Technology

Whether you're new to fitness tracking or are looking for an upgrade from your current model, Amazon has several Fitbits on sale today.

Best Fitbit deals at Amazon today Best deal on an advanced Fitbit Fitbit Sense 2 $139.96 at Amazon with on-page coupon (save $159.99) Get Deal Best deal on a smaller-sized Fitbit Fitbit Charge 6 $139.95 at Amazon (save $20) Get Deal Best deal on a Fitbit for kids Fitbit Ace 3 (black/racer red) $39.95 at Amazon (save $39.05) Get Deal

Fitness trackers do far more than just count your steps. These days, the devices can help determine if you're getting enough sleep, give an overview of average heartrate, and track your workouts with GPS.

If you've been considering buying a Fitbit fitness tracker, Amazon's discounted prices might help out with your decision. Here are some great Fitbit deals to shop today.

Best deal on an advanced Fitbit Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Our pick: Fitbit Sense 2 $139.95 at Amazon
$299.95 Save $160.00 Get Deal Why we like it

The Fitbit Sense 2 is on sale for just $139.95 at Amazon with the on-page coupon, marked down from the normal price of $299.95, which translates to a 53% discount. This model comes with some pretty special extras like insights into sleep, a smart wake alarm, and a stress-management score.

Of course, you'll get other fitness tracker features like heart rate readings, GPS, and a daily readiness score to help you plan the day's workout. In addition to the Fitbit Sense 2, you'll also get a six-month Fitbit Premium membership for more advanced analysis.

Best deal on a smaller-sized Fitbit Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Our pick: Fitbit Charge 6 $139.95 at Amazon
$159.95 Save $20.00 Get Deal Why we like it

If you prefer the look and feel of a smaller fitness tracker, the Fitbit Charge 6 could be perfect, and it's currently on sale for just $139.95 at Amazon. While smaller in size, it performs well in terms of function. You'll get up to seven days of battery life while the watch tracks your fitness goals, sleep, and heart rate. The Fitbit Charge 6 has automatic exercise tracking, so you don't have to worry about starting or stopping tracking while out on a run, walk, or bike ride. It's also water resistant up to about 150 feet, so you'll have no trouble with taking this watch to swim laps at the local pool this summer.

Along with the Fitbit Charge 6, this deal includes two watch bands, size small and size large, so you can find the most comfortable fit.

Best deal on a Fitbit for kids Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Our pick: Fitbit Ace 3 (black/racer red) $39.95 at Amazon
$79.00 Save $39.05 Get Deal Why we like it

If your kids notice your fitness tracker and want in on the fun, the Fitbit Ace 3 is designed for kids ages six and up. Today's deal brings the black/racer red colorway of the Ace 3 to just $39.95, down from the normal price of $79, which means you'll be saving 49%.

Fitbit animated the clock face of the Fitbit Ace 3 to grow and develop as kids move around throughout the day and get closer to reaching personal goals. The fitness tracker also monitors sleep, helping kids with bedtime reminders and silencing alarms. The tracker is also water resistant so a summer day spent at the pool or the beach is no problem.

Save $100: Bose QuietComfort headphones are back down to their lowest price on Amazon — just $249 for a limited time. That's a 29% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Headphones $249.00 at Amazon
$349.00 Save $100.00 Get Deal

If you're preparing to jet set this summer, you'll want a pair of noise-cancelling headphones to block out your fellow passengers and lock in to your favorite playlist or audiobook. Luckily, Bose's QuietComfort headphones are back down to their lowest price on Amazon, just $249 for a limited time. That's a $100 saving to pocket for your vacation.

We love Bose's QuietComfort Ultra earbuds that sit comfortably in your ear and provide stellar noise cancellation and sound quality. These over-the-ear headphones offer many of the same features, including an exceptionally long battery life of 24 hours at full charge. The headphones stay powered up from the airport to your final destination — no mid-flight charging when you have to suffer through your neighbor's snores. But if you do need a charge, a quick 15 minutes provides another 2.5 hours of listening time.

The Bose QuietComfort headphones are wireless, connecting via Bluetooth, however they do come with an audio cable for tuning into in-flight entertainment. The noise-cancelling mode can be turned off to go into "aware mode", so you can tune back into your surroundings when necessary.

Don't miss out on this Bose QuietComfort headphone deal and snag them for $100 off.

Jennifer Hudson discusses her role in Breathe, and what it's like to live in a world without oxygen.

TL;DR: Watch 2024 MotoGP live streams for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

F1 gets most of the media attention in the world of things-that-move-fast. But it also comes with a lot of pit stops, yellow flags, and predictable finishes. Yeah, we said it. Who wants to watch Max Verstappen win every week?

If you're looking for thrilling and unpredictable racing with two wheels instead of four, you should check out MotoGP. And thanks to a simple hack, you can watch MotoGP without actually spending anything.

Interested in watching MotoGP for free? You've come to the right place.

What is MotoGP?

Grand Prix motorcycle racing (MotoGP) is the oldest established motorsport world championship, with the inaugural season taking place in 1949. Races last approximately 45 minutes, without pitting for fuel or fresh tires.

The likes of Ducati, Honda, and Yamaha do battle for the constructors' championship. Francesco Bagnaia is the reigning champion, sealing his second consecutive MotoGP world title in 2023.

2024 MotoGP calendar

The 2024 MotoGP season features 21 races held all over the world between March and November:

1. Qatar GP — March 10

2. Portugal GP — March 24

3. Americas GP — April 14

4. Spain GP — April 28

5. France GP — May 12

6. Catalunya GP — May 26

7. Italy GP — June 2

8. Kazakhstan GP — June 16

9. Netherlands GP — June 30

10. Germany GP — July 7

11. Great Britain GP — Aug. 4

12. Austria GP — Aug. 18

13. Aragon GP — Sept. 1

14. San Marino GP — Sept. 8

15. India GP — Sept. 22

16. Indonesia GP — Sept. 29

17. Japan GP — Oct. 6

18. Australia GP — Oct. 20

19. Thailand GP — Oct. 27

20. Malaysia GP — Nov. 3

21. Valencia GP — Nov. 17

A wide range of streaming services are offering coverage of this MotoGP season, but there is actually no need to pay anything to follow all the action. You can watch MotoGP for free with the help of a VPN.

How to livestream MotoGP for free

You can stream every MotoGP 2024 race for free on ServusTV.

ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can access ServusTV from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ServusTV by following this quick and easy process:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria

4. Connect to ServusTV

5. Watch MotoGP for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees. By using these money-back guarantees, you can watch MotoGP live streams without fully committing with your cash. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch individual races without actually spending anything.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for MotoGP?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking streaming sites, and it offers a generous money-back guarantee. That means you can effectively live stream MotoGP for free with ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN is tough to beat when it comes to streaming MotoGP, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Impressive streaming speeds without buffering

• Up to five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can sign up to watch MotoGP and then recover your investment when the race weekend is over.

Stream MotoGP 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.

This incredible POV footage, captured in Canada's Hudson Bay, is helping us learn more about how climate change is affecting polar bears.

The climate in the Arctic is warming about two times faster than the rest of the planet. As a result, polar bears in the Hudson Bay are forced to spend more time on land, recently reaching 130 days of terrestrial life – a three-week increase since the 1980s.

So far, scientists have suspected that the iconic marine mammals may be able to adapt to iceless life. New research that used collar POV cameras to track the bears' behavioural changes on land, however, portrays a different reality. In this video, Mashable spoke to Dr. Anthony Pagano, a Research Wildlife Biologist and co-author of the study, about the results of their findings.

Russell Crowe plays an actor who takes the word "method" to a whole new level in The Exorcism, Joshua John Miller's film about a man spiralling while shooting a horror movie.

In the trailer above Crowe plays Anthony Miller, a star whose past addictions lead to his daughter Lee (Ryan Simpkins) unsure whether her dad is struggling psychologically or if there's something supernatural afoot. Sam Worthington, Samantha Mathis, Adam Goldberg, Chloe Bailey, and David Hyde Pierce also star.

How to watch: The Exorcism is in theaters on June 7.

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

Many fitness journeys begin at the same starting point: on the bathroom scales. Stepping on and off those scales and getting into shape is easier said than done, but it's worth the hard work. What you need is focus, commitment, and a helping hand. In this day and age that means tech-based assistance.

Indeed, there are plenty of products that will help make your journey a little easier. Everything from running watches to protein powders can give you the advantage. What about a set of smart scales? With all the advanced tech included, stepping onto a smart scale could be that first crucial leap towards your ultimate fitness goal.

But before you jump ahead and start shopping, let us help take some weight off your mind — and maybe your body — by explaining what makes these scales so smart.

What are smart scales?

Regular old scales only measure your weight, which is fine if that’s all you need. Smart scales provide you with extra data that helps tailor your weight-loss plan, with apps or online services to track various metrics and store information for you.

Most of the apps are compatible with the likes of Fitbit, Apple Health, and Google Fit, so you can sync your data to provide a clearer picture of your progress. Smart scales can provide the motivation to lose, maintain, or even gain weight.

Once you step on the scale, your information is recorded and sent to the accompanying app. These apps track your weight, providing charts that let you set goals for yourself. The ability to see goals and monitor progress can motivate you in ways that simply jotting down your weight can't or won't.

How do smart scales work?

Some scales use bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) technology to measure body composition. This technology uses electrical currents to gather measurements, so consult your doctor before hopping on if you are pregnant or have a pacemaker.

The number of measurements that are tracked will vary from scale to scale. Some only track a handful of metrics, like weight, fat, lean mass, and body mass index (BMI). Others, such as the RENPHO scale, track 13 different body composition metrics.

Some of these measurements might not be necessary for you to keep tabs on. If you are just casually watching your weight, for instance, you probably don’t need to track bone mass and skeletal muscle. Finding the right smart scales depends on which specific metrics you want to track, which features suit your lifestyle, goals, and medical history.

What is the perfect weight?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this, because it depends on your size and various factors, such as age, muscle-fat ratio, height, sex, and body shape.

The best way to determine whether you’re at a healthy weight is to measure your BMI. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered healthy. A BMI over 30 is considered obese. BMI measurement is standard on smart scales.

It's important to not obsess over these numbers. Everyone has a different set of circumstances that may influence where you fall on the scale. The most important thing to remember is that you're on your own personal fitness journey, and things take time. Focus on feeling fitter and healthier, and the rest will fall into place.

Which app do you need for smart scales?

The best app will depend on which smart scale you purchase. Some will need you to download and use a specific app, while others will have universal compatibility that syncs with popular fitness apps such as Garmin Connect, Nike+, and Google Fit.mCheck this out before making any purchase, because this could mean extra costs.

What is the best smart scale?

There’s a whole world of smart scales out there – and lots of brands you’ve probably never come across. You might feel more comfortable going with a brand you know, such as Fitbit or Garmin. These are well-trusted, top-of-the-range fitness tech manufacturers and their smart scales sync with their other devices.

We've scoured the internet and tracked down some of the very best smart scales from some of top brands. There should be something for everyone and every budget in this list. All you need to do is pick a favourite and jump on.

These are the best smart scales in 2024.

If you buy a ticket purely to experience the action scenes of Boy Kills World, you might get your money's worth. They're spread out at irregular intervals, but they're usually a treat. One of them even features Yayan Ruhian, aka Mad Dog from The Raid, one of the defining action movies of the 21st century. This buys the film — which stars IT's Bill Skarsgård and boasts horror legend Sam Raimi as a producer — some fleeting credibility, if nothing more. Yet there's no getting around the fact that Boy Kills World can be a difficult watch.

The fights, drawn from the deep well of Southeast Asian action cinema, are generally shot and choreographed with expertise. However, getting to them requires sitting through an amateurish dystopian comedy-drama with flimsy political wallpapering. There's a stark difference between what debuting director and co-writer Moritz Mohr brings to the table and the flourishes provided by stunt coordinator and second unit director Dawid Szatarski. The result is two wildly disparate approaches being smashed together with reckless abandon.

Only one of these stylistic halves really works, and without the foundation of the other in place, Boy Kills World seldom stands on its own. The brutal, tongue-in-cheek action scenes are a roller coaster, but Mohr's beats of drama, dialogue, and even comedy repeatedly bring this ride to a jarring halt. 

'Boy Kills World' plays like a half-baked 'Hunger Games.' Famke Janssen in "Boy Kills World." Credit: Roadside Attractions

The film draws from an array of influences from Japanese anime and American YA fiction — specifically, The Hunger Games — leading to an attempted synthesis of East and West that never fully melds. The film's equivalent of Katniss Everdeen is the unnamed protagonist, "Boy" (Bill Skarsgård), a revenge-driven martial artist, trained by a mysterious shaman (Ruhian) in a forest ever since he was a child.

Boy’s single-minded mission is to take down the Van Der Koys, an ostentatiously dressed media family led by sisters Hilda (Famke Janssen) and Melanie (Michelle Dockery). Their jack-booted thugs run the nearby capital city, and frequently round up civilians for a ritualistic "culling." Such a slaughter killed Boy’s mother and sister several years ago, maiming him and leaving him unable to hear or speak. However, Boy's acerbic inner voice narrates much of the film, commenting on each development.

