On Friday, grassroots climate movement Fridays for Future led its first global strike since the pandemic hit: #UprootTheSystem, a name and hashtag meant to bring about an intersectional discussion about climate change.

Fridays for Future began in 2018 when then-15-year-old Greta Thunberg began a school strike for climate. Thunberg’s protest quickly sparked a global movement, and — fast forward to yesterday — Uproot the System was worldwide, with estimated 1,400 events in over 80 countries.

Uproot the System encourages all of us to center MAPA, or “most affected people and areas.” This includes indigenous people and regions labeled the “Global South” (parts of Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania).

“Without listening to MAPA, embracing intersectionality, and uprooting this system,” warned Fridays for Future in their Uproot The System blog post, “we have no hope of stopping the climate crisis.”

Thousands of young people around the globe met the call on Friday. Thunberg herself attended the Berlin protest. Here are photos from the international strike:

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Twitter isn’t exactly great at keeping jerks out of people’s replies, as anyone who has ever had a tweet “do numbers” can surely attest. But what if — what if — things were different?

That’s what Paula Bercante, a designer for the social media company, teased in a Friday thread soliciting user feedback on some new ideas. Newly conceived but not-yet-implemented “Filter” and “Limit” controls would offer new setting switches designed to regulate the flow of tweets directed at account-holders.

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The two switches are fairly self-explanatory. Filter would watch for harmful or spammed replies and block them from view for everyone other than each problem tweet’s author. Limit takes this a step further, preventing accounts “that tend to use harmful language or send repetitive, uninvited” tweets from replying to accounts that have the setting switched on.

“Filter and Limit would be all about empowering you to proactively prevent potentially harmful interactions and letting you control the tone of your conversations,” Barcante wrote in the thread. “Disagreements, debates, and criticism are still allowed.”

Barcante doesn’t say it outright, but her thread suggests that the two settings would depend to some extent on a database of bad Twitter actors. Maybe “Filter” could be powered by an AI brain, but it’s hard to imagine how “Limit” would shut down replies from accounts “that tend to” behave in a certain way without having a list to draw from.

Strangely, however, the decision to use either feature (as they’re currently designed) would be broadcast up front to all readers. Meaning a would-be troll would know beforehand if they’re about to tangle with someone who might not see what they’re going to say, because a setting is switched on.

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Barcante’s thread suggests it works this way because the warning could encourage a would-be troll to rethink their response, and perhaps engage more respectfully. If that is the case, it’s reasoning that might have made sense in the first years after Twitter’s 2006 launch. But now? In 2021? Not so much.

Tipping someone off that their reply may not be OK is a strangely deferential moved aimed at would-be bad actors. It’s Twitter telling someone who may have bad intentions that their efforts to offend are likely to be wasted, so better to move on and direct that energy somewhere else.

“The warning could convince a would-be troll to respond in a more respectful manner” isn’t just a naïve belief to hang onto in this day and age, it’s also fundamentally the wrong way to approach these kinds of features. Why show deference to potential bad actors at all? Shouldn’t the goal of “Filter” and “Limit” controls be focused squarely on protecting a tweet’s poster?

When I originally came across this story (h/t The Verge), I thought: “Wow, Twitter is actually daring to imagine a world where it protects the people who use its platform.” But after a closer look, that’s not really what’s happening here, is it? These tools might offer a measure of protection to those who use them, but the way they’re built now, they also stand to arm trolls with the information they need to troll more effectively.

It’s a bizarre choice. But it’s also not a finalized feature, so here’s some feedback for you Twitter: The foundational philosophy for settings like these should exclusively prioritize protecting users. If you’re also giving their harassers the tools to act like jerks more efficiently, you’re doing it wrong.

A new law will pry open the black box of how Amazon monitors, rewards, and disciplines its fulfillment center employees.

On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that directly affects “mega-retailers” like Amazon, and how these companies use algorithms to manage warehouse workers. Mega-retailers are those that employ more than 1,000 warehouse workers, and they include one of Amazon’s main competitors, Walmart.

The bill, AB 701, takes effect on Jan. 1 and gives companies 30 days to disclose in writing “each quota to which the employee is subject.”

Traditional quotas let workers know what’s expected of them. But workers and government regulators can’t see what goes into the algorithms used by Amazon and other companies to judge productivity. So an employee could be penalized for taking too many bathroom breaks and never know that’s why their hours were cut or they were fired.

Under the new law, companies will have to detail “the quantified number of tasks to be performed, or materials to be produced or handled, within the defined time period, and any potential adverse employment action that could result from failure to meet the quota.”

A recent report from the anti-trust advocacy group Open Markets Institute details how Amazon surveils its workers.

Amazon says this technology — including cameras in delivery vans that are always on, and an app that monitors driving — are meant to promote safety. But worker advocates say they have resulted in unfair firings, and put stress on an already harried workforce.

Amazon employs 150,000 people in California, according to the Associated Press. The new law won’t affect the company’s delivery drivers, just its warehouse workers.

Reports claim Amazon workers have skipped trips to the bathroom to meet productivity goals. The bill prohibits retaliating against workers who fail to meet quotas because they’re taking breaks or using the restroom.

Workers are also now entitled to see 90 days worth of their own data, and have the power to sue if they’ve been disciplined for not keeping up with burdensome quotas, or if they believe their quotas violate labor laws mandating worker protections, like bathroom breaks.

Amazon did not issue a statement regarding the bill’s passage, nor did it respond to Mashable’s request for comment. In the past, it has pushed back on the idea that its workers struggle under the pressure of constant surveillance and a frenzied work pace.

It recently implemented an expensive “wellness program.” Now it looks like California workers will get what they actually need — bathroom breaks and the power to fight back.

In search of a good laugh? Hulu’s movie library is here to help.

From cult classics to recent gems, Hulu boasts a large collection of comedies. The prospect of wading through all of them can be daunting, especially since some movies may require an add-on subscription to watch. There’s no streaming woe worse than finding the perfect movie to watch before realizing you don’t have the right plan to watch it.

No need to panic though: We’ve gone through Hulu’s catalog already and narrowed it down to the cream of the comedy crop, all of which can be watched without any extra subscriptions. Any of these movies will have you chuckling in no time.

Here, in no particular order, are the 15 best comedies on Hulu.

1. Booksmart (2019)

Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart seems destined to be this era’s Dazed and Confused, which is to say that teen comedy full of unknowns and up-and-comers who’ll all go on to become big, big stars. Regardless of what becomes of its cast, though, it’s earned instant-classic status in its own right, serving up both belly laughs and heartfelt tears. It’s a lot of emotions, is what I’m saying, but in a way that feels true to the heaven and hell that is the end of high school.

