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In a bizarre inversion of recent trends, human actors have managed to steal work from artificial intelligence. Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz recently, Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund revealed that the studio had replaced AI-generated dialogue with human voices in their successful ARC Raiders game, albeit only after the successful October launch.

The decision came down to quality, with Söderlund ultimately admitting that the professional voice actors still offer something that artificial intelligence cannot: "There is a quality difference. A real professional actor is better than AI; that's just how it is."

SEE ALSO: 'Arc Raiders' issues widespread penalties for alleged cheaters

Despite the game's remarkable success on Steam, with 14 million sales in February and more than 6 million weekly active users, critics have balked at the game's clunky use of text-to-speech, claiming that it harms immersion in the otherwise compelling story and world. As proof that the studio is sensitive to criticism and still eager to improve their already-launched product, the developers have identified key sections of dialogue to be "upgraded" by paid voice actors. As of now, however, there are no plans to replace all AI-generated voice content with human actors. 

Embark Studios also emphasized that, while some artificial intelligence was used in the dialogue, no generative AI was used in creating the game's striking, much-praised visuals. 

While critics of AI are quick to point out the human cost in terms of jobs lost or the damage to artistic integrity when AI trespasses into the realms of the human imagination, proponents point to the incredible cost-saving benefits of artificial intelligence, which may ultimately give more creative power to cash-strapped individuals rather than corporations. 

For now, however, expected more heated debates on the virtues and vices of AI as its use continues to accelerate in the gaming industry.

Bad news for the more than 180 million Americans signed up for Amazon Prime: the service is revamping its membership structure and locking 4K video streaming behind a higher-cost tier, charging customers an additional $4.99 per month to unlock the highest-resolution experience.

Prior to the change, regular Prime members paying either $14.99 per month or $139 per year could stream in 1080p HD or 4K/UHD, while customers eager to stream ad-free could pay an additional $3 per month. Now, however, the basic Prime Video package restricts users to 1080p streams, while the ad-free experience is being upgraded and rebranded as "Ultra."

SEE ALSO: Alexa+ is now available to everyone in the US, and free for Prime members

To further entice customers to upgrade their subscription, Amazon is throwing in additional perks for Ultra members, including an increased download capacity for offline viewing (from 25 to 100), support for Dolby Atmos audio and Dolby Vision picture, and an increase in the number of concurrent streams from a single account, from three to five.

It isn't all bad news for basic Prime members, though: they will also gain access to Dolby Vision support, as well as an increase in the number of concurrent streams they can access from a single account, from three to four.

It's also worth noting that true 4K streaming is still a tall order for most customers, either because they lack the bandwidth or because their streaming device, especially on smartphones and tablets, doesn't support true 4K UHD resolution. 

For those Amazon customers who rely on Prime Video for their home theater, though, the Ultra upgrade should be mandatory.

TL;DR: Guilt-free screen time for kids exists thanks to this lifetime subscription to Pok Pok, on sale now for $44.97 with code PLAY through March 22.

Opens in a new window Credit: Pok Pok Pok Pok: Lifetime Subscription $44.97
$250 Save $205.03   Get Deal

You don’t have to settle for the usual noisy, over-stimulating apps marketed to kiddos. Pok Pok is a Montessori-inspired option that lets you give little ones a safe, calm screen-time experience.

Right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to this guilt-free app for just $44.97 with code PLAY through March 22.

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Whether we like it or not, screens are a part of our lives. That means it’s up to us to introduce screen time to our kids in a safe and thoughtful way, and Pok Pok aims to do just that. This award-winning app provides a non-addictive, calm alternative to the usual children’s options in the app stores.

Pok Pok features a Montessori-based approach — a method that emphasizes hands-on learning, independence, and natural development. Kids can navigate this app entirely on their own, while learning STEM concepts, numbers, and language. There are no rules to follow, no levels, objectives, winners, or losers, and it’s all done with hand-drawn animations and low-stimulation, in-house-made, gentle sound effects.

Early childhood experts collaborated with Pok Pok creators to ensure the app was made to enrich and support the child’s development. You can rest easy knowing the app is COPPA-certified and GDPR compliant, so kids won’t be tricked into making purchases.

