Technology

Sometimes, choosing the exemplary streaming service has less to do with taste than budget. There are so many options for streaming movies and television, even the abundance of selection isn’t a factor. Of course, plenty of free streaming services exist, but sometimes you want to splurge for something a little without ads.

SAVE $20: As of Oct. 5, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is on sale for just $79.95 instead of $99.95 as an early October Prime Day deal. That's a savings of 20%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Inspire 3 $79.95 at Amazon
$99.95 Save $20 Get Deal

Looking to gain some insights into your health and wellness routine without breaking the bank? Skip the Apple Watch and go with the simple, yet intuitive Fitbit Inspire 3. It's our favorite fitness tracker under $100, and you can get it for even cheaper than usual ahead of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event.

As of Oct. 5, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is on sale for just $79.95 at Amazon in all three color varieties (pink, yellow, and black). That's $20 or 20% off its list price of $99.95. We've seen it drop to $69.95 in the past, but with the latest tech price hikes across the board, we'd be surprised if the budget-friendly fitness tracker hits that all-time low price on October Prime Day. FWIW, on Prime Day proper in July, it only dropped an extra $5 to $74.95. There's a chance you could save a few more bucks if you wait, but you're still getting a good deal if you shop now.

We're big fans of the Fitbit Inspire 3's intuitive design, impressive app suite, workout insights, and sleek and slim aesthetic. It offers a comprehensive suite of tracking features — from sleep and steps to stress levels and blood oxygen — and a decent battery that'll last you a week or more. "For anyone new to fitness or any dedicated gym rat, the Fitbit Inspire 3 gets you more than you pay for," our reviewer writes, giving it the Mashable Choice award honor.

It seems hyperbolic to say that nobody answers the phone anymore, but with spam calls reaching unprecedented levels and younger generations who prefer to communicate by text and audio messages, it’s not exactly a false statement.

GEEKOM's IT15 is one of the most powerful mini PCs available today. Packed with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H processor and priced at $1,200, it should be an absolute winner, but I don't think it makes sense beyond some specific professional or hobbyist use cases.

We're now several weeks into the 2025-26 NFL season, and it's been nothing short of electric. Watching from regular TV stations is still possible, but things are changing. The NFL recently cut the cord and gave YouTube the Sunday Ticket, and several upcoming games will air exclusively on streaming platforms. It's a mess.

Monster movies are entertaining, but there are times when those old monstrosities look a little basic. While it’s essential to pay respect to such classics as Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein’s monster and Bela Lugosi’s Dracula, not all of their scary nature has stood the test of time. Some padded makeup and stuck-on appendages might’ve been enough to scare audiences of the 1930s, but times change, and you need a little more.

Python’s open function should be your first port of call when you’re looking to read the contents of a file. Give it a filename and you’ll get back a versatile object, letting you read and write data, both in plain text and binary formats.

CarPlay lets you control your iPhone using your car’s dashboard or entertainment unit, but did you know you can also use it to control your smart home?

Amazon's October Prime Day (aka Prime Big Deal Days) event is here to unleash massive savings as we head into the holiday shopping season. Officially kicking off on Oct. 7, the shopping event promises millions of deals across categories. There will be plenty of hefty discounts floating around — many of which are already live — but the savings won't last forever. If you're looking to score the deepest of discounts, then you need to mark your calendars now.

We've got what you need to know on how long you have to shop as well as a few deals to get you started on your way. Plus, you can check out our Prime Day hub for in-depth coverage on what products are worth grabbing and which ones are worth passing on.

SEE ALSO: What is Prime Big Deal Days? Everything you need to know and what deals to expect. What time does Prime Day end?

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days will officially come to a close at 11:59 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Oct. 8, which means around 3 a.m. on Oct. 9 for people living on the East Coast. Of course, just as deals pop up weeks ahead of the main event, many are also likely to linger past that deadline.

Best early Prime Big Deal Days deals to shop

As most Prime-centric events go, Amazon's already dishing out deals left and right ahead of the main event. The best early Prime Day deals are mostly on Amazon's own devices and services, books, earbuds, and TVs — including up to 65% off books, three free months of Kindle Unlimited, and the first discount on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (2nd gen).

Here are the best early October Prime Day deals you can shop before the big day(s).

Early Prime Day book deals

• The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose — $1.69 $9.99 (save $8.30)

• Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka — $1.99 $18.99 (save $17)

• Think Twice by Harlan Coben — $2.99 $19.99 (save $17)

• Anxious People by Fredrik Backman — $3.99 $19.99 (save $16)

• Count My Lies by Sophie Stava — $3.99 $28.99 (save $25)

• People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry — $7.04 $16 (save $8.96)

• The Crash by Freida McFadden — $7.10 $17.99 (save $10.89)

• Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica — $7.18 $16.99 (save $9.81)

• Deep End by Ali Hazelwood — $8.09 $20 (save $11.91)

• One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune — $9.48 $19 (save $9.52)

• Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez — $10.98 $28 (save $17.02)

• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt — $11.38 $29.99 (save $18.61)

• Matriarch by Tina Knowles — $12.62 $35 (save $22.38)

• Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix — $12.92 $30 (save $17.08)

• The Names by Florence Knapp — $14.11 $30 (save $15.89)

