IT General

The Friend co-stars Bill Murray and Naomi Watts discuss the films they are most proud of and the relationship between sacrifice and art.

The Friend is now in theaters.

We've faced Liberation Day, and everyone is still scrambling to get their heads around how Trump's tariffs will impact the struggling economy.

Stephen Colbert breaks the past 24 hours in the Late Show clip above, from the stock market reaction to the way Trump may or may not have calculated his tariff formula.

"Everybody's trying to figure out the logic behind these tariffs, and according to some guys on the internet who actually did this, the formula is apparently what you get if you ask ChatGPT to make tariff policy," says Colbert, referencing an article by professor and former NYT columnist Paul Krugman. "Ohhh, busted! Somebody cheated on your tariff homework. 'Oh God, I didn't finish my project for Liberation Day! Or start it, or decide what it is! Help me out, Secretary Robo-brain.'"

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for April 4 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 4, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Part of plankton.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter L appears twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter K.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

KRILL.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 4

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

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Wordle.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 4 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: The surplus

• Green: Road trip

• Blue: Where you'd watch the Yankees, Red Sox, etc.

• Purple: Minus "E"

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: What's leftover

• Green: Car trip

• Blue: Baseball venues

• Purple: Companies with "E" removed

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #663 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• What's leftover: BALANCE, DIFFERENCE, REMAINDER, REST

• Car trip: CRUISE, DRIVE, RIDE, SPIN

• Baseball venues: DIAMOND, FIELD, PARK, STADIUM

• Companies with "E" removed: BAY, HARMONY, INK, TRADE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 4

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

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Connections.

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

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 4 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Step on it!

The words are meant for walking.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are something you would take steps on, typically inside.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Flooring.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for April 4

• Hardwood

• Linoleum

• Terrazzo

• Laminate

• Concrete

• Flooring

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

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Strands.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Underperforming

• Green: Still have a shot at women's championship

• Blue: Teams that have had the same player

• Purple: Words with an ending related to Serena Williams' sport

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Not meeting expectations

• Green: Teams in the Women's Final Four

• Blue: Teams Kawhi Leonard has played for

• Purple: Ends in a piece of tennis equipment

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #193 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Not meeting expectations - BUST, DISAPPOINTMENT, DUD, FAILURE

• Teams in the women's Final Four - BRUINS, GAMECOCKS, HUSKIES, LONGHORNS

• Teams Kawhi Leonard has played for - AZTECS, CLIPPERS, RAPTORS, SPURS

• Ends in a piece of tennis equipment - BRACKET, EYEBALL, HORSESHOES, INTERNET

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

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

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Connections.

SAVE $50: As of April 4, the JBL Boombox 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker is on sale at Amazon for $449.95, 10% off its list price of $499.95.

Opens in a new window Credit: JBL JBL Boombox 3 Black Portable Bluetooth Speaker $449.95 at Amazon
$499.95 Save $50 Get Deal

The arrival of springtime weather means more opportunities to go outside and enjoy some sunshine. There's nothing better than listening to some music outside as well, and to do that you need a good portable speaker. Thankfully, there are still some deals on them available after Amazon's Big Spring Sale, including on the JBL Boombox 3 if you're looking for some big sound to take on the go.

The JBL Boombox 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker has been marked down at Amazon from its list price of $499.95 to $449.95, offering a 10% discount. There are two color options available at this price as well, so you can choose between the black or camouflage speakers. That's not all, either. Your purchase also comes with a 90-day free trial of an Amazon Music Unlimited Individual Plan. Keep in mind that this offer is only available to new subscribers to Amazon Music Unlimited, though.

SEE ALSO: There's still time to save on the JBL Go 4 portable speaker at Amazon after the Big Spring Sale

Though the JBL Boombox 3 has a larger build it comes with a metal handle so you can carry it around on your adventures, no matter where you go. And with that in mind, it's also dustproof and waterproof, so it can join you on a hike through the woods or on a trip to the beach. You can expect big, rich sound with this speaker as well and an extra-long 24 hour battery life to keep the party going all day.

Amazon has this listed as a limited time deal, so if the JBL Boombox 3 has caught your eye you'll want to act fast to score it at this price.

The best streaming deals to watch 'Y2K' at home: BEST NON-STREAMING OPTION Buy or rent 'Y2K' on Prime Video $19.99 to buy, $5.99 to rent Get Deal BEST OVERALL Max (With Ads) annual subscription $99.99 per year (save 16%) Get Deal BEST NO-ADS OPTION Max Ad-Free annual subscription $169.99/year (save 16%) Get Deal GET MAX FOR FREE Max (With Ads) for Cricket customers Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month unlimited plan (save $9.99/month) Get Deal GET MAX FOR FREE Max (With Ads) Free for DashPass annual plan subscribers (save $9.99 per month) Get Deal BEST FOR STUDENTS Max Student $4.99 per month for 12 months (save 50%) Get Deal BEST BUNDLE DEAL Disney+, Hulu, and Max $16.99 per month (with ads), $29.99 per month (no ads) (save up to 38%) Get Deal

What if the Y2K conspiracy theories ending up being true? That's essentially what A24's Y2K asks and answers in its nostalgic teen disaster comedy.

If you're craving some Chumbawumba "Tubthumping" and killer Tamagotchis, you've come to the right place. The wild millennium stoner comedy is officially available to stream at home this spring — here's everything you need to know to watch.

What is Y2K about?

Directed by Saturday Night Live alum Kyle Mooney and written by Mooney and Evan Winter, Y2K follows two high school besties — Danny (Julian Dennison) and Eli (Jaeden Martell) who aren't exactly in the cool clique. They decide to crash a New Year's Eve house party on the last night of 1999. Unfortunately, Eli's attempts to get his crush Laura's (Rachel Zegler) attention are stifled when the Y2K bug hits at midnight and the technology turns against them. Computers, ceiling fans, microwaves, and even Tamagotchis become weapons, which leads to a midnight massacre.

Check out the full trailer:

Is Y2K worth watching?

"As a first watch, Y2K is a lot of fun. Its teen cast overall has terrific energy, and a supporting cast that includes Alicia Silverstone, Tim Heidecker, and Mooney — as a burnout video store clerk — brings welcomed microdoses of weirdness," Mashable Film Editor Kristy Puchko writes. "The celebration of all things '00s is undeniably charming, even if used superficially. Jokes come fast and frantic, so even if some don't land, there's plenty of laughs to be had."

While the Rotten Tomatoes critic and audience ratings are pretty bleak — just 42 percent and 52 percent, respectively —  our reviewer writes that it's a good time, despite falling short of greatness.

Read our full review of Y2K.

How to watch Y2K at home Credit: A24

Y2K made its theatrical debut on December 6, then almost immediately became available to watch at home later that month via digital video-on-demand platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV. You can purchase the film for your digital collection or rent it for 30 days for $9.99 or $5.99, respectively. Take note that renting a film gives you 30 days to watch, but only 48 hours to finish once you begin. The A24 horror comedy made its streaming debut in April. Scroll on to learn more.

You can purchase and rent the film at the following retailers:

• Prime Video — buy for $9.99, rent for $5.99

• Apple TV — buy for $9.99, rent for $5.99

• Fandango at Home (Vudu) — buy for $9.99, rent for $5.99

• Google Play — buy for $9.99, rent for as low as $4.99

• YouTube — buy for $9.99, rent for as low as $4.99

Opens in a new window Credit: Prime Video Rent or buy 'Y2K' at Prime Video $5.99 or $9.99 Get Deal Is Y2K streaming?

