Entertainment
Megan Fox Delivers A Great Performance In Netflix's New Sci-Fi Thriller
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
If you were randomly scrolling through any streaming service while blindfolded and pushed play after scrolling for 30 seconds, there’s a good chance you just pressed play on a movie about a helpful AI that goes bad. With hundreds of movies out there following this basic plot, Netflix’s latest streaming hit, Subservience, struggles to stand out. It does, thanks to the performance of Megan Fox.
That’s right, I just praised Megan Fox for her acting. Fox reteamed with the director of the surprisingly good thriller Til Death for the film, and I mean this as a compliment, but she plays a tremendous emotionless robot.
Megan Fox Was Born To Play An Evil Robot
From the moment you hit play on Subservience, you know where it’s going, and the first half has no twists on the classic formula we’ve grown to expect. Michele Morrone, from the Netflix erotic thriller 365 series, is Nick, a husband and father trying to keep the family together while his wife, Maggie, played by Madelina Zima (who played Grace, the youngest Sheffield on The Nanny, in case you needed to feel old today) is in the hospital for heart surgery. Fox plays “Alice,” an advanced Sim, the new android taking over the workforce as a nanny/housemaid to help while the family recovers.
If you guessed that Alice slowly becomes more and more sinister, congratulations, you’ve seen at least one other movie before. In this case, she’s trying to replace Maggie.
If the movie had stuck with the sequence of “accidents” around the house, it could have been more interesting, but instead, Subservience tries to do a little too much. There’s a subplot about Nick’s business dealing with upset workers over the introduction of Sims, a genuinely bizarre scene with Alice seducing Nick using Maggie’s voice, and a wild tease for more potential movies that undercuts all the tense moments of a super-strong robotic killer loose inside the couple’s house.
Megan Fox Is Great, But The Rest Of The Movie…
Though it’s Megan Fox playing the evil AI, Michele Morrone delivers the most lifeless performance in Subservience. Oddly, it sort of works because Nick isn’t supposed to be a great guy, at least, I don’t think he is. With multiple erotic thrillers under this belt, Morrone is becoming the Netflix equivalent of Michael Douglas, and when he shows up in anything, you know he’s playing a scumbag.
With a different male lead and a tighter focus on the parts of the movie that truly work, Subservience could have been a future cult hit, but as it stands, it’s a decent streaming movie for when there’s nothing else left to watch. On Rotten Tomatoes, the critics haven’t been kind; out of 30 reviews at the time of this writing, it’s at 50 percent rotten, and the fan rating, from over 250 reviews, isn’t much better, at 53 percent. And yet, it’s also the number one movie on Netflix in the United States in its debut weekend on the service.
Subservience Is 30 Years Too Late
If Subservience was an HBO release in 1994, it would be a hit. Unfortunately, it’s 2024, and outside of a few legitimately creepy moments, all thanks to Megan Fox deciding to absolutely go for it as a killer robot, it’s completely forgettable today.
SUBSERVIENCE REVIEW SCORE
If you really want to see another evil AI movie before M3GAN 2.0 comes out, you do worse. If nothing else, Fox seems to be embracing her new career arc as a streaming movie villain. She’s willing to take some risks, but maybe next time, she’ll have a more exciting script.
Entertainment
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.
Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.
The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?
Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?
Entertainment
Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121
TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.
You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.
Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.
What’s included?
This license comes with:
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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OneNote
The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations.
Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about.
Why rent when you can own?
Mashable Deals
Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025
Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.
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:
Gibberish.
Mashable Top Stories
Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
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…
TRIPE.
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.
