Entertainment
Muscles, Midgets, And Skeletons Collide In The Most Controversial Fantasy Film Ever Made
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
In case the rise of everything from Stranger Things to synthwave didn’t tip you off, ‘80s kids are really having a moment right now. Every beloved childhood property just keeps coming back to the big screen, including Ghostbusters, Transformers, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. One franchise that just keeps getting revised is Masters of the Universe, whose heroic He-Man serves as the ultimate icon of masculinity and strength. The original show already had one animated spinoff and one anime-flavored reboot before Netflix brought the franchise back to life with two different cartoons. Now, He-Man’s latest live-action movie is about to premiere, and early buzz proves that this IP still has the power.
With the new movie about to hack and slash its way into theaters, now is the perfect time to revisit the original Masters of the Universe movie from 1987. It’s a film that gets a bad rap from genre fans because of some obvious flaws: there’s not enough action, not enough Eternia, and He-Man actor Dolph Lundgren’s heavily accented voice is hilariously bad. If you can look past that, though, this film has plenty to love, including amazing costume designs, fun dialogue, and a stunning performance from Skeletor actor Frank Langella. Throw in early roles for two of the biggest stars of the ‘90s, and you have plenty of reasons to revisit this underrated film.
When He Holds Aloft His Magic Sword
The plot of Masters of the Universe begins with Big Bad Skeletor finally winning: he captures Castle Grayskull and imprisons its guardian, the Sorceress. Once he fully drains her powers, he’ll be able to rule the entire universe. He-Man and his allies mount a desperate attack on the castle, but they are forced to flee to Earth thanks to their new buddy Gwildor’s invention: the cosmic key. Skeletor’s forces pursue them to Earth, eager to retrieve the cosmic key that threatens to foil their plans for universal domination. But with the help of some newfound allies, He-Man might just discover the secret to saving countless worlds from the forces of darkness.
When Masters of the Universe came out, it was considered a mixed bag by fans of the iconic ‘80s cartoon. That cartoon was set entirely on Eternia, so it was disappointing to see the movie set almost entirely on Earth. It was also weird to see strange new villains taking the place of familiar characters; instead of Mer-Man or Try-Klops, we get new baddies that include a robot lizard, a pirate with a sword obsession, and a generic monster man with hair straight out of The Righteous Gemstones. There were also plenty of deviations from the lore, including the fact that He-Man does not have his Prince Adam secret identity.
Beyond these foibles, though, there’s plenty to love, and Masters of the Universe is glorious ‘80s B-movie schlock in its purest form!
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
What’s so good about this hated fantasy movie? For one thing, Dolph Lundgren. Yes, his accent is atrocious, but that lends the movie a superpowered dose of goofy charm. Like, you know how fun it is in Rocky IV when Lundgren goes, “If he dies, he dies?” Well, Masters of the Universe is filled with even stupider dialogue, and it becomes infinitely funnier coming out of Lundgren’s mouth. Plus, he certainly looks the part: He-Man was originally inspired by Conan the Barbarian, and Lundgren looks nearly as impressive here as Arnold Schwarzenegger did in the ‘80s Conan films. The combo of muscles and silly accent transforms this He-Man into something weirdly compelling: the ultimate himbo.
Other performers are equally captivating. Like, it was sad that Orko didn’t make an appearance in here, but little man Billy Barty’s Gwildor is a suitable replacement, and his performance gives this movie some truly captivating campiness. Meg Foster is the perfect embodiment of Evil-Lyn, a powerful dommy mommy who can chill you to the bone with one stare from her abyssal eyes. James Tolkan is pitch-perfect as a high-strung cop, and if anything, he’s even more unhinged here than he ever was as the uptight principal in Back to the Future. Plus, while their performances aren’t great, it’s fun to see early appearances from two ‘90s icons: Friends’ Courtney Cox and Star Trek: Voyager’s Robert Duncan McNeil.
Spooky, Spooky Skeleton
However, nobody is performing at the same level as Skeletor actor Frank Langella. Instead of leaning into the campiness of the cartoon incarnation, he imbues Skeletor with a pathos and gravitas worthy of a Shakespeare character like King Lear. Basically, Langella didn’t get the memo that this was a schlocky cartoon movie, and he gives a confident and 100 percent locked-in performance whenever he is onscreen. Despite having his face caked over with distractingly weird makeup, Langella is fully committed to being the ultimate villain. In short, it’s wonderful to watch him transform a cackling cartoon villain into someone with the intensity of Alan Rickman in Die Hard.
Beyond the performances, Masters of the Universe also delivers some crowd-pleasing action. Admittedly, there’s not enough of it, and the film would have benefited from more slashing and less yapping. But it’s seriously cool seeing He-Man take on Skeletor’s foot soldiers, whose slick costumes are (thanks to designer William Stout) the coolest sci-fi design since the Stormtrooper. Plus, it’s undeniably awesome seeing He-Man fight with Skeletor onscreen. If you grew up absolutely mainlining the cartoon like I did, seeing your favorite action figures duking it out in live-action is an absolute dream come true.
Masters of the Universe is obviously not a perfect film, but it’s much, much better than its reputation suggests. Quirky performances, killer costume design, and so-bad-it ’s-good dialogue all make this movie worth watching. Just ask yourself: do you like swords and sorcery? Do you like cool villains and hot villainesses? Do you want to return to a time when sci-fi movies didn’t take themselves so seriously? You don’t need a cosmic key to blast to the past. Just hold your magic remote aloft, scream “I have the power,” and stream Masters of the Universe on Tubi. It’s free, leaving you with spare cash for one of the finer things in life: action figures, baby!
