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TL;DR: Gopuff launched weekly limited-quantity Pokémon card drops starting Nov. 6, releasing collector packs and single-card deals delivered in as fast as 15 minutes every Friday at 3 p.m. ET.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Gopuff Pokémon Card Drops   Learn More at Gopuff

Buying Pokémon cards at retail stores usually means dealing with picked-over shelves, strict box limits, or waiting days for an online delivery. Instant-delivery app Gopuff is trying something different: scheduled weekly hype drops delivered straight to your door in minutes.

Starting Nov. 6, Gopuff is running a six-week series of scheduled Pokémon Trading Card Game drops. Rather than restocking cards at random, the platform uses a dedicated in-app storefront where you can preview upcoming products, set alerts, and order packs delivered locally in as little as 15 minutes, alongside regular household items.

Why trading cards are hitting quick-delivery apps

The move comes as demand for physical collectibles spikes on rapid-delivery platforms. Gopuff says its trading card sales jumped 335% between Q4 2025 and Q3 2026, leading the company to treat card restocks as scheduled shopping events.

The weekly drops will feature sought-after items at competitive prices, including the Mega Evolution Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box and the 30th Celebration Poster Collection.

For collectors hunting singles, each drop also includes a "Hit of the Week" run in partnership with Card Vault by Tom Brady. Every Friday, Gopuff will offer a single high-value, graded card at a price below market value. With only one available each week, snagging it comes down to whoever checks out first.

How the weekly drop schedule works

To give shoppers a predictable window to buy before stock sells out, each week follows the same schedule in the Gopuff app and on its website:

• Monday: A homepage countdown timer goes live, signaling the start of a new batch without revealing the specific cards.

• Thursday at 3 p.m. ET: Exactly 24 hours before the sale, Gopuff reveals the products. You can preview the lineup, set push alerts, and pre-load items into your cart so you are ready at checkout.

• Friday at 3 p.m. ET: The drop unlocks and checkout opens. Orders are fulfilled from nearby micro-fulfillment hubs and delivered in as fast as 15 minutes.

All items are sold on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last, and local stock and purchase limits will vary by location.

Just make sure your internet connection is quick — when that clock hits 3 p.m. ET, it is every trainer for themselves. To check out upcoming products or set drop alerts, head to Gopuff's website or open the app on iOS or Android.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you know your athletes.

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. The sports 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 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 before 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: Athletic wear

• Green: Football players

• Blue: Soccer players

• Purple: Similar games, different surfaces

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Types of shorts

• Green: NFC QBs, familiarly

• Blue: MLS stars

• Purple: ____ hockey

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 #774 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Types of shorts: BASKETBALL, BIKE, COMPRESSION, GYM

• NFC QBs, familiarly: BAKER, DAK, JORDAN, KYLER

• MLS stars: DE PAUL, LEWANDOWSKI, MESSI, SON

• ____ hockey: AIR, FIELD, FLOOR, ICE

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.

SAVE $20.10: As of Nov. 6, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black Booster Bundle is on sale for $49.89 at Amazon. That's a 29% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Pokémon Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black Booster Bundle $49.98 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $20.01   Get Deal at Amazon

If you're a Pokémon fan or a collector of trading cards, there's a new deal at Amazon on the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black Booster Bundle. It includes a selection of booster packs to open, collect, and trade, and it's currently $20 off.

Normally $69.99, this booster bundle is now just $49.98 on Amazon. Whether you're stocking up on Christmas gifts or adding to your own collection, you can do it for less.

The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black Booster Bundle contains six booster packs from the Pitch Black expansion, giving collectors and players alike the opportunity to discover new cards and add to their decks.

The set explores a darker side of the Pokémon world, with Mega Darkrai ex emerging from the shadows alongside Mega Zeraora ex, Mega Chandelure ex, Mega Excadrill ex, and more. Suitable for ages six and up, the bundle is ideal for both newcomers and more experienced collectors.

Interested? Head to Amazon to grab this Pokémon deal while it's still available.

Donald Trump is fond of saying "promises made, promises kept", but how does that actually compare to the U.S. president's track record?

Jimmy Kimmel has the answer. "We put together a refresher of the 10 biggest promises the president has failed to fulfil so far," the host says in the monologue above.

Cue a countdown of 10 things Trump has said he'll do that haven't come to pass — from ending inflation and getting food prices down to settling the Russia/Ukraine war and paying down the national debt. Oh dear.

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

The best early Black Friday Pokémon DVD deals: Pokémon: The Johto Journeys (DVD) $15.49 (save $29.33) Get Deal Pokémon: Johto League Champions (DVD) $19.49 (save $30.50) Get Deal Pokémon Advanced (DVD) $19.99 (save $13.37) Get Deal Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl (DVD) $19.99 (save $24.99) Get Deal Pokémon: Indigo League — Season 1 Limited Edition (Blu-ray) $24.99 (save $3) Get Deal

Amazon just rolled out early Pokémon Black Friday deals on a massive collection of Pokémon DVDs. If you want to lock down your favorite eras on physical discs before the holiday shopping rush kicks off, now is a great time to grab them while they're on discount.

If you were holding out for a stack of high-definition Blu-rays, standard HD releases never actually existed for the earlier seasons because of how the anime was originally created. The vast majority of the series remains strictly DVD-only, making the remastered Season 1 release the lone standout Blu-ray discount in the mix.

If you are ready to trade endless streaming app searches for a permanent spot on your media shelf, Amazon has marked down several fan-favorite generations to well under $20. We rounded up the best discounts from the sale.

'Pokémon: The Johto Journeys' (DVD) Opens in a new window Credit: Pokémon / VIZ Media Pokémon: The Johto Journeys (DVD) $15.49 at Amazon
$44.82 Save $29.33   Get Deal at Amazon

After wrapping up his initial Kanto adventures, Ash reunites with Misty and Brock to take on the Johto League. Pokémon: The Johto Journeys kicks off this fan-favorite era, following the trio as Ash tackles new gym leaders and catches beloved Gen 2 staples like Totodile, Chikorita, and Cyndaquil.

Across four discs and over 15 hours of runtime, this 41-episode collection captures the sweet spot of early-2000s Saturday-morning cartoons.

'Pokémon: Johto League Champions' (DVD) Opens in a new window Credit: Pokémon / VIZ Media Pokémon: Johto League Champions (DVD) $19.49 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $30.50   Get Deal at Amazon

Picking up right after the introductory Johto arc, Pokémon: Johto League Champions tracks the heart of Ash, Misty, and Brock's travels through the region. From navigating the busy streets of Goldenrod City to taking on iconic gym challenges like Whitney's notoriously tough Miltank, Season 4 delivers some of the most memorable battles and classic encounters of the Gen 2 era.

The collection covers 52 episodes, giving you over 20 hours of vintage Pokémon animation that never made the jump to standard high-definition discs. If you are revisiting Ash's path toward the Silver Conference, this is the middle chapter that ties the Johto saga together.

'Pokémon Advanced' (DVD) Opens in a new window Credit: Pokémon / VIZ Media Pokémon Advanced (DVD) $19.99 at Amazon
$33.36 Save $13.37   Get Deal at Amazon

Season 6 marks a brand-new era for the anime, taking Ash and Pikachu far across the sea to the Hoenn region. Pokémon Advanced shakes up the classic travel dynamic by saying goodbye to Misty and introducing May, her little brother Max, and the ever-reliable Brock. It also brings Pokémon Contests into the spotlight for the first time, giving the story a dual focus as Ash works toward Hoenn Gym Badges while May learns the ropes of being a Pokémon Coordinator.

