See/Hear: The Best Movies, TV and Music for July 2025

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

Heads of State

July 2, Prime Video

Is the premise of this action-comedy — in which the president of the United States (John Cena) and the prime minister of the U.K. (Idris Elba) escape Air Force One via parachute after it’s shot down and have to team up to defeat the bad guys who are trying to kill them — inherently stupid? Yes. (For the record, a parachute is absolutely useless when you’re hopping out of a 747 that’s traveling 500 mph at 35,000 feet.) But if you can suspend disbelief, the idea of John Cena as Commander-in-Chief sounds pretty fun.

Jurassic World Rebirth

in theaters July 2

The latest installment in the legendary dino franchise is a standalone sequel set five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, and it’s centered around a covert operation to extract DNA from the world’s remaining dinosaurs so that the pharmaceutical companies behind the mission can use it to whip up some miracle drug and eradicate heart disease. Scarlett Johansson plays Zora Bennett, the operative leading the expedition, and Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey also star.

Jaws @ 50

July 10, 9 p.m. EST on National Geographic, streaming July 11 on Disney+ and Hulu

Last month Jaws celebrated its 50th anniversary, and this month, the party continues with this 90-minute documentary about the making of the legendary blockbuster. It includes interviews with Steven Spielberg, obviously, as well as with production designer Joe Alves, actors Jonathan Filley, Lorraine Gary, Carl Gottlieb, Jeffrey Kramer, Jeffrey Voorhees and composer John Williams. Other famous filmmakers who were influenced by Jaws — including Jordan Peele, Steven Soderbergh, James Cameron, Cameron Crowe, Emily Blunt, Greg Nicotero, J.J. Abrams, George Lucas and Guillermo del Toro — also appear to sing its praises.

Superman

in theaters July 11

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s….yet another comic book movie! Written and directed by James Gunn, this latest Superman reboot stars David Corenswet as the kryptonite-sensitive superhero (and, of course, his alter-ego Clark Kent). Rachel Brosnahan play Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult appears as Lex Luthor.

Eddington

in theaters July 18

In the five years since COVID-19 first sent the world into lockdown, it has inspired plenty of post-apocalyptic fare, but a pandemic Western? Not so much. Director Ari Aster’s latest uses all the political debates stirred up during that time — over masking, quarantining and vaccination — as the backdrop for an epic standoff between Joaquin Phoenix’s small-town sheriff/mayoral candidate and Pedro Pascal as the incumbent mayor he’s running against. Emma Stone and Austin Butler also star.

I Know What You Did Last Summer

in theaters July 18

Horror franchise reboots are hot right now, and it seems as though screenwriters have discovered that the winning formula is to introduce a new, younger cast and have them seek protection (or advice on how to avoid being stabbed to death) from the series’ beloved original characters. First Jamie Lee Curtis returned for Halloween (2018) and its subsequent sequels, then Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courteney Cox all turned up in 2022’s Scream. This time around, another Millennial favorite is getting the reboot treatment, as Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. both return to guide a new batch of hot young people (which includes Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders and Jonah Hauer-King) through a new I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Happy Gilmore 2

July 25, Netflix

Okay, fine, yes: the endless churn of sequels and reboots in Hollywood these days is worrisome, and original ideas are almost nowhere to be found. But every now and then, one of these retreads of beloved classics understands exactly what audiences want out of them — not an attempt to outdo the original, but a movie that fully leans into the nostalgia and isn’t afraid to hit a lot (or all) of the same notes as its predecessor did decades ago. I am fully aware that Happy Gilmore 2 won’t be as good as Happy Gilmore. It may not even be good at all. I don’t care; that’s not what I want it to be. I want a tight 90 minutes of pratfalls, people getting hit in the nuts with golf balls, celebrity cameos, and the perfect blend of familiar faces and new talents. I want Adam Sandler on the green in Timberlands. I want a plot that’s just different enough from the original to not be plagiarism. And if the trailer is any indication, that’s exactly what it is. Set 30 years after Happy Gilmore (Sandler) won his first Tour Championship, Happy Gilmore 2 finds our hero coming out of retirement in order to pay for his daughter’s ballet school. (Happy’s daughter, by the way, is played by Sandler’s real-life daughter Sunny.) Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald and Ben Stiller all return to reprise their roles from the original, and they’re joined by a whole mess of famous people that includes Bad Bunny, Eric André, Margaret Qualley, Marcello Hernandez, Nick Swardson, Haley Joel Osment, Post Malone, Travis Kelce, Ken Jennings, Stephen A. Smith and more professional golfers than I have space to name here. (But yes, Rory McIlroy is one of them.)

Oh, Hi!

in theaters July 25

Hot off her performance as Carmy’s love interest Claire on Season 4 of The Bear, Molly Gordon hits the big screen in this romantic comedy gone awry. She plays Iris, a woman who heads out on a cute weekend trip with her boyfriend Isaac (Logan Lerman), only to discover that he’s not really into labels and considers them to be more of a situationship. She freaks out (understandable!) and decides to cuff him to the bed and hold him hostage (less understandable) in some sort of rom-com version of Misery.

