Tech / Technology

Netflix’s ‘The Archies’ trailer promises a swinging ’60s ‘Riverdale’ remake

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From director Zoya Akhtar, the Indian remake takes the Archie Comics back to its heyday.
A group of teens run happily along a street together.

We haven’t heard much about Netflix film The Archies since June, but finally we’ve got a delightful trailer that makes it look like an absolute blast.

From Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara director Zoya Akhtar, the Indian remake of Riverdale takes the Archie Comics back to its actual heyday: the swinging ’60s. Set in a fictional hill station town called Riverdale, The Archies is a large-scale musical revolving around beloved characters Archie (Agastya Nanda), Betty (Khushi Kapoor), Veronica (Suhana Kha), Jughead (Mihir Ahuja), Reggie (Vedang Raina), Ethel (Aditi Saigal), and Dilton (Yuvraj Menda). Among all the crushes, family drama, and school work they’re dealing with, the group must try and save the local Green Park from destruction by Veronica’s hotel magnate father.

It’s a creatively female-led film, as Akhtar wrote the series with Reema Kagti, with whom the director worked on neo-noir Talaash, and Ayesha Devitre, who co-wrote the screenplay for romantic drama Gehraiyaan. And from the looks of the trailer, we’re in for a time.

How to watch: The Archies is streaming on Netflix Dec. 7.

Tech / Technology

Best early Black Friday TV deals 2023: Samsung, Best Buy

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Black Friday is the best time to buy a TV on sale, like the 85-inch Samsung QN80C QLED TV at its Black Friday price of $1,999.99.
Samsung TV with apps on screen sitting on TV stand in colorful living room

UPDATE: Nov. 8, 2023, 5:00 a.m. EST This post has been updated with the best early Black Friday TV deals including cheap 4K TVs and 2023 QLED and OLED releases from Samsung, LG, TCL, and more.

A quick look at the best early Black Friday TV deals:

Best Amazon TV deal

Insignia TV with harbor at sunrise screensaver


Best Walmart TV deal

onn. TV with streaming apps on screen


Best Best Buy TV deal

LG 77-inch B3 Series OLED TV

$1,799.99
(save $1,100)

LG TV with yellow, pink, and purple ribbon screensaver


Best Samsung TV deal

Samsung 85-inch Q80C QLED TV

$1,999.99
(save $1,300)

Samsung TV with blue abstract liquid screensaver

TV deals have been a pillar of Black Friday since before robot vacuums or AirPods were even born.

While stampeding the automatic doors of Best Buy at 4 a.m. is an ancient practice, Black Friday is still one of the absolute best times of year to buy a TV on sale — you just don’t have to rush like that when you essentially have all month to shop Black Friday deals.

Most main TV destinations declared that it was Black Friday (to them, at least) at the beginning of November, with Samsung and Best Buy going as far as to straight-up tag certain deals as Black Friday deals. (Walmart is following on Nov. 8.)

Below, we’re tracking all of the early Black Friday TV deals by retailer, which are then organized by size and price for easy comparison. The list will be updated as more deals drop, but since so many of these TVs are already at their best prices of the season, it wouldn’t be ridiculous to make your move now and secure an extra few weeks of elevated football or Hallmark movie viewing.

Note: All deals marked with a 🚨 have been marked as an early Black Friday deal by the retailer.

Black Friday Amazon TV deals

Why we like it

We’d be surprised if you found a cheaper 50-inch 4K TV than this one this Black Friday season. At less than $200, this Insignia model with the Fire TV platform built in provides seven extra inches of screen than the 43-inch version of Amazon’s in-house Fire TV.

More early Black Friday TV deals at Amazon

Black Friday Walmart TV deals

Why we like it

While Walmart has many of the same deals on premium TVs as Best Buy or Samsung’s own website, it’s the place to find cheap 4K TVs. Case in point: This 65-inch 4K TV from Walmart-owned brand onn. is possibly the cheapest 65-inch TV you’ll see this Black Friday. There’s no fancy backlighting here, but reviews making up the near 5,000 five-star ratings note that the picture is solid for the price. Roku is also built in.

More early Black Friday TV deals at Walmart

Black Friday Best Buy TV deals

Why we like it

LG’s OLED models got a glow-up in 2023, and the B3 model is the most affordable one even at full price. With Best Buy’s early Black Friday discount of more than $1,000 off of the 77-inch model, this massive screen is basically begging to be in your living room.

The B3’s lower price point can mostly be attributed to its less-advanced a7 processor compared to the C3 and G3’s Alpha a9. However, the B3 runs laps around the cheapest-of-the-cheap 4K TVs with Dolby Vision and next-gen gaming features like a 120 Hz refresh rate, both of which help to push those 8.3 million self-lit pixels to their fullest potential.

More early Black Friday TV deals at Best Buy

Black Friday Samsung TV deals


Our pick: Samsung 85-inch Q80C QLED TV

$1,999.99 at Samsung (save $1,300)🚨



Why we like it

Of the handful of 85-inch Samsung TVs on sale this week, we think the deal on the Q80C is the best bang for your buck — considering Samsung has it marked as a Black Friday deal, complete with an extra $200 discount on top of its sale price from last week, bringing the total cost below $2,000.

The Q80C is Samsung’s most advanced QLED (before meeting the Neo QLED side of the family), packing 96 precisely-lit local dimming zones for the meticulous brightness necessary for watching sports in the daylight. Also present are advanced gaming features like a 120Hz refresh rate and VRR support.

