Best new films – quick links
Best new films this week
The Dink – 24 July
Film (2026). The Dink follows washed up former tennis prodigy Dusty Boyd (Jake Johnson), who has been reduced to coaching unruly children at his father Chuck’s (Ed Harris) suburban country club.
Desperate for his father’s approval, Dusty blindly supports Chuck’s vendetta against the new craze taking over the club: pickleball. But when Dusty reaggravates an old injury, taking away his ability to play tennis, he resorts to the unthinkable in the name of rehab.
He not only tries pickleball but, thanks in part to his enchanting new partner, Candace (Mary Steenburgen), he finds himself actually enjoying it. Torn between two worlds, Dusty is forced to finally face the ghosts of his past athletic failures, including his childhood nemesis, Andy Roddick (Andy Roddick).
Ultimately, Dusty is drawn into a desperate battle for the future of the club, his father’s affection and his very identity.
The Sheep Detectives – 24 July (Prime Video)
Film (2026). Every night, a shepherd reads aloud a murder mystery, pretending his sheep can understand. When he is found dead, the sheep realise at once that it was a murder and think they know everything about how to go about solving it.
Starring Hugh Jackman, Brett Goldstein and Patrick Stewart.
A Useful Ghost – 24 July (MUBI)
Film (2025). Something unusual is happening at a family-run appliance factory: spirits have started to possess the products. March, the factory owner’s son, is grieving after his pregnant wife dies from dust poisoning. His world changes when he is reunited with her, now in the form of a vacuum cleaner.
A Useful Ghost is surreal, funny, and politically charged, using absurdist storytelling to explore love, grief, and collective memory.
72 Hours – 24 July (Netflix)
Film (2026). To save his career, a 40-year-old ad exec (Kevin Hart) joins a crew of twentysomethings for a wild Miami bachelor party after they mistakenly add him to a group chat.
Starring Kevin Hart, Marcello Hernández and Teyana Taylor.
Recent best new films
It Was Just An Accident – 17 July (MUBI)
Film (2025). An auto mechanic, suspecting that a man he encounters may have been his former torturer in prison, kidnaps him in pursuit of vengeance. With the only clue to the suspect’s identity being the squeak of a prosthetic leg, Vahid seeks confirmation from other recently released victims. As the investigation unfolds, the situation becomes increasingly perilous.
This morally charged drama transforms an apparently routine roadside encounter into a tense exploration of guilt, suspicion, and state violence. It Was Just an Accident extends Panahi’s tradition of deceptively simple yet politically resonant storytelling. Utilising confined settings, real-time tension, and meticulously observed daily interactions, the film eschews melodrama in favour of subtle psychological intensity, offering a controlled study of power and fear in contemporary Iran.
Recipient of the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
Heartstopper Forever – 17 July (Netflix)
Film (2026). It’s a new school year for the Truham-Higgs gang. As Nick and Charlie’s relationship deepens, their thoughts turn to life after the last bell rings.
Starring Kit Connor, Joe Locke, William Gao and Yasmin Finney. Watch the trailer.
ScreenHub: Heartstopper Forever review: a rushed but lovely conclusion to a beloved series
