A new pickleball comedy, a ‘Big Bang Theory’ spinoff, fresh music from Charli xcx, and a new Nintendo adventure game are among the entertainment options arriving on streaming platforms this week, as selected by Associated Press entertainment journalists.
— Apple TV is launching a new comedy called ‘The Dink,’ centered on pickleball. Jake Johnson plays a tennis pro who ‘almost beat Andy Roddick’ and reluctantly picks up the trendy paddle sport while sidelined by an injury. The film, which begins streaming July 24, also features Ben Stiller, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Harris, and Patton Oswalt.
— Netflix’s new comedy ’72 Hours,’ also arriving July 24, puts Kevin Hart in the middle of a bachelor party after he’s accidentally added to a group chat with a bunch of twentysomethings. The younger partygoers are portrayed by ‘SNL’ cast members Marcello Hernández, Kam Patterson, and Ben Marshall, with Mason Gooding playing the groom.
— The Criterion Channel begins streaming ‘Blue Heron’ on July 21. AP Film Writer Jake Coyle praised the film, writing that ‘Sophy Romvari’s exquisite and soulful directorial debut melds documentary and fiction, past and present. It’s based on her own childhood, when her Hungarian parents moved their family of six to Vancouver Island in British Columbia … It’s an aching, probing memory piece.’ The film made the AP’s list of best movies of the year so far.
— Another AP best-of pick, ‘Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie,’ takes a very different approach. The quirky, low-budget indie follows two slacker friends — Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol — as they dream up outlandish plans to score a gig at a Toronto music venue called the Rivoli. Packed with ‘Back to the Future’ references, the film begins streaming on Hulu on July 24. AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr noted that no background knowledge is required to enjoy it.
— Charli xcx is shifting gears on her new album ‘Music, Fashion, Film,’ out Friday. After the cultural moment of ‘BRAT’ summer, she’s now exploring what she calls ‘Rock Music’ — her own take on the genre, featuring distorted guitars and processed vocals with a mix of sincerity and edge. One standout track is the dreamy, melancholy ‘SS26.’ The album’s only featured guest is Canadian filmmaker and horror icon David Cronenberg, who appears on the closing track ‘No One Lasts Forever.’
— Grammy-winning South African artist Tyla first broke through globally with her 2023 hit ‘Water,’ a blend of R&B, pop, and amapiano — a genre rooted in the Zulu word for ‘the pianos,’ combining Kwaito house music and jazz with log drum rhythms. On Friday, she releases her second album, ‘A(asterisks)POP,’ which includes a dancehall collaboration with Zara Larsson called ‘She Did It Again’ and the amapiano-pop track ‘Chanel,’ among others. AP Music Writer Maria Sherman covered both music releases.
— ‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe,’ a new spinoff of ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ premieres July 28 on HBO Max. Kevin Sussman reprises his role as Stuart, the socially awkward comic book store owner, who accidentally causes chaos when he bungles a physics project originally created by Sheldon and Leonard. Returning cast members Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn, and John Ross Bowie also reprise their roles from the original series.
— Netflix’s romantic drama ‘Ransom Canyon’ returns for a second season on July 28. Minka Kelly and Josh Duhamel are back as Quinn O’Grady and Staten Kirkland, a couple who finally got together in Season 1 after years of will-they-won’t-they tension. This season, Kelly’s character wrestles with whether small-town life truly fulfills her, while Duhamel’s character fights to establish his place on the family ranch. AP Writer Alicia Rancilio covered both television picks.
— On the gaming front, Nintendo’s ‘Splatoon Raiders’ takes the ink-based multiplayer franchise in a new direction. Rather than arena-style combat, players go on a treasure hunt across a remote island chain — but the islands are crawling with dangerous creatures called Salmonids. Collecting treasure allows players to upgrade their equipment to take on the threats. The game supports solo play or cooperative play with up to three others. ‘Splatoon Raiders’ launches June 23 on the Switch 2. That pick comes from Lou Kesten.