More early Black Friday TV deals at Samsung

Tech / Technology

Best photo editing deal: Software bundle for $50

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Save on the award-winning Luminar Neo photo editing software at the Mashable Shop.
man using luminar software on desktop computer

TL;DR: Through Nov. 9, you can snag the Luminar Neo Lifetime Bundle on sale for $199.99 (reg. $752) or the Luminar Neo Lite Lifetime Bundle on sale for just $49.99 (reg. $273). That’s up to 81% in savings on award-winning photo editing software.


If you are a photography enthusiast or a professional looking to shake things up, editing tools that utilize AI, like Luminar, are an easy way to boost your creativity and get your photos looking exactly how you want them to. For a limited time, you can get lifetime access to Luminar Neo or Luminar Neo Lite, along with unique add-ons, for hundreds off the regular retail price.

Luminar Neo Lite will help you enhance tone, correct color and lighting, remove unwanted objects, and make other creative adjustments. You can do magical things like retouching a person’s skin and swapping out the sky. Lifetime access is available for $49.99 (reg. $273).

Both bundles come with six specialty add-ons to help you further enhance the look of your photos. This includes the Light Reflections Overlay that gives you 10 overlays to add a different feel and intensity to your pics. Or, if you want to lean into the holiday season, you can use the Frosty Winter LUTs add-on or the Wintertime Overlay add-on to do so.

Luminar Neo’s full version gets you a bit more than the Lite version. You’ll get a wide range of editing tools, including layers, masking, local adjustments, pro-level presets, and continuous software updates. You can also use AI to manipulate light, upscale, remove background, and much more. In addition to the add-ons that Lite offers, you also get a video course called Creative Photo Editing Techniques in Luminar Neo that includes 10 tutorial videos.

A Red Dot winner in 2022 for Interface Design, this pay-once software can help you amp up your photographic creativity very easily. And it’s on sale just in time for the holidays.

Pick a version from the following options and get this limited-time price until November 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT:

Luminar Neo Lite lifetime bundle, on sale for $49.99 (reg. $273).
Luminar Neo lifetime bundle, on sale for $199.99 (reg. $752).

Prices subject to change.


Luminar Neo Lifetime Bundle

$199.99 at the Mashable Shop



Tech / Technology

The best movies on Peacock for when you need some wild fun

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From Harry Potter to Fast & Furious and “Bridesmaids,” Peacock has the hits you need to see (again).

Some days, it feels like there are too many streaming services and too many options. How can you possibly choose what movie to watch next?

For those of you who have Peacock (and why wouldn’t you? Their TV offerings are stacked!), we’re here to help. We’ve combed through the streaming service’s catalog to bring you the funniest comedies, the most moving dramas, the most suspenseful thrillers, and the all-around best movies for your viewing pleasure. All you need to bring is the popcorn!

1. Asteroid City

Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks talk on the phone in "Asteroid City."


Credit: Focus Features

The most “Wes Anderson” of Anderson’s prolific and twee oeuvre, Asteroid City is not for everyone. If you’ve never found meaning in the stylistic artifice of an Anderson film, then you might feel similarly baffled here. But if Anderson’s whimsy has spoken to you in the past, then take comfort knowing this most recent offering might be his most intricate and affecting film to date. 

Existential and gentle, Asteroid City is a movie about a show about a play, a nesting doll artistic endeavor keenly interested in the nature of storytelling. Is it about an alien encounter in a fictional desert town or the playwright and actors who brought the fictional desert town to life? Or is it about Anderson himself, an explainer on his hyper-specific body of work? The answer is all of this and more. Asteroid City is a fanciful, emotional triumph, popping off the screen with vibrant technicolor and a stacked cast of familiar faces and vibrant newcomers. A must-see film for Anderson-fans. — Kristina Grosspietsch, Freelance Contributing Writer

How to watch: Asteroid City is now streaming on Peacock.

2. Bridesmaids

Wendi McLendon-Covey, Rose Byrne, Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Ellie Kemper in "Bridesmaids"


Credit: Suzanne Hanover / Universal / Kobal / Shutterstock

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

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

How to watch: Bridesmaids is streaming on Peacock.

3. John Wick

Keanu Reeves in "John Wick."


Credit: David Lee / Thunder Road / Lionsgate / 87eleven / Mjw / Summit / Kobal / Shutterstock

Currently, all John Wick properties, including the so-so prequel series, The Continental, are streaming on Peacock. This highly stylized and violent neo-noir thriller franchise tells the story of John Wick (Keanu Reeves), the best assassin there ever was, who gets drawn back into the underworld after a personal tragedy leaves him set on revenge. Wick’s body count is prodigious and creative, but his cause is just. You can’t help but root for the quiet, brooding antihero. He wanted out of the game — but the game won’t let him say goodbye that easily. John Wick is a nonstop action spectacular with stunning cinematogaphy and positively mesmerizing fight choreography. — K.G.

How to watch: John Wick is now streaming on Peacock.

4. The Outfit

Mark Rylance and Zoey Deutch in "The Outfit."


Credit: Focus Features

This cleverly twisted crime film was written and directed by Graham Moore, who won an Oscar for his adapted screenplay of The Imitation Game in 2015. The incomparable Mark Rylance stars as a soft-spoken British tailor who makes beautiful, bespoke men’s suits in 1950s Chicago. Unfortunately, most of his clientele are ruthless mobsters. The majority of the movie takes place in the span of one shocking and breathless night when his gangster clients seek shelter in the shop after an unexpected shootout from a rival organization.

The Outfit is a sophisticated and constantly surprising thriller. As Rylance’s assistant, Zoey Deutch is as charming as always, and Johnny Flynn thrives while playing against type as a no-good ’50s gangster. It’s an absolute gem of a film that will keep you guessing the whole way through. — K.G.