This internal monologue is voiced by H. Jon Benjamin (Archer, Bob's Burgers), whose timing and raspy, caricatured intonations create comedic expectations at every turn. The film certainly tries to follow suit, starting with drug-fueled training montages, and scenes of Boy arguing with the specter of his slain younger sister (the angel on his shoulder, played precociously by 10-year-old Quinn Copeland). However, as soon the plot kicks into high gear and Boy begins violently working his way up the Van Der Koy family ladder, the perspective widens to encompass a number of half-baked supporting villains who are far less entertaining.

Brothers-in-law Glen (Sharlto Copley) and Gideon Van Der Koy (Brett Gelman) bicker in the form of "jokes" that are usually expletive-laden insults with no real set-up. The more they're on screen, the flimsier the movie’s world-building becomes. The social mechanics of Boy Kills World's premise leave plenty to be desired: The only real information we have about the fascist Van Der Koys is their white ethnicity, their Dutch last name, and their use of a militarized, mostly white police force to oppress numerous non-white extras from multiple backgrounds (though plenty of white extras can be seen as well). None of this feels accidental. These echoes of real colonial power might suggest the movie is set in an alternate South Africa where apartheid never ended. (It was also filmed on location in South Africa.) But in the end, these ideas never quite come together in any meaningful way.

Mohr shows little interest in what these political images mean — let alone what it means for Boy, a white liberator, to be the only one seen standing up to the Van Der Koys for most of the runtime. This is a distinctly "turn your brain off" kind of movie, though in flipping that switch, what's left to pass through the lizard brain isn't always entertaining enough.

Boy Kills World is a completely malformed comedy-drama. Brett Gelman in "Boy Kills World." Credit: Roadside Attractions

The POV through which the story is told is a joke half-considered. Benjamin is an accomplished voice actor with impeccable comic timing, but he's given little to work with. Boy, it turns out, can read lips, and his internal monologue provides wry observations for the benefit of the audience. These serve to make Boy an amusing anchor for the story. Skarsgård’s eyes were his most terrifying tool when he played Pennywise the Clown. Here, he uses them to guide the viewer through the film's mile-a-minute jokes, including the ones that might not fully land. It's a performance composed of reaction shots, even though the character is reacting to his own sarcasm at times.

However, apart from one small gag about a character who speaks in mumbles and thus can't be understood, Boy Kills World isn't really a movie where disability is meaningfully woven into its story, nor it is one where sound (or lack thereof) plays an important part in its craft. 

Boy's lip-reading is taken for granted in practically every scene, with staging paying no attention to how he might be able to view people's lips moving. Yet he absorbs every bit of information conveyed in dialogue, and his hearing impairment plays practically no function within the plot, which makes for uninteresting drama. There are few misunderstandings in the process, and only one memorably funny gag; it involves a cheese grater, which dovetails nicely into some vicious action too. But it has little to do with the way Boy exists within the world he kills, or communicates with the people he fights.

The disconnected storytelling of Boy Kills World kills its charms.  Bill Skarsgård in "Boy Kills World." Credit: Roadside Attractions

Mundane dialogue carries too much of the film's storytelling to keep things compelling — or even clear. What the senior members of the Van Der Koy family actually do, or how they rule with an iron fist, seems known to everyone, including Boy. But left unspoken, this isn't meaningfully established in any way until it's immediately relevant to the plot. For instance, a Hunger Games-esque TV broadcast where the cruelty is the point turns out to be a central fixture of this world. However, it arrives so late and suddenly that rather than strike fear through anticipation, it feels like an afterthought. 

This approach also knee-caps any plot twists. Boy Kills World's out-of-left-field reveals aren't hard to understand, but they are built on character dynamics so flimsy that figuring out plot implications takes precedence over confronting personal betrayals. There's plenty of "what" but very little "who," "how," or "why."

That said, when the chips are down, and the movie switches from dialogue to action mode, like a video game returning from an overlong cut scene back to its game mechanics, Boy Kills World temporarily bursts to life. 

The action in Boy Kills World is worthwhile.  Yayan Ruhian in "Boy Kills World." Credit: Roadside Attractions

Along his fight up the Van Der Koy ladder, Boy befriends an enslaved factory worker, Basho, played by Warrior's Andrew Koji, an actor with plenty of on-screen action chops. Together, they engage in some pretty fun and gnarly fisticuffs, including against a prison guard who inhales some mysterious drug that turns him into a rage zombie. This drug is neither established beforehand nor does it come up ever again, but in the moment, it's delightfully silly.

The aforementioned horror-comedy-inspired scene also exemplifies the kind of gonzo action glimpsed throughout Boy Kills World. Skarsgård delivers a committed physical performance, jumping and leaping around in animalistic fashion — he's the real Monkey Man — while Szatarski stages and captures each fight with both geographical clarity and an emphasis on impact. It's a low bar that many American action movies fail to clear (Monkey Man included). Boy Kills World excels beyond this bare minimum, thanks to some loopy, psychedelic imagery that only seems to crop up during fights, as well as momentum-filled drone photography that makes each combat sequence feel truly alive.

Then again, these are strung together by dead dramatic weight, and a story that grows increasingly somber and self-serious as the film goes on, without any thematic or emotional resonance. Were Boy Kills World released as a mere supercut of its action scenes, it would be an incredibly worthwhile watch. Unfortunately, that just isn't the case. The result is a movie split down the middle, torn between the stellar action choreography of a stunt coordinator who could very well make the jump to directing (à la John Wick filmmakers David Leitch and Chad Stahelski) and a filmmaker whose debut would be dead on arrival were it not for Szatarski's skills. 

Boy Kills World opens in theaters April 26.

TL;DR: Through May 1, the PowerBand watch band has a built-in MagSafe-compatible charger for your Apple Watch and is on sale for just $29.97 for Mother's Day.

Mother's Day isn't about finding any old thing at the store because you waited too long to think of a gift. Giving her a gift should be about celebrating her with something that speaks to who she is or something she's into. If your mother, wife, grandmother, sister, or mother-in-law relies on her Apple Watch, this could be the gift for her. The PowerBand is on sale for just $29.97 (reg. $49) for Mother's Day when you order through May 1.

The genius of this watch band is that it has a hidden MagSafe-compatible charger built into the design. The small, flat MagSafe-compatible part is made to be ultra-thin, so it doesn't get in the way. Simply attach it to your Apple Watch magnetically when you want to charge it.

