IT General

The Windows taskbar has been largely unchanged sinc he days of Windows 95, and features a disappointing number of customization options. Worse yet, since Windows 11 was introduced, you don't even get many useful right-click options on the taskbar anymore.

Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

SEE ALSO: The ultimate Christmas movie streaming list for 2025

Mashable's entertainment team has scoured the streaming services to highlight the most buzzed-about releases of the week and ranked them from worst to best — or least worth your time to most watchable. Whether you're looking for the final chapter of Netflix's major series, a buzzy conspiracy theory sci-fi, the steamiest show of the season, or a jaw-dropping animated epic, we're here for you.

13. Five Nights at Freddy's 2

The killer animatronics of your nightmares return in Five Nights at Freddy's 2, based on Scott Cawthon's hit horror game franchise. This time around, Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy aren't the only animatronics in play. There's also their "toy" versions to contend with, along with Marionette, Mangle, and Balloon Boy. That's certainly no fun for security guard Mike (Josh Hutcherson), but it's plenty of fun for game fans.

Like the first film, Five Nights at Freddy's 2 was a box office smash, but critics didn't take too kindly to it, with Mashable's Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko writing in her review that, "like the first one, this sequel has just a deadly amount of talking, with too little scares, jokes, or surprises." — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Wayne Knight, Mckenna Grace, and Teo Briones

How to watch: Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is now available on digital.

12. The Carpenter's Son

Ever wonder what Jesus got up to between his birth in a manger and being the leader of apostles? Or maybe you've been curious what it was like for Joseph to be the mortal father to the son of God? Well, writer/director Lotfy Nathan gets into both of these stories with The Carpenter's Son.

Following Joseph, Mary, and Jesus as they try to live a modest and good life while ducking the temptations of Satan, The Carpenter's Son is a gnarly religious horror offering. It not only explores a surreal look into teen Jesus's early understandings of his identity, power, and passion, but also co-stars Nicolas Cage as an embattled Joseph. It's a wild one, so maybe don't gather the whole family for a watch. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Noah Jupe, Souheila Yacoub, Isla Johnston, and FKA twigs

How to watch: The Carpenter's Son is now available on digital.

11. Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

The Bear star Jeremy Allen White unleashes his inner Bruce Springsteen in this musical biopic from writer/director Scott Cooper. Instead of focusing on the Boss' career as a whole, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere zeroes in on the making of Springsteen's sixth studio album, Nebraska, which he recorded sparsely on a four-track in his bedroom. The film parallels the production with Springsteen's struggles with depression, crafting a solemn portrait of the musician.

While White turns in an admirable performance as Springsteen, the rest of the film pales in comparison, hitting standard biopic beats like troubled childhoods and the flashes of genius that lead to a great song. As I wrote in my review, "While the film's music remains classic as ever, and while White does an admirable job channeling Springsteen, Deliver Me From Nowhere fails to deliver anything revelatory about the actual emotions behind the music." — B.E.

Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, Odessa Young, Gaby Hoffmann, Marc Maron, and David Krumholtz

How to watch: Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is now on digital.

10. The Copenhagen Test

Simu Liu jumps into a world of espionage and secrets in Peacock's new thriller The Copenhagen Test. He plays Alexander, an intelligence analyst for the U.S. government who learns that unknown forces have hacked his eyes and ears, giving them access to everything Alexander witnesses. To discover the truth behind his hackers' motives, as well as their identities, he'll have to keep up a nonstop performance in order to fool them. But who can he truly trust? And does the shadowy agency he works for truly have his best interests at heart? Find out in this slick spy series with a light sci-fi twist. — B.E.

Starring: Simu Liu, Melissa Barrera, Sinclair Daniel, Brian d'Arcy James, Mark O'Brien, and Kathleen Chalfant

How to watch: The Copenhagen Test premieres Dec. 27 on Peacock.

9. Die My Love

Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson unlock their most unbridled animal instincts in Die My Love, a formidable, hypnotic, powerful drama from We Need to Talk About Kevin director Lynne Ramsay. The pair are Grace (Lawrence) and Jackson (Pattinson), a loved-up couple who can't keep their hands off each other. They move into Jackson's rural family home, surrounded by forest and a long walk to his mother Pam's (Sissy Spacek) house. With the arrival of their child, Jackson's work schedule means Grace is often home alone, an isolation which she initially celebrates but eventually resents — even hates. And here, Lawrence follows Grace to the brink.

"Grace's journey will make you squirm, perhaps cackle. But in her messy quest for something beyond being boxed in, she offers a radical freedom to her audience," Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko writes in her review. "In the discomfort of watching her bicker, battle, and act out, an excitement of possibility burns. Where could this lead, not just for her — but for us? Will you walk away from Die My Love rattled? Feeling recognized? Or dared to be reborn?" — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, LaKeith Stanfield, Nick Nolte, and Sissy Spacek

How to watch: Die My Love debuts on MUBI Dec. 23.

8. Bugonia

Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone team up once again for Bugonia, a conspiracy caper that remakes Jang Joon-hwan's Save the Green Planet! with a script by The Menu's Will Tracy. Stone and Lanthimos' Kinds of Kindness collaborator Jesse Plemons plays Teddy, a conspiracy theorist who believes an alien race lives among us, one of which is big pharma CEO Michelle Fuller (Stone). So, Teddy and his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) kidnap her for a tête-à-tête about who she is, what the plans are, and whether the human race is worth saving. 