How to watch: The Outfit is streaming on Peacock.

5. Dayveon 

Kordell Johnson, Devin Blackmon in "Dayveon"


Credit: Mama Bear Studios / Kobal / Shutterstock

Devin Blackmon stars as Dayveon, a young kid in Arkansas struggling in the aftermath of his brother’s death. Unmoored and spending his days listlessly wandering the little town he lives in, he is increasingly drawn to the sense of belonging he finds in a local gang. Directed by Amman Abbasi, with a script by Abbasi and Steven Reneau, Dayveon is a sophisticated and deeply intimate film made even more incredible by the fact that its cast is primarily composed of non-actors. It’s a moving and beautifully shot story that feels wholly, heartbreakingly real. — K.G.

How to watch: Dayveon is streaming on Peacock.

6. Girls Trip

Tiffany Haddish in "Girls Trip."


Credit: Michele K Short / Universal / Kobal / Shutterstock

2017’s raunchy comedy about a group of friends traveling to New Orleans for the Essence Music Festival made Tiffany Haddish a household name. And once you watch the scene of her zip-lining above a partying crowd on Bourbon Street, you’ll know why. Written by Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver, Girls Trip is boisterous, outrageous, and ridiculously lovable. The jubilant cast, starring Haddish, Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Queen Latifah, is clearly having so much fun celebrating female debauchery, it’s hard not to be on board with Girls Trip.K.G.

How to watch: Girls Trip is now streaming on Peacock.

7. Trainwreck

Amy Schumer, Bill Hader in "Trainwreck"


Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

The mid-2010s brought us ombre hair, planking, and #YOLO, but its most enduring cultural addition was a wave of movies about imperfect women. More female-led films at the box office meant there was finally enough space for leading ladies who didn’t have to meet every standard to which we hold the modern women. Movie theaters were flooded with bad moms, antiheroines, and the sloppiest drunks you’ve ever seen in your life. Enter Trainwreck, a hilarious and irreverent rom-com directed by Judd Apatow and starring Amy Schumer in a role that’s basically her hot mess stand-up persona come to life.

In this hysterical comedy, Schumer and Bill Hader are surprisingly charming together as opposites attract. Plus, John Cena and LeBron James both add an unexpected sparkle to a fun and cheeky romance. — K.G.

How to watch: Trainwreck is streaming on Peacock.

8. Ip Man

Donnie Yen in "IP Man 3."


Credit: Dreams Salon Culture / Pegasus Motion / Kobal / Shutterstock

Ip Man is an exciting Hong Kong martial arts biopic about the extraordinary life of the Wing Chun grandmaster who was Bruce Lee’s martial arts teacher. The film tracks Ip Man’s journey from the Southern Chinese village where he was well known as a skilled martial artist to his family’s displacement during the Japanese occupation of the Second Sino-Japanese War, his eventual rise as a fighter, and his establishment of a school in Hong Kong.

Starring the skillful Donnie Yen, Ip Man doesn’t skimp on character development; it’s an electrifying rumination on philosophy, power, and honor in addition to its stunning action. Ip Man is a deeply influential film in the martial arts genre and, to everyone’s delight, has inspired three equally stirring sequels, all of which are available on Peacock. — K.G.

How to watch: Ip Man is streaming on Peacock.

9. Harry Potter (the entire series!)

And now the franchise that needs no introduction: Harry Potter. The original eight-movie series starts as a charming coming-of-age tale about a boy wizard learning about magic and ends as a serious and emotional allegory about fighting fascism and the lengths we will go to protect the people we love. J.K. Rowling notwithstanding, Harry Potter is our hero, Ron Weasley our goofy best friend, and Hermione our actual hero, because duh.

The quality of the movies vary based on the different directors at the helm and the age of the young leads, but the strength of the source material — paired with the prodigious gifts of the many, many storied British actors who fill out the sparkling supporting cast — assure a satisfying watch. Most agree that the final two movies, each covering half of the last book in the series, are the most enthralling in the group — but you’ll have to watch them all to get what’s going on. So, you might as well start with number one, The Sorcerer’s Stone, and go from there. Poor you! You’re about to have a really great time! — K.G.

How to watch: Harry Potter is streaming on Peacock.

10. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Henry Thomas in "E.T."


Credit: Patrick Rideaux / Shutterstock

You haven’t seen E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, yet? So you’ve been politely laughing along every time someone has said “E.T. phone home” for the last 50 years?! It’s time to get on it already. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a beloved family movie classic for a reason — it’s simply fantastic.

Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece tells the story of Elliott Turner, a 10-year-old who finds an alien in his backyard. With his siblings, he must help his new friend get back home or risk his being turned over to the government. It’s an exciting, heartwarming adventure that makes you feel like a kid again and inspired a half-century of copycats and homages (Stranger Things, anyone?). Despite being filmed five decades ago, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial has not lost an ounce of its charm and emotional punch, a testament to its enduring quality. If you haven’t seen it, put E.T. at the top of your queue, immediately. — K.G. 

How to watch: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is now streaming on Peacock.

11. Long Way North

This absolutely stunning, hand-drawn film hasn’t garnered as much attention as, say, Pixar’s latest, but that’s no reason to skip this immensely affecting French-Danish tale. Sasha (Christa Théret) is a 15-year-old aristocrat living in 19th-century St. Petersburg, Russia. Determined to find her missing grandfather, a famed explorer, and clear her family’s name, she locates a vessel and sets off with a motley crew into the unforgiving Arctic landscape.

Directed by Rémi Chayé, Long Way North is both an epic adventure and a human drama, exploring themes of empowerment and empathy. What truly makes this 80-minute movie special, though, is its unique artistic style. The snow-covered landscape might be stark, but Long Way North makes the icy world feel both beautiful and alive. — K.G.

