Entertainment
Nicolas Cage's Hard R 90s Thriller Is So Controversial It's Scarce On Streaming
By Robert Scucci
| Published
Growing up with unrestricted access to the internet in the late 90s and early aughts, my friends and I were no strangers to the kind of leaked videos and images you’d see on sites like Rotten, along with video series like Faces of Death that traumatized us well into adulthood. When 1999’s 8mm was making its rounds on the movie channels, it wasn’t nearly as shocking as it should have been for a bunch of preteens who had already been exposed to the worst corners of the internet. I’m not saying this as a brag, but to frame why adults paying to see 8mm in theaters were probably left with a terrible taste in their mouths given the film’s subject matter. They didn’t grow up with the same access to disturbing content that desensitized an entire generation way too early.
One of the reasons I’ve taken so long to revisit 8mm as an adult is because it’s not readily available on streaming, and the list of Nicolas Cage films I still haven’t seen keeps growing. The man is a movie-making machine. You simply can’t watch everything all the time, and on-demand purchases are a strong enough barrier for most people to avoid throwing down cash for a rental when they could just fire up Netflix or Max instead.
Telling a story about a detective investigating a snuff film that may or may not be real, 8mm is one of those films Roger Ebert gave three out of four stars for its willingness to go fully hardcore with its premise. He even stated it likely would have received an NC-17 rating for its content if it hadn’t been released by a major studio like Sony Pictures Releasing. While it’s a genuinely unsettling film that explores underground exploitation in graphic detail, 8mm is also a masterclass in suspense and tension thanks to Nicolas Cage’s lead performance and Joel Schumacher’s direction.
If you’re the type who can take or leave Nicolas Cage because of some of his more questionable roles, 8mm is one of those films that will make you reconsider your stance. He goes all in here, and it’s an absolute joy to watch, even when the subject matter feels overwhelmingly heavy.
Fact Or Fiction? Tom Welles Is On The Case
8mm centers on Nicolas Cage’s Tom Welles, a private investigator hired by wealthy widow Mrs. Christian (Myra Carter) and her attorney Daniel Longdale (Anthony Heald). While reviewing her late husband’s estate, Mrs. Christian discovers what appears to be a snuff film hidden away in a private vault and tasks Tom with determining whether it’s real. She can live with the possibility that her husband had a disturbing fetish he kept secret, but her real concern is whether the tape documents an actual murder.
Unsettled by what he sees and offered a life changing amount of money to trace the tape’s origin, Tom says goodbye to his wife Amy (Catherine Keener) and infant daughter Cindy before embarking on a journey that will permanently change him. Once he starts digging into the case, Tom’s investigation leads him to a missing person report involving 16-year-old Mary Ann Mathews (Jenny Powell), who he believes may be either the actor or the victim in the film. This trail leads him to Mary Ann’s mother Janet (Amy Morton), who isn’t sure she wants answers if the truth is as bad as Tom suspects.
Taking a classic noir approach, 8mm sends Tom Welles to Los Angeles to explore the seedy underground pornography circuit in search of any tangible connection to the tape. Along the way, he teams up with video store clerk Max California (Joaquin Phoenix), who serves as both a guide and moral sounding board as Tom sinks deeper into depravity. Together they navigate back-alley swap meets and shadowy contacts populated by some of the most disturbing people Tom has ever encountered.
Hoping to finally break the case and give both Janet and Mrs. Christian some form of closure, Tom meets with talent scout Eddie Poole (James Gandolfini) and notorious underground filmmaker Dino Velvet (Peter Stormare). Both men point him toward an elusive figure known only as Machine, a name whispered with enough fear to suggest Tom may be getting closer to something he can’t walk away from.
Fantastic Neo-Noir Crime Thriller Regardless Of Subject Matter
As a father with kids of my own, 8mm was an unsettling watch for me as an adult, but it’s still an incredibly solid film for any crime thriller fan, heavy subject matter notwithstanding. At its core, it’s a classic private eye story that drags its protagonist into increasingly depraved territory as he slowly loses his grip for reasons that feel completely justified. Like an unsupervised millennial in the 90s hunting for shocking images online, Tom is exposed to things he desperately wishes he could forget, but keeps pressing forward because it’s his job to find the truth.