2000s nostalgia arrived on the small screen this spring — Y2K made its streaming debut on Max on April 4, 2025. A24's new theatrical releases exclusively stream on Max before anywhere else. Thus, Kyle Mooney's disaster comedy will join other recent A24 hits like MaXXXine, Heretic, Queer, and Babygirl.

Max subscriptions start at $9.99 per month, but there are a few different ways to save some money on your plan. Check out the best Max streaming deals below.

The best Max streaming dealsBest for most people: Save 16% on Max with ads annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max (with ads) yearly subscription $99.99 per year (save 16%) Get Deal

While the cheapest monthly Max subscription goes for $9.99 (with ads), an annual subscription brings that cost down to just $8.33 per month. Of course, you'll have to pay for the year up front for $99.99, but it will ultimately end up saving you 16%. You could also just sign up for a single month of service, watch Y2K and whatever else you desire, then cancel before the month ends.

Best Max deal with no ads: Save 16% on a Max Ad-Free annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max (No Ads) annual subscription $169.99 per year (save 16%) Get Deal

Similarly, you can save an extra 16% by committing to a yearly plan of the Max ad-free tiers, for those who cannot fathom watching with ads. You have two tiers to choose from: Max Ad-Free and Max Ultimate Ad-Free. The basic ad-free tier costs either $16.99 per month or $169.99 per year (about $14.17 per month), while the Ultimate tier costs either $20.99 per month or $209.99 per year (about $17.50 per month).

Note: Both tiers offer an ad-free viewing experience, but the Ultimate tier comes with 4K Ultra HD video quality and Dolby Atmos immersive audio.

Best Max deal for Cricket customers: Free Max with ads for customers on the $60/month unlimited plan Opens in a new window Credit: Cricket / Max Max (with ads) Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month plan Get Deal

Cricket customers on the $60 per month unlimited plan can get Max with ads for free. That's a $99.99 per year value for zero dollars. Just choose Cricket as your provider when logging into Max and enter your credentials to log in. Boom — you're able to watch whatever you want on Max. This is one of your only options to get Max for free in 2025.

Best Max deal for DoorDash users: Free Max with ads with DashPass annual plan Opens in a new window Credit: DoorDash / Max Max (with ads) Free with DashPass annual plan ($8/month) Get Deal

Another way to get Max for free in 2025 is through DoorDash's annual DashPass plan. An annual DashPass membership costs $96 per year ($8 per month) and gets you $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible orders, plus a Max subscription (with ads). Eligible subscribers must activate their Max subscription in their DoorDash account. While the free deal only applies to the Max plan with ads, you can also choose to upgrade for a discounted rate to eliminate them.

Best Max deal for students: Save 50% on Max with ads Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max Student $4.99 per month for 12 months Get Deal

College students can sign up for an entire year of Max (with ads) for just $4.99 per month instead of $9.99. That's 50% in savings. Just verify your student status with UNiDAYS to retrieve your unique discount code and drop the price.

Best bundle deal: Get Max, Disney+, and Hulu for up to 38% off Opens in a new window Credit: Disney / Hulu / Max Disney+, Hulu, and Max $16.99 per month (with ads), $29.99 per month (no ads) Get Deal

While it's not the cheapest way to watch Y2K and other A24 flicks on Max, the Disney+ bundle is honestly one of the best streaming deals around. You'll get Max, Disney+, and Hulu with ads for only $16.99 per month, as opposed to paying for all three separately for a grand total of $25.97. If you choose to go ad-free, it'll cost you $29.99 per month, which is still a steal compared to the usual cost of $48.97. That's up to 38% in savings for access to three full streaming libraries.

You are a small, pixelated human living in a hamlet known as Pelican Town. Residing on your late grandfather's farm, life is all about toiling the land, improving the tiny village's amenities, and forming meaningful relationships with your fellow townspeople.

The desire for such bucolic simplicity is at the heart of Stardew Valley, a 2016 farming simulation that turned turnip harvesting into an uplifting community activity. Nearly ten years later, the game is a global hit, selling more than 41 million copies and becoming a prime example of a growing genre known as "cozy games." 

SEE ALSO: A brief history of meditation video games Cozy games are the future of gaming

Mary Kish, Head of Community at streaming giant Twitch, was one of the very first people to review Stardew Valley after it launched on PCs in 2016.

"Stardew Valley's meditative activities often lead to personal reflection in the real world," Kish wrote in her GameSpot review of the farming sim. "It’s a game that tugs at your curiosity as often as it does your heart. Stuffed with rewarding opportunities, Stardew Valley motivates naturally, with blissful optimism."

Stardew Valley had a huge impact on a generation growing tired of Shoot 'Em Up (or "Shmup") games. "I think it might be the most prolific example of what a cozy game is, at least for this generation of gamer," Kish says now. "When I got to play Stardew Valley, it almost felt like time froze. I could feel myself completely letting go of my day-to-day concerns," she told Mashable. Not only did Kish sleep better, a needed reprieve from a stressful early career, she had Stardew dreams — "the best dreams I've ever had," she says, and would wake up "with a sense of agency."

Cozy gaming has evolved since then, in an appropriately low-key way. Twitch's "chill" stream tag, for example, was the most watched tag of 2024, and has been added to 3.43 million broadcasts in 2025 so far. Games like Stardew Valley and mega-popular Animal Crossing continue to rack up millions in both sales and Twitch views. 

'Engaging in genuine play is good for you' - Kurt Squire, professor of informatics, UC Irvine

So what makes a cozy game? According to players, they tend to be low on stimulation, built around aesthetics many of us would call "cute" or "soft." Many involve life simulations — running a coffee shop, or power washing a particularly dirty town. Most importantly, cozy games aren't really about winning. They encourage players to enjoy the ride. 

Soaring in popularity during the pandemic, cozy gaming became an oasis for many during a period of increased anxiety and depression. Gamers often describe cozy games as helping them enter relaxed, meditative states and reduce their daily stress. And science can explain why.

The psychology behind mindfulness and cozy gaming

Here's what research on wellbeing, social and emotional learning, and play tells us: "Engaging in genuine play is good for you and is restorative," says Kurt Squire, a professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine and a veteran video game researcher. "Being surrounded by cuteness and/or positive things is also good." 

Research also suggests gaming can help in achieving meditative flow states, which is why more creators are designing video games explicitly for mindfulness and meditation. Games studied include the nature-driven Flow or the Stardew Valley precursor Harvest Moon. And then there are breath counting games, for which Squire received a grant to build and study with the help of neuropsychologist Richard Davidson, founder of the Center for Healthy Minds. 

In 2019, the Center for Healthy Minds published a study that showed specially designed video games could help young players train their attention and minimize distraction. This was essential to building positive emotional responses, as well as improve focused meditation and open mindfulness practices.

One of the study's authors and Healthy Minds Innovations senior scientist, Tammi Kral, says mechanics matter just as much as cozy vibes. A game "can have really beautiful art and music, but if the mechanics are frustrating it won't be calming," she says. "Some games might not seem calming, but if someone is able to easily play the game and they enjoy it, they might find relaxation."

Games can also foster a feeling of contentment and self awareness, with low learning curves that help keep frustration at bay. That last point, says Kral, is essential. In clinical studies, such games can be seen reducing a player's levels of the stress hormone cortisol — just as mindfulness practice does.

