Entertainment
R-Rated Dark Netflix Sci-Fi Thriller Is Over-The-Top Action At Its Best
By Jeffrey Rapaport
| Published
One reason we love Netflix is that, like any good streaming service, the platform offers a lot of options. However, the sprawling catalog can sometimes inspire decision paralysis. If you want to lock in on something worth your time, consider Project Power: the thrilling, R-rated film weaving together threads of sci-fi, action, and a dash of real-world commentary into a compelling, singular tapestry.
Visionary directing duo Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman shot the 2020 film, sporting a unique narrative penned by Mattson Tomlin; their collaborative efforts engineered a cinematic venture that hooked audiences with its novel premise: a pill granting temporary superpowers. Moreover, the movie admirably grounds its tale in the gritty, vibrant streets of near-future New Orleans. It provides a multifaceted exploration of Power, whether supernatural or societal.
Superpowers With A Twist
Project Power begins in the not-too-distant future, when a new drug, unsubtly termed “Power,” has hit the streets. The drug offers users a tantalizing yet dangerous proposition: five minutes of pure, unadulterated superhuman abilities. We’re talking super strength, invisibility, bullet-dodging, you name it. The catch? The powers are unpredictable and unruly, varying widely from user to user and, most damningly, often accompanied by dangerous side effects (including death).
Jumping from high-concept sci-fi futurism to the intimate, even sociological fabric of fictionalized New Orleans, Project Power’s principal characters are Art, played wonderfully by Jamie Foxx, a former soldier harboring a vendetta; Frank, the ’90s heartthrob Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a local cop bending the rules to protect the city; and Robin, played commendably by Dominique Fishback, a brainy, resourceful teen dealing drugs to care for her ailing mother.
Different Motivation
Each character retains their burning desire to locate the source of the Power pills, wreaking havoc in their city in the process.
Art’s quest in Project Power is incredibly personal. Tracy (Kyanna Simone), his daughter, was kidnapped by the shadowy, nefarious group behind the drug. Born with natural superpowers due to Art’s exposure to experimental drugs during his deployment, Tracy’s unique genetics mean she’s a perfect guinea pig for the manufacture of the power pills. His mission constitutes a desperate rescue opp.
Whereas Frank, on the other hand, witnesses the devastation the narcotic inflicts on his city. Though Frank employs Power to compete with the criminal underworld, he’s nonetheless, motivated by a sense of duty to halt the drug’s spread and expose those responsible for it.
Thirdly, Robins’s involvement with Power is initially strictly business. However, her journey grows increasingly intertwined with Art and Franks, evolving her into an integral ally in their crusade. With her quick wit and street smarts, she becomes indispensable. At the same time, her personal growth is a central theme of Project Power.
Pure, Genre-Blending Bliss
Fusing realism and high-concept sci-fi thematics, themselves borrowing heavily from the superhero universe, the film admirably achieves a simultaneity of genres. In this, it reminds viewers of genre-bending hits like District 9 and Bone Tomahawk. Indeed, at its heart, the movie amounts to more than impressively stylistic, action-packed set pieces, and delves into ethical and moral quandaries posed by its central conceit.
The film questions the nature of power beyond the drug’s scope; who has it, who wants it, and at what cost? The film scores ethical points, as well, for shining a spotlight on New Orleans. More than a mere backdrop, the city functions as a living, breathing character in Project Power, enriching the film with its cultural tapestry and post-Katrina resilience. All of which offer a poignant context for the movie’s meditation on power dynamics, whether sci-fi or systemic.
Mixed Thoughts
On the critical side, the movie received mixed reviews, ranging from positive to lukewarm, and currently sitting with a 61 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics ardently enjoyed its action sequences, impactful visuals, and performances, principally Fishback’s. That said, experts leveled some criticism at its screenplay, with some suggesting the project’s ambitious premise could have been explored more deeply.