Even as the film veers off into borderline surreal directions (Billie Lourd is particularly magical as a party girl with a knack for being in the right place at the right time), Booksmart grounds itself in the unimpeachable bond between defiantly uncool BFFs Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever). This one’s for all the nerds out there who were forced to learn, eventually, that there’s more to life than what goes on in books. — Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor *

How to watch: Booksmart is now streaming on Hulu.

2. Shrek 2 (2004)

Yes, Hulu also has Shrek, but Shrek 2 is hands-down the best movie in the franchise about everyone’s favorite ogre. It continues the message of self-love and acceptance established in Shrek while introducing Shrek (Mike Myers), Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) to a boatload of hilarious new characters. Who can forget the dashing Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), the Jaime Lannister-esque Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), or the villainous Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders)? Shrek 2 is full of laughs, but it’s worth the watch for the “Holding Out for a Hero” sequence alone. We’d storm a castle with Mongo anytime. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Fellow

How to watch: Shrek 2 is now streaming on Hulu.

3. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar

It takes maybe five minutes for Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar to elicit its first “WTF?” and to the comedy’s immense credit, it only gets weirder from there.

There are life-saving culottes, and elaborate lies about turtles, and a mythological sea sprite named Trish, and a villain commanding an army of mosquitos, and a musical number that has Jamie Dornan climbing up a palm tree like a cat up a palm tree who’s decided to go up a palm tree, and…look, you’ve just got to watch it to get it. And at the center of all of it is the sincerely sweet, reliably rock-solid bond between Barb (Annie Mumolo) and Star (Kristen Wiig). Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar ended up being to us what Vista Del Mar was to Barb and Share: the breezy little break from reality we needed to get our shine back. — A.H.

How to watch: Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is now streaming on Hulu.

4. Palm Springs (2020)

When Palm Springs arrived in July of 2020, most movie releases were postponed inevitably because of the pandemic — yet here was a movie, a new movie, a festival darling, about people going quietly insane with monotony and losing grip on time itself. 

Max Barbakow’s film showcases a cheerfully nihilistic Andy Samberg, along with Cristin Milioti in her best work to date as his increasingly frenzied companion, in “one of those infinite time loop situations you might have heard of.” Their chemistry makes Andy Siara’s script soar, leaving ample room for J.K. Simmons’ sinister interludes and just the right amount of time travel interrogation. It’s a sharp, original comedy worth revisiting again, and again, and again. — Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter *

How to watch: Palm Springs is now streaming on Hulu.

5. Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Steve Martin and John Candy (RIP), both delivering rip-roaring funny comedic performances at the peaks of their respective careers. (To be fair, Martin’s entire career is basically one, never-ending peak.) When Martin’s straight-laced Neal Page is left stranded in New York City with only two days to reach his family in Chicago before Thanksgiving, he’s forced into an unwanted road trip with traveling salesman Del Griffiths (Candy). Del is an obnoxious and oblivious — but easily lovable — loudmouth who trusts easily and has a penchant for making terrible choices. 

Their odd couple pairing fuels a hilarious road trip comedy in which the two suffer setback after setback as their relationship grows increasingly contentious. But like any great story, there’s real heart underpinning their entire journey and an arc that’ll leave you with a wholesome smile in the midst of all the laughs. There’s also this absolutely legendary scene where an out-of-patience Martin goes ham on a totally game Edie McClurg, of Ferris Bueller fame. — Adam Rosenberg, Senior Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is now streaming on Hulu.

6. Dear White People

Before it was a Netflix series, Justin Simien’s Dear White People was a feature film written, directed, and co-produced by Simien in 2014. Racial tensions escalate at the fictitious Winchester University, where Sam (Tessa Thompson) broadcasts the radio show “Dear White People.” When white students on campus throw a blackface party, Sam butts heads not only with the university’s conflict-averse faculty and uncomfortable legacy, but with fellow students like Coco (Teyonah Parris), Troy (Brandon P. Bell), and freshman Lionel (Tyler James Williams) about the politics of Blackness at a predominantly white institution. 

There is simply no iteration of Dear White People without Simien’s searing comedic and artistic voice, as confident here as it would be three years later when the show debuted on Netflix. That in the hands of a formidable cast of promising Black actors led Dear White People to make quite the impression in its theatrical run and the film festival circuit — Thompson and Parris are particularly outstanding, and a certain comics movie franchise seems to have noticed. — P.K.

How to watch: Dear White People is now streaming on Hulu.

7. The Nice Guys (2016)

If you’re a sucker for black comedy, witty dialogue, ’70s style, and/or odd-couple comedic duos, it doesn’t get much nicer than The Nice Guys. Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling play a pair of washed-up private investigators who reluctantly join forces to search for a missing woman (Margaret Qualley) in 1977 Los Angeles — with occasional assistance from the former’s clever teenage daughter, played by Angourie Rice. Though the mystery takes the gang to the farthest reaches of the city, burrowing deep into rabbit holes and brushing up against all manner of eccentrics, it’s the unexpected chemistry between Crowe and Gosling that really keeps this engine running, and it’ll leave you wishing for more where that came from. — A.H.

How to watch: The Nice Guys is now streaming on Hulu.

8. Hunt for the Wilderpeople

This 2016 adventure about bad egg Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) and his curmudgeonly foster father Hec (Sam Neill) is the kind of eccentric delight that writer/director Taika Waititi specializes in (this time co-writing with Barry Crump, who wrote the original book).

After losing his foster mother, Ricky flees into the forests of New Zealand, pursued by Hec only to learn that the older man also feels no need to return to civilization. Together they become the wilderpeople; living off the land and evading capture from authorities, including Thor: Ragnarok‘s Rachel House.

Wilderpeople is equal parts stirring, hilarious, and absurd — story of found family and adventure that can be loved by all. — P.K.

How to watch: Hunt for the Wilderpeople is now streaming on Hulu.

9. Logan Lucky

Director Steven Soderbergh described Logan Lucky as the “anti-glam version of an Ocean’s movie,” but what this film lacks in glam it makes up for with inventive twists, winning humor, and an absolutely stellar cast. Channing Tatum and Adam Driver are pure dynamite as brothers Jimmy and Clyde Logan, who decide to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway. What follows is a heist of epic proportions, involving cockroaches, gummy bears, and a delightfully unhinged performance by Daniel Craig. To reveal much else would spoil the fun (and the surprises), so I’ll keep quiet. Rest assured though, after watching Logan Lucky, you’ll never hear the word “cauliflower” the same way again. — B.E.

