Going out: Cinema
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
Out now
Jane Schoenbrun’s third feature builds on their interest in queer horror, with a story about the fictional Camp Miasma slasher franchise, set to be resurrected by an up-and-coming director (Hannah Einbinder), who enters into a wild relationship with the star of the originals (Gillian Anderson).
Mutiny
Out now
Jason Statham is back in his favourite niche of action thriller: one guy pitted against a system or conspiracy, which he will try to unravel, and when that doesn’t work, smash it to bits. This time, he’s framed for the murder of his boss. Annabelle Wallis and Adrian Lester also star.
Spa Weekend
Out now
A buddy comedy in the vein of Bridesmaids: Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher, Michelle Buteau and Anna Faris star in a tale of three childhood BFFs reunited for a fabulous weekend getaway, only to find a former friend, a total hot mess, gatecrashing their pampering sesh.
Insidious: Out of the Further
Out now
In case you haven’t been keeping up, this is the sixth instalment in the Insidious franchise, which began in 2010 with a relatively simple haunted-house story. In this latest outing, a young mother discovers she can bring back supernatural demons. Spooksome. Catherine Bray
* * *
Going out: Gigs
Rochelle Jordan
Dublin, 25 August; Manchester, 26 August
British-born, Canada-raised dance music maven Rochelle Jordan arrives in the UK and Ireland in support of last year’s excellent third album, Through the Wall. With a five-EP series of remixes slowly being released, expect these shows to be head-knocking, sweat-soaked affairs. Michael Cragg
Tyler, the Creator
Victoria Park, London, 28 & 29 August
The mercurial rapper, singer, actor and fashion designer headlines two dates at this year’s east London-based All Points East series. Expect a zigzagging setlist careening between hip-hop, funk and electro, plus support across the two shows from the likes of Turnstile, Dijon and Rex Orange County. MC
London Symphony Orchestra/Pappano
Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Snape, 28 August
The Proms may be London’s symphonic main stage in August, but one of the capital’s finest orchestras is decamping to East Anglia, armed with Bruckner’s thrilling Symphony No 9 and Gubaidulina’s Viola Concerto. Antonio Pappano conducts, with Norwegian violist Eivind Ringstad. Flora Willson
Tom Barford Quintet
Peggy’s Skylight, Nottingham, 22 August; East Side Jazz Club, London, 25 August
Young UK musician Tom Barford won the prestigious Kenny Wheeler prize in 2017 for his edgily inviting compositions – but is just as notable for his sax virtuosity. Expect vivacious Barford originals mixed with hip tributes to the music of sax legend Joe Henderson. John Fordham
* * *
Going out: Art
Our Place in These Worlds
Elizabeth Xi Bauer, London, to 27 September
A roving, constantly evolving exhibition that has been growing and touring since 2023, featuring work about migration, colonialism and collective identity by artists Esvin Alarcón Lam, Antonio Pichillá Quiacaín and Simón Vega.
Hot Snakes Night Club
Taco!, London, 22 August to 13 September
This hip experimental gallery in south-east London is being transformed into a cabaret club by artist Chloe Langlois for three weeks of live performances, workshops and experimental music, starting with a 24-hour occult marathon.
Gender Stories
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, to 31 August
With works by major artists such as David Hockney, Catherine Opie, Grayson Perry and Zanele Muholi, this show looks at how art can help us figure out the meaning of gender, and how it shapes our everyday lives.
Simeon Barclay
John Hansard Gallery, Southampton, to 29 August
The British conceptualist celebrates his nomination for this year’s Turner prize with a complex exhibition about barriers, gatekeeping, pop culture, fashion, bus seats and giant inflatable mascots. Eddy Frankel
* * *
Going out: Stage
Frankie Thompson
Beside at Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, to 30 August
Somewhere between character comedy, performance art and drag, Thompson’s latest show, Horrible Things, is a riot of lip-syncing (often to unsettling archive recordings), audience interaction and contemporary clowning. Rachel Aroesti
A Slow Fire
Jermyn Street theatre, London, to 26 September
The UK premiere of Simon Stephens’s post-apocalyptic play stars a fierce trio of Irish actors and sees two men trapped in a bunker – before they meet a mysterious stranger. Miriam Gillinson
Sauna Sessions Arts Club
Summerhall, Edinburgh, to 31 August
This year’s Edinburgh festival fringe hosts the UK’s first arts centre set inside a sauna: the 80-seater venue will host a series of immersive performances – including a morning rave, a ritualistic storytelling experience and a reworking of Virginia Woolf’s The Waves, with towel-based choreography. MG
Dan Daw: Exxy
King’s theatre, Edinburgh, 23 August
Exxy (it’s Australian slang for expensive) is the follow-up to the uncompromising and acclaimed Dan Daw Show, as seen at last year’s Edinburgh international festival. This year, the queer, disabled dancer and choreographer Daw returns, thinking back to his youth as an outsider in working-class South Australia. Lyndsey Winship
* * *
Staying in: Streaming
Fightland
Sky Atlantic & Now, 27 August, 9pm
A Thousand Blows meets Top Boy in this 50 Cent-produced drama about the substantial overlap between London’s boxing scene and its criminal underworld. Howard Charles plays a heavyweight champ who returns to the UK to wreak violent revenge on his former promoter, a drug kingpin.
