Technology

Content warning: suicide, self-harm.

By no means a light watch but an important and timely one, Mission sees a young man struggling to feel connected to society, contemplating dying by suicide but giving himself one week to convince himself to stay alive.

Written and directedy with disorientating flair by Scottish director Paul Wright (Arcadia), this BBC-produced film explores the personal and social reasons behind suicidal behaviour through the experience of Dylan (a phenomenal George MacKay). It's not a sensational, generalised depiction of mental health, but instead a splintered, chaotic endeavor to visually render one person's complex perspective. 

SEE ALSO: 21 reasons to keep living when you feel suicidal

MacKay, who starred in Wright's For Those in Peril back in 2013, gives a mercurial performance as a man vehemently trying to find meaning in a world he feels alienated from. Dylan yearns for the reality of his younger self, free of inhibition and full of wonder, and he scorns conformity. But where is the line between uninhibited whims and total anarchy? Dylan will test both his own and societal boundaries in a week-long crusade, which sees whimsy and transgression at either end of a slippery slope.

Mission is as much a film about death as it is about life. Rosy McEwen as Claire in "Mission." Credit: BBC

Dylan's "mission" is to live, in every sense of the word, through experiences he's never allowed himself to have. Feeling stuck in his waiter job and overwhelmingly lonely and rudderless, he struggles to find a sense of purpose. Here, MacKay imbues Dylan's physicality with monotonous, mechanical movements and blank stares, flicking lights on and off, and internalising his rage over incessant phone vibrations and drilling outside his apartment.

Through voiceover, we gain insight into Dylan's inner turmoil as if we're reading his diary: "I don't know how to live in this world the way it is," he says, longing for a way to connect. He's buoyed by two people, his friend and co-worker Becky (Bridgerton's Emma Naomi), whom he clearly has feelings for, and his sister Claire (Scarpetta's Rosy McEwen), whose connection with Dylan has deep roots. Through sweet home video flashbacks (and adorable performances from youngsters Oliver Boyd and Matilda Thomson), Wright weaves Dylan and Claire's relationship as one of childhood magic, silliness, and creative expression. Their bond, though changed in adulthood, becomes the true heart of the film.

Dylan's turning point occurs during a routine check-in interview with his boss, James (Emun Elliott), that sees Dylan move from parroting corporate speak to admitting his hatred for the job as "soul-destroying." From here, he quits, slowly obsessing over James, an initially amiable but eventually contemptible representation of everything Dylan hates. 

Retreating to an abandoned shack on the edge of a lake, Dylan ideates ending his life. However, he gives himself one week to find a "reason to go on." He begins a quest of total ecstasy, commanding himself to "do something," whatever euphoric act comes to mind. "Embrace the random. No longer be afraid. Connect to the forgotten parts of yourself," he declares in voiceover, setting out the rules of his manifesto. But there's a difference between singing karaoke in front of strangers and more harmful acts, as Dylan's increasingly extreme choices simmer with anarchy. 

George MacKay is fearless in Mission. George MacKay in "Mission." Credit: BBC

Fresh off miraculous performances in Rose of Nevada and The End, MacKay truly leans into physicality with Mission. The actor builds a character so erratic, interior, and determined that it's hard to know whether we're barracking for Dylan or, frankly, fearful of him. Every turn sees him plunging into bacchanalian excess and self-harm, making unbridled decisions that could cause others or himself harm. So, while we're along for this life-affirming ride, we're almost becoming complicit in something malevolent, with no ability to change anything.  

Seeking solace in childhood unpredictability, Dylan yearns for a time when "everything was possible," seeing random acts as a form of resistance. He sees his alienation from society as a license to disturb, to provoke. Going from the embodiment of mechanistic drudgery to a man of sheer glee, convulsing and writhing with animalistic expression and chaotic energy, MacKay pushes himself to the absolute limit.

McEwen is superb as Dylan's sister Claire, whose practicality sees her struggling to understand her brother's pain and acting as his anchor in the mayhem. "Everyone's just trying to live their life," she says, unable to see how a simple sentence could be so complicated for Dylan. However, one particular scene between the two proves one of the most quietly powerful conversations I've seen on screen, with MacKay and McEwen showing pure talent.

Mission relishes in punk cinematography, editing, and sound.

In order to explore Dylan's frame of mind, Wright leans into the disorientated style of his documentary Arcadia, a celebrated work of juxtaposition and montage. With meticulous, energetic editing from Jennifer Mackie and Michael Aaglund, Mission splices Limbo and Bring Them Down cinematographer Nick Cooke's stunning shots with frenetically edited footage of current events, abstract visuals, home footage, and MacKay's voice-over.