How to watch: Logan Lucky is now streaming on Hulu.

10. Heathers

Teen movies get a killer twist in Heathers, a black comedy about high school life, teen angst, and murder. Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) is a member of a high-power clique at her high school known as the Heathers, but she doesn’t really care for her popular friends or their harsh treatment of others. Everything changes when she meets J.D. (Christian Slater), a misanthropic rebel who appeals to Veronica’s darker side… and whose arrival at Westerburg High sets off a chain of gruesome deaths. This 80s cult classic isn’t afraid to go to some dark places, plus it provides us with extremely iconic fashion moments and dialogue. How very! — B.E.

How to watch: Heathers is now streaming on Hulu.

11. Hearts Beat Loud

Brett Haley’s 2018 indie is one of those movies fills your soul. Single father Frank (Nick Offerman) and daughter Sam (Kiersey Clemons) record a hit song that goes viral (a song you’ll bop to throughout the movie). Despite Sam’s resistance to declaring themselves a band, Frank wants to start a band and see where it goes. Offerman and Clemons create an authentic and beautiful bond on-screen, buoying the film’s music, conflict, and tender moments that will leave you longing to watch anything as good. — P.K.

How to watch: Hearts Beat Loud is now streaming on Hulu.

12. 50/50

Too often films about chronic illness swap sickness for character and platitudes for thoughtfulness, but 50/50 is a wonderful exception. Joseph Gordon-Levitt leads as Adam, a shy twenty-something who discovers he has a rare form of spinal cancer after visiting the doctor for back pain. Adam’s journey facing his illness could be tragic. Instead, it’s uproariously funny and surprisingly light-hearted, with only select scenes dedicated to the story’s more dramatic aspects. 

Supporting performances by Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston, and especially Seth Rogen make this a solid ensemble effort. Still, it’s Gordon-Levitt who shines brightest here, conveying the overwhelmingly psychological stress of facing a cancer diagnosis with incredible care. He’s subtle with, but unafraid of, 50/50’s subject matter, and it shows the whole movie through. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: 50/50 is now streaming on Hulu.

13. Plan B

When Sunny (Kuhoo Verma) has sex at a house party, she needs the morning after pill but can’t get it thanks to South Dakota’s regressive pharmacy policy. She and best friend Lupe (Victoria Moroles) embark on a wild road trip that includes illegal drugs, a catfish close call, an insane gas station encounter, and a dick piercing. Verma and Moroles hold the film together superbly, their chemistry elevating every scene of Prathi Srinivasan and Joshua Levy’s script riotous script. It’s a killer directorial debut for Natalie Morales, who recognizes the star power in front of the camera and the weight of stories about strong female friendship and women of color living authentically. — P.K.

How to watch: Plan B is now streaming on Hulu.

14. Office Space

Mike Judge has always had a knack for finding the pulse of things. It’s Idiocracy that (understandably) tends to get the most credit in our post-Trump world, but 1999’s workplace comedy Office Space is similarly perfect.

Starring Ron Livingston and Jennifer Aniston, the intensely quotable and clip-worthy laughfest is wall-to-wall with iconic examples of comedy. Everything from Lumberg to the trials of Michael Bolton; from the Red Stapler to the ignoble death of an uncooperative printer, set perfectly to music. Office Space beautifully, hilariously captures the mundane tortures, inane logic, and cathartic escapes of an unsatisfying office job. As true and accurate now as it was in 1999. — A.R.

How to watch: Office Space is now streaming on Hulu.

15. Ingrid Goes West

Aubrey Plaza stars as the titular Ingrid in this dark comedy from writer-director Matt Spicer. Set against the Instagram-worthy (if not always sincere) SoCal influencing scene, Ingrid Goes West follows a troubled young woman who decides to embark on a new chapter in Los Angeles after the death of her mother. The inspiration for her drastic life overhaul, we learn, is Taylor Sloane, a self-centered social media star played by Elizabeth Olsen, who Ingrid has never met but is determined to befriend. 

Spicer and co-writer David Branson Smith effectively explore themes of authenticity and social alienation in the comedy of errors that ensues, with Plaza channeling their message through equally conscientious acting choices. At the same time, Plaza and Olsen work with one another so delightfully they make this regularly melancholic story laugh-out-loud funny. It’s a great watch, if not a true-blue comedy. — A.F.

How to watch: Ingrid Goes West is now streaming on Hulu.

Looking for more Hulu movie recommendations? We can help:

• The 13 best classic movies on Hulu

• 15 best shows on Hulu to binge-watch right now

• 13 sci-fi movies on Hulu to stream this weekend

• 14 romantic comedies on Hulu to fall in love with

Asterisks (*) indicate the write up comes from a previous Mashable list. This story was originally published in 2020 and updated in Sept. 2021 with new recommendations from your pals at Mashable.

HBO Max isn’t kidding around when it comes to comedy. The streaming service, which comes with multiple subscription tiers, features a load of excellent movies and TV shows that were previously difficult to stream elsewhere. They come in all sorts of genres — and, luckily, among them is a notably stacked-up selection of TV comedies.

We’ve gone through HBO Max’s extensive catalog and selected the best of the best for your viewing enjoyment. From old favorites to HBO originals, HBO Max has covered all the bases. Whether you need a solid comedy-drama, some deliciously dark humor, or the perfect background sitcom, the streaming platform is there for you.

Here are the 12 best TV comedies you should be watching right now on HBO Max.

1. Friends

It’s time to pivot away from Netflix and toward HBO Max, the only streaming service that will let you binge Friends to your heart’s desire. Why wouldn’t you want to hang out with the Central Perk gang another time… or 20?

With Rachel, Ross, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, and Chandler entering an endless string of romances and embarking on various career adventures, it’s easy to stay interested. Plus, it’s good to keep fresh on all the show’s pop culture references, since the internet continues to use them now and probably forever.

How to watch: Friends is now streaming on HBO Max.

2. Veep

After her Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine days, Julia Louis-Dreyfus starred as the United States Vice President (and later President) Selina Meyer in Veep. And, yes, she smashed it.

The political satire, which wrapped up last year, took a close look at the inner workings of Selina’s career. Though she hopes to keep up her image and remain admired by the country, she more often gets wrapped up in political shenanigans and is forced to work them out with the help of her staff.

Veep is witty, edgy, and well-acted — so it might be your stream dream.

