Entertainment
New Extremely Graphic, R-Rated Thriller Lets You Toot Your Own Death
By Chris Sawin
| Updated
In a nutshell, Whistle is about a group of high school kids terrorized by an Aztec death whistle. Originally thought to “summon the dead,” once someone is inclined to blow on this obviously very deadly, skull-shaped, probably doesn’t feel great to rub all over your lips, contraption, this whistle actually summons your death.
Directed by Corin Hardy (The Hallow) and written by Owen Egerton, Whistle dictates that your specific death is chasing you the moment you are born and is trying to catch up with you your entire life. Sometimes we die of old age, and sometimes we die young and far too soon, but blowing the whistle makes your future death find you in a matter of days. Death looks exactly like you and suffers from whatever you would have on your deathbed.
The Whistle Is Much Better Than It Should Be
Chrys (Dafne Keen) moves in with her cousin, Rel (Sky Wang), and starts at Pellington High, where she meets Grace (Ali Skovbye), her jock boyfriend, Dean (Jhaliel Swaby), and Grace’s friend, Ellie (Sophie Nelisse), whom Chrys likes. Hoping to blend in and forget her past, Chrys finds a whistle in her locker. After a shared detention, someone blows the whistle, and those who hear its piercing screech soon face death. Now, the survivors must uncover if they can escape the whistle’s deadly power.
There’s a strange art to Whistle; it shouldn’t be as good as it is. The film is a cliché high school drama, infused with the year’s bloodiest deaths so far. Chrys, being a lesbian, feels like a natural, non-stereotypical progression in the story. She’s gay and facing a world of trouble. That’s the main draw, aside from the Native American kazoo of death, massacring people for fun. The youth pastor-drug dealer-switchblade wielder isn’t essential, but horror films always find a use for such characters.
Chrys’s situation was already difficult before her introduction: she recently recovered from an overdose and her father’s death. Keen’s performance is withdrawn and hesitant, yet eager for normalcy. Chrys and Ellie are the film’s most grounded characters, likely explaining their attraction.
Yes, The Whistle Is Basically Final Destination
Whistle is not unlike any other horror film revolving around a cursed artifact; in fact, it’s incredibly similar. This is The Monkey with a different toy or Final Destination with a skull-faced instrument calling the shots. Whistle is Jumanji with fatalities and a little bit of The Frighteners just for good measure.
The film opens at a Pellington High basketball game. A player named Mason (Stephen Kalyn) is haunted by a burnt figure (I nicknamed him Crispy Carl) lurking in the bleachers. Mason noticeably freaks out during the game, but makes the game-winning shot. Not before the burnt figure, still smoking with embers glowing all over his body, lunges at him. Back in the locker room, Mason screams about it not being his time yet and takes the whistle out of his locker before smashing it on the ground. Later, thinking he’s cheated death, the burnt figure finds him in the shower and puts his burning arm down his throat. Mason’s teammates find him flailing about as his engulfed body burns to a crisp.
The Most Creative, Entertaining Horror Deaths In Years
The deaths in Whistle are super creative and among the most entertaining in a horror film in a long time. Some of them range from lung cancer to old age, but there are two deaths that are unbelievable. One involves drunk driving, and the other involves working at a sawmill, but what makes them special is that the causes are invisible.
You see the effect and know the cause, but since the death is instantaneous, it’s just this gruesome display that makes little sense to anyone not familiar with the whistle. The drunk driving death sees the victim get bent up and contorted while floating in the air, and it’s as nasty and memorable as it sounds. The saw mill death is more of a presentation as it sprays blood everywhere and leaves the victim in this crumpled, limbless ball.
Whistle‘s writing is standard and mediocre, typical of films about summoning death with percussion. However, horror fans will appreciate the creative deaths, solid acting, and an ending that leaves you wanting a sequel.
Whistle was released nationwide in theaters on February 6.
Entertainment
How to watch Marty Supreme: When is Timothée Chalamet’s Oscar-nominated film streaming?
Table of Contents
It’s hard to escape Timothée Chalamet in film these days. First, he was Wonka, then he conquered Bob Dylan, and now he’s taking audiences into the high-stakes world of 1950s table tennis as ping pong star Marty Mauser.
Directed by Josh Safdie and distributed by A24, Marty Supreme is a major contender this awards season. Chalamet has already won the Golden Globe for his performance as Marty, and we wouldn’t be surprised if he took home the Oscar (finally). The sports dramedy also has a fantastic ensemble cast that includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma (aka Tyler, the Creator), Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher.
While it’s still floating around in theaters, you don’t have to battle the cold to watch it. Here’s everything you need to know to catch it from your couch.
What is Marty Supreme about?
Inspired by the real-life story of table tennis champion Marty Reisman, Marty Mauser (Chalamet) is a man with a big dream — to achieve greatness and bring ping pong to the masses. Already a legend in his own mind, though he’s barely scraping by, Marty just needs to pay his way to the championship overseas first. And he’ll do anything to get there.