The Airport Chaplain
Netflix, 26 August
Dramas that revolve round mavericks doing highly skilled jobs under enormous pressure are all the rage right now, and this Australian series about a man who isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers to ensure the smooth running of a busy airport is very much in that vein. Hugo Weaving and The Pitt’s Shabana Azeez star.
Dog Park
U, 24 August
Also from down under, this cute canine-dominated dramedy is TV at its most wholesome and nuanced. When Roland’s wife moves abroad, he’s left in charge of the family pooch and soon discovers his grouchy resistance to the hyper-friendly local dog-walking community may have been misplaced.
Dark Matter
Apple TV, 28 August
Blake Crouch’s mind-boggling sci-fi about a physicist who split himself in two so he could enjoy family life and a stellar career (with, obviously, catastrophic consequences) returns. Joel Edgerton reprises the role(s) of Jason Dessen, who has peaceably reunited with his wife and child – but will the calls of the multiverse prove too strong? RA
* * *
Staying in: Games
Star Wars Zero Company
PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, out 27 August
A single-player tactics game set during the Clone Wars, this XCOM-alike has you managing a group of misfits with a range of backgrounds and abilities. The story unfolds linearly, but your choices still matter in the complex missions.
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, out 27 August
This prequel deviates from previous Plague Tale games, starring not stealthy noble children but combat-confident smuggler Sophia. Instead of hordes of rats you face the maze of Minotaur’s Island, and it’s back to ancient Minoan times to learn more about the mysterious Macula. Jordan Erica Webber
* * *
Staying in: Albums
Julia Holter – Materia
Out now
After releasing her sixth album Something in the Room She Moves in 2024, the US singer-songwriter turned her focus to its crystalline fourth track, Materia. On this follow-up she reimagines that song not once but twice, as well as pushing her sound into interesting new shapes on the tactile My Lost One.
Sam Smith – Hazel Eyes
Out now
For their fifth album, the singer-songwriter leans into a more rustic sound, eschewing the elasticated pop of megahit Unholy in favour of low-key romanticism. Oh Mother is head-spinning gospel, while the delicate When He’s Gone overspills with longing.
Weezer – Weezer (Gold Album)
Out now
Perpetual teenagers Weezer return with their 20th album, and their seventh to be self-titled but differentiated by album colour. With production by Swedish pop producer Klas Åhlund (Robyn, Katy Perry) and hip-hop wizard Kenny Beats, plus a guest spot from alt-rockers Wednesday, it’s another perfect mix of existential angst and frat anthems.
Brandon Flowers – Thrasher
Out now
With Mr Brightside still bobbing around the UK Top 100, where it has now spent more than 500 weeks (!), the Killers frontman returns with a third solo album. While 2015’s The Desired Effect explored perky synthpop, Thrasher recasts Flowers as a country troubadour. MC
* * *
Staying in: Brain food
RA Exchange
Podcast
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, electronic music culture platform Resident Advisor releases a stellar lineup of in-depth discussions with leaders of the scene, from house and techno brothers Overmono to UK garage satirists Kurupt FM.
Music-map.com
Online
In an effort to make algorithms more playful, this charming site allows users to type in the name of a favourite artist and then navigate through a sprawling mind map of related sounds.
Assignment: Brazil’s Gambling Addiction
BBC World Service, 25 August, 9.32am
With 2.1 million Brazilians currently reporting an addiction to gambling, journalist Camilla Mota goes in search of the reasons why betting has such a stronghold in the country and the psychiatrists trying to help. Ammar Kalia