This lifetime subscription gives you access to both new content and seasonal and cultural updates. It also includes a surprise gift delivered to your home.

Get this lifetime subscription to Pok Pok for only $44.97 with code PLAY now through March 22.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business is 44% off, giving you the latest Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook with modern productivity features and a one-time purchase.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime License $139.97
$249.99 Save $110.02   Get Deal

Some software subscriptions make sense. But productivity software? That’s one area where a lifetime license still feels refreshingly practical.

Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business is currently available for $139.97 (reg. $249.99), giving you the newest version of Microsoft’s productivity suite without committing to a monthly subscription.

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And this version isn’t just a minor update. Office 2024 brings a number of thoughtful improvements designed for modern workflows — whether you’re managing projects, building presentations, or trying to keep your inbox under control.

At the core, you still get the classic apps so many rely on daily: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. But they’ve been refreshed with faster performance, smarter tools, and a cleaner design.

Excel, for example, is built to handle larger datasets more efficiently, making it easier to work with multiple workbooks at once. PowerPoint now allows users to record presentations with narration, video, and live camera feeds, which is particularly useful for remote meetings or online presentations. Outlook also introduces improved accessibility features, helping ensure emails meet formatting and readability standards before sending.

Across the entire suite, Microsoft has refined the interface with Fluent Design, creating a more consistent experience across apps. Collaboration features such as real-time co-authoring, comments, and version history also make it easier to work on shared documents. Office 2024 also introduces AI-powered suggestions to help with writing, formatting, and data insights, so you can create polished documents more efficiently.

And since everything installs directly on your device, you can keep working even when you’re offline. Get a Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business lifetime license for just $139.97 (reg. $249.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

There isn’t actually an official Adult Friend Finder app, but a lot of the site’s users still access its content on mobile devices. Many of them do so using the site’s mobile version, through either Safari or Google Chrome, but diehard fans of the site have created a workaround to mimic the experience of using an app.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder   Learn More Why doesn’t Adult Friend Finder have an app?

Both Apple and Google strictly police the kinds of content they allow on their respective app stores, and because Adult Friend Finder allows on-site nudity, including in profiles, chat forums, and live broadcasts, they haven’t been granted permission to create an official app for the two most-used mobile platforms.

SEE ALSO: The best hookup apps for 2026: I swiped until my thumb hurt

Unfortunately, these rules apply even if you don’t have nudity on your profile or have turned on all the filters that restrict the display of adult content when using AFF, so there isn’t even a watered-down version of the app available and likely never will be.

What’s the best alternative?

If you really want to mimic the experience of using an app on your phone, you can simply create a homescreen shortcut to the Adult Friend Finder site. If you have cookies enabled and have already logged in, you can even remain logged in each time, saving you having to re-enter your login credentials.

SEE ALSO: The best sexting apps for discreet and NSFW chats

To create a homescreen shortcut on your iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to AdultFriendFinder.com in your Safari mobile browser (no third-party browser will work)

2. Tap the ellipsis icon in the bottom right corner of your Safari app, and then tap the Share icon at the top of the pop-up menu

3. Scroll towards the bottom of the option list and select "Add to Home Screen"

4. You will be prompted to assign a name to the icon before you can hit "Add"

For Android users, the steps are slightly different:

1. Navigate to AdultFriendFinder.com in your Chrome mobile browser (no third-party browser will work)

2. Tap the menu icon in the upper right corner of your Chrome app, and then tap "Add to Home Screen"

3. You will be prompted to assign a name to the icon before you can hit "Add"

How secure is this home screen icon approach?

This method of accessing Adult Friend Finder is functionally no different than opening Chrome or Safari first, so it's no less safe than using the actual site, but there are a few things to consider:

• If you share your phone or tablet with someone else, they will be able to see the AFF icon and possibly even access your account just by clicking on the app

• If you prefer to keep your Adult Friend Finder use hidden, consider hiding the icon within a sub-folder or within a password-protected folder

• To ensure your login credentials aren't saved, create the icon itself using your mobile browser's incognito or private browsing function

The Moon is almost fully out of view, and if you were hoping to do some Moon gazing tonight, you're out of luck. As we approach the New Moon, there's not a lot we can spot on its surface since only a tiny sliver is lit by the Sun.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Sunday, March 15, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 16% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

Viewing opportunities of the Moon's surface are slim tonight. Without visual aids, you're out of luck fully. However, if you have binoculars or a telescope, there's a chance you'll spot the Grimaldi Basin.

