer, you’ll also get a seven-day free trial. After you watch, just be sure to cancel your subscription if you want to avoid charges. You’ll have to endure some ads while you watch the movie, but just think of them as built-in snack and bathroom breaks.

Best long-term deal: Save 17% on a Paramount+ Essential annual subscription

If you opt for the annual plan instead of the monthly plan, you can save 17% on your subscription. You’ll have to pay more upfront, but it pays off in the grand scheme of your streaming lineup. An annual Paramount+ Essential plan will run you $59.99 per year, which breaks down to only $5 per month as opposed to $5.99 per month. If you want to watch more than just Day One and you don’t mind ads, this is your best bet.

Best deal for no ads: Save 17% on a Paramount+ with Showtime annual subscription

If ads are a deal breaker for you, you’ll have to sign up for Paramount+ with Showtime. This ad-free tier will run you either $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year (which breaks down to just $10 per month). The good news is that beyond just giving you access to ad-free Paramount+ content, the extra cost unlocks access to Showtime originals and movies (like Yellowjackets and The Curse), live TV with CBS, and college football. Although you’ll have to pay more, it’s definitely a whole lot of bang for your buck.

Best deal for students: Save 25% on Paramount+ Essential

College students can score a Paramount+ Essential monthly subscription for just $4.50 per month, so long as they can verify their student status using SheerID. Once verified, student discounts are valid for four years, even if you graduate prior to the four-year period. After four years, you’ll be charged the standard rate for an Essential monthly subscription.

Best third-party deal: Get Paramount+ for free with a Walmart+ membership

It may not be the simplest way to watch A Quiet Place: Day One, but a Walmart+ membership gives you free access to Paramount+ and plenty of other sweet benefits. Better yet, you can kick things off with a free 30-day trial, so you can enjoy an entire month of streaming without paying a cent. Just sign up once the official streaming date is announced and be sure to cancel before your trial ends if you want to avoid charges. If you want to keep your Walmart+ membership going, it’ll cost you either $12.95 per month or $98 per year ($8.17/month).

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Spoiler-filled explainer breaks down the curious secrets of Tilman Singer’s new horror-thriller, “Cuckoo.”

The Dan Stevens–fronted new horror-thriller, Cuckoo, has a big reveal that’s proven to be quite divisive among critics. On the surface, the movie appears to be the story of a young woman being chased by a monster. But by the final act, Cuckoo has morphed into something far stranger and more complicated. 

Written and directed by Tilman Singer, the film follows 17-year-old American Gretchen (Hunter Schafer), who’s just moved to a resort in Bavaria with her father, Luis (Márton Csókás), stepmother, Beth (Jessica Henwick), and 8-year-old stepsister, Alma (Mila Lieu). While her parents are employed in helping the owner, Herr König (Stevens), expand his development, Gretchen is chased by a hooded woman who repeatedly attacks her. But no one believes her, so she’s forced to investigate the mystery of the hooded woman largely on her own. What she uncovers may leave some viewers scratching their heads.  

Let’s dive into the secrets and spoilers of Cuckoo.

Cuckoo‘s confusing opening scene is a clue. 

Before the film introduces Gretchen and her family, it begins in an unrelated unhappy household. A man and woman argue in German, while in a nearby bedroom, a teen girl — presumably their daughter — twitches violently on her bed. There are no subtitles, so English-speakers are left wondering what they’re arguing about. But the loud noise that follows needs no translation. A thick thud, the sound of a blunt object, implies one parent killed the other — followed by the sounds of the man crying. In a panic, the girl runs into the night. As we learn later, this is not an average girl, but an entirely different species that König is dedicated to preserving.

This frightening opening only fits into place when the man reappears as one of the cops who works with König to help preserve the mysterious species. When König says on the phone, “You lost your adolescent already? This will complicate matters. A young one is on the way, but the mother will be harder to control without a nestling around,” he is presumably talking to this man from the intro, the teen’s father.

After Gretchen is attacked by the hooded woman, we see the same cop visit her in the hospital to question her. Then, later, he appears in König’s villa, confirming a conspiracy between the resort owner and the local police. This could mean that the argument at the beginning involved the cop’s wife discovering the truth about her daughter’s origins, and suggests the officer killed his wife to keep König’s secret. That’s the length this creepy crew will go to to maintain this species: They’re willing to kill for it.

Why is the hooded woman chasing Gretchen?

The hooded woman is the “mother” König refers to on the phone. She and the “adolescent” are part of a cuckoo-like humanoid species, which implants its “eggs” in the “nest” of a human host. And, like the birth mom was perceived as a threat by König’s crony, Gretchen is perceived as a threat by the hooded woman to her offspring, the stepsister Alma. Or, as König puts it later, Gretchen is “competing for resources with her offspring.” 

Gretchen’s family has been summoned to Bavaria to ensure Alma’s growth and development. But Gretchen wasn’t supposed to be here in Bavaria. The untimely death of her mother left her with her father and his new family. While she grapples with grief, her parents barely notice her, as they’re increasingly worried about her younger sister Alma’s health. Since they’ve gotten to Bavaria, Alma has suffered inexplicable seizures. 