Featured Video For You Emma Stone reveals how 'Good Luck, Babe' wound up in 'Bugonia'

Critics have been divided on Bugonia, especially around its bleak marathon run of topics. Mashable entertainment editor Kristy Puchko writes in her review, "Bugonia, despite having a sensational cast and clear vision for its world, lacks profundity in its smorgasbord of hot topics. Environmentalism, oligarchy, the manosphere, healthcare for profit — all of these make for a dizzying brew from which Teddy and Michelle arise on opposing sides."* — S.C.

Starring: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Alicia Silverstone, Stavros Halkias

How to watch: Bugonia is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV and arrives on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on Dec. 23.

7. Ne Zha II

The highest-grossing film of 2025 might be one you missed in theaters. Now, you can catch up with this jaw-dropping animated epic in the comfort of your own home. But trust us, you're going to want to watch Ne Zha first. Based on Chinese mythology, both films have a lot of narrative ground to cover. But the animated awesomeness of the sequel makes the first film worth the time investment.

SEE ALSO: 'Ne Zha II' review: A24's animated fantasy epic is a must-see, but a warning...

Ne Zha II follows the continued misadventures of the eponymous anti-hero, a boy born with the powers of a demon, who befriends a dragon/boy named Ao Bing, born with the powers of a heavenly spirit. In the first film, they battle before becoming unexpected friends. In the second, they have to share Ne Zha's body to complete a battle-centric quest to restore Ao Bing's physical form. Meanwhile, the dragons are conspiring to overthrow their king, while a horrid threat faces Ne Zha's homeland. All these threads make for a movie that includes monster battles, slapstick, tragedy, and gross-out gags. It can be dizzying, but also, incredible. — K.P.

Starring: Crystal Lee, Griffin Puatu, Aleks Le, Michelle Yeoh, and Vincent Rodriguez III

How to watch: Ne Zha is now streaming on Peacock, Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO Max, and Ne Zha II is now streaming on HBO Max.

6. 100 Nights of Hero

Julia Jackman's 100 Nights of Hero was one of the best films we watched out of the BFI London Film Festival this year, and now it's coming to streaming. Based on Isabel Greenberg's graphic novel, this visually magnificent, queer, feminist fairy tale is a triumph of production design with a hype-worthy appearance by Charli XCX. It follows Cherry (Longlegs' Maika Monroe), a noblewoman in a medieval patriarchy whose arranged marriage to Jerome (Limbo's Amir El-Masry) is yet to be consummated — and she's on a literal deadline. Jerome leaves on business, but not before a bet with roguish lord Manfred (The Idea of You's Nicholas Galitzine) that his friend cannot seduce his wife in his absence. Luckily, Cherry has a fierce protector in her maid, Hero (Nosferatu's Emma Corrin).

"At its whimsical heart, 100 Nights of Hero is a story of women's courage and resilience, of pursuing knowledge and passion beyond the perilously high fences of patriarchy," I wrote in my review. "It's a dazzling world of suppressed queer identity and desire, of male bravado and paranoia, and of the power of storytelling itself. Jackman has crafted us a topical treat, finely dressed in splendour and social commentary. It's nothing short of heroic." — S.C.

Starring: Emma Corrin, Maika Monroe, Amir El-Masry, Nicholas Galitzine, Charli XCX, Richard E. Grant, Felicity Jones, and Varada Sethu

How to watch: 100 Nights of Hero is available to rent or purchase on Prime Video starting Dec. 23.

5. The Life of Chuck

Catch one of the best — and most underrated — films of the year when Mike Flanagan's The Life of Chuck hits Hulu this week. Based on the novella of the same name by Stephen King, the film introduces viewers to Chuck Krantz (Tom Hiddleston), an accountant who's got some serious dance moves. To say more about the plot would be to spoil much of The Life of Chuck's impact, so try to go in as blind as possible. (But definitely go in!)

From Doctor Sleep to Gerald's Game, Flanagan has proven time and again that he can adapt the hell out of a Stephen King novel. That's no different with The Life of Chuck, which Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko called "glorious" in her review, writing, "It's incredible. This is a movie that contains so much that it just shouldn't work. It's easy to imagine an iteration that fell too hard into the darkness, or depended too intensely on treacly sentimentality, or relied on its dashing star power to gloss over some underwritten turns. But The Life of Chuck is masterfully told." — B.E.

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tom Hiddleston, Annalise Basso, Benjamin Pajak, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Matthew Lillard, Carl Lumbly, Samantha Sloyan, Harvey Guillén, Jacob Tremblay, Kate Siegel, and Mark Hamill

How to watch: The Life of Chuck premieres Dec. 26 on Hulu.

4. Love Lies Bleeding

Rose Glass, the writer/director who awed critics in 2020 with her stunning religious horror film Saint Maud, has blessed us with a follow-up that is as scorchingly sexy as it is deeply unsettling.

SEE ALSO: 'Love Lies Bleeding' Interview: Kristen Stewart on the female gaze vs. the male gaze.

