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

Ballerina

in theaters June 6

The fifth film in the John Wick franchise is a spinoff, set after the events of John Wick 3 and before John Wick 4. Ana de Armas plays Eve Macarro, a ballerina who trains as an assassin to avenge her dead father. Keanu Reeves reprises his role as John Wick. Sadly, Ballerina is also Lance Reddick’s final on-screen appearance. (Reddick, who played Charon in all five installments, died of heart disease in 2023.)

I Don’t Understand You

in theaters June 6

This horror-comedy features Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells as a gay couple vacationing in Italy and dealing with a bit of culture shock. When an old woman hosting them takes a tumble down the stairs and they’ve suddenly got a body to dispose of, all sorts of chaos ensues. Morgan Spector and Amanda Seyfried also star.

The Life of Chuck

in theaters June 6

Based on the Stephen King novella of the same name, The Life of Chuck stars Tom Hiddleston and Jacob Tremblay as the adult and teenaged versions of the titular character, respectively. Nick Offerman serves as our narrator, and the stacked cast also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mark Hamill, Matthew Lillard and Mia Sara (best known as Sloane Peterson in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) in her first acting role in over a decade.

Materialists

in theaters June 13

The world needs more rom-coms these days, and this one feels especially promising because it was written and directed by Celine Song, the woman behind 2023’s excellent Past Lives. Materialists looks to be a classic love triangle, with a matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) torn between a wealthy charmer (Pedro Pascal) and a down-to-earth guy from her past (Chris Evans), but if Past Lives is any indication, there’s bound to be a twist.

28 Years Later

in theaters June 20

First there was the horror classic 28 Days Later, then there was 28 Weeks Later and now we’re skipping over months and going straight to 28 Years Later. As you can guess from the title, the latest installment in the post-apocalyptic franchise is set 28 years after the original Rage Virus outbreak. Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams play a family who have managed to survive by isolating themselves on a small island, but when father and son have to venture onto the mainland, all hell breaks loose. Ralph Fiennes also stars, and Danny Boyle returns to direct. Contrary to internet rumors, Cillian Murphy does not appear in this one (even though that emaciated zombie kind of looks like him), but producer Andrew Macdonald has hinted that the actor may return in the already-planned sequels 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) and an as-yet-untitled fifth film. If the incredibly eerie trailer — which makes perfect use of a 1915 recitation of Rudyard Kipling’s “Boots” — is any indication, this one’s bound to be a doozy.

Bride Hard

in theaters June 20

It’s like Die Hard, but at a wedding. Get it? Rebel Wilson plays a secret agent serving as maid of honor at a ceremony that just so happens to be taken over by mercenaries. Anna Camp, Anna Chlumsky and Da’Vine Joy Randolph also star.

Everything’s Going to Be Great

in theaters June 20

Bryan Cranston and Allison Janney play a couple who move their family to New Jersey to pursue their dreams and take over a regional theater, much to the chagrin of one of their sons and the delight of the other. Simon Rex and Chris Cooper also star.

Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything

June 23, Hulu

Ron Howard and Brian Grazer serve as executive producers on this documentary about the life, career and legacy of Barbara Walters. It features plenty of archival footage, as well as interviews with Joy Behar, Connie Chung, Katie Couric, Andy Cohen, Oprah Winfrey and more.

F1

in theaters June 27

If your first thought is “Wait, isn’t Brad Pitt too old to play a Formula 1 driver?” that’s the whole idea. Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a once-great racer who’s pulled out of retirement to mentor an up-and-coming prodigy played by Damson Idris. It’s a tried-and-true sports movie formula (no pun intended), but why mess with a good thing? Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Javier Bardem and Shea Whigham also star.

M3GAN 2.0

in theaters June 27

Everyone’s favorite homicidal robot doll is back, and this time she’s the good guy! After the technology used to create M3GAN is stolen by a defense contractor to create a military robot named AMELIA (Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android) and — surprise, surprise — AMELIA becomes sentient and attacks everyone, Gemma (Allison Williams) must rebuild M3GAN to fight her and save the world.

Ponyboi

in theaters June 27

Ponyboi is the story of a drug deal gone wrong, but more importantly, the film, written and directed by and starring River Gallo, is making history as the first film to feature an openly intersex person playing an intersex character. Dylan O’Brien, Victoria Pedretti and Murray Bartlett also star.

Sorry, Baby

in theaters June 27

Eva Victor’s dramedy about a college professor recovering from the trauma of a sexual assault sparked a bidding war after it debuted at Sundance earlier this year, with A24 coming out on top. Naomi Ackie, Lucas Hedges and John Carroll Lynch round out the cast.

TV/STREAMING

Stick

June 4, Apple TV+

Could this be Apple’s next Ted Lasso? Owen Wilson plays a washed-up pro golfer who, as Marc Maron’s character gleefully describes it, had a “full psychotic break on live TV” and is looking to reclaim his former glory by coaching a young rising star. Judy Greer plays his ex-wife.