Roly Porter's hypnotic score is a constant companion to Dylan, with The Unheard composer finding poignancy and care in the protagonist's darkest moments. And as a sum of its parts, Mission becomes an intense, sobering experience, one that aims to get us inside Dylan's deepest thoughts.

Ultimately, Mission pulls us under with Dylan, rattled and contorted into his high-stakes "experiment" without the ability to connect with him ourselves. Through MacKay's fearless performance, Wright's discombobulating style, and a timely theme, the film wrestles with existence and connection, balancing darkness and light, despair and hope. It's a haunting watch, but one with an all-important glimmer of hope.

Mission was reviewed out of its premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival. International release dates TBC.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.

Microsoft's downfall in the 2000s and 2010s is well-known. The company's obsession with PCs left it blind to the rise of smartphones, reducing it to one player in a larger computing world. Windows still dominates the computer on your desk, but not the one in your pocket.

It can be tricky to get your head around the concept of an “immutable” operating system; if you don’t care too much for nuance, you can think of it as simply more secure and more stable.

If you're a PC gamer gearing up to start your college journey, you're looking at your desktop gaming tower and trying to decide whether it's a good idea to take it with you. If you're going to be living in the dormitories, you might want to think twice about that.

You don't have to spend sports-car money to get genuinely exciting performance, especially if you're willing to shop the used market. Depreciation has turned some overlooked performance cars into surprisingly affordable bargains, and one particularly unusual crossover now costs less than many basic new compact cars. Despite its practical shape, it packs enough power to deliver seriously quick acceleration and the kind of driving character that's increasingly rare.

Before there was Donald Duck or Goofy or even Mickey Mouse, there was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

And now Oswald is finally getting his very own TV miniseries.

At this year's D23 fan event, Disney announced that Oswald the Lucky Rabbit will star in a live-action animated three-part TV miniseries on Disney+.

The "Oswald" miniseries is written, directed, and executive-produced by Jon Favreau. The cast includes an all-star comedy lineup, including Albert Brooks, Amy Sedaris, Kathryn Hahn, Steve Martin, Al Madrigal, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Mykal-Michelle Harris, and Ryder Allen.

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

The road to his own Disney series was a long one for Oswald.

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was first created in 1927 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks for Universal Pictures. Oswald starred in more than two dozen theatrical short films in the late 1920s, animated by Walt Disney Studios. However, in 1928, Universal took control of the Oswald character from Disney, prompting the latter to create a replacement known to audiences as Mickey Mouse.

The rest is history. Mickey soon became more popular than Oswald, who faded into obscurity after a few final appearances in the 1950s.

In 2006, Disney gained the rights to Oswald in a bizarre trade with NBCUniversal. Disney received the Oswald trademark and rights to the Disney-era animated films, and in exchange, NBCUniversal was able to have play-by-play announcer Al Michaels' services for NBC Sunday Night Football. Since then, Oswald has made cameo appearances in animated shows, Disney theme parks, and video games like Epic Mickey.

Now, Oswald is finally set to receive his very own Disney miniseries, which will mix hand-drawn 2D animation with live-action.

The miniseries comes to Disney+ in Feb. 2027.

While Windows, Mac, and maybe Linux are the dominant OSes today, there are others that never made it. Here are some of my favorite OSes that never had a chance in the marketplace.

As technology continues to evolve, I take privacy very seriously, especially given growing concerns about identity theft and data collection policies. My phone number is also part of that identity profile, which means yours is too. Sure, I can control which apps I download and who I give my number to, but many things require my smartphone's number.

I had higher hopes for the 2026 Genesis GV60 Performance AWD when the automaker recently loaned me one for a week here in Detroit. It was a sharp-looking vehicle that's for sure, finished in Uyuni White over a Sky Blue and Prussian interior, with all the hallmarks of a luxurious electric SUV listed on the window sticker.

Google Maps feels like an app that's perfectly suited to a phone, but with its growing number of features, it's becoming increasingly cluttered. I recently switched to using my laptop whenever I wanted to plot a route in Google Maps. It turns out it's so much better.

So you've finally got gigabit broadband and Ethernet and Wi-Fi to match. Just a few years ago, this would be an impossible dream, but it's becoming the norm for more and more people. Now, at last, you can stop worrying about how fast your home network is and relax—just kidding!

I'm sick of the poor quality, occasionally poor photos my phone's default camera app produces. While some of this is 100% a skill issue (I'm a hobbyist photographer at best), I sometimes feel like my photos just don't look as good as I'd like. So I tested a few camera apps to see which one took the best-quality photos.

