Welcome to See/Hear, InsideHook’s deep dive into the month’s most important cultural happenings, pop and otherwise. Every month, we round up the biggest upcoming movie, TV and album releases, ask some cool people to tell us what they’ve been into lately, make you a playlist we guarantee you’ll have on heavy rotation and recommend a classic (or unduly overlooked) piece of pop culture that we think is worth revisiting.
MOVIES
The Naked Gun
in theaters Aug. 1
Did we really need a Naked Gun reboot? No. But now that it’s here, we’ll take it. Liam Neeson steps into the role popularized by the late Leslie Nielsen, and he’s joined by Pamela Anderson (who, as it turns out, he’s also currently dating in real life). This new installment is directed by Akiva Schaffer of The Lonely Island, and it’s a thrill to see a big, silly comedy with a plot that simply serves as a vehicle for jokes back on the big screen.
The Pickup
Aug. 6, Prime Video
This heist comedy stars Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson as drivers of an armored truck. They’re ambushed by a crew of criminals led by Zoe (Keke Palmer), and while it’s not exactly the most original concept for a movie, that impressive trio makes it worth checking out.
STANS
in theaters Aug. 7
This limited-run documentary explores the career of Eminem through the lens of his superfans, forever immortalized in his 2000 hit “Stan.” That song entered the lexicon and birthed the term “stans,” used to describe the often-problematic obsessive fans of a certain artist or celebrity.
Freakier Friday
in theaters Aug. 8
Is Millennial movie nostalgia out of control? Yes. Will I still go see this to relive my youth? Also yes.
Weapons
in theaters Aug. 8
You’ve probably heard about this highly anticipated horror movie’s viral marketing campaign or its perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Written and directed by Zach Cregger (the mastermind behind 2022’s Barbarian), it chronicles a spooky occurrence: all but one kid from a class of schoolchildren mysteriously disappear overnight at the same exact time. Julia Garner, Josh Brolin and Alden Ehrenreich star.
It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley
in theaters Aug. 8
Directed by Oscar nominee Amy Berg, this Jeff Buckley documentary tells the story of the beloved singer, who died unexpectedly at the age of 30, shortly after the release of his debut album, Grace. It features never-before-seen footage from Buckley’s archives and interviews with his mother Mary Guibert, former partners Rebecca Moore and Joan Wasser, former bandmates (including Michael Tighe and Parker Kindred), and other artists like Ben Harper and Aimee Mann.
Americana
in theaters Aug. 15
This modern-day Western sees the lives of its characters intertwine after a rare Lakota Ghost shirt falls onto the black market in their small South Dakota town. The ensemble cast includes Paul Walter Hauser, Sydney Sweeney, Halsey, Eric Dane and Simon Rex.
Nobody 2
in theaters Aug. 15
Don’t you want to see Bob Odenkirk fighting bad guys again? Of course you do. This time around, he has to fend off attackers while on vacation with his family. (The nod to Chevy Chase’s Vacation with “Holiday Road” in the trailer is a nice touch.) The cast from the original all reprise their roles, and they’re joined by Colin Hanks, Sharon Stone and John Ortiz.
Eden
in theaters Aug. 22
Ron Howard’s new survival thriller follows the true story of a handful of European settlers who arrived at Floreana Island in the Galápagos, and it features a pretty stacked cast that includes Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney and Daniel Brühl.
Honey Don’t!
in theaters Aug. 22
Written, directed and produced by Ethan Coen, Honey Don’t! is the second installment of the director’s planned “lesbian B-movie trilogy,” which kicked off with last year’s Drive Away Dolls. Margaret Qualley, who starred in the latter, is back, this time as private investigator Honey O’Donahue. She must investigate a woman’s death and how it ties into a religious cult led by Reverend Drew Devlin (Chris Evans). Charlie Day, Aubrey Plaza and Billy Eichner also star.
Highest 2 Lowest
limited release Aug. 15, wide release Aug. 22
Spike Lee reunites with Denzel Washington for this highly anticipated neo-noir thriller, their fifth collaboration and their first since 2006’s Inside Man. Highest 2 Lowest is an English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film High and Low (which was itself a loose adaptation of Ed McBain’s 1959 novel King’s Ransom), and it deals with the aftermath of a botched abduction in which kidnappers targeting the son of a wealthy music mogul accidentally capture his chauffeur’s son instead. Washington is joined by Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, A$AP Rocky and Ice Spice, making her film debut. (You can read more about Highest 2 Lowest from our own Mark Asch, who saw the film at Cannes earlier this year, here.)
