Entertainment
Netflix Comedy Brings Together Classic Movie Monsters
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
It’s impossible to overstate just how influential the original Universal movie monsters are. Not only did they pioneer the shared cinematic universe, but these larger-than-life villains made horror movies mainstream. Since then, these monsters have been brought back by a number of directors, but their films usually fall short of the iconic originals. Fortunately, one animated film paired legendary movie monsters and legendary voice actors into one family-friendly comedy package: Hotel Transylvania, which you can now stream on Netflix.
Hotel Transylvania On Netflix
If you’ve never seen Hotel Transylvania (no kids or younger siblings, huh?), here is what to expect from this cartoon classic on Netflix. The plot concerns Dracula and his Hotel Transylvania, where he has invited the most famous monsters to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. But the famous vamp must scramble to hide the unexpected presence of a human at his hotel before he can meet any monsters or, worse still, his human-curious daughter.
Hotel Transylvania is worth a watch for many reasons, including a better cast than most Netflix films. Adam Sandler (arguably best known for The Waterboy and The Wedding Singer) plays Dracula, giving the famously cantankerous count the personality of the world’s oldest helicopter parent. And bis daughter is played by Selena Gomez (best known as an actor for Spring Breakers and, more recently, the Oscar-nominated film Emilia Pérez).
Still not convinced that Hotel Transylvania is worth firing up next time you need a little Netflix fix? The film also features the voice of our favorite Lonely Island Boy Andy Samberg (best known for Saturday Night Live and Brooklyn Nine-Nine). Other major celebrity voices include Steve Buscemi, Fran Drescher, CeeLo Green, David Spade, and so many more
Animated films are often quite a Hollywood gamble. Fortunately, Hotel Transylvania made a killing at the box office long before landing on Netflix. Against a budget of $85 million, this film went on to earn a cool $358.4 million. This was enough profit to greenlight a sequel, and the franchise now includes four films and one TV show, with another slated to come out later this year.
Unfortunately, Hotel Transylvania failed to cast its charms (vampiric or otherwise) on critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a fairly dismal 45 percent critical score. In general, the critics griped that the movie is entertaining enough for kids but may have too much noise and not enough story to appeal to adults.
So, time to answer your big, burning question: why the heck should you watch Hotel Transylvania on Netflix after critics drove such a sharp stake through its heart? For one thing, the film actually has a much higher 72 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This, along with the fact that it became an insanely successful franchise, is proof positive that general audiences love this film a lot more than critics.
Additionally, Hotel Transylvania is a real treat for anyone who loves the old Universal Monsters and vintage horror. The movie is a perfect love letter to these classic characters, and its focus on comedy rather than horror means that director and animation guru Genndy Tartakovsky can do new and exciting things with these characters rather than just aping the spookiest scares of yesteryear. And who doesn’t want to pair comedy with classic horror?
That brings me to the last reason you should scope out Hotel Transylvania on Netflix: it’s genuinely funny whether you are young or simply young at heart. Every cast member is hilarious on their own and just uproariously funny as part of this tightly-written ensemble film. By the time the credits roll, you’re likely to regret having to check out of this hotel so early and will likely be scrambling to stream the sequels.
Will you find Hotel Transylvania on Netflix as bloody good as I did, or is this one monster mash you’d like to cut out of? You won’t find out until you stream it for yourself. Love it or hate it, though, this animated classic will completely change how you view horror’s most beloved fiends.
Entertainment
Get a free Samsung Galaxy S26 from T-Mobile without trading in your old phone
FREE SAMSUNG GALAXY S26: Sign up for a T-Mobile Experience Beyond plan for 24 months and get a free Samsung Galaxy S26 (256GB) which ordinarily costs $899.99. Existing T-Mobile Go5G Plus members also qualify for the deal.
It’s tough to find a free deal these days. We usually have a massive amount of fine text to read, but T-Mobile is making this deal pretty simple. Sign up for two years of coverage (which you probably needed anyway) and get a free Samsung Galaxy S26 (256GB). Here’s how to qualify.