PowerBand's durable, lightweight nylon construction is adjustable. And the elasticity helps it form to your wrist comfortably.

The USB needed for your charge is built into the band itself, so you always have both pieces on the band whenever you need a charge. This is a game changer for those who live by their Apple Watches. This flexible, sturdy USB connector remains covered and protected when not being used.

This high-tech watch band is compatible with all Apple Watch series and could make a terrific gift if the special mom in your life relies on the Apple Watch for fitness, work, or communicating with the family.

This year, think outside the box and gift mom with the PowerBand watch band with a built-in MagSafe-compatible charger for $29.97, with guaranteed delivery before Mother's Day when you order by May 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: WonderCube PowerBand: Apple Watch Band with Built-In MagSafe Charger $29.97 at the Mashable Shop
$49.99 Save $20.02 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through April 30, this grade-A refurbished Apple MacBook Air is on sale for just $299.97 (reg. $599).

Whether you saved up enough to get your first computer, your old one is not working as well anymore, or you'd like an extra for the home office, you can get a reliable, powerful machine without paying a premium for the latest tech. Refurbished electronics are kind of a win-win in that you pay less, and the world gets one less computer in landfills — shout-out to Earth Day.

This refurbished MacBook Air is only from the model year 2017. It also has a grade-A refurbished rating. This means it should come in near-perfect condition, having been tested and cleaned, but could possibly have some minor (or zero) cosmetic blemishes. It's on sale for just $299.97 (reg. $599) when you order by April 30.

It runs a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM, which gives you a smooth ride whether you're creating slides for your work presentation or editing photos from your last family vacation. The Intel HD Graphics 6000 and 128GB SSD allow for easy streaming and storing, while the battery is designed to last for up to 12 hours.

Get online via WiFi networks or hotspots. You can also connect to your peripherals or transfer files using Bluetooth.

True to its name, the MacBook Air boasts a thin, lightweight design at just under three pounds. Its portability makes it ideal for users who need to carry their laptop to class, work, or their local cafe. Despite its easily portable size, it features a 13.3-inch display to deliver vibrant visuals with impressive clarity.

Don't miss this quality computer from a top-of-the-line name at this limited-time 50% savings.

Get yourself or the soon-to-be graduate in your life a grade-A refurbished Apple MacBook Air while it's on sale for just $299.97 (reg. $599) until April 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 13.3" (2017) 1.8GHz i5 Core 8GB RAM 128GB - Silver (Refurbished) $299.97 at the Mashable Shop
$599.00 Save $299.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through April 30, update your home office with this grade-A refurbished Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny Core desktop for $179.97.

If you're redoing your home office for spring, replacing a clunky desktop with a more compact model can free up some space. An easy way to elevate your office setup is with a small but powerful desktop like this Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny Core, now available at a remarkable 49% discount when you order through April 30.

This little refurbished powerhouse blends performance, compactness, and sustainability, making it an ideal choice for professionals, students, and gamers looking for a high-quality computer without the steep price tag. It also comes with a keyboard, mouse, AC adapter, and WiFi dongle.

While some may be hesitant to buy a refurbished desktop computer, it might help to know that this has a grade-A refurbished rating. That means it is in near-mint condition, with minimal cosmetic blemishes possible on the body.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 offers a robust computing experience with its 2.2GHz Intel Core i5-6400T processor and 16GB RAM. The 256GB SSD storage also allows you to store apps, photos, and other files locally without relying on the cloud. It also comes with Windows 10 Pro, so you can get going nearly right out of the box.

Buying a refurbished device is a smart choice, both economically and environmentally. If you're looking to maximize your home work space and don't want to bust your budget, this could be an option worth considering. 

You can pick up this grade-A refurbished Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny Core desktop with mouse and keyboard for just $179.97 (reg. $349) until April 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lenovo Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Core i5-6500T, 16GB RAM 256GB SSD - Black (Refurbished) $179.97 at the Mashable Shop
$349.99 Save $170.02 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through May 1, order the Auraglow Complete LED teeth whitening kit for just $36.99 with guaranteed delivery for Mother's Day.

This Mother’s Day, gift something unique and thoughtful — the confidence that comes with having a radiant smile. The Auraglow Complete LED Teeth Whitening Kit, just $36.99 (reg. $48), offers a practical way to show your appreciation for the special women in your life.

Whether she’s your mother or wife, this non-traditional Mother's Day gift might be something she'd like to try but wouldn't splurge on for herself. The last day to order this to guarantee on-time delivery before Mother's Day is May 1, so don't wait too long.

Auraglow is said to help you whiten your teeth up to ten shades in as little as seven days, according to a clinical study. This kit uses a 35-percent carbamide peroxide dentist-grade teeth whitening gel, along with the acceleration gained from LED light, to deliver a fast change. The LED activates the gel to help remove stains and do it at a faster rate. It can even help get rid of those tougher-to-remove stains caused by coffee, wine, soda, and smoking.

It's made to be perfectly safe for those with dental work such as crowns, bridges, and caps. The people at Auraglow claim it shouldn't cause any sensitivity, pain, or irritations when used correctly. For best results, you'll need to use the treatment for thirty minutes per day. This kit includes twenty treatments. 

Made in the USA and including all your mom needs to whiten her teeth from the comfort of her own space, it's an affordable gift that you'll be glad you purchased everything you see her smile.

Don't miss the chance to get this dental-grade whitening kit while it's on sale for Mother's Day.

The Auraglow Complete LED Teeth Whitening Kit is just $36.99 (reg. $48), with guaranteed delivery before Mother's Day when you order by May 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Auraglow Auraglow Complete LED Teeth Whitening Kit $36.99 at the Mashable Shop
$48.00 Save $11.01 Get Deal

This isn't a judgment, more of an observation: Challengers has come to leave you ragged. 

The first time I watched Luca Guadagnino's Challengers, I was so overwhelmed by its titillating sexual tension and exhilarating interpersonal drama that I struggled to find the words to describe it. The second time, I was very aware of the audience members around me who were audibly shocked and awed by the sweaty game this love-triangle drama plays. Some clucked, metaphorically clutching pearls, whenever child-star-turned-cinema-It-Girl Zendaya snarled a curse word or slid into a sexy scene. Behind me, an older man grumbled anytime things between leading men Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor got homoerotic. And this is a Luca Guadagnino movie, so that happened often. 

