Entertainment
Unfairly Forgotten, 70s Crime Thriller Is A Movie You Won't Be Able To Stop Thinking About
By Robert Scucci
| Published
I’ve grown super cynical about modern murder mysteries. I think it’s because franchises like Law & Order and NCIS are cozy watches, but also catnip for boomers. I’ve gotten to the point where I can size up the week’s mystery seconds after the suspects are introduced, then spend the rest of the episode waiting to be proven right, which isn’t exactly a satisfying experience. But every so often, I stumble upon a movie like End Play, an Australian thriller that starts with a murder and then gets so weird you have no idea who you’re supposed to be rooting for.
Seriously, this movie is baffling in the best kind of way, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I watched it over the weekend. It’s about two brothers: one who seems dead to rights after killing a young female hitchhiker, and his wheelchair-bound brother, who’s also an archery expert living in solitude. They both have the hots for their half-cousin, and their relationship is adversarial to say the least. Both act like they know something the other doesn’t, and then the police get involved, acting like they know something the brothers don’t.
If there’s one takeaway I have after watching End Play, it’s that it’s a beyond-solid whodunit that will make you feel incredibly stupid by the time it concludes.
It’s Gotta Be Mark, Right? … Right?!
End Play kicks off with Mark Gifford (John Waters, but not THAT one) picking up an attractive hitchhiker named Janine Talbot (Delvene Delaney) on the way to visit his wheelchair-bound brother Robert (George Mallaby). The next time we see Janine, she’s dead, sitting on Robert’s couch while Robert is out for the day, and Mark is scrambling to cover it up. He accidentally spills her perfume on the floor, leaving behind an obvious cleaning mark and lingering odor, and does such a sloppy job that anybody would assume he’s the killer, including Robert.
Using one of Robert’s spare wheelchairs, Mark sits Janine upright and wheels her across town to a movie theater, propping her head up with a neck brace. He’s also wearing a ridiculous wig so nobody notices it’s him wheeling around a corpse. He leaves her body at the theater and heads back home, ready to move on with his life.
Robert is immediately suspicious, and we quickly learn how the two brothers operate. There’s some sort of deep-seated animosity they’ve been carrying around for years, and things only get worse when Superintendent Cheadle (Ken Goodlet) and Sergeant Robinson (Robert Hewett) begin to suspect foul play. The language Robert and Mark use with each other carries the assumption of the other brother’s guilt, and both tiptoe around the fact that Janine was alive just hours earlier before turning up dead in Robert’s house. Nobody talks straight to each other, but rather in code, as if it were some form of psychological warfare.
They go about their lives as normal, playing cards and drinking with their half-cousin Margaret (Belinda Giblin), whom they’re both romantically fixated on. The officers find it suspicious that a string of disappearances coincides with Mark’s visits to Robert, but they don’t really have any hard evidence to go on. What they do know, however, is that Janine was last seen at a movie theater with somebody using a wheelchair, and Robert happens to own two of them.
You’ll Be Surprised Whodunit
End Play does an excellent job messing with your perception because we get such a fractured view of events. We see Mark pick up a hitchhiker and then clean up the scene before disposing of her body. We see Mark, in so many words, confess guilt to Robert, whose stone-faced expression never stops sizing him up. We see Robert remain tight-lipped about Mark’s whereabouts to the police, as if he knows something nobody else does. And we have the police, who seem completely certain they know the culprit, but are simply waiting for one of the brothers to confess because they’re only working with circumstantial evidence.
But we only see what Mark sees when he sees it, and the same could be said for everybody else. It’s up to you to figure out what really happened to Janine and the alleged victims who came before her, all of whom disappeared around the same time Mark and Robert reunited. Nothing makes sense until it suddenly does, and even then, the motives are never 100 percent clear. You’ll be thinking about this one for a while. At least, I know I will be.
As of this writing, you can stream End Play for free on Tubi.
Entertainment
Logan Pauls hunt for a Pokémon card that doesnt exist, explained
It’s only been a few months since Logan Paul’s $16 million Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card sale set a record, but he’s already on the hunt for something more valuable.
The controversial YouTuber-turned-WWE star released a one-hour mini-documentary on YouTube on Friday, chronicling his quest to acquire a card that doesn’t exist yet.
So what exactly is he trying to do, and why is the Pokémon card he’s trying to acquire potentially so valuable? Let’s break it down.
Which Pokémon card is Logan Paul trying to acquire?
In a nutshell, the origin of Pokémon cards can be dated back to 1996. Rather than being sold in packs, the first trading cards were available to peel from sheets found in a Japanese comic called CoroCoro. Pairs of cards were released over a number of issues, with the first – issue 223 – containing Pikachu and Jigglypuff cards.
