Entertainment
Scarlett Johansson's Raunchy R-Rated Comedy Has Been Unfairly Forgotten
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Remember that plot point in Jurassic Park about extracting dinosaur blood from ancient mosquitoes that were trapped in amber millions of years ago? Certain films are like that, and revisiting them is like stepping into memories from a lifetime ago. When you revisit these movies, you get more than the usual reassuring wave of nostalgia. You get to touch the still-warm blood of who you were when you first watched the film and (at least, until the credits roll) bring a version of your past self, happy and carefree, into the roaring chaos of the present day.
For me, the ultimate example of this phenomenon is Ghost World (2001). It’s a movie I fell in love with when I was a lot like its characters: too smart and too smart-mouthed for my own good, hoping that enough wit and sarcasm could hide the fact that I was terrified about figuring out what to do with my life. It’s somewhat bittersweet to return to the film with the sobering knowledge that growing up is a lie. You never figure out exactly what you’re supposed to do or who you’re supposed to be. But for anyone who wants to escape into the past with the smartest, sexiest film you’ve never seen, Ghost World is now streaming for free on Tubi.
Sick, Grad World
The premise of Ghost World is that two young girls (played by Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson) have just completed high school and don’t know what to do with the rest of their lives. Young Enid must complete a remedial art class, but she and her toxic bestie still find the time to prank a sad man (played by Steve Buscemi) who posts a personal ad trying to reach a woman he recently met. This kicks off a very unconventional friendship between Enid and a man two and a half times her age, but her carefree drama eventually threatens to destroy both their lives.
Ghost World is a brilliant adaptation of the Daniel Clowes comic of the same name. As such, the movie lends itself to a very breezy, episodic structure. While Enid’s strange friendship with sad sack Seymour is the narrative anchor, the movie finds plenty of time to showcase her bizarre, slice-of-life adventures with Rebecca. Sometimes, this includes watching a shirtless dude practicing his nunchuck skills and shocking people with the Batgirl helmet she snagged from the local sex shop. Other times, it includes shocking people with hilariously vulgar language. Much of this dialogue would get you instantly canceled today, but for Gen X and Millennial audiences, that’s just part of this film’s quirky, throwback charm.
How Do You Do, Fellow Kids?
While Ghost World is impeccably written, it’s the pitch-perfect cast that really brings each insane character to life. There are some sublime choices for the supporting cast, including charismatic character actor Patrick Fischler as a video store clerk and comedy legend David Cross as a pushy vinyl enthusiast. Illeana Douglas, meanwhile, does an impeccable job of playing the kind of teacher you love to hate. Finally, the late, great Brad Renfro is the perfect audience surrogate as the friend and put-upon convenience store worker bouncing uncomfortably between the chaos of his two messiest friends.
Speaking of which, the messy relationship at the heart of Ghost World is believable largely because of the chemistry between Thora Birch and Scarlett Johannsenn. A teenage ScarJo is compelling as a young woman trying to build her future with a friend still rooted firmly in the past. As our hilarious lead, Thora Birch quickly establishes that American Beauty was no fluke and that she’s one of the most talented actresses in Hollywood. Surrounded by such a quirky young cast, Buscemi dials down some of his usual weirdness, allowing him to perfectly embody the beleaguered everyman who gets caught up in the hypnotically weird, eternally unpredictable miasma of teenage melodrama.
Teenage Wasteland
Part of why Ghost World works so well is that it’s the anti-coming-of-age story. The film is tempestuous in its own moods, careening from restless hyperfixations on trivial matters to existential ennui at the drop of the hat. In that way, it mirrors the plight of its young protagonists who now realize they must answer a question they’ve been hearing for years: what do you want to do with the rest of your life? Like all teens, though, they can’t plan for tomorrow because they don’t know who they are today, giving the film an electric tension that crackles through even the simplest scenes.
If you’re still having trouble understanding what Ghost World is about, don’t worry: that’s a feature, not a bug. Director Terry Zwigoff (who would later bring us the relentlessly raunchy Bad Santa) has captured the vibe of the Daniel Clowes comic well enough that this film has multitudes. You can enjoy it as a time capsule of your own lost youth, the perfect balm to the aches (and not just the ones in your back) of getting older. But you can also enjoy it as a poignant meditation on the intersection of sex, youth, and identity. Alternatively, you can simply enjoy it for scene after scene of the darkest, weirdest comedy ever put on film.
Care to set foot into a simpler world of existentialist Millennial whimsy? Relive the unique dread of planning your entire life when you can’t even plan your weekend? Maybe you just want to lose your sh*t at one Thora Birch stinger after another. For all these reasons and more, now is the perfect time to watch Ghost World on Tubi. You can stream this coming-of-anxiety film for free on Tubi. The money you save may one day fuel your real passion: becoming the kind of vinylhead so weird that local teenagers treat you like a zoo attraction just waiting to be put down.
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 31, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love bright colors.
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.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
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.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
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.
Mashable Top Stories
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:
-
Yellow: Bright-colored
-
Green: Playing pool
-
Blue: Popeye
-
Purple: Timber
Here are today’s Connections 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 #1085 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
-
Things that are yellow: BUTTER, PIKACHU, RUBBER DUCK, SCHOOL BUS
-
Billiard terms: BREAK, CUE, POCKET, RACK
-
Slang for a sailor: JACK, SALT, SEA DOG, TAR
-
Kinds of wood plus “S”: SASH, SOAK, SPINE, STEAK
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
NYT Strands hints, answers for May 31, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re a traveler.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Places to go
The words are related to travel.
Mashable Top Stories
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe travel sites.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is Tourism.
NYT Strands word list for May 31
-
Museum
-
Beach
-
Tourism
-
Castle
-
Market
-
Restaurant
-
Momument
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and 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 Strands.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 31, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you’re a musician.
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:
A piece of music.
Mashable Top Stories
Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
The letter E appears twice.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter E.
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…
ETUDE
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.
Offense keeping Pirates above .500 as they go for sweep of Twins
Nationals RHP Zack Littell closes out stellar May against Padres