How to Watch: Long Way North is streaming on Peacock.

12. Melancholia

Part of Lars von Trier’s “Depression Trilogy,” (which includes Antichrist and Nymphomaniac), 2011’s Melancholia is an artsy, atmospheric sci-fi thriller about the end of the world. A rogue planet is due to collide with Earth, and everyone must come face-to-face with the inevitable nothingness ahead of them. The cast is magnetic (Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård, and more) and the cinematography is unforgettable. A memorable, piercing rumination on grief that stands alone in its category. — K.G.

How to watch: Melancholia is now streaming on Peacock.

13. Back to the Future

Michael J. Fox in "Back to the Future."


Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

There’s no way you haven’t heard of 1985’s Back to the Future, the comedy science fiction romp — and honest-to-god American classic — that made the world fall in love with Michael J. Fox. Fox is Marty McFly, a bored teenager who befriends an eccentric scientist (Christopher Lloyd) and finds himself transported to the 1950s, where his presence threatens to wreak havoc on the future. Marty has to make sure his parents still fall in love, or he’ll be wiped from history forever. It’s a fantastic premise that somehow never feels absurd thanks to the Fox’s aching humanity and Lloyd’s charisma. From the very first utterance of “Great Scott!” we’re along for the ride on a journey where we won’t need roads. — K.G.

How to watch: Back to the Future is now streaming on Peacock.

14. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Jason Segel in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."


Credit: Apatow Productions / Kobal / Shutterstock

Jason Segel is Peter, a television soundtrack composer whose life revolves around his TV star girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (a deliciously bratty Kristen Bell). That is, until she abruptly breaks up with him. While he’s naked. Cue the full-frontal sobbing!

To get his mind off of her, Peter takes a trip to Hawaii, but turns out, Sarah is vacationing at the same resort with her new rock star boyfriend, Aldous Snow (unfortunately played by Russell Brand). Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a sweet and raunchy breakup rom-com full of characters that are flawed, idiosyncratic, and incredibly human, including Mila Kunis as Peter’s cool new love interest and Paul Rudd as a hippie-dippie surf instructor. And let’s not forget the singing vampire puppets! — K.G.

How to Watch: Forgetting Sarah Marshall is streaming on Peacock.

15. Emma

A sumptuous and charming adaptation of the Jane Austen novel, 2020’s Emma is unique among Emma iterations because it leans into a secret truth: the heroine, Emma Woodhouse, is kind of a brat. She floats above everyone else, pulling strings to set up matches that serve her purposes instead of what her friends actually desire. Clueless always understood this — and now, thanks to director Autumn de Wilde, we can watch the naive and loveably self-centered character face her comeuppance while sporting the dazzling Regency-era costumes she was made for. Anya Taylor-Joy hits all the right notes as Ms. Woodhouse herself, and Johnny Flynn is magnetic as Mr. Knightley, her prickly neighbor who sees through her act. But it’s Josh O’Connor as a delightfully offputting Mr. Elton, a nightmare suitor, who steals every scene he’s in. — K.G.

How to watch: Emma is now streaming on Peacock.

16. Frankenstein

Most of pop culture’s most enduring monsters — Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, and the Wolf Man/Werewolf — got their first screen time in Universal Studios films made between the 1930s and 1950s. These incredibly influential classic horrors are the reason we all picture a square-headed Frankenstein and a Dracula with an indulgently high collar. The first impression is the one that sticks. 

Peacock is still home to most of the Universal Classic Monsters, including The Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man Returns, Werewolf of London, Phantom of the Opera, and more. None are as iconic, however, as 1931’s Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff as Dr. Frankenstein’s monster. The story, adapted from Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, is one so well-known it does not need repeating, but if you were wondering where the almost-full century of film and TV jokes about little girls befriending villains came from, look no further. This is the movie that turned a monster into a legend. — K.G.

How to watch: Frankenstein is now streaming on Peacock.

17. Man on Wire

In 1974, Philippe Petit walked a high wire between the two towers of the World Trade Center in NYC. Petit was later arrested for the stunt. In 2008, documentarian James Marsh made Man On Wire, a moving, awe-inspiring chronicle of Petit’s audacious feat, based on Petit’s own book about the event. Suspenseful, mischievous, and paced like a heist movie, Man On Wire is a riveting watch sure to keep even the most ardent documentary-avoider on the edge of their seats. — K.G.

How to watch: Man on Wire is now streaming on Peacock.

18. How to Train Your Dragon

Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) doesn’t quite fit into his dragon-fighting viking village of Berk. The seasoned warriors, including his father, the chief (Gerard Butler), think he’s too much of a weenie to fight their fearsome dragon enemies. But Hiccup has a secret: He’s found a wounded dragon who has quickly become his best friend. Will his village change its mind about dragons, or will Hiccup and his dragon be forced to hide for the rest of their lives? It’s a fun family romp that makes the incredibly smart choice of giving dragons the eager, earnest personalities of everyone’s favorite family dog. It doesn’t matter how old you are, Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon is a total treat! — K.G.

How to watch: How to Train Your Dragon is now streaming on Peacock.

19. Traffic

The movie that won Steven Soderbergh the Academy Award for Best Director, Traffic is a complex, captivating exploration of drug trafficking in the USA and Mexico. Following multiple intersecting storylines, audiences watch the effects of illegal drugs ripple in all directions, from manufacturers and distributors to the politicians trying to combat them and the users who are hooked. Shot like a documentary and including multiple cameos from actual U.S. congresspeople, Traffic is a riveting, powerful piece that feels utterly real. 

