What to Stream: Mountainhead, Bono documentary and Elizabeth Banks and Jessica Biel play sisters
NEW YORK (AP) — 'Succession' creator Jesse Armstrong's satirical drama 'Mountainhead' and Elizabeth Banks and Jessica Biel playing dysfunctional siblings in the murder thriller series 'The Better Sister' are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also among the streaming offerings worth your time, as selected by The Associated Press' entertainment journalists: a new concert special featuring Aretha Franklin, U2's frontman reveals all in the documentary 'Bono: Stories of Surrender' and multiplayer gamers get Elden Ring: Nightreign, sending teams of three warriors to battle the flamboyant monsters of a haunted land.
— 'Succession' creator Jesse Armstrong makes his feature debut with the satirical drama 'Mountainhead,' streaming on HBO Max on Saturday, May 31. The film stars Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef and Cory Michael Smith as tech titans on a boys' trip whose billionaire shenanigans are interrupted by an international crisis that may have been inflamed by their platforms. The movie was shot earlier this year, in March.
— The story of hostage crisis at the 1972 Munich Olympics has been told in many films, but 'September 5' takes audiences inside the ABC newsroom as it all unfolded. The film, from Tim Fehlbaum and starring Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro and Ben Chaplin, is a semi-fictionalized telling of those tense 22 hours, where a group of sports reporters including Peter Jennings managed to broadcast this international incident live to the world for the first time. In my review, I wrote that news junkies will find much to enjoy in the spirited debates over journalistic ethics and the vintage technologies. It's also just a riveting tick-tock. 'September 5' will be available to watch on Prime Video on Tuesday.
— The directing team (and real life partners) behind 'Saint Frances' made one of AP Film Writer Jake Coyle's favorite movies of 2024 in 'Ghostlight,' streaming Friday, May 30 on Kanopy. The movie centers on a construction worker who joins a community theater production of 'Romeo & Juliet' after the death of his teenage son. Coyle called it 'a sublime little gem of a movie about a Chicago family struggling to process tragedy.'
— Celebrate the late, great, eternal Aretha Franklin with a glorious new concert special, 'Aretha! With Sheléa and the Pacific Symphony' airing on PBS. The title is a giveaway: Sheléa and the Pacific Symphony team up to perform the Queen of Soul's larger-than-life hits: 'Respect,' 'Natural Woman,' and 'Chain of Fools' among them. On Friday, it will become available to stream on pbs.org and the PBS App.
— 'These are the tall tales of a short rock star,' U2 frontman Bono introduces 'Bono: Stories of Surrender,' a documentary film based on his memoir, 'Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story.' The project will become available to stream globally on Apple TV on Friday and for the tech heads among us, it is also the first full-length film to be available in Apple Immersive on Vision Pro. That's 180-degree video!
— For film fans, Yeule may be best known for their contribution to the critically acclaimed 'I Saw The TV Glow,' which featured their dreamy cover of Broken Social Scene's 'Anthems For a Seventeen Year-Old Girl' as a kind of theme song. On Friday, the singer-songwriter-producer will release their latest album, 'Evangelic Girl Is a Gun' via Ninja Tune Records — an ambitious collection of electronic pop from a not-to-distant future.
— Sheri Papini, a woman who pleaded guilty and served jail time for lying to law enforcement about being kidnapped, is sharing her story for the first time. A new docuseries features interviews with Papini herself, her family, attorneys and psychiatrist. She also takes a lie-detector test on camera and participates in reenactments. Papini maintains she was kidnapped by an ex-boyfriend, but says they were having an emotional affair at the time. She claims he held her against her will, sexually and physically abusing her, before letting her go. 'Sheri Papini: Caught in the Lie' is a four-part series airing Monday, and Tuesday on ID. It will stream on Max.
— Elizabeth Banks and Jessica Biel are Nicky and Chloe, dysfunctional sisters in the new Prime Video series 'The Better Sister.' It's based on a novel by Alafair Burke. The two are estranged and Chloe is raising Nicky's son as her own — and also married to her ex. When a murder occurs, the sisters must become a united front. It premieres Thursday on Prime Video.
