This Week’s Must-Watch Streaming Picks: ‘The Bachelorette,’ Idris Elba, The Weeknd, Sarah Snook and ‘Jack Ryan’
Coming soon to your device are a variety of entertainment options, including the fourth and final season of “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,” a fresh album from Lucinda Williams, and the introduction of the enigmatic video game Crime O’Clock.
Among the deals chosen by Associated Press entertainment reporters are Idris Elba on the worst flight ever in Apple TV’s new series “Hijack” and a horror movie starring “Succession’s” Sarah Snook as a young single mother. a girl who says she has memories from another life.
NEW MOVIES to stream
– The film adaptation of Judy Blume’s classic novel “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” is available on video-on-demand starting Tuesday — perfect for a summer sleepover or mother-daughter movie night at home. Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig (“The Edge of Seventeen”), Abby Ryder Fortson stars in 11 -year-old narrator navigating the suburbs, new friends, puberty, periods, first crushes, and her faith. It’s sweet, playful, and respectful of its source material, which is hardly a prerequisite for enjoying the movie. Like the book, it’s set in the early 1970s because Blume didn’t want characters texting.Rachel McAdams is also a standout as Margaret’s mother, which could make an excellent double feature in the documentary “Judy Blume Forever,” available on Prime Video.
– Netflix also has a new movie that’s perfect for tween movie Nimona animation, inspired by ND Stevenson’s graphic novel about a shape-shifting girl. Chloë Grace Moretz voices Nimona, a rebellious outsider with riot-grrrr energy who lives in the shadows of a futuristic empire with medieval undertones. He teams up with the disgraced knight Ballister (Riz Ahmed), who is on the run after being accused of killing the queen. The film is lively and clever, with a fun soundtrack and LGBTQ themes that aren’t handled awkwardly. “Nimona” will begin streaming on Friday, June 30.
– Also coming to Netflix on Wednesday is “Run Rabbit Run,” a horror film starring “Succession’s” Sarah Snook as the single mother of a young girl with memories of another life. As if Shiv wasn’t selling enough, Snook also gets to use her native Australian accent.
— AP film writer Lindsey Bahr
PERFORMING NEW MUSIC
— The Weeknd’s fans are getting a new album thanks to The Idol TV show. He plays the scheming Svengali in the HBO series directed by Sam Levinson, who produced the smash “Popular” with Playboi Cart and Madonna. “The Idol, Vol. 1” features Suzanna Son, Moses Sumney, Mike Dean, Ramsey, Jennie Kim and Lily Rose-Depp, who stars as pop sensation Jocelyn and sings “World Class Sinner/I’m a Freak.” Do you need another reason? Check out “Double Fantasy” featuring Future — and you’ll be hooked, even if it’s wrong, as The Weeknd sings.
– Counting Lucinda Williams out is a stupid choice – always, but especially this week. The country star is back with “Stories From a Rock n Roll Heart,” despite suffering a stroke in 2021 that partially impaired his motor skills and took away his ability to play the guitar. On the album, Williams pays tribute to rock legend Tom Petty (“Stolen Moments”) and Replacements founder Bob Stinson (“Hum’s Liquor”), to whom he dedicates the album. The backing vocals of the single “New York Comeback” are Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen.
— Charlie Watts is celebrated with the Rolling Stones drummer’s posthumous album of jazz recordings. “Anthology” contains songs from 20 years, including a live version of “Swindon Swing” from 1978, “Take the ‘A’ Train” from 2001 and “Lover Man” from Birmingham in 1991. Some of the collaborators are double bassists. Dave Green and saxophonists Peter King, Evan Parker and Courtney Pine, trumpeter Gerard Presencer, co-drummer Jim Keltner and singer and Rolling Stones live band member Bernard Fowler. The set features the liner notes of music journalist and broadcaster Paul Sexton.
— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy
NEW SERIES to stream
– Charity Lawson has 25 men vying for her attention on season 20 of the reality dating series “The Bachelorette.” The 27-year-old Therapist from Georgia appeared on the last season of “The Bachelor” when Zach Shallcross handed out roses. Shallcross sent Lawson home in week eight after visiting the women’s hometowns and meeting their families, saying the feelings weren’t there. “The Bachelorette” returns Monday.
– Idris Elba is stuck on the worst flight ever in the new Apple TV series “Hijack”. Elba plays Sam, a corporate negotiator whose flight from Dubai to London is hijacked. Sam tries to use his negotiation skills to calm the situation on the seven-hour flight so that the passengers and crew can get home safely. The seven-episode series debuted on Wednesday with two episodes. The remaining episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays. “Hijack” also stars Archie Panjabi.
— John Krasinski will take his final bow on the fourth season of “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,” which returns to Prime Video on Friday, June 30. In the eight-episode season, Jack is back in Washington D.C. (part of the time) and back. Abbie Cornish as his love interest Cathy. Michael Peña also joins the fourth season as the well-known Clancy character Domingo “Ding” Chavez, a CIA operative. Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly and Betty Gabriel also return.
– The fun family show premiering Friday, June 30 on Netflix is “Is it Cake, Too?” based on a popular internet meme. The premise is simple: people guess whether real-looking random objects like a handbag, sewing machine, and even a toilet are actually a cake. Ten very talented baking artists compete for a cash prize. Guest judges include Joel McHale, “Saturday Night Live” actress Chloe Fineman, Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Dixie and Charli D’Amelio.
– Alicia Rancilio
NEW VIDEO GAMES ARE PLAYING
— This is a good week for players who want a little mystery on their menu. Crime O’Clock, from French publisher Just for Games, takes on a centuries-old conspiracy in a sprawling European city. Your task is to examine detailed black-and-white maps from five different eras and look for anomalies as you attempt to seal the cracks in the space-time continuum. It’s like a time-traveling version of “Where’s Waldo?” where your actions in one time zone can help you crack cases in others. The mystery will be revealed on Friday, June 30 on Nintendo Switch and PC.
— Also coming this Friday is Capcom’s high-resolution remake of the 2011 cult classic Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. The main character is a recently deceased man who is trying to find out how he was killed and who he was. A ghost can only possess a few objects in the land of the living, so he must handle them carefully to find clues and warn other potential victims. It’s a very clever puzzle game, and the remake is available for Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