Early Prime Day Amazon device deals

• Echo Buds with ANC — $34.99 $119.99 (save $85)

• Blink Outdoor 4 — $34.99 $79.99 (save $45)

• Blink Wired Floodlight Camera — $49.99 $99.98 (save $50)

• Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB) — $69.99 $139.99 (save $70)

• Amazon Fire HD 10 (64GB) — $79.99 $179.99 (save $100)

• Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids (32GB) — $84.99 $159.99 (save $75)

• Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids (32GB) — $104.99 $189.99 (save $85)

• Echo Hub — $119.99 $179.99 (save $60)

• Echo Frames — $119.99 $299.99 (save $180)

• Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus — $149.99 $249.99 (save $100)

• Amazon 50-inch 4-Series 4K Fire TV — $259.99 $399.99 (save $140)

• Amazon 55-inch 4-Series 4K Fire TV — $339.99 $519.99 (save $120)

Early Prime Day headphones and earbuds deals

• JLab JBuds Lux ANC — $48.99 $79.99 (save $31)

• EarFun Free Pro 3 — $49.97 $79.99 (save $30.03)

• EarFun Air Pro 4 — $55.99 $79.99 (save $24)

• EarFun Wave Pro — $55.99 $79.99 (save $24)

• Shokz OpenRun Pro — $124.95 $179.95 (save $55)

• Sennheiser Accentum — $129.95 $189.95 (save $60)

• Beats Studio Pro — $199.95 $349.99 (save $150.04)

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (2nd gen) — $279 $299 (save $20)

• Sennheiser Momentum 4 — $299 $449.95 (save $150.95)

Early Prime Day Apple deals

• Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS + cellular, 42mm) — $329 $499 (save $170)

• Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) — $389 $399 (save $10)

• Apple iPad, 10.9-inch (A14 Bionic, WiFi + cellular, 256GB) — $499 $649 (save $150)

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB, 512GB SSD) — $1,199 $1,399 (save $200)

Amazon is also doling out some extra perks for Team Prime ahead of Prime Day. Members can get a free three-month trial of Amazon Music Unlimited; get Audible Premium Plus for three months for $0.99/month; and get three free months of Kindle Unlimited.

The NYT Connections puzzle today shouldn't be hard to solve if you're an '80s pop fan.

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 September 2, 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: Needed for greenery to flourish

• Green: To astonish

• Blue: Like a Virgin

• Purple: Automobiles

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

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

• Yellow: Used to grow a houseplant

• Green: Flabbergast

• Blue: Madonna songs

• Purple: ___ Car

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 #848 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Used to grow a houseplant: POT, SEED, SOIL, WATER

• Flabbergast: FLOOR, ROCK, SHAKE, SHOCK

• Madonna songs: CHERISH, FROZEN, HOLIDAY, MUSIC

• ___ Car: BUMPER, CLOWN, GETAWAY, SPORTS

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 September 29, 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 a bit of a misdirect.

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.

Today's NYT Strands puzzle should be easy to solve, provided that you're a trickster.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 29, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 29, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Don't take the bait

The words are related to lying.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe conning someone.

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 Its a Trap.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for October 5

• Deception

• Trick

• Its A Trap

• Stratagem

• Decoy

• Ruse

• Lure

• Ploy

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 isn't a bird or Superman.

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.

Today's NYT Wordle puzzle shouldn't be difficult to solve if you're a frequent flyer.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 29, 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 September 29, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A flying vehicle.

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...

PLANE

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 September 2, 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.

Today's Wordle answer features a couple things that might trip people up regardless of their favorite starting word.

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.

Today's NYT Wordle puzzle shouldn't be difficult to solve if you're a messenger.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 29, 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 September 29, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To pass along.

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 R.

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...

RELAY

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 September 2, 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.

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: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Monday, Oct. 5, 2025:

AcrossVague assortment of things

• The answer is Stuff.

Prison-related

• The answer is Penal.

Country that's home to the majority of the world's wild tigers

• The answer is India.

Basketball offenses

• The answer is Fouls.

Recently picked from the garden, say

• The answer is Fresh.

DownImprove in appearance, with "up"

• The answer is Spiff.

Second-lowest voice in many choirs

• The answer is Tenor.

Excessive

• The answer is Undue.

Gets an F

• The answer is Fails.

Necessity for photographing in the dark

• The answer is Flash.

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

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

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

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

Amazon provides a pretty irresistible shopping experience through its speedy shipping (among other Prime member perks), vast range of products, and unbeatable prices. Prime Day (formally called Prime Big Deal Days in October), in particular, can often lead to some regretful impulse buys. Psst: Just because something is down to its lowest price ever doesn't mean you need it.

With another Amazon shopping holiday on the horizon, officially kicking off on Oct. 7, you may be wondering how to return unwanted items purchased at Amazon. Whether you fall victim to the inevitable Prime Day impulse buys, end up with a broken item, or accidentally order two of something, it's actually pretty simple to make returns in 2025.

Here's the step-by-step process to return your Amazon packages:

1. Go to Amazon's website and click on Returns and Orders in the top-right corner of the screen. If you want to make a return on your Amazon app, the process is similar. On the app, click on the three horizontal lines at the bottom right of the screen. Then click on Orders and follow the same steps.

