Grab 20TB of secure lifetime cloud storage for $70
Save on a lifetime of cloud storage from Prism Drive at the Mashable Shop, now up to 95% off.
TL;DR: Through October 31 only, you can get lifetime access to 20TB of Prism Drive secure cloud storage for just $69.97 (reg. $1,494), 10TB of storage for $59.97, 5TB of storage for $49.97, or 2TB of storage for $29.97. That’s up to 95% in savings.
We are living in digital times, through and through. As such, the importance of safe, reliable, and flexible storage solutions cannot be overstated. Whether you’d like to back up precious family memories or secure important business data, the right cloud storage is essential.
Prism Drive offers secure cloud storage to suit any need, and for a limited time, you can get lifetime access to 20TB of storage to safeguard your most important digital records at a very low price. Just $69.97 gets you lifetime access and hundreds off the regular retail price. But these prices are only valid through October 31.
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Storage is secure with zero-knowledge encryption and password-protected sharing, as well as security measures that meet or exceed industry standards.
Don’t go on living your digital life without a secure cloud storage solution. These lifetime subscriptions are only on sale for two more days and could make a great gift.
Choose from the following secure storage options through October 31:
• 20TB Prism Drive secure cloud storage lifetime subscription for $69.97 (reg. $1,494).
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• 5TB Prism Drive secure cloud storage lifetime subscription for $49.97 (reg. $447).
• 2TB Prism Drive secure cloud storage lifetime subscription for $29.97 (reg. $237).
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Credit: Prism Drive
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Credit: Prism Drive
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Credit: Prism Drive
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Credit: Prism Drive
Prices subject to change.
10 underappreciated movies you haven’t seen on Max
From “Princess Mononoke” to “Shiva Baby,” here are the best hidden gems on Max you need for your next movie night.
The Max catalogue is deep. Seriously deep. Deep enough to drown in, if humans could drown in movies. Luckily, we can’t. We can only watch them! Ain’t life fun! But before you open up the massive Max library and faint from decision paralysis, take a breath. We’ve got you. And we know what you’re looking for.
You don’t need help picking a big blockbuster for a rewatch — you’re in the mood for a hidden gem. A diamond in the rough. A movie you can recommend to your friends, and they won’t go, “Yeah, Carl, we all know you like Aquaman. Enough already.” These are the under-the-radar winners, the ones with smaller budgets, the foreign hits, or the ones that simply had abysmal marketing campaigns. Each makes for a pleasant surprise and a solid pick on movie night on Max.
1. Princess Mononoke
One of Miyazaki’s best films.
Credit: Dentsu / NTV / Studio Ghibli / Kobal / Shutterstock
Credit: Dentsu / NTV / Studio Ghibli / Kobal / Shutterstock
When you think of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, you probably think of Spirited Away or My Neighbor Totoro. But Miyazaki has been telling visually stunning stories for decades, and since almost all of his works are now streaming on Max, it’s time to dive a little deeper into the Ghibli catalogue. Start with Princess Mononoke, the story of a leader determined to protect her lands from human consumption. Though she may align ideologically with Pocahontas, Princess Mononoke is far more ruthless, stopping at nothing to defend her fantastical home. Caught in the middle of this fight is a young prince, Ashitaka, hoping to help both sides achieve peace before a demon’s curse kills him.
Mononoke has all the markings of a Ghibli classic — wood spirits, gorgeous animation, ruminative landscapes — but boasts a more adult tone than many of Miyazaki’s other pieces. There is blood and war and pain in this whimsical world, and the story is more complex and engaging because of it. For an added treat, the script for the English dub was written by sci fi/fantasy legend Neil Gaiman, so you can watch the English version confident nothing is lost in translation.
How to watch: Princess Mononoke is now streaming on Max.
2. Everything Is Copy
Everything Is Copy is the best kind of love letter: one that’s effusive in its admiration of its subject, but also clear-eyed about her quirks and imperfections. Journalist Jacob Bernstein explores the life, career, and 2012 death of Nora Ephron — known to us as the writer and filmmaker behind such hit rom-coms as Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and Julie & Julia, and to Bernstein as his mother.
Interviews with family members and famous friends (including Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and Mike Nichols), along with archival interviews and excerpts from Ephron’s own work, paint a portrait of a brilliant and ambitious spirit who lived by the motto stated in the title: “Everything is copy,” meaning everything that happens in life can be fodder for a story later on. Though you wouldn’t mistake Bernstein’s documentary for a work by Ephron herself, the film’s warmth, candor, and humor make it a fitting tribute to the icon she was.* — Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor
How to watch: Everything Is Copy is now streaming on Max.
3. Au revoir les enfants
You’re about to be able to impress film snobs at parties. Au revoir les enfants is a gorgeous and startling film about friendship, and one of the most respected movies in cinema history. Famed French filmmaker Louis Malle wrote, directed, and produced this autobiographical film about his childhood in Nazi-occupied France. The main character Julien, based on Malle himself, is a young student at a boarding school who discovers the headmaster is sheltering three Jewish boys among the student population. Julien forms a bond with one of the boys, Jean Bonnet, and the two navigate an increasingly dangerous world. Au revoir les enfants is a WWII film without any battles. We are confined to the limited landscape of the boarding school and its surrounding town, yet the horrors of war are ever present. It is both subtle and deeply moving, and it will stick with you long after viewing.
How to watch: Au Revoir les Enfants is now streaming on Max.
4. Time Bandits
If you remember Time Bandits, then we are happy for you, for you truly know the meaning of joy. This insane and amazing fantasy, written by Monty Python veterans Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin, is a one-of-a-kind adventure. Eleven-year-old Kevin is asleep in his bedroom when a man on horseback bursts out of his wardrobe and rides off into a forest that disappears behind him. The following night, five small bandits tumble out of the wardrobe and take Kevin on an adventure through history, stopping by the Napoleonic Wars, Ancient Greece, and even the Titanic. John Cleese, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, and Ian Holm sparkle as their historical counterparts, adding wit and gravitas to the whimsical plot. This is a film that needs to be seen to be believed — but once seen, it will quickly be beloved.
How to watch: Time Bandits is now streaming on Max.
5. Those Who Wish Me Dead
If you’ve ever wanted to watch Angelina Jolie fight fire, this movie’s for you.
Credit: Emerson Miller
Credit: Emerson Miller
It’s a safe bet that you haven’t seen Those Who Wish Me Dead, because almost no one did. A June 2021 debut (a very hesitant time for moviegoers) and a rushed marketing campaign earned this Angelina Jolie-led thriller the honor of being the second-worst opening of all time for a film in more than 3,000 theaters. But don’t let that sway you. This exhilarating, and somewhat insane, movie is a propulsive 100 minutes of action and suspense against the most lethal backdrop of all — the wildfires of the American West. Jolie stars as Hannah, a veteran forest firefighter spending the summer in an isolated, Montana firewatch tower, trying to get her head right after the tragedies of the previous year’s fire season. Suddenly, she finds herself in a very different film, as her path crosses with a child being chased by a pair of assassins (Nicholas Hoult and Aidan Gillen), and she’s the only adult who can protect him. The human elements of the film are comically light in explanation and backstory, but that forces us to focus our fear on the true and ultimate threat here: an unforgiving wall of fire.