How to watch: Veep is now streaming on HBO Max.

3. Rick and Morty

HBO Max has welcomed a large collection of Adult Swim series onto its platform, and that includes Rick and Morty.

While the sci-fi sitcom features appearances from the entire Smith family, it focuses primarily on anxious, 14-year-old Morty and his mad scientist grandfather, Rick, as they journey through wacky dimensions and domestic life. This juxtaposition is made possible by the show’s smart writing and confident humor, which has it winning the adult cartoon category.

How to watch: Rick and Morty is now streaming on HBO Max.

4. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

There’s a lot to love about this iconic sitcom: the rise of Will Smith (who, ironically, plays a character named Will Smith), the ’90s aesthetic, the talented cast, and the snappy writing.

The show has a teenage Will being uprooted from his life in West Philadelphia and moving into his aunt and uncle’s mansion in the wealthy L.A. neighborhood of Bel-Air. He must find a way to adjust to his relatives’ upper-class lifestyle, and, no — it’s not easy.

How to watch: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is now streaming on HBO Max.

5. Succession

Succession plants itself in the black comedy genre, giving the family business plot seen in shows like Arrested Development a darker, more dramatic edge.

The show centers on the dysfunctional Roy family, which owns and manages the giant media conglomerate Waystar Royco. Though Logan has always headed the business and led his family, he might have to let a thing or two go after his health begins to decline. That leaves his four children to fight for control.

How to watch: Succession is now streaming on HBO Max.

6. Insecure

Issa is funny, bold… and insecure.

Like Succession, this one edges into comedy-drama territory but keeps a much lighter tone while focusing on the black female experiences of two friends in Los Angeles.

Insecure‘s narrative begins at major turning points in the leads’ lives. While Issa questions whether she should move on from her unemployed boyfriend after turning 29, Molly struggles to be as successful in her dating life as she is in her attorney career.

Raunchy but intelligent, Insecure will keep you on your toes.

How to watch: Insecure is now streaming on HBO Max.

7. The Big Bang Theory

It all started with a big bang! This long-running CBS comedy concluded last year, and with all 12 seasons now available for streaming via HBO, you have the perfect opportunity to revisit.

The Big Bang Theory has the brilliant, geeky, and terribly awkward Leonard and Sheldon sharing an apartment in Pasadena, California. Though the pair’s smarts have scored them a couple of jobs as physicists at Caltech, their intelligence hasn’t spilled over into their dating life. This leaves them ill-prepared to catch the attention of their lovely new neighbor, Penny.

The first season might get off to a slow start, but Big Bang Theory does eventually find its sweet spot and keeps the jokes running.

How to watch: The Big Bang Theory is now streaming on HBO Max.

8. Barry

If you’re asking for something that’s not as intimidating to binge (Big Bang Theory has 279 episodes), Barry might be your answer, especially if you’re craving a darker brand of humor.

The 16-episode series catches up with the titular hit man, who heads from Ohio to L.A. to murder his next victim — that is, until he stumbles into an acting class and discovers his new passion: theater. (Yes, technically he also sticks around due to his huge crush on one of the aspiring actresses, but that’s beside the point.) His reinvention of the self is a riot, and you get a front-row seat to all the drama.

How to watch: Barry is now streaming on HBO Max.

9. Curb Your Enthusiasm

Larry David plays a fictionalized version of himself in this cringe comedy. The semi-retired TV writer has little patience with people, and as a result, he frequently gets into misunderstandings.

Curb Your Enthusiasm is largely improvised, which keeps the dialogue hot. And the show is known for its frequent use of guest stars, including Dr. Phil, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Lauren Graham, Ted Danson, and Alanis Morissette, to name a few. If you want a few laughs and a load of surprises, this is your show.

How to watch: Curb Your Enthusiasm is now streaming on HBO Max.

10. The Office (UK)

Let’s make this clear, just in case you haven’t gotten the memo: The Office (UK) is not the American Office. It’s not heartwarming, there are no sweeping romances, and it’s only two seasons long. However, if you can appreciate a very dry, very British sense of humor, the original Office is definitely worth your time. Plus, if you’re a hardcore fan of the U.S. version, the UK one will give you a more complete idea of where your favorite show came from.

The Office (UK) follows a group of workers who are employed at Wernham Hogg paper company in the English town of Slough. While work isn’t particularly fun for the crew, it’s only made worse by their narcissistic manager, David Brent (Ricky Gervais).

The uncomfortable social interactions between the staff will leave you simultaneously cringing and laughing.

How to watch: The Office (UK) is now streaming on HBO Max.

11. Hacks

Hacks is many things: an incredible vehicle for Jean Smart; a provocative piece about the business of comedy; an odd-couple two-hander about work relationships that become all-consuming.

The show, about a falling star older comedian (Smart) and the once-hot, now-blacklisted writer (Hannah Einbinder) that begins to work with her on her Las Vegas standup act, is snappy and smart, with plenty to say about women who never got their due. It could easily have turned into a screed against Gen Z or Boomers, but instead, Hacks (which was co-created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky) is a thoughtful exploration of change and comedy, engaging to both those who know a lot about the inside of Hollywood as well as those who look on from afar. The show is engrossing and funny — a weekend binge you’ll be thinking about far after the surprising and stirring final moments. — Erin Strecker, Entertainment Editor *

How to watch: Hacks is now streaming on HBO Max.

12. The Other Two

The Other Two is a hilarious (and criminally underrated) satire of show business created by former Saturday Night Live head writers Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider. When siblings Cary and Brooke Dubek (Drew Tarver and Heléne Yorke, both excellent) discover that their younger brother Chase (Case Walker) has become an overnight teen pop sensation, they do their best to help him navigate stardom – and try to figure out how to use his fame to boost their own stalling careers.

In Kelly and Schneider’s capable hands, what could have been a one-note comedy about sibling jealousy becomes a show where the dramatic payoff is just as resonant as the many, many jokes. Come for all the pop culture references (including the best Call Me By Your Name parody ever put to film), stay for the emotional turmoil of the Dubek family. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Fellow

How to watch: The Other Two is now streaming on HBO Max.

We get it. The world of today is a trying place. Sometimes you just want an escape hatch that lets you live inside another take on our present or future. That’s what makes good science fiction so alluring.

All the Amazon Prime subscribers out there should know: You have a boatload of options to choose from in the online retailer’s streaming library. There’s a little something for fans of any style of sci-fi you could imagine, from comedy to horror to drama to just plain “this is weird AF.”

Here’s a selection of some of our favorites that you can find and fire up right now.

