The SLMan Culture List: July

THE FILM TO STREAM: The Surfer

An entertaining, stylish and psychologically unsettling piece of pulp cinema, The Surfer has been thrilling audiences since its premiere in the Midnight Screenings section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Now the Nic Cage flick is landing on streaming services. It focuses on a man (Cage), who returns to the idyllic beach of his childhood to surf with his son, but is humiliated by a group of powerful locals, and drawn into a conflict that rises with the punishing heat of the summer and pushes him to his breaking point. A terrific ensemble cast includes Julian McMahon, Nicholas Cassim, Miranda Tapsell and Alexander Bertrand.

7th July

Visit TV.Apple.com

THE SERIES: Untamed

Untamed is a character-driven mystery thriller that follows National Parks Service special agent Kyle Turner (played by Eric Bana) as he tries to enforce human law in nature’s vast wilderness. Together with new ranger Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago), he investigates a mysterious, brutal death in Yosemite, which puts Turner on a collision course with the dark secrets within the park – and in his own past. The series also stars Jurassic Park favourite Sam Neill, Rosemary DeWitt and Wilson Bethel.

17th July

Visit Netflix.com

THE ACTION FILM: Superman

Superman is DC Studios’ first feature film to hit the big screen. Headed up by writer-director James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad), Superman brings the original superhero into a newly imagined universe. Working as a journalist and keeping his identity under wraps, Superman (David Corenswet, Twisters) embarks on a journey to reconcile his intergalactic heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent, while the threat of Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) looms large. Driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind, Superman finds himself fighting for truth and justice – but his beliefs are out of place in a world that views such values as old fashioned.

11th July

Visit Picturehouses.com

THE ADAPTATION: Washington Black

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, Washington Black follows the 19th-century odyssey of George Washington ‘Wash’ Black, an 11-year-old boy born on a Barbados sugar plantation, whose prodigious scientific mind sets him on a path of unexpected destiny. When a harrowing incident forces Wash to flee, he is thrust into a globe-spanning adventure that challenges and reshapes his understanding of family, freedom and love. As he navigates uncharted lands and impossible odds, Wash finds the courage to imagine a future beyond the confines of the society he was born into.

23rd July

Visit DisneyPlus.com

THE BLACK COMEDY: Friendship

This A24 flick is the debut from director Andrew DeYoung. The black comedy focuses on suburban dad Craig (Tim Robinson of SNL and I Think You Should Leave fame) who has his life turned upside down by the arrival of a new neighbour, Austin (Paul Rudd). As Craig’s attempts to make an adult male friend spiral out of control, their blossoming relationship threatens to ruin both of their lives.

18th July

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THE OTHER SUPERHERO REMAKE: The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 60s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond. They're tasked with defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) – and if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

24th July

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THE CINEMA EVENT: Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse

This famed 1991 documentary from Francis Ford Coppola’s wife Eleanor (who was on set, shooting much of this BTS footage) chronicles how Coppola's 1979 epic Vietnam War takedown Apocalypse Now was plagued by extraordinary script, shooting, budget and casting problems – nearly destroying the life and career of the celebrated director along the way. A classic of the ‘how they made it’ genre, the doc is landing at Picturehouse venues on 4th July for a cinema release. Trust us, it’s well worth catching this eye-opening look at one of the most gruelling productions in film history on the big screen…

4th July

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THE ANNIVERSARY: Jaws At 50

This new Disney+ doc offers the definitive inside story of the film that redefined Hollywood. Jaws At 50 charts the extraordinary journey from Peter Benchley’s bestselling novel to one of the most iconic films ever made. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with acclaimed Hollywood directors, top shark scientists and conservationists, the documentary uncovers the behind-the-scenes chaos, and looks at how the film created the summer blockbuster, inspired a new wave of filmmakers, and paved the way for shark conservation that continues today.

11th July

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THE SPORTS DOC: Quarterback – Series 2

The hit show returns to give viewers exclusive, unprecedented access to three quarterbacks across the 2024 NFL season – showing all the ups and downs of navigating one of the toughest positions in sports, both on and off the field. Follow along as cameras go behind the scenes with one of the league’s most exciting talents – Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) – with Jared Goff (Detroit Lions) as he tries to prove the doubters wrong, and with series one old boy Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons) as he embarks on the latest chapter in his career.

8th July

Visit Netflix.com

THE SEQUEL: Happy Gilmore 2

It’s been almost 30 years since we last saw Happy Gilmore, the long-driving hero who won the Tour Championship in 1996. Now fans can finally catch up with him in a sequel that sees Adam Sandler return to the golf green. Joining the film alongside Sandler are original Happy Gilmore stars Julie Bowen, Ben Stiller and Christopher McDonald – plus some pro golfers, including John Daly, Paige Spiranac, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris.

25th July

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THE SCI-FI RETURN: Foundation, Series 3

Based on the award-winning novels by Isaac Asimov, Foundation chronicles a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilisation amid the fall of the Galactic Empire. Set 152 years after the events of series two, The Foundation has become increasingly established far beyond its humble beginnings, while the Cleonic Dynasty’s Empire has dwindled. As these galactic powers forge an uneasy alliance, a threat to the entire galaxy appears in the fearsome form of a warlord known as ‘The Mule’, whose sights are set on ruling the universe by use of physical and military force as well as mind control. It’s anyone’s guess who will win, who will lose, who will live and who will die as Hari Seldon, Gaal Dornick, the Cleons and Demerzel play a potentially deadly game of intergalactic chess.

11th July

Visit TV.Apple.com

THE PODCAST: Sir Bradley Wiggins’ Café Aficionado

Britain’s first ever Tour de France winner has launched a cycling podcast. Sir Bradley Wiggins, also an eight-time Olympic medallist, has teamed up with production company Atomized Studios to explore the magic, history and incredible stories from the world of cycling. Co-presented by Wiggo’s good friend, broadcaster and cycling journalist Graham Willgoss, Café Aficionado will see the pair joined by some of the sport’s greats – including Geraint Thomas, Chris Froome, Mark Cavendish and Pippa York – to take a deep dive into the history of the big three road races (le Tour, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España) and the stories, mythology and magic that surround them.

Out now

Visit Spotify.com

THE MUSIC DOC: Pavements

This excellent music doc follows 90s indie-rock band Pavement as they reunite for their sold-out 2022 tour. But as preparations get underway, surreal tributes emerge: an off-Broadway musical adaptation of their songs, a museum devoted entirely to the band’s legacy, and a shamelessly awards-baiting Hollywood biopic. Acclaimed filmmaker Alex Ross Perry distorts the classic music documentary, refracting Pavement into new, hybrid forms, blurring fact and fiction as Stranger Things’ Joe Keery stars alongside Pavement, subverting their slacker-indie mythology. Hailed as "terrifically strange and entertaining" by the New York Times, the doc will be available to stream for the first time this month via Mubi.

11th July

Visit Mubi.com