How to watch: Those Who Wish Me Dead is now streaming on Max.
6. 61*
This critically acclaimed sports drama (directed by Billy Crystal!) flew under the radar because it was made for HBO in 2001 — a time when TV movies were not as respected as their silver-screen counterparts. However, 61* is just as riveting and affecting as any bigger-budget sports flick, if not more so. This is both the story of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris attempting to break Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1961 and of an unlikely friendship. The charismatic, partying Mantle and the reserved, quiet Maris make for an unusual pair, with each Yankee earning different treatment from the press while the pressure of the season takes its toll. Led adeptly by Thomas Jane and Berry Pepper, 61* is a winning film in any year.
How to watch: 61* is now streaming on Max.
7. The Normal Heart
Directed by Ryan Murphy, The Normal Heart is a searing emotional drama that lacks the signature camp of most Murphy vehicles — and here, that’s a good thing. Adapted by Larry Kramer from his play, Heart follows Mark Ruffalo as Ned Weeks, an openly gay writer in the ’80s who watches the growing HIV/AIDS crisis ravage his community. What sets The Normal Heart apart from other movies on the same topic is its intimacy. We witness the crisis through Ned’s eyes as his friends, neighbors, and lovers are ripped from him. Ned visits hospitals, writes stories, and fights tirelessly with the help of Dr. Emma Brookner (Julia Roberts) to bring more attention and funds to the cause, only to be met with bigotry and silence. A strong and deeply charismatic supporting cast (Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Alfred Molina, Joe Mantello, and Jonathan Groff) will make you fall in love with them, before breaking your heart. Do not be intimidated: This is a film that will leave you feeling cleaved in two, but it also imparts a quiet, warm optimism. A rare combination.
How to watch: The Normal Heart is now streaming on Max.
8. Shiva Baby
Worlds collide in this 2020 cringe comedy that’s been widely hailed by critics. When a Jewish college student (Rachel Sennott) dutifully attends a shiva alongside her parents, she’s prepared to field questions about her unimpressive job prospects and lack of a boyfriend. However, she’s not ready for her secret sugar daddy (Danny Deferrari) to show up, much less with his beautiful blonde wife (Dianna Agron) and their rosy-cheeked baby. Making matters even more fraught, her former best friend is slinging her serious side-eye. Something has got to give. In her remarkable debut feature, writer/director Emma Seligman creates laughs and suspense with an electrifying tapestry of observational humor, social awkwardness, jolting humiliation, and sexual tension. You’ve heard of feel-good comedies? Well, this is a feel-anxious-as-hell comedy, dragging us through each embarrassment with our harried heroine. And yet, we can’t recommend the experience highly enough.* — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor
How to watch: Shiva Baby is now streaming on Max.
9. Tampopo
A treat of a movie
Credit: Apic / Getty Images
Credit: Apic / Getty Images
A spirited spoof tipping its hat to the Spaghetti Western, this 1985 Japanese comedy was promoted as a “ramen Western.” Its central story is about a cowboy hat-wearing truck driver (Tsutomu Yamazaki), who comes across a humble ramen shop where the food is truly “terrible.” Damsel in distress Tampopo (Nobuko Miyamoto) begs this hardened hero to save her family’s business by teaching her to do right by ramen. So of course, he rounds up a posse to perfect her recipe. Full of physical comedy, giddy silliness, quirky characters, and charming performances, this film is a delectable delight. But writer/director Jûzô Itami brings even more to the table, spicing up this culinary tale with fantastical vignettes about the love of food. Though often ridiculous — and sometimes salacious — none of the laughs are lost in translation. But be warned: This funny film will make you hungry. The loving shots of ramen and the various speeches about its richness and wonders are ruthlessly mouth-watering. Maybe order dinner before digging in.* — K.P.
How to watch: Tampopo is now streaming on Max.
10. Johnny Dangerously
In the 1980s, Micheal Keaton was a mega-star, headlining comedies like Mr. Mom and Beetlejuice as well as Batman. Too often forgotten in this hot streak of ’80s movies was Amy Heckerling’s mafia parody Johnny Dangerously. In this 1930-set comedy, Keaton stars as the eponymous gangster, who has a smoking hot lounge singer for a wife (Marilu Henner), a snarling gun-slinger for a nemesis (Joe Piscopo), and a straight-as-an-arrow district attorney for a brother (Griffin Dunne). Full of slapstick, outrageous jokes, and some punchlines that’d make your granddad blush, Johnny Dangerously is a laugh riot. And stay through the credits for a theme song from Weird Al Yankovic. — K.P.
How to watch: Johnny Dangerously is now streaming on Max.
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Credit: Max
* denotes that the writeup comes from a previous Mashable list.
UPDATE: Oct. 25, 2023, 3:20 p.m. EDT This article has been updated to reflect the latest streaming options.
The 20 saddest movies on Netflix in 2023
Here are the 20 saddest movies on Netflix right now. Have your tissues ready for these tearjerkers, from “Stand By Me” to “Marriage Story,” and beyond.
A great movie allows us to slip into different feelings for a bit, kind of like putting on an old, reliable coat. Sometimes, we seek something whimsical and romantic. Other times, we want a thrill that’ll give us goosebumps. Still other days, all we crave is the embrace of the warm and fuzzy. But, occasionally, you just want to slide into the sad — slipping into a tearjerker for the sopping, snot-sleeved comfort they can provide.
A good cry can be good for you. So, when you’re looking to let loose with sobs, we’ve got the perfect selection of movies for your queue.
Grab a box of tissues and check out the 20 saddest movies now streaming on Netflix.
1. Dear John
Nicholas Sparks’s stories are basically the tear-jerking version of the scene in A Clockwork Orange where Malcolm McDowell has his eyes pried open and he’s brainwashed with images of sex and violence — they’re ruthlessly efficient in pressing every button on hand in order to wring from their audience the maximum amount of tears possible.
And this love story, told through the love letters between a soldier (Channing Tatum) and the girl (Amanda Seyfried) he left behind when he went off to war, is relentless. There’s a dying father, a dying husband, a break-up, war injuries, autistic children, Habitat For Humanity, horse stables, 9/11. It pulls out all the stops on its way to Weeps-ville. Thankfully, Tatum and Seyfried are able to convey an easy low-key decency, mitigating the soap-opera plotting with their genuine chemistry and warmth. — Jason Adams, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Dear John is now streaming on Netflix.
2. Stand By Me
Screenwriters Raynold Gideon and Bruce A. Evans took Stephen King’s novella The Body — a coming-of-age tale about four friends who go hunting for a dead teenager while evading the local bullies — and squeezed out every drop of the story’s poignancy and humor. It’s a tear-inducing snapshot of the anxieties, friendships, highs, and lows of childhood. The novella packed a powerful punch of nostalgia, and Rob Reiner’s direction channels this in its own way, placing the boys’ friendships front and center, then considering them through a thoughtful adult lens. “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12,” the grown-up narrator (Richard Dreyfuss) writes at one point. “Jesus, does anyone?”