“Exploding with chaos, character, and kinetic energy, Marty Supreme is a movie about the city’s scoundrels, their sins, and why we love them anyway,” writes Mashable’s entertainment editor Kristy Puchko.
Check out the official trailer for a glimpse at Marty Supreme:
Is Marty Supreme worth watching?
Now the highest-grossing A24 film domestically, Marty Supreme has surpassed Everything Everywhere All at Once in North America with over $80 million. Audiences aren’t just showing up for it; they’re loving it. Currently, the sports comedy holds an 82 percent audience rating and an impressive 93 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes — with most cheering on Chalamet’s performance. He’s already won the Golden Globe and is nominated for an Oscar. That’s not all, though; the film is also nominated for Best Picture, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Directing, Best Cinematography, Best Casting, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Screenplay.
“This zinging dialogue, racing score, and electric cast collide to create cinema that celebrates New York, while recognizing its warts with a bleeding grin. All of this makes Marty Supreme an unusual crowdpleaser,” Mashable’s Puchko writes in her review. “Full of wild humor and shocking turns, it has its audience in a chokehold of tension and surprise, rarely letting up for us to breathe. And yet, what a thrill to be breathless.”
Check out Mashable’s full review of Marty Supreme.
Mashable Top Stories
How to watch Marty Supreme at home
Credit: A24
A24 was expected to release Marty Supreme on digital on Feb. 3, but that date was pushed back to Feb. 10 for some reason. We’re still waiting for details on its streaming debut. We’ve broken down the details below.
Buy or rent on digital
Marty Supreme made its at-home debut at digital-on-demand retailers on Feb. 10. You can purchase the film for your digital library for $24.99 or rent it for $5 less. If you choose to rent, you’ll get access for 30 days, but just 48 hours once you start watching.
Quick links to buy/rent Marty Supreme on digital:
Stream it on HBO Max
While we haven’t got word on a specific streaming release date yet for Marty Supreme, we do know that it will make its debut on HBO Max.
A24 just renewed its output deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, so new A24 theatrical releases will still exclusively stream on HBO Max before anywhere else. If Marty Supreme follows a similar theater-to-streaming trajectory as other recently released A24 movies — like Sorry, Baby, Bring Her Back, and The Smashing Machine — we estimate that it will hit HBO Max sometime in April 2026.
HBO Max subscriptions start at $10.99 per month (thanks to its most recent price hike), but there are some ways to save some money on your plan. Check out the best HBO Max streaming deals below.
The best HBO Max streaming deals
Best for most people: Save 16% on HBO Max annual subscriptions
$109.99 per year (save $21.89)
$184.99 per year (save $36.89)
The best way to save on HBO Max on any given day is to sign up for the annual plan over the monthly plan. The HBO Max Basic plan with ads typically costs $10.99 per month, but if you pay for an entire year upfront, that price drops down to just $9.17. You’ll pay $109.99 total for the year, which saves you about 16% compared to paying each month.
Rather go ad-free? The annual HBO Max Standard or Premium plans will also save you about 16% over their monthly counterparts. The Standard tier costs either $18.49 per month or $184.99 per year (about $15.42 per month), while the Premium tier costs either $22.99 per month or $229.99 per year (about $19.17 per month). Both tiers unlock ad-free viewing, but the Premium tier also adds 4K Ultra HD video quality, Dolby Atmos immersive audio, and the ability to download more offline content.
Get HBO Max for free: Switch to Cricket’s Supreme Unlimited plan
Credit: HBO Max / Cricket
Free for Cricket customers on the Supreme Unlimited plan
Want to get HBO Max for free? One of the best ways in 2026 is to switch your phone plan to Cricket’s $60 per month Supreme Unlimited plan. It includes HBO Max Basic with ads for free — a $10.99 per month value. When you open up the HBO Max app or website, you’ll just select Cricket as your provider and use your credentials to log in.
Best HBO Max deal for students: Save 50% on HBO Max Basic with ads
$5.49 per month for 12 months
College students can watch Marty Supreme when it hits streaming by signing up for an entire year of HBO Max with ads for half price. Verify your student status through UNiDAYS and retrieve the unique discount code to drop the price from $10.99 to just $5.49 per month. After 12 months, the price will jump back up to the full $10.99 monthly fee unless you cancel.
Best bundle deal: Get HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu for up to 42% off
Credit: Disney / Hulu / HBO Max
$19.99 per month (with ads), $32.99 per month (no ads)
You’ll get the most bang for your buck if you opt for the Disney+ bundle deal that includes Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max for just $19.99 per month with ads. That lineup of streamers would usually cost you $34.97 per month if you paid separately for each, so you’ll keep an extra $15 in your pocket monthly. If you prefer to watch without ads, the bundle will run you $32.99 per month as opposed to $56.47. That’s up to 42% in savings for unlimited access to all three streaming libraries.