When is the next Full Moon?

In North America, the next Full Moon is predicted to take place on April 1.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes roughly 29.5 days to orbit Earth, passing through eight distinct phases along the way. Although we always see the same side of the Moon, the amount illuminated by the Sun shifts as it moves, which is why it can appear full, half-lit, or just a thin sliver at different times in the cycle. These shifting appearances are known as the lunar phases, and there are eight altogether:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To draw attention to.

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

FOCUS

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To start up.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 15, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

CRANK

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Move.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 15 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 15, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SHIFT

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Murky.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

MUDDY

Final Hurdle hint

A truck.

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

LORRY

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

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love to be in control.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for March 15, 2026 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: To take over

• Green: Pronged

• Blue: Word fusion

• Purple: A Chicago basketballer

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Greedily control

• Green: Toothed wheels

• Blue: Portmanteaux

• Purple: Bull___

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 #1007 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Greedily control: BOGART, CORNER, HOG, MONOPOLIZE

• Toothed wheels: COG, FEAR, PINION, SPROCKET

• Portmanteaux: BLOG, MOTEL, SMOG, SPORK

• Bull___: DOG, DOZE, FROG, HORN

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 March 15, 2026

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 the latest Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a film buff.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 15, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 15, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Best of all

The words are related to film.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe an iconic film ceremony.

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 Academy Award.

NYT Strands word list for March 15

• Director

• Actor

• Sound

• Academy Award

• Picture

• Song

• Actress

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

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

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a student.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 15, 2026 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 March 15, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A score.

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 G.

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...

GRADE

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.

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

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

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

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 15, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for March 15, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for March 15 Pips

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for March 15 Pips

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 5-1, placed vertically.

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

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 3-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically; 2-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (10): Everything in this space must be greater than 10. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for March 15 Pips

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

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

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

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 2-4, placed vertically; 4-0, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically.

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

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed horizontally.

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

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed vertically.

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

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally.

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

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed horizontally; 6-0, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally.

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition is easy for people that watch Conference Championship week.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Basketball no-no's

• Green: Next round of the tournament

• Blue: Women's coaching GOATs

• Purple: CBB conference champions

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Basketball Fouls

• Green: First Words in NCAA Tournament Rounds

• Blue: Women's College Basketball Coaches

• Purple: Teams Qualified for the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #538 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Basketball Fouls - BLOCK, CHARGE, HOLD, REACH-IN

• First Words in NCAA Tournament Rounds - ELITE, FINAL, SECOND, SWEET

• Women's College Basketball Coaches - AURIEMMA, CLOSE, IVEY, STALEY

• Teams Qualified for the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament - GONZAGA, HIGH POINT, QUEENS, TROY

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

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

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

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

If I want to hear about how billionaire tech bros are making the world worse, I can turn on the news. If I want to hear about how billionaire tech bros are making the world worse and at least laugh about it, I can watch The Audacity.

SEE ALSO: 'The Audacity' trailer skewers the 'billionaire man-children' of Silicon Valley

Created by Jonathan Glatzer, a writer and producer on Succession and Better Call Saul, The Audacity takes a satirical sledgehammer to Silicon Valley. It tears into the tech world with cutting one-liners and a parade of ultra-wealthy, ultra-insecure "billionaire man children" who often feel frighteningly familiar.

What is The Audacity about? Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen in "The Audacity." Credit: Ed Araquel / AMC

Among those man children is Duncan Park (Billy Magnussen), the data mining CEO of tech company Hypergnosis. He's a sleeveless vest stuffed with delusion and insecurity, a man who's convinced of his own genius, yet still needs those around him to validate said genius.

His closest confidante is his strung-out therapist Dr. JoAnne Felder (Sarah Goldberg), who's certainly not getting paid enough to hear about Duncan's fraudulent activity. However, JoAnne's record isn't spotless either. Thanks to information from her sessions with Duncan and the other tech titans she treats, she's picked up enough confidential information to get into some serious insider trading.