Cadillac hasn't built a true one-off concept since the Cien debuted at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show, a drivable V12 supercar that hinted at where Cadillac's performance ambitions were headed, right up until the cost of its custom engine and a projected $200,000 price tag kept it from ever reaching production.

Marvel Studios debuted the first trailer for its Disney+ series VisionQuest at D23 in Anaheim, California, offering the clearest look yet at Paul Bettany's return as the sentient AI hero Vision.

SEE ALSO: Marvel unveils X-Men cast: Adam Driver, Inde Navarrette, and more set for May 2028 film

The trailer finds Vision living in hiding and grappling with an existential crisis after essentially being resurrected in WandaVision. As part of his search for answers, Vision converses with several other artificial intelligences drawn from his own programming, including FRIDAY (Orla Bradley), DUM-E (Henry Lewis), JARVIS (James D'Arcy), and Ultron (James Spader). Much of Ultron is shown in human form in the footage, and the other Tony Stark-created AIs appear less than thrilled to have him around. An understandable reaction, given that Ultron nearly wiped out humanity in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

According to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, VisionQuest will serve as the final installment in what he's calling the "Wanda trilogy," following WandaVision and Agatha All Along. It's also expected to be Marvel's last live-action Disney+ series for the foreseeable future, part of a broader pullback from television that multiple outlets have reported in recent months. That shift already led to the cancellation of Wonder Man, which drew backlash from fans after the show was scrapped just months after being renewed for a second season.

VisionQuest premieres on Disney+ on Oct. 14.

Nothing starts a conversation faster with high school or college kids than an addictive Netflix series. These shows will spark debates that should spread across campus. It's the kind of show where, if you don't watch, you'll feel completely left out. I felt that way when Stranger Things first premiered and it became a true word-of-mouth show.

I finally decided to jailbreak my Kindle and install KOReader. Doing so has given me access to features that aren't possible on a standard Kindle. I set up an automation that turns off my bedside light when I've finished reading, and I can't get enough of it.

Most people who use Excel on Android tried it once, decided it wasn't worth the hassle, and went back to their laptop. That's a reasonable conclusion if you haven't used it lately, but the mobile version has gotten a lot better. The features that used to make spreadsheet work on a phone feel like a punishment have gotten fixed. In fact, I don’t even mind using Microsoft Excel on my phone anymore.

I thought I had a good handle on what started when I turned on my Windows PC. Then I opened Microsoft's Autoruns and was surprised by how many more entries it showed me. So I decided to investigate them to see which ones actually mattered and how much they were using my PC's resources.

One of the few hit Pixar films without a sequel is finally getting one.

At its D23 fan event in Anaheim, Disney unveiled that the company is currently working on a sequel to Coco, tentatively titled Coco 2.

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

Disney announced that the original Coco director, Lee Unkrich, will be returning to direct alongside co-director Adrian Molina. In addition, Benjamin Bratt will return to reprise the role of Ernesto de la Cruz, which means that Ernesto de la Cruz will be returning in the Coco sequel, too. In fact, it appears that Ernesto de la Cruz will play a major role in the upcoming film.

SEE ALSO: Kingdom Hearts' first-ever anime TV series coming to Disney+

"To some, Miguel is a little menace who ruined a career and destroyed a legacy," Bratt said onstage at the event. "Ernesto de la Cruz is back for revenge, sending Miguel on an adventure back to the Land of the Dead. Proving fate has a sense of humor, Miguel must team up with a handsome superstar: me."

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

Based on what Bratt had to say, it seems Coco 2 will take Miguel back to the land of the dead, where he'll have to join forces with Ernesto de la Cruz, the music superstar who was revealed as a fraud that killed Miguel's great-great-grandfather Hector in the first film.

Speaking of Miguel, Disney provided a first look at the upcoming Coco 2, which seemingly will star Miguel as a teenager.

Coco was a big success for the company when it was released in 2017. The film grossed more than $800 million worldwide and won two Academy Awards, one for best animated feature and another for best original song, "Remember Me."

Disney CEO Bob Iger previously shared that a Coco sequel was in the works in March of last year.

Coco 2 is currently scheduled to hit theaters in Nov. 2029.

The Raspberry Pi 5 is a fairly capable SBC, but it doesn't make a great desktop—as soon as you start trying to multitask, browser tabs start to lag, and the entire system will struggle. Between a relatively low-power GPU, the limitations of a microSD card boot drive (which is the default unless you buy an M.2 hat), and a CPU that will readily thermally throttle without active cooling, it just isn't up to the job.