Entertainment
The Thrilling Die Hard Homage That Made Scream VII's Star
By Jennifer Asencio
| Published
Actress Isabel May is starring in Scream VII as Sidney’s daughter Tatum, a role that puts her character in the vicinity of her famous mother and therefore in danger from Ghostface. May isn’t a stranger to playing characters whose lives are in danger, as she was also the star of the Daily Wire thriller Run Hide Fight. Between the Scream movie and recent news events, this 2020 film about a high school shooter has resurfaced on social media.
Run Hide Fight is about an angry teen named Zoe Hull, who is still grieving the death of her mother, making things not so good at home with her ex-military and outdoorsman father, Todd. Typical teenage concerns abound: prom is coming up, and Zoe’s friend Lewis wants to ask her to it, while Vernon Central High School is having its “senior prank day,” resulting in rooms filled with balloons and a sloped hallway doused in vegetable oil.
But the joke is over when four of Zoe’s classmates, led by psychopath Tristan, ram into the school in a giant white van and start shooting. He and his friends aren’t just out to kill their classmates, but also to livestream it on social media and become famous. Zoe manages to escape detection, but can a single 17-year-old girl save an entire school?
Die Hard In High School Doesn’t Cover It
The movie has been described as “Die Hard in a high school,” and that’s a fair assessment of its basic plot, but it sells short the intricacy and psychological warfare that is woven into the script by director Kyle Rankin. Various powers collide as the hostage situation unfolds, as the school’s administrators and teachers, the police, the media, and the students themselves scramble to deal with the crisis in various ways. There is so much going on in this movie that I took three pages of notes to write this review.
While there’s plenty of action, it’s not really an action movie but a thriller. Zoe is on a hero’s journey that includes her own grief as she talks to her mother, played by Radha Mitchell, throughout the hostage situation. Tension is high even when characters are just talking to each other, because you never know when someone with a gun might burst into the room. The movie’s plot moves through the phases suggested by its title and mirrored in the phases of Tristan’s plan.
Zoe is also not invincible. She’s a scrappy teen, not a Navy SEAL, and she takes some injuries as she tries to help her classmates escape. Unlike John McClane, she’s not looking for a fight; she’s looking to survive, and all she has is her wits. She is also suffering: her mother appears as a hallucination whose appearance documents Zoe’s grief. Isabel May puts on a wrenching performance, not just in her dialogue but in her expressions of deeply conflicting emotions in the face of terror.
With so many characters and so much going on, the action is emphasized in short, staccato scenes that allow the plot to unfold organically. It has the frenetic pacing of up-to-the-minute news, creating a livestream effect that underscores Tristan’s plan, but it also knows when to slow down, giving us time to care about the characters and their survival. Treat Williams, who plays the sheriff managing this crisis, dominates almost all his scenes with charismatic energy.
Great Writing Makes Run Fight Hide a Must-See
Daily Wire+ has a mature warning on Run Hide Fight because of violence, but we are only given enough violence to emphasize the severity of the situation. These scenes are very impactful, especially as the students are forced to livestream the carnage and Tristan’s posturing. The technique of using phones to record for social media is always present, as it connects all the characters inside the school to the police and parents outside the school.
The true strength of this movie lies in its script, which doesn’t shy away from its numerous themes. There is humor in the dialogue, and the characters are fleshed out well. The film draws viewers enough into the school that it’s easy to triumph when they do and to be afraid for their survival. The threads of plot and theme are so well executed that they wrap the story into a neat package, from its cold open to its chilling resolution.
It is difficult these days to write a story about school shootings, and you’re not supposed to enjoy that, though that’s what’s happening during this one. The script never asks for it any more than Zoe asks to be a heroine. That makes it all the more worth watching.
Run Hide Fight is Isabel May’s first dramatic role and paved the way for her to star first in the Yellowstone spin-offs and now in Scream VII. Even though she plays a teenager, this movie marked her transition from teen roles to more mature ones. Many people ignore or dismiss it because it is a Daily Wire production, but Run Hide Fight represents a successful early effort by the streamer to create quality fictional content.
Run Hide Fight is streaming on Daily Wire+. Scream VII is currently in theaters.
Entertainment
BookCon 2026: Authors Rachel Reid, Stephanie Archer talk hockey romance and how it could change the sport for the better
With the fervor of Heated Rivalry, there’s a fierce desire among book readers for even more hockey. On Sunday, April 19, at BookCon, the “You Had Me at Hockey: A Look at One of Sports Romance’s Hottest Genres”, authors Rachel Reid (Heated Rivalry, Game Changer), Emily Rath (Pucking Around), Ngozi Ukazu (Check Please), Stephanie Archer (The Wild Card), and Kate Cochrane (Wake Up, Nat & Darcy) were joined by moderator and fellow author Bal Khabra (Collide) to discuss the rise and continued success of hockey romance.