Set against a merciless desert town, Love Lies Bleeding stars Kristen Stewart as a surly loner who manages a rundown gym. Things begin to look up when a perfectly permed and righteously ripped bodybuilder (Katy O'Brian) rolls into her squalid realm. Their attraction is instant, their loyalty is potentially lethal. So when they run afoul of a local kingpin (Ed Harris, wearing a mangy skullet), this noir thriller veers into a place of jaw-dropping violence and grievous vengeance, with a climax that is as outrageous as it is exhilarating. As I wrote in our review, "There are movies that grab you by the throat. There are movies that punch you in the gut. Love Lies Bleeding is both, and I fucking love it."* — K.P.

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco, and Ed Harris

How to watch: Love Lies Bleeding is now on MUBI.

3. Heated Rivalry, Season 1 finale

It seems like just yesterday that Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) were suggestively swapping a water bottle in Heated Rivalry's premiere episode. Now, the internet fan-favorite series wraps up its first season after a six-episode run full of hockey, angst, and tons of no-holds-barred sex scenes. Consider this your sign to get caught up on all things Hollanov before the finale blows up social media. — B.E.

Starring: Hudson Williams, Connor Storrie, François Arnaud, Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, Sophie Nélisse, and Callan Potter

How to watch: Heated Rivalry is now streaming on HBO Max, with the finale airing Friday, Dec. 26.

2. Pluribus, Season 1 finale

One of the best shows of 2025, Vince Gilligan's Pluribus has kept viewers hooked with its tale of Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), the most miserable woman Earth, and the alien virus hive mind that's taken over the world. By the end of Pluribus' penultimate episode, Carol had begun a romantic relationship with Zosia (Karolina Wydra), one of the Others. But the imminent arrival of fellow survivor Manousos (Carlos-Manuel Vesga) in Albuquerque could upend the fragile balance Carol has reached.

So what can fans expect from the finale? Will Carol's meeting with Manousos renew her desire to save the world? Will we learn how the Others can be defeated? Tune in to find out — and maybe pour yourself a tall glass of milk while you're at it. — B.E.

Starring: Rhea Seehorn, Karolina Wydra, and Carlos-Manuel Vesga

How to watch: The Pluribus Season 1 finale is now streaming on Apple TV.

Best of Streaming this week: Stranger Things, Season 5: Volume 2

The Stranger Things farewell tour continues with the release of Season 5, Volume 2, which will hopefully answer some of our most pressing questions from Volume 1. What's next now that Will (Noah Schnapp) has powers? What does Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) have planned for the kidnapped children of Hawkins? Will Max (Sadie Sink) and Holly (Nell Fisher) escape from Vecna's mindscape? And how will Eleven's (Millie Bobby Brown) lost sister Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) figure into things?

Season 5 got off to an overstuffed but undeniably exciting start, so look forward to more jaw-dropping Upside Down action as the Duffer Brothers keep upping the ante. Plus, more episodes means more time with Stranger Things' beloved characters, who remain the show's highlight through and through. As I wrote in my Volume 1 review, Stranger Things' "flashy battles and lore bombshells can get the blood pumping, but it's the characters who have kept viewers coming back for many, many years. Knowing we'll be saying goodbye to them only makes these episodes sweeter, exhaustion be damned." — B.E.

Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, and Maya Hawke

How to watch: Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 2 premieres Dec. 25 at 8 p.m. ET on Netflix. The series finale premieres Dec. 31, also at 8 p.m. ET.

(*) denotes a blurb came from a prior list.

Sure, you might have your eyes on the class-leading Sony WH-1000xM6 headphones — unveiled at the start of summer — but those things will cost you $450. Don't bother dishing out that much money when you can get headphones for a fraction of the price (with much of the same functionality) or, better yet, noise-cancelling headphones that carry longer battery life and a stronger sonic punch than the AirPods Max. Speaking of which, did you know that users were previously reporting that their Apple headphones suffered "condensation death" after being exposed to moisture buildup? Fortunately, our wireless headphones suggestions are all models you can wear for lengthy stretches — without stressing about their impending expiration date.

What are the best budget headphones?

If you're still an Apple loyalist when it comes to headphones, stick with us for a sec. You'll soon discover that these top picks from popular budget audio brands like 1More, Anker, and JBL are giving the market’s best a run for their money. We even have a bargain entry from Sony that’s well worth a look.

SEE ALSO: The best open earbuds that stay put, sound great, and keep you aware of the world around you

Don't believe it? You'll want to see for yourself by reading our reviews of the best headphones under $100 below.

What differentiates budget vs. higher-end headphones?

In case we weren't clear enough before, cheaper does not mean worse by any means (and vice versa) when it comes to headphones. Not always, at least.

Yet, the general trend still stands that the "higher-end" a pair of headphones is, the more likely you are to get better sound quality (aka undistorted bass), more playtime, and state-of-the-art features like adaptive ANC.

Budget headphones are known to leak sound more often than their pricier alternatives, and they'll likely have fewer extras, like spatial audio for immersive 3D sound and TalkThru technology (which amplifies your convo buddy's voice while reducing music volume instantly) featured in some of JBL’s flagship headphones.

Nonetheless, we made it our mission to find headphones — both on-ear and over-ear models — that aren't "higher-end" in price and borrow a lot of standout functionality from their more expensive counterparts.

If we've learned anything, it's that 2025 has been about finding joy in the smallest things.