What’s more, the cast is stellar, with Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Luis Guzmán all at the top of their game, and Benicio Del Toro in particular winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a Mexican police officer. — K.G.

How to watch: Traffic is now streaming on Peacock.

20. The Northman 

Alexander Skarsgård plays a viking in "The Northman."

Alexander Skarsgård plays a viking in “The Northman.”
Credit: Focus Features

Written and directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse), The Northman is a dark, suspenseful retelling of a Scandinavian myth that also happens to have been the direct inspiration for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Alexander Skarsgård is Amleth, a young prince who swears revenge after his uncle murders his father and marries his mother. Years later, now a berserker Viking, Amleth has an encounter with a seer that convinces him the time to collect on that childhood promise is nigh. 

The Northman is a tense, atmospheric, and brutal historical thriller, told as if it were a story recounted around a medieval Scandinavian fire, grounded in an ancient point of view. This visually-stunning but bloody revenge saga also stars Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Gustav Lindh, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, and Björk, obviously.*K.G.

How to watch: The Northman is now streaming on Peacock.

21. Point Break

Point Break is an iconic and insane ’90s movie in which Keanu Reeves plays rookie FBI agent Johnny Utah, who has to — and we’re not kidding here — infiltrate an L.A. “surf gang” suspected of robbing banks. Very little in this movie makes any sense (the large reason Utah is assigned the undercover role is because he used to play football in college?), which is exactly why it’s so dang wonderful. You’ve got Patrick Swayze as the enigmatic leader of a surfing cult, Gary Busey as Reeves’ gruff veteran partner, and again, Keanu Reeves plays a former college football star named Johnny Utah who has to learn to surf as a matter of life and death. Point Break is ludicrous, magnificent, and fantastically, perfectly ’90s. Vaya con dios, baby. — K.G.

How to watch: Point Break is now streaming on Peacock.

22. Fast X

Jason Momoa is the villain of "Fast X."


Credit: Peter Mountain / Universal Pictures

If loving Fast & Furious is wrong, we don’t want to be right. Across 11 bonkers movies that scoffed at physics and grunted about the importance of family, this franchise hasn’t slowed down. Not only has it raised the bar on out-of-this-world action, but also, it’s grown the Fast family by leaps, bounds, and long-lost siblings. So what could Fast X possibly do to keep this momentum going strong? It went hard in every way fans demand.

In the tradition of its predecessors, Fast X retcons to bring a new ferocious foe into the fray. Jason Momoa stars as the flamboyant, fashion-forward, and gleefully anarchistic Dante, who’s seeking revenge against Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and all of his extensive family. Momoa is wild fun as a villain who is Dom’s polar opposite in attitude and outfit choices. That alone is enough to enjoy this ride. But Fast X also includes gonzo fight scenes with the likes of Brie Larson, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Sung Kang, and many, many more. There are also jaw-dropping cameos and a climax that had fans shocked and cheering. The only thing not to like about this one is how it left us hanging, waiting for whatever Fast and Furious 11 might bring.* — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor

How to watch: Fast X is now streaming on Peacock.

(*) denotes writeup came from a previous Mashable list.

UPDATE: Oct. 31, 2023, 2:18 p.m. EDT This article has been updated to reflect Peacock’s current streaming selection.

Tech / Technology

Best TV deals Nov. 2023: 30+ Samsung, LG, and Sony TVs already at Black Friday pricing

Posted on:

The month before Black Friday is a great time to find a TV on sale, like the 85-inch Samsung QN80C QLED TV at its Black Friday price of $1,999.99.
Samsung TV in room with colorful LED lights near gaming chair

UPDATE: Nov. 3, 2023, 12:00 p.m. EDT This story has been updated with the latest 4K and 8K TV deals ahead of Black Friday.

Best 4K TV deals this week:

Best 55-inch TV deal

TCL 55-inch Q5 QLED TV

$299.99 at Best Buy
(save $150)

TCL TV with football player on field as screensaver


Best 65-inch TV deal

LG TV with colorful abstract beta fish background


Best 75-inch TV deal

Toshiba 75-inch C350 Series 4K Fire TV

$519.99 at Best Buy
(save $280)

Toshiba TV with black and red bubble screensaver


Best 85-inch TV deal

Samsung 85-inch Q80C QLED TV

$1,999.99 at Samsung
(save $1,300)

Samsung TV with blue abstract liquid screensaver

Upgrading to a 4K TV — even a QLED or OLED — no longer has to be an intimidating financial setback. High-quality TVs featuring punchy colors, decipherable shadows, and smooth transitions have become increasingly affordable for regular consumers, made even more budget-friendly by frequent sales from retailers like Best Buy, Samsung, Walmart, and Amazon. If you’re ready for a home entertainment upgrade, here are the best 4K TV deals ahead of Black Friday.

TV deals are categorized by brand, then listed in order of size (smallest to largest) and price (lowest to highest).

Note: All deals marked with a 🚨 have been marked as an early Black Friday deal by the retailer.

Samsung TV deals


Our pick: Samsung 85-inch Q80C QLED TV

$1,999.99 at Samsung (save $1,300)🚨



Why we love it

Of the handful of 85-inch Samsung TVs on sale this week, we think the deal on the Q80C is the best bang for your buck — considering Samsung has it marked as a Black Friday deal, complete with an extra $200 discount on top of its sale price from last week, bringing the total cost below $2,000.

The Q80C is Samsung’s most advanced QLED (before meeting the Neo QLED side of the family), packing 96 precisely-lit local dimming zones for the meticulous brightness necessary for watching sports in the daylight. Also present are advanced gaming features like a 120Hz refresh rate and VRR support.