— In 'Downton Abbey' and 'The Crown,' Matthew Goode plays a charming English gentleman. In his new series 'Dept. Q' for Netflix, he's ... English. Goode plays Carl, a gruff detective who is banished to the police station basement and assigned to cold cases. He forms a rag tag group to solve a crime that no one, not even himself, thinks can be cracked. 'Dept. Q' is from the writer and director of 'The Queen's Gambit.' It premieres Thursday.
— A new PBS documentary looks at the life and impact of artist George Rodrigue. He's known for paintings of a big blue dog with yellow eyes (called Blue Dog) but also is credited for art that depicted Cajun life in his home state of Louisiana. Rodrigue's paintings helped to preserve Cajun culture. What people may not realize is how the Blue dog is connected to Cajun folklore. 'Blue: The Art and Life of George Rodrigue' debuts Thursday and will also stream on PBS.org.
— Tokyo-based From Software is best known for morbid adventures like Dark Souls and Elden Ring — games that most players tackle solo, though they do have some co-op options. Elden Ring: Nightreign is built for multiplayer, sending teams of three warriors to battle the flamboyant monsters of a haunted land called Limveld. Your goal is to survive three days and three nights before you confront an overwhelming Nightlord. This isn't the sprawling, character-building epic fans would expect from the studio, but those who are hungry for more of its brutal, nearly sadistic action will probably be satisfied. Take up your swords Friday, May 30, on PlayStation 5/4, Xbox X/S/One or PC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
Here's all you need to know about the newly released films and shows —Thug Life, Stolen, Mountainhead and Tourist Family
This week, two Indian cinema titans attempt to recapture their magic with Thug Life, though the results are mixed. Meanwhile, Succession creator Jesse Armstrong delivers a sharp satire on the digital age with Mountainhead, and the gritty indie thriller Stolen proves there's still life left in edge-of-your-seat storytelling. Just when you thought hope was out of fashion, Tourist Family offers a tender, borderless view of belonging. Let's unpack. Hype check Two critics — from different generations — caught the much-awaited Kamal Haasan–Mani Ratnam collaboration Thug Life on the opening day and recorded their reactions for The Hindu (full video online). So, how did that go? Watch: Thug Life: First day first show reactions To sum up Shilajit Mitra's thoughts : 'Thug Life is all vibes — gun-toting gangsters flipping on shades while Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam sprint around in a cinematic candy shop of their own making. But the result is bloated, disjointed, and crusted with clichés. The film's ambition to become an emotionally immersive gangster drama is undercut by its eagerness to fit the pan-Indian blockbuster bill. The action sequences, in particular, are poorly directed and performed — a shocker, given the talent involved. The film's saving grace is the beautifully composed 'Aanju Vanna Poove' and Malayalam actor Joju George, who brings a warm, bearish presence to an otherwise dull and draining experience.' Most critics at the first show seem to agree. In Thug Life, Kamal Haasan plays a version of Santa Claus who hands out death as a present. Mani Ratnam, meanwhile, seems to be Benjamin Button-ing as a director — growing younger and more amateurish with time. This feels like his amateur phase: a filmmaker still figuring out character consistency and basic continuity. One moment, four parties are battling it out in Goa. The next, Kamal calls one of them to meet — not nearby — but in Delhi, as if location logistics are optional for climactic showdowns. While some believe in aging gracefully, Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan are rebels who want to go out all guns blazing — even if they're firing blanks. The delulu land Succession creator Jesse Armstrong returns with Mountainhead, a satire on tech billionaires and their delusional realities. It arrives at a moment when these men increasingly shape the world. Starring Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef, and Jason Schwartzman, the film nails a world where a meme tweeted by the guy who bought Twitter becomes a government department. It drops just as Elon Musk's Neuralink trials turn science fiction into reality. Mountainhead leans into that post-human anxiety. It's sharply written, uncomfortably relevant, and filled with exquisitely profane humour. Don't read spoilers. Just dive in — it's rare to find a film this timely and this funny. The thrill isn't gone Set over one night, Stolen (on Prime Video) begins at a railway platform where two brothers witness a baby being taken. What follows is a spiralling nightmare where each decision tightens the noose. Abhishek Banerjee delivers a shape-shifting performance in a lean, anxiety-fuelled thriller that never loosens its grip. Fasten your seat belts. This is a car crash you'll be glad to witness from the safety of your couch. Hope, humour and heart Remember how Schitt's Creek refused to empower homophobia and instead built a world of kindness? Tourist Family treads similar ground. In the very first scene, a policeman detains the members of a refugee family for deportation but lets them go after being called 'brother'. The tone is clear: this isn't about oppression. It's about belonging. Watch it if you want hope without sentimentality, humour without cruelty, and family without borders — with a touch of Rajkumar Hirani's brand of utopia. From the hottest shows to hidden gems, overlooked classics to guilty pleasures, FOMO Fix is a fortnightly compass through the chaos of content. Expect timely recommendations, spoiler-free insights, and an honest heads-up on what to not miss.
