Entertainment
The Strangest Sci-Fi Ever Made Involves Virtual Reality Kung Fu Batman, Jesus, And Pizza
By Robert Scucci
| Published
Have you ever seen a movie that’s so absolutely off-the-wall bonkers that you need to check your watch history the next day to make sure you didn’t dream it up? That’s how I feel about 2019’s Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway, an absurdist sci-fi spy comedy thriller with a neo-noir bent, and probably about 20 other genres that I’m not aware exist outside of this singular piece of media. We have villains wearing masks of historical figures in a VR world, mysterious mind-altering substances, James Bond plots, kung fu, a villain who’s a cross between Batman and Dolemite, and one man’s dream of one day opening a pizza restaurant and martial arts studio with his kickboxing wife.
Does any of that make sense? Because here’s what’s absolutely insane about this movie: it successfully tells a shockingly coherent story even though it’s all cosmic gumbo simmering impatiently in its own warped little cinematic Crock Pot.
If you’re looking for a covert-op adventure that barely clings to the fabric of reality and consciousness, yet somehow manages to pull itself back together, then Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway should be the next thing you watch on Tubi, where all the best movies you’ve never heard of live.
Psychobook, Soviets, And A Very Strange Batman
Oh boy, where do I begin? Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway centers on CIA Special Agent Gagano (Daniel Tadesse), a man who takes his work seriously, but not nearly as seriously as his love for pizza or his kickboxing wife, Malin (Gerda-Annette Allikas). Working alongside Agent Palmer Eldritch (Augustin Mateo), the two complete all of their missions, mostly against the Soviets, through VR devices that allow their avatars to get down to business without putting their physical bodies in harm’s way.
Problems arise when Gagano, who wants nothing more than to retire, open his own pizza place, and bankroll Malin’s dream of opening a kickboxing studio, gets trapped inside Psychobook, the cyber world in which they operate, after the system is hacked and compromised. Stuck between a virtual plane of existence and the real world, Gagano faces adversaries like the all-knowing Mr. Sophistication (Carlo Pironti), a multitude of kung fu hustlers, and, of course, the most menacing antagonist of all, Batfro (Solomon Tashe), who carries himself like Rudy Ray Moore’s Dolemite but, for reasons never fully explained, has his hero insignia blurred out whenever he appears on screen.
Complicating matters further is Malin’s affair with Palmer. While Agent Gagano’s love for Malin is intense and unbreakable, Malin, despite her unwavering reciprocation up this point, has seen what she needs to see to conclude that her husband is never returning from Psychobook, and this seems like the path of least resistance that will allow her to move on. Meanwhile, Joseph Stalin is hellbent on world domination, and a man who believes he’s Jesus Christ himself tries to enlighten Gagano with candy and a life-altering revelation that may change everything for the world-weary secret agent. In other words, Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway is total insanity, but in the best possible way.
Seriously, Give This One A Chance
In Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway, it’s not entirely clear whether the poor overdubbing was born out of necessity or a deliberate creative choice. I’m inclined to believe the latter because everything about this movie, from the set design and Stalin masks to the copyright workaround of having a man who’s clearly dressed as Batman with his insignia obscured just enough to keep the lawyers at bay, feels intentional. It may not seem that way while you’re working through the first two acts, but as more information is revealed, it all starts to make sense in context.
If you have the patience for this movie, it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, and it’s beyond satisfying that a film released as recently as 2019 is taking so many wild creative swings. The whole thing feels like an alternate reality because it is an alternate reality, constantly making you question what belongs to this virtually constructed world and what belongs to the one Gagano so desperately wants to return to.
More importantly, as absurd as Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway may appear at a surface-level glance, everybody plays it as straight as possible. This isn’t to say that the production isn’t raw and clearly operating on a shoestring budget, but you rarely feel those limitations. Writer-director Miguel Llansó’s vision is so unhinged that it all feels like part of the packaging rather than a byproduct of limited resources.
JESUS SHOWS YOU THE WAY TO THE HIGHWAY SCORE
While it may not be for everybody, I’m glad movies like Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway exist because they demonstrate how much filmmakers can still innovate when they allow themselves to think outside the box (and this one is way out there). If you think you’re ready, you can stream this absurdist masterpiece for free on Tubi as of this writing. Whether you regret hitting ‘play’ is entirely up to you.
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for June 14, 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.
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
Hotel option.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
SUITE
Mashable Top Stories
Hurdle Word 2 hint
Grey.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
ASHEN
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
Hurdle Word 3 hint
To sit upon.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
PERCH
Hurdle Word 4 hint
A stand.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
KIOSK
Final Hurdle hint
Part of a ship.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
BILGE
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
How to watch Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has started with a number of really entertaining games. The tournament is still very much taking shape, with opening games giving fans their first impression of where everyone stands.
Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador is a particularly interesting opening round game from Group E. Germany and Curacao are the other sides in this group, so Ivory Coast and Ecuador will both fancy their chances of advancing (particularly as the eight best third-placed teams will progress to the knockouts rounds).
If you want to watch Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador?
Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on June 14. This fixture takes place at the Lincoln Financial Field.
How to watch Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador for free
Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.
Mashable Top Stories
BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador for free by following these simple steps:
-
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
-
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
-
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
-
Visit BBC iPlayer
-
Watch Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador for free from anywhere in the world
$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:
-
Servers in 105 countries including the UK
-
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
-
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
-
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
-
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
-
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.
Entertainment
How to watch Sweden vs. Tunisia online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is finally here, and the start of this famous tournament has already delivered loads of huge moments. We’re expecting more of the same from Sweden vs. Tunisia.
These sides will battle it out with Netherlands and Japan for places in the knockout rounds. On paper, it’s a really difficult group to predict. We could see any of these four sides taking control of the group, so these opening games could prove pivotal.
If you want to watch Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Sweden vs. Tunisia?
Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 10 p.m. ET on June 14. This fixture takes place at the Estadio BBVA.
How to watch Sweden vs. Tunisia for free
Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.
Mashable Top Stories
ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Sweden vs. Tunisia for free by following these simple steps:
-
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
-
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
-
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
-
Visit ITVX
-
Watch Sweden vs. Tunisia for free from anywhere in the world
$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Sweden vs. Tunisia (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for ITVX?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:
-
Servers in 105 countries including the UK
-
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
-
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
-
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
-
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
-
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.
Mike Brown Is One Win Away From the Ultimate NBA Redemption Story
Ghana player, facing rape charges, denied entry to Canada