Spread across five discs with nearly 15 hours of runtime, this 40-episode collection captures the vibrant, tropical Gen 3 adventure in its original broadcast format. If you grew up exploring the Hoenn map or want to relive the early days of Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip, it's a nice nostalgic shelf piece.

'Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl' (DVD) Opens in a new window Credit: Pokémon / VIZ Media Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl (DVD) $19.99 at Amazon
$44.98 Save $24.99   Get Deal at Amazon

Season 10 takes the adventure up north as Ash and Pikachu head to Sinnoh, reuniting with Brock and teaming up with novice Pokémon Coordinator Dawn. Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl revitalizes the show's dual-protagonist dynamic, splitting screen time between Ash's quest for Sinnoh Gym Badges and Dawn's drive to match her mother's contest legacy, while introducing Gen 4 favorites like Piplup, Turtwig, and Chimchar.

Spanning seven discs and nearly 19 hours of runtime, this 51-episode collection delivers one of the most balanced, character-driven story arcs in the anime's long run. Between the classic Sinnoh gym battles and Ash's clash of philosophies with Paul, it is easily one of the most rewarding retro eras to own on physical media.

'Pokémon: Indigo League – Season 1 Limited Edition' (Blu-ray) Opens in a new window Credit: Pokémon / VIZ Media Pokémon: Indigo League – Season 1 Limited Edition (Blu-ray) $24.99 at Amazon
$27.99 Save $3   Get Deal at Amazon

This is where the entire cultural phenomenon started. Pokémon: Indigo League follows 10-year-old Ash Ketchum on his very first day as a Pokémon Trainer, oversleeping, missing out on the standard starter choices, and ending up stuck with an unruly, disobedient Pikachu. Alongside Brock and Misty, Ash battles gym leaders across Kanto, befriends classics like Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, and takes his first shot at the Pokémon League tournament.

Packed onto nine discs with nearly 31 hours of total runtime, this massive 78-episode box set gives you the complete initial journey. While the remastered Blu-ray edition offers sharper picture quality, it caps out at 52 episodes — making this comprehensive DVD release the only home video set that delivers the full Kanto arc from start to finish.

More Pokémon early Black Friday DVD deals

• Pokémon the Series: Black and White Complete Season (DVD) — $19.99 $23.54 (save $3.55)

• Pokémon the Series: Journeys (DVD) — $19.99 $43.39 (save $23.40)

Cybertruck, the pricey, gargantuan, angular, steel-plated pickup darling of Elon Musk's, never sold very well. And now, Tesla appears to be ready to accept that fact.

On Friday, CEO Musk said on X that the company will be "winding down production of the Cybertruck at Gigafactory Texas around the middle of next year to make room for increased Cybercab production."

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Musk didn't say whether the Cybertruck production will move somewhere else, and he didn't explicitly say it's the end of the road for Tesla's pickup. But the clues are pretty clear. First of all, the Cybertruck is exclusively produced at Gigafactory Texas. If the company doesn't relocate somewhere else, which is unlikely given that the Cybertruck has a stainless steel body that presents unique manufacturing demands, then the Cybertruck has less than a year left.

Add to that the fact that Tesla recently canceled the Cybertruck launch in Australia and New Zealand, as well as continuous reports of poor sales ever since the Cybertruck went on sale in 2023, and it's pretty obvious that Tesla is giving up on the pickup.

SEE ALSO: Tesla cancels Cybertruck launch in Australia and New Zealand

The move also lines up with Musk's recent total focus on self-driving. When the company unveiled the new Tesla Roadster in October, he said it would be the last manually driven car that Tesla will ever produce.

It is no wonder, then, that the manufacturing capacities used for the Cybertruck will be repurposed for the Cybercab, Tesla's autonomous taxi car.

As for customers looking for a manually driven electric pickup, the choice is actually improving. Slate recently launched an affordable electric pickup, Ford is working on its own cheap electric pickup called Fathom, and Rivian is launching its mid-size pickup, the Rivian R2T, next year.

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SAVE $130: As of Nov. 6, the Jackery HomePower 2000 Plus v2 is on sale for $1,069 at Amazon. That's an 11% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery HomePower 2000 Plus v2 $1,069 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $130   Get Deal at Amazon

If you're looking for a portable power station, Jackery is one of the biggest names in the business. Its range includes options for powering everything from small devices to larger appliances, depending on your needs. If you're looking for the latter, the Jackery HomePower 2000 Plus v2 is on sale at Amazon right now.

Usually priced at $1,199, it's now down to $1,069. This deal saves you $130.

With this portable power station, you'll get 2,400W of output and a 2,048Wh capacity, which can be expanded to 12kWh for longer-lasting home backup during power outages. Its Smart Energy Management system and Priority Routing feature help keep essentials running by directing available power to your most important appliances first.

It's built to last, with a long-life LFP battery rated for more than 6,000 charge cycles. Jackery states this equates to around 16 years of use. The system is also 34% lighter than the previous generation, so it's easier to move and set up than comparable expandable 2kWh units.

This unit is available at Amazon now, but only for a limited time.

SAVE OVER $150: As of Nov. 6, the Shark PowerPro Flex Reveal Plus cordless vacuum has hit its lowest-ever price of $199.98 at Amazon. That's $180.01 off its full price of $379.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark PowerPro Flex Reveal Plus Cordless Vacuum $199.98 at Amazon
$379.99 Save $180.01   Get Deal at Amazon

As the years go by, Black Friday sales start earlier and earlier, and this year is no different. Early deals are already dropping left and right, including on a wide variety of items for your home.

If a new vacuum is on your holiday wishlist, now is the time to check it off: Amazon has dropped the Shark PowerPro Flex Reveal Plus cordless vacuum to a new low price before Black Friday officially starts. As of Nov. 6, shoppers can scoop up this cordless cleaner for $199.98, down from its usual $379.99. That's a hefty 47% discount, saving you just over $180 in total.

SEE ALSO: The Black Friday 2026 countdown is on: Our top 7 hacks for finding the best deals

The Shark PowerPro Flex Reveal Plus can cover quite a lot of ground in your home. With the help of its MultiFLEX wand, it can bend to clean underneath furniture so you don't have to worry about dust and debris collecting in spots you can't see. It also features FloorDetect Technology, which automatically adjusts the brushroll speed for different floor types as you're moving it around.

Its battery lasts up to 50 minutes, giving you plenty of time to scoot it around your home's floors. And for when you need more of a spot clean, it can even transform into a hand vacuum to reach places above the floor, with an included Crevice and Upholstery Tool to help you out.

This early Black Friday deal is a real treat for shoppers. Don't miss out on 47% off the Shark PowerPro Flex Reveal Plus cordless vacuum at Amazon.

GTA fans have waited 13 years for Grand Theft Auto VI. Finally, the next installment of the GTA series comes out on Nov. 19.

There's no early access for GTA 6. You simply have to wait until the release date.

But what if you could play GTA 6 on Nov. 18? Or, more accurately, roughly 18 hours before everyone else in the U.S.? Well, there's a way to do just that.

How to play GTA 6 a day early on Xbox

GTA 6 will have a global release date, dropping at midnight for each time zone. This means that New Zealand, which is 18 hours ahead of Eastern Time in the U.S., will get to play the long-awaited game before everyone else.

If you have an Xbox, there's long been a not-so-secret trick on Xbox consoles that lets U.S.-based gamers access games a little bit before everyone else in the country. 

As our friends at PCMag point out, gamers can simply go to their Xbox dashboard and do the following:

1. Go to Settings

2. Scroll to System

3. Select Language & Location on the right-hand side

4. Change your region to New Zealand

5. Hit Restart Now to restart your console and save the settings

This has previously worked to access other games early, as it tricks the console into thinking it's on New Zealand time. It's possible that Microsoft switches things up and closes the loophole before the launch of GTA 6. But, as of now, unless anything changes, it should work.

