Entertainment
Unsettling, R-Rated Psychological Thriller Takes You Underground And Doesn't Let You Out
By Robert Scucci
| Published
As a father of young children, I want my kids to strive to be the best versions of themselves that they could possibly be. I’m also worried about pushing them hard enough to shatter their confidence and make them hate me for trying to give them opportunities to grow that I wish I had when I was younger. 2021’s John and the Hole pushes these parental fears to their most extreme end because we bear witness to a 13-year-old boy finally snapping under the pressure and taking it out on his family in the worst way possible.
A slow burning psychological thriller, John and the Hole breaks down a family dynamic after its protagonist holds his parents and sister hostage in an underground bunker and proceeds to act like a complete psychopath. The most unsettling sequences in the film actually take place during the setup rather than the second and third act escalations, which left me wishing there was a more satisfying resolution.
John Is Scary
The setup for John and the Hole is as simple as it needs to be to get things moving. John (Charlie Shotwell) comes from an affluent family, but he’s constantly pressured by his parents, Brad (Michael C. Hall) and Anna (Jennifer Ehle). He’s drilled relentlessly on math and pushed athletically through grueling tennis lessons so he can qualify for competition circuits. He’s also forced to take piano lessons when all he really wants to do is play video games. By all measures, John’s family means well, but they push him just a little too hard in an effort to make sure his potential isn’t wasted.
After discovering an incomplete bomb shelter on his family’s sprawling property, John devises a plan. He drugs Brad, Anna, and his older sister Laurie (Taissa Farmiga), drags them out to the concrete hole, and only returns to feed them just enough food and water to keep them barely alive. With the house to himself and access to the family bank account and car, John picks up his friend Pete so they can enjoy their newfound freedom by playing video games and attempting to drown each other for fun.
Charlie Shotwell’s portrayal of John is the main reason you’ll want to watch John and the Hole, largely because of how convincingly he plays a young psychopath. My favorite early sequence involves John listening to his family’s voicemail greetings for research purposes, then calling the people who might be concerned by their sudden lack of communication. He mimics their voices with near-perfect pitch and cadence, which is deeply unsettling.
It’s never entirely clear what John’s endgame is, or if he even knows whether he plans to let his family out of the hole. What he does do is buy himself time so he can figure that out. Unfortunately for him, it doesn’t take long for people to start snooping around and asking questions about where his family might be.
Loses The Plot In The Worst Kind Of Way
I’m not going to spoil John and the Hole for you, but one major element I’ve intentionally avoided mentioning is the framing device that opens the film. This framework pops up intermittently through brief sequences, and I really wish there was a cut of the movie that removed them entirely. These moments soften the emotional impact of the story and undercut the tension rather than adding to it.
The real story here is John and his family, the animosity he feels toward them, and the growing fear of being caught after he realizes he may have made a mistake trying to bury them alive. Every time the film drifts away from that core conflict, the stakes feel diminished instead of heightened.
After all is said and done, I thoroughly enjoyed John and the Hole, but I could have done without the narrative detours that wipe out what little margin for error the story had. If you’re looking for a frightening character study that doesn’t quite stick the landing, and you’re willing to value the journey more than the destination, you can stream John and the Hole for free on Tubi as of this writing.
Entertainment
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 19, 2026
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition will be a little easier if you love baseball.
As we’ve shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, 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 the latest Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections: Sports Edition?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication’s sports coverage. The sports 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 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 before 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: Sports Edition categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Here are today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
-
Yellow: AL East Teams
-
Green: First Words of Football Positions
-
Blue: Premier League Managers
-
Purple: Nicknames for the Dodgers Franchise, Over Time
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: Sports Edition #573 is…
What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?
-
AL East Teams — BLUE JAYS, ORIOLES, RAYS, YANKEES
-
First Words of Football Positions — DEFENSIVE, RUNNING, TIGHT, WIDE
-
Premier League Managers — EMERY, GUARDIOLA, MOYES, SLOT
-
Nicknames for the Dodgers Franchise, Over Time — BRIDEGROOMS, DODGERS, ROBINS, SUPERBAS
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports 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? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
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 Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 19, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a sweet tooth.
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 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
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: Lippy
-
Green: Gowns
-
Blue: Played in Vegas
-
Purple: Sweet treats
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
-
Yellow: Cheeky
-
Green: Dress measurements
-
Blue: Cards in Texas Hold ‘Em
-
Purple: Last words of candy brands in the singular
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 #1043 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
-
Cheeky: ARCH, FRESH, SASSY, WISE
-
Dress measurements: BUST, HIPS, LENGTH, WAIST
-
Cards in Texas Hold ‘Em: FLOP, HOLE, RIVER, TURN
-
Last words of candy brands in the singular: CAP, DUD, KID, MINT
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 April 19, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re constantly changing.
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: Small change
The words are related to changes.
Mashable Top Stories
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe fine-tuning.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is There I Fixed It.
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
NYT Strands word list for April 19
-
There I Fixed It
-
Adjust
-
Modify
-
Alter
-
Improve
-
Tweak
-
Refine
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.
Cody Bellinger homers twice, as Yankees eclipse Royals
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 19, 2026
