Entertainment
Perfect Netflix Original Comedy Thriller Has Everything Go Wrong
By Robert Scucci
| Published
I’m fortunate enough at this point in my life to have never experienced a break-in. I’ve never had intruders in my home, and I’ve never been in a desperate enough position to be an intruder myself. After watching 2022’s Windfall, billed as a Netflix Original even though production was completed before the streaming giant acquired distribution rights, I think this is exactly how I’d handle a break-and-entering if I belonged to either party, for reasons I’ll get into shortly.
Windfall is often described as a Hitchcockian crime thriller, and that isn’t an incorrect assessment. It has all the beats you’d expect from that description, but the label alone tragically undersells just how funny this movie actually is. About 10 minutes in, I stopped feeling tense altogether because I realized it plays far better when treated as a dark comedy above anything else.
If you decide to stream Windfall, I strongly recommend going in with that expectation. It gets dark, sure, but Jason Segel and Jesse Plemons bring their absolute A game by playing everything completely straight while navigating one of the most ridiculous hostage situations I’ve seen in a hot minute.
A Simple Setup So We Can Immediately Escalate
Windfall begins with Jason Segel’s character, simply billed as Nobody because his name is never mentioned once in dialogue. Nobody takes his sweet time getting the lay of the land on what’s revealed to be the sprawling compound belonging to Jesse Plemons’ character, billed only as CEO, and his Wife, portrayed by Lily Collins. Nobody raids the fridge, pees in one of the many showers, eats a fresh orange straight from a tree, and then gets down to business by searching for cash and valuables before planning to leave for good. It’s a simple break-and-enter sequence that’s intentionally prolonged because Nobody is absolutely awestruck by the property he’s stealing from.
Those plans get derailed quickly when the CEO and his Wife arrive unexpectedly. Nobody assumed they’d be gone for the entire day, which completely torpedoes his exit strategy. With the B&E now escalated into a hostage situation, the stakes are suddenly much higher. Nobody locks them in the CEO’s sauna and flees, only to return after realizing a hidden camera in a tree outside the property has documented his crime. Now he has to deal with the tape. Unfortunately for Nobody, the CEO and his Wife have already escaped the sauna by the time he returns. He manages to recapture them, but the situation has escalated further, and his demands grow now that he understands just how serious his predicament really is.
Here’s what makes Windfall a cut above your typical home invasion plot. Nobody is not a criminal. Or, if he is, he’s certainly not a good one. His planning never went beyond stealing some cash and bouncing, and he never considered the possibility that he’d actually cross paths with CEO or his Wife. As for why Nobody chose this specific house, we get the familiar explanation. The CEO invented an algorithm that helps companies downsize their staff, making him a multi billionaire, while people like Nobody face poverty because the algorithm deemed roles like his redundant.
Where Windfall really earns its status as a comedy is in the dynamic between Nobody, CEO, and Wife. Nobody is constantly on edge because he’s in way over his head, holding two incredibly wealthy and very public figures hostage in their own home. The CEO, on the other hand, is visibly bored by the entire ordeal. Nobody doesn’t even have his own gun, and CEO carries himself with the kind of confidence reserved for people who almost certainly have security details nearby even when you can’t see them. He smirks his way through the situation as Nobody digs himself deeper into disaster. Things get even more amusing when the Gardener (Omar Leyva) shows up to put in a full day’s work.
Segel and Plemons’ relationship is inherently antagonistic in Windfall, yet it constantly feels like they’re on the verge of broing down. CEO is suspiciously chill about the home invasion unfolding around him, and it creates a bizarre tonal tension that’s endlessly watchable. The stakes are obviously high, but everyone remains, at least on the surface, oddly polite as they bunker down and plan their next moves.
Watch It As A Comedy
Jesse Plemons yelling “no more running” after being chased through an orange grove by Jason Segel, and Jason Segel agreeing with him, is why you should call Windfall a comedy. Jason Segel struggling to figure out how to handle the Gardener while Jesse Plemons and Lily Collins silently facepalm in the other room is why you should call Windfall a comedy. Both men tensely watching The Three Amigos on an outdoor projector while waiting for the next day’s cash drop, as Lily Collins quietly laughs along, is why you should watch Windfall as a comedy.