When Duncan discovers this, and when his own stock threatens to plummet, he blackmails JoAnne to help him out, resulting in a sharp, self-destructive spiral for both.

SEE ALSO: 'Margo's Got Money Troubles' review: An alien OnlyFans is the highlight of Apple's family dramedy Billy Magnussen and Sarah Goldberg kill it in The Audacity. Sarah Goldberg and Billy Magnussen in "The Audacity." Credit: Ed Araquel / AMC

There are few joys in television greater than watching two great actors have it out, and you'll get plenty of that in The Audacity thanks to Magnussen and Goldberg.

So often a highlight in supporting roles, from Into the Woods to HBO's short-lived The Franchise, Magnussen takes center stage with his usual full-throttle commitment to ridiculousness. His Duncan is someone you love to hate: smarmy, full of himself, and always ready to keep digging deeper into a hole if it means he'll get what he wants. Magnussen channels each of Duncan's flaws with glee, and the result is cringe comedy gold.

SEE ALSO: 'Data' is scarily prescient about AI and immigration. Its team is ready to meet the moment.

While Duncan believes he's on top of the world, Goldberg's JoAnne is all too aware of the fact that she's at the bottom of the Silicon Valley pyramid. That fuels Goldberg's impeccable take on JoAnne's building breakdown, as does Duncan's blackmail and her strained relationship with teen son Orson (Everett Blunck). We've seen Goldberg play a woman losing control before, as Barry's Sally Reed. (Who could forget her Season 3 elevator tirade?) Here, she once again nails that same level of desperation, coupled with JoAnne's more composed therapist persona. Watching her go from therapist mode to panicked mode is one of The Audacity's darkly comic highlights. Watching the two begin to merge is even better.

Magnussen and Goldberg's chemistry is superb, with Duncan and JoAnne wrestling for power in increasingly ridiculous ways. An early season highlight? JoAnne preferring to drive her car off a road in order to avoid interacting with an oncoming Duncan. He pulls into frame with the goofiest smile on his face, acting like her bestie even though he's straight-up using her car data to track her. He believes he's living in a tech thriller, while JoAnne's fully in a horror movie. That imbalance is a core part of why JoAnne-Duncan dynamic works so well, but it's also proof of The Audacity's tech bros' total delusion: They live so far above everyone else that they feel they can do anything.

The Audacity's Silicon Valley is downright sinister. Simon Helberg in "The Audacity." Credit: Ed Araquel / AMC

The Audacity builds out a full, frightening world around Duncan and JoAnne. Disillusioned tech pioneers like Carl Bardolph (Zach Galifianakis) look down their noses at what Silicon Valley has become, all while trying to find a way back in. Parents like Duncan and his wife Lili (Lucy Punch) try to ensure their daughter Jamison (Ava Telek) gets into Stanford by any means necessary, hiring an elite team of coaches even though it makes her miserable. Elsewhere, inventor Martin Pfister (Simon Helberg) works tirelessly on perfecting an AI child, all while neglecting his own daughter Tess (Thailey Roberge).

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For the show's teen ensemble of Orson, Jamison, and Tess, alienation from their parents is the norm. Through their eyes, Silicon Valley becomes a nightmare place to grow up.

Through the adults' eyes, the Valley doesn't seem so pretty either, despite the lavish mansions or luxury mud baths just a helicopter ride away in Napa. Instead of a tech heaven, it's a surreal tech dystopia, one where a single algorithm can play God and package every bit of a person's data for exploitation. It would almost feel like science fiction if this kind of data mining technology didn't already exist, and that's part of The Audacity's bleak appeal: making us laugh at ridiculousness that's just one step removed from reality.

"The world there is not the world," Orson says of Silicon Valley. He's right. It's a bubble bursting with big net worths and bigger egos. But, The Audacity reminds us, that bubble has a major impact on the real world, and isn't that a silly, frightening thing?

The Audacity was reviewed out of its premiere at SXSW. It premieres April 12 at 9 p.m. ET on AMC and AMC+.

As we near the 98th Academy Awards, which will air on March 15, prep for the star-studded event is underway. Host Conan O'Brien has rolled out the red carpet, statuettes gleam with fresh polish, and influencers are prepping their interview questions amid viral nominee backlash.

