Entertainment
Divisive Horror Mystery Thriller Surprises In Netflix Top 10
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
M. Night Shyamalan is either one of the worst directors to ever get behind the camera, or a creative genius, depending on who you ask, and what movie you’re talking about, but no one can argue about the success of his first film The Sixth Sense. Now, while he’s casting one daughter, Saleka Night, in Trap, his younger daughter, Ishana Night, went behind the camera for her first feature film, The Watchers, which recently debuted on Netflix. In keeping with family tradition, the film has divided the horror community, with opinions almost perfectly split, but even the detractors admit Ishana has some of her dad’s talent.
A Captive Cast
The horror film features Dakota Fanning as Mina, an American traveling through Belfast, whose car breaks down in a creepy forest where an equally creepy woman tells her to come with her if she wants to live. The woman, Madeline (played by Olwen Fouere, who recently appeared in Tarot), brings Mina into a bunker connected to The Coop, a structure with a one-way window that allows the strange beings, called Watchers, to watch them every night. The Watchers is a potential metaphor for streaming on Netflix or binging reality television, but the strange beings, who can’t be caught in sunlight, are clearly dangerous and have bad intentions for the trapped cast.
The humans, which in addition to Mina and Madeline include Georgina Campbell (known for Barbarian) as Ciara, and Irish actor Oliver Finnegan as Daniel, wander during the day but always return to the safety of the bunker and The Coop each night to perform for the Watchers. With the limited cast and locations that range from The Coop to the forest and another angle in the forest, it might seem like The Watchers was a low-budget Netflix original when, in reality, it was entirely self-financed by M. Night Shyamalan. It’s that fact that means that no matter how creepy or terrifying the premise is, and there are a few good jump scares to be found, some people made up their minds about the film long before the movie hit theaters.
The Nepotism Issue Can’t Be Avoided
Nepotism has become a major issue in Hollywood lately, even though it’s been around in every industry since the dawn of time, but very few directors can get their first film to be bankrolled entirely by their dad to the tune of $30 million. That right there means that The Watchers faced an uphill battle to get attention on its own merits, and while it wasn’t a big theatrical hit, it’s been in Netflix’s top ten ever since it debuted on the world’s largest streaming platform.
Long before it became a success on Netflix, The Watchers was a book by A.M. Shine, and in making the transition from page to screen, there were some major changes. For one, the book never describes what the Watchers look like, while the movie eventually shows them in all their creepy glory, and strangely, it’s the book that sets up a sequel and not the movie. There are other changes as well, but in true Shyamalan fashion, there’s a twist to the story.
The Watchers is currently available on Netflix, while you can watch M. Night’s other daughter perform in Trap on Max. There’s no denying that nepotism had a hand in both projects, but it’s also true that there’s a lot worse horror out there today, such as the aforementioned Tarot, and truly, both films are worth your time to watch and judge for yourself.
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.
Mashable Top Stories
Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
The letter R appears twice.
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
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.
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for April 29, 2026
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it’ll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
To admire.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
ADORE
Mashable Top Stories
Hurdle Word 2 hint
Heavy.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
HEFTY
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
Hurdle Word 3 hint
Two-legged.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
BIPED
Hurdle Word 4 hint
Hefty.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
HEAVY
Final Hurdle hint
Pointy.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
SHARP
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Entertainment
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on April 29
It may appear full, but the Moon isn’t actually at 100% illumination yet. In fact, we’re still a couple of days away. But it’s still big and bright enough to do some moon gazing, so keep reading to find out what features you might be able to see tonight.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Wednesday, April 29, the Moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. Tonight, 94% of the moon will be lit up, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide.
Without any visual aids, tonight you should be able to see the Mares Vaproum, Tranquillitatis, and Imbrium. With binoculars, you’ll see the Mare Frigoris, Clavius Crater, and the Alphonsus Crater. And, finally, with a telescope you’ll see all this plus the Apollo 17 landing spot, Rima Ariadaeus, and the Fra Mauro Highlands.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon is predicted to take place on May 1, the first of two in May.
What are Moon phases?
According to NASA, the Moon takes roughly 29.5 days to circle Earth once, going through eight distinct phases in the process. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the amount of sunlight hitting it changes as it moves in its orbit. The shifting light creates the changing shapes we know as full, half, and crescent Moons. Altogether, there are eight main lunar phases.
New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
Mashable Light Speed
Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby steps down
After managerial change, Phillies look to alter fortunes vs. Giants