To get a free Samsung Galaxy S26 (256GB) instead of paying the list price of $899.99, sign on for 24 months of a T-Mobile Experience or Better Value plan. You’ll save the $900 over the next 24 months of bill credit at T-Mobile. No trade in is required to cash in on this deal.
Announced in February, the Samsung Galaxy S26 is the latest model from the major iPhone competitor. It comes with added features like better AI capabilities and a 50 megapixel camera. Samsung also mentions improvements in display clarity with the new S26, giving off better colors and sharper details.
If you’re one for selfies, the Samsung Galaxy S26 could be a great option. Samsung designed the front-facing camera to have a wider view, making it easier to capture selfies with the group.
Mashable Deals
If you’re going with T-Mobile coverage, it’s well worth hopping on this free Samsung Galaxy S26 deal. The cell phone bill was inevitable so you might as well snag a free upgraded phone in the process.
Entertainment
Buy a $300 Delta gift card and get a free $20 Starbucks gift card
BUY A DELTA GIFT CARD FOR $300+ AND GET A FREE STARBUCKS GIFT CARD: Through May 11, buy a Delta gift card for $300 or more and get a free $20 Starbucks eGift card.
Credit: Delta / Starbucks
The price of flying these days is shocking. If you plan on traveling soon on a route served by Delta, it’s well worth checking out this deal to get something for free. It’ll help ease the pain of the ticket price.
Through May 11, purchase a Delta gift card worth $300 or more and get a free $20 Starbucks eGift card. It’s as simple as that. You can also qualify for the deal by buying multiple gift cards that total at least $300. The deal with apply automatically and you’ll receive a separate email containing the free Starbucks card.
Booking flights these days is not much fun. Prices are ahh…. abnormal, but Delta has eased the pain a bit thanks to this deal. The carrier is positioning this free Starbucks gift card deal as a good option for Mother’s Day, but realistically, it’s useful for anyone who plans to book with Delta soon.
Keep in mind the Delta gift card and Starbucks card will never expire. Delta mentions this offer is valid until May 11 at 11:59 p.m. ET or for the first 11,000 purchasers, whichever comes first. That means it might be smart to hop on this deal soon since there’s no way to know if it’ll last until May 11.
Mashable Deals
If you plan on flying soon or want to gift a special someone a Delta gift card worth $300 or more, snag this deal to get a free $20 Starbucks eGift card. It’s a win-win situation for those who plan to fly with Delta.
Entertainment
Snag a pair of Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for $50 off
SAVE $50: As of May 6, get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) for $399 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $449. That’s a discount of 11%.
$399
at Amazon
$449
Save $50
If you want to experience your favorite music to the fullest, you need headphones that are up to the task. Bose can typically be counted on to provide that kind of quality, especially with its QuietComfort lineup. You can try its newest model for less right now for less thanks to this Amazon deal, which heavily discounts the cans so you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on them.
As of May 6, get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) for $399 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $449. That’s $50 off and a discount of 11%.
Though an incremental upgrade from the previous QuietComfort model, these have some new features you’ll want to try out. But mostly, these comfortable headphones are all about feeling great on your ears and sounding fantastic. They offer noise cancellation and spatialized audio so it sounds as though you’re right where the music is. The new Cinema Mode can help to spatialize and balance background and sound and sound effects when watching movies to help put you right into the film as well.
Beyond that they can be used to take calls with their built-in microphones. They’ll last a long time while you’re on the phone too, with 30 hours of play time when listening to songs, podcasts, or taking meetings.
Mashable Deals
Mashable Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard took the headphones for a spin in her review and and called them a “well-rounded pair of headphones”, praising their blend of “comfort, noise cancellation, and sound”.
If you’re ready to pick up a new pair of headphones at a discount that’ll tick all the boxes for you, grab these before the discount disappears.
Get a free Samsung Galaxy S26 from T-Mobile without trading in your old phone
Buy a $300 Delta gift card and get a free $20 Starbucks gift card