Keep an eye out for a young Kiefer Sutherland as the brilliantly unpleasant Ace Merrill, Wil Wheaton as budding writer Gordie Lachance, Corey Feldman as the bold Teddy Duchamp, a young Jerry O’Connell as the sweet Vern Tessio, and of course, the exceptional River Phoenix as Gordie’s best friend Chris Chambers. Their performances, like the movie itself, have a well-deserved place in cinematic history.* — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor
How to watch: Stand By Me is now streaming on Netflix.
3. The Zookeeper’s Wife
If a historical war drama is your go-to avenue for emotional catharsis but you’re tired of seeing the same stories told again and again, Niki Caro’s The Zookeeper’s Wife will be a welcome discovery. The 2017 film tells the true story of Jan Żabiński and Antonina Żabińska, a Polish couple who used their Warsaw zoo to rescue and hide 300 Jews during World War II. Soon after war breaks out in 1939, Jessica Chastain’s Antonina and her husband Jan (Johan Heldenbergh) are forced to cooperate with a Nazi zoologist (Daniel Brühl). Little does he know, the couple has begun sneaking in local Polish Jews to live in the tunnels under the zoo. It’s an emotional story about a lesser-known piece of Holocaust history, and while it drifts into sentimentality at times, both Chastain and Brühl’s performances ground the film in sincerity.* — Oliver Whitney, Contributing Writer
How to watch: The Zookeeper’s Wife is now streaming on Netflix.
4. Living
Remaking an Akira Kurosawa masterpiece is not an endeavor that should be generally encouraged, but director Oliver Hermanus managed to beat those impossible odds with his masterful 2022 re-do of Kurosawa’s 1952 tearjerker Ikiru. Perhaps having a script written by Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro is the only way to manage it. Giving the legendary character actor Bill Nighy his career-greatest role certainly didn’t hurt either.
Playing an all-business government worker who gets a death sentence from his doctor and decides to spend his last few months making a difference in the world, Nighy wrings a torrent of emotion out of repression, allowing us to see the sweetness long hidden beneath a hardened man’s shell. If you can make it through his rendition of “The Rowan Tree” without shattering into a million pieces, you’re made of stronger stuff than I. — J.A.
How to watch: Living is now streaming on Netflix.
5. A Monster Calls
Credit: Apaches Entertainment / Kobal / Shutterstock
A Monster Calls is a modern fable about loss, suffering, and childhood. In it, a young boy (Lewis MacDougall) copes with the prospect of losing his mother by befriending a tree monster (voiced by Liam Neeson) that tells him three illuminating stories in exchange for one story from the boy. The movie is based on the fantasy novel by Patrick Ness, who wrote the story based on an idea from Siobhan Dowd, a writer who died of cancer before writing the book herself. — Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: A Monster Calls is now streaming on Netflix.
6. Paddleton
Credit: Netflix
Paddleton may be a movie about cancer — the classic tearjerker subject — but it’s also one of the best. That’s partly because it takes an anti-melodramatic approach to a topic cinema loves to exploit for tears. But it’s also because Paddleton is really about friendship and embracing the moments we have together rather than being consumed by the fear of them ending.
Michael (Mark Duplass) and his neighbor Andy (Ray Romano, in a standout dramatic performance) are best friends, and the only people in each other’s lives. That makes it especially difficult for Andy when he learns Michael has decided to end his life through assisted suicide after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. But much like co-writer/director Alex Lehmann’s previous collaboration with Duplass, Blue Jay, Paddleton takes a very naturalistic approach to such dramatic material by focusing on the day-to-day moments of the men’s sweet platonic relationship. The two spend Michael’s final days watching kung fu movies, playing a sport of their own invention, and taking a road trip. It’s hard to think of a recent film that made me openly cry as hard as Paddleton did, and one that truly earned it through genuine storytelling and heartfelt performances.* — O.W.
How to watch: Paddleton is now streaming on Netflix.
7. Marriage Story
Credit: Netflix
Writer-director Noah Baumbach’s tense tale of a couple ending their marriage divided audiences, with some viewers reporting they were surprised by whose “side” they ended up on. But critical reception for Marriage Story was almost universal in its praise of the story’s execution and impact. Leads Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver were singled out for their magnetic scene work. This artful depiction of intimacy remains a triumph of romantic storytelling, venturing far beyond the happily-ever-after audiences know so well. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Marriage Story is now streaming on Netflix.
8. Other People
Molly Shannon and Jesse Plemons star as mother and son in this semi-autobiographical movie from writer/director Chris Kelly about a young gay man who returns to his childhood home to help take care of his dying mother. Other People finds the humor and beauty in the moments that lead up to experiencing loss and features one of Plemons’ best performances. — A.N.
How to watch: Other People is now streaming on Netflix.
9. Pieces of a Woman
Credit: Netflix
The Crown‘s Vanessa Kirby stars in this heartbreaking movie about a woman whose life is changed forever when her child, delivered at home, dies shortly after birth. Pieces of a Woman explores the emotional complexity of grief, marriage, and blame while telling a devastatingly real story of loss. — A.N.
How to watch: Pieces of a Woman is now streaming on Netflix.
10. The Sky is Pink
The Sky Is Pink is told from the perspective of Aisha “Aishi” Chaudhary (Zaira Wasim), a girl who dies young and narrates the story of her parents’ lives from the afterlife. It’s based on a true story. So yeah, it’s pretty sad. This Hindi language film is one of many Indian gems on Netflix and is a sure tearjerker starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Farhan Akhtar. — A.N.
How to watch: The Sky is Pink is now streaming on Netflix.
11. Call Me By Your Name
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance Institute
The greatest tearjerkers often only need a single act to realize their full sobbing potential – both Terms of Endearment and Steel Magnolias are basically sweet mother-daughter dramas for three-quarters of their runtime, until sickness barges into their final acts with sudden, heart-stomping brutality. And so it goes with Luca Guadagnino‘s 2018 coming-of-age masterpiece, which is a sexy Italian summer hang-out movie for its majority as we watch 17-year-old Elio (breakout star Timothée Chalamet) and 25-year-old Oliver (Armie Hammer) fall for one another in slow, furtive steps, under the watchful eyes of Elio’s parents (Amira Casar and Michael Stuhlbarg) and those equally watchful peach trees.
And yet, as the last-act train approaches, the film effortlessly channels a palpable feeling of time being lost, of summer vanishing between our fingers, and of romance suddenly, inescapably obliterated, all before we’re anywhere near prepared. The film’s final scenes become an all-out, can-you-top-this symphony of heartbreak — Elio and Oliver say their final goodbye! Elio’s father gives his for-the-ages speech about embracing the moment! All until Elio stares into the fireplace and grabs us by the heart and squeezes every last drop we have left inside of us for good measure. — J.A.
How to watch: Call Me By Your Name is now streaming on Netflix.
12. Boy Erased
A film that’s a little smothered by the very well-meaning intentions of its makers, this 2018 drama about a Baptist preacher’s gay son (Lucas Hedges) who gets sent to conversion therapy by his misguided parents (Joel Edgerton and Nicole Kidman) is very effective at what it sets out to do, which is to speak directly to LGBTQ people’s parents and tell them to get their shit together and stop traumatizing their kids.