Splitsville
limited release Aug. 22, wide release Sept. 5
Hot off the success of The Materialists, Dakota Johnson is back in this comedy about interpersonal drama. It follows the complex friendship between two couples — one in the midst of a divorce and the other in an open marriage — and the way it evolves after the husband in the divorcing couple sleeps with the wife in the open marriage.
The Thursday Murder Club
Aug. 22, Netflix
The premise for this one is simple: a group of elderly amateur sleuths attempt to solve a murder. Helen Mirren plays retired spy Elizabeth Best, while Pierce Brosnan joins her as retired union leader Ron Ritchie. Ben Kingsley plays former psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif, and Celia Imrie is retired nurse Joyce Meadowcroft. Richard E. Grant, David Tennant and Naomi Ackie also star.
TV/STREAMING
Chief of War
Aug. 1, Apple TV+
Jason Momoa stars in this 18th-century historical drama as Kaʻiana, the warrior chief of Kauaʻi who rebels against the unification of the Hawaiian islands. Momoa also created and executive produced the nine-episode series.
King of the Hill Season 14
Aug. 4, Hulu
It’s been 16 years since King of the Hill wrapped its original 13-season run on Fox, but — perhaps inspired by Mike Judge’s 2022 revival of Beavis and Butt-Head for Paramount+ — Hank, Peggy, Bobby and the gang are all back for new episodes on Hulu. Season 14 will reportedly see the Hill family return to Arlen, Texas, after years spent living abroad in Saudi Arabia. Bobby is now a head chef in his 20s, working at a German-Japanese fusion restaurant, while Hank struggles to adjust to things like Zoom, Uber and craft beer. (“I’ve been drinking beer for 40 years, and I’ve never wished once that it tasted more like fruit,” he quips in the trailer.)
Las Culturistas Culture Awards
Aug. 5 on Bravo at 9 p.m. ET, streaming on Peacock Aug. 6
Las Culturistas co-hosts Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers have been presenting their tongue-in-cheek award show for some time now, but this year is the first time it’ll actually be televised. This year’s categories include the “Filet Mignon Award for Best Beef,” “Best Vibe, Hands Down,” the “Hypochondriac Award for Illness We Think We Have This Time” and “Most Reductive Way to Note That a Gay Man Is Speaking.”
Platonic Season 2
Aug. 6, Apple TV+
Seth Rogen’s other Apple TV+ series The Studio has earned significantly more eyeballs and acclaim (including a whopping 23 Emmy nominations), but his 2023 comedy Platonic — about a strictly platonic friendship between two old college buddies (played by Rogen and Rose Byrne) — never quite got the attention it deserved. It has a few kinks to work out, but I’m glad to see it back for a second go-around.
Wednesday Season 2
Aug. 6, Netflix
Perhaps it speaks to the massive cultural impact it had, but it feels like the forthcoming season of Wednesday can’t possibly be just its second one. (It could also be that Season 1 premiered three years ago — a pretty significant gap.) Jenna Ortega returns as everyone’s favorite goth, and Netflix seems to be pleased with how things turned out this time around: the show has already been renewed for a third season.
Necaxa
Aug. 7, FXX/Hulu
In some ways, Necaxa is a spinoff of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac’s soccer docuseries Welcome to Wrexham. It follows Eva Longoria as she teams up with Reynolds and Mac (who also serve as co-owners) to revitalize Mexico’s Club Necaxa as the team relocates from Mexico City to Aguascalientes.
Alien: Earth
Aug. 12, FX/Hulu
This Alien prequel, set two years before the events of the original 1979 sci-fi movie, was created by Fargo showrunner Noah Hawley. It stars Sydney Chandler (the daughter of Friday Night Lights‘ Kyle Chandler), Timothy Olyphant and Alex Lawther, and it’s already being called “the Game of Thrones of Sci-Fi.”
The Kingdom
Aug. 14, ESPN/Disney+
This six-part docuseries takes fans behind the scenes of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2024 season, giving what Patrick Mahomes recently described as “unfiltered access to our lives, on and off the field.” The Kingdom “showcases the true heart of our great city, the team, and what it takes to be a member of the Kansas City Chiefs,” he added. “We dive into the history and legacy of the franchise, from the early days in Texas all the way to our third-straight Super Bowl appearance.”