2. A new page displaying your latest orders will appear. Scroll down to the item you want to return and click on the Return or replace items right next to the item listing.

3. The next page that opens up will have a drop-down menu with a list of reasons for returning the item. Select whichever option applies to your purchase and then click the yellow Continue button.

4. Then you will get the option to refund the balance to your Amazon account or debit/credit card. Pick what you prefer — refunds to bank cards usually take a week or so, while refunds to your Amazon account wallet are pretty immediate.

5. The last part of the online return process is choosing where you'll drop your return off. Amazon is pretty flexible with return methods: You can drop off the item for free at your nearest UPS Store, Kohl's, Whole Foods, Staples, or Amazon Store. You can also schedule a UPS pick-up for $7.99. Once you select a method, you'll receive a QR code that can be used to return the package at the drop-off location. If you choose UPS or Kohl's, no original packaging, tape, or shipping label is necessary — just bring the item and scan it.

Credit: Screenshot: Amazon

Though Amazon touts "free returns" on many products, you may see a mystery $1 fee on your account if you did your return at a UPS store. As of April 2023, Amazon has been charging a $1 fee for items returned to UPS when there is a Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh store, or Kohl’s closer to their delivery address.

While the return process is fairly intuitive, Amazon's return policy can be tricky for some purchases. While the website states that most items can be returned in their original packaging with no missing parts within 30 days of receipt, regardless of whether they've been opened, there are some notable exceptions. Some luxury items cannot be returned once opened, for instance. And if you purchased an item on Amazon from a third-party seller, that seller might have their own return policy that differs from Amazon's. Meanwhile, not all items can be returned, such as digital orders, gift cards, and groceries purchased through Amazon Fresh.

With Windows 10 support set to end on Oct. 14, it's high time to find a replacement if you're still rocking a pokey old PC.

As of October 2025, I think the best Windows laptop for most people is the 13.8-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, a stylish workhorse powered by the very impressive Snapdragon X Elite processor. It's got enough power to handle demanding workloads, a premium design, and an amazing all-day battery life (outdone by just one other model). Even the latest M4 Apple MacBooks can't keep up. Beyond that, I have other picks for users with different budgets, use cases, and design preferences.

SEE ALSO: You can stay on Windows 10 for another year for free — if you act by Oct. 14

I chose my picks based on hands-on testing conducted by Mashable staff and contributors. We've reviewed dozens of PCs on the basis of performance, build quality, battery life, and value over the years, and our top picks are the cream of the crop. They each scored high enough to secure a Mashable Choice Award, the highest honor we give to the gadgets we review.

You'll see that the best Windows 11 laptops run an impressive gamut, from lightweight Copilot+ PCs that last all day to dual-display stunners, subtle gaming stations, and approachable modular systems. Some of them, dare I say, will tempt even the most devoted MacBook disciples.

The scoop on Prime Day laptop deals

The Windows 10 deadline couldn't come at a better time: Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale (a fall Prime Day-style event) is set for Oct. 7 and 8.

For shoppers looking to save on an upgrade, the 48-hour event should be marked on your calendar. It's not because Amazon itself offers amazing deals on Windows laptops during the sale, though it does tend to heavily discount a smattering of Surface laptops, LG grams, Asus Vivobooks, and gaming laptops. No, it's mainly because Prime Big Deal Days is motivating other tech retailers and computer brands to run their own competing sales.

The one to watch in particular will be Best Buy's Techtober Sale from Oct. 6 to 12. Best Buy has a much bigger selection of Windows laptops compared to Amazon, including an exclusive lineup of newer AI PCs, so you'll have more flexibility in brands and configuration options.

Be sure to bookmark my guide to the best October Prime Day laptop deals if you don't have the bandwidth to pore over every markdown yourself. In the meantime, read on to learn more about the best Windows PCs for your shopping shortlist.

What's new

As of September 2025, the Asus Zenbook A14 replaces the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (Gen 9) as our favorite budget Windows laptop. The Yoga 7i 14 is no longer in stock, but even if it was, we prefer the Asus model by miles: It's 23% faster, lasts more than twice as long, and comes standard with a bright, beautiful OLED display for just $100 more.

The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition succeeds the now-discontinued Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (Gen 9) as our top 2-in-1 laptop. It's 13 percent slower, but it runs cooler and quieter while delivering triple the battery life. It also retains the same pretty design helmed by a 2.8K OLED display. Last year's model had ridiculously good speakers and an S-tier webcam, making the Aura Edition's counterparts a bit disappointing in comparison, but they're still above-average compared to the ones we encounter on most laptops.

In more Lenovo news, the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i (Gen 10) is now our favorite dual-display laptop, ousting the Asus Zenbook Duo from 2024. It's almost 50 percent faster in multi-core tasks, lasts a bit longer, packs better speakers, and features higher-res OLED screens. It is $620 pricier than the Zenbook Duo we tried last year (and $420 more than the 2025 version with twice the RAM), but it comes with a few more accessories on top of those other improvements, including a detachable keyboard, mouse, stylus, folio case, and protective sleeve.

I've added the Framework Laptop 13 (Intel Core Ultra Series 1) to this guide as the best repairable laptop. As mentioned earlier, I have some of its latest components in hand for testing, and I'll update our review with my takeaways in the coming months.