Casual video gamers show greater engagement and can better restore their moods in response to stressful stimuli, as well as lower heart rates and blood pressure at levels comparable to meditation. A study by researchers at the University of Central Florida, Orlando found that one particular low-stress puzzle game, Sushi Cat 2, had a measurable effect on players' emotional states. 

The cute kittens definitely helped.

Cozy games show an evolution in digital habits 

Cozy games, and the Twitch streamers who play them for thousands of viewers every day, don't explicitly advertise themselves as cortisol-reducing, or flow state-inducing. Still, so-called comfort creators are riding a wave of wellness and mindfulness-centered trends on platforms like TikTok.

Creators like JubileeWhispers stream both whimsical cozy games, like the popular diorama building game Tiny Glade, and nostalgic games like Super Mario Odyssey, while adding the calming whispered elements of ASMR. Twitch users are devoting hours to watching cozy gaming content, while TikTok cozy creators have dedicated their pages to calming curation.

Kennedy, also known as Cozy.Games on TikTok, has become something of a spokesperson for the community. She first got into what the industry would later call "cozy gaming" to destress from law school. The budding cozy games community, then mainly on Instagram and predominately women-centered, felt like a welcoming oasis compared to other gaming spaces. 

"We will always stumble into uncomfortableness in our lives, especially in games. It's how you approach your problems that defines you." - Mary Kish, Head of Community, Twitch

When Kennedy started playing Harvest Moon, she says, something clicked. "I grew up playing platformers, like Mario, and shooters. There weren't really moments to slow down and be and exist. Harvest Moon was the first moment for me where that happened. I was like, 'This is where I want to be forever and ever and ever.'" 

Dedicating much of her life to cozy games has changed Kennedy's own perception of her time and mental health. "I think it's really valuable to be able to read your own emotions," she says. "I realized over time that you couldn't just force yourself to do an activity because you wanted to do it. Sometimes your brain's not ready to do that activity.

"Instead of beating myself up about that, I've come to realize you just have to work with where your brain is in the moment, and sometimes you just need a little 'brain off' time."

Now, cozy games are marketed by big game developers, like Nintendo and Xbox, and have their own category at the annual game awards. Still, Kennedy says that the community have remained overwhelmingly conflict-free, with the genre's main drama stemming from whether or not a game is "cozy enough." 

That's a rare feat within an industry that is often exclusionary. Online hate and harassment is still a major problem among women and people of color in gaming spaces, making strong moderation essential to a beneficial gaming experience. But in removing the pressure of real life socialization, Kral says, these spaces can have outsized benefits for members of marginalized communities, such as trans players and gamers of color. 

Labels may be important, too: People who ritually played and felt stigmatized by their interest in "less serious" video games, uncomfortable with claiming to be more than a hobbyist, may find community and identity in being a "cozy gamer," added Kennedy. And while much has been written about the COVID-19 lockdown creating a new cohort of gamers, it also encouraged lifelong gamers to slow down and take a breath.

"Now they're seeing this community of people who are very proud to say, 'Yeah, I am a gamer, and here's how I game a little bit differently. And I'm proud that it's different,'" said Kennedy.

Cozy games foster mindfulness, even if you're not playing them 

People aren't just playing cozy games, they're also watching others do so, and living vicariously through them. On a growing number of Twitch streams, Twitch's Kish says, users are seeking stress-free, relaxed, and immersive environments. "It's not just about de-stressing, it's actually about finding commonality among other people, other gamers, that understand and empathize," she notes. "You're not just watching a game on Twitch. You're actually hanging out with the streamer, and you're hanging out with everybody in chat too."

While more study is needed into the benefits of watching another person play, Squire and Kral both say watching cozy streams could have a similar effect to playing cozy games. 

"There's a ton of research in general, and some research specific to gaming, showing that people can have vicarious experiences," explained Kral. "Just by watching someone else do something, you can gain and you can share in that experience." Mirror neurons, essential to empathy building, fire when looking at video games as much as they do when staring at a fellow human.

Watching others navigate less cozy, more complicated games could have positive benefits, too. "There is a sort of camaraderie and feeling of connection," said Squire. "Part of it is also learning to reframe your mistakes as growing opportunities. Watching other people do it can be revelatory." Comfort creators, in other words, may be modeling better social emotional processing for viewers.

SEE ALSO: When the urge to gamble strikes, try mindfulness

And that could have wider implications for the streaming community at large. Kish says game developers, seeking to meet the evolving demands of cozy players, may choose to invest more in building games that have replayability. If you've wrung out all the benefits you can out of playing a cozy game, maybe there's a little more juice left in watching others do so.

"It's like a slightly cheaper, easier way to potentially get some of those benefits or experiences that the actual player is having," says Kral.

"That separation allows you to enjoy their experience passively," adds Kish. "The reality is that we will always stumble into uncomfortableness in our lives, and especially in games. It's how you are able to approach your problems or the obstacles that you face that defines you."

Young people are spending more and more time online, seeking socialization and companionship in an often unhealthy digital environment. And that's where games centered around social-emotional learning (of which many cozy games are sneaky transmitters) can help. 

"Having an activity where you are spending time with yourself and you are able to regulate your emotions after a long day is so important," says Kennedy. "Have that routine, even if it's just like 5 to 10 minutes a day, where you're having intentional time with yourself."

Cozy gaming, she adds, "can truly be so beneficial to your mental health."

Let's be real: PC gaming offers the best possible experience for gamers. We love consoles, too, but you just can't deny it.

High-end gaming computers pack more graphical and processing power than any home console, and they offer a level of freedom in terms of customization and game choice that you’re just not going to find anywhere else. Unfortunately, a desktop PC does force you to keep your gaming sessions tied to your desk.

While desktops deliver elite performance, the best gaming laptops fit into the modern lifestyle more smoothly thanks to their portability. It’s more convenient to take your gaming rig with you on the go, whether that’s to a friend’s place or just to another room. Whether you're looking for a powerhouse that supports eye-popping visuals, a lightweight notebook to fit snugly in your backpack, or hoping to find a gaming laptop on a budget, we promise there's a machine for you.

SEE ALSO: Gaming starter kit: All the gear you need to play like a real gamer What's the best cheap gaming laptop, and is it worth it?

When it comes to gaming laptops, it's totally fine not to immediately spring for the top-of-the-line, $3,000-plus powerhouse. Plenty of gaming laptops fall below the $1,000 mark and are well worth the money. But, we would advise you against going too cheap. You really do get what you pay for, and if you settle for a bottom-of-the-barrel machine, you're not going to be able to run the games you want to play anyway.

Testing the Razer Blade 14 gaming laptop for this guide. Credit: Dylan Haas / Mashable

However, if you're looking to keep a tight budget and don't mind playing via cloud streaming, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a great option (more details on that laptop below). And if you're looking to spend even less, the Lenovo Gaming Chromebook 16 is another solid cloud gaming laptop, which you can read about in our guide to the best laptops under $500.

What are the best gaming laptops?

Finding the best laptop for your needs and budget can be tricky. They may be easier to parse than their desktop counterparts, but gaming laptops still require a fair bit of careful spec scrutinization. These are no consoles — you can’t just pick the latest generation system off the shelf and get playing. Choosing between the many graphics cards, processors, storage sizes, and screen types can be a real head-scratcher. Thankfully, you've got us to guide you through the process.

Read on to find our recommendations for the best gaming laptops of 2025.