Good Night, and Good Luck

June 7, 7 p.m. ET, CNN

If you can’t afford a pair of $300 tickets to see George Clooney as Edward R. Murrow on Broadway, you’re in luck: CNN is airing a live telecast of the Tony-nominated play the night before it closes. It’s the first time a Broadway play has been broadcast live on TV. “I can’t tell you how exciting it is to do something that’s never been done,” Clooney said in a statement. “CNN is the perfect place to bring this story of courage to so many more people than we could have ever hoped. Live TV. No net. Buckle up everyone.”

The 78th Annual Tony Awards

June 8, 8 p.m. ET, CBS/Paramount+

Will stars like George Clooney, Sarah Snook, Cole Escola and Bob Odenkirk go home with trophies? Will Maybe Happy Ending sweep the 10 categories it’s nominated in? We’ll find out at the Tonys, which will be hosted by Cynthia Erivo this year.

The Gilded Age Season 3

June 22, HBO Max

Hot off a memorable turn on The White Lotus, Carrie Coon is back for a third season of the high-society drama that earned her an Emmy nomination last year. Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon and Morgan Spector also return to the Julian Fellowes series.

The Bear Season 4

June 25, Hulu

The third season of The Bear took Carmy down a pretty dark path, and like the review of the titular restaurant that sends our favorite chef spiraling in the finale’s cliffhanger, the response was pretty mixed. (You can read our piece explaining why all of the Season 3 haters were completely wrong here.) Filmed back-to-back with last season, this next installment looks to pick up right where we left off, with The Bear struggling to survive as Carmy tries to right the ship and Sydney makes her decision about whether to walk away. (Based on how many scenes of her in the kitchen with Carmy we see in the trailer, it seems safe to assume she stays, but hey, who knows?) Season 4 should give us the resolution that Season 3 set the table for — including Carmy coming face-to-face with his estranged mother Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) for the first time in the series — and if there’s one thing we know for sure, those forks are staying polished.

Smoke

June 27, Apple TV+

Inspired by the podcast Firebug, this miniseries finds an arson investigator (Taron Egerton) and a detective (Jurnee Smollett) teaming up to catch two serial arsonists setting fires across the Pacific Northwest. John Leguizamo, Greg Kinnear and Anna Chlumsky also star.

Squid Game Season 3

June 27, Netflix

The third and final season of Squid Game sees Gi-hun (also known as Player 456) fighting to end the deadly game and finally learning the identity of the Front Man. (The audience already knows it’s In-ho, who pretended to be his friend in Season 2.) Will he make it out alive for a third time?

MUSIC

Born Ruffians, Beauty’s Pride

June 6

Born Ruffians have been at it for more than 20 years now, but their ninth studio album represents a creative rebirth for them, inspired in part by a trip that frontman Luke Lalonde took to India. Lalonde put it bluntly in the record’s press materials, writing, “Whenever we finish a record, I usually don’t want to hear it again, but this time, I actually like it!”

Pulp, More

June 6

It seemed impossible that we’d ever get more from Jarvis Cocker and company, yet here we are with the first new Pulp album in almost 24 years. Of lead single “Got to Have Love,” Cocker writes, “Love is a word I was unable to say until I was approaching 40. I listened to love songs all the time but couldn’t use the word in real life. The words to this song are me having a word with myself about this state of affairs. I gave myself a real talking-to. I have now learnt how to say it whilst keeping a straight face. You’ve got to have love.”

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Phantom Island

June 13

Few bands are as prolific as King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard; Phantom Island is the psych group’s 27th album, but it’s also unlike anything they’ve done before. The project sees them incorporating strings, horns and woodwinds into their sound thanks to a collaboration with the LA Philharmonic.

Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts, Talkin to Trees

June 13

Neil Young’s new band features some real heavy-hitters: guitarist Micah Nelson, Corey McCormick on bass, drummer Anthony Logerfo and the legendary Spooner Oldham on organ. They’ll be hitting the road and touring Europe, the U.K. and the U.S. this summer behind the record — Young’s first world tour in seven years.

Haim, I quit

June 20

The Haim sisters teamed up with producer Rostam Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend) for their fourth LP, which Alana Haim describes as “the closest we have ever gotten to how we wanted to sound.” The 15-track album takes its name from a scene in the 1996 movie That Thing You Do!, a childhood favorite of the trio’s. After Jimmy, the lead singer of one-hit wonders The Wonders is told by his manager (played by Tom Hanks) that their next single should be something “peppy and snappy,” he drops the line: “And Jimmy wants to record like a brooding, sad song. And he goes, ‘Peppy and snappy, okay?’ And he gets on the mic and he goes, ‘I quit, I quit, I quit, I quit, Mr. White,’” Alana Haim explained in a recent interview. “And so growing up, whenever we would have to, like, check a mic, we would always go, like, ‘I quit.’”

