What to Stream: HAIM, 'The Gilded Age,' Benson Boone, astronaut Sally Ride and digital dinosaurs

San Francisco Chronicle​

16 hours ago

Lifelike digital Triceratops and Spinosaurus lumbering through a reimagined 'Walking with Dinosaurs' and Benson Boone's sophomore album 'American Heart' 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 documentary on trailblazing NASA astronaut Sally Ride, the third season of 'The Gilded Age' and Tron: Catalyst, a video game inspired by the 1982 movie 'Tron.'
— Cristina Costantini's documentary 'Sally' (Tuesday on Disney+) richly details the story behind the headlines of the first American woman to fly in space. The portrait of Sally Ride, the trailblazing NASA astronaut, is narrated by her life partner of 27 years, Tam O'Shaughnessy. Her intimate perspective on Ride, along with archival footage and interviews with family and colleagues, captures a fuller backstory to an American icon who rose despite pervasive sexism.
— 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' (streaming on Peacock) was a standout in the first half of 2025, but easy to miss. A funny and tender charmer set on the coast of Wales, it's not a movie screaming for your attention. It stars Tim Key as an isolated widower who uses some of his lottery winnings to hire his favorite band, a folk duo named McGwyer Mortimer (Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan) to play by his rural home. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr wrote that the film feels 'like a much-needed balm. Modest in scope and made with the lightest of touch, not unlike the lovely folk songs that populate its soundtrack, it's also deceptively powerful: A gentle ode to moving on, in quirky packaging.'
— Netflix tends to bury older films in its algorithms but the streamer is hosting a good batch of Alfred Hitchcock movies. This month, it added 'Vertigo,' 'Rear Window,' 'The Man Who Knew Too Much,' 'Frenzy,' 'The Plot' and 'The Birds' to its collection, along with the already-streaming 'Psycho.' These are movies often available elsewhere, and there are many other great Hitchcock films. But a solid sampler pack on Netflix could help bring Hitch to some new audiences, and there's never a bad time to see 'Vertigo' for the first time.
New music to stream from June 16-22
— 'Beautiful Things' singer Benson Boone will release his sophomore album, 'American Heart,' on Friday, June 20. Expect big pop-rock filtered through a kind of post-Harry Styles mimicry, and 1970s worship. For fans of Queen, ELO, and gymnastic pop stars with a penchant for doing backflips on stage.
— The Los Angeles sister trio HAIM have returned with 'I Quit,' 15 tracks of danceable breakup bangers perfect for your summertime sadness. It's soft rock-pop for the Miu Miu crowd and a sonic cure for seasonal depression.
— The Brooklyn-based R&B/soul singer-songwriter Yaya Bey will release a new album on Friday, June 20, 'do it afraid.' It's a big of a detour for the ever-evolving talent: 'Merlot and Grigio' features Bajan dancehall artist Father Philis, the dance-y 'Dream Girl' has echoes of Prince and 'Raisins' is a bit jazzy. There's a lot to love here.
— For the indie crowd, the New York-based Hotline TNT have been a fan favorite for their shoegaze-y power pop that appeals to both classic rockers and those emo pop-punkers who miss the Vans' Warped Tour. On Friday, June 20, the group, led by Will Anderson, will release 'Raspberry Moon' via Jack White's Third Man Records. Across the release, they build on their guitar melodicism.
— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman
New series to stream from June 16-22
— In 1999 a series called 'Walking with Dinosaurs' premiered in the UK and captivated audiences. Narrated by Kenneth Branagh, it was inspired by 'Jurassic Park' and at the time was the most expensive documentary per-minute ever made. Special effects like CGI and animatronics helped bring the dinosaurs to life. Twenty-five years later, a reimagined 'Walking with Dinosaurs' debuts on PBS in conjunction with the BBC using the latest technology to make the dinosaurs seem even more lifelike. The six-episode series is now narrated by actor Bertie Carvel. It will be available to stream on PBS platforms and its app beginning Monday.
— It's a great week for period pieces. First, Apple TV+'s Gilded Age, girl power series, 'The Buccaneers,' returns Wednesday for its second season. The soapy period piece features a cast that includes Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah and Christina Hendricks. It's based on an unfinished Edith Wharton novel about five American women in London for debutante season. These women are a contrast to English high society because they're extroverted and opinionated. The story is centered around Froseth's Nan who is in a love triangle although each character has their own drama to contend with. Leighton Meester has also joined the cast.
— BritBox has the 1930s drama 'Outrageous," also out Wednesday. It's based on the true story of the Mitford sisters, six women born into an aristocratic family who made headlines for their personal lives and politics. Bessie Carter, who plays Penelope Featherington on 'Bridgerton' plays one of the sisters, Nancy Mitford. 'Outrageous' is inspired by a biography that was originally published in 2002.
— The TV adaptation of the popular YA novel 'We Were Liars' arrives on Prime Video on Wednesday. It follows the affluent Sinclair family who has enough secrets to fill one of their bank accounts. It follows Cadence, one of the granddaughters who pals around all summer with two cousins and a family friend, Gat, and their group of four is known as The Liars. When Cadence is injured and no one will be honest with her about what happened, she attempts to piece together what happened.
— Another dysfunctional family is introduced Thursday in Netflix's 'The Waterfront" about the Buckleys, a family of fisherman and restaurateurs in North Carolina. Business has been dwindling and questionable choices are made to stay afloat, keep their secrets, and not get caught by authorities. Holt McCallany ("Mindhunter") Maria Bello and Melissa Benoist star. Topher Grace and Dave Annable also have recurring roles.
— A third period piece out this week is the third season of 'The Gilded Age" and there is a lot to catch up on. Cynthia Nixon's Ada Forte, now a widower after a very short marriage, has just discovered her late husband left her a fortune. This makes Ada the new matriarch of her family, surpassing her sister Agnes (played by Christine Baranski.) Their niece Marian (Louisa Jacobson) seems to be in the early stages of a courtship with neighbor Larry Russell, whose family's wealth comes from new money. Created by Julian Fellowes, the new season premieres Sunday, June 22 on Max.
— Alicia Rancilio
New video games to play from June 16-22
— The influence of Disney's movie 'Tron,' with its icy, neon vision of cyberspace, far outweighs the number of people who actually saw it when it came out in 1982. (I know I spent a lot more time playing the arcade game.) We are getting a third movie, 'Tron: Ares,' in October — but first we get a new game, Tron: Catalyst. You are Exo, an advanced computer program in a glitchy electronic world. You'll need to fight malware with your Identity Disc or run from it on your Light Cycle as you try to escape a malevolent entity called Conn. Developer Bithell Games' previous release, Tron: Identity, was a tightly focused mystery, and Catalyst looks to expand upon its stylish metaverse. Boot up Tuesday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch and PC.