After Wednesday morning's explosive Nintendo Direct livestream dedicated to Switch 2, I got a chance to spend several hours playing some of the games that will bless the new Nintendo console after it launches on June 5. It may not surprise you to hear that the biggest ones from Nintendo itself all seem kind of awesome.

Namely, the two most notable games I played were Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong: Bananza. The latter isn't a launch game, but they both made strong first impressions – not only as games themselves, but also as demonstrations of what the Switch 2 can do. Let's dig in.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo Switch 2 preorders will start on April 9: Everything you need to know ahead of time Mario Kart World is going to take over the world

I totally understand if you're completely out on Mario Kart World, at least initially, because of the $80 price tag. It's a lot to swallow considering we only just started getting $70 games a few years ago. I can't necessarily defend or explain the price tag right now, but I can say that after doing a handful of races across multiple modes, World has the potential to be an unbelievably cool entry in the Mario Kart canon.

The big story here is that it's set in a large, seamless open world. This seems to affect every part of the game, as even the traditional Grand Prix mode (in which racers compete across four tracks with a winner declared after all four races are done) has been overhauled to include parts where you have to drive from the end of one track to the beginning of the next.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on: 3 things that make it a must-buy

There is no reprieve from racing, except for in a free-roam mode that I didn't get to try. Races have been expanded from 12 drivers to 24, increasing the amount of on-screen chaos by a great deal.

As far as I'm concerned, the main attraction is Knockout Tour, an elimination-based mode that has players race each other from one end of the continent to another. Along the way, there will be five or six checkpoints with a placement number displayed on it. If you drive across a checkpoint that says "16" while you're in 17th place, the race ends for you while everyone else keeps going.

This is kind of a classic mode in several other racing games, but it's new to Mario Kart and plays very nicely with the sort of Cannonball Run mentality of hoofing it from one end of the world to the other. Knockout races are longer than your average Mario Kart race, but that just adds to the stakes as you keep going and get closer and closer to the end. I haven't been that stressed (complimentary) about a Mario Kart race in a long time.

This is what a Knockout Tour race looks like before you start. Credit: Nintendo

I also appreciate the huge number of new costume options for characters, such as Mariachi Waluigi, a version of King Boo dressed like a little fancy lad, and a Toad whose head is a cheeseburger. Importantly, Nintendo seems to have removed (or at least sidelined in the demo I played) kart customization.

You no longer pick a body, wheels, and a glider, you just pick a character and a kart, like the old days. That feature never really sat right with me in Mario Kart, which is a game that anyone should be able to pick up and play within 30 seconds. I also couldn't tell if characters had stats in this game like they have in some previous games. At the very least, they aren't surfaced on the selection screen.

SEE ALSO: The internet reacts to Nintendo's new Switch 2, 'Mario Kart World'

Other odds and ends include new moves like rail grinding and wall-jumping. The former can be done at several points along any given track, while the latter didn't show up in any of the races I did in my brief time with the game.

I appreciate any additions to the standard Mario Kart moveset nonetheless. There are also mid-race costume changes, parts where everyone will transform into a Goomba while Goombas stampede on the track for some reason, and more. Mario Kart World is a game where something nonsensical and funny happens every 5 to 10 seconds, which is what I want from it.

Donkey Kong: Bananza is doing incredible things with the concept of 'punching' This feels so good to do. Credit: Nintendo

Last but certainly not least was Donkey Kong: Bananza, the incredibly titled 3D platformer starring Donkey Kong, his first starring turn in a game like this in 25 years.

Let's get right to it: This is a game about punching stuff. There are four face buttons on a Switch controller and three of them do different kinds of punches depending on which direction you need to swing at. The other one jumps, in case you were wondering. Nearly all of the terrain in its big, vertically oriented levels is destructible, so if you see something, you can more or less just punch your way through the dirt to get to it. Donkey Kong is not interested in precise platforming. He just wants to smash everything.

SEE ALSO: 'Donkey Kong Bananza' announced at Nintendo Switch 2 event

My time with Bananza was pretty brief, which made the controls a little hard to get used to, though not in a way that made me worried about the game at all. There's just a lot you can do; for instance, DK can rip up a piece of the ground below him and either throw it at enemies or ride around on it like a snowboard made of stone. He can also freely climb up vertical surfaces and roll around in a ball, which makes him a more mobile 3D platformer hero than Mario normally is.

Based on my short time with Bananza, it seems like a game with a lot of secrets to hide. The real magic here is that you can start digging through the world in a way that feels like you're breaking the game or doing something you shouldn't do, only to find that there was actually a secret area beneath you the whole time. Crucially, it just feels really good to punch everything in your path. I'm so glad this game is only coming out about a month after the console launches.

TL;DR: Stop waiting to learn something you'll love when you pick up a guitar with this $29.97 course bundle for beginners.

"Oh, give me the beat boys and free my soul/I wanna get lost in your rock 'n' roll" — this you? If you've been dreaming of getting lost in rock 'n' roll, now's the time to make it happen. Conquer beginning guitar with The Complete Beginner to Expert Guitar Lessons Bundle by Dan Dresnok, now just $29.97.

What's in the bundle?

This $2,800-valued course bundle contains over 80 hours of content spread between the following 14 courses:

• Songwriting for the Curious Guitarist

• Children's Songs for the Guitar

• Guitar Lessons for the Curious Guitarist

• Jazz for the Curious Guitarist

• Blues for the Curious Guitarist

• Ear Training for the Curious Guitarist

• Beginner Guitar Lessons Crash Course

• Easy Blues Guitar Crash Course

• Christmas Songs for the Curious Guitarist

• Guitar Jam Method

• Fingerstyle for the Curious Guitarist

• Guitar Technique

• Strumming for the Curious Guitarist 

• Bluegrass for the Curious Guitarist

Course content is available in video and PDF format. Students can access it on both desktop and mobile or download it for offline viewing. Jump right in with the 18-lesson "Beginner Guitar Lessons Crash Course," where you can explore theory, notes, chords, and tabs. Channel your inner Bob Dylan in "Songwriting for the Curious Guitarist" and pair lyrical talents with your new guitar skills.

Throughout all the courses, you'll be led by an expert teacher. Instructor Dan Dresnok has over 30 years of experience teaching guitar and boasts thousands of students, from both online and in-person lessons. Across educational platforms, Dresnok has received many high rankings for instruction. He specializes in jazz, blues, and rock guitar, as well as music theory. Dresnok is also the author of The Curious Guitarist.

Can you hear the chords playing yet? Now's the time to get this beginner guitar bundle for just $29.97 and kickstart your new hobby.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dan Dresnok Beginner guitarists cover the basics in this 14-course bundle from 30-year music veteran Dan Dresnok for just $29.97. $29.97
$2,800 Save $2,770.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Streamline your PDF conversion and editing process when you get this SwifDoo PDF Pro license for $29.97.

Editing PDFs with images and multiple text types within them can be a professional nightmare. Not only do you lose formatting, but now you spend twice as much work time fixing the PDF as you would have just editing it. Take your time back and keep your formatting with SwifDoo PDF, a program offering all-in-one editing, conversions, and translation of files, now just $29.97 for a perpetual license (reg. $129).

Advanced PDF editing features

Professional files should be clean and high-quality. Edit and create PDFs precisely the way you need them with SwifDoo. It includes tools to make PDFs from images, files, scans, CAD, and HEIC documents. Edit them as you go or annotate them with notes for a later review. Enhance images or change their size from scanned images for the best presentation. 