Lorde, Virgin

June 27

Lorde is changing things up for her latest record, stepping away from Jack Antonoff, who produced Melodrama and Solar Power, and working instead with producers Jim-E Stack, Fabiana Palladino, Andrew Aged, Buddy Ross, Dan Nigro and Dev Hynes of Blood Orange. “THE COLOUR OF THE ALBUM IS CLEAR,” the singer wrote in a statement about the deeply personal album. “LIKE BATHWATER, WINDOWS, ICE, SPIT. FULL TRANSPARENCY. THE LANGUAGE IS PLAIN AND UNSENTIMENTAL. THE SOUNDS ARE THE SAME WHEREVER POSSIBLE. I WAS TRYING TO SEE MYSELF, ALL THE WAY THROUGH. I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A DOCUMENT THAT REFLECTED MY FEMININITY: RAW, PRIMAL, INNOCENT, ELEGANT, OPENHEARTED, SPIRITUAL, MASC.”

YOUR MONTHLY PLAYLIST

My friends, I’ve got excellent news: It’s finally hot dog season. Or, more broadly, it’s finally summer, which means it’s the ideal time to hang out outside with a cold beer in one hand and a spatula in the other as you tend to whatever’s on the grill. Naturally, you need some tunes to keep the summertime vibes going while everything cooks. For whatever reason, I personally tend to gravitate towards a few different genres this time of year: blues and old-school soul as well as more contemporary surf-inspired indie and garage rock. It might be difficult to draw a direct connection from Al Green to bands like La Luz or Guantanamo Baywatch — or anyone who was on the Suicide Squeeze Records roster roughly 10 years ago, really — but at the end of the day, they’re all cool in a very specific way: laid-back, unbothered, up for a little trouble but chill enough to not make a big deal about it. If that’s not summer energy, I don’t know what is.

The perfect grilling playlist has to capture that feeling of soaking up the sun — uptempo but not too uptempo, lots of guitar and organ, whether it’s the smooth groove in “Love and Happiness,” the choppy surf sounds on “Rock Lobster” or the intricately layered Pet Sounds parts. And sure, we’ll throw in a pop banger or two for good measure. Ultimately, the goal is for these songs to remind you of those squiggly little mirages you see rising up off the grill. So grab your tongs, fire up the charcoal and give them a spin.

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 Sunflower Bean‘s Nick Kivlen, and Blake Rhein and Aaron Frazer of Durand Jones & The Indications.

The Rehearsal

“I’m recommending Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal because it’s both hilarious and extremely callous. It’s a dream-like reality TV series where Nathan’s bizarre line of thought is at the front and center. He misunderstands human behavior in such an entertaining way and unfortunately drags along unsuspecting victims in his endless quest for control.”

Friendship and The Studio

“I’m a huge fan of Tim Robinson’s work and was eager to see this movie. If you’ve seen Tim’s show, I Think You Should Leave, it can be hard to imagine how his comedy would translate into a film with a bit of a dramatic bite. It ends up landing somewhere between Step Brothers and Fargo while touching on themes of isolation and masculinity.” — Blake Rhein

“Seth Rogen plays the new head of a Hollywood movie studio. Incredible camerawork, great writing and acting, chaotic and funny but a sincere love letter to feature-length movies in a post-Vine era of social content and fried attention spans.” — Aaron Frazer

WORTH REVISITING

Jaws (1975)

Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+

This month marks the 50th anniversary of Jaws, the first-ever movie to earn $100 million and the template for countless copycat summer blockbusters that have tried to recapture its magic in the half-century since the menacing dun DUN dun DUNs of John Williams’s iconic score first struck fear into the hearts of beachgoers everywhere. What better time, then, to revisit Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece?

I first saw Jaws on VHS at an elementary school friend’s birthday party when I was way too young to watch a lady get yanked violently underwater and then torn apart by a shark, so it took me a while to get up the nerve to watch it again, but once I did as an adult, it became one of my favorite movies. It’s not summer until I watch Jaws at least once, preferably in a movie theater full of other people. (If you happen to live in New York City, the Nitehawk usually screens it every Fourth of July weekend.) There’s something about hearing an audience gasp at the jump-scares, laugh at how goofy Quint (Robert Shaw) looks when he’s getting eaten and cheer when they finally get to watch the beast that’s been terrorizing Amity Island for two hours get blown up by a well-placed tank of compressed air that really drives home its staying power.

Jaws is everything you want out of a blockbuster, an over-the-top spectacle that can either be taken at face value (hell yeah, they just blew up that shark) or read more deeply as a cautionary tale about the hubris of man (we’ve got boats and guns, but nature will always find a way to outswim us and chomp on us with 15 rows of teeth — especially when the allure of tourism revenue keeps us from closing the beaches). It changed the filmmaking game so profoundly that it’s become a blueprint for just about every monster movie that followed it. You have your overly-cautious hero whose journey involves overcoming some sort of deep fear (Roy Scheider’s iconic Chief Brody, in this case), your arrogant sidekick who’s there for comic relief (Richard Dreyfuss’s Hooper) and of course, the grizzled old guy who tries to warn you about how dangerous and powerful the creature you’re dealing with is (Quint and his showstopping monologue about the USS Indianapolis disaster). Nowadays it’s all textbook, but 50 years ago, it was awe-inspiring. So here’s to swimming with bow-legged women, and here’s to Jaws.