This is a quick and easy process, and you'll be able to change the settings back on your Xbox the same way.

Also, be sure to pre-order the digital version of GTA 6 as you'll be able to download the game on Nov. 10. While it won't be playable until the release, it'll be ready to go on your console as soon as it does release without having to wait for the game to download and install then.

How to play GTA 6 a day early on PlayStation

PlayStation 5 users, unfortunately, don't have it so simple. And there's no guarantee that this will work either. So, before we go any further, know that it just might not be worth the time and effort.

PlayStation accounts are region-locked, so Sony knows exactly where you're based when you're signed into your account. 

If you want to attempt to access GTA 6 early on your PS5, create a new PSN account while using a VPN with a New Zealand-based location. From there, you'll actually have to purchase the game under this new account in the New Zealand PlayStation Store. As PCMag points out, this might even cost more due to currency conversions.

And, again, there is no guarantee that this will work.

Worst case, you have to wait another 18 hours before you can play a game you've already waited 13 years for.

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Europe's Hera spacecraft just took its first close-up picture of Didymos and Dimorphos, the asteroid pair NASA used for target practice in 2022. 

The European Space Agency mission is designed to do a sort of crash scene investigation following NASA's DART mission, the first planetary defense rehearsal. DART, which stands for Double Asteroid Redirection Test, involved sending a 1,300-pound, refrigerator-size spacecraft straight for Dimorphos, the smaller asteroid orbiting Didymos, to see if a strike could change its trajectory in space. 

The spacecraft's hip check to Dimorphos seems to have worked, lopping 33 minutes off its orbit. But the change was more significant than scientists predicted, leaving open questions on the extent of the impact and why it unfolded the way it did. 

The new black-and-white photo shows Didymos, which measures about a half-mile wide, from about 37 miles away. Shadow hides most of Dimorphos, its 500-foot-wide battered moonlet. 

Hera's view shows the side of Didymos that NASA's spacecraft never saw before the crash. The "backside" looks remarkably different, according to the team, with boulders, craters, and grooves. It also shows the continuation of a ridge that wraps around the asteroid's middle. 

"The first thing we said was 'Wow!'" said Patrick Michel, Hera's principal investigator, in a statement. "This feels like looking at a whole new world."

SEE ALSO: Oh, snap. Martian volcanoes might actually still be alive.

Some of these features may come from debris the crash blasted across the half-mile gap between Dimorphos and Didymos, said mission scientist Michael Kueppers. The space agency will release detailed images of both asteroids on Nov. 25.

The robotic spacecraft, about the size of a small car, flew for two years to reach the asteroids, which now sit about 122 million miles from Earth.

Scientists hope Hera's findings will help turn "kinetic impact" — ramming a spacecraft into an asteroid to nudge it — from a one-time experiment into a reliable planetary defense tool, if Earth ever needs it. 

Want more science and tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter today.

When DART hit, it blasted rock and dust into space, and that spray pushed the asteroid like a rocket's exhaust. Scientists call this extra kickback the "beta factor," and Hera will help measure it. That number could tell future mission planners how hard they'd need to punch a killer asteroid (unlike Dimorphos, which posed no threat) to move it out of Earth's way.

But before scientists can answer that, Hera has to see what DART left behind. The spacecraft will map the crash site to learn whether the collision caused a deep crater, left a shallow dent, or changed the asteroid's whole shape. 

Hera's small companion probe, Juventas, will scan the interior of Dimorphos. Credit: ESA illustration

Scientists also want to know if the impact knocked Dimorphos into a wobble. Before the crash, Dimorphos always kept the same face toward its larger partner, the way our moon does with Earth. Telescope data now hint that it may be tumbling.

Hera's small companion probe, Juventas, will scan the interior with radar, sort of like taking an X-ray, to look inside the asteroid. Meanwhile, Hera will measure the asteroid's mass and density to show how tightly it's packed. Dimorphos might be a single solid rock, or it might be a loose pile of boulders with empty gaps between them. 

Its composition could explain why it reacted the way it did during the collision. Gravity on Dimorphos is about 200,000 times weaker than on Earth, so even the tiny forces that make particles stick together could affect how the asteroid holds up under a hit. 

"We have an exciting work ahead of us to sort it out," Kueppers said. "We look forward to seeing much more of both bodies and systemically mapping all the changes we identify."

TL;DR: Get a Babbel lifetime subscription and access to all language lessons for $159 with code LEARN.

Opens in a new window Credit: Babbel Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $159
$249 Save $90   Get Deal

Most language apps lean on vocab drills and matching games, and that kind of practice rarely prepares you to hold a conversation. If you’d rather learn the phrases people use when they travel, shop, or work, try a Babbel lifetime subscription on sale for $159 (reg. $299) with code LEARN.

What can you learn from Babbel?

Babbel gives you lifetime access to courses in 14 different languages, and the format is designed to fit into real life. Each lesson takes around 10 to 15 minutes, so you can actually stick with it whether you’re commuting, traveling, or just squeezing in some study time between meetings.

Here are a few of the included languages

• Spanish

• French

• German

• Italian

• Portuguese

• Swedish

And that’s just the beginning.

Unlike other apps that focus heavily on word games or repetitive matching drills, Babbel centers its content around practical conversation topics. You’ll get lessons on travel, shopping, business, culture, and more, all developed by expert linguists and backed by academic research. Speech recognition helps fine-tune your pronunciation, while the new AI-powered conversation partner lets you practice speaking in real time.

Lessons sync across devices, so you can start on your computer and finish on your phone. There’s also an offline mode if you want to download lessons ahead of time. You can move at your own pace, revisit review sessions, and jump between beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels based on your comfort.

Use code LEARN through Nov. 8 to get Babbel on sale for $159.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR:  Leave Windows 10 behind and get a lifetime license for Windows 11 Pro for $12.97 (reg. $199).

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 11 Pro $12.97
$199 Save $186.03   Get Deal

A new Windows license usually costs around $200, which is a lot to spend on a computer you already own. If you’d rather update your PC for less, try a Windows 11 Pro lifetime license on sale for $12.97 (reg. $199).

Microsoft extended Windows 10 support to Oct. 2027, but those Extended Security Updates only include security patches. You won’t get new features, non-security fixes, or technical support on an operating system near the end of its life.

Windows 11 Pro has a sleeker UI, better multitasking, and stronger security, and you pay for it once. Microsoft is also bringing back the movable taskbar and adding a resizable Start menu, with both changes rolling out in stages.

For professionals, creators, and power users, the Pro edition also includes Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, BitLocker encryption, and Azure AD integration. Hyper-V lets you run virtual machines on the same computer, and Windows Sandbox opens a disposable desktop for testing apps you don’t trust. BitLocker encrypts your drive, so a lost laptop doesn’t expose your files. With Azure AD integration, IT teams can manage work accounts and sign-ins from one place.

Windows 11 also comes with Copilot, an AI assistant that can summarize pages, change settings, or help you write code as you work. You can ask it to turn on dark mode or find a file instead of digging through menus.

A one-time payment of $12.97 is the full cost, with no subscription or yearly renewal to track.

Give your PC a modern operating system for a one-time price. Through Nov. 8, you can get Windows 11 Pro for life for just $12.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

When Channel 4 released the first clip from its upcoming series It Get Worse, created by comedian Leo Reich, it sent the internet down a thirst spiral.

