CHEW YOU UP
So authentic it often feels like a documentary, Hulu's THE BEAR is a raw, albeit fictional, peek into the restaurant industry's gritty reality. Set in 2022, the series centers on chef Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, who's returned home to Chicago after the suicide of his older brother, Mikey. Despite the brothers' estrangement, Mikey leaves the family's Italian beef sandwich joint to Carmy. His new focus — helping numb the grief of Mikey's death and years of emotional trauma from working in the toxic kitchens of some of the best restaurants in the world — becomes turning the inefficiently run restaurant around. In between the characters' constant yelling, The Bear shows what it's really like to work in food: high stress, low margins, rampant substance abuse, poverty, the relentless pursuit of perfection and more. Already renewed for a second season, it's a must-watch for anyone who loves to eat. (CHEY SCOTT)
MAKE IT BIG
I'm still processing Jordan Peele's latest feature NOPE. The sci-fi creature feature is a box office hit, with good reason as it's full of outstanding performances (especially Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer), some genuinely thrilling action sequences and some incredible visual effects. I didn't like it as much as I did Peele's previous movies (Get Out, Us), but those set a pretty high bar. And if you're considering waiting to see Nope at home — nope. You need to see it on the big screen, and I'd recommend checking it out either in AMC's IMAX or Dolby formats while you can. I saw it in Dolby, and the care Peele put into the film's sound design is pretty incredible. It definitely lends to the creepy vibes. (DAN NAILEN)
THIS WEEK'S PLAYLIST
Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online Aug. 5:
CALVIN HARRIS, FUNK WAV BOUNCES VOL. 2. The Scottish EDM DJ again taps into his next-level rolodex with tunes featuring Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, Halsey, Pharell, and more.
AMON AMARTH, THE GREAT HEATHEN ARMY. Tapping into their Nordic heritage, this Swedish melodic death metal band plays a style of manly heaviness often called "Viking metal."
PAUL McCARTNEY, McCARTNEY I II III. Sir Paul's eponymous solo albums span 1970-2020. They're now finally collected together in this new box set, a must-own for Beatlemaniacs. (SETH SOMMERFELD)