And everyone’s excellent here – Hedges and Kidman especially will definitely make you and/or your parents cry profuse buckets. (Edgerton co-wrote and directed the film, as well as co-starring in it.) It’s just that some of us believe the perfect conversion therapy movie already exists in Jamie Babbit’s cotton-candy-colored black comedy But I’m a Cheerleader, since pointing and mocking the hetero-terrorists is the preferred method to take on this subject. But if you want a serious and straight (pun intended) take on the subject, this is your movie. — J.A.
How to watch: Boy Erased is now streaming on Netflix.
13. All the Bright Places
Credit: Walter Thomson / Netflix
Fans of The Fault in Our Stars will like All the Bright Places, another tearjerker about teens who find love through their personal sufferings. Elle Fanning and Justice Smith deliver heartbreaking performances from a screenplay co-written by Jennifer Niven, who also wrote the novel upon which the movie is based. — A.N.
How to watch: All the Bright Places is now streaming on Netflix.
14. Legends of the Fall
An old-fashioned and epic soap opera starring Brad Pitt at his tip-top peak beauty circa 1994, director Edward Zwick spins the decades-long tale of the three Ludlow brothers (Pitt, Henry Thomas, and Aidan Quinn) and their loves (Julia Ormond, Bert the Bear) with the sort of sweep we’re rarely treated to anymore. At least not with such adult subjects. We watch the first world war and Prohibition take their melodramatic toll on the Montana triad, alongside their father’s (Anthony Hopkins) tyranny and vicious stroke. Children are born, children die, and impossible romances with impossible beauties make us swoon. Oh, and Brad Pitt wrestles a bear, and we really had proper movies, once upon a time. — J.A.
How to watch: Legends of the Fall is now streaming on Netflix.
15. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Credit: David Lee / Netflix
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is based on the eponymous stage play by August Wilson. In it, Viola Davis portrays real-life blues singer Ma Rainey over the course of one day of recording for her album, during which the personal relationships between her lover, her band, and her producers spill out into a poignant examination of race, betrayal, and ownership. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom also features the late Chadwick Boseman’s final performance, for which he won a posthumous Golden Globe award. — A.N.
How to watch: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is now streaming on Netflix.
16. Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Credit: Focus Features
If you’re a person who was a child at any point between the years of 1968 and 2001 (and that adds up to a whole lot of people), then Morgan Neville’s 2018 documentary on the mister named Fred Rogers and the PBS children’s series Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood that he shepherded across those decades will doubtlessly have you in a puddle by the time its closing credits roll.
A portrait of Rogers’s infallible decency and kindness that landed in the thick of the decidedly indecent and unkind Donald Trump presidency, it was hard not to weep for a world where the values Rogers embodied — curiosity and generosity and goodwill toward one’s fellow person — was starting to feel forever lost. Needless to say, those worries remain acute! But Fred Rogers showed us a better way, if we’ll only hop onto that magical trolley and make-believe it can be so again. — J.A.
How to watch: Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is now streaming on Netflix.
17. All Quiet on the Western Front
Credit: Reiner Bajo/Netflix
Director Edward Berger’s Oscar-nominated 2022 remake of the 1930 Best Picture winner is a tearjerker built for Dads a la Field of Dreams! The first German adaptation of German writer Erich Maria Remarque’s 1928 book, Berger’s film is an unrelenting deluge of World War I’s myriad horrors being thrust upon one simple shell-shocked soldier, Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) and his regiment, all detailed in claustrophobic vérité. By the end of its two-hour runtime, we feel like we’ve been pummeled into shells ourselves. Bleak and utterly exhausting, it’s about as close to being on those grim battlefields full of young men being blown to bits as most of us will ever get, thankfully. It’s 10 out of 10 hankies for dads everywhere. — J.A.
How to watch: All Quiet on the Western Front is now streaming on Netflix.
18. First Match
Credit: Netflix
Elvire Emanuelle plays Mo, a Brooklyn teen who’s been raised in the foster care system since her father (a never-better Yahya Abdul Mateen of Candyman and Watchmen fame) got sent off to prison. When he gets out, Mo decides to join the boy’s wrestling team in order to prove herself to him, and cue the waterworks. Boasting a stellar cast that also includes Colman Domingo as Mo’s coach and Moonlight‘s Jharrel Jerome as her best friend, the fraught truths that First Match unearths about what are meant to be our closest relationships bypass most of the “inspirational sports story” cliches, instead revealing something far harder to hear. — J.A.
How to watch: First Match is now streaming on Netflix.
19. Roma
Credit: Netflix
There is a reason that a great big cry huddle straight out of every Golden Girls episode is the central image on the poster for Alfonso Cuarón’s Oscar-winning 2018 masterpiece — it’s a movie that demands a great big cry huddle! Telling the story of Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), an indigenous maid to a wealthy family in Mexico City in 1970, Cuarón makes Cleo’s story of survival at the margins seem as enormous as the outer space he sent Sandra Bullock hurtling through in Gravity. — J.A.
How to watch: Roma is now streaming on Netflix.
20. Worth
Credit: Netflix
Director Sara Colangelo’s film is a historical drama about lawyers Kenneth Feinberg and Camille Biros (Michael Keaton and Amy Ryan), who were charged with running the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. It was their unimaginable job to calculate how much money would be given to the people who lost loved ones during 9/11, and how to determine who would get anything at all. And if that concept in itself doesn’t already have you tearing up, just you wait. Worth, which is based on Kenneth Feinberg’s non-fiction book What Is Life Worth?: The Inside Story of the 9/11 Fund and Its Effort to Compensate the Victims of September 11th, is perhaps so far the only fictional movie about that horrible day and its aftermath that has truly worked. It does so by giving voice to the victims and their stories, and the struggle to realize what our lives truly amount to in the end. — J.A.
How to watch: Worth is now streaming on Netflix.
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Credit: Netflix
Asterisks (*) indicate the entry comes from a previous Mashable list.
UPDATE: Aug. 23, 2023, 5:00 a.m. EDT Originally published on April 2, 2021, this article has been revised to reflect the current selections now streaming.
The urgent call for innovation and investment in maternal health
Maneesh Jain Contributor Maneesh Jain, PhD, is CEO and co-founder of Mirvie, a company pioneering the prediction of life-threatening pregnancy complications months in advance. More than 500 years […]
Mosseri says Meta’s Threads might get an API
Threads, a Meta platform, is working on developing an API, which would enable apps and services to interact with the app.
It looks like Threads might be getting an API soon.
Threads user Donna Lowe asked if there was a “Thread-deck-type thing yet,” and technology reporter Casey Newton responded by saying, “No, because there isn’t an API yet. Hopefully someday.” In response, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said, “We’re working on it. My concern is that it’ll mean a lot more publisher content and not much more creator content, but it still seems like something we need to get done.”
Adam Mosseri on Threads
Credit: Threads
Credit: Threads
An API, which stands for Application Programming Interface, helps different apps communicate with each other. For instance, TweetDeck uses Twitter’s API to allow users to schedule tweets in the future. In the past, before certain restrictions were imposed, there were third-party Twitter (now X) clients that offered alternative interfaces for accessing and interacting with the Twitter platform, like Tweetbot and Twitterrific. Twitter’s API now costs money, though, thanks to Elon Musk.
