The Other Side of Sicily You Should Explore This Summer
I'm somewhere atop Europe's only active volcano. Her name is Mount Etna, and she's a beauty: immense and fiery. In this part of eastern Sicily, the mountain is ubiquitous: not only can you see her for miles, there are rice balls, or arancini, in the shape of her. She's inspired more art than a pop star's torrid romance. There's even a deep red liquor, the locally made Fuoco del Vulcano, in honor of her strength. (Proceed with caution: it's 70 proof, and I looked like Willie E. Coyote swallowing dynamite when I took a sip.) More often than not throughout 2025, Mount Etna has been doing what she does best: blowing off steam and lava. And who hasn't done that from time to time? I have a few dirty martinis, Mount Etna erupts now and then. Same difference.
I'm here in Sicily for the first time exploring the off-the-beaten path destinations on the trendy island. I'm a quarter Sicilian, so this actually is my Roman Empire. (The Greeks and Arabs ran this land throughout the years, too). I don't need to tell you about that certain HBO-turned-Max-turned-HBO Max series that has inspired a million excursions in the recent era. But on the eastern edge of the island, beyond the Gucci and gelato shop-lined streets of Taormina (where I'll eventually wind up), there's a bit more to the area than the bustling tourist meccas that have turned some Italian towns like this into places out of Epcot Center.
On the contrary, while Mount Etna does indeed woo tourists (sometimes clueless ones, to the chagrin of local authorities), it's much less polished than other la dolce vita destinations. My ride up here was an offered excursion courtesy Donna Carmela, the laidback 18-suite boutique hotel I'm staying at tonight which is located roughly an hour from the heart of the volcano and somewhere halfway between the charmingly unpolished city of Catania and the aforementioned Taormina. It's family-run by the Faros, right down to the pictures of nonnas, uncles and kids on the wall in its spacious communal living room area. The Faro clan also runs a local floral park and winery, which is also on my schedule to visit. I refresh in my bungalow, which boasts a private patio and wading pool, pull my trusty sneakers out of my luggage and head out.
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28 minutes ago
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Newsweek
37 minutes ago
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Best Films to Stream in Summer 2025 on Netflix, Paramount+, Prime Video
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Summer is well and truly sizzling with these hot new films hitting streaming services. Here's what's on and where to watch it. The following movies all release in Summer 2025, and are available as part of your existing subscription package. That means if you've signed up to the relevant service, be it Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+ or Paramount+, you won't have to pay anything else. On our list you'll find the latest cinematic blockbusters heading to home release, such as Robert de Niro gangster thriller The Alto Knights, as well as streaming exclusives like Netflix's Titan: The OceanGate Disaster, and Paramount+'s Kristen Stewart romantic drama Love Me. Jack Black stars in A Minecraft Movie Jack Black stars in A Minecraft Movie Warner Bros. Pictures While the likes of Sinners and A Minecraft Movie are currently on video-on-demand, they require an additional fee to rent or buy, so keep that in mind. Scroll on for the full rundown of amazing films you can watch from the comfort of your sofa this Summer. Best Films Releasing Summer 2025 May 30 Bono: Stories of Surrender Platform: Apple TV+ Cast: Bono, Jacknife Lee, Kate Ellis, Gemma Doherty May 31 Mountainhead Platform: Max Cast: Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, Ramy Youssef June 3 Presence Platform: Hulu Cast: It stars Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, West Mulholland, Julia Fox June 27 The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie Platform: Max Cast: Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol June 6 Predator: Killer of Killers Platform: Disney Plus, Hulu Cast: Lindsay LaVanchy, Louis Ozawa, Rick Gonzalez, Michael Biehn Straw Platform: Netflix Cast: Taraji P. Henson, Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor, Sinbad, Rockmond Dunbar, Ashley Versher, Mike Merrill and Glynn Turman The Alto Knights Platform: Max Cast: Robert De Niro, Debra Messing, Cosmo Jarvis, Kathrine Narducci, Michael Rispoli June 11 Titan: The OceanGate Disaster Platform: Netflix June 12 Deep Cover Platform: Prime Video Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed, Paddy Considine, Ian McShane, Sean Bean June 16 Love Me Platform: Paramount+ Cast: Kristen Stewart, Steven Yeun July 2 Heads of State Platform: Prime Video Cast: John Cena, Idris Elba, Priyanka Chopra, Jack Quaid, Paddy Considine, Stephen Root, Carla Gugino The Old Guard 2 Platform: Netflix Cast: stars Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Matthias Schoenaerts, Vân Veronica Ngô, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Uma Thurman, Henry Golding July 25 Happy Gilmore 2 Platform: Netflix Cast: Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Dennis Dugan, Christopher McDonald, Ben Stiller, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Kym Whitley, Sunny Sandler August 8 The Pickup Platform: Prime Video Cast: Eddie Murphy, Keke Palmer, Pete Davidson August 28 The Thursday Murder Club Platform: Netflix Cast: Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, David Tennant, Jonathan Pryce, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Paul Freeman, Richard E. Grant A Minecraft Movie Streaming Release Date A Minecraft Movie is now available to buy and rent on digital streaming services. It was released on Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home on May 13, 2025, but currently costs an additional fee. Sinners Streaming Release Date Sinners is now available to buy and rent on digital streaming services. It was released on Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Fandango at Home on June 3, 2025.