In the clip, taken from early on in It Gets Worse's first episode, angsty 24-year-old Ethan (Reich) sits down for a chat with a therapist (Andrew Scott). Talking at a mile a minute, he frets that his life is already over before it's had a chance to start. While Scott's therapist does listen attentively, it soon becomes clear that he is not Ethan's actual therapist. Rather, he's a match from a hookup app, and Ethan has stopped by his office between sessions to have sex. It's not long before Scott's character is dominating Ethan, telling him he's a "hole for daddy" and spitting in his mouth.

SEE ALSO: NSFW clip of 'daddy' Andrew Scott has internet in a chokehold

The scene was immediate catnip for anyone who ever experienced Fleabag's Hot Priest fever, but more than that, it established the bold tone of Reich's series, a combination of confessional vulnerability and frank sexuality that can flip from awkward to hot to eye-opening at a moment's notice. While Scott's memorable therapist doesn't return for the rest of the six-part season, that tone carries through, and It Gets Worse truly only gets better.

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What's It Gets Worse about? Leo Reich and Emily Fairn in "It Gets Worse." Credit: Jack Barnes / A24 Films / Channel 4

It Gets Worse is the latest in a string of comedies by Gen Z/zillennial showrunners about people in their 20s struggling with what it means to be an adult. That puts it in conversation with shows like Rachel Sennott's I Love LA and Rebecca Shaw and Ben Kronengold's Adults. However, It Gets Worse shares more DNA with Lena Dunham's Girls, from its messy honesty to its central trio, who teeter on a knife's edge between absolutely imploding and hugging it out. (Dunham also guest stars as the world's worst boss.)

Our gateway into this trio is Ethan, who, according to a voiceover from author Zadie Smith, "had one of the easiest lives in recorded human history." He lives, unemployed, in London, where he receives money from his mother, enjoys the occasional no-strings hookup, and lives with his two closest friends from uni: Abi (Emily Fairn) and Sam (Olive Gray). The former wants nothing more than to prove to others that she's "made it" as an adult, curating a social media feed that screams "corporate girlboss." The latter is an aspiring writer who claims to reject society's monogamous norms, even though her seemingly blasé façade hides a deeper need for affection.

SEE ALSO: Here's how to watch Andrew Scott's thirst-inducing performance in 'It Gets Worse'

The three are in crisis, forced to leave the flat they share as their landlord looks to sell it. The move scatters them across London while they try to find new living situations. Ethan avoids returning home to his London-based parents, opting instead to crash at hookup partner Jesse's (Arian Nik) place. Abi moves in with her boyfriend of three years, Tom (Sean Delaney), who will cook elaborate miso lamb dishes for her but always avoids having sex. Sam joins her ex-girlfriend Zara's (India Mullen) anarchist commune, which hosts an awkward sex party and demands its members chip into the shared MUBI account.

Each situation forces Ethan, Abi, and Sam to take stock of their lives and their relationships, both platonic and romantic, all leading them to ask that most daunting of questions: What the hell am I going to do with my life? Surely, this can't be it.

It Gets Worse weaves a messy tale of early 20s friendships and screwups. India Mullen, Safia Oakley-Green, and Olive Gray in "It Gets Worse." Credit: Ana Blumenkron / A24 Films / Channel 4

From callous bosses to awkward crushes, It Gets Worse conjures up a world of all too relatable worries. Even if you haven't experienced something like this yourself, you know someone who has, and you've almost certainly commiserated with them as they've vented.

That's almost what watching It Gets Worse feels like: a diaristic venting of anxieties about life in your early 20s. Some scenes felt so personal that I almost felt like I shouldn't be watching them. And no, I'm not just talking about the sex scenes, although there are many, and they all fall somewhere on the scale from "hot and mildly awkward" to "I'm watching through my fingers out of sheer pain for the characters involved." I'm also talking about the scenes where It Gets Worse truly gets in its trio's heads as they weather painful realities: Ethan hearing someone surgically pick apart how he uses humor as a defense mechanism. Abi realizing in real time that her promotion doesn't actually come with a pay raise. Sam trying to put on a brave face as her current hookup, Tess (Safia Oakley-Green), becomes far more interested in Zara. With each of these moments, It Gets Worse packs a gut punch.

Those gut punches extend to the fraught dynamic between Ethan, Abi, and Sam as well. These are people who know everything about one another and will tell each other to fight for what they deserve. These are also people who will shit talk something that's important to their friends, then turn around and tell them how great it is. Between the constant needling, you might be inclined to think that these three need nothing more than to get away from each other, much in the way you might have thought Girls' leads needed to take some serious time apart. Yet It Gets Worse also finds bittersweet ways to keep bringing them back together, and Reich, Fairn, and Gray's chemistry is so sharp and lived-in that you can't help but yearn for them to share the screen time and again.

Bittersweetness defines much of It Gets Worse, even as it often opts for a brash, of-the-moment aesthetic. You can tell it's an A24 production from the credits alone, whose flashing block letters recall the credits of Charli XCX satire The Moment or Halina Reijn's Gen Z slasher Bodies Bodies Bodies. (The latter even gets name-dropped.) Yet the core of It Gets Worse is the serious growing pains Ethan, Ali, and Sam experience. Reich treats these pains with an Ethan-like touch, covering them in quick one-liners and canny satire so the trio's traumas never turn into full-out tragedies. As he does, he extends a sympathizing hand to anyone in their early 20s (or anyone who's ever been in their early 20s), as if to say, no matter what generation you belong to, no matter your experience, we've all been at an uncomfortable crossroads. But maybe that discomfort is worth celebrating in all its messiness. It's certainly worth watching play out in It Gets Worse.

It Gets Worse is now streaming on Paramount+ and Channel 4.

From the sandwich-board ads outside neighborhood bodegas to campaigns by multimillion-dollar companies and midterm political races, AI-generated advertising is becoming part of our everyday scenery. But figuring out which images were photographed, which were prompted, and which fall somewhere in between is getting harder. In a September study of more than 500 consumers, only 17 percent correctly identified the AI-generated ad in a lineup of 10 — even though half initially felt confident they could spot it.

So what gives an AI ad away? Often, it’s something small that doesn’t hold up as well as the overall image. These six signs can offer clues.

1. The product looks plausible until its parts stop making sense

An ad can have a believable setting and a perfectly ordinary model, then fall apart around the product. For example, in June, an REI Instagram ad featured a bicycle with an extra set of handlebars growing out of its saddle.

Screenshot contains AI-generated image. Credit: Screenshot: Reddit/r/REI

According to the retailer, Meta's AI personalization tool altered a vendor-provided image, turning a real photograph into slop. REI said it took steps to unenroll from the tool.

"While a two-handled bike might be interesting, it is not something you will find in our assortment," REI told Fast Company.

Other advertisers have encountered similar changes. In July reporting by Business Insider, advertising consultant Jessica Gleim said Meta had suggested an image that turned a client's pajama dress into a shirt and pants. For another client, a women’s networking group in Montana, the tool proposed adding men. As Gleim told BI, "It’s not usable to help my clients grow their business," regarding AI-generation.

2. The same character or object looks different between shots

Sometimes, each shot looks plausible on its own. Put them together, though, and the main character — or main vehicle — doesn’t quite stay the same.

Coca-Cola's 2025 viral AI-generated "Holidays Are Coming" commercial drew criticism for its poor shot consistency, and its harshest critics called it "soulless, bland, and hard to even watch." Viewers and experts documented changing vehicle design across the truck scenes, including mechanically implausible configurations. (Of course, that didn't stop Coca-Cola from airing the commercial all winter long.)

The same sort of inconsistency appeared in Toys "R" Us's 2024 film, made with OpenAI's Sora (RIP). The film depicts the company's founder Charles Lazarus as a boy dreaming about a fantastical toy store. But the child's appearance varied throughout the video.

