All the entertainment you'll need for the month of July on the small and big screens, plus books to lose yourself in and new albums to rock out to.

Viewing on the big screen

Thor: Love and Thunder Taika Waititi’s sequel to the greatest Marvel film of all time, the synth-and-technicolour Thor: Ragnarok. We’re in no doubt that the next chapter of Thor’s story will be as witty and action-packed as the last. This instalment sees Thor’s post-Endgame retirement interrupted by a villain who wants to bring about the extinction of the gods.

Millie Lies Low It should have been one of the greatest days of Millie’s life, heading from Wellington to New York to start an internship at a prestigious architecture firm. But when a moment of panic causes her to miss her flight, she ends up going into hiding in her own home town, pretending to her family and the world that she’s really in New York while desperately trying to scrounge up the funds for another ticket.

The Phantom of the Open According to Maurice Flitcroft, nothing should stop you from achieving your dreams. Not even if your dream is playing in the British Open, despite having never played a round of golf in your life. This delightful comedy tells the true story of Maurice’s unwavering self-belief that made him incredibly unpopular with the golfing elite but a hero in the eyes of the British public.

Bingewatching on the small screen

Black Bird Jimmy Keene, a convicted drug dealer sentenced to ten years in a minimum security prison, cuts a deal with the FBI to reduce his time. All he has to do is transfer to a maximum security prison for the criminally insane, befriend a suspected serial killer and get a confession from him that will lead authorities to the bodies of as many as 18 women. Based on the autobiographical novel by James Keene. Watch on Apple TV.

D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! This four-part docuseries delves into what has been called one of the greatest mysteries of the 20^th Century. Namely, what happened to the man who hijacked a passenger jet in November 1971, demanded a $200,000 ransom, and then parachuted out of the plane with the money, never to be seen again? Watch on Netflix.

Uncoupled Manhattan real estate broker Michael’s perfect life comes crashing down around him when his husband of 17 years suddenly leaves him. Reeling from the loss of who he thought was his soulmate, Michael (Neil Patrick Harris) must also face a nightmarish prospect: starting over as a single gay man in his 40s. Watch on Netflix.

Reading only the good stuff

The It Girl by Ruth Ware When Hannah met April at Oxford University, she was the ultimate It Girl: vivacious, bright and sometimes mean. She pulled Hannah into her dazzling circle, but by the end of the second term, April was murdered. A decade later, when a journalist presents evidence that the wrong man might have been convicted for the crime, Hannah begins to re-examine her own memories, wondering if the real killer is still walking free.

Why Didn’t You Tell Me? by Carmen Rita Wong A compelling memoir of the search for belonging. Whether it was among the Latina women she grew up surrounded by in Harlem, in Chinatown with her immigrant father, or in the primarily white neighbourhood of New Hampshire after her mother remarried, Carmen always craved a sense of belonging. But after her mother’s death, a DNA test reveals that Carmen’s family is much more complicated than she thought, shaking her ideas about race, culture and her own identity.

The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger A wealthy family’s luxurious Miami life is quite literally upended when Hurricane Luna, the world’s first category 6 hurricane, tears through their home. With two family members missing and cut off from their finances, the family joins a rush of evacuees heading to a mega shelter, where their new community includes a drug dealer, a group of vulnerable children and a dedicated relief worker. A thrilling exploration of what happens when privilege is lost and resilience is tested.

Listening to the latest albums

Jack White, Entering Heaven Alive Jack White has been a busy man this year, releasing his album Fear of the Dawn, playing a hometown concert where he got married on stage, and now releasing another album, recorded at his own studio and pressed to vinyl at his own pressing plant. The tracks range from the heavy, head-banging rock variety to the more gentle, and are all bound to feature the incredible instrumentals and creativity that this legend is known for.

Lizzo, Special The new album from American singer and rapper Lizzo comes at a high point in her career, following the Grammy Award-winning Cuz I Love You, and on the heels of her new shapewear line and reality TV series. The new album promises to be full of empowering anthems and infectious bops, delivering positive messages and exploring all facets of love, including the self-love kind.

Beyoncé, Renaissance Queen B is back with a new album due to be released on July 29, her first in six long years. There have been hints that this might be the first in an album series, with Beyonce’s website referring to Renaissance as ‘act i’. With soaring vocals and fierce beats, the album takes inspiration from dance and country music, for what British Vogue calls her “most ambitious” project yet.

Playing the hottest games

Stray If you’ve ever felt that the only thing missing from your life is the ability to go on a quest through a neon-lit, cyberpunk universe as a stray cat with a robot friend, have we got some good news for you. The hotly-anticipated release of long-awaited sci-fi adventure game Stray is just around the corner, and the visuals released so far look incredible. You get to fight robot swarms, solve puzzles, explore the decaying city and knock things over for no reason. All the regular cat stuff. Play on PS4, PS5 and PC.