I’m not saying Windfall isn’t a perfect Hitchcockian crime thriller by any stretch, but what kept me watching was how fully its comedic opportunities are realized and embraced. From the upbeat score to Jason Segel’s borderline Looney Tunes approach to robbing a tech billionaire, there’s a lot to enjoy here precisely because the film refuses to stay locked in the crime thriller lane. It’s far funnier than it has any right to be, and for that reason alone, it’s worth your time.
Windfall is streaming on Netflix.
Entertainment
This robotic pool vacuum is basically a Roomba that can swim, and it’s $449 off today
SAVE 35%: As of May 6, you can get the Beatbot AquaSense 2 for $849 at Amazon, down from $1,298. That’s a 35% discount or $449 savings.
$849
at Amazon
$1,298
Save $449
I don’t have a pool (well, not a personal one, anyway; I live in an apartment complex), but I do have a robot vacuum, and I know the joy of watching a little machine clean my floors while I do other things. If you apply that same logic to pool maintenance (which I imagine is a lot more annoying than keeping your floors clean), then investing in a robo pool cleaner makes a lot of sense.
Mashable Trend Report
And, right now, you can get one of Amazon’s top-rated models for a fraction of the price. As of May 6, you can get the Beatbot AquaSense 2 for $849 at Amazon, down from $1,298. That’s a 35% discount or $449 savings. It’s also the lowest price we’ve seen this model go for. The only problem? Amazon marked this as a “limited-time deal,” and the countdown clock shows it ends in about 16 hours.
This thing works just like an indoor robot vacuum; it maps out its cleaning path and then uses an onboard 4-core CPU and 16 sensors to navigate using an S-path for the pool floor and an N-path to scrub the walls and waterline. It also has a “Double-Pass Scrubbing” feature for the waterline, so it’ll get the grimiest spots twice per pass. Bonus: When it’s done cleaning (or when the battery runs low), it automatically parks itself at the surface of the water so you don’t have to go diving to retrieve it.
Entertainment
Grandma Anne’s Secret Jell-O
I love making food that people appreciate — the kind of meal that makes the whole table go quiet at the first bite. But you know what I kind of love more? Making food that makes the whole table shriek like kids chasing the ice-cream truck.
So, when I happened upon a “secret Jell-O” recipe in chef Hillary Sterling’s new cookbook, Ammazza! — titled for the Roman slang term, which roughly translates to “wowee!” — I knew I had to share.
“This was the defining treat of my childhood,” explains Hillary. Growing up, her Grandma Anne always kept a bowl of Jell-O in the fridge. “She added halved grapes, and they’d hover in the middle while it ‘jellified.’ It tasted so cool, refreshing, and delicious.” As adults, Hillary and her sister tried to replicate it, but never managed to get the taste just right. That’s when their grandpa clued them in to Grandma Anne’s secret ingredient: sweet liqueur. “Turns out, our favorite childhood dessert was one part Grandma, one part frat party.”
Hillary’s own adaptation is a little more cocktail-party than frat, but just as festive: a ruby-red confection, studded with plums and served in a champagne coupe. Plus, it’s incredibly simple, with less than 10 minutes of active cooking time. And while I’ll give Grandma Anne the benefit of the doubt, and say she probably wasn’t trying to inebriate her grandchildren, this recipe has almost a shot’s worth of brandy per serving (wowee, indeed!). So, let’s maybe keep it at the grown-ups table.
Grandma Anne’s Secret Jell-O
from Ammazza! by Hillary Sterling
Serves 4
1/2 cup (115 g) prunes*
3/4 cup (180 ml) brandy
1 85-gram package cherry gelatin
*It’s true, prunes are dried plums. Here, they’re essentially rehydrated in the cooking process.
In a small pot, combine the prunes and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the brandy. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat low, and cook until the prunes absorb all the liquid (about 5 minutes). Set aside. In a separate small saucepan, bring 1 cup (240 ml) of water to a boil. Place the gelatin in a heatproof bowl, then pour the hot water over it, whisking until fully dissolved (about 2 minutes). Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) of brandy and 1 cup (240 ml) of cold water.
Divide half of the gelatin mixture evenly among four glasses, filling them about halfway. (“This is the time to break out your heirloom wine glasses or champagne coupes,” says Hillary. “Style and presentation meant everything to my grandmother.”) Arrange the glasses on a small sheet pan for stability. Refrigerate, uncovered, until just set (about 1 hour).