Also on the docket: The annual Golden Raspberry Awards, also known as The Razzies, which dishonorably award the worst Hollywood had to offer in the year prior.

SEE ALSO: How to watch the 2026 Oscars online for free

Many of Hollywood's finest take a Razzie win in stride, including Academy Award winners Halle Berry and Sandra Bullock, who attended the Razzies to accept the dishonor on behalf of Catwoman and All About Steve, respectively.

Alas, this year's virtual parody ceremony didn't feature any in-person Hollywood cameos. You'll also have to stomach some unsettling animated visuals on the YouTube livestream — or just scroll down for the full list.

Worst Picture

The Electric State          
Hurry Up Tomorrow
Disney’s Snow White (2025)   
Star Trek: Section 31
War of the Worlds (2025)

Winner: War of the Worlds (2025)

War of the Worlds, the latest film adaptation of the H.G Wells novel directed by Rich Lee, swept this year's Razzies. It currently has a 2.5-star rating on IMDb, a 4% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a single star on Letterboxd. The movie is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

Worst Actress

Ariana DeBose, Love Hurts
Milla Jovovich, In the Lost Lands
Natalie Portman, Fountain of Youth 
Rebel Wilson, Bride Hard
Michelle Yeoh, Star Trek: Section 31

Winner: Rebel Wilson

Bride Hard is a real movie in which Wilson plays a secret agent whose spy duties are getting in the way of her being a bridesmaid. It has a 4.4 rating on IMDB, a 14% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 1.9 on Letterboxd.

Worst Actor

Dave Bautista, In the Lost Lands
Ice Cube, War of the Worlds
Scott Eastwood, Alarum
Jared Leto, Tron: Ares
Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Hurry Up Tomorrow

Winner: Ice Cube

Despite widespread panning from critics and viewers, War of the Worlds gave the world at least one good thing: a meme-worthy shot of Ice Cube sitting at a computer monitor, the glow of Zoom tinging his glasses.

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

Anna Chlumsky, Bride Hard 
Ema Horvath, The Strangers: Chapter 2
Scarlet Rose Stallone, Gunslingers 
Kacey Rohl, Star Trek: Section 31
Isis Valverde, Alarum

Winner: Scarlet Rose Stallone

Stallone is, in fact, the daughter of action star Sylvester Stallone. She stars alongside another famous Hollywood name, Nic Cage, in Gunslingers, which has a 3.6 on IMDB, 5% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 1.8 stars on Letterboxd.

Worst Supporting Actor

All Seven Artificial Dwarfs, Snow White (2025)
Nicolas Cage, Gunslingers
Stephen Dorff, Bride Hard
Greg Kinnear, Off the Grid
Sylvester Stallone, Alarum

Winner: All Seven Artificial Dwarfs

The uncanny, CGI dwarfs of 2025's Snow White took home a joint Razzie, stealing yet another award that could have actually gone to a real-life actor with dwarfism.

Worst Remake / Rip-Off / Sequel

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
Smurfs (2025)
Snow White (2025)
War of the Worlds (2025)

Winner: War of the Worlds

Remake or rip-off? How about both...

Worst Screen Combo

All Seven Dwarfs, Snow White (2025)
James Corden & Rihanna, Smurfs (2025)
Ice Cube & His Zoom Camera, War of the Worlds (2025)
Robert De Niro & Robert De Niro (as Frank & Vito), The Alto Knights
The Weeknd & His Colossal Ego, Hurry Up Tomorrow

Winner: All Seven Dwarfs

Let's just use this moment to shout out the real voices behind the digital Razzie winners: Martin Klebba (Grumpy), George Salazar (Happy), Andy Grotelueschen (Sleepy), Tituss Burgess (Bashful), Jason Kravits (Sneezy), and Jeremy Swift (Doc).

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

Rich Lee, War of the Worlds (2025)
Olatunde Osunsanmi, Star Trek: Section 31
The Russo Brothers, The Electric State
Trey Edward Shults, Hurry Up Tomorrow
Marc Webb, Snow White (2025)

Winner: Rich Lee

Lee's bookshelf will be full of golden raspberries, which are actually really cute decor IMO. In the words of the Razzies, "Own your bad!"