While Tom becomes increasingly desensitized in his pursuit, he’s driven by a moral obligation to see the case through, even as it strains his marriage back home. He has a daughter of his own, and that personal connection fuels his determination to stop the people he’s tracking from hurting anyone else. I agree with Roger Ebert’s stance on the film. If it had been released by a smaller arthouse studio, 8mm likely never would have reached a mainstream audience.
Potential license issues notwithstanding, it makes sense that 8mm remains hidden behind a paywall. It’s a gruesome film that refuses to soften the depravity it condemns, choosing instead to confront the audience with it.
Still, 8mm is a stunning exercise in cinema that only Nicolas Cage could convincingly pull off, supported by a cast that never treats the material lightly. If you’re looking for a thriller that will stick with you for days, you owe it to yourself to rent or purchase it digitally through Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV+, or Fandango at Home.
Entertainment
Meta avoids another trial over social media harms as teen plaintiff drops lawsuit
Meta has skirted another jury over claims its platforms are facilitating a youth mental health crisis.
The company was set to go to trial in the Superior Court of California for the County of Los Angeles next week, but the 15-year-old plaintiff, referred to as R.K.C, has now dropped the lawsuit.
“In light of the overall successful result of the litigation and his concerns about enduring a grueling weeks-long trial, he has elected to withdraw his claims against Meta. He’s ready to close this chapter and focus on his recovery and engage in therapy as he aspires to have a normal life,” attorneys for R.K.C. said in a statement.
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According to the lawsuit, R.K.C. said he became addicted to social media over the last seven years, and linked his anxiety and depression to extensive time online. Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube were also named in the initial lawsuit, but the companies reached settlement deals with R.K.C prior to going in front of the jury.
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“Days after settling with other social media companies, the plaintiff dropped his case against Meta, the only remaining defendant, without receiving any payment,” a Meta spokesperson said following the news. “The claims never held up, and this outcome makes clear that we will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits.”
Meta’s spokesperson said the facts of the case could not prove that the company’s platforms caused R.K.C.’s mental health struggles. Meta previously called attention to the fact that R.K.C. had not spent significant amounts of time on Meta platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, in a Motion for Summary Judgment. The company also said they could not verify that R.K.C. had a long-standing account history on Meta platforms.
In March, Meta and YouTube were ordered to pay $6 million to another teen plaintiff who accused multiple social media companies of knowingly investing in design features that would hook users, despite knowing of their potential harm. The jury found the two companies liable for mental health-related harms caused by negligent design features and “social media addiction.” It was the first time a jury found social media companies responsible for the psychological effects of their platforms on teens.
At the time, Meta said it was appealing the decision. The company has faced multiple lawsuits brought forth by teens, parents, school districts, and state leaders. “Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app,” a Meta spokesperson said following the March verdict. “We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 23, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you’re a frequent flyer.
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.
What is Connections?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
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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:
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Yellow: Rounded
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Green: Nervous Nancy
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Blue: Catch a flight
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Purple: Math words
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Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
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Yellow: Spherical things
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Green: In an anxious state
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Blue: Parts of an airport
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Purple: Ending in geometry terms
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 #1138 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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Spherical things: BASEBALL, GLOBE,
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In an anxious state: EXCITED, FEBRILE, FRENETIC, INTENSE
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Parts of an airport: PINS, SNAPS, TWEETS, VINES
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Ending in geometry terms: APPOINT, DEPLANE, FELINE, JANGLE
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 yesterday’s Connections.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for July 23, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re a veteran.
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.
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.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Hail to the chief petty officer
The words are related to the military.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe military titles.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
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NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is Navy Ranks.
NYT Strands word list for July 23
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Recruit
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Admiral
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Ensign
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Navy Ranks
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Lieutenant
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Commander
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 yesterday’s Strands.
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