Finally, divide the steeped prunes evenly among the glasses, gently placing them on top of the set layer. Top each glass with the remaining gelatin — the fruit will “float” as it sets. Cover and refrigerate until firm but still jiggly (about 1 hour more). Serve, and enjoy!
Thank you so much, Hillary! And congratulations on your beautiful cookbook.
P.S. More fun party recipes, including a chaotic pavlova and a pasta cake.
(Photos by Kelly Puleio. Excerpted with permission from Ammazza!, on sale now from Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Copyright © 2026 by Hillary Sterling)
Entertainment
The Bradley Cooper Horror Movie That Will Break Your Brain
By Sean Thiessen
| Published
What do you get when you cross Bradley Cooper with a Clive Barker horror story? The answer: 2008’s gory cult classic The Midnight Meat Train. Though a slashed theatrical release buried the film, this disturbing bloodbath has finally been unearthed on Tubi.
Riding The Rails Has Never Been More Dangerous
Bradley Cooper leads The Midnight Meat Train as Leon Kaufman, a photographer keen on capturing the grit of city life. After his portfolio is rejected by a high-profile gallery owner for being too safe, Leon ventures out in search of danger. Spoiler alert: he finds it.
Leon captures a brutal act of violence on a subway and becomes obsessed with tracking down a serial killer who has been enacting carnage on the late-night train for years. Leon spirals down a tunnel of mystery that slowly unravels a conspiracy that goes all the way to the bottom. He struggles to gain the support of the police and even his own girlfriend, portrayed by actress Leslie Bibb. The Midnight Meat Train speeds toward a sinister conclusion that is a must-see for horror fans.
This Bradley Cooper film is unlike any other. The Midnight Meat Train was adapted from Barker’s short story by Pet Sematary (2019) screenwriter Jeff Buhler and directed by Japanese filmmaker Ryûhei Kitamura. The result is a dark, tense, and revolting horror mystery, complete with the hyper-stylized sensibilities of 2008.
The film was originally set as the feature directorial debut of Patrick Tatopoulos, a special effects wizard and production designer who cut his teeth on movies like Independence Day, I, Robot, and Underworld. It was scheduled to shoot in New York City in 2005.
Tatopoulos was replaced by Kitamura and, in an effort to cut costs, Bradley Cooper and the rest of the gang shot The Midnight Meat Train in the Los Angeles metro system. Production finally began in the spring of 2007.
Lionsgate distributed the film but only opened the movie in the secondary theatrical market, limiting the release to about 100 screens. It was then quickly released on DVD, much to the filmmakers’ dismay. Clive Barker openly criticized Lionsgate’s Joe Drake for burying other films in order to venerate The Strangers, for which Drake was a producer.
Critics twho saw The Midnight Meat Train generally liked it, praising the acting from Bradley Cooper, Leslie Bibb, Vinnie Jones, and the rest of the cast. The film carries a 70 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes on the consensus that it delivers the thrills, scares, and gore its target audience seeks.
Bradley Cooper’s Career Took Off After Midnight Meat Train
Bradley Cooper jumped from Midnight Meat Train into the following year’s breakout hit The Hangover. That film launched Cooper from a solid supporting actor to a bankable leading man. The Hangover spawned a lucrative trilogy of comedies that provided a steady stream for Cooper as he expanded to dramatic horizons.
Cooper has since led an exciting and successful career as an actor, director, and producer. His performance in 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook earned the actor his first Oscar nomination, which he followed up with nominations for his work in American Hustle, American Sniper, and A Star is Born. As a producer, his films Joker, A Star is Born, American Sniper, and Nightmare Alley were nominated for Best Picture.
Bradley Cooper’s horror background with Midnight Meat Train paired with the gnarly sensibilities of director James Gunn to bring about Rocket Raccoon in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. The character may be Cooper’s most iconic, but it is easy to forget that such a high-profile actor lurks beneath the CGI surface of the lovable a-hole.
The evolution of Cooper’s career is a fascinating one, and The Midnight Meat Train is an important piece of the puzzle. It stands out among his list of comedies, dramas, and action films, and the film’s troubled release leaves it begging for rediscovery.
Now, nearly 20 years after its release, fans of Bradley Cooper can head on over to Tubi and ride The Midnight Meat Train all the way to the end of the bloody line.
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