More Samsung TVs on sale

LG TV deals

Why we love it

LG’s OLED models got a glow-up in 2023, and the B3 model is the most affordable one even at full price. With Best Buy’s early Black Friday discount of more than $1,000 off of the 77-inch model, this massive screen is basically begging to be in your living room.

The B3’s lower price point can mostly be attributed to its less-advanced a7 processor compared to the C3 and G3’s Alpha a9. However, the B3 runs laps around the cheapest-of-the-cheap 4K TVs with Dolby Vision and next-gen gaming features like a 120 Hz refresh rate, both of which help to push those 8.3 million self-lit pixels to their fullest potential.

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Sony TV deals


Our pick: Sony 65-inch A80L OLED TV

$1,699.99 at Best Buy (save $600)🚨



Why we love it

A cheap OLED to Sony and a cheap OLED to the rest of us mean two very different things, but this early Black Friday deal makes Sony’s lowest-tier OLED from the 2023 TV lineup look far more approachable.

The A80L is bright and starkly contrasted with flawless black uniformity — a rare combination that makes this TV pop in both bright and dark rooms. Even as the baseline OLED, the A80L is still armed with the same Cognitivie Processor XR that the pricier 2023 Sony OLEDs are, making it a perfectionist when it comes to upscaling low-res content.

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More TV deals from Amazon, TCL, Hisense, and more

Why we love it

Almost every 2023 TCL TV is seeing a further discount on the already-good sale prices that they were at for weeks, but this model in particular deserves a special shout-out. In what seems to be a Best Buy exclusive situation, TCL’s Q5 series recently became available and knocked the Q6 Series out of its spot as the brand’s most affordable QLED. And with Best Buy’s discount pushing this model under $300, it’s easily the cheapest 55-inch QLED on our list. A quick scroll up to our mid-size QLED picks from Samsung, Sony, and LG make the rarity of a 55-inch QLED TV under $350 palpable.

The Q5 has most of the same specs as the Q6 including HDR PRO+ with Dolby Vision, Motion Rate 240 motion smoothing technology (a win for gamers on a budget), three HDMI ports, and built-in Google Assistant.

More TCL TVs, Vizio TVs, Fire TVs, and other TVs on sale

Tech / Technology

15 best action movies on Max for a little adrenaline bump

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Fantastic fights, stupendous stunts, calamitous chases, and climactic spectacle so bonkers it’ll blow your mind — it’s the 15 best action movies on Max (formerly known as HBO).

Want to shake off the doldrums of a long day with something bone-rattlingly exciting? You need an action movie stuffed with fantastic fights, stupendous stunts, calamitous chases, and climactic spectacle so bonkers it’ll blow your mind.

Whether your interests lean to science fiction, fantasy, cop drama, disaster flicks, superheroes, heist thrillers, mythic monsters, family-friendly adventure, or R-rated violence, we’ve got you covered with a top-notch collection of awesome movies.

Here are the 15 best action movies on Max.

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Sean Astin and Elijah Wood in "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"


Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

J.R.R. Tolkien’s high-fantasy novel is brought to vivid life by Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy, which began in 2001 with this widely acclaimed first chapter. In the mystical realm of Middle-earth, a humble Hobbit known as Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) takes on an epic quest to destroy a mighty token sought by a powerful sorcerer. Hunted by dark forces, Frodo finds strength in the fellowship that surrounds him. Noble elves, brooding warriors, churlish dwarves, wise wizards, and hungry Hobbits join in the battle to save their world in a celebrated film series that had audiences and critics in awe. Best yet, you can make a DIY movie marathon by adding The Two Towers and The Return of the King to your watch list. — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor

How to watch: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is streaming on Max.

2. The Matrix

"The Matrix."

Can you see the world inside the code?
Credit: Warner Bros / Village Roadshow Pictures / Kobal / Shutterstock

It’s the 1999 action movie that changed the game. Keanu Reeves stars as Neo, a hacker who tumbles down a digital rabbit hole to discover the world he knows is a simulation. Joining forces with a band of rebels (that includes Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss), he seeks to topple the robot tyrants that have enslaved humanity. This quest leads to eye-popping fights, breath-snatching escapes, and mind-bending reveals. Writing and directing duo Lana and Lilly Wachowski blew critics and audiences away with their incredible vision. Their disturbing sci-fi dystopia is snugly wrapped in a captivating cyberpunk aesthetic that’s as cool as Reeves is in a long black trench coat. On top of all this, the Wachowskis presented a ground-breaking visual effect dubbed bullet time, which slowed action down but gave a bevy of angles to make every hit land harder. You can keep the thrills going by completing the trilogy: The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions are also available on Max. — K.P.

How to watch: The Matrix is streaming on Max.

3. Birds of Prey

Margot Robbie in "Birds of Prey."


Credit: Warner Bros / Moviestore / Shutterstock

Max has a whole hub dedicated to DC adaptations, meaning you can enjoy everything from Justice League and Constantine to a slew of Batman movies and animated offerings. Subscribers are spoiled for choice. But our pick for the movie most jam-packed with bonkers action is 2020’s Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). The Suicide Squad sidekick finally gets her solo outing, and director Cathy Yan dreamed up an incredible three-ring circus of action scenes, ranging from bone-snapping bar brawls to glitter-bombed prison breaks, a maniacal musical number, a car chase on roller skates, and a team-up showdown that is explosively awesome. Margot Robbie stars alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, and Ella Jay Basco in an R-rated superhero movie that’s audaciously violent, unapologetically sexy, and as wildly fun as a Harley movie demands. (For bonus thrills, check out the TV-MA cartoon series Harley Quinn.) — K.P.

