New Things to Watch, Listen To, and Play This Week

Want to know what cool new stuff is coming to your screens and speakers? The Associated Press (AP) entertainment journalists picked out the best new TV, movies, music, and games for the week of July 20–26. Here’s a super simple, beginner-friendly rundown of everything headed to a device near you!

New TV, Films, and Streaming Picks (July 20–26)

These are the movies and shows the AP says are worth your time:

• “The Dink” (Apple TV, streams July 24): A funny movie about pickleball (a paddle sport that mixes tennis and ping-pong). Jake Johnson plays a tennis pro who “almost beat Andy Roddick” but gets hurt and has to try pickleball while he heals. Co-stars include Ben Stiller, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Harris, and Patton Oswalt.
• “72 Hours” (Netflix, streams July 24): A comedy where Kevin Hart goes on a bachelor party trip with some twenty-somethings after he is accidentally added to their group chat. The young folks are played by “SNL” (Saturday Night Live) cast members Marcello Hernández, Kam Patterson, Ben Marshall, and Mason Gooding as the groom-to-be.
• “Blue Heron” (Criterion Channel, starts July 21): Made AP’s list of best movies of the year so far. Writer Jake Coyle says Sophy Romvari’s beautiful, soulful first movie mixes real-life documentary and story, past and present. It’s based on her childhood when her Hungarian parents moved their family of six to Vancouver Island in British Columbia. He calls it an “aching, probing memory piece.”
• “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie” (Hulu, streams July 24): Another AP list pick, but very different! A silly, low-budget indie (small, independent) film about two lazy friends (Matt Johnson and Jay McCarroll) who cook up crazy schemes to get a show at the Toronto music spot, the Rivoli. AP says you don’t need to know anything about them to enjoy the goofy ride and all the “Back to the Future” references.
• AP Film Writer Lindsay Bahr selected these.

Important: All the dates above are when the titles start streaming. Grab your snack and pick what fits your mood!

New Music to Stream (July 20–26)

Love songs? Here’s what’s dropping:

• Charli xcx – “Music, Fashion, Film” (out Friday): Her old album “BRAT” came, stayed, and went. Now she says the dance floor is dead on this new album. She’s making “Rock Music” her way: a bit troll-y (teasing), a bit sincere, with distorted (twisted) guitars and processed (computer-changed) vocals. Her pop heart is still there, like on the dreamy sad song “SS26.” Bonus: the only guest on the album is Canadian horror movie maker David Cronenberg on the closing song “No One Lasts Forever.”
• Tyla – “A(⁎)” (out Friday): Grammy winner Tyla hit big in 2023 with “Water,” mixing R&B, pop, and amapiano. Amapiano means “the pianos” in Zulu language—a mix of South African house music and jazz with log drums. African music was super popular then, and Tyla kept rising. Her new album has a song with Zara Larsson called “She Did It Again,” the amapiano-pop song “Chanel,” and more.
• AP Music Writer Maria Sherman shared these.

Important: “Out Friday” means released on the Friday of this week (July 24–26 range).

New Series to Stream (July 20–26)

Binge-worthy shows are here:

• “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe” (HBO Max, premieres July 28): A spin-off of the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.” Kevin Sussman plays Stuart, who messes up a physics project made by original characters Sheldon and Leonard, causing chaos he must undo. Other original cast include Lauren Lapkus and more.
• “Ransom Canyon” Season 2 (Netflix, premieres July 28): Minka Kelly and Josh Duhamel return. This romantic drama follows two long-time friends, Quinn O’Grady and Staten Kirkland, who got together in Season 1. Now Quinn wonders if small-town life is enough, while Staten tries to claim his family ranch.
• AP Writer Alicia Rancilio picked these.

New Video Games to Play (July 20–26)

For players:

• “Splatoon Raiders” (Nintendo Switch 2, start June 23): The Splatoon games usually have players fight in arenas with colored ink instead of bullets. This one sends you on a treasure hunt across an exotic island group. Watch out—hostile wildlife called Salmonids live there! Collect treasure to upgrade gear and beat monsters. You can play alone or with up to three friends.
• Lou Kesten wrote about this.

Important: The game launched June 23 on Switch 2, so it’s already playable this week.

Summary

This week brings a pickleball comedy with Jake Johnson, a Kevin Hart mishap comedy, two praised films (“Blue Heron” and “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie”), new albums from Charli xcx and Tyla, two fresh series including a Big Bang Theory spin-off, and a Splatoon treasure-hunting game. AP’s writers picked all of these as the top picks for July 20–26.

FAQ

Q: What is pickleball?
A: It’s a fun paddle sport that mixes parts of tennis and ping-pong, played with a lightweight ball.

Q: Do I need to know “The Big Bang Theory” to watch Stuart’s spin-off?
A: Not really! It helps, but the show is about Stuart’s silly mistake and is made to enjoy on its own.

Q: Is “Splatoon Raiders” only for experts?
A: No. It’s built to be fun solo for beginners and also lets you play with up to three friends.

Q: What does “amapiano” mean simply?
A: It’s a South African music style meaning “the pianos” in Zulu, mixing house music and jazz with special drums.

Q: Are these available everywhere?
A: They stream or release on the listed platforms (Apple TV, Netflix, HBO Max, etc.) on the dates shown.

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