Khabra kicked off the panel, asking just how hockey became so popular. Ukazu joked that it was as if the genre “escaped containment,” like when the Omegaverse went mainstream, while Reid described the mystery around hockey, saying, “what [the players] are doing seems impossible.” Archer also added that the sport itself is exceptionally hard on the body, and the celebrity around players, especially in Canada, is fun to play with.
But there’s more to the genre’s success than the tropes. “It has to be said,” Rath argued, “that the cornerstone of why this is so popular in publishing is racism.” She went on to say that straight, white women’s voices dominated the romance genre for so long, pointing out that hockey is also the whitest sport. Among major league sports, the NHL is the most predominantly white. In 2022, ESPN reported that 83.6% of league players and staff were white, compared to the NFL, where 25-27% of players are white, or the NBA, where white players make up 17.5% of the league.
Mashable Top Stories
Zooming into the genre, the authors also spoke about the writing process. They dove into the deeper aspects of their work, even the smut. Rath said, “I think the least sexy thing you can ever do is write a sex scene.” A similar sentiment came up during Reid’s Saturday panel, where she described using the sex scenes to further the emotional arc. When readers ask authors if they can skip the spice, Archer says of her own books, “No, you can’t skip the sex scenes. You’re missing so much character development if you don’t go on the journey with them.”
The panel turned to the future, too. Many of the authors write BIPOC and queer representation into their novels, in a genre that often centers on whiteness and homophobia. “We’re writing the world as we want it to be,” Rath said.
Reid has found that there is progress toward a future that these authors and their readers want to see, saying that the NHL is interested in working with them. “People on the inside, they really want to work toward change and want to make this happen.”
With the hockey fandom at an all-time high, there’s a whole team behind these authors ready to drive change.
Entertainment
Save on gas (and everything else) with a $15 BJ’s membership
TL;DR: Score a one-year BJ’s membership for $15 (reg. $60) and save up to 20¢/gal. on gas through April 30 — just in time for spring shopping and road trips.
Credit: BJ’s Wholesale Club
The warmer weather tends to sneak up fast, and so do those grocery bills and gas receipts. A one-year membership to BJ’s Wholesale Club is one of those simple upgrades that can make everyday shopping feel a little more manageable.
You can currently grab a Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal for just $15 (reg. $60) through April 30, which opens the door to savings across groceries, household essentials, and even your weekend cookout prep.
Mashable Deals
Let’s start with the obvious, though. Gas prices. Members already get everyday savings at BJ’s Gas, but during this promo window, you’ll get an extra 15¢ off per gallon stacked on top of the usual 5¢ discount — bringing your total to 20¢ off per gallon through April 30.
Inside the club, it’s all about stretching your dollar further. BJ’s is known for offering competitive pricing on national brands, plus a wide selection of fresh produce, meats, bakery items, and deli favorites. Whether you’re planning a backyard BBQ, stocking up for a party, or just trying to cut down on weekly grocery runs, buying in bulk can help simplify things.
Mashable Trend Report
There’s also something to be said for convenience. Fewer trips to the store, more options in one place, and access to seasonal items that make spring and summer feel extra special.
Get a one-year Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal® for just $15 (reg. $60) and enjoy an extra 15¢ off per gallon at any of the 199 BJ’s gas stations through April 30.
Grabbing this deal? Build your cart to $100+ and score a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 free with code GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows) through April 19.
Gift with $100+ purchase promo ends April 19, 2026. Exclusions apply. Only one promo code applicable per order. Prices subject to change.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
This $43 bundle quietly upgrades your entire PC experience
TL;DR: This rare Microsoft bundle deal gives you a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro for only $42.97 (reg. $418.99) through May 17.
$42.97
$418.99
Save $376.02
Looking for an affordable way to make your old PC feel new again? If you don’t have the funds to buy a brand new computer, don’t worry. The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license and Windows 11 Pro Bundle is the next best thing, offering your computer a total upgrade for only $42.97 through May 17.
Don’t count out your dusty old PC. This Microsoft bundle is here to give it a total facelift for less than $50. It kicks off with a lifetime license to some of the brand’s most popular tools — Microsoft Office, which you’ll pay for once and enjoy without any subscription fees.
Mashable Deals
You’ll get permanent access to a suite of eight helpful apps with Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows. It includes staples that have been around for decades, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. You’ll also get newer favorites like Teams, OneNote, Access, and Publisher.
Once you’ve loaded the apps onto your device, you can upgrade your OS to Windows 11 Pro. It’s an operating system made for modern professionals, with tools that support your workflow. Enjoy a more powerful search experience, improved voice typing, a seamless interface, snap layouts, and much more.
You can rest easy knowing Windows 11 Pro takes your cybersecurity seriously. You’ll have biometric logins, encrypted authentication, and advanced antivirus defenses to keep your data secure.
Mashable Deals
Show your PC some love with the Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro bundle for only $42.97 (reg. $418.99) now until May 17.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Skidding Mets make pitching change ahead of series finale vs. Cubs
Dodgers' Roki Sasaki hopes his turnaround starts vs. Rockies