American audiences might mistake Challengers for a sexy American sports movie, like Bull Durham. After all, it's a U.S.-set tale of tennis, produced by MGM, and headlined by one of our nation's hottest actresses, as well as one of the heralded stars of Steven Spielberg's West Side Story. They might assume they know what they're getting into. But the Sicilian filmmaker behind Call Me by Your Name and Bones and All has used both peaches and cannibalism (separately) as visual metaphors for the carnal nature of lust. Naturally, his version of a sports movie is far more lurid, feeling distinctly European. 

Sensual longing radiates in every scene of Challengers, even though the love scenes are most shocking in how little sex they actually show. And yet, you will be scorched by the heat, as Guadagnino has put together one of the hottest love triangles cinema has ever seen... if not the very hottest. 

What is Challengers about? 

Written by Justin Kuritzkes (the husband of celebrated Past Lives writer/director Celine Song), Challengers explores the complicated relationship between three young tennis players. Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor) relish playing together, even though they are miles apart in personality. Where Art is clean-cut, hardworking, and earnest, Patrick is a bad boy whose serves are as wild as his impulsive pronouncements. As adults, they'll face off with the former looking like a polished god of the sport, clad in sparkling tennis whites bearing his own logo, and the latter looking like a down-and-out loser, with scruffy facial hair and an outfit that is so wrinkled and grungy you can practically smell the stale sweat. 

At the start of this story, they've been best friends since boarding school and are closer than brothers. Then they meet Tashi Duncan, an "18-year-old phenom" who plays tennis with a ferocity that stops them in their big-talking tracks. When both of them ask for her number, she warns she's "not a home-wrecker," immediately sensing the bond between them. Still, she promises her digits to whoever wins their next match. But Tashi is no trophy to be won. Kuritzkes paints her as a brilliant and brutal strategist on the court and off. By the time they're in their early thirties, she'll be married to one of these men, while the other is left on the sidelines. But that's far from the end of their story. Kuritzkes' script nimbly leaps back and forth between their teens and twenties and the present, never missing a beat to put them — and us — through the emotional wringer. And as these three flirt, fumble, fuck, and break each others' hearts, Challengers tantalizes with its ambush of raw emotions and gnarled repressions. 

Challengers is hot, horny, and smart.  Credit: Niko Tavernise / Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures

As teased in the trailer that set the internet ablaze, Tashi, Art, and Patrick share a chaotic chemistry that leads to a life-changing three-way kiss. Those hoping for a threesome throw down might initially be disappointed here, as there is no literal group sex — neither on screen nor implied offscreen. However, using tennis as a metaphor, every grunt, groan, and drip of sweat (all of which are generously dispersed) has a sexual implication.

In the first act, it's Tashi's intensity and confident athleticism on the court that not only make Patrick and Art stand to attention, but also clutch at each other in uncontrollable excitement. When she scores the winning point, she doesn't cheer; she yells deep and loud, "COME ON!" It's primal, and when asked about it later, she's unashamed. Tashi explains that to her, tennis — good tennis — "is a relationship" that's honest. "We understand each other," she says of her opponent, comparing the connection on the court to being in love. But when it comes to love off the court, none of these three can dare be so open. There's too much to lose. 

The metaphor plays out on the court and in dorm rooms, hotel rooms, and secret rendezvous, through a heated exchange of frenzied kisses and hands groping with firm passion. When the men offer confessions of love or attraction to her, Tashi hits back with whip-smart remarks. "You'd have a better shot with a handgun in your mouth," for example, is a cold line that earns a laugh from the audience, but there's heat underneath it all, building and burning. Over the course of a story that stretches over a decade, and a movie that bounces from a tennis showdown to the love triangle at its breaking point, the sexual tension between its leads is unrelentingly electrifying. 

Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor set the screen on fire in Challengers.  Credit: Niko Tavernise / Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures

There's a powerful balance struck in this trio. Faist plays the romantic, his eyes — which yearned for Tony in West Side Story — are now hopefully locked in on Tashi's banging backhand. Shaking off the macho posturing of Riff, Faist is almost achingly vulnerable as the athlete who plays by the rules with his heart on his sleeve. But there's a cruelty in Art's lovestruck quest, and that is not lost in Faist's performance. A steeliness enters his gaze. A stiffness intrudes on his walk as he strives to cover his tracks or hide his heartbreak. 

In comparison, Zendaya's Tashi might seem stoic. But her eye is on the ball, as it were. As a girl, her physicality has a lightness, but no naïveté. When she enters the hotel room shared by Patrick and Art, she's no lost lamb among lions; she's on the prowl. Within tennis's world of whiteness, wealth, and its associated privileges, Tashi knows she — as a Black woman whose family isn't old money — plays by different rules than these white boys. Subtle nods in Kuritzkes' script scratch at racial and economic tension, like Tashi noting matter-of-factly that another contender is a "racist bitch" or curtly explaining her family couldn't afford to send her to a boarding school. What's unspoken is that her place here is more precarious than theirs. So, even when she's off the court, her mind is in the game. Zendaya expresses this pressure through sharp glares, icy delivery, and a tendency to swallow her bottom lip, as if she's sucking back the righteous rage she'd be judged for letting out. 

In the face of this fury, Patrick might come off as a clown by contrast. Devoted to not taking anything – especially himself — too seriously, he's a charming hedonist who gleefully rejects every boundary and social nicety. When visiting Art in college, Patrick bounds onto the court in jeans, whooping and chasing his friend like they're kids again. In the mess hall, he gobbles Art's churro (this is not a euphemism) with a mischievous smile. And towards Tashi, his ravenousness is just as rampant. O'Connor, who wowed critics in 2017 with his performance in the gay drama God's Own Country, is feral with charisma, bursting with bravado and allure, yet carrying a dizzying anxiety in every twitching smile. 

On a first watch, O'Connor is dynamic, and a terrific scene partner. The same can be said for all three leads. But on a second watch, he's the MVP. Though Patrick has a big mouth, he doesn't dare admit what he really feels in his core. Instead, O'Connor reveals the truth in fleeting moments of reckless vulnerability with a tell, a twitch in his smile. Then Guadagnino underscores these driving but unvoiced emotions through cinematography and an immersive soundscape. 

Luca Guadagnino's Challengers is one of 2024's best.  Credit: Niko Tavernise / Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures

Melding music with the moans of the court, Guadagnino brought on two-time Academy Award-winning composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to deliver a score that envelopes audiences in adrenaline. While the Challengers soundtrack is peppered with hit dance songs from Donna Summer, Lily Allen, and Nelly, the score from Reznor and Ross is house music unleashed. While the screen fills with close-ups of the tennis players' faces, or long shots of them loping across the green in slow-motion, the music is a heady thrum of synth keyboards turning the court into a dance club. It's a musical soundscape that screams of exhilaration, pumping into our veins so our hearts might race along with the characters'. 