Finally, I've also removed one of our former top picks from this guide: the HP OmniBook X 14. It used to be our No. 1 mid-range Windows laptop, but with the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 and the Zenbook A14 in the picture, it's not a very competitive option anymore.

What didn't make the cut?

We've tested other good-but-not-great Windows laptops so far this year. They might meet some users' needs or have a couple of standout features, but they fell short of earning Mashable Choice Awards and our top picks outclass them in their respective categories.

The Acer Predator Helios 16 is a powerhouse with a stellar thermal design and a matte display, but its obnoxious, gamer-y look is a turnoff.

The Dell XPS 13 (9530) has a fantastic tandem OLED display and a slick edge-to-edge design — it's such a striking laptop, and a very portable one, too. Unfortunately, its keyboard is cramped, its touchpad is glitchy, and it's scant on ports.

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 (AMD) is an impressive performer for the price, but it has poor speakers, a crude webcam, and a cheap feel to it.

The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is configurable with a gorgeous mini-LED touchscreen, but it has a mediocre battery life and a creaky build.

The HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is a handsome convertible with a velvety touchpad, a springy keyboard, and a rich 3K OLED touchscreen, but it underperforms for the price and has some strange port placements on its corners.

The HP OmniBook X Flip 14 is another pretty 2-in-1. It has a nice 2.8K OLED touchscreen and an aluminum chassis that doesn't cling to fingerprints, but it could use a slight battery life boost.

TL;DR: Get a feature-packed MacBook Pro for only $279.97 (reg. $1,499) through October 12.

Want a laptop that can keep up with all your multitasking? Whether you’re in need of a laptop for work or school, it’s pretty tough to beat the MacBook Pro. This device is Apple’s most powerful portable option, but there’s usually one big drawback — it comes with a sky-high price tag.

Right now, you can snag this 13-inch MacBook Pro model for only $279.97 (reg. $1,499) until October 12.

This MacBook Pro deal too good to pass up

If you’ve always wanted to get your hands on a MacBook Pro, but haven’t had thousands of dollars set aside to snag one, you’ll want to act fast. This MacBook Pro comes packed with an impressive 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, and Turbo Boost capabilities that enable processing speeds up to 3.5GHz.

All that power doesn’t come with a lot of weight — this device weighs in at just 3.02 pounds. You can get everything done on the 13.3-inch retina display, which features 2560×1600 pixels and 500 nits brightness. With 512GB of storage, you have plenty of room to save important files right on the device, too.

This particular model includes some of Apple’s coolest features — like the Touch Bar, which offers customization and shortcuts right at the top of your keyboard. Speaking of that keyboard, it’s backlit and includes a butterfly mechanism for responsive typing. And a Force Touch trackpad offers precise cursor control.

The 10-hour battery life can last through the workday, and if you need to connect and charge, four Thunderbolt 3 ports are available.

You’re saving more than $1,200 thanks to this model’s grade A refurbished status. That means it will arrive in near-mint condition, with virtually no signs of prior use, while you enjoy a deep discount.

Bring home a MacBook Pro for only $279.97 (reg. $1,499) through October 12, while supplies last.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro 13" Touchbar (2017) 3.1GHz i5 8GB RAM 512GB SSD Space Gray (Refurbished) $279.97
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TL;DR: Downsize your screentime and smartphone with the NanoPhone, now just $89.97 (reg. $199.99) through October 12.

Looking to cut back on your screentime? Why not do it literally? The NanoPhone is a miniaturized, fully functional smartphone that takes some of the temptation out of endless scrolling. And right now, you can secure one of these sleek devices for just $89.97 (reg. $199.99) through October 12.

This credit card–sized phone can do it all

If doomscrolling is taking a toll on your mental health, but you still need to stay connected with your smartphone, the NanoPhone offers a great compromise. It gives you all the functionality of your usual device in a compact design that’s the size of a credit card.

The NanoPhone can actually fit into your pocket, unlike the continuously growing smartphones of today. This tiny screen is a lot less tempting, so you’ll waste less time scrolling.

This petite phone comes with 4G, Bluetooth, and WiFi connectivity, and works with your existing SIM card — no extra data plan required. You can make calls, download apps, and video chat. It even includes a 5MP front camera and 2MP rear camera, so you can take photos and capture memories just like your usual phone.

A long battery life lets you use this smartphone all day. The NanoPhone is also super durable, made to withstand everyday wear and tear. It’s a great option for when you want to travel light — from nights out to gym sessions or a late-night run. It’s also a great emergency backup option.

Shrink your smartphone with the NanoPhone, on sale now for $89.97 (reg. $199.99) through October 12.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: NanoPhone NanoPhone - A Mini 4G Smartphone Packed with Mega Features! $89.97
$199.99 Save $110.02 Get Deal

TL;DR: Why spend hundreds on a new laptop when you can make your current one feel brand new? Right now, you can grab a lifetime license to Windows 11 Pro for just $9.97 (reg. $199) during Deal Days.

If your PC’s starting to feel a little sluggish (or just plain outdated), upgrading to a new operating system can make a huge difference. And right now, during StackSocial’s Deal Days event, you can grab a Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license for just $9.97 (reg. $199) — but heads up, this deal ends on October 12.

