1 Going out: Cinema 2 Going out: Gigs 3 Going out: Art 4 Going out: Stage 5 Staying in: Streaming 6 Staying in: Games 7 Staying in: Albums 8 Staying in: Brain food Alien: Romulus Out now Set between the events of Ridley Scott’s Alien and James Cameron’s Aliens, this new addition to the Alien canon sees a luckless crew of space colonists tangle with the meanest acid-blooded mother in deep space. Starring Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson and Archie Renaux. Hollywoodgate Out now When the US withdrew from Iraq, they left behind billions of dollars worth of military equipment, much of it dismantled.
But guess what: stuff that has been dismantled can be put back together again. This documentary shows how the Taliban evolved during this period into a heavily armed regime. The Hypnosis Out now The label “cringe comedy” may call to mind Peep Show or The Office, but in Swedish director Ernst De Geer’s feature debut that sense of squirming on behalf of someone else is employed in the film itself, as a young entrepreneur starts to behave uninhibitedly after a hypnosis session, much to the discomfort of her boyfriend.
Only the River Flows Out now Police detective Ma (Yilong Zhu) must investigate a small-town serial killer mystery in Banpo Town, in this 1990s-set adaptation of a short story by the avant-garde Chinese author Yu Hua. Modern film noir from Wei Shujun. Catherine Bray Reading & Leeds 21 to 25 August, Richfield Avenue , Reading; Bramham Park , Leeds The bank holiday blowout returns with Liam Gallagher, Lana Del Rey, Blink-182, Fred Again and Gerry Cinnamon topping the bill.
If that mainly male smörgåsbord doesn’t tickle your fancy, there will also be sets from Raye, Flo and Dream Wife. Michael Cragg Francisco Coll Royal Albert Hall , London, 18 August In an undistinguished year for new music at the Proms, the UK premiere of the Cello Concerto by Francisco Coll promises to stand out. It’s the latest in a series of works Coll has composed for the brilliant Argentinian cellist Sol Gabetta.
Andrew Clements Rye international jazz & blues festival Various venues , 23 to 26 August Charismatic singer-guitarist Eric Bibb, a performer immersed in vintage blues but also sharply contemporary, plays Friday’s opening night. Other guests include saxophonist Camilla George and postbop piano giant Monty Alexander. John Fordham Mitski Victoria Park , London, 18 August All Points East continues with a headline slot from TikTok’s most unlikely superstar.
Expect the viral ballad My Love Mine All Mine to be a highlight, but there’s more to Mitski than just soft sadness. Support comes from Ethel Cain and Beabadoobee. MC Take One Picture National Gallery , London, to 1 September Of all National Gallery pictures to inspire children to make their own art, the ideal choice has to be Henri Rousseau’s Surprised!.
This 1891 painting of a tiger stalking in a rainforest is itself joyously “childlike” in its bold colours. Here are the responses it has unleashed from young artists. El Anatsui Talbot Rice Gallery , Edinburgh, to 29 September This dream-weaving west African artist is heir to Robert Rauschenberg and Kurt Schwitters as a redeemer of trash and poet of the found.
El Anatsui sculpts or paints – it’s hard to tell which – everyday stuff such as labels and bottletops, which he joins into shimmering, complex veils of beauty. Turn It Up Science Museum , London, to 1 September Last weeks to catch this exhibition about the science of music, a summer treat for all ages that includes an improvising music robot called Haile, a Turing test that challenges you to guess if music is human-composed or AI-generated, and a digital glove that lets musicians magically control sound. Home Stills Gallery , Edinburgh, to 5 October Ukrainian photographers explore the idea of home, at a time when people’s homes – and their very homeland – are under attack from Russia.
It’s a snapshot of ordinary life struggling to endure in wartime, with pictures by Polina Polikarpova, Andriy Rachinskiy, Elena Subach, Igor Chekachkov, Alexander Chekmenev, Daria Svertilova and more. Jonathan Jones Ugly Sisters Underbelly , Edinburgh, to 25 August It’s near impossible to pick one show from the 3,000 at the fringe, but if you’re seeking audacious ideas and blazing talent, try Ugly Sisters. Winners of the Edinburgh Untapped award, Laurie Ward and Charli Cowgill investigate sisterhood and transphobia.
It should be a hot ticket this summer. Kate Wyver Fern Brady 20 August to 20 November; tour starts Edinburgh Brady was already an established standup when she published her 2023 memoir Strong Female Character, but the book’s success significantly boosted her career. Now she’s back with a new show, I Gave You Milk to Drink, about the disappointments of dreams coming true.
