Entertainment
Netflix's Kinetic, R-Rated Car Chase Thriller Will Drive You To The Edge
By Robert Scucci
| Published
When it comes to movies, there are two things I love more than anything else: thrillers and short runtimes. While scrolling through Netflix for a quick late-night watch, I stumbled upon 2017’s Wheelman, which checks off both of those boxes. Some movies just don’t have a lot of story to them, but instead give you a quick glimpse into a day in the life of their characters.
In Wheelman’s case, it’s about a getaway driver who finds himself in an increasingly sticky situation after the bank robbery he helps facilitate, almost as if he’s being set up as the fall guy or diversion for a much larger crime about to unfold. This doesn’t need to be a long, involved story, so it isn’t. The entire movie takes place almost entirely inside a car, with our protagonist trying to figure out in real time exactly what’s going on through frantic phone calls, most of which go straight to voicemail.
There’s no worldbuilding or deep lore in Wheelman. It’s just a guy in a car who knows he’s in trouble, and, even worse, knows he doesn’t have a lot of options, or time, to get out of it. Sometimes, that’s all a movie needs to be, and whenever that’s the case, I’m always here for it.
The Entire Plot In 4 Sentences
Frank Grillo is a getaway driver for hire known only as Wheelman, and he’s instructed by his handler to ditch the bank robbers he’s supposed to help escape after they load the money into his trunk. Thinking that Clay (Garret Dillahunt), the partner who arranged the robbery, has something to do with this setup, Wheelman tries to reach him by cellphone but can’t get a hold of him, all while receiving menacing texts from an unknown sender. Wheelman worries about the safety of his 13-year-old daughter, Katie (Caitlin Carmichael), and, to a lesser degree, his ex-wife Jessica (Wendy Moniz), because they’re mentioned by name and he has no idea who he’s dealing with. As the night progresses, Wheelman learns that Clay is tangled up with competing crime families, putting him in the kind of situation that doesn’t come with a clear-cut exit strategy.
Like I said, Wheelman is a relentlessly tight thriller, mostly involving a guy on the phone trying to figure out his next move. In this case, there’s gunplay, dangerous people, and no obvious solution to our protagonist’s problems. As the film barrels into its second and third acts, the stakes continually rise because we learn more about who’s involved, what they want from Wheelman, and exactly how his family factors into all of it if he doesn’t do everything they say.
The film’s tagline is simply, “Drive Fast. Think Faster,” and there’s really no better way to sum it up. As an avid advocate for shorter runtimes and smaller budgets, I’m here to dispel a very important myth: short runtimes are not for short attention spans. Wheelman is one of those “blink and you miss it” films where every single second counts. Every turn signal, cryptic message, voice in the background of a phone call, and all 286 F-bombs carry weight and continually add to the tension. For $5 million, you really can’t beat a movie like this because it’s an exercise in constant escalation, but it still paces itself in a way that keeps everything grounded in reality.
The Perfect “Guy In A Car” Double Feature
While Wheelman earns its keep as a neo-noir action thriller, it shares a similar setup with 2013’s Locke starring Tom Hardy. In that film, which was also produced for around $2 million and clocks in at just 85 minutes, Hardy plays a construction foreman ditching work the night before the biggest concrete pour of his career because a woman he had an affair with is about to give birth. The entire movie is him driving, calling colleagues and city officials, and making increasingly desperate phone calls home as he breaks the news to his wife and sons.
As boring as Locke sounds on paper, it’s a captivating watch because it’s about a man trying to do the right thing after making a massive mistake. His life as he knows it is over, and he understands that, but he still keeps his composure while flying down the highway, determined to be present for the birth of his child for reasons that don’t initially make total sense, but become clearer as his late-night drive progresses.
Both films are cut from the same cloth, but operate on completely different frequencies. They’re also both streaming on Netflix, so my recommendation is to check them out the next time you want something a little different. Watch Locke for the emotional weight, then pivot over to Wheelman for the thrill of being on the run with a trunk full of money while your family waits on the sidelines, hoping you get to them before some unknown assailant does.
Entertainment
Netflix's Star-Studded Creature Feature Recreates The 90's Most Infamous Sci-Fi Thriller
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
The original Anaconda is one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies of the ‘90s. It’s not a good movie by any snake-like stretch of the imagination, but you don’t exactly watch this film for stellar writing or stunning cinematography. No, you watch it to see Jennifer Lopez looking pretty, Ice Cube cracking one-liners, and Jon Voight winking at the camera after getting barfed up by a giant anaconda. It’s pure, unadulterated schlock, whose magic could never truly be recaptured. That’s why the sequels (yes, there were several) were forgettable retreads of the first film’s creature feature formula.