Stay productive and efficient even while making big changes to your PDFs. Add or subtract pages easily. Merge several PDF documents together or split one into a few different documents. Insert links or images to fine-tune document content. Use these tools and others to batch-process multiple PDFs simultaneously.

End multi-step file-sharing processes that are inconvenient for teammates and clients. The PDF editor helps make your files shareable by compressing the file size or converting to various formats, including Word DOC/DOCX, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG, HEIC, EPUB, and CAD. Print directly from the program to make double-sided documents or booklets.

SwifDoo can even help you create secure legal documents. Add or remove watermarks and encrypted files that contain confidential information. Input handwritten or uploaded signatures to finalize contract files. Less back-and-forth file sending for your clients means a more pleasant experience working with you.

Use optical character recognition (OCR) to extract text from scanned images. You can turn these into editable file formats while retaining format and layouts. This also works with foreign languages and offers in-program translation for smooth communication.

Process PDFs efficiently with SwifDoo at your fingertips when you get this deal on a perpetual license for just $29.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: SwifDoo SwifDoo PDF Pro: Perpetual Lifetime License for Windows $29.97
$129 Save $99.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Charge your iPhone on the go with a Speedy Mag wireless charger on sale for $34.97 through April 27.

Opens in a new window Credit: VistaShops Speedy Mag 5,000mAh Wireless Charger for iPhone $34.97
$119.95 Save $84.98 Get Deal

After a few years, even an iPhone battery starts to decay. The days of only charging once a day might be long gone, but that doesn't have to mean you stay glued to an outlet. iPhone users have long had the option to get portable power banks directly from Apple, but have you seen how much the MagGo Power Bank costs?

The Speedy Mag works just like Anker's MagGo at a fraction of the price, and it actually just got cheaper. During this limited-time sale, you can get one of these wireless iPhone chargers on sale for $34.97 (reg. $119). 

A 5,000mAh battery that goes anywhere

The Speedy Mag Wireless iPhone Charger is compact and convenient. It has a built-in magnet that securely attaches to your iPhone to keep a stable charge while you're on the go. The Speedy Mag has a 5,000mAh battery capacity, meaning it can fully recharge some iPhones 1.5 times before it needs to be plugged in. 

This portable charger is compatible with iPhone 12 and newer models, along with any Qi-compatible devices. It even has a spot for wired connections if your phone isn't compatible with wireless charging. 

Don't worry about lugging around a bulky charger. This thing is sleek and slim, so you can still use your phone while it's charging. 

April 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT is the cutoff to get a Speedy Mag Wireless Charger on sale for $34.97

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Swap your big, pricey phone for the mini $89.97 NanoPhone when you're headed out to sporting events or days at the beach for an affordable, practical backup phone.

Opens in a new window Credit: NanoPhone NanoPhone $89.97
$199.99 Save $110.02 A Miniaturized Smartphone Packed with Mega Features Get Deal

There are just some places your expensive daily driver phone doesn't belong, like dropped in mud while mountain biking or buried under your kids' sandcastle during a beach day.

Swap your SIM into the NanoPhone and stay connected to all the apps you need in this better-than-a-burner backup phone, now just $89.97 (reg. $199.99).

Connection without having to be careful

Carrying a $1,000 piece of tech in your pocket changes how you act. You may not be ready to stick your feet in the surf or follow a friend up a rough trail. But if you swap it out for the NanoPhone, which is small enough to tuck away safely — just the size of a credit card — you'll be ready to get out there. 

And you can stay connected while you do it. Unlike burner flip phones that offer the most basic call and text options, the NanoPhone has typical smartphone capabilities. The NanoPhone runs Android 10, so you can access WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, and any other supported favorite apps.

Don't change your activities; change your phone. The NanoPhone is affordable enough to replace if it gets damaged, but you don't have to worry about it thanks to its durable build and included case and screen protector. Keep the 2000mAh battery charged up with a USB-C interface for hours of fun and connection.

Pop in one or two SIMs so you're reachable by your work number. You're connected as long as you're in the range of 4G or WiFi. Navigate with GPS support. Text, watch video tutorials, snap photos with back and front cameras, and make emergency calls — the NanoPhone functions just like your everyday phone without the size (or price tag). 

Do better than a burner phone when you get the $89.97 NanoPhone with this price drop.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The shift from in-office work to hybrid and even full-time work from home has been great for a lot of folks; it allows for greater flexibility, a better work-life balance, and healthier habits. It also gives job seekers greater choice when applying for jobs that would otherwise require a cross-country or cross-state move.

Of course, this major shift comes with some downsides as well. The art of working from home doesn’t jive with all types of workers. Some folks prefer being in an office setting in order to keep themselves accountable for getting their work done efficiently (see: no mid-afternoon naps). Others like the communal aspect of being around colleagues rather than relying on Slack to get their socialization throughout the workday.

It’s no secret that having a designated workspace that's clean and organized will make sitting down and getting to work a whole lot easier than, say, rolling out of bed, grabbing your laptop, and swan-diving right back into bed to get to work (we’ve been there!). But these days, there are also a ton of products and programs designed to make actually sitting down at a desk and getting into the zone that much easier.

That being said, working from home also gives you the ability to multitask and get things done for yourself and your family during your workday. Whether you’re hoping to get fit from home or you want to take advantage of your lunch hour to catch up on laundry, if you play your cards right, it’s pretty feasible to get a lot of shit done. That gives you more time to enjoy yourself once you do close down your laptop for the day.

“While working from home may seem like you'd get easily distracted, I find that working from home is a great way to block your day so that you can be even more motivated to get everything accomplished,” explained Olivia Dreizen Howell, co-founder and CEO of Fresh Starts Registry, certified life coach, and clinical hypnotherapist. “For example, I spend every morning doing a 15-minute timed sprint to write out the day's to-do list while listening to fast and uplifting music, and then will get up to walk around, throw laundry in, bring dishes to the sink, clean up the bathroom for 5 minutes, and then sit back down and transition to classical music or subliminal audios while I begin work!”

What are the best WFH products?

If you’re ready to boost your productivity and get the most out of working from home, we’ve got you covered. The following essentials were tested and reviewed by us, and they've proven to be some of the best WFH gear for upgrading your home office. Whether you want to use your office hours to get in shape or just do some dishes while on a conference call, the following gear will help you perfect the WFH grind.

An incisive expression of family and culture that neither apologizes nor over-explains itself, Roshan Sethi's A Nice Indian Boy is a riotous, moving queer romantic comedy with a wildly unique premise. While it resembles many modern third-culture stories — specifically, tales of disconnect between first-generation South Asians in the West and their immigrant parents — it widens its scope in surprising ways that reflect and refract both personal and cinematic identity.

SEE ALSO: 2025 movie preview: All the films you'll want to know about

Taking inspiration from a romantic Bollywood classic, the film follows a gay Indian American doctor whose parents are nominally accepting, but who want him to find "a nice Indian boy." Long story short: He does! The immediate wrinkle, however, is that this nice Indian boy is none other than Jonathan Groff — yes, Hamilton's original King George — playing a white man raised by Indian parents. 

On one hand, A Nice Indian Boy is the tale of a typical Indian American family, with typical Indian American problems — a generational disconnect, gendered double standards, and a culture of awkward silence around sexuality — but on the other hand, its evolution into grand romantic saga is anything but typical. It's also a story of cross-cultural adoption that dovetails into not only a hilariously awkward meet-the-parents comedy, but also a film about freeing oneself from emotional and generational baggage, in a way that yields tears of joy and laughter.