The Hindu
12 hours ago
- The Hindu
Thug Life: First day first show reactions Tourist Family
What a week—so many choices, so little time. This episode of FOMO Fix dives into some of the buzziest new releases and helps you figure out what's worth watching. On Hype Check, I'm joined by film critic Shilajit Mitra to break down our first-day-first-show reactions to Thug Life, the much-anticipated Kamal Haasan–Mani Ratnam collaboration. It starts off with promise, but let's just say things go south after the interval. Then on TV Gold, I spotlight Mountainhead, Jesse Armstrong's razor-sharp satire on tech billionaires. It's dark, hilarious, and deeply relevant. If Succession met Black Mirror at a Silicon Valley retreat, this would be the outcome. Also in this week's heads up: • Tourist Family, a refugee drama that refuses to lean into trauma and instead delivers warmth, humor, and hope. • Stolen, a lean and tense thriller set over one unforgettable night. It's tightly made, hard-hitting, and leaves a mark.
Hindustan Times
13 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
AP Dhillon snaps at a fan for touching him, repeatedly, asking for photos: ‘Kitni lega yaar'
Singer AP Dhillon's frustration boiled over at the airport in Mumbai with a fan's persistent requests for photos, especially when he touched him without his consent. The singer visibly got irked, firmly telling the fan, "enough". Also read: Badshah seemingly advises Diljit Dosanjh, AP Dhillon to stay united, learn from his and Honey Singh's mistake AP Dhillon was recently spotted at the airport in Mumbai, and a video of the outing has emerged on social media. AP Dhillon was casually dressed when he arrived at the airport, where he exchanged pleasantries with photographers, flashing a brief smile and making polite gestures. He even accommodated a few fans with selfies, but the atmosphere turned sour when one fan kept asking for a photo. After several selfies, the fan insisted on clicking more and tried to hold him, which made AP Dhillon visibly uncomfortable. Annoyed at the request, AP Dhillon said, 'Kitni photos lega yaar? (How many photos will you take)". When the fan tried to touch him, AP Dhillon said "enough' firmly and walked away. AP Dhillon recently attended the IPL 2025 Final between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru earlier this week in Ahmedabad. The Canada-based singer is known for hits such as Brown Munde and Excuses. Fans can expect a dynamic setlist that includes other iconic hits, such as Insane and With You, alongside new tracks from his EP, such as Bora Bora and Old Money. He travelled to multiple cities in India last year with his Brownprint India Tour. Apart from his music, the singer also made headlines recently for his rumoured relationship with actor Banita Sandhu. It all started when Banita attended the screening of AP Dhillon's docu-series AP Dhillon: First Of A Kind in Mumbai. Post the screening, Banita shared new love-filled pictures with AP on her social media handle, with the caption, "with me," along with a heart emoji. However, none of them ever addressed these rumours.