APIs aren’t new to the Meta family. Influencer marketing platforms use Instagram’s API to gather data on influencers’ audience size and engagement metrics, and Instagram Top 9, the feature users love to use to generate their top photos from the year, also uses Instagram’s API.
An API on Threads could be helpful for creators, news outlets, and developers, but it’s no surprise that it’s taking Meta a while to set it up. Threads is new and, of course, desperately does not want to encourage news content — which an API has the potential to do.
10 best religious horror movies you can stream for free
A roundup of the best religious horror movies that are free to stream right now, including “The Witch,” “The Conjuring,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” and more.
Some of the all-time creepiest films (hello The Exorcist) fall under the category of religious horror.
Whether it’s strange symbols, creepy cults, or repressed guilt, there’s something about various elements of religion and lore that just seem ripe for terror — and many, many movies have played into that.
From the incredibly sinister Saint Maud to terrifying Taiwanese TikTok trend-starter Incantation, we’ve scoured the streaming sites for the best religious horror movies you can watch for free right now…
1. The Witch
17th century New England at its creepiest.
Credit: A24
Credit: A24
Writer/director Robert Eggers’s haunting folk horror flick follows an isolated family living in 1630 New England as paranoia and religious fervor brew after an infant goes missing. Rebellious teen Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) bears the brunt of the blame from her Puritan parents, but her eerie twin siblings (is there any other kind?) and their friendship with a goat they’ve nicknamed Black Phillip lets the viewer know something far stranger is afoot.
“What really sets this movie apart from its horror peers […] is its sheer beauty,” wrote Yohana Desta in her review for Mashable. “Every scene is meticulously styled. The costumes have a quiet beauty. Every frame could be a painting, or a macabre Vogue editorial. The score (and scenes with lack thereof) is a perfect accompaniment, rattling and haunting.” — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor
How to watch: The Witch is now streaming on Max.
2. The Queen of Black Magic
Well, this doesn’t look good.
Credit: Shudder
Credit: Shudder
It’s a rare thing for a remake to outdo the original. Yet Kimo Stamboel’s gruesome 2019 offering does just that by upping the ante on body horror with frightfully realistic gore. Deep in rural Indonesia, a humble orphanage is supposed to be the site of a warm reunion between three friends (Ario Bayu, Tanta Ginting, and Miller Khan), who long ago spent their boyhoods there. But in the past and in this place, they buried a terrible secret. Now, something horrid has risen to claim vengeance on them and their families. With creeping dread, stomach-churning scares, and ruthless supernatural twists, this one is not for the faint of heart.* — Kristy Puchko, Deputy Entertainment Editor
How to watch: The Queen of Black Magic is now streaming on Shudder.
3. Saint Maud
Morfydd Clark on ominous form.
Credit: A24
Credit: A24
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.
4. The Conjuring
Whatever they’ve just seen, it’s probably not good.
Credit: New Line/Kobal/Shutterstock
Credit: New Line/Kobal/Shutterstock
The Conjuring director James Wan took John Carpenter’s art of fake-out jump scares to a new level in this 2013 supernatural horror smash. When it was released, Wan already had Saw and Insidious under his belt, but he raised his horror game with the film that would kickstart its own Conjuring Universe with two sequels, the Annabelle films, The Nun and its sequel, and more. This first film, written by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes, has scared the crap out of sleepovers the world over ever since. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, investigating the spooky goings-on of the Perron family in Rhode Island in 1971. You’ll never look at wardrobes the same again. — S.C.
How to watch: The Conjuring is now streaming on Max.
5. The Omen
Creepy child alert.
Credit: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock
Credit: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock
Director Richard Donner’s The Omen is a classic case of the original film in a franchise being leagues better than any sequel or remake to follow it. Starring classic Hollywood icons Gregory Peck and Lee Remick, this story of suspected possession follows parents and their troubled son through a bone-chilling encounter with demonic forces. Harvey Stephens role as creepy kid Damien Thorn rightly earned him a Golden Globe nod and a permanent spot in horror history. Everyone should see it once.* — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: The Omen is now streaming on Hulu and Prime Video, both with the Cinemax add-on.
6. Rosemary’s Baby
A fresh start.
Credit: Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock
Credit: Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock
Helplessness is a key element of a lot of horror movies, and classic Rosemary’s Baby hits that from a few different angles (if you watch it, know it’s a Roman Polanski film and everything that goes with that). When young couple Guy and Rosemary Woodhouse move into a New York apartment building, their lives rapidly begin to change in unusual ways. They decide to have a baby, and that’s when things really start getting weird. Turns out the residents of the building are all members of a Satanic cult looking to bring the Antichrist into the world using Rosemary’s womb as the host. This flick ratchets up the terror as it goes, and it’s widely considered one of the best in the genre.*
How to watch: Rosemary’s Baby is now streaming on AMC+.
7. God Told Me To
Disturbing motives.
Credit: New World Pictures
Credit: New World Pictures
Larry Cohen is one of the most iconoclastic exploitation film directors of all time, a dude who followed his impulses to create some all-time cult classics. His 1976 masterpiece God Told Me To is a claustrophobic, panic-inducing story of a Catholic NYPD detective who discovers a murder wave where every perpetrator claims God instructed them to slaughter innocents. Things get weirder and weirder from there – and once the flick starts bringing in Chariots of the Gods-style Ancient Aliens stuff it’s arguably a little silly, but the gritty intensity carries it through.*
How to watch: God Told Me To is now streaming on Pluto.
8. Incantation
The film that terrified TikTok.
Credit: Netflix
Credit: Netflix
Kevin Ko’s Taiwanese horror freaked people out so much that it even started a TikTok challenge and managed to become the all-time highest-grossing horror film in Taiwan. “When one imagines horror movies, it’s almost impossible to not associate them with jump scares, monsters, or slashers,” wrote Rizwana Zafer for Mashable. “Incantation does not rely on any of those typical horror movie factors, so it’s not really ‘scary’ in the traditional sense. Instead, Ko manages to terrify us using suspense and dread, built on the intimacy and psychological terror of the heroine. He plays on our deepest fears to scare us, incorporating elements of gore, trypophobia, and the eeriness of the unknown, that something evil is always lurking in the background.” — S.H.
How to watch: Incantation is now streaming on Netflix.
9. The Sacrament
Found footage fear.
Credit: Magnolia Pictures
Credit: Magnolia Pictures
Ti West is one of our favorite modern horror directors, and his 2013 found footage flick The Sacrament turns the lens on the cult lifestyle. Two journalists accompany a man as he travels to the community of Eden Parish to visit his sister. When they get there, they quickly discover that things are spiralling wildly out of control as the group’s leader, known only as Father, has let his paranoia take over. With strong parallels to the 1978 Jonestown massacre, this one moves a little slowly but really cuts into what makes people put their trust in cults, and Gene Jones gives a great, conflicted performance as Father.*
How to watch: The Sacrament is now streaming on Pluto.
10. Martyrs
Don’t go into this one lightly.
