Matt Damon dons the sword and sandals in Christopher Nolan's epic adaptation of Homer's 'The Odyssey,' opening this week. The film, one of the granddaddies of the western canon, follows Odysseus on his long journey home after 10 years in the Trojan War. The star-studded cast includes Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron.
Other Cinema Releases This Week
Also hitting screens is 'Our Hero, Balthazar,' a drama about a rich New York teen who posts pro-gun-control videos to impress an activist crush, only to become the target of a troll's outbursts. Starring Jaeden Martell, Asa Butterfield, and Jennifer Ehle.
Visionary documentarian Marc Isaacs presents 'Synthetic Sincerity,' where data analysts at the University of Southern England feed his work into an AI model to procure genuine human reactions. The film serves as an antidote to the celebrification of documentaries.
Andy Serkis directs an animated version of George Orwell's 'Animal Farm,' featuring a new pig protagonist called Lucky, intended to make the bleak tale more palatable for audiences.
Music and Festival Highlights
Latitude Festival returns to Suffolk from 23 to 26 July, celebrating its 20th year with headliners David Byrne, Teddy Swims, and Lewis Capaldi, supported by Dry Cleaning, Saint Etienne, and Self Esteem.
Danish singer Agnes Obel brings her escapist chamber pop to the UK from 21 to 25 July, starting at London's Somerset House before three more dates across the UK and Ireland.
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra performs at St Peter's Church, Norton, on 18 July, featuring rising brass soloist Imogen Whitehead and the world premiere of Gabriel Jackson's new Flugelhorn Concerto, conducted by Charlotte Corderoy.
Guitar great Pat Metheny presents his evolving Side-Eye project at London's Barbican Hall on 18 and 19 July, showcasing LA pianist-producer Chris Fishman and New Orleans drummer Joe Dyson.
Art Exhibitions
Mexican artist Felipe Baeza explores queer identity through swirling wraith-like figures and cryptic landscapes at Maureen Paley Morena di Luna in Hove until 6 September.
'The Pattern of Life: Enid Marx and Modern British Design' at Compton Verney, Warwickshire, from 18 July to 3 January, examines the impact of Marx and her contemporaries on daily life patterns and textiles.
Elisa Giardinia Papa's video-based installation at the ICA, London, until 6 September, tells the story of a volcanic island that sparked a military dispute between European powers before sinking back into the sea.
Anne Ryan's immersive installation at London Mithraeum, until 9 January, explores links between ancient Britain and modern streets within a Roman temple buried beneath City of London high rises.
Stage Performances
Simon Amstell's latest standup show, running from 24 July to 25 October starting in Bristol, finds him mooning over a pop star at a Hollywood party, blending trademark putdowns with therapy-speak and introspection.
Sarah Kane's 'Cleansed' at the Almeida Theatre, London, until 29 August, is a punishing yet fragile and romantic play set in a brutal institution, directed by Rebecca Frecknall.
'The Market Deeping Model Railway Club' at Nottingham Playhouse, until 25 July, adapts the true story of vandals trashing a model railway exhibition in 2019, directed by Adam Penford and starring Adrian Scarborough.
Belfast choreographer Oona Doherty presents 'Life Starts at 40' at Bold Tendencies, London, from 22 to 25 July, featuring three shows including the acclaimed 'Hope Hunt' and a new piece, 'Leather Jacket.'
Streaming Highlights
'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe' on HBO Max from 24 July is a comedy sci-fi spin-off of 'The Big Bang Theory,' where comic-book store owner Stuart Bloom must undo a multiverse apocalypse he accidentally caused.
'The Undeclared War' returns to Channel 4 on 21 July at 9pm, with Peter Kosminsky's tech thriller following GCHQ as they thwart cyber attacks while dealing with a mole. Starring Simon Pegg, Hannah Khalique-Brown, and Siân Brooke.
'The Crow Girl' on Paramount+ from 20 July sees detective Jeanette Kilburn (Eve Myles) and psychotherapist Sophia Craven (Katherine Kelly) investigate murdered male asylum seekers, with their relationship turning unprofessional.
'King of the Hill' returns to Disney+ from 20 July, with the reboot of the 2000s cartoon offering wry observations about modern middle American life.
New Games
'High Times' on PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox from 23 July is a coffee shop dating sim where players serve mood-altering doughnuts to fix customers' social and emotional problems.
'Gurei' on PS5, Switch, and PC from 23 July is a 2D hack-and-slash game inspired by samurai movies, featuring a precise combat system and mystical enemies.
Album Releases
Gracie Abrams releases 'Daughter from Hell,' her third album of fragile sad-pop with earworm choruses, including the Justin Vernon-assisted lead single 'Hit the Wall.'
Steve Lacy returns with 'Oh Yeah?,' his third album featuring the zonked-out electronic duet with SZA, 'Is it Cool?,' keeping things joyfully weird.
Syd, Lacy's bandmate in the Internet, releases 'Beard,' her third album blending slinky R&B with bruised lyrics, after producing for Beyoncé.
Tricky returns with 'Different When It's Silent,' his first album in six years, featuring regular collaborator Marta and songs like 'Out of Place' and 'Because I Don't Know.'
Brain Food
'Music of Nature' podcast features nature recordist Lang Elliott's deeply calming 3D soundworlds capturing everything from lakeside muskrats to snoring Atlantic puffins.
Audio magazine 'Signal Hill' releases its second edition with essays, fiction, and experimental soundscapes, including an appreciation of neighbourhood trees and a tale of an Egyptian cotton empire.
PBS America celebrates Ken Burns Day on 22 July with a double screening of his 2003 film on the first transcontinental car journey and his 1997 film on the discovery of the American west.
