New this week: ‘Not Okay,’ ‘Amber Brown’ and ‘Honor Society’
MOVIES
— Modern influencer culture is skewered in the smart new satire “Not Okay,” streaming on Hulu starting Friday. The film, written and directed by Quinn Shephard, stars Zoey Deutch as Danni, an aspiring writer in her 20s who is lacking for things to say until she embarks on a little social media lie.
— For a different kind of critique of influencer culture, just look to “Hatching,” the gruesome Finnish body horror about a 12-year-old Tinja and her perfectionist mother, who runs a popular blog called “Lovely Everyday Life.” “Hatching” also arrives Hulu on Friday and could make for a fun double feature with “Not Okay.”
— A high school senior is desperate to get into Harvard and attempting to take down her competitors in the new comedy “Honor Society,” streaming on Paramount+ on July 29.
MUSIC
— Few artists want to compete against a Beyoncé release, but Maggie Rogers’ new album also drops Friday. “Surrender” is the singer-songwriter’s first collection since her stunning major label debut “Heard It in a Past Life” in 2019.
— Exploring the multiverse is all the rage these days and Wiz Khalifa is about to jump into his. The rapper releases “Multiverse” on Friday, and some of the producers are Hitmaka, Sledgren, ID Labs, RMB Justize, Big Jerm and IamSu! Khalifa.
— “Surround me with the girls/I love being a girl,” sings Hayley Kiyoko on her sophomore album “Panorama,” out Friday.
TELEVISION
— Cristin Milioti was caught in “Groundhog Day”-like recycled day in the film “Palm Springs.” In Peacock’s eight-episode dark comedy “The Resort,” time is again an issue for Milioti’s character, Emma, who’s vacationing with husband, Noah (William Jackson Harper), when a 15-year-old mystery intrudes. Andy Siara is the other link between “Palm Springs” and the series: He wrote the former and is a writer and showrunner for the latter. Siara has described “The Resort,” debuting with three episodes on Thursday, as focusing on people who long for a period in their lives “before the hard parts” took over.
— There’s a treat in store for young fans of Paula Danziger’s Amber Brown books and for grown-up admirers of Bonnie Hunt. “Amber Brown,” debuting Friday, July 29, on Apple TV+, is written and directed by Hunt (“Life with Bonnie”), who infuses the show with her trademark humor and warmth. The screen iteration of Amber (Carsyn Rose) is slightly older than the original 9-yearold and has an artistic streak that helps her cope with her parents’ split. Through Amber’s sketches and a video journal, viewers become privy to her hopes and dreams in the 10-part series co-starring Sarah Drew as Amber’s mom.
— Comedies about life after a breakup are common, but Netflix’s “Uncoupled” offers a new take. Neil Patrick Harris stars as Michael, who’s dumped by partner Colin (Tuc Watkins) after 17 years. Michael grapples with pain, anger and fretful acceptance as he takes on the challenge of being an unattached gay man in his 40s in New York City. His support system includes loyal friends and real estate sales partner Suzanne (Tisha Campbell). Creators Darren Star (“Sex and the City,” “Emily in Paris”) and Jeffrey Richman (“Modern Family”) combine heartache with laughs in the eightepisode series that debuts Friday.