That said, Project Power enjoyed success on Netflix; it became one of the platform’s most-streamed films upon release. Indeed, the streaming service reveals that 75 million accounts streamed the movie within a month of its release.
Music fans, especially hip-hop aficionados, should consider the film, too, given it features a prominent supporting role by Colson Baker, otherwise known as Machine Gun Kelly, who plays a drug dealer trafficking in Power.
Ultimately, for a sci-fi thrill ride sure to impress with its unique concept and powerful performances, stream Project Power today.
Entertainment
The Raunchy R-Rated 80s Teen Comedy On Streaming That Defined A Generation
By Brian Myers
| Published
The 1988 film Heathers not only helped launch the careers of three of its stars but also captured the cynicism and black humor that grew to become two of the defining characteristics of Generation X. The film’s dark subject matter is remarkably lightened with Daniel Waters’ script and director Michael Lehmann’s touches, who both worked to produce a movie that was the polar opposite of the more optimistic teen films of the John Landis/John Hughes era.
Mean Girls Before Mean Girls
Heathers follows high school student Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) who inadvertently falls into the popular girl clique at Westerburg High School. The three girls she runs with are snarky, cruel, and from wealthy families, and seem to revel in making life harder for anyone they believe is beneath their station in life. Heather Chandler (Kim Walker), Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk), and Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty) are collectively known as “The Heathers,” and serve as a group that Veronica strives to separate from.
Enter a new guy J.D. (Christian Slater), who becomes the object of Veronica’s affection. His zany behavior includes firing a gun (loaded with blanks) at bully football players, and a fascination with explosives. He and Veronica quickly bond and concoct a plan for revenge on Heather Chandler after the snobby girl has a falling out with Veronica at a party.
In true black comedy fashion, Heathers has the worst-case scenario come to life multiple times throughout its 103-minute run. J.D. and Veronica end up killing Heather Chandler, setting off a course of events that lead to insane murder plots that culminate into an explosive ending.
Heathers follows the darkest of plotlines but successfully pulls off becoming a comedy with its quirky one-liners and outrageous plot twists. The film itself is the penultimate definition of irony captured on celluloid, as each action taken by J.D. and Veronica have the most unintended consequences imaginable. Though entirely unbelievable, the writing and the characters are able to make the environment and the vibe of the film familiar and leave you wanting a bit more.
Ryder and Slater Knew The Assignment
Heathers gives a great look at Winona Ryder’s jump from little Lydia Deetz (Beetlejuice) into teen comedy and drama roles that would be her mainstay in the years before her co-starring role on Stranger Things. The movie certainly made her a commodity in Hollywood and elevated her to elite status among Gen X audiences.
The same could be said for Christian Slater, who’s J.D. made it possible for the actor to be cast in offbeat comedy films Kuffs and Pump Up the Volume. He and Ryder play off one another without missing a beat and are truly one of the film’s components that shine the brightest.
Heathers proved to be well ahead of its time, but the cult status it quickly earned made filmmakers pay attention to a new subset within teen audiences who wanted so much more out of films than love stories and happy endings. Its legacy is far reaching, as Slackers, Reality Bites, and Jawbreaker would likely not have been made if not for the example set by this underappreciated 1988 film. Heathers gets 4.0/5.0-stars for its acting, hilarious screenwriting, and the overall vibe that Lehmann was able to capture with the project.
As of this writing, you can stream Heathers for free through Tubi, YouTube, Pluto TV, and Amazon Prime Video.
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 3, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you’re an old soul.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. 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 today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. 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.
Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Mashable Top Stories
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Yellow: Good vibes
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Green: Old sayings
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Blue: Bad vibes
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Purple: One letter
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
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Yellow: Positive feelings
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Green: Retro expressions of approval
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Blue: Bad things to give someone
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Purple: What things pronounced “T” might refer to
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 #1118 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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Positive feelings: BLISS, FELICITY, HAPPINESS, WARM FUZZIES
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Retro expressions of approval: COOL BEANS, FAR OUT, GROOVY, RIGHT ON
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Bad things to give someone: COLD SHOULDER, DIRTY LOOK, HARD TIME, RUNAROUND
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What things pronounced “T” might refer to: GOLF ACCESSORY, GOSSIP, HOT DRINK, SHIRT
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new 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? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
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.