Together

in theaters July 30

Could this be this year’s The Substance? Based on the buzz it earned at Sundance this year, Together certainly seems like a contender. Alison Brie and Dave Franco, who are married in real life, play a codependent couple who move into a small town and find themselves stuck together — literally — thanks to some supernatural force. Is it a metaphor for the way we can sometimes lose ourselves in toxic relationships?

TV/STREAMING

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 17

on FXX July 9, on Hulu July 10

The Gang returns to Paddy’s Pub for an unprecedented 17th season, further cementing their status as the longest-running live-action sitcom of all time. (It broke that record years ago with Season 15, but this year officially makes it two full decades since It’s Always Sunny premiered back in 2005.) It all kicks off with part two of the Abbott Elementary crossover that the other Philly-based sitcom aired back back in January. As you can probably tell by the episode title, “The Gang F***s Up Abbott Elementary,” this half of the two-part event will be told through the perspective of Charlie (Charlie Day), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), Mac (Rob McElhenney) and Frank (Danny DeVito). The eight-episode season will also feature a Golden Bachelor spoof, an episode called “Overage Drinking: A National Concern” (presumably a callback to Season 1’s “Underage Drinking: A National Concern” that will poke fun at the fact that these characters are now in their late 40s) and, based on the way Dee screams “Thank you, Chef!” in the trailer, some sort of parody of The Bear.

Too Much

July 10, Netflix

Lena Dunham wrote her new Netflix series with her husband Luis Felber and based it on their whirlwind London romance, but she opted not to act in this one because after being body-shamed during the original run of Girls, she said, “Physically, I was just not up for having my body dissected again.” (We live in hell!) There is, however, a silver lining to that frank admission: Meg Stalter finally has a chance to properly shine in a lead role. Stalter steals every scene she’s in as Kayla on Hacks, and we’re long overdue for a show that makes her a household name.

Dexter: Resurrection

July 11, Paramount+ with Showtime

Our favorite serial killer has somehow survived the gunshot wound to the chest he suffered at the end of Dexter: New Blood. (Maybe the resurrection in the title is a literal one?) Michael C. Hall returns for another run as Dexter Morgan, this time set in New York City. Peter Dinklage, John Lithgow, Uma Thurman, Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Stonestreet and Steve Schirripa also star.

The 2025 ESPY Awards

July 16, 8 p.m. ET, ABC

Is trying to decide whether the New York Liberty or the Los Angeles Dodgers are more worthy of the “Best Team” award like comparing apples to oranges? Absolutely, but it’s also pretty fun. Hosted by Shane Gillis (ugh), this year’s ESPYs will be broadcast live from the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles to shine a light on all the best from the past year in sports.

Billy Joel: And So It Goes

July 18, HBO Max

There’s no trailer for this two-part docuseries about Long Island’s favorite son just yet, but it reportedly features plenty of never-before-seen footage and photos, as well as frank conversations about some hard topics (including Joel’s two suicide attempts during his relationship with his first wife, Elizabeth Weber). It also features plenty of other musicians discussing his legacy, from Paul McCartney (who says “Just the Way You Are” is the song he wishes he had written) and Bruce Springsteen to Nas and Pink.

Washington Black

July 23, Hulu

Based on the 2018 novel of the same name, Washington Black chronicles the adventures of George Washington “Wash” Black, an 11-year-old boy in the 19th century who escapes the sugar plantation in Barbados where he was born and winds up all the way in Nova Scotia, where he meets Medwin Harris (played by Sterling K. Brown), a fellow refugee who takes him under his wing.

MUSIC

Kesha, Period

July 4

It’s fitting that Kesha’s sixth studio album is coming out on Independence Day. After a highly publicized, years-long legal battle with Dr. Luke, she’s finally putting out her first independent album, released on her own label (Kesha Records). She’s been promoting Period for nearly a full year; last July 4, she dropped its first single, “Joyride.”

Allo Darlin’, Bright Nights

July 11

The London indie pop group returns with their first new album since their 2016 breakup. Vocalist Elizabeth Morris Innset describes it thusly: “It’s an album from the heart, dealing with themes of love, birth and death, which are things we reflect more on than we did when we made our first album. I would hope that the album sounds timeless and joyous, at other times reflective and emotional.”

Burna Boy, No Sign of Weakness

July 11

Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy (real name Damini Ogulu) is back with his follow-up to 2023’s I Told Them…, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Global Music Album. No Sign of Weakness features collaborations with Travis Scott, J. Cole, RZA, Seyi Vibez, GZA and more.