Worst Screenplay

The Electric State, Screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Adapted from the illustrated novel by Simon Stalenhag.
Hurry Up Tomorrow, Screenplay by Trey Edward Shults, Abel Tesfaye, Reza Fahim.
Snow White (2025), Screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson et. al. Drawing from the original fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm.
Star Trek: Section 31, Screenplay by Craig Sweeny with original story concept developed by Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt.
War of the Worlds (2025), Screen story and screenplay by Kenny Golde and screenplay by Marc Hyman. Adapted from the novel by H.G. Wells.

Winner: War Of The Worlds (2025) / Kenny Golde, Marc Hyman

Trying to adapt War of the Worlds in the age of TikTok dances and mogging is a doomed enterprise. But with this win, War of the Worlds ties with Cats for the most wins at the Razzies.

Razzie Redeemer AwardWinner: Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue

The Redeemer Award is presented to a previous nominee or winner who has successfully come back from a critical failure. Hudson has multiple Razzie nominations, including My Best Friend’s Girl, Mother’s Day, and, most recently, 2021's Music. However, Hudson redeemed herself with a "pitch-perfect" performance in Song Sung Blue and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

An anonymous group installed an anti-Elon Musk vending machine that dispenses the Epstein Files at SXSW 2026 in Austin, Texas, on Saturday morning.

Mashable witnessed a group of four men installing the piece of guerrilla protest art at the corner of Red River Street and 4th Street in downtown Austin. After a brief installation, passersby started collecting DVDs titled "Elon's Epstein Files." The vending machine is covered with anti-Elon Musk slogans, and messages on the machine say "Grok makes AI child porn free!" and "Our founder Elon Musk is in the Epstein Files."

A group of unidentified men install an anti-Elon Musk art project at SXSW 2026. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Grok has been the subject of global investigations after the AI chatbot was accused of generating nude images of children. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) and the New York Times found that Grok created an estimated 3 million sexualized images, which included 23,000 images depicting children, during an 11-day period between December and January.

When Grok Imagine first launched, Mashable reported that the tool lacked basic safety guardrails to prevent sexual deepfakes.

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A QR code inside the DVD takes you to Jmail, a site that lets you search through Epstein's emails in a Gmail-like interface. (Exercise caution when scanning QR codes from unknown sources.) Specifically, this code links to a search in Jmail that shows emails between Musk and Epstein. What Mashable has covered previously: Jmail is the brainchild of Riley Walz, a digital "prankster," and developer Luke Igel. However, it's unclear if this Elon Musk vending machine is associated with the Jmail project.

The men setting up the vending machine refused to say who they were or who hired them. Two men who described themselves as the "security detail" said the vending machine would be up until Wednesday. A photographer and the man installing the machine told Mashable they were hired by a company that was hired by another company, and refused to provide identifying details.

An Anti-Elon Musk vending machine appears in downtown Austin during SXSW 2026. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

The men installing the machine also claimed responsibility for the Epstein Walk of Shame art installation, which appeared in downtown Austin earlier in the week.

The annual SXSW festival takes place in Austin, Texas, where it runs from March 12 to 18.

Meta is pulling its end-to-end encryption option on Instagram DMs.

The company announced the change in an update to its support page and via alerts to users in the app, writing:

End-to-end encrypted messaging on Instagram will no longer be supported after May 8, 2026.

If you have chats that are impacted by this change, you will see instructions on how you can download any media or messages you may want to keep.

If you're on an older version of Instagram, you may also need to update the app before you can download your affected chats.

Meta spokesperson Dina El-Kassaby Luce told The Verge that the company was discontinuing the feature because "very few people" were using it. With end-to-end encryption enabled for both users, DMs and calls aren't visible to outside actors, including Meta, unless they're shared.

SEE ALSO: Child safety group blasts YouTube for million dollar gamble on AI content for kids

Meta and other tech leaders have come under fire for turning over user communications to outside entities, including law enforcement. But they have also received flak for offering end-to-end encryption to users across the board, with some critics saying that the feature enables child predators to target and communicate with minors undetected.