Entertainment
Carmen Electra's Raunchy, R-Rated 90s Sci-Fi Is A Mating Ritual Mockumentary
By Robert Scucci
| Published
Nature documentaries are incredibly informative if you want to learn how different species interact, feed, and mate in the wild. Taking a page from the National Geographic playbook, The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human is the ultimate mockumentary about how humans interact with one another while trying to find a romantic suitor. If you’re familiar with Nathan W. Pyle’s Strange Planet comics, you’ll love how the unnamed alien narrator in this movie tries to make sense of human dating rituals through his limited understanding of life on planet Earth.
An Alien’s Explanation Of Human Interaction
Narrated by none other than David Hyde Pierce (Frasier), The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human is an absolutely hilarious exploration of misguided anthropology. The film is framed as a nature special using humans as its subject of study, and Pierce’s dry delivery gives it a convincing nature documentary vibe. The Narrator’s long-winded attempts at explaining simple concepts, like shaving and phone call etiquette, are detailed to the point of agony and the primary source of humor in this film.
The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human starts out in a nightclub, and we’re introduced to “The Male,” Billy Waterson (Mackenzie Astin), and “The Female,” Jenny Smith (Carmen Electra). Billy and Jenny immediately hit it off and start dating shortly after their initial exchange. As their romance develops throughout the film, The Narrator attempts to make sense of, and explain to his equally confused audience, the various human interactions he witnesses, highlighting the complexity of modern dating.
The Narrator’s Enthusiasm Will Win You Over
While I think Mackenzie Astin and Carmen Electra deliver flawless performances in this satire, The Narrator’s enthusiasm and curiosity in The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human is what really got me laughing out loud. For example, when describing how women prefer romance movies and how men like action movies, The Narrator explains, “Human females enjoy stories about one person dying slowly. The males prefer stories of many people dying quickly.”
An equally hilarious observation made by The Narrator in The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human involves Billy’s use of a computer mouse at his job, which is described as “a toy named after one of the small rodents of his planet.” Extrapolating his observation to the point of absurdity, The Narrator goes on to say that “He presses his fingers against the rodent’s buttocks and gently taps upon its cheeks. Still, he prefers the female of his own species.”
The Narrator’s descriptions range from making sense of human technology to the use of prophylactics, which is acted out by a bunch of actors dressed in white running into a wall to demonstrate how they’re being blocked from the female’s egg after the male and female engage in intercourse.
Fully committing to its bizarre nature documentary premise, The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human is highly quotable and convincingly points out why and how human dating is such an exhausting ordeal on planet Earth. It’s also worth pointing out that there is some truth behind The Narrator’s assumptions, but his intelligence, coupled with his naivety, adds a layer of ridiculousness to the narrative that makes for a truly unforgettable movie-watching experience.
The Ultimate Anti Rom-Com
The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human effectively uses satire to poke fun at romantic comedies while being a romantic comedy itself, which is easier said than done. Through its self-awareness, it lampoons every single trope found in the genre without wearing out its welcome. David Hyde Pierce’s ability to play it straight while reading The Narrator’s lines is nothing short of commendable, and I’m going to reasonably assume that he had to work through several takes in the voice-over booth to actually nail his lines without laughing out loud himself.
If you’re looking for a romantic comedy that doesn’t succumb to the usual genre trappings, The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human comes with strong recommendations. This anthropological analysis of human dating as perceived by an intelligent alien life form can currently be rented or purchased on-demand through Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and Fandango at Home.
THE MATING HABITS OF THE EARTHBOUND HUMAN SCORE
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