How to watch: Birds of Prey is streaming on Max.

4. Upgrade

Two years before Saw writer and actor Leigh Whannell made a name for himself as a director with his outstanding and celebrated freshening-up of The Invisible Man, he delivered a little cult actioner that not nearly enough people noticed at the time called Upgrade. A cybernetic spin on RoboCop, Upgrade stars Alien: Covenants Logan Marshall-Green playing an auto mechanic named Grey who, after being paralyzed by a gang of thugs who also kill his wife right in front of him, accepts a hush-hush invite to test drive some future tech in the form of a computer chip implanted in his brain that will fix his motor functions. 

Obsessed with catching and punishing his wife’s murderers, Grey makes an easy mark for a computer chip that inevitably begins revealing its sentience. Gifting him with the super-human ability to kick unholy amounts of ass in hand-to-hand combat, it turns out the tech has its own nefarious motives. Disgracefully ignored at the box office, Upgrade is sleek and hyper-violent and pretty much perfect. — Jason Adams, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Upgrade is now streaming on Max.

5. Spy 

Melissa McCarthy in "Spy."


Credit: Larry D Horricks / 20th Century Fox / Kobal / Shutterstock

Schwarzenegger. Stallone. Van Damme. And, uhh, Melissa McCarthy? Believe it or not, the Bridesmaids actress and Go scene-stealer made the case for herself as a terrific action star, albeit of the comic variety, with Paul Feig’s stellar spy spoof from 2015. A goof on the James Bond movies, Spy is as twisty and thrilling as anything Daniel Craig blue-steeled his way through, just with way more cat sweatshirts — which is to say everybody wins. 

As Susan Cooper, a CIA agent on permanent desk duty who gets pulled into the action precisely because she doesn’t look like anyone anybody would think of as a spy, McCarthy revels in her fish-out-of-water fights with an evil Russian arms dealer and his crew, especially his daughter Rayna (a wildly funny Rose Byrne). The jokes stick as hard as the stabbings, and there are enough double and triple and quadruple-crosses to keep everybody guessing in between the rat-a-tat punchlines. And extra bonus points for Feig and co. letting Jason Statham flex his funny bone alongside his biceps. — J.A.

How to watch: Spy is now streaming on Max. 

6. From Dusk Till Dawn

Although it’s practically impossible now to not know that this is a vampire movie, when Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn landed in 1996, nobody saw the second-act swerve into full-on horror territory ahead. Instead, this seemed like just another Pulp Fiction riff about wise-cracking criminals getting in over their heads, co-starring Tarantino himself no less. Tarantino, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rodriguez, brilliantly used that misdirection to the movie’s advantage, so it was truly a WTF moment when Salma Hayek’s character morphed mid-strip into a bloodsucker in stilettos. 

Watching the movie now, it’s just a bloody good time, with a barnstormer of an ensemble cast that includes Harvey Keitel (playing the straight man!), Juliette Lewis, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, Fred Williamson, genre icon Tom Savini, John Hawkes, and of course George Clooney at his Caesar cut-sporting, sleaziest best. Ludicrous fun. — J.A.

How to watch: From Dusk Till Dawn is now streaming on Max. 

7. Immortals

Henry Cavill in "Immortals."


Credit: Universal / Kobal / Shutterstock

Shoved aside as yet another rip-off of Zack Snyder’s 2006 blockbuster 300, Tarsem Singh’s Immortals has nevertheless in the 12 years since its release become my preferred destination for visually spectacular and mythologically inclined hyper-stylized action of the homoerotic kind. Starring Henry Cavill as mortal warrior Theseus, Immortals is a remix of myths similar to what Baz Luhrmann would do to musicals with Moulin Rouge

With stunning costumes from Oscar-winning costume designer Eiko Ishioka lighting up Singh’s typically outrageous visuals, we watch as the deities (including Luke Evans as Zeus) reluctantly team up with the mortals to battle the scheming King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke). It’s one spectacular spectacle sent down from Mount Olympus itself. — J.A.

How to watch: Immortals is now streaming on Max.

8. The Terminator

Who could have thought that a techno slasher starring a monosyllabic bodybuilder from the co-director of Piranha II: The Spawning would go on to become one of the most iconic sci-fi films ever? But that’s just what happened when director James Cameron hallucinated a terrifying robot skeleton during a literal fever dream, setting him off to plot out the relatively simple story of a cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger) that travels back in time in order to kill a woman named Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) before she can give birth to the leader of the robot resistance. 

While the story has grown more convoluted with each progressive sequel and reboot, this first in the series has a clear, horror-movie simplicity that never loses its appeal. Also appealing? Sweaty Michael Biehn as Sarah’s future-sent protector, as well as the gritty, neon-lit Los Angeles it’s all set against. It really doesn’t matter how many times that dastardly robot tells us he’ll be back, the first time remains the sweetest. — J.A.

How to watch: The Terminator is now streaming on Max.

9. Batman Returns

The best Batman movie of them all! Period. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 Miss Kitties. Max has all the other Bat-candidates streaming — Tim Burton’s original, the Nolan trilogy, the Schumacher one-off, plus Matt Reeves’s fresh 2022 take with Robert Pattinson — so feel free to test that assertion, but I stand by it. Where else are you gonna get Michelle Pfeiffer purring in patent leather? A soiled Danny DeVito biting a man’s nose off? A cascade of sexual perversions masquerading as a routine superhero flick, Batman Returns bewildered the unsuspecting public when it came out in 1992. But it was formative for an entire generation of queer kids to be, and we’re still cat-whipping ourselves to completion with umpteenth Christmas-time rewatch. Never forget: Mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it, but a kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it, baby. — J.A.