Bag charms are back. Plush pendants are everywhere. Our emotional support accessories are no longer subtle. Enter SKULLPANDA x Sanrio, POP MART's latest collaboration, which feels perfectly tuned to the moment.

SEE ALSO: The cult and community of Labubu

Dropping Dec. 29 online and in stores, the collection features two plush pendants — SKULLPANDA x My Melody and SKULLPANDA x Kuromi — each designed to clip onto bags, keys, or belt loops, instantly turning everyday outfits into something personal and Hello Kitty-approved. They’re cute, collectible, and very main-character coded. And at $59.99 each, they're priced squarely in "treat yourself" territory.

The Kuromi pendant is made for the sweet-but-unhinged crowd. With its black-and-pink palette, mischievous energy, and SKULLPANDA’s cool, sculptural expression, it captures the year’s obsession with contrast: soft textures, sharp attitude.

Credit: Courtesy of POP MART

My Melody, meanwhile, leans fully into softness. Blush tones, delicate embroidery, and a calm, gentle expression make this charm feel like a portable comfort object — the kind you carry simply because it makes the day feel a little better.

Credit: Courtesy of POP MART

At the center of it all is SKULLPANDA itself, POP MART's second-best–performing IP globally and a breakout favorite in the U.S. Its eerie-soft aesthetic and emotional depth have made it a go-to for collectors who want their cute things to come with meaning — and a hint of otherworldliness.

More than just a collaboration, SKULLPANDA x Sanrio taps into a larger 2025 shift: accessories are no longer just accessories. They’re mood boards in plush form. And honestly? We're obsessed.

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If you’ve got 15 minutes, Headway Premium can get you up to speed on the concepts of a book. Choose between reading and listening to professionally narrated audio summaries of best-selling nonfiction books, depending on your mood, and start learning new concepts daily on topics ranging from personal development and business strategies to health and wellness.

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Out of its secret screening at New York Film Festival, Josh Safdie's Marty Supreme immediately began gaining award season buzz. And why not? 

Is there an actor alive pushing harder for an Oscar than Timothée Chalamet? At 29 years old, the New York thespian has been twice nominated for Best Actor, first for the swooning queer drama Call Me By Your Name and then again for his role in the critically heralded Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. And while campaigning for that latter performance, he collected a slew of awards and committed the arguably cringe faux pas of admitting he wanted the Oscar. How dare someone admit their ambition?!

With Marty Supreme, Chalamet tries a new tack by roughing up his pretty boy face with prosthetic pockmarks and pimples. Look to Nicole Kidman in The Hours or Brendan Fraser with The Whale or Heath Ledger with The Joker — prominent physical transformations can pay off big. They often break the spell of the godly movie star to allow an actor to play someone less glamorous, less idealized, and even downright despicable. In Marty Supreme, Chalamet's good looks would make it too easy to fall for the prattle of his eponymous anti-hero. But a fleet of blemishes and a squirmy mustache manages to transform this world-famous native New Yorker into a true New York character. And thank God. 

Long after the Oscars have been handed out and the fanfare has died down, Marty Supreme will be remembered as one of the supreme New York movies. Exploding with chaos, character, and kinetic energy, Marty Supreme is a movie about the city's scoundrels, their sins, and why we love them anyway. 

Marty Supreme is Uncut Gems' pesky sibling picture.  Credit: A24

After the massive success of Josh and Benny Safdie's Uncut Gems, the brothers parted ways to explore independent ventures, both of which involved sports movies. Benny teamed up with Dwayne Johnson for The Smashing Machine, an earnest but underwhelming  drama about MMA fighter Mark Kerr. Josh found inspiration in the story of table tennis champion Marty Reisman, reimagining him as a Scorsese-like punk named Marty Mauser. 

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

Played by Chalamet, Marty is a legend in his own mind, guaranteed to bring the art of ping-pong to the masses. He just needs to pay his way to the championship overseas first. And he will do anything to get the scratch for that plane ticket. He'll casually — but not coolly — pull a gun on a co-worker at a claustrophobic shoe store. He'll seduce money out of the has-been movie star (Gwyneth  Paltrow) who crosses his path, or pitch his childhood friend Rachel (Odessa A'zion) into a ransom scheme involving the bellowing dog of a glowering gangster (noted NYC filmmaker Abel Ferrara). Marty's big dreams demand big risks, and he doesn't care who's taking them. 

Timothée Chalamet is f***ing spectacular in Marty Supreme.  Credit: A24

Far from the cool gangsters of Goodfellas or even the intimidating Travis Bickle of Taxi Driver, wiry and sharp-tongued Marty has more of an After Hours energy. He's the kind of New York eccentric who is equal parts mesmerizing and irritating, practically levitating with energy, moxie, and utter bullshit. 

It's easy to see the connective tissue between Adam Sandler's Howard Ratner and Chalamet's Marty. Both are cut from the same cloth of survival with panache and plenty of anxiety. Far from a clean-cut sportsman, Marty is perpetually ruffled, always on the run, and always running his mouth. And that means that Chalamet's performance is less a marathon and more a dance-a-thon. There's a constant demand for him to play the facade of Marty's confidence, while dripping in the creeping tension that time for becoming the world champ is running out. 