Credit: Canal Horizons/Canal +/Kobal/Shutterstock
Credit: Canal Horizons/Canal +/Kobal/Shutterstock
Pascal Laugier’s 2008 horror film uses the many abuse scandals of the church as a springboard for a deeply unsettling story of revenge. As a young girl, Lucie Jurin was horrifically and systematically tortured by a group of people looking to discover what happens after death. She escapes but is haunted by the memories, some aspects of which her best friend Anna (Morjana Alaoui) is secretly somewhat skeptical of. Years later, Lucie brings Anna with her on a terrible quest for revenge, kicking off one of the most intense and infamous French New Extremity films ever. This one’s not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, as it’s got some vicious gore sequences leading up to the shocking climax. Don’t bother with the 2015 American remake.*
How to watch: Martyrs is now streaming on Tubi.
*This blurb appeared on a previous Mashable list.
UPDATE: Oct. 25, 2023, 1:28 p.m. EDT Updated to include what’s currently available on streaming.
20 best comedies streaming on Netflix, November 2023
Do you need a laugh right about now? Here are the 20 best comedies on Netflix — including “Superbad,” “Groundhog Day,” “Lady Bird,” and more.
Nothing feels as good as a deep, genuine laugh. It’s an expression of joy! It’s a workout. It’s a sign that you’re having a good time.
Netflix has a dazzling selection of comedy movies that put that good-time feeling on demand. Whether you’re craving action-spiked shenanigans, quirky coming-of-age adventures, awkward humor, stranger-than-fiction silliness, madcap musical numbers, or crime with a spree of laughs, there’s a perfect pick for you. And we’ve made singling it out all the easier by highlighting the most hilarious below.
Here, in no particular order, are the 20 funniest movies now streaming on Netflix.
20. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Credit: Netflix
Writer/director Rian Johnson follows up his critically heralded whodunnit with a sequel that’s even more explosive than Knives Out. Southern gentleman/detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back, drawling deductions and whipping out witticisms, much to the chagrin of a group of wealthy and conniving friends.
It was supposed to be a murder mystery weekend where homicide was just a game. But when tech scion Miles Bron (Edward Norton) brings together his closest friends and worst enemy, real blood will be spilled, and the game is afoot! Joining in on the comically chaotic fun are Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., and Jessica Henwick. — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor
How to watch: Glass Onion is now streaming on Netflix.
19. Superbad
Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock
This R-rated teen comedy from 2007 is a classic in the genre for good reason. Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Superbad took the buddy comedy to unique places of hormonal humiliation and the hysterical agonies of trying to fit in with the cool crowd. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera star as a pair of high school losers desperate to get close to their crushes (Emma Stone and Martha McIsaac). But first they’ll need to get booze with the help of the fake ID of their screw-up friend, McLovin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). Full of slapstick, merciless burns, zippy banter, and gross-out gags, Superbad not only went on to inspire movies like Booksmart and Bottoms, but also still thrills as a stupid silly good time. — K.P.
How to watch: Superbad is now streaming on Netflix.
18. My Best Friend’s Wedding
Credit: Tri-Star / Kobal / Shutterstock
P.J. Hogan’s 1997 offering blew up the traditional rom-com standards. Forget the tale of boy meets girl that ends in a happily-ever-after wedding between the two. America’s Sweetheart Julia Roberts playfully torched her casting niche by playing the masterfully (and hilariously) manipulative ex-girlfriend, hellbent on getting her old flame (Dermot Mulroney) back before he can marry a much younger woman (Cameron Diaz). Cultures clash as this city girl invades the bride’s Southern-charmed family. Plus, there are dangerous flirtations, outrageous jokes, an infectious sing-along, and Rupert Everett as the gay bff who proves to be the movie’s MVP. — K.P.
How to watch: My Best Friend’s Wedding is now streaming on Netflix.
17. Bullet Train
If you like your comedy with in-your-face action, you should race to check out this 2022 romp from Deadpool 2 director David Leitch. It’s a high-octane film that asks the classic question: “What happens if you pile a bunch of assassins onto one bullet train through Japan?” The answer is delightfully daffy carnage.
Brad Pitt leads a star-studded cast as a merc who’s lost his bloodlust. What’s supposed to be a simple snatch-and-go job turns dangerously complicated as he crosses paths with a cavalcade of curious characters, all of whom are rocking code names like Tangerine, Lemon, Wolf, The Prince, The Hornet, and White Death. Rapid-fire wit is wielded by the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Shannon, Bad Bunny, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Joey King, Zazie Beetz, and Sandra Bullock. Also wielded? Every form of weapon you can imagine, from guns and knives to poison, wild animals, and even a well-traveled water bottle. Sound cool? Catch it while you can. — K.P.
How to watch: Bullet Train is now streaming on Netflix.
16. Between Two Ferns: The Movie
Credit: Adam Rose / Netflix
Zach Galifianakis’s awkward celebrity interview web series Between Two Ferns might not seem like fodder for a full-length movie, but Between Two Ferns: The Movie goes double meta by presenting his success on Funny or Die as an insult to the actor’s intention to host a “serious” interview show. Galifianakis the character sets off to correct the assumption that his original show is a joke by interviewing even more celebrities, like John Cho, Keanu Reeves, Gal Gadot, Tiffany Haddish, and more. — Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Between Two Ferns: The Movie is now streaming on Netflix.
15. Do Revenge
Credit: Netflix
Looking for a revenge flick that pays tribute to teen classics like Mean Girls, Heathers, Cruel Intentions, and more? Then check out Do Revenge, a dark comedy sure to join the canon of iconic high school movies. Students Drea (Camila Mendes) and Eleanor (Maya Hawke) couldn’t be more different… apart from the fact that both have major bones to pick with people who ruined their reputations. They decide to team up and execute one another’s revenge plans, which leads down a winding road of morally dubious choices, snappy one-liners, and excellent outfits.
Mendes and Hawke have great chemistry, but it’s Sophie Turner who damn near steals the show in a bit part that simply must be seen to be believed.* — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Do Revenge is now streaming on Netflix.
14. The Road to El Dorado
This undersung animated musical is a charming blast, boasting not only a slew of Elton John songs, a rousing adventure, and wildly irreverent hijinks, but also Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, and Rosie Perez bringing rambunctious life to their trio of thieves. In the 16th century, as brutal Spanish conquistadors sought the legendary City of Gold, a pair of rakish stowaways known as Tulio (Kline) and Miguel (Branaugh) accidentally discovered El Dorado, where the locals mistook them for gods. Eager to exploit this wealthy and warm tribe, the pair begin to scheme how to set sail back to Spain with all their ill-gotten loot. On their side is street-smart Chel, who is totally over her hometown. Together, amid dance numbers, power struggles, and fantastical magic, these lovable crooks will seek gold but discover something much more valuable. Full of radiant color, booming energy, and plenty of punchlines, The Road to El Dorado is an adventurous comedy sure to please the whole family. — K.P.
How to watch: The Road to El Dorado is now streaming on Netflix.
13. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Credit: Piki Films / Kobal / Shutterstock
This 2016 adventure about bad egg Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) and his curmudgeonly foster father Hec (Sam Neill) is the kind of eccentric delight that writer/director Taika Waititi specializes in (this time co-writing with Barry Crump, who wrote the original book).
After losing his foster mother, Ricky flees into the forests of New Zealand; Hec pursues him, only to realize he doesn’t feel the need to return to civilization either. Together, they become the wilderpeople, living off the land and evading capture from authorities, including Thor: Ragnarok‘s Rachel House. Wilderpeople is equal parts stirring, hilarious, and absurd — a silly yet sentimental story of found family and adventure that can be loved by all. — Proma Khosla, Senior Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Hunt for the Wilderpeople is now streaming on Netflix.