Understandably, I was horrified when I heard there was going to be a new Anaconda starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd. How could these guys ever possibly top the original movie? By doing something completely different, of course! Anaconda (2025) is a hilariously meta remake of the first movie that involves middle-aged fanboys trying to remake the original film on a shoestring budget. The result is one of the only great remakes of the last two decades, and you can now stream its goofy goodness for yourself on Netflix.
Welcome To The Jungle
The premise of 2025’s Anaconda is that three childhood friends are dealing with a collective midlife crisis. Disappointed with their accomplishments (or lack thereof), they are energized by the bizarre news that one of them has somehow acquired the rights to the original Anaconda. They decide to reinvent their lives by remaking the film, but when they travel to the Amazon Rainforest, they encounter something far deadlier than a giant snake: a mysterious woman who may transform their film into a monster hit, or simply get all of them killed in the most gruesome possible way.
As you might imagine, the charismatic cast provides most of this Anaconda reboot’s charm. Paul Rudd, fresh from movies like Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, returns to his roots as an affable, infectiously funny everyman. Meanwhile, Jack Black dials back the wackiness he brought to movies like Minecraft to embody a role most viewers will find all too relatable: an aging man who despairs that his success came at the expense of his childhood dreams. Steve Zahn, meanwhile, finds himself in the middle: one part straight man, one part wacky comic relief. He serves as the quirky anchor of this ambitiously audacious reboot.
A Delightfully Dumb Script
At the risk of glazing (as the kids might say) the film too hard, Anaconda is a shining example of how to do a reboot. Director and co-writer Tom Gormican wisely realized that a straight remake just wouldn’t cut it. While the original Anaconda stood out in the ‘90s as a B-movie throwback to ‘50s creature feature schlock, countless films (most of them SyFy originals) have tried to bite its style in subsequent decades. In a post-Sharknado world, the original 1997 Anaconda seems downright quaint. Instead of doing a throwback remake, the new film effectively weaponizes our nostalgia for the earlier movie into something new and refreshing.
The plot of the new Anaconda is fairly insubstantial, but that’s not really a bad thing. This is what I like to call a vibe movie; one that lets you turn your brain off and have fun with a cast that is clearly clicking with each other. Jack Black and Paul Rudd have amazing chemistry, and their easygoing rapport helps transform poor-on-paper jokes into unexpectedly hilarious onscreen bangers. In the best sense of the term, this dynamic duo helps deliver the kind of dumb fun that most modern movies are lacking. If you’re sick of elevated horror and cerebral comedies, you’ll love a throwback that feels like Dumb and Dumber meets Tremors.
Not Exactly Oscar Bait
That’s the real secret of the new Anaconda: the salty/sweet combination of a wickedly smart meta concept and delightfully dumb execution. It’s arguably one of the smartest takes on a cinematic reboot (a reliably boring staple of modern Hollywood), but nobody involved is taking any of this too seriously. In that way, this reboot of a beloved ‘90s B-movie embraces the carefree ethos of that decade, encouraging us to engage with this film as lowbrow comedy rather than high art. In an age where other vintage comedy franchises like Ghostbusters are being reinvented as serious (and seriously lazy) nostalgia slop, it’s great to watch a reboot that just wants to make you laugh.
Are you a huge fan of the original Anaconda who wants to return for another rumble in the jungle? Do you like this killer cast, or maybe you just want to laugh like you haven’t in a very long time? Fortunately, you don’t need to head to the Amazon Rainforest to get your kicks. All you have to do is stream Anaconda on Netflix today. It’s the kind of movie you can enjoy as a self-contained, wonderfully irreverent throwback comedy. Alternatively, you can enjoy it as something much more serious: the unexpectedly brilliant future of the Hollywood remake. Judging from this, the ultimate hangout movie, that future is so bright you’ll need to wear shades!
Just, uh, be sure to take them off before you wink at the camera.
Entertainment
Get Microsoft’s core productivity apps for $130 with Office 2024
TL;DR: Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business is on sale for $129.97 (reg. $249.99) through May 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
$129.97
$249.99
Save $120.02
Subscription prices keep climbing, and productivity software is no exception. If you’re tired of monthly payments just to use Word or Excel, this Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business deal is a refreshing alternative.
