Entertainment
Office Star’s R-Rated Revenge Comedy Is A Twisted Conspiracy Theory
By Robert Scucci
| Published
Normally, I’m not too keen on movies about writers trying to tell their career-defining story because they usually come off as ham-fisted and self-important. 2022’s Vengeance, written and directed by The Office’s B.J. Novak, starts with that all-too-familiar setup, but quickly becomes something much more as it unpacks its mystery and escalates into a full-blown revenge plot with no clear antagonist. Through its storytelling, we get a look at the quiet, isolated pockets of America that modern life has largely forgotten. In a community like this, gossip spreads fast, conspiracy theories run rampant, and everybody is hiding something from everybody else, or simply hiding from themselves.
Twisting like a corkscrew into a bottle of the cheapest gas station swill you can find, Vengeance plays its cards close to its chest and plays you right along with it as it slowly reveals what’s truly at stake. Whether you find its conclusion satisfying will depend on what you take away from it, but at the very least, you’ll have a few introspective moments that make Vengeance worth your time if you’re in the mood for some soul searching.
Writers Are The Worst
Ben Manalowitz (B.J. Novak) is a womanizing, self-aggrandizing New York writer trying to hit it big with his new podcast. He speaks in sweeping generalizations about what it means to be American and how we all search for meaning in misguided ways. For Ben, that means hooking up with as many women as possible and never committing, which brings us to the primary source of conflict in Vengeance: Abilene Shaw (Lio Tipton).
Abilene was just another name in rotation on Ben’s phone, but she becomes much more significant when her brother Ty (Boyd Holbrook) calls to tell him she’s died of a drug overdose, despite never even taking something as mild as Tylenol (according to him). He asks Ben to fly out to rural Texas for the funeral, even though they barely knew each other. When we meet the rest of Abilene’s family, it becomes clear she exaggerated their relationship, making it seem far more serious than it actually was.
To her mother Sharon (J. Smith-Cameron), Granny Carol (Louanne Stephens), sisters Kansas City (Dove Cameron) and Paris (Isabella Amara), and younger brother Mason (Eli Abrams Bickel), Ben was basically already family based on Abilene’s version of events. Ty reveals the real reason he reached out is because he believes Abilene was murdered, and in this part of Texas, things like that aren’t exactly handled by the book. While suspicion falls on a local drug dealer named Sancholo (Zach Villa), Ben is convinced her death was, unfortunately, self-inflicted and that the conspiracy theories are just an elaborate way for the family to cope with their loss.
Along the way, Ben befriends local music producer Quentin Sellers (Ashton Kutcher), who once tried to help Abilene launch her music career. Like Ben, Quentin is an outsider who relocated to a rural community, and his perspective on life, legacy, and storytelling paints a much darker picture involving local politics, vigilante justice, and the drug problem affecting the area. The issue is that everybody is telling their own version of events, including Ben, who sends every recorded conversation to his podcast producer Eloise (Issa Rae), who is more interested in crafting a compelling narrative than actually uncovering the truth.
Serious Pockets Of Humanity In West Texas
Going into this fully intending to tell a story about the lies we tell ourselves, Ben experiences several come-to-Jesus moments along the way. Through one of the best product placements I’ve ever seen, he realizes that places like Whataburger are more than just somewhere to grab a greasy meal in hicktown; they represent community and family, something that he doesn’t have a firm grasp on. He also starts to suspect he might be the target of an assassination plot himself. Even more surprising, he begins to consider that Abilene may have actually been murdered by someone still unknown, which undermines the entire reason he came to Texas in the first place.
Vengeance is awkward, heartfelt, and genuinely funny, using the tragedy at its core as a springboard to explore these ideas. Ben walks around with a tape recorder looking for a story he wants to tell, completely unaware that his presence is shaping the story itself in ways he could have never anticipated. By treating Abilene’s family as a jumping point for his career, he slowly realizes he embodies the exact behavior he claims to critique, and he doesn’t come to terms with that easily.
A hidden gem you may have missed on its initial release, Vengeance has a way of stopping you in your tracks and making you think about your life, your relationships, how you present yourself, and how others see you. If that sounds like something you’re up for, you can stream it right now on Netflix.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 25, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you’re always learning.
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:
More knowledgeable.
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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 W.
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…
WISER
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.
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for March 25, 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.
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
A woven hairstyle.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
BRAID
Hurdle Word 2 hint
An excursion.
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Hurdle Word 2 Answer
JAUNT
Hurdle Word 3 hint
Shine.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
GLEAM
Hurdle Word 4 hint
Not height.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
WIDTH
Final Hurdle hint
Moon-related.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
LUNAR
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
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 25, 2026
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is for people who like sneakers.
As we’ve shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections: Sports Edition?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication’s sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
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Here’s a hint for today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Here are today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections: Sports Edition #548 is…
What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?
-
Games Played on a Table – AIR HOCKEY, FOOSBALL, POOL, SNOOKER
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Nike Shoes – AIR FORCE 1, BLAZER, PEGASUS, SHOX
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Giants Greats – BONDS, MAYS, OTT, POSEY
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NBA___ – ALL-STAR, CUP, DRAFT, FINALS
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections 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.
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 Connections.
Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 25, 2026
Hurdle hints and answers for March 25, 2026