Likewise, the cinematography of Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (whose credits include Call Me by Your Name and Guadagnino's Suspiria) emphasizes intimacy on the court and the intensity of verbal volleys off it. Cowboy close-ups bring us inches away from the sweating brows of these lovers, inviting us to look into their eyes and intuit what feelings roar behind them. A heated exchange in a sauna is heightened by blocking that puts Art up high and Patrick down low, reflecting not only their status in the moment but also a provocative sense of sexual supplication, emphasized by dueling POV shots. A particularly harsh argument between lovers includes a whip-pan from one player to the other, as if we are watching the tennis ball zing back and forth. 

All of these meticulous details build something alive and miraculous. Challengers is not just a sexy love story or a suspenseful sports movie. Imbued with adrenaline in every frame, note, and beat, it is a breathtaking cinematic experience that thrusts you into the center of this love triangle, bounces you about like a ball that lives for the racket's smack, and leaves you breathless with a finale that is indulgent yet deeply satisfying. While it may be too much for some audiences to handle, there's no doubt Challengers is hands down one of the best and sexiest movies of the year. 

Challengers opens in theaters April 26. 

There's a madcap magic to late-night television, where the stars come out to shine before an applauding live audience, and the rules of decorum seem relaxed in a studio setting modeled after a crisp, clean living room. We know that every guest is there to promote themselves and their latest product, but between the practiced smiles and strategized banter, there's the heady possibility that something unsanitized and real — something shocking, even — might slip through as we click closer to the Witching Hour. This is the slippery, surreal space of television celebrated in Late Night with the Devil, a tidy and trembling horror movie where talk shows and terror collide. 

Writers/directors Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes (aka the Cairnes Brothers) precisely position their film in the sweet spot of 1977. On television, Johnny Carson with his broad smile and sharp wit was the king of Late Night, a charming ambassador to all of Hollywood and its fame-chasing shenanigans. As Carson graciously extended his living room into our own, so too did the homespun horrors of '70s cinema. Frightful films like Carrie and The Exorcist terrorized theater-goers with twisted tales of innocent-looking young girls irrevocably bent toward evil and devastation right before our very eyes. 

SEE ALSO: 'Late Night with the Devil's disturbing ending, explained

With Late Night with the Devil, the Cairnes Brothers bring these worlds of fear and fun together into one lean, mean, and sickly satisfying thrill ride. 

What's Late Night with the Devil about?  Credit: IFC Films and Shudder.

Character actor David Dastmalchian (The Suicide Squad, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) strides into the spotlight as talk show host Jack Delroy. A suave talent with the gift of gab, his show might have rivaled Carson's chokehold on late night, if not for a personal tragedy the previous year that broke Jack's heart and derailed the show's popularity. Desperate to revive his falling prospects, he plots a Halloween show that the world will never forget. 

Along with a psychic (who might be a scam artist) and a professional skeptic (who lives to cause trouble), Jack books a controversial interview with a mysterious young girl. Lilly (Ingrid Torelli) was once a part of a Satanic cult devoted to a dangerous demon. Once they went up in smoke, she was the only one to survive. Now, under the care of her guardian/therapist (Laura Gordon), Lilly has come on late night to share her story…and maybe introduce us to her special friend, Mr. Wriggles. 

Late Night with the Devil is a throwback in the best way.  David Dastmalchian plays a talk show host in "Late Night with the Devil." Credit: IFC Films and Shudder.

Planting their plotline as a precursor to the Satanic Panic of the '80s, the Cairnes Brothers swiftly establish a sense of foreboding for their hep audience members, who know all too well the wild rumors of devil worshippers, ghouls, ghosts, and pigs named Jodie that are to follow. The precursor to moral panic and paranoia is naivete punctured by piercing fear. And what better cozy bubble to puncture than the feel-good atmosphere of a celebrity talk show? 

A shrewd production design carefully reconstructs this era. Warm but muted hues of browns, yellows, and oranges swirl around the set. Sharp suits and denim overalls place the guests in a time of swinging style and seeming innocence, when a teen girl would do press dressed like a doll instead of a supermodel. 

SEE ALSO: The 'Late Night with the Devil' AI controversy, explained

Meanwhile, the cinematography harkens back to the age of video, complete with analog glitches that could be nothing...or could be a warning that something is going awry. All of these details carefully capture the era so thoroughly that if you don't recognize the actors, you might mistake Late Night with the Devil for a forgotten cult classic, the legit kind once found on coveted VHS tapes. 

Yet the most crucial ode to this era is the tone of the talk show. With a breezy bravado, Dastmalchian swaggers into the role of unflappable host. Whether flashing a false smile for the crowd or bantering with his bickering guests, he feels deeply embedded in this bouncy brand of entertainment and salesmanship. By grounding the first act in the familiar realities of the '70s chat show, the Cairnes Brothers and Dastmalchian creep under our skin to rise goosebumps as they raise hell. 

Late Night with the Devil delivers restrained but ruthless horror.  David Dastmalchian in Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes' "Late Night with the Devil." Credit: IFC Films and Shudder.

Be warned: This movie won't get as splashy in its demonic spectacle as Carrie or The Exorcist, which boasted buckets of pig blood and vociferous vomit, respectively. But that's part of this movie's charm. Like Rosemary's Baby, it's an atmospheric brew that festers with emotional trauma. Fret not; there will be bursts of bile, blood, and some climactic carnage. However, those gory bits wouldn't be as hard-hitting were it not for the dramatic tension going on behind the scenes of Jack's plagued talk show. 

In a sense, Dastmalchian must shoulder two roles: the consummate professional and the personal trainwreck. Beneath his bespoke suit is a trembling heart that yearns for more than big ratings from this devilish publicity stunt. He yearns for proof that there is something more than this life, something beyond. And he'll risk anything, even his soul, in pursuit of this revelation. 

Dastmalchian has frequently played creepy men (see Prisoners) and quirky criminals (Pick an Ant-Man, any Ant-Man). His signature intensity stirs beneath the surface even as Jack plays nice for the studio camera. In his eyes flickers a chaotic fire of grief, hope, and ambition that cannot be squelched. And it is reflected in the unnerving stare of a little girl who claims to house a demonic spirit. They are a match made not in heaven but hell. And witnessing their face-off is nail-biting fun. 

Paying tribute to '70s horror, Late Night with the Devil is steeped in the era's aesthetic and its emerging moral anxiety, as well as the methodical pacing that draws us in, grabs on tight, and won't let go until that final ghoulish moment. Tune in and hang on. Dastmalchian and his demon are coming for you.