Windows 11 Pro is built for the way we work (and play) today. You’ll get a cleaner interface, better multitasking tools with Snap Layouts, smarter voice typing, and a faster search function — all designed to streamline your digital life. Plus, with access to Copilot, your built-in AI assistant, you’ll have help writing emails, organizing tasks, and automating daily workflows.

Gaming also gets a performance bump, thanks to DirectX 12 Ultimate, which improves graphics rendering and speeds. Whether you’re into casual gaming or more intense workloads like video editing, the improved efficiency is noticeable. And for work, tools like Microsoft Teams, Windows Sandbox, Azure AD, and BitLocker encryption are ready to go out of the box.

Need remote desktop access? That’s included, too. Windows 11 Pro is designed with professionals in mind — from IT admins managing multiple systems to freelancers handling sensitive client data. Whether you’re at home, in the office, or working from your favorite coffee shop, the OS helps you stay connected and protected.

The OS also introduces better hardware support, more responsive touchscreen gestures, and smarter integration with peripherals. It’s basically a fresh start without replacing the whole machine.

So instead of shelling out hundreds on a new laptop, give your current setup a second life.

Upgrade your PC’s performance when you grab your Windows 11 Pro lifetime license for just $9.97 (reg. $199). Act now before this Deal Days offer expires on October 12 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 11 Pro $9.97
$199 Save $189.03 Get Deal

As noted philosopher Danny Elfman once wrote, "Tender lumplings everywhere / Life's no good without a good scare." But why stop at just one good scare? We want scares spilling on us like blood rain, especially here in the abundant days of home-streaming services. We live in a world where, with the push of a single button, we can switch from sightless cave dudes swinging off stalactites to Broadway veteran Tammy Blanchard wielding a butcher knife like nobody's business. 

Indeed, whether your preference is for slasher-killers or devil girls or something uncannily in between, there's too much blood-curdling content to choose from nowadays. So we've gone and sliced and diced the crowd down for you. Narrowing the entirety of what's available to one unforgettable collection of spine-tinglers, this list here has got something ghoulish for every soul — as long as you're ready to not sleep tonight... or ever again!

1. The Descent Credit: Celador / Pathe / Kobal / Shutterstock

Experiencing Neil Marshall’s spelunking nightmare The Descent in the cinema was truly a singular experience, especially if you had no idea you were in for a nasty little thriller about six female friends who reunite one year after a tragedy to explore an underground cave system together — as you do — only for it all to go terribly horribly wrong — as it does! The theater walls themselves seemed to close in on you as the film grew tighter, more constricted, and claustrophobic, and that was even before any of those creepy crawlers showed up. 

SEE ALSO: 'Strong Female Character' questions everything we've ever been taught about women onscreen

Even at home, the film still plays like gangbusters. Just wrap a blanket over your head and turn off all the lights, and you will feel like you’re right there in the Bava-esque underground alongside former besties Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) and Juno (Natalie Mendoza), third-wheel Beth (Alex Reid), sisters Rebecca (Saskia Mulder) and Sam (MyAnna Buring) — and who could forget the smidge-too-enthusiastic Holly (Nora-Jane Noone)? — as the walls close in and the blackness starts blinking, then biting, back.   

How to watch: The Descent is now streaming on Tubi.

2. The Queen of Black Magic  Credit: Shudder

Some of the best horror happening in the world right now is coming out of Indonesia. While I don’t want to say it’s all due to one man, you would be remiss to be unaware of the name Joko Anwar. Two of his recent directorial efforts, Satan’s Slaves from 2017 and Impetigore from 2019, are streaming on Shudder, and they’re both highly recommended — the latter has one of the greatest, freakiest opening sequences to a horror film I’ve seen in some time. But for sheer scare factor, I’m recommending instead a movie that Anwar only wrote the script for, with Kimo Stamboel directing. 

The Queen of Black Magic is a rollicking rollercoaster of a horror flick about a group of relatives and friends who’ve returned to the rural orphanage where they were raised to say their goodbyes to their sickly caretaker, only to find that things at the orphanage have gone a little haywire. It’s the sort of bonkers throw-out-all-the-stops ride that brings to mind Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead films or Nobuhiko Ôbayashi’s Hausu. It throws everything at you, and I do mean everything. By the time a character starts stuffing fistfuls of furry caterpillars into their mouth, you’ll be the one crawling up the walls to escape. 

How to watch: The Queen of Black Magic is streaming on Shudder.

3. Gerald's Game Credit: Netflix

Before The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass and most definitely before The Fall of the House of Usher — even before he adapted Stephen King’s The Shining sequel, Doctor Sleep — writer-director Mike Flanagan turned in one of the very best King adaptations with his 2017 take on one of King’s very best stories. 

Flanagan players Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood star as a married couple whose attempt at spicing up their stale sex life with some kink at a remote cabin goes very, very, very wrong. This film manages to capture the horror of what King laid forth in a perfect and precise fashion. Exquisitely simple and terrifying, and a terrific showcase for what an underrated marvel of a performer Gugino can be.

How to watch: Gerald’s Game is now streaming on Netflix.

4. Threads 

There are loads of legitimately terrifying TV movies from back in the heyday of the format. (Ghostwatch and Salem’s Lot both pop straight to mind!) But none will leave you shuddering in the corner in shock quite like 1984’s BBC-produced nuclear war horror Threads. 