What is A Nice Indian Boy about? Credit: Blue Harbor Entertainment

Dr. Naveen Gavaskar (Deadpool's Karan Soni) is the kind of realistic queer protagonist seldom seen in Hollywood: an introverted gay man who'd rather be at home than at the club — or in the case of the movie's opening scene, at his sister's colorful wedding reception. As the guests dance to thumping tunes, and the camera tilts and spins to capture them, Naveen sits still, fending off over-enthusiastic family members whose words of marital encouragement sound more like a dire warning: "You're next!"

What Naveen's nosy aunties and uncles don't know, and what his parents begrudgingly accept, is that his wedding won't quite look like a Hindi movie, since he happens to be into guys.

Six years go by — notably, the amount of time between Sethi coming out and the film's premiere — and Naveen's life away from his parents is somewhat content, even though it involves lonely nights of leaving exes and crushes some uncomfortably awkward voice messages. He has absolutely no game, despite the efforts of his outgoing gay colleague Paul (Peter S. Kim) to bring him out of his shell. But the gods eventually smile on him when he comes across an attractive white photographer, Jay Kurundkar (Groff), at his local mandir (or temple) while praying to a statue of Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu god of wisdom and good luck.

Two things immediately stand out about Jay: his tranquil charm, and his authentic pronunciation of "Ganesh" — with an extended "e" as in "lace," rather than the protracted "e" of words like "less," to which most Westerners default. Naveen is immediately flustered by Jay's confident stares, but agrees to accompany him on a date to his favorite movie, which, to the good doctor's surprise, turns out to be Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (or DDLJ), the iconic 1995 Bollywood romance about two star-crossed Indian Londoners, whose musical centerpiece features superstar Shah Rukh Khan serenading actress Kajol in a field of yellow mustard flowers.

SEE ALSO: Netflix's 'The Romantics': A nostalgic and impassioned tribute to Hindi cinema

But instead of being bowled over by this gesture, Naveen finds himself unable to fully embrace the film or Jay's off-key crooning of its famous track, "Tujhe Dekha To" (yes, Groff sings it himself, with barely a syllable out of place). Sincerity and vulnerability remain obstacles to Naveen, even after he and Jay start dating. This proves mildly problematic when meeting each other's friends, but it's downright disastrous when the question of Jay meeting Naveen's parents arises, given how little he's told them about his white, freelance photographer boyfriend who vapes and waxes poetic about Hindi cinema.

The results are as side-splitting as they are disheartening, because the one lesson A Nice Indian Boy takes from DDLJ is that Indian romantic films are family dramas too. However, what initially seems hopeless ends up an exciting challenge, because Jay has also internalized this lesson. And, like Shah Rukh Khan's brash Raj Malhotra, he'll stop at nothing to win over the parents of the person he loves.

A Nice Indian Boy is also a family drama. Credit: Blue Harbor Entertainment

The film, written by Eric Randall, is based on the play by Madhuri Shekar, and it has the structure of a five-act play, with each section broken up by significant time jumps. This ends up serving a dual purpose. On one hand, this shifts the typical feel-good rom-com climax to the middle of the story, away from its usual place in most three-act Hollywood screenplays, where it serves as a resolution. In the process, A Nice Indian Boy allows for the realities of long-term romance and wedding planning to creep in through the corners of the frame, beyond the broad declarations of love.

On the other hand, it also allows each member of Naveen's family to have their own dedicated section of the movie, during which they become a primary character. Like Naveen, his sister Arundhathi (Sunita Mani) harbors a grudge against their parents for the choices she did and didn't have while growing up, including in matters of love, and she sees their increased leeway with Naveen as a matter of grave injustice. Meanwhile, their outspoken mother Megha (Zarna Garg) tries to smooth things over with both children, but since she's just as hot-headed as her daughter, it's easier said than done. In terms of temperament, Naveen takes after his father Archit (Harish Patel), though his silent acceptance of Naveen's sexuality — while avoiding eye contact at all cost — hurts more than outright disapproval. Like his son, Archit has a problem with expressing himself honestly.

However, Megha and Archit's genuine attempts to bridge the gap between themselves and Naveen also leads to some uproarious overcompensation, between the topics they bring up in Jay's presence without any filter whatsoever, to their sincere attempts to educate themselves by binging raunchy reality shows on OutTV and bringing them up in conversation. It's incredibly funny and incredibly sweet, but none of these superficial gestures — no matter how well-meaning — are a substitute for the real emotional work the Gavaskar family needs.

The film doesn't let Naveen off the hook either, whether it comes to his avoidance of intimacy or the walls he keeps up between him and his family members. Those walls only start to come down after some rigorous and difficult dramatic moments, which Sethi directs with incredible command.

A Nice Indian Boy is brilliantly directed.   Credit: Blue Harbor Entertainment

The film's premise resembles a number of third-culture films and shows featuring South Asians in the West, like The Big Sick, Ms. Marvel, and Blinded by the Light. These stories of artistically driven first-gen kids and their immigrant parents who "just don't understand" have settled into a rote rhythm in recent years. A fellow SXSW selection, the lukewarm The Queen of My Dreams, is a key example: a similarly Bollywood-inspired tale of a queer Pakistani Canadian who nominally reconciles with her conservative mother. It's rarely a good sign when you can map out the beats of a story based on its cultural premise, but A Nice Indian Boy finds numerous visual and thematic ways to buck that trend.

SEE ALSO: Bollywood's dad, Anupam Kher, on the unique warmth of 'The Big Sick'

It stands out, first and foremost, through its bustling visual energy, which not only captures the chaos and excitement constantly unfolding around Naveen — at weddings, family meetings, or parties hosted by Jay's outgoing friends — but also serves to magnify his glum stillness as the camera pushes in and pulls out prominently during both comedy beats and charged emotional moments. The film's comedy and drama stem from the same place: the tension of expectations, whether it involves Naveen wrestling with his prescribed role as an Indian man in the West; the implications of his queerness, according to his parents; or how Jay will fit into the Gavaskars' family dynamic.

What Jay yearns for, as a perpetual outsider who found love in an Indian household once before, is just as vital to the movie as Naveen's search for emotional authenticity. And when the film begins drawing more overtly from Bollywood iconography, it weaves together its grandiose romance from both their perspectives. To Jay, Hindi cinema is the ultimate expression of love and acceptance. To Naveen, it's a cheesy façade. The truth, it turns out, may lie somewhere in between, with Sethi presenting the story's key turning points as stylistic handshakes between formal grandeur and naturalistic, self-aware comedy, without compromising either character’s point of view. The movie's sweeping declarations are as bold and unapologetic as they are goofy and silly, so they end up running the emotional gamut.

Rarely has a rom-com been this simultaneously hysterical and touching, though despite its boisterous tone, its biggest strength may very well be its silent moments. The father-son pairing of Naveen and Archit tend to find solace in silence, and that isn't likely to change anytime soon. So, in order to draw them out of their comfort zones, A Nice Indian Boy becomes a film about gestures both big and small. Its most heartrending moments arrive in the form of these two men — separated by generational disconnect, but bound by common cultural expectations — adapting to other people's modes of expression in the small ways they're able to. Over the course of the film, they learn to speak other people's love languages, leading to rousing, overwhelming moments (some of them in delightful musical form). 

In a just world, A Nice Indian Boy would find instant distribution and be hailed alongside Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding as a realistic family portrait whose jagged edges aren't just riveting, but revelatory. It's as sweet and funny as they come, and the kind of crowd-pleaser destined to leave your heart feeling full.