How to watch: Batman Returns is now streaming on Max.

10. Predator

Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Predator."


Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

This list could be nothing but Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, and we’d all leave satisfied. As is, we’ll make do with two, including John McTiernan’s glorious 1987 hyper-violent jungle thriller Predator here. Introducing one of cinema’s coolest and creepiest villains, a lizardy space hunter who has a thing for tearing out spines and turning invisible, Predator takes a page out of Aliens‘ playbook by introducing us to a ragtag gang of hard-ass soldier-types, each one cooler and harder-assed than the one before him. And then it shows them each getting sliced through like Velveeta cheese by an enemy that’s way outta their league. All until the final girl — in this case, the big, burly, cigar-chomping Dutch (Schwarzenegger) — and the monster finally go toe-to-toe in an explosive finale wherein the word “explosive” can barely contain the amount of charges these filmmakers detonated in the jungle. This is deliciously muscular stuff. Literally! — J.A.

How to watch: Predator is now streaming on Max.

11. Edge of Tomorrow

Groundhog Day on steroids is a good way to describe director Doug Liman’s ass-kicking Edge of Tomorrow, which stars Tom Cruise as a soldier trapped in a time loop while fighting some bad mother aliens from outer space. It turns out that every time the aliens kill him, he wakes back up at the beginning of the day before the big battle, which forces him to use what he learns each time through to get him further and further behind the enemy’s defenses. So yes, it’s explicit video-game plotting, but with the added benefit of watching one of the world’s most obnoxious movie stars die repeatedly. 

Meanwhile, Emily Blunt struts off with the whole shebang (but then, she has a tendency to do that) as a much-heralded soldier who, it turns out, has been through the same experience. Her character, Sergeant Major Rita Vrataski, becomes vital to helping William Cage (Cruise) get his bearings — and also for laughing at him. Basically, this is a good movie for Tom Cruise haters, while also simultaneously highlighting all of the things he’s good at: running, leaping, smirking until he gets punched. We all win. — J.A.

How to watch: Edge of Tomorrow is now streaming on Max.

12. Blade

Wesley Snipes in "Blade."


Credit: Bruce Talamon / New Line / Kobal / Shutterstock

Although it’s tough to choose between Stephen Norrington’s 1998 original and Guillermo del Toro’s excellent 2002 sequel, I give the edge to the first film because it’s got two things that del Toro’s lacks – namely, Stephen Dorff chewing the scenery as the villain Deacon Frost (and what a ’90s villain name that is), and that iconic opening scene where it starts raining blood at the vampire rave. (And what a ’90s concept that is!) The good news is that you don’t have to choose; they’re both streaming on Max.

But both films are fortunate enough to have Wesley Snipes in the title role, kicking unholy amounts of vampire ass as the Marvel creation of a half-vampire who hunts his vampire kind, way before “Marvel creations” in the movies were really a thing. Of course, we’re supposed to be getting a new Blade in the MCU eventually, starring Mahershala Ali, and I wish them well. But as dated as they may be in some ways, these two Blades remain as sharp as ever in others. — J.A.

How to watch: Blade is now streaming on Max.

13. Speed Racer

Unfairly maligned upon release, the Wachowskis’ live-action take on the 1960s manga and anime from Tatsuo Yoshida has gained cult status in the 15 years since it flopped in theaters. This kaleidoscopic creation begs to be beheld on the big screen, spinning and whirling and careening as it does with every candy color under the sun. If you’ve got a good set-up at home, you can’t go wrong watching the pop-saturated adventures of Speed (Emile Hirsch), Trixie (Christina Ricci), Pops and Mom (John Goodman and Susan Sarandon), and the whole gang as they rush us through a hallucinogenic wonderland of fast cars, thrilling races, and one adorable pet chimp. As usual with the Wachowskis, this movie was deeply ahead of its time and deserves total rediscovery. At least until I can see it again on a big screen as intended! — J.A.

How to watch: Speed Racer is now streaming on Max

14. The French Connection

With the recent death of director William Friedkin, it’s the perfect time to revisit the movie that won him the Best Director Oscar in 1972. (Two years later, he got nominated again for The Exorcist… and then inexplicably was never nominated again.) Not just one of the greatest cops-and-robbers films ever made but one of the greatest films ever made, The French Connection stars Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider as two NYPD detectives on the tail of some big-time heroin smugglers. Based on real-life detectives, the film has a gritty vérité quality that captures the essence of 1970s New York, especially in its second half, which is generally considered the greatest chase scene of all time. — J.A.

How to watch: The French Connection is now streaming on Max.

15. Superman

The ultimate comic book movie, bar none. Christopher Reeve will always be Superman to me, no matter how many square-jawed, hyper-muscular Brandon Rouths and Henry Cavills and David Corenswets they toss at the role. And the same goes for Margot Kidder as Lois Lane. So, credit where credit is due — a man named Lynn Stalmaster was the casting director on Richard Donner’s 1978 film, and the dude did his job and then some. Every actor in every role of this movie feels forever iconic.

And that feeling infects every corner. Long before comic book movies were a thing, Donner and his crew cobbled together the blueprint, and every single Marvel and DC movie since has been forced to borrow something from it. Although I tend to think of the first and second Superman films as one story, because a little kneeling-before-Zod is needed too. But Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor makes for a splendid (albeit goofy) villain, and every second of screen time that Reeve & Kidder share is movie magic. May we all find somebody to spin the world backwards for us when the time comes. — J.A.

How to watch: Superman is now streaming on Max.

UPDATE: Oct. 27, 2023, 1:57 p.m. EDT Updated to include the latest Max offerings.