Directed by Mick Jackson, the man who also somehow gave the world the scarf-light pleasures of The Bodyguard and L.A. Story (human beings sure contain multitudes, huh?), Threads dropped on the unsuspecting populace of Great Britain on Sept. 23, 1984, like, well, several megaton bombs. And it’s been melting our faces off ever since. Aiming for as much realism as they could achieve at the time, what the film lacks in modern whizz-bang special effects it more than makes up in dire nihilism, despair, and oodles of unrelenting cruelty piled on every single character that it spent its first hour kindly introducing. (Mum!) It’s a disaster movie for those who snark at the outrageously unlikely happy endings that the genre typically embraces — Threads ain’t playing around. 

How to watch: Threads is now streaming on Shudder and Tubi.

SEE ALSO: The scariest horror movies on Shudder to keep you up at night 5. Nope Credit: Universal Pictures

A chimpanzee in a party hat. A white shoe inexplicably balanced on its tip. A dusty field full of inflatable tube men dancing in the breeze. In just three films (Get Out, Us, and Nope), writer-director Jordan Peele has proven exceptional at creating iconic imagery out of truly ridiculous things. And his 2022 alien-invasion terror set in the remote hills outside of Hollywood where the movies were born is his imagination unleashed on a larger-than-life scale. 

Not that Peele doesn’t keep it grounded where it counts – the relationship between grieving brother OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) keeps the stakes and the heart real even as the skies pour blood and a crowd full of curious looky-loos find out just a hair too late that maybe it’d be better to turn away just this once.  

How to watch: Nope is now streaming on Peacock.

SEE ALSO: What's the deal with Gordy the chimp in 'Nope'? 6. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer Credit: Shudder

The greatest serial killer movie of all time is Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs, and that movie is streaming on Max right now. Have at it. But the scariest serial killer movie of all time is another beast altogether — with the sincerest apologies to Buffalo Bill and his lil Precious. 

This dubious honor belongs to John McNaughton’s relentlessly bleak Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, which is inspired by the real-life gruesome twosome Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole. It is Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange with all of the humor and the sheen lasered off, leaving a simple, bloody pit of filth and despair in its wake. Turning the viewer themselves into Henry’s ride-or-die, it’s like the shower clean-up scene from Psycho stretched out to one hour and 23 minutes. How far is the audience willing to empathize and commiserate with a cold-blooded psychopath? No matter how far you make it, we can only promise you that you’ll feel worse about yourself in the morning. 

SEE ALSO: The 20 most chilling true crime documentaries on Max

How to watch: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is now streaming on Tubi and Prime Video.

7. Green Room Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

Director Jeremy Saulnier’s relentless 2015 panic attack of a movie stars Anton Yelchin (RIP), Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, and Callum Turner as a punk band on cheapo tour who find themselves performing at a skinhead bar in the middle of nowhere, Oregon. And that’s not even the worst of it.

The worst comes when the band accidentally witnesses a murder in the green room. And their hosts don't want to leave any witnesses alive. Barricaded in the beer and piss-soaked back room of the title, the foursome find themselves besieged by a troupe of baddies, led by a terrifying Patrick Stewart, who is clearly relishing the opportunity to drop his StarFleet uniform for the cause of deeply freaking us out. Be warned, this one get gruesome.

How to watch: Green Room is now streaming on Paramount+.

8. A Nightmare on Elm Street Credit: New Line / The Elm Street Venture / Kobal / Shutterstock

Before knife-fingered slasher Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) told one too many jokes only to become a joke himself, Wes Craven’s 1984 original presented the burned man in the boiler room who’s come to haunt your dreams as a true object of terror. It’s not at all funny when he slices off his own finger and green goo shoots out — it’s disgusting and awful and we just wanna wake up now, please. 

Final Girl Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) watches as each of her friends is picked off, each in a more elaborate and gruesome fashion than the previous. Tina (Amanda Wyss) pulled up the wall and slashed to ribbons. Rod (Jsu Garcia) strangled in his prison cell. Glen (Johnny Depp) turned into a geyser of gore. So, she decides to hunt down the red-and-green-sweatered horror icon once and for all, parents be damned. A Freudian teenage hellscape awaits — one two, Freddy’s come for all of us.

How to watch: A Nightmare on Elm Street is now streaming on HBO Max. 

9. Backcountry 

Sometimes a single scene is enough. Writer-director Adam MacDonald’s crystal-simple survival horror flick from 2014 is much more than one scene – especially once that one scene happens, and the fall-out tension from that one scene follows relentlessly through to the movie’s end. But you know those scary moments, those ones that get burned into your psyche like a terrible brand? Ones that you still see sometimes when you close your eyes? Backcountry has one of those — hoo boy, does it ever. 

Telling the story of lightly bickering city couple Alex and Jenn (Jeff Roop and Missy Peregrym), who decide to take a hike in the Canadian wilderness only to stumble a strange hiker (Eric Balfour), and then a little later on, there’s that rustling in the bushes... We’re loath to give away too much. And while a statement like “This movie did for fill-in-the-blank as Psycho did for showers” always gives pause, Backcountry very seriously does this for camping. Seriously, the Overlook Hotel’s ghosts seem welcoming compared to this.