The catch? Although there are many of these cards in circulation, there is apparently still no Pikachu that’s been graded a perfect 10 by the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) body.
Mashable Trend Report
The video above chronicles Paul’s attempt to secure one, following him as he buys copies of CoroCoro 223 along with pre-production sheets of the cards that came with the issue, hoping to peel a Pikachu card that’s high enough quality to make the grade of Gem Mint 10 (categorised on PSA’s website as a “virtually perfect card”).
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
When will we know if Logan Paul has acquired the PSA 10 Pikachu?
This is the big question. Normally getting cards graded with PSA takes time (from five to 25 business days), but in the documentary we see Paul getting two cards graded far more quickly after dropping them off at one of the PSA offices himself.
At the end of the video, he announces a live streaming event where he will peel the Pikachu card that he hopes to get graded a 10. What we don’t know is what will happen next. Will the event end with Paul showing the card off and getting ready to take it to PSA? Or does he have the kind of relationship with the authenticator where he’ll be able to organise for one of its graders to attend the event, and do the grading in person?
We’ll have to wait for the stream, which is happening July 30 at 9:30 p.m. EST on Paul’s YouTube channel, to find out.
UPDATE: Jul. 31, 2026, 2:45 p.m. Logan Paul completed his livestream on Thursday, peeling the Pikachu on YouTue — but based on the card’s centering, he doesn’t think it’ll achieve the PSA 10 grade needed to complete his mission.
Entertainment
Samsungs 55-inch M80H Mini LED TV has never been cheaper — save over $100 this weekend
SAVE $162: As of July 31, the Samsung 55-inch M80H Mini LED 4K TV is on sale at Amazon for only $537.99. That’s 23% in savings and its lowest price on record.
$537.99
at Amazon
$699.99
Save $162
Traditionally, it may not be the best time to buy a new TV, but logically, it certainly is. Not only is the 2026 NFL season right around the corner, but plenty of new movies and TV shows will also hit the airwaves in the coming months (Mother Mary, Ted Lasso Season 4, Reacher Season 4, Survivor Season 51, more than likely Disclosure Day, etc.). Plus, this Samsung Mini LED model is down to its best price ever.
As of July 31, the Samsung 55-inch M80H Mini LED 4K TV is just $537.99, down from $699.99. That’s a saving of over $160, marking its lowest price on record according to our favorite price-tracking tool.
Mashable Deals
The M80H is a step up from your basic LED TV, featuring a Mini LED display that uses loads of tiny LEDs for brighter, more accurate colors and more cinematic contrast. It’s not as impressive as an OLED TV, but it’s definitely more preferable if you’re on a budget. It also includes an NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor, which has companion features like Samsung Vision AI and the AI Sound Controller. These added perks let you elevate specific parts of the sound or add more depth to certain scenes.
For gamers, the M80H is a solid pick, as it features the Motion Xcelerator 144Hz for supporting PC gaming, DLG 240Hz for smoother motion and response times, AMD FreeSync Premium, and an in-game menu that lets you control FPS, input lag, and more.
Mashable Deals
If your old TV has seen its final days, there’s never been a better time to grab Samsung’s 55-inch M80H Mini LED TV.
Entertainment
Everyones favorite earbuds are back down to $99 — shop Apple AirPods 4 now
SAVE $30: As of July 31, get the Apple AirPods 4 for just $99 at Amazon. That saves you $30 off its $129 price tag.
$99
at Amazon
$129
Save $30
If you’re an iPhone user, you can’t deny the convenience of Apple’s AirPods. The earbuds are perfectly pocket-sized and automatically connect to your iPhone, which means no unnecessary fussing with Bluetooth controls. The biggest downside to AirPods is the price.
When you’re used to the days of Apple providing a pair of EarPods with every phone, it’s a tough pill to swallow when you see AirPods $129 price tag. Luckily, you don’t have to spend that much on them.
Mashable Deals
As of July 31, get the Apple AirPods 4 for just $99. That saves you $30 off the earbuds’ list price for 23% savings.
Apple AirPods 4 debuted in 2024. They’re outfitted with the H2 chip and spatial audio. This pair doesn’t have active noise cancellation, but it is sweat- and water-resistant for your workouts. Plus, with the included charging case enjoy up to 30 hours of battery life.
Mashable Deals
Shop the Apple AirPods 4 at Amazon for $99 now and save $30.
Logan Pauls hunt for a Pokémon card that doesnt exist, explained
Blue Jays top Nationals on solid pitching, timely hits