This desperation grows so intense you can practically smell the sweat collecting on that greasy little mustache. Yet, when Chalamet flashes a smile and lays into his lovers or haters with that practice patter, it's hard to resist him. If Marty were a flawless pretty boy, it'd maybe be too hard to pull off, but the masterful make-up and styling by Safdie's team rough up this world-famous Chanel brand ambassador  just right. Chalamet becomes an everyman with an outsized ego that could shade the Chrysler Building. It's an illicit thrill to watch Marty connive, insult, seduce, and steal, an all-American scoundrel at the top of his game on the table and off. Though when playing ping-pong, there's an exuberance in Chalamet that is contagious. Believe it or not, you'll get sucked into these adrenaline-fueled games of table tennis. 

Marty Supreme has a sublime ensemble cast.  Credit: A24

Chalamet will lead the Oscar conversation around Safdie's latest, but there's plenty of praise to go around. Safdie and co-writer Ronald Bronstein's screenplay — despite some heavy-handed sentimentality at its bookends — is ruthlessly witty and exhilaratingly racy. The score by Warp Records artist Daniel Lopatin (who also provided the sweaty soundtrack for the Safdies' nerve-wringing Good Time) is smartly anachronistic. While the movie is set in the 1950s, the score is loaded with synth and percussion that feels more attuned to '80s sports movies like Rocky or The Karate Kid. Along with adding a pulse-pounding energy to Marty Supreme, this score also suggests that its wild anti-hero is perhaps a man before his time. 

Bolstering Chalamet's bold moves are an ensemble that is sensational, breathing life into the broader world of Marty Supreme's New York. Paltrow swans about with the untouchable grace of Manhattan's posh elite. A'Zion sizzles with blue-collar sex appeal and righteous wrath. With a winsome energy, Tyler Okonma (aka Tyler, The Creator) plays the perfect foil to Marty, as a friend and fellow ping-pong player, while Géza Röhrig offers jolting calm with a sensational monologue. Abel Ferrara, whose appearance drew cheers from the NYFF audience, brings scorching menace as a local tough guy. And the list goes on with Fran Drescher, Penn Jillette, Sandra Bernhard, and Isaac Mizrahi popping up to expand the richness of Marty's realm. 

This zinging dialogue, racing score, and electric cast collide to create cinema that celebrates New York, while recognizing its warts with a bleeding grin. All of this makes Marty Supreme an unusual crowdpleaser. Full of wild humor and shocking turns, it has its audience in a chokehold of tension and surprise, rarely letting up for us to breathe. And yet, what a thrill to be breathless. 

Marty Supreme was reviewed out of the 2025 New York Film Festival. It is is now in theaters. 

UPDATE: Dec. 18, 2025, 2:18 p.m. This review was first published on Dec. 1, 2025, as part of Mashable's NYFF coverage. It has been updated for its theatrical premiere.

Sometimes you just need a feel-good movie and a good tearjerker, and writer/director Craig Brewer delivers both with Song Sung Blue. 

Named for the Neil Diamond song, this drama is not going the way of A Complete Unknown or the Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere route. Instead of a biopic about the American singer-songwriter behind "America" and "Sweet Caroline," Brewer explores the power of Diamond's music through the stranger-than-fiction story of the tribute band known as Lightning and Thunder. 

Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson star as this musical married couple, known offstage as Mike and Claire Sardina. They love each other as intensely as they love Diamond's music. Fitting, then, that their breathtaking story is full of the emotional highs and lows of some of his most beloved songs. 

What's Song Sung Blue about?  Credit: Focus Features

In Milwaukee, Mike Sardina (Jackman) and Claire Stengl (Hudson) are working as celebrity impersonators for state fairs and dive bars. Separately, they perform standards in a dusty variety act, but they dream of making something exciting of their own. For them, one good date spirals into a jam session, a marriage, and a creative partnership that lasts the rest of their lives. 

Song Sung Blue charts their story from their meet-cute backstage, through their musical courtship, co-parenting their kids from past relationships, and building a tribute band that makes them feel like rock stars as they bring unique life to Diamond's discography. 

The movie focuses mostly on Mike (who prefers to be called Lightning) and Claire, their romantic highs and their tragic lows — including a horrific freak accident that injures her, threatening to derail their band for good. Brewer also incorporates a touching subplot into this script about the developing sisterhood between step-siblings Angela (King Princess) and Rachel (Ella Anderson). Beyond that, Lightning and Thunder's family and story grow to envelope their collaborators and bandmates, allowing for a rich tapestry of characters to bring light and humor to the movie's darkest corners. 

Kate Hudson is absolutely extraordinary in Song Sung Blue. Credit: Focus Features

For much of her career, Hudson has been playing some variant of the dazzling girl, in such movies as 200 Cigarettes, Almost Famous, How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days, and an array of other rom-coms. Blonde, bouncy, and witty, she's endlessly youthful and radiant, even when facing tragedy or a smirking manchild. In Song Sung Blue, Hudson assumes a more mature role, while maintaining a distinct shimmer. 