12. Always Be My Maybe
Credit: Netflix
What if the one who got away got a second chance? Back in the day, Sasha and Marcus were tight as a slap bracelet. But one fumbled night in a sweaty backseat seemed to shatter their future together.
Fifteen years later, she’s a world-renowned chef and he’s — well — he’s working for his dad’s HVAC business and playing with his band on the side. Still, fate arranges for them to reconnect, which could mean Marcus (Randall Park) has a shot to show Sasha (Ali Wong) how he feels. Comedy ensues as the stakes get high when Keanu Reeves crashes the party, being all weird and hot and having the audacity to be Keanu Reeves! This Nahnatchka Khan–helmed laffer also boasts appearances by James Saito, Charlyne Yi, Karan Soni, Daniel Dae Kim, and Michelle Buteau.* — K.P.
How to watch: Always Be My Maybe is now streaming on Netflix.
11. Lady Bird
Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock
Being a teen girl is a unique (and hilarious) hell. Few films capture this frenzy of hormones, angst, obstinacy, insecurity, and recklessness as deftly and humorously as writer/director Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age dramedy.
Saoirse Ronan stars Lady Bird, a self-named 16-year-old girl who views her Catholic high school, working-class constraints, and hovering mother as insufferable obstacles to her inevitable greatness. Ravenous to carve out her own identity, she throws herself at boys, into fights with her exasperated mother (Laurie Metcalf), and out of a car! Yet even in her most outlandish moments, this gonzo girl’s journey feels achingly relatable. If you’re game to feel 16 again, check out this critically heralded stunner that is specific, insightful, and achingly vulnerable. Tracy Letts, Beanie Feldstein, Lucas Hedges, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Timothée Chalamet co-star, sprinkling in humor, heartbreak, and f*ckboi-style hotness.* — K.P.
How to watch: Lady Bird is now streaming on Netflix.
10. Dolemite Is My Name
Credit: François Duhamel / Netflix
Chronicling the true story of late comedian Rudy Ray Moore — also known as Dolemite — this Eddie Murphy vehicle is worth every minute of viewing.
An outrageous showbiz comedy, Dolemite Is My Name is at once a poignant look at the life of an underdog and an unbelievably good time. With supporting performances by Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Wesley Snipes, Craig Robinson, and more, this biopic offers more beat-for-beat joy than many of its fictional counterparts. Sensational, aspirational, and electric: You’ll love it. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Dolemite Is My Name is now streaming on Netflix.
9. Groundhog Day
Credit: Columbia / Kobal / Shutterstock
The time-loop movie that launched untold imitators has been a comedy gem since its debut in 1993. Directed and co-written by Harold Ramis, Groundhog Day stars Bill Murray as a cantankerous weatherman who is irate about his on-the-groundhog assignment in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the superstition-rich American holiday. So imagine his frustration when this eponymous day repeats and repeats and repeats. Over the course of this temporal trap, this curmudgeon lays out biting zingers, dark punchlines, and pratfalls. But the overall arc is a sweet tale of romance finally getting a chance. Andie MacDowell and Chris Elliott co-star. — K.P.
How to watch: Groundhog Day is now streaming on Netflix.
8. The Polka King
Credit: Netflix
Sometimes true crime can lead to some pitch-perfect dark comedy. This is the case for this outrageous offering, which stars Jack Black as infamous scammer/local celebrity Jan Lewan. Black brings all the rock star panache you need to understand how Lewan could be so beguiling to the Pennsylvanian retirees who surrendered their savings to the self-proclaimed Polka King.
Screenwriters Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky gave this story of fraud and showmanship shape. But they wisely trusted in the local flair of the terrific 2009 documentary The Man Who Would Be Polka King to provide some of the wildest lines of dialogue. Plucking directly from interviews with the friends, family, and victims of Jan Lewan, this comedy feels stranger than fiction but is jaw-droppingly real. Salty supporting turns from Jenny Slate, Jacki Weaver, and Jason Schwartzman bring added fun.* — K.P.
How to watch: The Polka King is now streaming on Netflix.
7. The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Credit: Netflix
Sony Pictures Animation has given audiences such daring and dynamic animated movies as Surf’s Up, Hotel Transylvania, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This zany 2021 release centers on a family who’s battling back the robo-apocalypse with togetherness, internet savviness, and a wall-eyed pug named Monchi (voiced by social media icon Doug the Pug).
The Mitchells’ adventure into chaos begins when daughter Katie (Abbi Jacobson) is poised to go off to college. Desperate for one last family-unifying road trip, her dad (Danny McBride) piles the whole family into his beater of a vehicle, unknowingly charting a fateful route into heroics. Director Mike Rianda infuses Katie’s excitable perspective throughout the film by working in internet memes, social media-style reactions, and blitz of bonkers visuals. It’s a bold move that might alienate some viewers but has largely won the acclaim of critics and kiddos.* — K.P.
How to watch: The Mitchells vs. The Machines is now streaming on Netflix.
6. The Nice Guys
Credit: Misty Mountains / Bloom / Silver / Kobal / Shutterstock
If you’re a sucker for black comedy, witty dialogue, ’70s style, and/or odd-couple comedic duos, it doesn’t get much nicer than The Nice Guys. Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) and Holland March (Ryan Gosling) play a pair of washed-up private investigators who reluctantly join forces to search for a missing woman (Margaret Qualley) in 1977 Los Angeles — with occasional assistance from March’s clever teenage daughter, played by Angourie Rice.
Though the mystery takes the gang to the farthest reaches of the city, burrowing deep into rabbit holes and brushing up against all manner of eccentrics, it’s the unexpected chemistry between Crowe and Gosling that really keeps this engine running, and it’ll leave you wishing for more where that came from.* — Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor
How to watch: The Nice Guys is now streaming on Netflix.
5. The Forty-Year-Old Version
Credit: Jeong Park / Netflix © 2020
The Forty-Year-Old Version isn’t just any film about a struggling New York artist, but one about a Black female playwright who’s continually held back from creating something authentic to her perspective. Radha Blank’s autobiographical directorial debut, which she also wrote, produced, and stars in, is a searing, funny, and unabashedly honest look at the compromises Black creatives are pushed to make in a world dominated by whiteness.
A teacher approaching her 40th birthday, Radha (Blank) gets the chance to produce one of her plays — only after she refuses to write a slave musical. But forced to change her vision to appease white audiences, Radha considers a totally different medium to express herself: becoming a rapper. The Forty-Year-Old Version may be one of the most slept-on Netflix originals, and it’s a shame we’ve yet to see another film from Blank since, itself an indictment of an industry that fails to continually platform raw and honest Black storytelling.* — O.W.
How to watch: The Forty-Year-Old Version is now streaming on Netflix.
4. Vampires vs. the Bronx
Credit: Netflix
Want a movie that’s got excitement, comedy, a scorching message about the evils of gentrification, and is a kid-friendly romp? Then take a bite out of Vampires vs. the Bronx.