Rachel Aroesti Antony & Cleopatra Shakespeare’s Globe , London, to 15 September Performed in spoken English and British Sign Language, the Globe’s striking new production features Nadia Nadarajah as Cleopatra. All performances are captioned in this epic story of empire, passion and danger, directed by Blanche McIntyre. KW Doorstep Duets Market Square, Faversham, 20 August; touring to 31 August Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures stages a series of free outdoor performances across the south-east of England, choreographed by Anjali Mehra.
World-class dance in a bandstand, library or square near you. Lyndsey Winship Pachinko Apple TV+, 23 August The second season of this ambitious, sweeping history of a Korean family in Japan – adapted from Min Jin Lee’s acclaimed 2017 novel – rejoins the action in 1945 on the eve of the US bombing campaign in Osaka, flitting between second world war horror and the glittering futurism of 1989 Japan. We Might Regret This BBC Two/iPlayer, 19 August, 10pm Making comedy about disability is a delicate art, but it can also be a rich comic seam.
This new sitcom from Kyla Harris mines uproarious laughs from the life of tetraplegic Freya, whose romance with an older man requires the intimate involvement of her personal assistant/best friend Jo. Merseyside Detectives Channel 4, 19 August, 9pm Some murders are so shocking they dominate the headlines, piling huge pressure on the police to identify suspects as quickly as possible. This new series, shown across the week, follows Merseyside officers as they investigated the August 2022 shootings of 28-year-old Ashley Dale and nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel.
Untold: The Murder of Air McNair Netflix, 20 August Netflix’s flagship sports documentary series returns with an episode about the 2009 death of NFL player Steve McNair. The 36-year-old had enjoyed enormous success with the Tennessee Titans – in 2003 he was the first Black quarterback to be named MVP – before his entanglement with a troubled young woman led to his death. RA Black Myth: Wukong Out 20 August, PC, PS5 The latest video game to take inspiration from classical Chinese novel Journey to the West is a visually astounding adventure with an intricate and challenging combat system.
Comparisons with the legendary Dark Souls series have caused much excitement. Dustborn Out 20 August, PC, PS4 & PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S A band of plucky misfits sets out on a dangerous road trip across the Divided States of America in this single-player narrative adventure from Norwegian developer Red Thread Games . The bright cell-shaded visuals and punk rock attitude make for an intriguing combo.
Keith Stuart Foster the People – Paradise State of Mind Out now While their 2010 hit Pumped Up Kicks continues to live on via memes and endless syncs, the California duo of Mark Foster and Isom Innis continue attempting to move on. This fourth album finds them dabbling in 70s psych and disco, as showcased on OTT single Lost in Space. Rosie Lowe – Lover, Other Out now Over the tactile, metronomic beat and warm organ swells of Gratitudes, Devon’s Rosie Lowe reminds herself of life’s little triumphs.
It’s a lovely moment on a fourth album, written and co-produced by Lowe, that attempts to promote essentials such as love and being in the moment. Post Malone – F-1 Trillion Out now Having dabbled with synth-pop on 2023’s Austin, Post Malone heads to the country on this rootin’ tootin’ sixth album. The guest list is stacked with country superstars – Dolly Parton, Luke Combs, Brad Paisley – while its first single, US No 1 smash I Had Some Help, features Morgan Wallen.
Tinashe – Quantum Baby Out now Tinashe’s career revival after leaving the major label system in 2019 continues with this seventh album. While recent single Getting No Sleep is the perfect soundtrack to a lovely night in, it’s this summer’s TikTok smash Nasty (“Is somebody gonna match my freak?”) that perfectly distills Tinashe’s bedroom plans. MC Faye Sky Documentaries, 18 August, 7pm A rare, career-spanning interview with Hollywood icon Faye Dunaway forms the basis of this frank film, following the actor’s lauded turns in Chinatown and Network, as well as her struggles with alcoholism and experience of bipolar disorder.
Legend of Takhti Podcast Host Rana Rahimpour tells the remarkable story of one of her sporting heroes, Iranian wrestler Gholamreza Takhti, in this entertaining series. We chart Takhti’s ascent to become an Olympic champion, as well as his political activism. Rick Beato Online YouTuber Rick Beato’s channel is packed full of fascinating explorations into everything from Taylor Swift’s superstardom to the business of streaming for artists and in-depth interviews with George Benson and Abba’s Björn Ulvaeus.
Ammar Kalia.