During the family’s arrival at the resort, Singer drops a hint about Alma’s origins. Greeting the family, König says to her father and stepmother: “You two lovebirds stumbled into my nest almost eight years ago to the day, and I believe there were more than just architectural plans conceived.” This line explains their affection for König’s resort — it’s where they honeymooned! And it’s the clue that Alma is tied to this place.

This also explains why König and his conspirators at the hospital and in the police force are so dismissive of Gretchen’s talk of the hooded woman. They know she’s telling the truth, but they see Gretchen as a barrier to Alma’s development. As Dr. Bonomo (Proschat Madani) explains, contact between Alma and her biological mother is essential to accelerating Alma’s abilities and physical development. Gretchen stands in the way of the two uniting, as she is the only one calling out the bizarre behavior of König and his crew.

What is the creature at the center of Cuckoo?

As the title suggests, the species has a lot in common with the “common cuckoo.” König is a passionate ornithologist and a big fan of this particular bird. As he drives Gretchen to his villa, she notices a picture of a cuckoo bird taped on his dashboard, as well as a cuckoo key ring. “Magnificent creature,” König says of the bird. “Common, but its behavior is not. Its nature is quite remarkable. A nature modern man destroys by disregard. Some species need our help to reproduce. I’m a preservationist, you know.” 

Turns out, König isn’t really talking about cuckoo birds. His love nest resort has been created as a breeding ground for this humanoid cuckoo creature, which has a strange ability to assault humans through sound. “These creatures can’t speak like you or I,”  König explains, “When trained, their song can be dizzyingly persuasive.” That “song” is the scream that effectively paralyzes those who can hear it — and can cause manipulations of time, creating a short time-loop repeating a few seconds over, allowing the creature to get closer. König helps as well, providing wigs and clothes to the creatures that hide their more eye-catching features. They largely look human, and all present as female. However, their large eyes, pinched faces, and balding scalps might catch the attention of the visiting tourists/victims. So a wig, rain jacket, and goggles can help in hiding them in plain sight. 

What is the laying ceremony?

When couples come to König’s resort, the hooded woman comes in ahead of presumed fornication to lay her egg. The cuckoo woman sneaks into the cabin, using her hypnotizing scream to knock the human woman unconscious, and the male is paralyzed and ultimately unable to remember what’s happened. This is why Alma’s parents have only fond memories of their visit to the Lover’s Nest cabin. After the hooded woman left, they had sex and got pregnant with no idea they were carrying another’s child. 

The ceremony itself is disgusting to watch. In a squat, the hooded woman pulls from her crotch a clump of slimy vaginal discharge. Having used her scream to paralyze the human female, she presumably inserts this cuckoo goo into the woman’s uterus. When the male human’s sperm fertilizes the cuckoo woman’s egg, all inside the human woman, this turns the human mother into a surrogate, which is similar to how cuckoo birds operate. They place their eggs in the nests of other birds, allowing those birds to foster and raise their chicks. 

There were hints to Alma’s big reveal. 

Alma cannot speak like her human family does, and so relies on a type-to-talk device to help her communicate. We later learn her inability to vocalize is something she shares with her biological mother and the unnamed adolescent from the first scene. 

The seizures are another clue, as the call of the hooded woman has a dramatic effect on Alma’s body that’s different from her victims. Are the violent seizures proof that proximity to her biological mother is causing Alma to transform? It’s unclear, but these fits could explain why Alma has evolved to emit her own song by film’s end. Then there’s the special attention König pays to Alma, overseeing her upbringing closely, giving her gifts, and advising on her medical care. 

Why did Gretchen save Alma?

At the beginning of the film, you’d imagine Gretchen wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice Alma for her own survival; she’s regularly frustrated with Alma demanding everyone’s attention and is quick to point out that she’s not her real sister. But after hearing a voice message Alma left on Gretchen’s mother’s voicemail, she discovers that Alma cares for her older sister deeply, and it changes her entire outlook. Gretchen’s going to get Alma the hell out of Bavaria, whether she’s the same species or not (and she isn’t). By the final showdown against König, Gretchen has finally accepted Alma as family, a big shift from her vehemently denying any ties to Alma when speaking to resort coworker Trixie earlier in the film. 

The film’s climax brings Gretchen to the hospital where Alma is being guarded by König’s conspirators. However, Gretchen manages to outwit both König, who’d keep Alma to make her a monster, and Henry (Jan Bluthardt), a past victim of the hooded woman, who wants her offspring dead. Their only path out is in the line of fire of both König and Henry, who stand on either side of them. As the men prepare to shoot, Alma takes things into her own hands, covering her sister’s ears before letting out her species’ paralyzing scream, leaving both men unable to act as they escape. 

As Gretchen and Alma make it out of the room, Henry and König shoot each other. The sisters leave the hospital and find Ed (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey), who’d hooked up with Gretchen earlier in the movie, by her car, and she drives them to safety. Alma’s ear continues to twitch in the car – a reminder that she’s not human. But since her cuckoo development requires her to be in close proximity to her biological mother/the hooded woman — who by this point has been killed by Gretchen — maybe, just maybe, Alma will have a chance to be more human.

Cuckoo opens in theaters Aug. 9.

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