Late Night with the Devil is now streaming on Shudder.  

UPDATE: Apr. 25, 2024, 4:03 p.m. EDT "Late Night with the Devil" was reviewed out of its World Premiere at SXSW 2023. 

UPDATE: Apr. 26, 2024, 5:00 a.m. EDT This article has been updated with the latest DoorDash promo codes from across the web. Note that some of these codes are location-specific or exclusive to new users.

Best DoorDash promo codes this week: Best deal for new users Use code US25SAVU1Q24 Get 25% off your first order ($15 minimum) Get Deal

We all love a good, home-cooked meal. But who has the time to make one every single night? Couldn't be us. That's why we always keep our delivery apps at the ready. Our app of choice at the moment? DoorDash. There's a constant bounty of promo codes, scoring you savings not just on takeout, but also on grocery delivery and select retail stores.

You can find our favorite DoorDash promo codes from across the web below, so take a look and then chow down while booting up your favorite streaming service or video game. Oh, and a lot of these codes will be exclusive to new users, so if you already have an account, you may want to consider creating a new one (you didn't hear that from us). Also, because some codes are location-specific, they may not work for everyone. Just test them out and see which ones stick for you!

SEE ALSO: The best deals on streaming services this week How do I use a DoorDash promo code?

Before we get into our picks for the week, let us quickly go over how to use a DoorDash promo code, because if you don't know how to do that, you won't benefit from any of the great deals we're about to show you. Thankfully, the process is really easy. (If you already know how to do this, feel free to keep scrolling to get straight to the latest DoorDash coupons.)

All you need to do is load up your shopping cart with whatever is on the menu for the night and head to the checkout screen. Once you get there, scroll down to the bottom where you'll find a section labeled "Summary."

The 'Summary' section lives at the bottom of the checkout screen. Credit: DoorDash

Tap on that section and you'll be brought to a separate screen titled "Promo codes, rewards & gift cards." Then, just input your promo code (and gift card, if you have one) and head back to the checkout screen. You should now see your discount applied automatically.

This is where you'll use your promo code and get those sweet benefits. Credit: DoorDash

Congrats! You just scored some savings, and that takeout order is going to taste so much better because of it. Now, on to this week's promo codes — take a look below, and enjoy your meal.

Best DoorDash promo codes this week

• Up to 35% percent off your order: YAY35

• 50% off select orders: TASTY50OFF3

• Up to $25 off your first order: GET25NOW

• 40% off select orders: CRAVING40

• Get 50% off and free delivery for new users: B5ZL33

• Get 60% off orders over $25 at select stores: 60OFF

• Get 50% off your first $15 order: 2F9VDF

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for April 26 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for April 26

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, April 26, 2024:

AcrossImperfection in a diamond

• The answer is flaw.

Bit of cheek makeup

• The answer is blush.

Tall and lean

• The answer is urges.

Compulsions

• The answer is lanky.

Something shared by wetlands and woodwinds

• The answer is reed.

DownRoadside emergency marker

The answer is flare.

Glute-strengthening exercise

• The answer is lunge.

The "A" of FAQ

• The answer is asked.

Fundamental reasons

• The answer is why's.

Zoom call effect for a distracting background

• The answer is blur.

Google offers a range of productivity products, across Drive, Gmail, and Photos, and with all of it, storage is a consideration. Every Google account hands users 15 gigabytes of free cloud storage across these products, but for many, this isn't enough.

Enter Google One, the company's subscription cloud storage service. Here's a guide to the service and how it works.

SEE ALSO: How to turn on 3D buildings in Google Maps navigation What is Google One?

Google One is a cloud storage service that offers different tiered membership plans for monthly fees. The service can be used for Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos.

There are other benefits to the service, including photo effects, discounts on Google products, and access to Google experts for various tech questions. Certain plans also now offer access to Google's AI tool.

How is it different to Drive?

While Google Drive offers free storage to users, Google One replaced Drive's storage plans back in 2018. Drive is now a place exclusively for files and documents. One is a subscription service.

How much does Google One cost?

Google One offers various membership plans.

• 100-GB Basic Plan: For $2 per month or $20 per year (£1.59 or £16 in the UK)

• 200-GB Standard Plan: For $3 per month or $30 per year (£2.49 or £25 in the UK)

• 2-TB Premium Plan: For $10 per month or $100 per year (£8 or £80 in the UK)

• 2-TB AI Premium Plan: For $20 per month (£19 in the UK)

For every plan, starting from the Basic tier, family-sharing is allowed for up to five people.

Tiers vary after that, with the 2TB Premium Plan, for example, offering Google Workspace benefits. The AI-Premium plan, meanwhile, offers all Premium benefits alongside AI-powered products: Gemini Advanced, and Gemini integration into Gmail and Docs.

There are other plan options with increased storage, but as Wired points out, it is unlikely that 2TB won't be enough.

• 5TB: $25 per month or $250 per year (£20 or £200 in the UK)

• 10TB: $50 per month (£40 in the UK).

• 20TB: $100 per month (£80 in the UK).

• 30TB: $150 per month (£120 in the UK)

How do you sign up Google One?

Head over to Google One and sign up using your Google login. From there, you can choose your preferred membership plan.

The eternal fight between light and dark may have just ended, and darkness won. At least on Android.

According to Android Authority, there's a hidden setting in an Android 14 beta that was released in January, allowing you to "make all apps dark."

Yes, this means users should be able to force all apps into dark mode, even those which don't natively support it, thus making the darkening of their Android phones complete. As a long-time dark mode connoisseur, I use it whenever possible, and I avert my eyes in pain from any app that blinds me with anything lighter than a very dark grey.

The setting, which resides in Settings -> System -> Developer option, is described as follows: "Applies to apps without their own dark theme. Some apps may have display issues, like inverted colors."

This is similar to an existing developer option that also applies a dark theme to all apps, but developers can opt out of that one. Likewise, there's an option to invert colors in the Accessibility settings, but that one often has odd results.

The new setting looks to be something intended for users, not developers, and it has better results, though according to Android Authority, which has a gallery of apps with forcefully applied dark mode, it's still not perfect.

SEE ALSO: Android 15: The tech used for Google Pay may be used to charge your devices

The feature isn't available in the latest Android 15 beta, but it's likely to show up in a future release, possibly during Google I/O 2024, scheduled for May 14.

Threads, which is growing in numbers, is expanding on its features too.

The app, flagged as a rival of X (Twitter) since it launched, has announced an elevated "hidden words" feature. Previously, the feature allowed people to filter out "unwanted content" from replies on Threads. But now, users can filter out words, phrases, and even emoji from their feeds.