1. The Man Who Fell to Earth

The Man Who Fell to Earth is basically E.T., but the extraterrestrial in this case is a smoldering 29-year-old David Bowie. (Also, E.T. came out six years later.) Bowie appears here in his first starring role, playing an alien who comes to our planet in search of water for his drought-stricken home world. Presenting himself to the people of Earth as an Englishman named Thomas Jerome Newton, the out-of-this-world visitor uses his knowledge of advanced technology to secure patents that make him fabulously wealthy. But his mission to save his home is complicated again and again by the more harmful trappings of human life, as well as shady government figures.

Commentary much? This surreal work of sci-fi directed by Nicolas Roeg is a must-see for any Bowie fan (i.e., everyone).

How to watch: The Man Who Fell to Earth is now streaming for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.

2. Attack the Block

Back in 2011, an unknown director named Joe Cornish premiered a sci-fi action thriller starring an unknown actor named John Boyega. Attack the Block blew away audiences and critics with its depiction of a South London block under alien siege, with Boyega’s Moses fighting on the front lines for his turf. It’s brilliantly paced, plotted, and scored by Steven Price — a powerhouse debut for the kind of talent Hollywood scours for every day. Boyega commands the screen with star power even as a teen, teaming up with Cornish to bring his script to life with enviable confidence. —Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Attack the Block is now streaming for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.

3. Donnie Darko

With Donnie Darko, writer-director Richard Kelly delivered not only an all-time great sci-fi thriller, but one of the most moving accounts of teen angst ever put to film. Then-19-year-old Jake Gyllenhaal leads as the titular character, a struggling high schooler who experiences bizarre hallucinations and dangerous sleepwalking incidents after a freak accident. Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze and more also appear.

Combining dream-like cinematography, brilliant scripting, and an utterly incomparable soundtrack, this 2001 title strikes a tone unmatched by any since. Mournful yet magnificent, the tale of strange tragedy has been described as a kind of heavily philosophical superhero movie, and with good reason. On the off-chance you haven’t seen it, I’ll leave it at that, since this is one movie that truly deserves to be enjoyed unspoiled. —Ali Foreman, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Donnie Darko is now streaming for Amazon Prime Subscribers (via IMDb TV, with ads).

4. The Host

Parasite‘s Song Kang-ho plays Park Gang-du, viewed as a lost cause by his family, even young daughter Hyun-seo (Ko Asung). When toxic waste from a lab up the Han River creates a twisted monster that starts attacking humans, it takes Hyun-seo. The family is broken — director Bong Joon Ho’s eclectic humor rears its head in scenes like when the Parks weep for Hyun-seo — and seems entirely dubious of trusting Gang-du to rescue his daughter.

Bong’s 2006 creature feature was only his third full-length production as director, and went on to be the highest-grossing South Korean movie at that point in time. As the creature affects everyone from gangsters to government and the Park family in particular, it’s highly reminiscent of Okja, made 11 years later with five times the budget. It’s a treat for fans of Bong’s storytelling to witness his evolution and a brilliant mind at work since long before it was winning Oscars. —P.K.

How to watch: The Host is now streaming for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.

5. The Vast of Night

It feels reductive to even call Andrew Patterson’s indie masterpiece science fiction, but given that its 89-minute runtime at least alludes to aliens, it might be all we’ve got. Everett (Jake Horowitz), a radio jockey, and Fay (Sierra McCormick), a switchboard operator, have their night cut short by a strange audio phenomenon that interferes with the broadcast and confuses listeners. Their night derails as they follow clues about the sound’s origin and reports of something odd in the sky. 

Vast of Night hypnotizes the viewer not with special effects or otherworldly elements, but with grounded, meditative, even slow direction and performance. Many scenes are long, uncut takes of one or more characters talking, and by the end it barely matters what they saw in the sky or choose to believe in. Fay and Everett’s night is already one they’ll never forget, and a film that stays with you long after you watch it. —P.K.

How to watch: The Vast of Night is now streaming for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.

6. Explorers

This charming family sci-fi flick from director Joe Dante (Gremlins!) is about a group of kids who build a working spaceship out of trash and literal dreams (for real). When they finally do get what they’re after, they discover that life in outer space isn’t so different from life at home. Explorers is a bit uneven due to the odd circumstances of its production, but it lives on today as a cult classic. It’s also, perhaps most notably, the feature film debut for Ethan Hawke and the late River Phoenix, who, along with Jason Presson, star as the three spacefaring teens.

How to watch: Explorers is now streaming for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.

7. Minority Report

Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, and time crimes. What’s not to love? This 2002 blockbuster adapted from a Philip K. Dick short story sets Cruise in the role of John Anderton, the chief of a future-tech police division called PreCrime. As if modern policing isn’t already bad enough, PreCrime officers get a heads-up on crimes before they’re committed, with information delivered by Precogs, or psychics, who spend their days drugged and floating in tubs of water.

It’s a wacky premise that takes a not-unexpected turn when Anderton, who’s struggled with depression and addiction after the never-solved kidnapping of his son destroyed his family six years earlier, is pre-accused of murder. Worse, the victim is someone Anderton’s never even met. While it’s perhaps not as incisive as it could be as a commentary on the dangers of police overreach, Minority Report remains a fun, Spielberg-directed spectacle.

How to watch: Minority Report is now streaming for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.

8. Armageddon

A little Bayhem never hurt anyone. Michael Bay loves to blow stuff up in movies, and he’s rarely done it better than he did in Armageddon. This 1998 disaster flick may be best known for the Aerosmith tune, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” But this is peak Bayhem from the late ’90s, when Hollywood seemed obsessed with finding new and exciting ways to blow up the Earth.

The existential threat in Armageddon is a fast-approaching, ridiculously large asteroid that’s discovered a little more than two weeks before it’s set to touch down and destroy the planet. The best strategy NASA’s geniuses can come up with is planting and detonating a nuclear bomb deep inside inside it. The time crunch means astronauts can’t be trained to do the digging, so NASA turns to a crack crew of deep sea oil drillers, led by Harry S. Stamper (Bruce Willis), for help. Ben Affleck is there, too. This movie rules so hard.

How to watch: Armageddon is now streaming for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.

9. Vivarium

Vivarium isn’t the sci-fi journey to pick if you’re seeking tidy explanations or slickly satisfying reveals. But if you’re open to a more ethereal sci-fi experience — one that will make you ask a lot of questions about the world you’ve been introduced to and then fail to answer most of them — this uniquely baffling outing from director Lorcan Finnegan is worth a go. 

Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots star as a couple looking to buy a house. Yonder, a suburban development touted as having “All you’d need and all you’d want” catches their eye, and they schedule a visit at one of its many identical properties. But after a strange house tour, the pair find they can’t exit the neighborhood, with the labyrinthine rows of matching units trapping them in some kind of loop. 

Things only get stranger from there, so cue this one up when you’re feeling a bit weird. It’s visually beautiful and narratively bonkers. —A.F.

How to watch: Vivarium is now streaming for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.

“Hey Doc, are you a Democrat or a Republican?”

This may seem like a bizarre question to ask your doctor. What would their political affiliation matter in the treatment of your medical issues?

One emergency care physician in Montana, overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases in her ICU, recently reported being asked that very question by a patient.

“I am your doctor,” Dr. Sara Nyquist said she told the patient while talking to a local news outlet Missoulian.

“You do wonder how we got here,” she pondered.

But, we really don’t have to wonder. We are in an era of political polarization. And social media is fanning the flames. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s heated debates on Facebook, Twitter, and everywhere else you frequent online concerning people passing on getting a life-saving vaccine and instead consuming horse paste they purchased from their local animal feed store.

On social media, medicine is political now.

The horse paste debate

In early September, podcaster Joe Rogan announced that he had COVID-19. The popular yet controversial host posted a video to his Instagram account sharing the diagnosis, preceded by a list of medications he was taking to fight it.

One of his treatments: Ivermectin, a Nobel Prize-winning antiparasitic medication long used to treat roundworms and other parasites.

While Ivermectin is widely used in developing nations to treat humans, another version of the same drug is more commonly used as a dewormer for livestock. In order to get horses to take the medication, it comes in paste form, available to purchase at animal feed stores.

Yet, in recent months, anti-vaxxers and other COVID skeptics are heralding Ivermectin as a COVID-19 miracle cure – something it is not.

In fact, both the FDA and CDC have specifically put out statements explicitly warning against using Ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19. Merck, the major manufacturer of Ivermectin in the U.S. has also put out a statement against using the drug for COVID-19. When reached for comment, Merck directed Mashable to the same statement.

Because many medical professionals will not prescribe Ivermectin as it is not viewed as a treatment for COVID-19, some have been using the horse paste version as a workaround.

For months, the internet has been riddled with Facebook Groups and other online forums full of anti-vaxxers dedicated to taking the horse paste version. You’ll even find people in these online groups discussing their daily “regimen” of ingesting Ivermectin horse paste as a preventative against getting COVID-19 in the first place.

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Poison control centers warned of a surge in calls reporting Ivermectin overdoses from people taking the version meant for farm animals. The FDA even put out a statement explicitly telling people to stop taking horse paste.

Then, on social media, the Ivermectin situation really blew up when Rogan announced he was taking it after testing positive for COVID-19.

Rogan had previously told his young listeners they didn’t need the vaccine. He had been spreading various COVID-19 conspiracy theories throughout the pandemic. In fact, months before his Instagram video, he even hosted prominent Ivermectin promoters – one of them being Dr. Pierre Kory of the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) – on his show to discuss the drug.

However, the Ivermectin mention in his Instagram video is what really caught on and set off a firestorm online.

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Rogan, for his part, says that the Ivermectin he took was for humans and prescribed by a doctor, meaning he didn’t eat horse paste.

The push for a “miracle cure”

Some developing nations, with nowhere else to turn and plentiful with Ivermectin, decided to experiment with the drug as a COVID-19 treatment as cases spiked. Without any real rigorous studying or legitimate data, word of Ivermectin’s success in treating COVID-19 in those countries quickly spread amongst those seeking alternative treatments.

The FLCCC, an organization of medical professionals led by its founder Dr. Pierre Kory, soon became Ivermectin’s strongest backer as a COVID-19 treatment in the U.S.

In fact, that may be an understatement.

Those who believe Ivermectin is a “miracle cure” for COVID-19 often cite Kory because he’s called it a “miracle cure” himself – in his testimony in front of a Congressional committee no less. There is no evidence that backs him up.

The FLCCC was formed in the earliest days of the pandemic in March 2020. It was unclear as to how doctors should treat COVID-19 patients who were flooding hospitals when the virus first hit the U.S. Kory, a former critical care specialist, formed the FLCCC in order to develop ways to treat these patients.

Dr. Eric Osgood MD, an internal medicine doctor who treats COVID-19 “long haulers” – those who still experience debilitating symptoms and ailments even after overcoming the virus – became involved with the group because of their work.

In a conversation with Mashable, Osgood says he initially joined the FLCCC because they were “forward thinking doctors who were able to get ahead of the profession” on a few hospital treatments for the coronavirus, such as the use of blood thinners on COVID-19 patients.

However, Osgood left the organization earlier this summer. The reason? The insistence of the FLCCC, led by Kory, to promote Ivermectin over life-saving COVID-19 vaccines.

“We have vaccines now that are widely and easily available that are overwhelmingly shown to save lives,” Dr. Osgood told me. “The group’s influence is not being used to help people get over their fears and uncertainties about vaccines.”

A look at the FLCCC website finds scant mention of the COVID-19 vaccines, let alone any promotion of them. However, Ivermectin enjoys a spotlight role as an entire website topic right on the FLCCC homepage’s main menu at the top of the page. It sits right alongside the website’s “About” and “FAQ” page.

Osgood is perhaps one of the most important voices in the Ivermectin conversation. He is not against the use of Ivermectin in COVID-19 patients. He claims he has seen its effectiveness in treating certain symptoms in these patients, acting an anti-inflammatory, for example. The New Jersey doctor believes that we’ll know more about the possible benefits of Ivermectin use in COVID patients once there is a big enough trial. And, based on that data, he’s also open to being wrong.

“I’m deeply uncomfortable with how Ivermectin is being treated as settled science [by the FLCCC] as opposed to making arguments based on data, risk, benefit, costs, burdens, lack of effective outpatient alternatives,” he explained.

“It’s not a miracle cure and it’s not a vaccine alternative.”

The polarization of COVID-19

Political polarization in the United States, exacerbated by social media, is not a new phenomena.

But the polarization of medical treatment? That is new.

Osgood tells Mashable that he’s never seen anything quite like it in the world of medicine. That is until then-President Donald Trump wholly backed another so-called experimental miracle cure, hydroxychloroquine, at the beginning of the pandemic.