TikTok, for example, does not offer end-to-end encryption for user DMs and explained to the BBC that the decision is the result of numerous safety considerations. The company told the outlet that providing law enforcement and internal training teams with chat data keeps users safe.

For users who still want end-to-end encryption, Meta's spokesperson says to turn to WhatsApp — but the Meta-owned messaging service isn't entirely safe from intrusions, either. Meta says end-to-end encryption will still be available on Messenger.

Ask ChatGPT to make you a short film, and it soon may be able to do just that.

Inside sources told The Information that OpenAI is planning to integrate its video generator tool, Sora, directly into ChatGPT, only a few months after launching Sora's standalone app.

SEE ALSO: Child safety group blasts YouTube for million dollar gamble on AI content for kids

While the TikTok-style app would still remain available to users, insiders say, the move suggests OpenAI is putting most of its effort into beefing up ChatGPT. Sora's integration and the processing demands that come with it would cost the company money — OpenAI estimates it will spend $225 billion to run its models between now and 2030 — but it would stand to recoup those costs if ChatGPT remains the dominant chatbot on the market. OpenAI could also monetize video generation itself, a strategy they floated to users on the Sora app.

Sora 2 has had its highs and lows since its launch last year. OpenAI received a $1 billion investment from Disney in a deal that included licensing the entertainment giant's characters for use by ChatGPT and Sora users. This followed widespread criticism of the model after it generated numerous problematic deepfakes of historic figures and infringed on Hollywood IP.

In February, a judge ordered OpenAI to cease using the term "cameo" to describe its in-app AI likeness tool after it was sued by the eponymous social media app Cameo. Broadly, the app has seen a dip in popularity among users.

The company has adjusted its priorities for its tentpole chatbot over the last few months, including pivoting away from its proposed shopping integration and launching native advertising for ChatGPT as a reinvestment aimed at boosting the chatbot's user base and profits. The company is pushing ChatGPT's multimodal capabilities. Last week, OpenAI announced new dynamic visuals for chatbot users, providing more detailed, interactive visual references for math and science questions.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 14, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for March 14, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for March 14 Pips

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically; 4-1, placed horizontally.

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

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

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for March 14 Pips

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally.

Number (14): Everything in this space must add up to 14. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically; 3-3, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically; 0-3, placed vertically.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for March 14 Pips

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically; 2-1, placed horizontally.

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

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically; 0-3, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically; 2-4, placed vertically.

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition is easy for people who like golf.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

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

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

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

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

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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: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Baseball no-no's

• Green: Teams in the Peach State

• Blue: Winners on the green

• Purple: Famous college matchups

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Banned in Baseball

• Green: A Georgia Athlete

• Blue: Golf Awards

• Purple: College Football Rivalries

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #537 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Banned in Baseball - BETTING, CORKED BAT, SPITBALL, STEROIDS

• A Georgia Athlete - BRAVE, FALCON, HAWK, YELLOW JACKET

• Golf Awards - CLARET JUG, GREEN JACKET, SOLHEIM CUP, WANAMAKER TROPHY

• College Football Rivalries - BACKYARD BRAWL, BEDLAM, EGG BOWL, THE GAME

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

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

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

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

We all tend to imagine ourselves as the hero of our stories. The trouble with that is it requires someone to be the villain. That way of thinking can get dangerous when tumbled into our personal wells of prejudice, paranoia, and need for validation. From this well of mind-bending emotions springs The Saviors, a clever genre thriller with a lot to say beneath its slippery surface. 

Following in the footsteps of eavesdropping-centric thrillers like Rear Window and The 'Burbs, The Saviors begins with a middle-aged white man with too much time on his hands. In an average suburban American town, Sean Harrison (a smartly cast Adam Scott) is unemployed and on the verge of divorce from his wife, Kim (Till's Danielle Deadwyler). He's hungry for a purpose when he meets Muslim siblings Amir (Theo Rossi) and Jahan (Nazanin Boniadi), who are renting the Harrisons' guest house for a few days. So, when Sean notices some strange things around his home after their arrival, his suspicious eye travels to the guest house's door. 

What follows is a provocative tale with a sharp sense of humor and an ending that'll make you want to watch it again — immediately. 