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Similar inconsistencies can happen within a shot. Last year, UC Berkeley digital forensics expert Hany Farid told Mashable to look for "temporal inconsistencies," such as "the building added a story, or the car changed colors, things that are physically not possible." These changes can occur in the background, away from the main subject, making them easier to miss.

SEE ALSO: Coca-Cola created another AI holiday video, and I expect a lot more like it 3. Movement doesn’t match the object — or the speech

Back to Coca-Cola. In their 2024 AI holiday advertisement, the trucks were moving along roads without their wheels even rotating. Very sloppy.

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McDonald's Netherlands encountered its own visual problems in an AI-generated Christmas commercial from last year, with distorted faces and bodies, and the company pulled the ad after backlash. The Sweetshop CEO Melanie Bridge allegedly defended the production in a now-deleted statement, saying, "AI didn’t make this film. We did."

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As for synthetic people, look for a mismatch between the face and the voice. Australia's national science agency identified poorly synchronized lip movements, flickering around the eyes, and expressions that don’t fit the emotional tone of speech as potential deepfake clues.

4. Lettering and details fall apart

Sometimes, the overall composition survives while the smaller elements look like nonsense. Product labels, objects on shelves, scenery, and body anatomy can look convincing at a glance but make no sense up close.

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The promotional images for Glasgow's creepy Willy’s Chocolate Experience offered a memorable example in 2024. Amid the "nightmarish" scene, the AI-generated ads promoting the event initially promised "enchanting entertainment," "catchy tunes," and "exaggerated lollipops."

Those errors can also creep into real photographs when AI tools alter them. Photographer and marketer Abigail Hogue told Business Insider that a Valentine's Day campaign she photographed for Quite Literally Books began running with AI changes. Friends sent screenshots showing garbled product lettering and merchandise that resembled knockoffs. She disabled the AI creative enhancements and republished the campaign.

That unevenness makes lettering a useful clue, though an increasingly imperfect one. As the Global Investigative Journalism Network's guide explains, newer generators are much better at producing readable text and anatomically correct hands.

5. The action plays like a fantasy blockbuster AI-GENERATED IMAGE Credit: Screenshot: NFL

Sometimes, AI-generated ads lean into the absurdity, turning a simple sales pitch into a Marvel-level spectacle. The drama keeps escalating, the scenes get stranger, and a soda commercial starts to feel like the trailer for an entire cinematic universe.

Fanta's latest Halloween campaign takes that approach. The ad features a vampire driving a sports car, a werewolf performing a DJ set, and a cyborg Frankenstein — all to promote soda. The brand spent a year and a half developing the world with AI-powered entertainment studio GRAiL, describing the technology in its announcement.

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And Kalshi's deliberately chaotic commercial, which appeared in the YouTube TV stream of Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals, jumps through surreal scenes with the energy of an internet fever dream. Creator PJ Accetturo told NPR that he made it in two days using AI tools. See also: The NFL's larger-than-life "Ride the Float" commercial.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. 6. The typography looks familiar

Sometimes, it's the font itself that can be a dead giveaway. Unrelated ads often share the same chunky, rounded headings or vaguely handwritten type, creating the impression that they all came from the same AI generator. In one Reddit discussion, users noticed similar-looking lettering across generated images, even when the words themselves were nonsense.

One particular Brushstroke font is even being called "the new Comic Sans" by some graphic designers.

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Reporting on AI-generated flyers in Houston, Chron's Gwen Howerton described a recurring combination of bright lettering against dark backgrounds, boxed bullet points, and words circled or underlined for emphasis. Many also used type resembling marker scribbles. The repetition extended beyond Instagram to bar screens, banners, and neighborhood signs.

Meanwhile, AI companies have cultivated another recognizable style through their own branding. Claude and Perplexity have openly embraced serif fonts — letters with small strokes at their ends, familiar from printed books. Asked why, Monotype's senior executive creative director Charles Nix told Creative Bloq: "In order to seem more human." He also described the historical associations of serif typography as a way to convey authority and distinguish these brands from the sans serif lettering that has dominated technology branding.

Designer and type practitioner Keya Vadgama offered a similar explanation to WIRED: "Serifs have an origin in calligraphy. It connotes a very human, fluid way of making letterforms." Reporters added that Runway and Manus had also adopted serif typography in their interfaces and branding.

Some ads are starting to disclose AI use

Lately, the clearest answer to "is that ad AI?" may come from the ad itself. In a June update, Meta said it was rolling out an "About this ad" section containing AI labels for ads created or significantly edited with its generative tools. It also said it would begin labeling ads when it detected industry-standard signals from third-party AI tools.

That push for transparency is reaching state law, too. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the Artificial Intelligence Deceptive Advertising Act on Oct. 22. Taking effect Dec. 21, the law requires clear disclosures when AI-generated or significantly AI-altered content creates a false impression about the nature, origin, or authenticity of advertised goods or services. It won't put a label on every AI-assisted ad, though. The legislation exempts evidently fictional content, parody, satire, commentary, criticism, and text-only content.

SEE ALSO: Pennsylvania enacts law regulating AI-generated advertisements

As AI ads get better and better, the clues keep changing, which means that by the time we know what to look for, there may already be something new to catch.

Ever since I was a small Who, I have loved Dr. Seuss. 

His Sneetches, the Lorax, Horton — the joy they induce!

I gobbled up books, shorts, and feature films, too. 

I giggled, sang along, and even cried a boo-hoo! 

But one of his heroes had a movie fall flat, 

That rascally sharp dresser, the Cat in the Hat. 

In 2003, Mike Myers tried in live-action.

Audiences marveled at what the duck happened.  

Now comes an animated The Cat in the Hat. 

What am I, a critic, to say about that? 

Voiced by Bill Hader, this feline is fun. 

Lively and silly, with shenanigans. 

He brings with him his Things One, Two, and beyond, 

Plus a goldfish who wags a fin at things done wrong. 

But the focus of this kid's movie is odd: 

The Cat in the Hat might lose his job.

He works in the business of bringing kids joy, 

And is assigned to a girl and a boy. 

They've just moved and are feeling quite sad, 

But it's not enough to make them feel glad. 

The Cat must appease his bullying boss, 

Who worries about the collateral costs 

Of how the Cat brings mirth to kids near and far. 

The Cat's only ally is Sherri from HR. 

If that sounds convoluted, oh, just you wait. 

This story gets overcrowded to a terrible state. 

A mother-daughter squabble kicks off the action, 

Then a MacGuffin makes for a time-travel distraction. 

There's also a monster in hot pursuit, 

And a pesky landlady to boot! 

Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni direct and write. 

Their animation is warm, delicately textured, and bright. 

The voice cast has performers spirited and merry, 

Like Quinta Brunson, Xochitl Gomez, and Matt Berry. 

Sure, there's fun to be had in this Cat's appearance, 

But too many fart jokes hurt the experience. 

Dr. Seuss got silly and kooky indeed. 

But such potty humor is not his speed. 

With an overstuffed plot and action chaotic,

The movie's message feels half-assed and quixotic.

Hader's The Cat In The Hat is certainly better than Myers'. 

But so is plucking out my nose hairs with needle-nose pliers. 

In the end, I can't cheer this cartoon's feline joker. 

Best I can say is that this movie is mediocre.

Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

The Cat in the Hat opens in theaters on Nov. 6.

Jordan Firstman has forged his reputation in comedy with a spiky and unapologetically queer sense of humor, as seen in his writing for Search Party, and his performances in Sebastián Silva's dark comedy Rotting in the Sun, and Rachel Sennott's chic satire I Love LA. Firstman stays strongly on brand with his directorial debut, Club Kid. But this New York City story is also a hopeful fairy tale about growing up and getting your shit together. 