Despite criticism from medical professionals, right wing-leaning COVID skeptics quickly latched on to Trump’s claims. Foreshadowing the current horse paste debacle, some people even took the wrong type of hydroxychloroquine, with fatal results.

Trump even found a group of fringe doctors who supported him to back up his claims. Those same fringe doctors, known as America’s Frontline Doctor’s, are now writing Ivermectin prescriptions for people seeking out the drug.

Studies would later confirm critics’ claims about the ineffectiveness of hydroxychloroquine. But, to right wingers and anti-vaxxers, anyone who criticized hydroxychloroquine was making a political statement, not a scientific one.

And much in the same way it works with political discourse, these anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists were able to use social media to their advantage. They utilized filter bubbles within Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other platforms which enabled them to double-down on false claims about miracle cures and vaccines.

Conspiracy theories are everywhere now

Anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists have existed long before COVID-19.

Throughout the pandemic and during the early lockdowns, as a confused public searched online for answers, those very anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists were ready to meet them with their falsehoods.

Right-wing conspiracies like QAnon flourished during the pandemic. QAnon followers spread their false claims about COVID-19 being a hoax and mixed it in with their conspiratorial foundational beliefs, like Trump’s political enemies running global trafficking rings.

As of the publication of this piece, there have been more than 684,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. since the beginning of the pandemic. More than 2,000 people in the country are dying per day from the virus.

It didn’t take long for conspiracy theorists to convince people on social media that COVID-19 was created by Trump’s rivals, solely meant to cost him the presidential election. And from there the vaccinations – the very same ones Trump has taken credit for – became a way for President Joe Biden’s administration to track people via 5G nanochips. (Of course, that is not true. There is no 5G chip in the COVID vaccine.

With Trump supporters, anti-vaxxers, and other conspiracy theorists officially controlling the COVID-19 narrative among their social media followers, they seek out bogus miracle cures like Ivermectin.

And then the problems eventually jump offline too.

In Idaho, one doctor recently recalled how a COVID patient’s son-in-law threatened her life for not using Ivermectin. Earlier this month, a Chicago hospital was inundated with calls from QAnon believers, harassing the doctors for not using the drug to save a prominent conspiracy theorist sick with COVID-19.

The problem will continue

Ivermectin promoters like Dr. Kory have long promoted a few studies that claim to show the benefits of using the drug on COVID-19 patients.

However, as time has gone on, these studies have been pulled due to ethical concerns and faulty data.

Dr. Osgood described some of the studies on Ivermectin and COVID-19 that were out there as “flawed,” “fabricated,” and “done in a manner that is not in keeping with scientific standards.”

“There has always been research fraud but never have I really seen such extreme amounts of fraud and scientific misconduct surrounding one drug,” he told Mashable.

Even Ivermectin’s online detractors have fallen for online misinformation, too, due to how polarized the issue is. A dubious study claiming Ivermectin lowers male sperm count quickly spread online over the past few weeks, even after it was debunked.

COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the U.S. Those who are hospitalized and die from the virus today are primarily the unvaccinated. Yet, stumble upon any anti-vaxxers Facebook profile and you’ll find them proudly sharing conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and the vaccines.

Over on Reddit, a new community called “The Herman Cain Award” has emerged. The award is named after Herman Cain, a former Republican presidential candidate who attended a Trump rally during the pandemic and refused to wear a mask. He died of COVID-19, which he contracted from the event.

On this subreddit, users share screenshots of unvaccinated social media users’ online posts – image after image of the anti-vaxx user declaring that COVID-19 is a hoax or the vaccines to be some secret government monitoring plot.

And then, last but not least, what some Redditors have come to call “the money shot,” the post that earns that user “The Herman Cain Award”: The final Facebook post, many times from a family member declaring that the unvaccinated poster has passed away due to COVID-19.

During my discussion with Osgood, I pointed to a recent report about how researchers discovered a molecule in the venom of a Brazilian viper that could possibly be used to fight COVID-19.

I joked about how I guess we’ll soon see anti-vaxxers purposefully getting bit by venomous snakes.

A few days alter, Osgood sent me a link to a piece about how the unvaccinated are drinking iodine to fight COVID-19 now, undoubtably due to misinformation spread on social media. To Osgood, much of what we’re seeing is a way for contrarians to buck the system. What better way to bother the establishment than to go against officials during a pandemic?

“The snake venom is coming, my friend…” he said.

Sure, healthcare has always been political, especially in the United States of America, the only industrialized nation without universal healthcare. And, no question, there’s plenty of criticism to be level at the big pharmaceutical companies and their government lobbying to protect their profits.

Medical treatment, however, has typically not been a politically polarizing issue.

But here we are.

The FLCCC did not respond to Mashable’s request for comment.

Welcome to AirFryDay, where — you guessed it —every Friday Mashable covers the latest trends, dispenses advice, and reviews recipes for your air fryer.

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The fried chicken wars have been raging for years now, with no end in sight. You know, Popeyes vs. Chick-fil-A, that whole deal?

And, to be fair, sometimes there’s nothing quite as delicious as a fried chicken sandwich. What’s not to love?

I cook a lot and, on occasion, I deep fry chicken. Not to toot my horn, but if I’m being honest, my fried chicken is good as hell. I’ve had family sheepishly request it like “Tim…would you mind maybe frying…”

Here: Gaze upon my works, ye mighty — which were deep fried in a ton of oil in a Dutch oven — and despair.

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So, when my editor suggested we attempt to homemake an air fried chicken sandwich for AirFryday, I was all about it.

The question was, could air frying compare to its deep fried cousin? The short answer: not really. The slightly longer answer? Kind of, especially if convenience matters to you.

When I make regular fried chicken, I roughly follow this amazing Lang Whitaker recipe at GQ, with modifications here and there. The very basic idea is you marinate boneless, skinless chicken thighs in buttermilk, dredge in seasoned flour using the marinade as binder, then fry. The recipe my boss suggested as an air fryer baseline — a Chick-fil-A dupe — involved a similar process.

Basically it called for marinating in a mixture of pickle juice and buttermilk, dredging seasoned flour, then air frying. I effectively took a mixture of the air fryer recipe, the GQ recipe, what my boss does, and what I do, to test out air frying a chicken sandwich. The result was very good, if not quite as crispy or tasty as a deep fried chicken sandwich. But, in a pinch, it’s a tasty meal. And hey, maybe it’s even a little be healthier for you. At least you won’t be left with a huge pot of nasty oil at the end.

Ingredients:

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I made four because all the grocery store had was a 4-pack. But you can scale up or down as needed.)