Wet Leg, Moisturizer

July 11

Moisturizer is Wet Leg’s first new album since their massive 2022 self-titled debut, which earned them two Grammys (Best Alternative Music Album and Best Alternative Music Performance for “Chaise Longue”) the following year. The British group is now a five-piece, featuring founding members Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers as well as bassist Ellis Durand, drummer Henry Holmes and guitarist and synthesizer player Joshua Mobaraki. They wrote this sophomore effort — which, like Wet Leg, is produced by Dan Carey — while living together in Southwold, England. “We were just kind of having fun and exploring,” Chambers said in the record’s press materials. As Teasdale put it, “We focused on: Is this going to be fun to play live? It was very natural that we would write the second record together.”

Alex G, Headlights

July 18

Alex G’s forthcoming 10th studio album is also his first for RCA, making it the indie singer-songwriter’s major-label debut. If lead single “Afterlife” is any indication, it’s got a little more polish to it than some of his previous work — expected whenever a big label gets involved — but it’s still undeniably Alex G. Not much else is known about it just yet, besides the fact that it’s being billed as a collection of “absurd twists and mundane milestones.”

Alice Cooper, The Revenge of Alice Cooper

July 25

It’s been half a century since they recorded together, but Alice Cooper (the solo artist) has reunited with Alice Cooper (the band) for their latest LP. The 14-track album features Cooper, guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway and drummer Neal Smith. (Guitarist Glen Buxton passed away in 1997 at the age of 49, and the album is dedicated “to our brother Glen Buxton.”) “It was very much like this was our next album after (1973’s) Muscle of Love, just like, ‘OK, this is the next album,’’ Cooper recently told Billboard. “Isn’t that funny after 50 years? All of a sudden it just falls into place.”

Patty Griffin, Crown of Roses

July 25

Patty Griffin’s 11th studio LP is also her first in six years, and it’s a deeply personal record that sees her grappling with the sound of her voice after cancer treatment as well as her relationship with her late mother (whose wedding photo appears on the cover of the album). “If I try to hit things on the nose, they don’t feel authentic to me,” Griffin says in a press release. “If I can emotionally dance around things, it feels like I can be more honest singing it.”

YOUR MONTHLY PLAYLIST

The past few years have felt like an especially fraught time to be an American, and it’s understandable if waving a flag and blasting a Sousa march or some sort of jingoistic staple like “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” or “God Bless the USA” still feels a bit tone-deaf to you. Of course, there’s nothing more American than dissent, and there are plenty of songs that attempt to tackle this complicated, messy country of ours from all angles — the good, the bad and the downright horrific. Some have famously been misinterpreted by those who refuse to hear the lyrics over the years (“Born in the U.S.A.,” “Rockin’ in the Free World”), while others like “American Idiot” or “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore” make it clear where they stand from the get-go. So if you’re in the mood for a more pensive, subdued Fourth of July playlist this year, we’ve got you covered. Put it on, do your patriotic duty and ponder what exactly it means to be American.

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 BC Camplight and Blake Rhein and Aaron Frazer of Durand Jones & The Indications.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in The Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

“My girlfriend introduced me to The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. It’s a book that analyzes the role trauma plays in our mental and physical health. As someone who is trying to forge a path towards self-understanding, it’s provided a powerful insight. It’s not exactly an unknown discovery, but if you haven’t read it and are interested in learning about our fascinating mind-body connection, I wholly recommend it.”

Don Glori, Paper Can’t Wrap Fire

“This is just a really good modern jazz record. It might be a little too out there to get thrown in your Spotify Discover Weekly, but the execution is flawless and it’s perfectly accessible for non-jazz-heads.”

@artbutmakeitsports on Instagram

“Side-by-side images of photos from sports and the paintings they resemble. The similarities are uncanny and super satisfying. Art imitates life imitates art imitates life imitates….”

WORTH REVISITING

The Sandlot (1993)

Streaming on Disney+, available to rent on Apple TV+ and Prime Video

There are some movies that just perfectly capture summertime nostalgia, and it’s not the Fourth of July until I revisit the fireworks scene from The Sandlot. Every time I watch it, I’m immediately reminded of what the holiday meant to me as a kid: hot dogs, pomp and circumstance, and the opportunity to play outside with my friends in the neighborhood until well after dark. (Who among us can’t relate to those days when you could just yell, “Mom, I’m going out!” and run around for a while?) Add Ray Charles’s gorgeous rendition of “America the Beautiful” to the mix, and it’s a perfect little slice of Americana that’ll make you reminisce about your youth.

Beyond that scene, The Sandlot features plenty of familiar childhood touchstones of summer: days spent cooling off at the public pool, carnivals, early crushes, sleepovers, s’mores and, of course, plenty of pickup baseball. Even if sports weren’t your thing as a kid, you’ll find something to relate to as you watch Scotty Smalls and his friends — Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez, Michael “Squints” Palledorous and the rest of the gang — devise a plan to retrieve a ball signed by Babe Ruth that belongs to Scotty’s stepdad (Denis Leary) from the yard of the neighborhood recluse, Mr. Mertle (James Earl Jones) without getting attacked by his massive dog, whom they’ve dubbed “The Beast.”

If you yearn for a simpler time — and who among us doesn’t these days? — it’s worth revisiting it to be reminded why “heroes get remembered, but legends never die.”