Entertainment
Unsettling, R-Rated 80s Mystery Thriller Is The Ultimate Violent Copycat Crime
By Robert Scucci
| Published
The best way to deliver a truly captivating murder mystery is to constantly misdirect the audience, sending them down a breadcrumb trail of clues that reveal a series of half-truths instead of laying all of its cards on the table at once. 1988’s Jack’s Back, a neo-noir thriller about a lunatic on the loose recreating Jack the Ripper’s crimes a hundred years later in Los Angeles, falls into this exact storytelling rhythm. Its insane premise is allowed to wander through smaller details while slowly gut-punching you with reveals that reframe everything you thought you understood along the way.
Playing twin brothers in a dual role, James Spader is straight-faced and deadly serious about solving the mystery in Jack’s Back because of the deeply personal stakes involved. He also does not have the law on his side, since he is quickly considered a suspect himself. His goal is a simple one. Find out who killed his brother, clear his own name, and get the copycat killer locked up before another victim is claimed. Given how precisely the killer is recreating the crime scenes, it becomes clear early on that time is not on anyone’s side.
A Copycat Killer With A Horrifying M.O.
Jack’s Back wastes no time setting up its primary conflict through news bumpers witnessed by John Westford (James Spader), a young doctor who spends his days helping the less fortunate at his clinic. It is made clear that the killer on the loose is recreating Jack the Ripper’s murders in meticulous detail, meaning the crimes will only continue to escalate in brutality.
After spotting his colleague Jack Pendler (Rex Ryon) at the newest crime scene, a chase ensues that ends with Pendler overpowering John, hanging him, and staging the death to look like a suicide. In Jack’s mind, murdering John throws off the authorities by allowing him to frame John for the killings, suggesting that he was struck with guilt and ended his own life.
Unfortunately for Jack, John has an identical twin brother named Rick (James Spader), who witnesses his death through a disturbing vision. Believing he can help the investigation, Rick contacts the authorities with his claims, but this only makes matters worse. The police now have reason to suspect him of killing not only his twin brother, but also the growing list of victims attributed to the copycat killer, largely because Rick offers details that were never made public.
Determined to clear his name, Rick befriends John’s colleague and close friend Christine (Cynthia Gibb) and begins his own investigation while the authorities steadily close in. Maintaining his innocence, Rick also works with criminal psychologist Dr. Carlos Battera (Robert Picardo) to better understand his visions, hoping the truth is buried somewhere in his subconscious. Time is working against him, though, as the killer remains at large and the pattern suggests another strike is inevitable.
A Mystery With Layers
Jack’s Back takes familiar murder mystery tropes and throws them into a blender in the best possible way. Mixed motives, unreliable information, and hypnotic visions gradually bring Rick closer to uncovering the truth behind his brother’s death, while also pointing toward a much larger puzzle. Solving John’s murder only raises more questions, since Jack Pendler appears in Rick’s vision, committing the crime. The problem is that this specific murder feels sloppy and impulsive, which does not align with the copycat killer’s otherwise meticulous M.O.
The real mystery becomes whether everything is connected, or if a series of coincidences is sending Rick down a dangerous path filled with multiple potential suspects instead of a single clear answer. With so many moving parts and conflicting motivations, Jack’s Back constantly forces you to reevaluate your assumptions as the story unfolds. Trying to piece it all together is half the fun, especially if you enjoy mysteries that refuse to spoon-feed easy answers.
As of this writing, you can stream Jack’s Back for free on Tubi.
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 29, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love a good storm.
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:
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
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 #1053 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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Step in a process: LEVEL, PHASE, ROUND, STAGE
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Sound like thunder: BOOM, CLAP, ROLL, RUMBLE
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Kinds of puppets: HAND, SHADOW, SOCK, STRING
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Standing ___: JOKE, ORDERS, OVATION, ROOM
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.
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 April 29, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you love a good catch.
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: Fish or cut bait
The words are related to the outdoors.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe going fishing.
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 Tackle.
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NYT Strands word list for April 29
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Reel
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Hook
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Bobber
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Weight
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Tackle
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Lure
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Swivel
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Cooler
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Pliers
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.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 29, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you’re not a fan of big cities.
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.
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.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
Countryside.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
The letter R appears twice.
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Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter R.
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…
RURAL
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 yesterday’s Wordle.
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 29, 2026
Celtics return home with chance to finish off reeling Sixers