Smartly cast and full of energy, Club Kid is a feel-good movie that doesn't fall into the trap of being overly sentimental. It's far less broad that Big Daddy, Mr. Mom, or Three Men and a Baby, and exponentially more queer. But reflective of the film itself, it's the throbbing heart at its core that suggests Firstman's perspective is growing as his hero is. 

Club Kid is a comedy for the fuck-ups. Jordan Firstman and Reggie Absolom co-star in "Club Kid." Credit: A24

Imagine someone made a movie about your messiest friend. And if you are that friend, brace yourself to be seen. (We listen, and we do judge a little!) 

Written, helmed, and starring Firstman, Club Kid centers on Peter Green, a flailing party promoter who's spent the last decade or so doing hard drugs, staying out all night, and hooking up with untold men in Manhattan (and perhaps some of the cooler outer boroughs). 

Now in his thirties, this lifestyle isn't as cute as it used to be. Crashing on his couch is Nicky (Eldar Isgandarov), a surly twink who fancies himself a "low-key philosopher." Thrashing his business is his inability to resist the coke and ketamine that he's selling on the side of party planning. Showing up sloppy high to a sales meeting puts him on the outs with his ferocious business partner (Cara Delevingne), who feels smugly superior for being able to handle a bump before lunch. 

It's into all this chaos that Arlo (Reggie Absolom) is dropped. Kirby Howell-Baptiste, in an explosion of British party girl charisma and comedic outrageousness, turns up as Edison, who drops a bomb with a smile. Ten-year-old Arlo is Peter's son, spawned from a forgotten threesome a decade ago. His mom, a Brit he knew as "Innit babes," went back to London, had the kid, got abused by her boyfriend, and ultimately died by suicide. So, Edison reasons, Arlo belongs to his bio dad now. 

Peter is so bad at adulting he can't even begin to make sense of this. But he does give the kid a place to stay and begins to grow attached. They bond over music. And being raised by a mom addicted to the party scene, Arlo is familiar with Peter's world in some vague way, and so quickly wins over a clutch of overgrown club kids, including a beguiling trans DJ called Saffron (Saturn Risin9). 

Meanwhile, Peter sees himself in a new light through Arlo's eyes. Could he be more than a dealer and an aging addict? Could he be a responsible dad? Could he abstain from casual sex and hard partying and settle into a loving relationship with Arlo's therapist (Diego Calva)? Club Kid paves a path where this could be possible, but not without some logical bumps along the way. 

Club Kid shows Firstman has a distinctive vision as a director.  Jordan Firstman directs "Club Kid." Credit: A24

As you might expect of a New York City-set movie premiering at NYFF, Club Kid depicts the city with an authentic intimacy. For starters, the film begins inside an Uber, where the stoic driver (Jamil Zraikat) speaks gently on the phone in a foreign language, before his car is overrun with tweaking club kids who crank up house music and sing along, while their bodies shimmy in feathers, sequins, sweat, and glitter.  

Cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra follows Peter from the cab into a club, where the lights are a bleeding purple neon, and the music blares so loud the theatrical audience might be tempted to cover their ears. Yet, it's clear from Firstman's onscreen thrall that Peter feels at home in this cacophony. Later, after Arlo becomes part of his life, the lights are red, blurring more features, and the handheld camera that once expressed enthusiasm turns panicked. A strobe light that bursts white in a relentless pulse throws the audience into a desperate search to make out what's on screen, reflecting Peter's panic as he seeks a missing Arlo. 

In calmer moments, the static camera captures everyday New York events with awe, like flipping through the bins of a vintage record shop, chatting on a park bench with a friend, or moving a gifted piano up an unwelcoming staircase. The use of 35mm enhances the romance of the city, imbuing each frame with the familiar grain distortion many generations still associate with cinema. Firstman and Newport-Berra create a terrific balance of the beauty and unpredictability of New York. So, when Arlo speaks simply of his affection for the city, there's a flush of comfort in knowing he gets it. 

Club Kid is brilliantly cast.  Jordan Firstman writes, directs, and stars in "Club Kid." Credit: A24

First up, Firstman wrote a role for himself that's strategic and well-suited. He gets to deliver the kind of snarky jokes his fans might expect. But then, the plot probes deeper, giving him the chance to earnestly portray vulnerability, worry, adoration, and desperation. This is not a vanity project, as Peter is a bit of a clown. 

Beyond him, casting director Carmen Cuba has selected a superb array of supporting players to build out Peter's chosen family. Delevingne, who has her own reputation as an eccentric socialite, strides smoothly into the role of a party monster. Howell-Baptiste is a one-woman show as the human tornado that is Edison, beaming and enchanting while delivering darkly hilarious dialogue. Risin9 is a standout in the party posse, radiant, warm, and mischievous, like that cool cousin we all aspired to be. Isgandarov is terrific as Nicky, swiftly capturing a familiar queer archetype, then plunging in with jubilant spontaneity. He's perfectly paired with Colleen Camp (Clue), who plays Peter's downstairs neighbor Evelyn, a kind of chosen godmother who has money, scads of style, and a big heart exploding with tough love. 

And then there's Arlo. Absolom, who some might recognize from The Other Bennet Sister, is simply terrific. He offers a open stare that comes off not as naive but knowing. And in that, there's a bit of tragedy. But this child is fueled by hope, hope that tomorrow will be better than the yesterday he's seen. He hopes Peter can be his real dad. He hopes he can weave himself into the club scene, in part because he has a true love of it from his mom's influence, and in part — it seems — so he can ingratiate himself to his newly revealed father. In moments of tension, you see this façade of maturity crack as Absolom and Firstman make sure the audience sees past the precociousness to the simple truth: He's just a kid. He needs a security that he's never known. And the film grows slower and more meditative as Peter grapples with what that means. 

In the end, Club Kid gives an ending that is happy and earned. Firstman doesn't abandon the path in favor of a Hollywood ending that will have audiences cheering. Instead, he delivers something more realistic, but still hopeful and aspirational. It's a happy ending the way New York City understand them, and that's a hard-won gift. 

Club Kid was reviewed out of the New York Film Festival. It opens in theaters on Nov. 6. 

Rocky is such a truly iconic film that it's easy to forget its very existence is a miracle. I Play Rocky is the story of how that miracle was built by the blood, sweat, and tears of an unknown actor and aspiring screenwriter named Sylvester Stallone. 

Peter Gamble's screenplay begins with the future Hollywood star going by Mike Stallone (Anthony Ippolito), hitting auditions with his brawny shoulders and distinctive accent, and getting cast as thug #2 if he's lucky. At this point, he's living on the streets, finding comfort in a stray puppy he's taken in, and doing some light sex work to keep them both fed. But all he needs to start the path to Rocky is one person to believe in him. 

Enter Sasha Czack (AnnaSophia Robb), a smart and dedicated young woman who pushes Mike not only to write the roles he wants to play but to make a mark with his real name, Sylvester Stallone. Together, they move from the cold streets of New York to the sunny hills of Los Angeles. He writes out script after script by hand, then she types them up so he can hopefully sell them. When Rocky finally catches the attention of respected producers, it might seem like a happy ending. But there's one catch that Sly lays down: "I play Rocky." 

Stallone, as an unknown, fought tooth and nail to be the center of the movie he dreamed up to make him a star. But at every step, a new challenge presented itself. His underdog story reflects Rocky's — sometimes literally recreating scenes from the Oscar–winning sensation. But as successfully entertaining and heart-warming as I Play Rocky is, will it be able to stand out to the Academy in this year of extraordinary cinema?