A Nice Indian Boy is now in theaters.

UPDATE: Apr. 2, 2025, 1:00 p.m. EDT A Nice Indian Boy was reviewed out of its World Premiere at SXSW 2024 on March 23, 2024. It has been updated for its theatrical run.

What if all the hysteria about Y2K was valid? In 1999, as the clocks ticked down to the new millennium, there was a global fear that a computer coding shortcut could result in widespread tech issues, disrupting life as we know. That didn't happen, but Saturday Night Live alum Kyle Mooney's directorial debut Y2K asks the question: What if it did though? 

Studded with young stars like It's Jaeden Martell, Hunt for the Wilderpeople's Julian Dennison, West Side Story's Rachel Zegler, and Stranger Things' Eduardo Franco, sci-fi comedy Y2K's core story is about what a nightmare it is to be a teen with a crush. But is boatloads of nostalgia, goofy gore, and massive amounts of dopey jokes enough to make this comedy come together? 

Y2K is Terminator, but stupid. 

Written by Evan Winter, Y2K centers on two high school besties, who are way outside the cool kid clique. But one New Year's Eve, goofball Danny (Dennison) convinces wallflower Eli (Martell) that now is the time to get noticed by crashing a house party. While Eli's fumbling to get the attention of beautiful hacker Laura (Zegler), Danny is karaokeing raucously to Sisqó's "Thong Song" and getting the attention he's long craved. But as the clock strikes midnight, computers rebel as AI goes evil, going on a comedic killing spree in which everything from ceiling fans and microwaves to Tamagotchis can be a weapon. The midnight slaughter sequence is as outrageous as it is hilarious. 

Featured Video For You Why you're wrong about Y2K, 20 years later

The sci-fi logic of the film is basically non-existent, though Zegler's Laura is saddled with a series of hacker exposition dumps that half-heartedly set up some rules. But Y2K refuses to take science-fiction seriously. The premise is an excuse to goof on 2000s culture and chuck some teen archetypes into silly shenanigans. So Eli reluctantly leads a motley band of survivors out of this house of horrors and into a plan to save not just their high school but the whole world. 

Y2K is radiant in '00s nostalgia. 

Much like PEN15, Y2K plunges audiences back into a time where AIM away messages were pretentious poetry, dial-up squawked, T-shirts were worn inexplicably oversized, and burning CDs was a meaningful tool of self-expression. The opening sequence is littered with such nostalgic '00s details, which aptly set the era and earned much laughter and cheers from the SXSW audience at the film's world premiere. Props to Mooney for crafting such a crowd-pleasing beginning, but upon reflection, there's few actual jokes there. It's all about the joy of recognition, which could mean this comedy won't play for Gen Z at all, despite their recent Y2K revival. 

SEE ALSO: The ultimate Y2K gift guide for millennials and teens alike

Other references play a bigger role in the plot, like Danny learning Tae-Bo via Billy Blanks' once unavoidable workout videos and a musician cameo that — while funny and surprising — wears out its welcome by beating the same joke into the ground. Actually, that's a bit of a recurring problem. Mooney doesn't have a great sense of when enough is enough so several bits drag, making the movie feel a bit meandering even at one hour and thirty-three minutes. But the bigger issue is Y2K hangs itself on its least interesting character. 

Julian Dennison outshines Jaeden Martell. 

Winter's script is woefully lazy in developing Martell's Eli as a character. Established as shy and vaguely nerdy (he likes computer games and modifying action figures), Eli is identifiable as the lovestruck nerd archetype. However, he's not weird enough to be interesting in this world where electronics are suddenly transforming into gnarly killing machines. Likewise his crush Laura is regarded as extraordinary because she's pretty, popular, and into computers while being a girl. There's admittedly a self-awareness in other characters pointing out this supposed dissonance, but Y2K doesn't go any deeper into Laura's personality. So the jokes at her expense are more a lampshade of the issue rather than challenging it. 

Where the teen comedy aspect comes alive is in Danny as the charismatic wild card bestie, Franco as a rock-rap-loving bully, and Lachlan Watson as a surly alt chick. But sadly, the script sidelines them for way too much of the movie. While Zegler has undeniable screen presence, Martell offers a blank stare for much of the movie that just squashes its emotional pull. The frantic action and spurts of bright-red blood helps revive the movie's chaotic energy, but you might wish that Dennison had been given more to do here. The New Zealand actor is a dynamo, and it’s a shame to see him shunted to the side in a quirky bestie role. 

As a first watch, Y2K is a lot of fun. Its teen cast overall has terrific energy, and a supporting cast that includes Alicia Silverstone, Tim Heidecker, and Mooney — as a burnout video store clerk — brings welcomed microdoses of weirdness. The celebration of all things '00s is undeniably charming, even if used superficially. Jokes come fast and frantic, so even if some don't land, there's plenty of laughs to be had. But on reflection, the movie suffers under its lack of emotional depth. This is a solid stoner comedy, gleefully dumb and unapologetically wacky. But as a teen comedy, Y2K lacks the emotional awareness of classics like Clueless, the original Mean Girls, or Superbad. 

In short, Y2K is a good time, but falls short of greatness. 

Y2K is now streaming on Max.

UPDATE: Apr. 2, 2025, 4:11 p.m. EDT Y2K was reviewed out of the world premiere at SXSW. This review was first published on March 11, 2024, and has been updated for its streaming release.

Michael Shannon's directorial debut Eric LaRue isn't a ghost story, but it feels like one.

Eric (Nation Sage Henrikson) is absent from much of the film, yet his presence haunts every scene. It haunts his mother Janice (Judy Greer) as she folds his clothes to give away. It haunts his father Ron (Alexander Skarsgård) as he reminisces on past father-son vacations. But they know — and we know — that Eric isn't dead. He's in prison for the murder of three of his classmates.

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Eric's act of violence is not the focus of Eric LaRue. Instead, Shannon and screenwriter Brett Neveu (who also wrote the play on which the film is based) examine the aftermath of Eric's crime, especially his parents' differing attempts to process what their son has done. What follows is an aching exploration of grief and religion, all anchored by a stunning performance from the always-great, often-underused Greer.

Eric LaRue presents two very different ways to process grief via religion. Credit: Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

In the time since Eric shot three of his classmates, his parents have taken different paths when it comes to healing. Janice has isolated herself, but her discussions with her Presbyterian pastor Calhan (Paul Sparks) have convinced her to take some steps forward, like returning to work. Ron's approach also involves religion, albeit at a different church. He goes to Redeemer, where he is anointed by pastor Verne (Tracy Letts) and attends prayer groups with his beautiful, bubbly coworker Lisa Graff (Alison Pill).

Ron's time at Redeemer has made him optimistic, seemingly joyful, even. He tells Janice that prayer can heal any trial, and encourages Janice to let Jesus take her burdens from her forever. Janice doesn't want to let go, caught up in her own complicated feelings. Even though he isn't dead, the son she knew is gone. Is she allowed to mourn in her own way, even in the face of what he's done? Or is she to blame for his actions?

Her journey towards far-off closure begins with Calhan's suggestion that he facilitate a meeting between her and the mothers of the dead boys. Calhan means well, attempting to get Janice to talk over card games and supermarket banter. However, he's not remotely equipped to handle the emotion once these grieving women come face to face.