Claire is not a glamorous party girl or a chic city socialite. She's a middle-aged mother of two who loves Patsy Cline songs and wearing sequins. Here, Hudson is radiant, the way of small-town women who don't have designer clothes and custom jewelry but department stores and thrift store finds, yet they shine all the same. As she sings her heart out, her cheeks are rosy and pronounced because of her wide smile. Her eyes sparkle along with her knitwear. And her Midwestern accent is the cherry on top. Hudson makes Claire not some fantasy of woman, but a real woman. I recognized her. I grew up around women like this, who knew horrific hardship and defiantly chose joy again and again. They were brave and loving and, at times, heartbroken. That is what Song Sung Blue is about. 

Props to Brewer; he lets this feel-good film get truly dark, as Claire's accident threatens to smother her inner light. Racked with pain, self-doubt, and anger, Claire becomes unrecognizable to her husband and kids. And through this, we witness a marriage pushed to its breaking point. Sometimes, however, it can be a shared passion that can save us. And for the Sardinas, it was Neil Diamond.

There's an elegance in that, as Diamond's songs can weave bittersweet stories, but what resonates with us is the choruses that are so radiantly joyful that strangers across a bar will join in with "Bah bah bah!" Good times never felt so good, indeed. 

Hugh Jackman offers a daring performance in Song Sung Blue. 

Where I swiftly fell for Hudson's Claire, Jackman's Lightning was a harder sell. Admittedly, for the first act, I was put off by his bravado. Lightning is a celebrity impersonator with the ego of a rock star and the entitled attitude that often accompanies it. Jackman's portrayal of this wannabe hit me initially as too broad, as if he was back on Broadway playing to the balcony seats. 

However, as Song Sung Blue played on, I understood. This wasn't a miscalibrated performance. Where everyone else in the movie is aiming for a softer, more grounded tone, Jackman is knowingly doing too much, because Lightning was a man who demanded to be seen and heard. This theatricality risks playing as insincere. But because Jackman never relaxes this tone, it becomes clear he sees Lightning as dreamer who is every moment being the frontman he dreams to be. This is how he lives the dream.

Once that hit me, Song Sung Blue became a tiny bit sadder. Not so much because this tribute band wouldn't hit Neil Diamond's level of fame. The film celebrates creative victories, even minor ones, with deep sincerity — because the expression and community is the point. I felt sad because I had misjudged Lightning, just as many in the first act did. His is an underdog story, bittersweet but inspirational. Jackman plays it to the rafters so we might understand this man's sheer moxie and determination. 

Song Sung Blue's supporting cast is stellar. 

Like in Brewer's comedic biopic Dolemite Is My Name, Song Sung Blue is sensationally cast. King Princess brings a touching fragility as Lightning's daughter, while Ella Anderson brings a burning resilience as Thunder's. Michael Imperioli is surprisingly funny as a frustrated Buddy Holly impersonator, but charming as Lightning's bandmate. Jim Belushi brings a working-class sensibility as an unlikely dreamer, helping produce Lightning's show, while Mustafa Shakir and Fisher Stevens bring heart while filling out the Sardinas' rich-in-friends world. 

All this makes for a feel-good movie that can be jarringly intense, because the bad times can come out of nowhere. (C'est la vie!) But like a great Neil Diamond song, Song Sung Blue will find its way into your heart, where it will linger.

Through thoughtful storytelling, an impeccable cast, and a smartly chosen soundtrack that places the performances of Diamond's songs thematically, Brewer creates a drama that is uplifting, heart-wrenching, and wondrous all at once. Bring tissues. Bring friends. And let Song Sung Blue hit you, rattle you, and leave you smiling. 

Song Sung Blue was reviewed out of AFI Fest. The movie is now in theaters.

UPDATE: Dec. 18, 2025, 2:14 p.m. This review was first published on Oct. 27, 2025, as part of Mashable's coverage of AFI Fest. It has been updated to reflect its theatrical premiere.

If you took a shot for every corporate euphemism in No Other Choice, you'd be circling back, going in a different direction, finding your services no longer required, rightsized, downsized, and as plastered as one of the characters.

The very title itself evades responsibility, a phrase used by big companies to hide behind intentional, cold decision-making. In this superb dark comedy-thriller, legendary South Korean director Park Chan-wook delivers a biting social commentary on the brutal job market and its associated hyper-competitiveness that sees candidates out for blood, literally.

SEE ALSO: 'No Other Choice' trailer: Park Chan-wook's latest is a black comedy about capitalism and murder

Based on Donald E. Westlake's 1997 novel The Ax and written by Park, Lee Kyoung-mi, Jahye Lee, and Don McKellar, the film presents an anti-capitalist fable about workplace politics, where merciless company restructuring drives a desperate family man (Squid Game's Lee Byung-hun) to violence — despite his lack of skills in that department. While not as ultraviolent as Park's lauded Vengeance Trilogy or as seductive as his recent Hitchockian film Decision to Leave, the director hypothesises the fallout of corporate redundancies through this bumbling self-made assassin — one whose inept, maddening decisions will make you consider the morality of it all.

Under pressure to provide, is murdering his way into a job the only option in this economy? 