These will then be automatically muted across Threads – from both "following" and "for you" feeds, in addition to search results, replies to posts, and profiles.

Post by @mosseri View on Threads

Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced the update on Threads, writing, "I hope these features give you more control over your experience on Threads and help keep it a place for positive conversation."

Mosseri also teased forthcoming updates to the app, which is currently being tested: controlling who can quote reply to posts on Threads, and the ability to mute notifications on posts.

These guardrails are important for any wide-reaching social networking app. Threads has already struggled with a hate-speech problem, including allegedly rampant transphobic, Islamophobic and anti-abortion posts on the app. The Meta-owned app has launched its own fact-checkers to combat issues like misinformation, and it seems like their latest updates are also an effort to give Threads users a more positive experience.

Threads has generally been playing around with how people view content on the platform, with a recently-launched trending topics feature, for instance. Still, chronological search results – a highly-request update – won't be coming to the app anytime soon.

Acerbic and bleakly funny, Joanna Arnow's feature debut is as intentionally awkward and opaque as its mouthful of a title: The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed. At once overstated in its dialogue and restrained in its visual style, it follows a thirty-something Brooklyn woman through a series of sexual encounters and situationships, as she tries to find what satisfies her — in bed, and in life.

The film's withholding nature makes for a perfect handshake with its glum protagonist — played by Arnow herself — whose disconnect from the world around her motivates amusing aesthetic turns. Tonally, it's a work that consistently simmers on a medium flame, underscored by a purposeful sense of millennial dissatisfaction.

SEE ALSO: 'Big Mood' review: A brilliant dramedy that captures friendship and mental health in all its messiness

It's also incredibly frank with its depictions of kink and sexuality. It presents physical intimacy as an act so casual — even unremarkable — that its sex scenes and plentiful, full-frontal nudity harbor not even an ounce of trepidation or shame. The result is a relaxing, remarkably self-assured film about uncertainty.

Credit: Magnolia Pictures What is The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed about?

The film opens with Ann (Arnow), a mostly quiet and assuming woman, lying naked in bed with Allen (Scott Cohen), an older man she's been involved with for a decade. Despite the longevity of their affair, she hasn't found the right sexual rhythm with him, or a rhythm of any sort. Their conversations are brief and blunt, and while their sexual escapades involve experimental powerplay and complicated instructions, nothing he does seems to work for her.

Ann has a vague idea of what she wants — to be dominated with passion — but specificity, and being brought to orgasm by a sexual partner, always seem to elude her. This lack of spark and excitement bleeds into her everyday interactions, whether with her coworkers at her mundane office job, or her overbearing Jewish family, with whom she doesn't really click. She doesn't talk as much as they do, nor does she seem to really listen (a flaw of which she subtly accuses Allen without recognizing it in herself).

Across the film's 87 minutes — divided into 5 chapters, whose names become a running gag — she begins seeing numerous different partners in an effort to find a new "master," each more neurotic than the last, until she finds a man with whom she's comfortable. Along the way, she becomes a willing participant in various humiliation rituals, sexual encounters the movie mirrors with her attempts to reconnect with her much more outgoing and well-adjusted older sister. In either case, something's missing, and until she finds what that is, The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed takes on a languid appearance, with filmmaking and comic timing that verge on the absurd.

Credit: Magnolia Pictures Joanna Arnow's filmmaking is precise and absurd

Nearly the entire movie is filmed at a distance, using carefully crafted long and medium shots that capture Ann's movement within space. The camera almost never moves, allowing life — in all its idiosyncratic hues — to play out uninterrupted.

Arnow, who also wrote and edited the film, proves herself a singular voice with the way she crafts each scene: purposefully and unconventionally. Whether a mechanical sex scene, or an equally humdrum conversation, she drops the audience in the middle of ongoing physical, verbal and emotional transitions, and cuts away as soon the central point of a scene — its emotional essence — has come to the fore.

This gives the film a feeling of weightlessness despite its gloomy tone, as though it were a stone casually skipping across a pond. Few debut features have been this downright easy to watch, welcoming viewers with open arms into Arnow's world of sexual self-discovery, in which she spends nearly every scene completely naked.

There isn't a wide range of emotional or aesthetic contrast from start to finish, though that's sort of the point. However, when Ann's rut becomes more intense and inescapable, the film too begins to feel like a ticking clock, going back and forth between sex scenes, work conversations, and uneventful family dinners faster and faster, as though they were fleeting obligations.

But when Ann finally meets Chris (Babak Tafti), a sweet man who doesn't quite share the same sexual interests, but is much more interested in her as a person, the film finally switches gears, albeit ever so slightly. It seems to gain its missing spark in the form of establishing shots of the bustling city, the occasional close-up, and dialogue that sounds at least partially (if not fully) engaged, rather than the monotone delivery that has defined each interaction thus far.

It's hardly the kind of movie where time stands still, or where its quiet absurdism gives way to some euphoric formal sweep. But there's a noticeable enough injection of energy, when Ann and Chris connect, that it introduces the possibility of some phantom happiness — not necessarily within immediate reach, but somewhere on the horizon.

A major reason this transition works, however, is the film's performances, which Arnow both leads and directs with clear-cut vision akin to Greek Weird Wave virtuosos like Christos Nikou and Yorgos Lanthimos.

Credit: Magnolia Pictures Joanna Arnow delivers a fine-tuned, vulnerable performance

As Ann, Arnow turns inward, playing each emotion close to her naked chest, and burying it under the kind of uncertainty that has festered so long that it's become an unremarkable equilibrium. Though she didn't originally write the role for herself, it's hard to imagine anyone else embodying it so completely, with a sense of complete physical comfort in front of the camera, and a commitment to the kind of laconic line delivery that runs the risk of feeling robotic.

The film's performances, across the board, often ride all the way up to that line, with awkward spoken dialogue that lack contractions or colloquialisms, but are imbued with sharp intention. The silent gaps between each line result in scenes feeling as though they've been sapped of all urgency and passion, leaving behind a depressed husk of a woman who drifts between work and home and family, in search of some missing part of herself.

When she finally seems to find this missing piece, Arnow's performance (along with Tafti's) is ever-so-subtly modulated in tone. Ann and Chris, unlike so many other characters in the film, feel engaged — with each other, and with their surroundings — and fill the silences not with animus, but with a subtle sense of comfort and contentment. It's a wry film about little victories, told through a brusque tale of sexual experimentation, and finding oneself incrementally through the fog of daily existence.

How to watch: The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed is in theatres from April 26.