The Rainmaker
Aug. 16, USA Network/Peacock
Based on the popular 1995 John Grisham novel of the same name, The Rainmaker features Mad Men‘s John Slattery as Leo F. Drummond, a hotshot, white-collar lawyer who squares off against Rudy Baylor (Milo Callaghan), a young attorney working for a small-time ambulance chaser, in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Peacemaker Season 2
Aug. 21, HBO Max
John Cena returns to the superhero dramedy as the titular character, but this second go-around marks a bit of a shift: while Season 1 took place in the DC Extended Universe as a Suicide Squad spinoff, Season 2 is set in the recently rebooted DC Universe. Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland and Freddie Stroma also star.
MUSIC
Reneé Rapp, Bite Me
Aug. 1
Reneé Rapp has said that her follow-up to her 2023 debut Snow Angel is inspired by Joan Jett, Kate Moss and Jagged Little Pill-era Alanis Morissette. That sounds about right, based on the album title (Bite Me) and song names like “Leave Me Alone” (on which she declares, “Leave me alone, bitch / I wanna have fun!”) and “Mad.” Expect pop bangers with teeth.
Ethel Cain, Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You
Aug. 8
Singer-songwriter Ethel Cain is back with her second album of 2025. While Perverts was an experimental departure for her, Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You promises to be a return to the sounds fans came to expect from Cain after her debut record, Preacher’s Daughter. In fact, this new collection of songs is being billed as a prequel to the latter; the titular Tucker is Cain’s high school boyfriend, who’s also referenced on Preacher’s Daughter track “A House in Nebraska.”
Osees, Abomination Revealed at Last
Aug. 8
The garage-psych band formerly known as Thee Oh Sees is back with a new LP that, according to frontman John Dwyer, “was channeled out of the mist of atrocities swirling around the planet right now — AI empathy, genocides, social media data collection and addiction, the alignment of tech billionaires with the fascist overlords and their armada of dogs, civilians being kidnapped by bootlicking thugs, the death of due process… the list goes on and on. It’s been a long year already.”
The Black Keys, No Rain, No Flowers
Aug. 8
The Black Keys are coming off of a pretty rough year: 2024 saw the release of their worst-charting album since 2006, the firing of their PR team and their manager Irving Azoff and, perhaps most infamously, the cancellation of a giant arena tour due to low ticket sales. Can they bounce back with this latest effort? “This is an opportunity for us to get out of the pressure cooker of a way of touring that we realized was unsustainable and was not ideal for the fans or enjoyable for us,” Patrick Carney recently told the Los Angeles Times.
Cass McCombs, Interior Live Oak
Aug. 15
After a stint with Anti-, Cass McCombs returns to the Domino label for his follow-up to 2022’s Heartmind. That shift actually inspired the music itself on Interior Live Oak, and the record features contributions from past collaborators Matt Sweeney, Chris Cohen, Mike Bones and Papercuts’ Jason Quever.
Marissa Nadler, New Radiations
Aug. 15
Marissa Nadler’s forthcoming 10th album was entirely self-produced. Of the title track, she writes, “My narrator (whether these are first person songs or not really depends on how you want to listen to them) is feeling stuck, depressed, and frozen in a world after a tough few years for the world. Regardless, the ‘psychic vibrations and new radiations’ take their toll. The cosmic darkness we live in creeps into the psyche — but the character reaches clarity. As the song unfolds, the screen shatters, the ice breaks, and a new world begins.” (To find out what the singer-songwriter has been into of late, scroll down to our Artist Recommendations section.)
Hunx and His Punx, Walk Out on This World
Aug. 22
This one’s been a long time coming: Seth Bogart, Shannon Shaw and Erin Emslie are back with their first new album in 12 years. The garage-punk group actually reunited way back in 2019, but the follow-up to 2013’s Street Punk took this long to complete after a series of unexpected tragedies, including the death of Shaw’s fiancé and the contamination of Bogart’s house during the Altadena wildfires in January.
Laufey, A Matter of Time
Aug. 22
Laufey’s highly anticipated follow-up to 2023’s Grammy-winning Bewitched looks to be a bit of a sonic departure. “I wanted to reveal an angrier side of myself — a side that this unfortunate relationship brought out in me,” the singer wrote in a statement about lead single “Tough Luck.” Of the album as a whole, she said, “People expect a pretty facade of girly clothes, fantastical stories and romantic music. This time, I was interested in seeing how I could draw out the most flawed parts of myself and look at them directly in the mirror.”
Mac DeMarco, Guitar
Aug. 22
Not only did Mac DeMarco write, produce, record and mix Guitar entirely himself, he also shot all of the new album’s music videos and cover art on his own using a tripod. “I think Guitar is as close to a true representation of where I’m at in my life today as I can manage to put to paper,” DeMarco wrote in the record’s press materials. “I’m happy to share this music, and look forward to playing these songs as many places as I’m able.”