UPDATE: Feb. 10, 2026, 3:00 a.m. EST This article has been updated with the latest streaming information for “Marty Supreme.”
Entertainment
Jon Stewart hits back at MAGAs reaction to Bad Bunnys Super Bowl halftime show
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show may have been brimming with popular music, Easter eggs, and celebrity cameos, but not everyone was a fan.
In The Daily Show clip above, Jon Stewart discusses the right’s reaction to the show, from the Kid Rock-fronted alternative event to right-wing pundits complaining that they could have found someone “more uniting”.
“Why the f*** is it the Super Bowl halftime entertainer’s job to unify the country?” asks Stewart. “In what world is that their job? Oh, isn’t there another person whose job description is much more along those lines?”
Stewart goes on to share Donald Trump’s Truth Social reaction to the performance, in which he called Bad Bunny “absolutely terrible”.
“You know, the right has a lot of balls, complaining that Bad Bunny didn’t do enough to unify this country, when you only found out a few days ago that Puerto Rico’s a part of it,” says Stewart. “And before you get your panties in una torsión, a unifying pro tip might be to tell your guy to stop tweeting out racist slop during, I don’t know, Black History Month.”
Entertainment
New Star Trek Spinoff Is Running Out Of Time
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
The new Star Trek spinoff, Starfleet Academy, has proven to be very controversial, but its fans always offer the same rebuttal to any criticism of the show: “give it time.” The logic goes that this show might need time to find its footing, just like The Next Generation and Voyager did. However, given that the show is limited to 10 episodes per season and a maximum of four seasons, Starfleet Academy is officially running out of time to impress viewers.
This reaction to a new spinoff began with Star Trek: The Next Generation, whose first season was its absolute worst. Season 2 wasn’t much better, but the show (thanks largely to new showrunner Michael Piller) transformed into must-see TV with Season 3. After Deep Space Nine had a similarly rocky Season 1, it became gospel among many Trek fans that you should always give a new series a season or two to really find its footing.
It Gets Ugly When You Run The Numbers
Needless to say, this has become the most common defense Starfleet Academy fans have used against any and all criticisms of the show. Those fans love to make comparisons to TNG and say that critics should give these cadets time to find their space legs, just like we gave Picard and crew time. However, what these Starfleet Academy fanboys don’t realize is that the new show is racing the clock, and it’s all Paramount’s fault.
Back in the Golden Age of Star Trek, shows ran for seven seasons, with (outside of the occasional writer’s strike) 26 episodes per season. This is why shows like Voyager could afford to have a rocky first season: whenever there was a bad episode, fans could reasonably expect that a good one was around the corner. Even if the first two seasons were wildly rocky (looking at you, The Next Generation), there would be 130 episodes left that would be, relatively speaking, very good.
Each Season Is A Bubble, Waiting To Pop
But those were the salad days of network television. In the streaming era, shows are more streamlined, and Starfleet Academy (like Strange New Worlds before it) has only 10 episodes per season. Moreover, executive producer and co-showrunner Alex Kurtzman has confirmed that the show is designed to last only four seasons, mirroring the four years it takes the cadets to complete their academy training.
That means that Starfleet Academy has a much more limited window to find its audience than fans think. Every episode represents ten percent of an entire season, meaning that a few bad episodes can make the entire season feel like a mixed bag. This is why fans began turning against the more whimsical episodes of Strange New Worlds: while the occasional lighthearted story can be fun, it feels weird when 30 percent of your third season is devoted to overly wacky episodes.
Starfleet Academy is facing a similar problem because the writers keep dragging decent stories down with juvenile humor. Tales of parental trauma and racial diaspora exist uneasily alongside jokes about cadets eating comm badges and vomiting glitter (incredibly, these are different cadets). By the time the show ends, fans may well wonder how much more character development we might have gotten if there had been fewer scenes of farting fish, drunken dancing, and other try-hard attempts to make us laugh.
The Show Will Be Over Before You Know It
It’s also important to remember that Starfleet Academy lasting four seasons is actually a best-case scenario. Previously, NuTrek shows like Discovery and Lower Decks were prematurely canceled by Paramount. Strange New Worlds, meanwhile, unexpectedly had its final season (which recently finished filming) cut in half. While Starfleet Academy has already been renewed for a second season, poor reception of Season 1 could very well get the show prematurely canceled.
That may already be happening, as Starfleet Academy recently tumbled out of the Top 10 list on Paramount+. With any luck, the show will continue to smooth out its rough edges and grow more impressive over time, like The Next Generation before it. But considering that Starfleet Academy will have fewer episodes in its total run than TNG had for only two seasons, it’s important for fans and showrunners alike to realize that this new show is rapidly running out of time to win over new audiences.
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