What's I Play Rocky got in its corner?  Anthony Ippolito plays Sylvester Stallone; Stephan James plays Carl Weathers in "I Play Rocky." Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

Well, for starters, director Peter Farrelly previously won over the Academy with Green Book, which scored Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali, Best Original Screenplay (for Farrelly and his co-writers), and Best Picture. That too was a feel-good film inspired by true events. And to its credit, I Play Rocky is less likely to earn the backlash that Green Book did, as it doesn't engage in problematic racial stereotypes. 

What I Play Rocky does offer is a cast that absolutely crackles onscreen. Ippolito takes on a difficult role as Stallone, because even a casual movie fan can recognize this A-lister's signature cadence and tone. To his credit, Ippolito is terrific in the role. Not only does his take on Stallone feel familiar, but he also avoids the trap of making it feel like an impression. This becomes clearer when he's tasked with re-enacting classic Rocky scenes, where the physicality of Stallone demands to be even more in sync with the man himself. 

Beyond getting the feel of Stallone right, Ippolito has an easy charisma that sparks chemistry with every scene partner, be it his onscreen lover Robb, a pair of bickering producers (P. J. Byrne, Toby Kebbell), his dynamic Rocky co-star Carl Weathers (Stephan James), or his lumbering dog, Butkus. Ippolito's Sly is radiant with life and determination, a screen presence that Stallone brought to Rocky. 

And around him, he's bolstered by terrific supporting players. Byrne and Kebbell prove a terrific comedy duo, turning exposition about movie deals into entertainment. Robb shines, despite being in a role that is an achingly cliched Supportive Wife with no complexity. (As presented here, Sasha has no desires beyond what makes Sly happy.) James is electric, an unapologetic scene-stealer who becomes Sly's ally. Tracy Letts is solidly sneering as an antagonistic studio exec, and Jay Duplass is brightly funny as self-proclaimed asshole director John G. Avildsen. 

Together, they craft a fish-out-of-water showbiz comedy slash underdog drama that is undeniably rousing and wonderful. So, why won't that be enough for I Play Rocky to be a contender? 

I Play Rocky will be an underdog at the Oscars.  Anthony Ippolito plays Sylvester Stallone in "I Play Rocky." Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

On the ground at the Toronto International Film Festival, when I Play Rocky made its World Premiere, the buzz was thunderous and immediate. Following its first screening, the press lined up in a massive theater for the press-and-marketing-screening to see for themselves if this movie could live up to the hype. For those who've never been, that's a tough crowd, almost daring filmmakers to impress them. And adding to the difficulty, this screening was at 8:30 AM on a Sunday, when most sane people would prefer to be in bed. I was in that audience, and frankly dubious I'd enjoy Farrelly's latest, as I tend to think his best film is Dumb & Dumber. (I said what I said.) To my surprise and delight, I roared with laughter and cheers, as did the hundreds around me. Speculation sparked that this movie would win the festival's audience award, hands down. And the People's Choice Award out of TIFF can often be a bellwether for Oscar success. According to Awards Radar, since 2000, 33 People's Choice winners have gone on to become Best Picture nominees at the Academy Awards, with nine of them winning — including Green Book. But despite the buzz, I Play Rocky didn't win this honor.

The People's Choice Award went to La Bola Negra, a Spanish drama by directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi that explores queer identity over 85 years in Spain. That film, while extraordinary, is not a crowd-pleaser. It's 159 minutes long, interweaves multiple narratives, and is inspired by four pages of a play written by poet Federico García Lorca before he was assassinated by a fascist government. It's tragic, romantic, and cerebral. And it has all that in common with the International People's Choice winner, Elsinore, which focuses on Scottish actor Ian Charleson's performance of Hamlet as he was dying of AIDS. 

Where I Play Rocky had brilliant buzz on its debut, it was a runner-up at the end of the festival. And as award season heats up, there's a trend emerging, favoring tragedies over feel-good stories. Another example: TIFF opened with the inspiring docudrama Being Heumann, helmed by Sian Heder, director of the Best Picture winner CODA. While this follow-up has been praised for its representation of people with disabilities in telling the story of disability advocate Judith Heumann, the praise for the movie itself has been muted. 

SEE ALSO: 'CODA' review: A feel-good family story that's worth the Oscar hype

Meanwhile, Calvo and Ambrossi are gathering buzz for the Best Director honor, and Andrew Scott seems a frontrunner for his heart-wrenching performance in Elsinore. And then of course, there's the big wooden horse in the room: The Odyssey. 

Being both an unadulterated hit with critics and a box office smash that not only brought audiences back to theaters, but also sold out IMAX theaters across the country, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is going to be hard to beat this Oscar season. He brought together a sprawling cast, shot on location, and used practical effects to extraordinary ends to reimagine Homer's Greek epic for a modern, mainstream audience. It is a collision of poetry, craftsmanship, and performance that is absolutely astounding. The Odyssey showed succinctly why movies still matter, connecting a story that's centuries old to contemporary politics without feeling like it was talking down to its audience. 

There, I Play Rocky falls short. While it is a movie about the importance of cinema, which the Academy loves, it's a look back that feels more a celebration of Stallone than it does a story urgent to now. And in the final act, Farrelly gets carried away in recreating Rocky, pulling in one scene after another to diminishing returns. While his film is still a sensational experience, its final act leans too heavily into the audience's presumed love of Rocky, instead of trusting in their interest of the story being told. And hey, in another year, that might not have been a fatal flaw; it might not even be one that will keep I Play Rocky from some big nominations. But even though I'd argue I Play Rocky is a better movie than Green Book, I wouldn't bet Farrelly's film has a fighting chance against its TIFF peers, much less Nolan's epic. 

I Play Rocky was reviewed out of the Toronto International Film Festival. It opens in limited release in the U.S. and UK on Nov. 6, before going nationwide in the U.S. on Nov. 20.

I have a confession and some good news. First, a confession: While watching Godzilla Minus Zero in a theater, I squealed and screamed in excitement loudly and repeatedly. I even threw my hands up at one point, as if I were going down the sharp hill of a rollercoaster ride. Now, good news: No one was any the wiser to my giddy noise. (And I wasn’t the only one whose hands took flight!) 

The sequel to the critically acclaimed and fan-revered Godzilla Minus One offers a soundscape so rich in roars, along with a booming score, that I could barely hear my own screams. And bonus good news: You will likely echo my enthralled reaction, because Godzilla Minus Zero is awesome, in the classical sense of the word. 

Godzilla Minus Zero is a sensational sequel.  Hidetaka Yoshioka returns as Noda in "Godzilla Minus Zero." Credit: GKIDS

Godzilla Minus One writer/director Takashi Yamazaki returns, picking up his kaiju saga two years after the events of the last film. In Godzilla Minus Zero, Japanese pilot Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) is now a celebrated hero because of his ace flying in the final assault on Godzilla, which sent the massive monster back to the depths of the Pacific Ocean. His love, Noriko (Minami Hamabe), has healed from her wounds from Godzilla's attack, but wears a conspicuous eye patch. And their gleeful daughter, Akiko (Sae Nagatani), is the envy of a scrappy flock of war orphans cared for by their gruff but compassionate neighbor, Sumiko Ōta (Sakura Ando). 

Meanwhile, friend of the family and silver fox with gorgeous hair Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka) has been promoted to the head of a military unit dedicated to eliminating future kaiju threats. So, when a new creature rises, taking flight with a terrifying ferocity, Noda turns to some old friends for help. 

Harkening back to the early Godzilla movies, Yamazaki balances scenes of massive monster destruction with sequences of human drama. The post-World War II melodrama in the first film revolved around Shikishima, a disgraced kamikaze pilot who was at first too cowardly to sacrifice himself for the greater good. In the finale, he finally risked his life to topple Godzilla — and he survived! And this time, the public opinion on such an escape shifted in his favor. 