• Buttermilk, roughly 2 to 3 cups, depending on how much chicken you’re making.

• Pickle juice, about 1 to 2 cups, again depending on how much chicken you need to marinade.

• Hot sauce. Any kind will do.

• Garlic, peeled, roughly chopped.

• Flour, at least two cups, probably more.

• Nonstick spray. You absolutely need this.

• Salt, pepper, and other favorite seasonings. I use garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, and cayenee.

• Potato rolls.

• Pickle slices.

• Optional ingredients: corn starch for dredge. Mayo, mustard, ketchup, sriracha, chopped pickles for sauce.

How to make fried chicken in an air fryer

1. Marinate the chicken

The basics: buttermilk, pickle juice, garlic, hot sauce.

Because it was convenient for me, I marinated my chicken overnight. I’d say give yourself at least an hour, and I don’t think you can overdo it. I started the marinade with a base of one-third pickle juice and two-thirds buttermilk. This will help keep the chicken juicy and give it that briny taste folks love. It will also later act as a binder for the seasoned flour.

To that liquid mixture, I added a whole mess of garlic cloves — a scientific measure — that I roughly chopped in half to release some of the flavor. Then I dumped a bunch of hot sauce (use whatever, but I like Valentina Extra Hot) into the mixture. I added enough hot sauce to turn the marinade pink, but you do as much or as little you prefer. I like my chicken sandwiches spicy.

From there, plop as many boneless, skinless chicken thighs as your heart desires in the marinade.

There are a few reasons for using boneless, skinless thighs. One: Boneless thighs will cook faster than bone-in thighs, allowing the chicken to cook through while not burning the crust. Two: Thighs are superior to breasts and will stay juicier. Three: You do not need chicken skin for this recipe.

From there, refrigerate until you’re ready to air fry some chicken.

2. Prepare your mise en place

OK, sorry for the French lesson, but I’m a big believer in the cooking term mise en place, which basically means prepping everything before you cook. For this recipe that means:

• Toast your buns: I just tossed them in a preheating air fryer for a few minutes and it worked fine

• Place pickles on one side of a toasted bun.

• Make a sauce, if you desire, and put it on your buns

• Prep your seasoned flour mixture, including a bunch of salt, pepper, and whatever else your heart desires

For the quick sauce, I whisked together mayo, finely chopped pickles, sriracha, Valentina, ketchup, and mustard to make a spicy, fake aioli. It was tasty.

Now the flour. In a large bowl, I combined more flour than I’d ever think I’d need to coat my thighs, tons of salt (seriously, more salt than you think), black pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, and lots of cayenne because I like it hot. I also tossed in some corn starch because I was low on flour and corn starch will help you get an extra crispy crust when you’re not deep frying. You can season with whatever you prefer, but it’s key to remember that, beyond the marinade, this flour mixture is how you’re seasoning your chicken. Season, season, season.

Here’s how my prepped plates looked after all my mise en place was knocked out.

3. Dredge your chicken

Piece by piece, take your thighs and dredge them in flour. This is not a delicate process. You basically want to push the flour into every nook and cranny of the chicken.

The marinade should absorb the seasoned flour and your fingers should be a mess. The better you adhere this flour, the better your sandwich will turn out.

You want those suckers to look like this. Shake off any excess flour.

4. Preheat the air fryer to 340 degrees

While the air fryer preheats, do dishes. Clean as you go and life will be far easier.

5. Place your chicken in the air fryer

Wait, wait, wait! Did you spray the your basket? Take nonstick spray and blast your cooking basket and/or grate. Then, right as you lay down your chicken on the grate, spray the chicken itself. You might loose some excess flour in this process, and it might make a little mess, but it’s better than losing your crispy coating.

Here’s what the chicken looks like in the basket, sprayed to all hell.

6. Air fry the chicken for 12 minutes, flipping half way

Ok, from there. Cook the chicken for six minutes at 340 degrees, then flip it — spray the chicken again — and cook the other side for six minutes at 340 degrees.

Note: All air fryers are different. Treat this as a general guide. For reference, I have an Instant Pot six-quart air fryer, which just barely fit four thighs.

Here’s what the chicken looked like after 12 minutes in the air fryer.

6. Blast the chicken with heat

OK, so it’s been 12 minutes and the chicken doesn’t look super crispy. Don’t worry. We’re going to blast it with heat.

But first, use a meat thermometer and check where you’re at. (If you don’t have a meat thermometer, Mashable has a recommendation and, trust me, they’re super useful.)

Chicken need to be cooked to at least 165 degrees, and thighs, because they’re dark meat, can go higher and still taste amazing. My thighs were pretty close to cooked through after just those 12 minutes at 340 degrees. But they weren’t crisp enough.

So, to finish cooking the coating, ramp the heat of the air fryer up to 400 degrees. I cooked the thighs for four minutes on one side, then flipped and cooked for four more minutes.

But keep an eye out and check your chicken more frequently at this point. They could be ready to go at any moment. It may take a few minutes less, or a few minutes more depending on your air fryer, the thickness of your thighs, or other factors.

7. Place a thigh on your prepped bun and eat

Here’s what the chicken looked like, all finished.

To be honest, you’re almost certainly going to lose some of the crust in the basket. An air fryer circulates hot air, which is great, but it just doesn’t have the heating capacity of hot oil in a deep fryer, which adheres the flour amazingly well. Don’t fret about losing some faux-skin. Such is life.

But look at the finished product, placed on a bun, and ready to go. Pretty dang good.

The verdict

An air fried chicken sandwich can be very tasty. At no point, while eating it, did I think “Wow, this is not good.” But it is not as tasty as deep fried chicken. To be fair, that is a very high bar.

In the end, an air fryer is basically a super-charged convection oven. That can make great faux fried chicken but it is not going to be as good as if you took the same thing and dropped it in hot oil. The air fried version will be healthier, however, and it will save you a ton of time, clean-up, and hassle.

Deep frying takes a lot of prep, and attention, and stress, because you have a bubbling vat of scorching oil inside your home. You may get better chicken, but deep frying also leaves your house smelling like a KFC and then you have to find a way to throw away a bunch of used oil.

I’d say, in an air fryer, you can do a decent job of copying Chick-fil-A, which has a softer, briny coating. You will not be able to recreate the craggy, incredibly crispy coating in the spirit of Popeyes, which is what I achieve while deep frying.

Still, using all the same basic principles, an air fryer can make you a tasty fried chicken sandwich in 20 minutes of cook time. It seems living during the great Fried Chicken Wars does have its advantages.

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