Oz Perkins’s PG-13 horror-comedy centers on Afro-Latino teens who recognize that a flurry of missing person posters and an influx of rich white folks with tote bags means bad news for the neighborhood. Together, they team up Monster Squad-style to take down the bloodsuckers and save their community. With a sharp wit, a warm heart, a rich sense of atmosphere, and an equal appreciation for the Blade movies and ’80s Amblin, Vampires vs. the Bronx is an easy watch full of rewards.* — K.P.
How to watch: Vampires vs. the Bronx is now streaming on Netflix.
3. The Breaker Upperers
This hidden gem comes from New Zealand, the fertile comedy ground that gave us Taika Waititi, Flight of the Conchords, and What We Do in the Shadows. Waititi collaborators Jackie van Beek, James Rolleston, and Jemaine Clement team up for a deeply quirky buddy comedy about two long-time besties with a bonkers — but brilliant — business model.
Need someone to dump your partner so you can avoid a messy confrontation? Call on Jen and Mel (co-writers/co-directors/co-leads van Beek and Madeleine Sami). For a reasonable fee, these fearless Breaker Upperers will impersonate police officers, play pregnant, or even fake your death to help you ghost an ex. Whatever the shenanigans, van Beek and Sami sparkle. Booming with wild humor and big heart, this comedy is guaranteed to leave you cackling.* — K.P.
Where to watch: The Breaker Upperers is now streaming on Netflix.
2. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Credit: John Wilson / Netflix
With its reputation for wacky musical numbers, the Eurovision Song Contest is ripe for parody. Luckily for Eurovision lovers, the contest gets the send-up it deserves in this gloriously goofy flick starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams. They play the Icelandic musical duo Fire Saga, who find themselves in the Eurovision spotlight. There, they discover that the famed competition is a world of cutthroat competitors, glitzy costumes, and many, many bops.
Eurovision Song Contest is full of larger-than-life characters and ridiculous humor, but it’s also teeming with Eurovision references that will have fans laughing and cheering. For every “Jaja Ding Dong,” there’s a joyful Song-A-Long — and both are great! Pair all that with pitch-perfect comedic performances from Ferrell and McAdams, and you have a comedy that will both have you in stitches and win your heart. (Best of all, if you weren’t a Eurovision fanatic before seeing this movie, you’ll definitely be one by the time it ends.)* — B.E.
How to watch: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is now streaming on Netflix.
1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Credit: FilmPublicityArchive / United Arch
Made up of Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam, the comedy troupe Monty Python are the uncontested kings of comedy. So it’s only fitting that we raise a glass to their most popular film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Sure, Life of Brian has iconoclastic fun with Bible stories — and a toe-tapping sound number to boot! But many of the crew’s most memorable characters tumble forth in this parody of Arthurian lore.
From the knights Who Say “Ni!” to the dreaded Rabbit of Caerbannog to a taunting Frenchman to the Black Knight who’ll never say die, Holy Grail is overflowing with madcap comedy. It’s endlessly quotable, stupidly funny, and captures everything that made this comedy team spectacular. Not to mention, it forever changed how we see coconuts, swallows, hamsters, and elderberries. — K.P. & A.F.
How to watch: Monty Python and the Holy Grail is now streaming on Netflix.
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Credit: Netflix
* denotes that this blurb appeared in a previous Mashable list.
UPDATE: Oct. 25, 2023, 5:11 p.m. EDT This story has been updated to reflect the current selection on Netflix.
How to watch the MLB World Series: 2023 postseason schedule
What channel is the World Series on? Here’s how to watch every MLB postseason game live with or without cable.
UPDATE: Oct. 27, 2023, 4:00 p.m. EDT This article has been updated to include the latest information and streaming deals for the 2023 World Series.
Here’s how to watch the 2023 MLB playoffs:
BEST OVERALL
YouTube TV
free trial, then $52.99/month for 3 months
(save $60)
(save $60)
MOST AFFORDABLE
Sling TV Blue
$20/month for your first month, then $40/month
(save $20)
(save $20)
RUNNER-UP
FuboTV
free 7-day trial, then $74.99/month
Much to the surprise of baseball fans, spectacular turnarounds and surprising game seven wins have set up the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers for the 2023 Fall Classic.
This will be the Rangers’ first appearance in a World Series since 2011, although it’s not the first to be played at their new park. In 2020, Globe Life Field was used as a neutral site during the pandemic-shortened season. Meanwhile, it’s the Diamondbacks first appearance in the Series since 2001.
What a long, strange trip it’s been for all teams this season. If you’re planning out your viewing schedule for the World Series, we’ve got you covered — even if you canceled your cable subscription a long time ago. Here’s everything you need to know so you don’t miss a pitch.
How can I watch the baseball playoffs?
Cable subscribers can watch the 2023 MLB postseason in its entirety on ESPN, Fox, FS1, and TBS. For those without cable access, you’ll either need to borrow a friend or family member’s cable login or subscribe to a live TV streaming service to tune into the action. If you can’t get your hands on a cable login to unlock access, don’t panic. We’ll show you how to watch the MLB playoffs without cable below.
For cord-cutters, here are the best streaming services to watch the MLB playoffs — as well as the best steaming deals.
Note: For the World Series, you’ll specifically need FOX networks.
Best streaming services to watch the 2023 MLB playoffs
Best live TV streaming service: YouTube TV
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Credit: YouTube TV
While many baseball fans had beef with YouTube TV during the regular season due to the lack of MLB Network on the streamer’s channel lineup, it makes up for it in the postseason. It offers a huge lineup of more than 100 live TV channels, including ESPN, TBS, Fox, and FS1 — all four networks you’ll need to watch the playoffs live.
YouTube TV also comes with unlimited DVR space, so you can record a game if you can’t tune in live. It’s one of our favorite sports streaming services and happens to be running a really good deal for a limited time. If you’re new to YouTube TV, you’ll get a free trial to test the waters for up to 14 days (trial period may vary). Then, you can choose to keep your subscription for an introductory rate of just $52.99/month for three months ($72.99/month thereafter) or cancel at anytime.
Most affordable live TV streaming service: Sling TV (Orange + Blue package)
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Credit: Sling
Sling is a popular cable TV alternative for a reason — it’s actually affordable, especially compared to other options on this list. What we love about Sling is the ability to tweak channel options to create your own lineup. In order to watch the Fall Classic, you’ll need the Blue package that Sling TV offers, which regularly retails for $40/month. However, Sling is currently offering 50% off for your first month, so you can sign up for only $20/month to kick things off.
Don’t want to keep Sling after the champions are crowned? Cancel with no strings attached.
Runner-up live TV streaming service: FuboTV
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Credit: FuboTV
FuboTV is one of the best cable TV alternatives for sports lovers, with the most robust lineup of channels for everything from college football to European soccer. It’s also a bit pricier than other services at $74.99/month, but you do get a seven-day free trial to test things out before pulling the trigger long-term. It may not be our favorite option for watching the 2023 MLB playoffs and World Series, but FuboTV does have a lot to offer the rest of the year.
Honorable mentions:
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Hulu + Live TV — $76.99/month (includes ESPN, TBS, Fox, and FS1)
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DirecTV Stream — $64.99/month (includes ESPN, TBS, Fox, and FS1)