No Other Choice sees a family man scorned in a hyper-competitive, capitalist reality. Son Ye-jin and Lee Byung-hun in "No Other Choice." Credit: BFI London Film Festival

In an unhinged, uncomfortably empathetic performance by Lee, the nucleus of the film is Yoo Man-soo, a hardworking, proud, and long-serving employee at specialist paper company Solar Paper. He's saved enough to buy his father's stunning house and provide his wife Mi-ri (Crash Landing on You's Son Ye-jin) and two kids a comfortable, upper-middle-class life, full of cello lessons, outdoor barbecues, and designer goods. It's all captured in a saturated golden light and dynamic cinematography from Kim Woo-hyung — with whom Park worked on The Little Drummer Girl series. But when Man-soo is suddenly fired after decades of company loyalty, bills stack up and pragmatic Mi-ri declares their need to adjust — and it's not just creature comforts that are sent packing but actual creatures too, including their pair of adorable, obedient golden retrievers.

No corporate mindfulness workshop could assuage Man-soo's fears of eternal unemployment and the societal shame of it all. Meanwhile, Mi-ri gets her own job at a dentist's office, where the handsomeness of her new boss fuels Man-soo's jealousy and determination to reclaim his breadwinning pride.

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Suddenly, the perfect opportunity (or any opportunity at all) appears on the horizon at the rival Moon Paper, with Man-soo facing an intimidating ocean of potential candidates and AI-powered replacements. Not seeing a snowball's chance in hell of getting the position, he writes a shortlist of candidates (Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min) that could beat him to the job, intending to eliminate them — for good. That means luring them into applying for jobs at his fake company and killing his way back into employability, one by one.

Park Chan-wook subverts his signature vengeance mode to scrutinise morality and responsibility. Lee Byung-hun and Lee Sung-min in "No Other Choice." Credit: BFI London Film Festival

The quest for vengeance and self-satisfaction runs rivers of blood throughout Park's work, with revenge fueling his lauded 2000s triptych Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, and Lady Vengeance. But where the protagonists of the Vengeance Trilogy had a particular set of skills and life-defining scores to settle, Man-soo of No Other Choice embodies both amateur killer-to-be and believer of himself as a Good Person. 

As the title suggests, Park's film is a hard lesson in individualist finger-pointing and evasive corporate euphemisms that sees its protagonist deflect any form of responsibility for his actions. Man-soo believes he has, after all, exhausted all options. Here, as in Park's line of retaliatory narratives, No Other Choice explores moral and ethical boundaries; Man-soo believes his behaviour is justified for the benefit of his family and his own sense of pride as provider.

With a spectacularly physical performance of pure desperation from Lee, Yoo Man-soo flails his way through violent encounters, one of which is darkly comedic (and stolen by the hilarious Yeom Hye-ran as a target candidate's wife), another gruesome and calculated. It's these scenes that see Park in glorious contained chaos mode, the master of escalating, brutal pandemonium within one set-piece. Park consistently shows Man-soo on the precipice of violence: The family man standing on the edge of an apartment roof holding a heavy pot plant above a competitor perfectly encapsulates the film's ongoing "Will he actually do it?" tension. Here, Park deploys Kim's stylised cinematography and bold editing by Kim Sang-bum to heighten the more operatic elements of the story. 

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As a viewer, we're simultaneously rooting for Man-soo and unnerved by his capacity for calculated manipulation and murder. No Other Choice poses the question: Would you kill for the life you want? In fact, the film doesn't even ask it, instead presenting a man believing himself forced into making such a decision due to cold, hard corporate strategy. It's out of his hands. It's a top-down decision. When you really consider it, Man-soo's simply delivering on blue sky thinking.

No Other Choice is now in theaters.

UPDATE: Dec. 18, 2025, 2:30 p.m. "No Other Choice" was reviewed out of BFI London Film Festival. This review, originally published Oct. 17, 2025, has been updated to include information about the theatrical release.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

To assume.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

INFER

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To get married in secret.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 25, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ELOPE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A zebra-giraffe.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 25 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 25, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

OKAPI

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To defy.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for December 25 Hurdle Word 4 answer

FLOUT

Final Hurdle hint

To bury.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

INTER

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

It's day five of the lunar cycle, and the Christmas Day moon is starting to show us even more. Keep reading to find out what you can see tonight.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Thursday, Dec. 25, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 27% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

Without any visual aids, you can spot the Mares Crisium and the Fecunditatis tonight. If you add binoculars, you'll also see the Endymion Crater, and with a telescope, the Apollo 11 and 17 landing spots come into view.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete one full cycle. This is known as the lunar cycle. Throughout this time, it passes through a series of phases as it orbits Earth. Although the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, which is why it can appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely invisible at different points in the cycle. This process is divided into eight main lunar phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 25, 2025

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for December 25, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 25 Pips

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically; 5-0, placed vertically.

Less Than (1): Everything in this space must be less than 1. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 25 Pips

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically; 2-1, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 10. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 10. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically; 4-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this green space must be less than 3. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 0-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this green space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally; 5-0, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically; 2-0, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 25 Pips

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this red space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 2-4, placed vertically; 2-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 2-4, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-3, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed vertically; 1-5, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed horizontally.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically; 3-3, placed horizontally; 5-3, placed vertically.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 5-4l, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed horizontally.

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

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're a musician.

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.