Superchunk, Songs in the Key of Yikes
Aug. 22
I think we can all agree that Songs in the Key of Yikes is the best album title of the year. But if lead single “Is It Making You Feel Something” is any indication of what we can expect from the Merge Records legends’ 13th record, the music itself will be just as great. “This song is about not second-guessing yourself in the very second-guessable process of writing words and music,” Mac McCaughan said in a press release. “It’s about the legitimate question of ‘who needs this and what is it good for?’ but also about not setting such a high bar for making art that you never get started. ‘Is it making you feel something?’ OK, that’s a place to start.” (Keep scrolling to our Artist Recommendations section to see what each member of Superchunk has been digging lately.)
Ron Sexsmith, Hangover Terrace
Aug. 29
The singer-songwriter’s 20th LP features an excellent play on words, but don’t get it twisted: the hangover in question is “from the last few years of pandemic and life knocking us around,” as Sexsmith describes in a press release. “I had some falling outs with a few friends and so there’s some self-examination going on and a desire to know who my real friends are,” he writes. “It also deals with the passing of time and how things become more dear.”
Sabrina Carpenter, Man’s Best Friend
Aug. 29
Sabrina Carpenter sparked controversy earlier this year when she revealed the album cover for Man’s Best Friend, which featured the pop star on her knees with her hair being pulled by a faceless man. (In some ways, it’s sort of like a gender-swapped version of Spinal Tap’s Smell the Glove.) Like everything Carpenter does, it’s very likely meant to be tongue-in-cheek. But regardless of how you feel about the accompanying imagery, the follow-up to Short n’ Sweet is one of the year’s most highly anticipated releases. Will it have inescapable bangers akin to “Espresso” or “Please Please Please” that permeate the monoculture?
Margo Price, Hard Headed Woman
Aug. 29
Surprisingly, Margo Price’s latest album is the first one she recorded in Nashville — despite living there for over 20 years. Lead single “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down” is inspired by the words Kris Kristofferson famously uttered to Sinead O’Connor after she was booed at a Bob Dylan anniversary concert. “I always hope to do like Johnny Cash did, which is speak up for the common man and woman,” Price writes in the album’s press materials. “But there have been so many threats and anger and vitriol over the years, when I am only coming from a place of love. So I made the decision to rebuild everything from the ground up. I hope this album inspires people to be fearless and take chances and just be unabashedly themselves, in a culture that tries as hard as it can to beat us into all being the same.”
YOUR MONTHLY PLAYLIST
August is peak vacation season, and, having recently returned from a road trip upstate myself, I’m reminded that there’s nothing better than hitting an open stretch of highway with the perfect playlist. As with the roads themselves, there are several different paths you can take when curating a mix for a long car trip. You could always go literal and tap into the vast well of songs that reference cars, driving or anything having to do with traveling in a motor vehicle (“Roadrunner,” “The Passenger,” “On the Road Again,” etc.). You could opt for tracks that have more of a driving beat to keep you awake as you navigate those never-ending country roads, or you could put something chill but gorgeous on to soundtrack the stunning landscapes you’re taking in along the way. And of course, you’ll need some songs that lend themselves easily to sing-alongs (“The Weight” or “Handle With Care” will always work) for that stretch of the journey when you and your passengers are sick of talking to each other.
Fortunately for you, this playlist has all of that — 35 tracks spread across roughly two hours and 20 minutes, at least enough to cover you until your next gas station stop. Now all you need to do is figure out who’s singing which part on “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.”
ARTIST RECOMMENDATIONS
Each month, we catch up with a few musicians, actors, comedians or otherwise cool people whose opinions we respect to hear about a piece of pop culture they’re particularly excited about. This month, it’s Marissa Nadler and Superchunk.
Art for Everybody
“Art for Everybody, directed by Miranda Yousef, is about the painter Thomas Kinkade. You may remember him because at one point, nearly every mall in America had a Thomas Kinkade store. He’s known for his ‘cottage-core’ landscapes that depict a saccharine, idealistic view of his version of America. I wasn’t sure that I would like the documentary because I strongly dislike his paintings (a lot of people do) — but this was one of the most fascinating documentaries I’ve ever seen. After his untimely and tragic death, his children find a vault of thousands of his other works, some of it dark and experimental. The documentary details his meteoric rise to fame, as he turned fine art into a sellable brand, making collectible plates, bible covers, anything you can think of. I left the theater thinking about this film for weeks. I highly recommend it.”