How to watch: Backcountry is streaming on Tubi.

10. The Exorcist  Credit: Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures / Sunset Boulevard / Corbis via Getty Images

Sometimes you just gotta go with the classics, like vanilla ice cream or Levi’s 501s or William Friedkin’s multiple-Oscar-winning adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s bombshell book about a child possessed by the devil. We don’t know for sure if the kids today are still finding the pea-soup shenanigans of Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) and her lil friend Captain Howdy scary after all these many years, or whether all of the countless riffs and rim-shots that the movie’s been subject to have dulled its impact. But for most of us, those have never been the scariest moments. 

SEE ALSO: 10 terrifying religious horror movies you can stream right now

No, the scariest moments for us have have always been the jittery jerky spinal-tap scenes – the ones where a little girl is screaming and convulsing as the best doctors a movie-star mom can buy (holla, Ellen Burstyn, legend!) shred little Regan’s innocence off, one trauma on top of another on top of another. (Learning the onscreen technician was later convicted of a murder and inadvertently inspired Friedkin to make Cruising just makes it that much more horrifying.)

I mean, who isn’t turned into a monster, their spirit relentlessly broken, by the American Healthcare System?

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

SEE ALSO: Grim 'The Exorcist: Believer' clip teases a church service from hell 11. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre  Credit: HA / THA / Shutterstock

It was just one innocent little question: “Who will survive and what will be left of them?” Okay, perhaps not so innocent! But The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’s tagline sure is to the point, as is everything about this nitty-gritty proto-slasher classic, which deserves every grisly ounce of its legendary reputation and then some. 

In 1974, director Tobe Hooper dragged his poor cast and crew into the sweltering desert outside of Austin, and he didn’t come back until he’d left his great big mark across horror history by leaving several more great big marks across the torsos and limbs of his cast of pretty young people. (And Franklin. Poor, annoying Franklin.) 

But, aye, that’s the rub — watch The Texas Chain Saw Massacre again and revel in how very little on-screen violence we actually see. This movie is all atmosphere, all churning sound (that relentless gas generator) and chicken bones. Oh, and one iconic flesh-mask grinning out from every doorway, no matter how much you run, and scream, and run, and scream, and run...

How to watch: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is streaming on Shudder and Tubi.

12. Cujo Credit: Taft / Kobal / Shutterstock

The film that literally gave me my very first panic attack (ahh, memories), Cujo is one of those titles that has become so iconic it's like Kleenex – an eponym standing in for all rabid dogs. So I probably don’t have to tell you what Cujo is about, but let’s. Based on Stephen King’s book, a sweetheart of Saint Bernard is out chasing a bunny when he gets bitten on the nose by a bat instead. And before you know it, it’s the whole foaming-at-the-mouth treatment for the pupster. 

Cut to an unlucky (to put it mildly) lady and her little boy (Dee Wallace and Danny Pintauro), whose car breaks down in the mad dog’s path, and what you’ve got here is the claustrophobic thriller to end all claustrophobic thrillers. The dog keeps them trapped in the car during what appears to be the hottest week in the history of the planet. Simple and absolutely histrionically terrifying.

How to watch: Cujo is now streaming on Pluto.tv.

SEE ALSO: Every single Stephen King movie adaptation, ranked 13. The Invitation  Credit: Drafthouse Films

Some of the greatest horror films prey on our societally bred instincts to play nice and not rock the boat until we’re well past the point of no return. But not many have tightened this vise of politeness as ruthlessly as does Karyn Kusama in her 2015 slow-burn nightmare, The Invitation. 

The Invitation follows a group of estranged friends who have been invited to dinner by one of their own who’s been through it… only they don’t seem to have any idea what she’s come out the other side of “it” as. But they sure will by dessert! The film boasts a top-notch cast, including Logan Marshall-Green, Michiel Huisman, and the aforementioned Tammy Blanchard. And like Zodiac before it, this movie knows how to use the mountainous John Carroll Lynch to his most terrifying effect. We’re all trapped at the world’s worst dinner party, watching as Kusama slams every exit shut tight, one by excruciating one. This one is a legitimate masterwork on how to build tension and then let it all out in one sudden, unbearable shriek.

How to watch: The Invitation is now streaming on Peacock, Tubi, and Shudder.

14. Skinamarink  Credit: IFC Films / Shudder

This movie either works for you or it doesn’t — there seems to be no in-between whatsoever. I just happen to be one of the people who fell hard under its slow, slow, slow brand of hypnosis, and so I will continue recommending it in the hopes that others will make the effort and let Skinamarink wash over them until they too feel like they’re drowning in its unfathomable darkness. 

The film's ambiguous story centers on two children who get left home alone one night with some horrible, whispering presence sneaking around the hallways. Skinamarink demands extreme patience. Often, viewers are left to just stare at a corner of the wall or the floor for minutes at a time, as disassociated voices and cartoon music loops relentlessly. But the weirdnesses keep piling up, and the eventual trance-like trapped-inside-a-nightmare effect, as the horrible whispering presence comes for us, is still rattling my bones.

How to watch: Skinamarink is now streaming on Shudder.