For a limited time, Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC is on sale for $129.97 (reg. $249.99), and this promo runs through May 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Mashable Deals
This version includes the classic Microsoft apps most of us rely on every day: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. Instead of subscribing to Microsoft 365, Office 2024 is a one-time purchase, perfect for those who’d rather own their software outright.
As we’ve discussed before with other Microsoft Office deals, the biggest draw is the combination of familiarity with newer AI-powered tools and performance upgrades. Word now includes Smart Compose suggestions to help speed up writing, while PowerPoint adds improved presentation recording tools with voice narration, video support, and live camera integration for remote meetings or presentations.
Excel also gets some of the biggest upgrades this time around. Microsoft says it now handles larger datasets and multiple spreadsheets more smoothly, plus it brings AI-powered insights to help you spot trends and build visualizations faster.
For business users, Outlook remains a huge perk, bundled with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote in the Home & Business edition. Built-in collaboration tools — such as real-time co-authoring, comments, version history, and Microsoft Teams integration — make working with others much easier and more tolerable.
Another practical feature is offline access. Unlike Microsoft 365’s cloud-first approach, Office 2024 works well for anyone who wants reliable software without being online all the time.
Mashable Deals
This deal is a smart option for freelancers, students, remote workers, small business owners, or anyone clinging to an older Office version and wanting an affordable, up-to-date setup without another recurring bill.
Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business is currently available for $129.97, 48% off, through May 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
HBO's Most Raunchy, Boundary-Breaking Series Is Streaming Uncensored For The First Time
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
For decades, HBO’s first scripted comedy series, 1990’s Dream On, has been an internet legend. The series was impossible to find anywhere. Not because of the nudity, or the swearing, but the copyrighted movie clips and music. That’s why fans were stunned when it turned up on The Roku Channel, and unlike the version that aired on Comedy Central, it’s the original, uncensored version that aired on HBO.
If you’ve never heard of Dream On, you probably know the show that its creators, Marta Kaufmann and David Crane, put together after the raunchy comedy came to an end. A small sitcom called Friends.
Dream On Took Sitcoms In A Wild New Direction
Friends defined the traditional sitcom, and it would be easy to say that Dream On went the opposite direction and bucked convention, but it doesn’t. The show follows Martin Tupper (Brian Benben), a divorced book editor madly in love with his ex-wife, Judith (Wendy Malick). Martin’s misadventures, involving getting back into the dating pool, trying to co-parent his teenage son with Judith, and navigating a stifling work environment, are all standard sitcom tropes. Except for the constant movie and television clips. And the nudity.
Dream On’s gimmick is that Martin was raised in front of the television to the point that his internal monologue comes out in old black-and-white clips. They range from the opening to “Trojan War” featuring a clip about love from Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone to Marilyn Monroe’s Some Like It Hot. During a single scene, there can be a dozen quick cutaways, sometimes showing Martin’s reactions, other times acting as his responses. It’s a gag that works, and the production team was creative with their choices, digging deep into Hollywood history to find unexpected clips.
Saved From The Dustbin Of History
The plot of each episode doesn’t always revolve around sex, but most of them do. Martin’s dating life is the most unrealistic part of the series. Like Jerry Seinfeld, he has a series of girlfriends far out of his league, but unlike Jerry, he’s shown actually having sex (sometimes with diastrous results). No one on any other 90s sitcom had to face an ethical dilemma in which they discover a video of a popular children’s clown enjoying some adult time. That’s the plot of the Season 4 double-sized opener.
HBO wasn’t yet a media juggernaut when Dream On debuted in 1990, and back then, “HBO Original Programming” was essentially documentaries. The risqué comedy series opened the door for the network’s late 90’s rise with Sex and the City and The Sopranos, and without the misadventures of Martin Tupper, Friends wouldn’t exist as it does today.
Comedy Central aired the series in a heavily edited format, for both nudity and language, from 1996 through 1999, and then that was the last of Dream On. Quietly, the series arrived on The Roku Channel, but it was missing a few episodes. A few weeks later, and even those were ready for streaming, giving everyone complete access to the entire unedited, uncensored series for the first time in decades.
NHL docks Golden Knights 2026 draft pick for media policy violations
Wrexham parting ways with Jay Rodriguez, Andy Cannon