The Antidote by Karen Russell
“I recently read The Antidote by Karen Russell and loved it. It reads like a historical fantasy novel. It is a joy to read, but in the end it feels like there is a lesson to learn. There are witches, but it also deals with themes of racism, sexism, theft of native land and suppression of their culture, murder, repressed memory, destruction of our environment and more. Overall it’s about man’s inhumanity to man, but gives hope that we can wash it all clean and care for each other. It’s really more fun than I make it sound.” — Laura Ballance
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
“Tightly wound, addictive novel about a kid missing from camp and my favorite book of the summer. Set in a camp in the Adirondacks in the ’70s, so very nostalgic for someone my age. There are references to nascent punk and other ’70s music and culture amidst the tense and complicated relationships between classes, townies vs. campers and city folks, parents and kids, and men and women/boys and girls. Beautiful book. I don’t like to bring a hardback to the beach — I’m lazy — but this was well worth it.” — Mac McCaughan
Case Oats, Last Missouri Exit
“Debut album from this new band led by singer/guitarist/songwriter Casey Gomez Walker and her partner Spencer Tweedy on drums, these super-catchy songs and stories get stuck in your brain, and Walker’s plainspoken delivery presents her lyrics with enough mystery so that you don’t want them to leave. Reminds me at times of Jonathan Richman or Scrawl, while sounding really like neither. Can’t wait to play shows with them this fall on the West Coast and hear these songs live every night!” — Mac McCaughan
Chuck Prophet and His Cumbia Shoes live
“Unless I’m on tour, I rarely get out to see live music these days, mostly because I’m old and go to bed at eight o’clock! But the stars lined up recently, and I caught Chuck Prophet and his new band Cumbia Shoes rocking two sets in Carrboro, NC, on a steamy Saturday night. What a great show! It reminded me of all the good things I love about live music and none of the bad ones. Do yourself a favor: listen to his records and go to his live shows. The man is a national treasure!” — Jim Wilbur
Sally
“Watching this doc opened my eyes to someone I’d only heard of when I was a kid. She was incredibly passionate about her work with/for NASA and wouldn’t let anything get in her way to complete her mission. Sadly, all the while, she had to hide her personal life because she was gay. It was heartbreaking and bittersweet. I’m not usually a crier but this one got me.” — Laura King
The WNBA
“More uplifting yet similar in passion, the WNBA!! Wow, what a game. I’ve never really been stoked about sports, but this has me talking to the TV. The team players are fierce. They play hard, look out for each other and don’t take shit. They’re strong, and the league is undervalued. They’re ferocious…get in the paint!” — Laura King
WORTH REVISITING
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts (2021)
Streaming on Apple TV+ and Prime Video
Look, you don’t need me to tell you to listen to Born to Run. The classic Springsteen album celebrates its 50th anniversary on Aug. 25, but it also happens to be one of the most beloved, iconic records of all time. You already know that you should give it a spin on its semicentennial. But if you’re looking for a slightly less obvious way to mark the occasion, try the underrated Legendary 1979 No Nukes concert film.
Back in 1979, Springsteen was smack dab in the middle of one of the best runs of his career — fresh off of 1978’s Darkness on the Edge of Town and in the process of writing and recording 1980’s The River. Given what a creative peak he’d reached at the time, it should come as no surprise that he was absolutely firing on all cylinders at the No Nukes shows. Due to the timing of the shows, there is, naturally, a good amount of Darkness and River tracks in the setlist (we open with “Prove It All Night,” “Badlands” and “The Promised Land” off of the former before segueing into “The River” and “Sherry Darling” from the latter). But there’s something for everyone here, whether you prefer moody, contemplative Springsteen staring down a looming midlife crisis (remember when people had those in their thirties?) or soaring, triumphant Springsteen tearing through some of his most beloved hits. It’s tough to think of a more unbeatable combination of songs performed in quick succession than “Thunder Road” into “Jungleland” followed by “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” and “Born to Run.”
There’s even plenty for fans of Springsteen’s early bar-band, Stone Pony era thanks to an encore full of excellent covers of classics he grew up listening to. He brings out Jackson Browne, Tom Petty and Rosemary Butler for an inspired version of Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs’ 1960 doo-wop hit “Stay,” before tearing through his “Detroit Medley” (a staple of Springsteen tours since 1975 which includes snippets of “Devil With the Blue Dress,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,” and “Jenny Take a Ride”), Gary U.S. Bonds’ “Quarter to Three” and Buddy Holly’s “Rave On.”
You can read my full review of The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts here.
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