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for December 25, 2025 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: Over-the-top

• Green: To make something

• Blue: Pointed

• Purple: Musical notes

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Ornate, as prose

• Green: Create

• Blue: Things with stems

• Purple: Comprised of solfege (Do-Re-Mi)

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 #928 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Ornate, as prose: EXCESSIVE, FLOWERY, MELODRAMATIC, PURPLE

• Create: COIN, FASGION, HATCH, MAKE UP

• Things with stems: CHERRY, FLOWER, MUSICAL JOTE, WINE GLASS,

• Comprised of solfege (Do-Re-Mi): LAREDO, MIRE, RETIRE, SOLTI

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 December 25, 2025

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

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 today's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you love Christmas caroling.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, 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 December 25, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 25, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Caroler's count

The words are related to the holidays.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe popular holiday songs.

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 Christmas Days

NYT Strands word list for December 25

• Drummers

• Christmas Days

• Maids

• Ladies

• Lords

• Swan

• Pipers

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 today's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love geometry.

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 hints today: Clues, answers for December 25, 2025 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 Pips hints, answers for December 25, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A geometrical figure.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

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...

PRISM

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 December 25, 2025

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 today's Wordle.

SAVE 47%: As of Dec. 24, the Roku Streaming Stick HD (2025 Model) is on sale for $15.99, down from $29.99, at Amazon. That’s a 47% discount or a $14 price cut.

Roku Streaming Stick HD (2025) $15.99 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $14.00   Get Deal at Amazon

If you've been looking for a way to simplify your TV setup without adding more cord clutter, a streaming stick is a great way to do it for less than the price of a movie ticket. It’s one of those easy upgrades that makes a huge difference in a guest room or kitchen where you don't want a bulky cable box taking up space.

SEE ALSO: The 4 best streaming devices of 2025 make any TV smarter

As of Dec. 24, the Roku Streaming Stick HD (2025 Model) is on sale for $15.99, down from $29.99, at Amazon. That’s a 47% discount or a $14 price cut. It's also just 99 cents more than its all-time low price, making it a perfect time to snag one if you've been on the fence.

This newest 2025 model is designed to be out of sight; it plugs directly into the back of your TV and can even be powered by your TV's USB port, so you don't have extra wires hanging down to a wall outlet. It comes with a Roku Voice Remote that lets you search for shows and control your TV’s power and volume, and it works with Alexa, Apple AirPlay, and HomeKit, making it easy to stream content directly from your iPhone or control your TV with your voice.

SAVE $16: As of Dec. 24, get the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $18.99, down from its usual price of $34.99. That's a discount of 46%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick HD $18.99 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $16.00   Get Deal

Looking for a quick and easy way to add streaming capabilities to your TV? All you need is an Amazon Fire TV Stick. They're already affordable enough on their own without a sale, but there's a great deal on one right now that you can snap up that takes one to nearly 50% off just in time to kick off the new year.

As of Dec. 24, get the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $18.99, down from its usual price of $34.99. That's $16 off and a discount of 46%.

SEE ALSO: Shop the best streaming deals: Prime Video and Roku add-ons for Paramount+, Apple TV+, and more

The Fire TV Stick is incredibly simple to set up. All you need to do is plug it into any HDMI port on your TV, and it's ready to go. It offers full HD streaming options with access to over 400,000 free movies and TV episodes from apps like Prime Video, Tubi, Pluto TV, and other streaming services. All you have to do is find something you want to watch.

Navigate with the included Alexa-enabled voice remote, so you can just ask Alexa to cue up what you want to watch or choose it yourself. You can access apps like Netflix, Prime Video, Peacock, and more straight from the streaming stick, and even use music subscription services as well. What's more, the streaming stick can connect to your smart home hub with Alexa, so you can control lights and other appliances straight from the stick.

If you're ready to add a little smart entertainment to your TV and your home in general, this is a great streaming device to do it with. And it's winter break, so haven't you earned some streaming time to yourself?

TL;DR: Give kids a gentler screen time solution with this lifetime subscription to Pok Pok, now just $39.97 (reg. $250) with code PLAY20 through Jan. 11.

Opens in a new window Credit: Pok Pok Pok Pok: Lifetime Subscription $39.97
$250 Save $210.03   Get Deal

Screen time is inevitable these days, but for children, it’s important to introduce it wisely. If you’re looking for a gentle option, Pok Pok is the way to go. This low-stimulation app is non-addictive and made for children ages 2 to 8, providing an educational and entertaining screen time option on tablets or smartphones.

Right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to Pok Pok for just $39.97 (reg. $250) with code PLAY20 through Jan. 11.

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Pok Pok is an award-winning app that gives kids a healthy dose of screen time. Made with Montessori-based learning in mind, a child-centered educational approach that emphasizes hands-on learning, independence, and natural development, it offers a low-stimulation approach that kids will be able to navigate on their own.

With hand-drawn animations and low-stimulation sound effects that are made in-house, Pok Pok was made with children ages 2 to 8 in mind. It offers a calm app experience while teaching important topics like STEM, numbers, and language. There’s no winning or losing, and no rules, levels, or objectives.

The open-ended play model keeps kids engaged, and there are no ads to worry about. Pok Pok is COPPA-certified, so your kids won’t be tricked into making any purchases.

This lifetime subscription unlocks access to unlimited games. You’ll also receive regular updates, often with new seasonal and cultural content. And your purchase includes an exclusive gift mailed to your home.

Give the kids in your life a better screen time option with this lifetime subscription to Pok Pok, now $39.97 (reg. $250) with code PLAY20 through Jan. 11.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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