SEE ALSO: What the heck is a 'Skinamarink'? Explaining the abstract horror gem 15. [REC]  Credit: Filmax / Kobal / Shutterstock

Most of the time you watch a found footage movie, you find yourself getting angry at the characters that they keep bungling into the path of horror and don’t run away. Or, even more unlikely, that they keep carrying the camera to document everything! The best solution to these narrative problems is simple — make the lead character a journalist. Because who else would be running toward the disaster while all the sane people run away? 

Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza’s 2007 found footage masterpiece is possibly the best, clearest example of this, and their film gives us one hell of a newsperson to root for with Manuela Velasco’s beat-reporter turned kick-ass Final Girl, Ángela. Of course, firefighters and police officers would also be running toward the disaster, so there’s a bunch of those, too. And although they’ll mostly be gobbled up by the zombie-demon-things that have begun terrorizing a quarantined apartment building in downtown Barcelona, at least it makes sense! We certainly understand why Ángela keeps holding up that camera of hers, even in the most dire situations. You’d be surprised how far these little touches of behavioral realism go toward making the zombie-demon-things even scarier. And bonus points (a whole score of ‘em) for one of the most terrifying final scenes of all time, with a final shot that’s been aped too many times to count in the years since.

How to watch: [REC] is now streaming on AMC+.

16. Lake Mungo

By far the most subtle film on this list (no caterpillar feasts here!), Joel Anderson’s 2008 “true crime mockumentary” out of Australia goes for the kind of scares that insinuate themselves into your brain rather than the kind that stab you in the crotch with a crucifix. But Lake Mungo’s scares will creep up on you, and Lake Mungo’s scares will refuse to let go once they have dug their fingers in. 

The Palmer family is in deep mourning after the loss of their teenage daughter Alice, who mysteriously drowned, but their search for answers leads to more questions — and strange discoveries. They enlist a parapsychologist who opens a whole other can of supernatural worms, and soon the audience is being treated to all sorts of clues and whispers and glimpses of things we wish we could unsee.

Like all of the best ghost stories, Lake Mungo is steeped in a pervasive sadness and grief, but there is a single shot in here that belongs in the Scariest Shots Hall of Fame. Anyone who’s seen this movie before knows which one we’re talking about, just by looking down at all of the hairs standing on their arms right this very second. 

How to watch: Lake Mungo is now streaming on Tubi and Prime Video.

17. Speak No Evil Credit: Shudder

One of the most reliable and yet under-appreciated weapons in horror stories isn’t the scythe or the sickle. And it’s definitely not the football with a sword attached in the slasher Graduation Day. No, the weapon that gets them every time and will absolutely turn the audience’s stomach into gruel watching it get wielded is kindness. Manners. Politeness. Danish writer-director Christian Tafdrup gets that, and he weaponizes these seeming virtues to such an uncomfortable degree in this brutal 2022 horror thriller that the tension, as it builds, becomes suffocating. 

The setup is simple. Two families meet on vacation and hit it off. So, one family invites the other to come stay at their country house for another much-needed getaway. But shortly after their arrival, the visitors realize that this was a very bad idea indeed. Not wanting to seem rude, this frightened family keeps ignoring red flags, even as every single member of the viewing audience is stamping their feet and screaming “RUN” in unison.

How to watch: Speak No Evil is now streaming on Shudder.

SEE ALSO: We need to talk about 'Speak No Evil's twisted ending 18. The Fog

People will fight about what scary movie is John Carpenter’s best. The master of horror has been so good at what he does that there are several correct answers. But for my buck, I just keep coming back to his utterly perfect vibe of a 1980 ghost story The Fog.

Set in the oceanside town of Antonio Bay in Northern California, The Fog introduces its vaporous villain through the sultry voice of DJ Stevie Wayne (Adrienne Barbeau), whose call echoes out across every house and nearby boat as she warns that that glowing green bank of fog just seems to be moving in the wrong direction. On one side this spooky movie has got waterlogged pirate ghouls, all seaweed and sinister intentions, on the hunt for their stolen gold. And on the other, it’s got Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Atkins, Hal Holbrook, and the Janet Leigh, all trying to survive the night. The dark. The fog.

How to watch: The Fog is now streaming on Roku.

19. Funny Games  Credit: Wega Film / Kobal / Shutterstock

Despair, thy name is Michael Haneke.

This 1997 home-invasion thriller cemented the acclaimed Austrian director as someone keenly interested in human brutality. It's not just that Funny Games involves horrific acts, which are often performed with a harrowing shrug or off-screen, but that it wallows in the rippling outward effects that they have. Thus, the plight of the tormented characters bleeds through the screen, reflecting our indifference and our numbness in participating in this world. 

Ulrich Mühe, Susanne Lothar, and Stefan Clapczynski star as a family of three who go on what should be a carefree lakeside vacation. But almost immediately, they are interrupted by two disturbingly polite and well-mannered young men (Arno Frisch and Frank Giering), who say they’re friends of the neighbors. And before you know it, the neighborly act of borrowing some eggs has descended into horror.

Callous and as cruel as they come, Funny Games is built to make you furious, squirming in your helplessness, and boy, does it ever.

How to watch: Funny Games is now streaming on HBO Max.

UPDATE: Oct. 3, 2025, 2:36 p.m. EDT This post was first published on Oct. 8, 2022. It has been updated to reflect current streaming options.