Release Radar: Our pick of the week's best TV, movies, and games (July 29-August 4)
The Blackout Club, Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw , Madden NFL 20 and more
1. Live out your Stranger Things fantasies with The Blackout Club
If you like nothing better than a group of teenagers taking on a shady conspiracy - and you've run out of Stranger Things season 3 episodes - then four-player co-op horror game The Blackout Club is for you. Made by some of the developers that brought you BioShock, the game is all about a spooky cult and trying to figure out what they're up to, all while escaping the attention of a monster called The Shape. As usual, the adults of the town are no help at all, victims of the cult's brainwashing. The game has been in Early Access on PC for a while but July 30 is its official release across all platforms.
What: The Blackout Club
Where: PC, Xbox One and PS4
When: July 30
2. Chris Evans brings his A-game (and A+ beard) to new Netflix movie, The Red Sea Diving Resort
Don’t get me wrong, Chris Evans was fantastic as Captain America in the MCU, but the uncharted waters of his post-Endgame career could be even more exciting and creatively liberating. The Red Sea Diving Resort is his first stop, and it looks to deliver the same heart-stopping tension as the likes of Argo, while cementing his legacy as a bonafide leading man. Flanked by a cast that includes Michael K. Williams, Haley Bennett, and Ben Kingsley, Evans plays Ari Levinson, a man tasked with evacuating Jewish Ethiopians out of Sudan and into Israel in the early 1980s. Judging by the trailer, the Netflix Original will feature plenty of moments where you’ll be holding your breath and watching with a lump in your throat – and that’s just when Evans’ trademark bushy beard is on-screen.
What: The Red Sea Diving Resort
Where: Netflix
When: July 31
3. Say I do (again) to Four Weddings and a Funeral on Hulu
Last we saw Nathalie Emmanuel she was having a tough time of it in King's Landing, so it's nice to see her in a romcom where her chances of being decapitated are pretty slim. She plays Maya in the new Hulu series based on the classic movie Four Weddings and a Funeral. Maya is a communications director for a New York senatorial campaign, summoned to London for a friend's wedding and soon at the center of love, laughter and - if the title is anything to go by - loss. There's no Hugh Grant or Richard Curtis this time around, but the series was co-written by comedic powerhouse Mindy Kaling.
What: Four Weddings and a Funeral
Where: Hulu
When: July 31
4. Two buff bros for the price of one in Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw
Two brawny, bald men who hate each other’s guts, played by none other than blockbuster titans Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, are forced to fight together to save the world. Throw in “black superman” Idris Elba as the main villain, Vanessa Kirby as a badass fighter, Helen Mirren as her mother, a couple of huge cameos, and a Samoan family of warriors, and that just about scratches the surface of what’s in store in the ridiculously fun (and ludicrously silly) Hobbs & Shaw. And for those not particularly enamored by the Fast & Furious series, worry not, as this movie has the DNA of a superhero movie, with fewer nitro fueled car chases and more The Rock hanging from a helicopter and punching Elba.
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What: Hobbs and Shaw
Where: A cinema near you
When: August 2
5. Madden NFL 20 signals the late summer of gaming
It feels like Madden comes sooner every year… and it actually has for the last few years, with the release date steadily scooting from the end of August to the beginning. Still, it's the start of the late summer/autumn release window, which means a lot to look forward to even if you're not into football. If you are into tossing the virtual pigskin, Madden's headlining features this year are X-Factors, special abilities for 50 players that give them an advantage in certain situations. They're a bit like Overwatch or MOBA-esque hero abilities, but with less chance of actually killing opponents on the other team. For instance, once Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completes a certain number of passes over 30 yards in a game his maximum pass distance increases, but he'll get knocked back down to normal if he throws a pick or gets sacked.
What: Madden NFL 20
Where: PC, PS4, Xbox One
When: August 2
Release Radar picks the best games, movies, and shows of the next seven days every Monday at 11am GMT.
Rachel Weber is the former US Managing Editor of 12DOVE and lives in Brooklyn, New York. She joined 12DOVE in 2017, revitalizing the news coverage and building new processes and strategies for the US team.