Calhan's meeting is a source of tension between Janice and Ron, who wants Janice to attend a similar meeting presided over by Verne. Where Calhan is soft, Verne is more of a hard-line preacher. In a menacing scene, he uses scripture to tell Ron to control Janice. From there, the conflict between the two parents only grows — a change Shannon often showcases effectively by framing Janice and Ron in different rooms in the same shot.

Judy Greer leads a tremendous cast with her own outstanding performance. Credit: Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Greer has always been a talented actor, often taking on comedic roles or side characters. With Eric LaRue, it is so satisfying to watch her take on such a demanding lead. As Janice, she is at her most raw and most devastating, especially in scenes when she meets with the mothers of the dead students. Later, when she visits Eric and tries to drag some impossible answer out of him, she heads into darker territory with devastating naturalness.

Skarsgård and Pill also turn in great work, with Skarsgård getting some uneasy laughs from Ron's penchants for offering neck massages and Pill transforming Lisa's religious fervor into something almost terrifying. Their scenes together simmer with uncomfortable chemistry, as well as their joint obsession over their experience with Redeemer. Filling out Eric LaRue's cast of religious characters are Letts and Sparks as two sides of the same coin: one chilling but assuring, the other supportive yet out of his depth.

The play Eric LaRue was originally staged in 2002, but in the years since, its portrayal of a town in the wake of a school shooting has gained even more relevance. So too have its links between the reaction to the shooting and religion, which calls to mind the oft-repeated refrain of "thoughts and prayers" that follows every act of gun violence.

Shannon and Neveu don't focus on the larger political implications of Eric's crime, nor do they necessarily answer the tough questions Eric LaRue lays out. What they do do, however, is create a painful, intimate, and thought-provoking portrait of a deeply hurting couple. And in assembling such a stellar cast led by the remarkable Greer, they've embodied that portrait onscreen to the fullest.

Eric LaRue opens in theaters April 4.

UPDATE: Apr. 2, 2025, 3:40 p.m. Eric LaRue was reviewed out of its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. This review was first published on June 14, 2023, and it has been updated in anticipation of its theatrical release.

In FX's Dying for Sex, one woman's quest for her first orgasm with another person becomes a remarkable journey of both self-discovery and reckoning with death.

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The miniseries is based on the Dying for Sex podcast, hosted by actor Nikki Boyer (who executive produces the series) and her friend Molly Kochan (Michelle Williams). While the series is a fictionalized account of Molly's life, it does take the same starting point: After being diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, Molly leaves her husband Steve (Jay Duplass) and explores her own sexual desires in ways she never thought possible.

Naturally, this means Dying for Sex is full of frank portrayals of sex, be it awkward, revelatory, pleasurable, or (usually) a combination of all three. But these experiences, as life-affirming as they are for Molly, share space with honest conversations about mortality. That makes for a potent, tear-jerking combination, one that Dying for Sex still somehow manages to lighten in a remarkable balancing act.

What's Dying for Sex about? Michelle Williams and Jay Duplass in "Dying for Sex." Credit: Sarah Shatz / FX

As Dying for Sex introduces Molly and Steve in couples' therapy, it's clear her decision to leave him has been a long time coming. After her first bout with breast cancer, treatment for which included a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction, Molly wants to be intimate with her husband again. But Steve no longer feels that desire. When Molly does initiate oral sex, he becomes too sad to continue. He pities her, and when Molly receives the diagnosis of metastatic cancer, she realizes Steve seems excited for her to once again be pitiable. Meanwhile, Molly just doesn't want to die without being touched or feeling sexual pleasure again.

Upon making that realization, Molly leaves Steve and turns to her best friend Nikki (Jenny Slate) to be her new caretaker. With Nikki's support, and with the advice to start a "bucket list" from her sex-positive palliative care social worker Sonya (Esco Jouléy), it's not long before Molly submerges herself in a new world of sex, revelling in everything from dating app dick pics to submission and dominance.

Dying for Sex pulls no punches when it comes to sex. Michelle Williams in "Dying for Sex." Credit: Sarah Shatz / FX

Many people in Molly's life, including Steve and her mother Gail (Sissy Spacek), judge Molly for her exploration, even going so far as to "blame" it on childhood trauma. But Dying for Sex has no interest in pathologizing Molly's wants, even though later episodes do somewhat clumsily emphasize how her trauma has affected her intimate experiences as an adult.

Instead, Dying for Sex launches Molly into a judgment-free rollercoaster ride of human sexuality. She experiments with vibrators, goes to sex parties (that are also potlucks!), and learns about new kinks with a variety of partners, including her hot neighbor (Rob Delaney). The scenes are understandably raunchy, but also full of communication about limits and boundaries. One such conversation — about orgasm torture, specifically — takes place in a crowded cafe, just one of many scenes where Dying for Sex finds humor by placing discussions of intimate desires in mundane surroundings. Williams' bright-eyed curiosity and excitement about the subjects at hand adds further lightness to the series, emphasizing Molly's open embrace of a world she'd previously denied herself.

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But Dying for Sex's sex scenes can be heartbreaking, too. Molly spends much of the series trying to prevent people from reducing her to her cancer, even going so far as to join a support group for people with earlier stages of cancer in order to separate herself from her terminal diagnosis. That mentality extends to the bedroom as well. She hides her cancer from her partners and chooses to keep her bra on to hide her mastectomy scars, each decision a reminder of why she's on this road to sexual enlightenment in the first place.

Also heartbreaking are Molly's early attempts at post-Steve sex. Often, she finds she can't voice what she want, or she doesn't even know what feels good. But as Dying for Sex continues and Molly discovers what turns her on, those desires snap into place. Thankfully, the series takes as candid and forthright an approach to depicting those desires as Molly is in communicating them.

Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate make Dying for Sex a beautiful love story. Jenny Slate and Michelle Williams in "Dying for Sex." Credit: Sarah Shatz / FX

Amidst all the sex, Dying for Sex fashions a gorgeous, heart-wrenching love story. Not with any of Molly's partners — although her relationship with Delaney's neighbor character may grow to fit that bill — but with Nikki.

That's because as Molly is forging new connections with her partners, she's also strengthening her bond with Nikki. Thrust suddenly into the role of caretaker, Nikki gets off to a tough start when it comes to helping Molly with her medical needs, especially with Steve breathing down her neck. Yet just as Molly settles into her search for new sexual experiences, Nikki soon finds her footing in a world of insurance claims and medical records.

That adjustment doesn't mean Nikki's responsibilities aren't difficult. In fact, people in her life keep telling her to set boundaries with Molly — perhaps a parallel to people like Steve who doubt Molly's sex quest. Yet like Molly, Nikki holds firm. Her best friend is dying, after all, and she's going to do everything she can to get her solid care (and help her find a way to get off).

Dying for Sex is likely going to be a tough watch for anyone who has experienced cancer or who has watched a loved one go through it. I sobbed through quite a bit of it, and much of that came down to the chemistry between Williams and Slate. As a duo, they oscillate between gallows humor and genuine heartbreak at a moment's notice, a dichotomy that feels so natural you can't believe you've only been watching their takes on Molly and Nikki for a few episodes. You also can't believe that their friendship will one day come to an end, but Dying for Sex faces that inevitability head on, as honest about death as it is about sex.

"I told [Steve] I don't want to die with him," Molly tells Nikki in the show's premiere. "I want to die with you."

It's that simple statement, and all the beautiful, terrible baggage that comes with it, that forms the foundation of Dying for Sex, paving the way for Molly and Nikki's messy journey through death, sex, and everything in between.

All episodes of Dying for Sex premiere April 4 on Hulu.