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for July 22, 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
Possessive.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
WHOSE
Mashable Top Stories
Hurdle Word 2 hint
A small, round fruit.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
GRAPE
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
Hurdle Word 3 hint
To intrigue.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
PIQUE
Hurdle Word 4 hint
To follow.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
ABIDE
Final Hurdle hint
To yearn for.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
COVET
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
Netflix Horror Thriller Series Brings Fan-Favorite 90s Books To Life
By Charlene Badasie
| Published
The 2022 horror mystery-thriller The Midnight Club is one of Netflix’s most overlooked originals. Created by Mike Flanagan and Leah Fong, the 10-episode series adapts Christopher Pike’s 1994 novel of the same name while weaving elements from 27 of the prolific YA author’s other books into a single haunting story. Set at Brightcliffe Hospice Care for Teenagers, it follows a group of terminally ill young adults who gather each night to share terrifying stories and unravel the institution’s darkest secrets.
The Patients Of Brightcliffe
Set in the mid-1990s, the series begins when Ilonka (Iman Benson), a bright and ambitious young woman battling terminal thyroid cancer, chooses to live at Brightcliffe Hospice Care. She befriends Kevin (Igby Rigney), a leukemia patient, and clashes with her roommate Anya (Ruth Codd). One night, Ilonka stumbles upon a secret gathering of the Midnight Club.
The secret society, comprised of the patients of Brightcliffe, tries to communicate with the dead and shares eerie stories that intertwine with the hospice’s ominous history. As Ilonka delves deeper into the story of a former patient named Julia Jayne (Larsen Thompson), the supposed healer from the past, she uncovers a sinister cult, symbolized by the number “292.13,” and drawings that hint at a dark past.
21 Jump Scares
Julia, the founder of the original Midnight Club in 1969, had connections to Paragon, a cult that practiced unsettling rituals. The plot thickens as Ilonka, with Kevin’s help, discovers a hidden floor beneath the hospice. Records of the original club and evidence of a cult terrify the group. The final episodes bring closure for some characters, while others meet tragic ends.
The Midnight Club quickly captured the attention of Netflix audiences, recording an impressive 90.31 million hours viewed between October 2 and October 23, 2022, securing its position in the platform’s top 10. The series’ debut episode also made history by breaking the Guinness World Record for the most scripted jump-scares in a single episode, with 21 hair-raising moments.
The series was initially supposed to run for multiple seasons but was unexpectedly canceled in December 2022. Despite its premature ending, The Midnight Club earned critical acclaim and currently holds an 85 percent approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised Flanagan’s heartfelt approach to horror and the unique blend of individual stories with the overarching plot.
Other Horror Titles On Netflix From Mike Flanagan
Mike Flanagan has made a name for himself with his Netflix shows, including The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher. These series are known for their focus on the human condition rather than jump scares and loud noises. Flanagan’s nonlinear approach to horror works very well, and he often tells parallel stories in the past and present.
The Haunting of Hill House became a huge surprise hit and remains a fan favorite. The Fall of the House of Usher, Flanagan’s most recent Netflix project, is an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s vast bibliography and is up there with his best efforts. While The Midnight Club may have been axed prematurely, its chilling tales, stellar cast, and impressive viewership numbers are cemented into the annals of Netflix’s haunting offerings.
Entertainment
Netflix Sci-Fi Time Loop Thriller Overlooked For Years Shatters All Expectations
By TeeJay Small
| Published
Time loop movies are all the rage, with incredible high-concept ideas taking the premise plotted out by 1993’s Groundhog Day and expanding upon it in a new and creative fashion. One such film is 2016’s ARQ, a film that takes the time loop concept and pairs it with action thriller set-pieces.
ARQ‘s a wild ride from start to finish. Though the film failed to make a massive splash when it was first released on Netflix nearly a decade ago, it stands as an excellent outing, shocking many fans who find their way to the film today.
Reliving A Violent Kidnapping
ARQ‘s plot centers on a couple named Renton and Hannah, who wake up one morning as three violent men break into their bedroom. Despite their attempts to fight back and escape, the situation restarts each time they achieve any level of success. After the armed men successfully capture the couple and tie them to chairs, the leader, known only as ‘Father,’ explains that they are part of a rebel group called the Bloc.
Father commands Renton to give him money allegedly stolen from the massive Torus Corporation, where Renton is employed. Once the Bloc men are distracted, Renton cuts himself and Hannah loose and explains that he built and stole a perpetual motion machine, which he calls the ARQ, while working for the company.
ARQ Saved By Netflix
ARQ is written and directed by Orphan Black writer Tony Elliott. The idea for the film dates all the way back to 2008 when a Canadian film studio approached Elliott to option the script. The project fell into nearly a decade of development hell afterward.
Luckily, Netflix eventually bought the rights to produce and distribute the project in 2016 for a total budget of less than $2 million, resulting in the streamer being the exclusive home for the film worldwide.
ARQ stars Rachael Taylor, Shaun Benson, Gray Powell, Jacob Neayem, and Adam Butcher, with Stephen Amell’s brother, Robbie Amell, in the leading role. The film received a world premiere at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival, where audiences were wowed by the high-concept application of a time loop film with so many moving parts.
What Sets ARQ Apart From Other Time Loop Movies
Unlike other time loop films, ARQ contains multiple time loops within other time loops, creating a veritable Fibonacci sequence of infinite loops that would drive the average person to madness. The film’s writing is spectacular, revealing intense sci-fi concepts, which explains why it may have been so difficult to make the film in the first place. Regardless, the film has finally found its home, even if it failed to leave a massive mark on the cinema landscape upon its release.
ARQ is now available to view on Netflix. Just be sure to catch it on a day when you’re not experiencing any deja vu.
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