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 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.
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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.
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NYT Strands word list for April 19
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There I Fixed It
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Adjust
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Modify
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Alter
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Improve
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Tweak
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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.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 19, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you can never sit down.
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:
To rise.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
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Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
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…
STAND
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.
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for April 19, 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.
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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
The edge.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
BRINK
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Hurdle Word 2 hint
Moody.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
POUTY
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Hurdle Word 3 hint
America’s bird.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
EAGLE
Hurdle Word 4 hint
A platform.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
FORUM
Final Hurdle hint
Cheapskate.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
MISER
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Keith Horne surprise leader of Senior PGA Championship
NYT Strands hints, answers for April 19, 2026