In its sequel, he is challenged to risk their safety to build a better future for Akiko. After the long battle for Shikishima to even acknowledge the love his family cobbled together in the ruins of war, it's a thrill to see him so openly affectionate with both — and a brutal blow to realize he is once again risking everything to preserve them. 

Godzilla Minus Zero goes harder than any Godzilla movie before.  Noriko (Minami Hamabe) wears an eyepatch in "Godzilla Minus Zero." Credit: GKIDS

In the franchise's 70-year history, Godzilla Minus Zero is the first of these films to be rated R. Yamazaki uses this as an opportunity to turn jaded adult viewers into giddy kids again, freshly awed by the might of these monsters. 

As has been teased in advertising around the movie, Godzilla Minus Zero sees the rise of Ghidorah, an extraterrestrial dragon with wings and gravity beams that allow it to lift buildings from their foundations and drop them like bombs. Far from the clunky costumed actors of the original films, Yamazaki's crew has built a monster that is seamlessly realized and absolutely electrifying. 

First, Ghidorah attacks Matsumoto City, turning the daily lives of civilians into a waking nightmare. These scenes of devastation are exciting and disturbing, reconfiguring the gruesome realities of war with a sci-fi bend that makes them distinctly harrowing. But things get even more intense when Godzilla returns for a monster-versus-monster battle. In these sequences, the R rating allows Yamazaki to take the damage against these iconic creatures to a jaw-dropping extreme. The gore is shocking and exciting in these sequences. But elsewhere, graphic violence is used for a more humane purpose. 

Echoing the previous movie's message about the horrors of war, Godzilla Minus Zero introduces new character who is a hibakusha (a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing). Through his perspective, the graphic evisceration of atomic weaponry is made horrifyingly clear. Men, women, and children melted and scorched beyond recognition. It is soberingly horrendous. 

This is a brilliant balance of violence. With the monsters, the battles resurrect the wonder I experienced watching those original movies on battered VHS tapes, lying belly down on my friend’s fuzzy living room carpeting. Then, the toll taken on human bodies demands audiences recognize the difference between these fun fantasies of violence and the terrible truth of it in the name of war. 

Knitted together with outstanding visual effects and an earnest ensemble, Godzilla Minus Zero is truly epic. It demands to be seen in theaters, where its visuals can hit like an atomic breath and its soundscape can rattle your very bones. 

Let yourself be swallowed by that roar. You won't regret it. 

Godzilla Minus Zero was reviewed out of the New York Film Festival. The movie opens in theaters and IMAX on Nov. 6. 

As a comedy, Wild Horse Nine works fine. British-Irish playwright-turned-filmmaker Martin McDonagh imbues it with the blisteringly macabre sense of humor that he's forged in work like his 2003 play The Pillowman and his feature film debut In Bruges, as well as later movies like Seven Psychopaths; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; and The Banshees of Inisherin. As a Martin McDonagh comedy, it feels a bit redundant. But perhaps that's precisely the point?

From its premise, Wild Horse Nine echoes the plot of McDonagh's first feature film, In Bruges. Both films center on a pair of contract killers who have an uneasy friendship, and who travel to a lovely vacation spot with a potentially deadly outcome looming over them. This time, McDonagh has cast John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell in the roles of CIA agents who are chaotically compelling and lethally reckless.

Within these roles, Malkovich and Rockwell are invited to repeat themselves, creating echoes that actually bolsters the film's message about the mind-bending nature of looking back.

Wild Horse Nine is an oddball's elegy. Credit: TIFF

Set shortly before 1973 Chilean coup d'etat, Wild Horse Nine begins in Santiago, where veteran operative Chris (Malkovich) and his protege Lee (Rockwell) have put things in motion to destabilize the newly democratically elected leader. Now it's time to kill some time with a getaway to Easter Island, because Chris wants to see "the big heads."

Loud and obnoxious, Chris is unapologetically an Ugly American. When tourists urge him to call Easter Island's giant stone statues "moai," the name the Indigenous people gave them, he scoffs. When two female college students express excitement over their women's rights march, he breezily reveals that all their efforts will be for naught because of a U.S. operation that will topple their beloved president. ("Your country is gonna get fucked.")

Chris' brazen insensitivity mirrors the racist cop Rockwell played in Three Billboards, with one exception. While both are caricatures making a mockery of Americans' lesser attributes, Chris is no fool. He is deeply cynical because he knows too much — so much, in fact, that his chief (Steve Buscemi) is ready to shut him up by any means necessary.

This trip will likely be his last, and both Chris and Lee know it. So within their half-hearted attempts at tourism, Chris reflects on his life and regrets, while seeking some fresh adventure. He becomes beguiled by the wild horses that roam freely across this lush, green landscape. And he attempts to flirt with one of the coeds he outraged in Act One. Within his meanderings and mumblings about many, many murders, there's not sadness, but a shrugging resignation that Malkovich sculpts into a darkly funny portrayal.

Wild Horse Nine is deepened by its repetition. Credit: TIFF

Rockwell and Malkovich have been in so many movies, there are bound to be bits of repetition eventually, right? But some of the echoes in Wild Horse Nine are very specific. Like, yes, this is the third film Rockwell has made with McDonagh, following Seven Psychopaths and Three Billboards. (He also starred in McDonagh's Broadway play A Behanding in Spokane in 2010). But more specifically, Rockwell has previously played a CIA operative with a lot of swagger and a penchant for gallows humor and insubordination in the George Clooney-directed Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

Beyond that, Malkovich has not just played a CIA employee before, but in both Wild Horse Nine and the Coen Bros' Burn After Reading, he plays one who is looking to turn his top-secret exploits into a memoir. Then, most joltingly perhaps, as Wild Horse Nine goes on, cinephiles watching Lee try to protect Chris from a world growing increasingly hostile towards him might be reminded of Of Mice and Men. Notably, Malkovich played Lennie in the 1992 film adaptation, directed by and co-starring Gary Sinise. And yes, that feels relevant too.

These are the connections I noticed watching Wild Horse Nine just once. I wonder what other ties might be noticed on a rewatch? Will Buscemi's furious CIA chief spark a memory of a far-off film where he was in a position of power but not to be trusted? Will Parker Posey, who plays Lee's glibly unfaithful wife, invoke an allusion to one of her fiery past roles? Perhaps Tom Waits, snarling from the depths of Monument Valley, will unlock a recollection about a long-forgotten Western that serves to bolster the meaning of the American singer/songwriter's brief but meaningful scene.

Or maybe I'm reaching. Maybe the rhythms of Wild Horse Nine felt so familiar, both in McDonagh's work and in American dark comedy, that I was looking for other ways to excite myself.

I hope not. After all, Wild Horse Nine has a lot going for it. The cinematography from Ben Davis is gorgeous, putting these gruff conquerers in an untamed surrounding that seems to mock their mundane ambitions for control.

Rockwell is greasy and suave in McDonagh's signature caustic and comical dialogue. Buscemi, Parker, and Waits all pop with crackling outrage. Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas bring a fresh-faced exuberance that proves a terrific foil to Malkovich's world-weariness. And as for Malkovich, he's wickedly compelling as this infuriatingly blasé killer. The bounce he brings the comedy is expertly executed. Chris' resignation is not expressed through a dull sullenness, but an intoxicating levity. It's as if he can feel the fall coming and is all too happy to lift his wings.

And in that, Chris looks back on his life, and Wild Horse Nine urges us to look back on the filmographies of its makers (intentionally or not). In that, we, like this film's anti-hero, are urged to understand how history can keep repeating, for better or mostly worse. But hey, there might still be something worthwhile in the present moment anyway.

Wild Horse Nine was reviewed out of the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie will open in theaters on Nov. 6.

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