The Saviors blends sci-fi spookiness with comic paranoia. 

Co-written by Travis Betz and Kevin Hamedani, and directed by the latter, The Saviors begins with a trippy dream sequence. Sean and Kim awake in a crisp, white bedroom, whispering sweet nothings to each other as if this were the final act of a Nancy Meyers rom-com. Then a strange sound draws them away from the bliss of their bed. 

In the blink of an eye, the tone shifts from serene to panicked. Sean is bleeding. The future is uncertain and threatening, and then he wakes up for real. This time he's on the couch. He's rumpled, real, and really annoying his wife, who's readied herself to welcome their Airbnb guests to the house out back. 

Dressed primly, Amir and Jahan are polite and warm, expressing appreciation for two strangers giving them space in their home. Through sign language, Jahan praises Sean's cooking, the smell of his chili lighting up her face with a broad smile. But as they share a meal, Sean finds some of their comments strange, like their unfamiliarity with the sound of crickets. Soon, a hummed melody ("Seven Nation Army") spurs him to suspect Jahan isn't deaf as her brother claims. Then there are the tremors that shake their house, and the inexplicable green lights that suddenly pierce their windows. Things are getting undeniably strange, in a Twilight Zone way. 

Still, Sean's uneasy about broaching the topic with a wife who already finds him ridiculous. But neither does he want to confide in his parents (Colleen Camp and Ron Perlman), who've fallen down a right-wing conspiracy rabbit hole. His construction worker sister, Cleo (Kate Berlant) isn't much better, and eagerly fans the flames of Sean's paranoia. After all, isn't the president coming to their cozy town for a visit? And isn't he visiting a landmark near Sean and Kim's home? 

While Kim initially dismisses Sean's suspicions, demanding he think outside his "white bubble," TV news hums about increased security and fear of terrorist threats. Before long, she too grows nervous about their guests. From there, the couple plays amateur spies, and the adventure of it all has reignited their connection — and their sex lives. But at what cost?

The Saviors delivers a surprising parable without getting preachy. 

Hamedani doesn't shy away from modern American politics through ambiguity. Though he avoids dropping the names of real politicians, his characters speak frankly about neo-Nazis, Islamophobia, and white privilege — particularly when it comes to life in suburbia. Yet, the film never veers into feeling like a lecture, because of the propulsive thrust of its central mystery: What are these guests up to? 

Some clues are strange, but potentially innocuous. However, a second act sequence that reveals a peek into what even Sean and Kim can't see dares the audience to buy into Sean's suspicions. After all, the film is bound to his perspective, setting him up as the hero of The Saviors. But this movie would be boring if things weren't what they seem. Still, even if you'd guessed that, I doubt you'll predict where Hamedani and Betz's sci-fi story winds up. I was not just surprised, but elated to be surprised. Watching the clues stack up, I was confident — cocky, even — that I'd unlocked the mystery that The Saviors ticks down to in its climax. I was wrong, and so I wanted to see The Saviors again to see where I, like Sean and Kim, went wrong. 

The first time through The Saviors works as a solid genre thriller. The deceptively simple story is about a couple torn apart by ennui, but reunited through an adventure built on voyeurism and paranoia. But the sci-fi flourishes of unworldly glows, bizarre devices, and mysterious visitors heighten the stakes beyond divorce to life and death. Our imaginations are tantalized, enticing us to seek out exotic elements, and thereby ignoring more domestic red flags.

Like a great whodunnit, The Saviors opens up on reflection, blooming with the clues we overlooked the first time. The story shifts as our understanding of Amir and Jahan has. So, in a sense, you get two movies in one, just by watching The Saviors a second time. Better yet, the performances work both ways. All four leads — Scott, Deadwyler, Rossi, and Boniadi — are tasked with playing performances that work in two contexts. Some scenes that were once funny, flip to become menacing, and vice versa. It's all about perspective. 

A true find out of SXSW, The Saviors is a marvel. Hamedani and company have carefully constructed a film that's part dark comedy, part sci-fi thriller, part cautionary tale. And yet for all this, it never feels muddled or messy. Keenly helmed and sharply performed, The Saviors is a must-see. 

The Saviors was reviewed out of its world premiere at SXSW.