A new entertainment week is approaching with major releases across streaming, music and gaming.
From Kevin Hart’s latest Netflix comedy to Charli xcx and Tyla’s new albums, audiences will have several strong options between July 20 and July 26, 2026.
Nintendo Switch 2 owners also receive one of the week’s biggest game releases, while Apple TV enters the sports-comedy space with a movie about tennis, pickleball and a former athlete struggling to accept change.
Here are five major releases Flicklevel readers should know about this week.
1. Splatoon Raiders
Release date: July 23, 2026
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Genre: Action and third-person adventure
Splatoon Raiders brings the colourful world of Splatoon into a new single-player-focused adventure.
Players take the role of a mechanic working alongside Deep Cut—the musical trio made up of Shiver, Frye and Big Man. Together, they travel through the mysterious Spirhalite Islands in search of treasure.
The gameplay combines exploration, customisation, mechanical gadgets and familiar ink-based weapons. Players must fight waves of Salmonids while improving their abilities and uncovering the islands’ secrets.
Nintendo confirms that the game launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 on July 23.
Why It Matters
The main Splatoon games are strongly associated with competitive multiplayer battles.
Splatoon Raiders appears designed to provide a more structured adventure for people interested in the world, characters and combat systems without making online competition the main attraction.
This could make the franchise more approachable for newcomers.
The treasure-hunting structure also gives Nintendo an opportunity to expand the Splatoon universe beyond organised turf battles.
Who Should Play?
The game should interest:
- Existing Splatoon fans
- Nintendo Switch 2 owners
- Players who enjoy colourful action games
- People interested in character customisation
- Fans seeking a single-player Nintendo adventure
- Players who enjoy upgrading gadgets and equipment
Who Should Skip It?
It may not suit:
- People without a Nintendo Switch 2
- Players looking mainly for realistic shooters
- Gamers uninterested in the Splatoon visual style
- Anyone expecting the exact structure of a traditional multiplayer Splatoon game
Flicklevel early verdict: The week’s strongest gaming release and a promising expansion of the Splatoon universe.
2. The Dink
Release date: July 24, 2026
Platform: Apple TV
Genre: Sports comedy
Jake Johnson stars in The Dink as Dusty Boyd, a former tennis prodigy now coaching children at his father’s country club.
Dusty supports his father’s campaign against pickleball, which they see as a threat to the traditions of tennis. However, after aggravating an old injury, Dusty reluctantly begins playing the sport he was taught to dislike.
His unexpected enjoyment of pickleball creates conflict with his father, his athletic identity and his unresolved feelings about past failure.
Mary Steenburgen and Ed Harris also star, while Ben Stiller, Andy Roddick, Patton Oswalt, Chris Parnell and Chloe Fineman appear in the wider cast. Apple confirms that the movie premieres globally on July 24.
Why It Matters
The film has a stronger premise than a simple collection of pickleball jokes.
Dusty’s resistance to the sport represents his fear of change. He has built his identity around tennis, even though his professional ambitions did not develop as he hoped.
Trying pickleball means admitting that another version of his life may be possible.
The story can therefore explore ageing, family expectations and the difficulty of separating personal worth from athletic success.
Who Should Watch?
The movie should appeal to:
- Jake Johnson fans
- Viewers who enjoy sports comedies
- Apple TV subscribers
- Pickleball and tennis players
- Fans of underdog stories
- People interested in family conflict mixed with comedy
Who Should Skip It?
It may not suit:
- Viewers seeking a serious sports drama
- People uninterested in tennis or pickleball humour
- Audiences who dislike broad underdog comedies
- Anyone expecting an action-heavy film
Flicklevel early verdict: A promising comedy with a surprisingly meaningful conflict beneath its sports rivalry.
3. 72 Hours
Release date: July 24, 2026
Platform: Netflix
Genre: Comedy
Kevin Hart returns to Netflix in 72 Hours, playing a 40-year-old advertising executive whose career is beginning to collapse.
After being accidentally added to a group chat, he joins a group of much younger men travelling to Miami for a three-day bachelor party.
He believes spending time with them may help him understand a younger audience and save his professional reputation. Instead, he becomes trapped inside an unpredictable weekend filled with generational conflict, embarrassing decisions and escalating chaos.
The film is directed by Tim Story and also stars Marcello Hernández, Mason Gooding, Kam Patterson, Ben Marshall, Teyana Taylor, Zach Cherry, Kevin Dunn and Andy Garcia. Netflix confirms that it begins streaming on July 24.
Why It Matters
Kevin Hart’s character is not joining the party only because he wants to have fun.
He believes younger people hold the answer to his professional problems.
That gives the comedy a useful generational angle. The movie can examine how companies attempt to understand younger audiences, how adults respond to becoming less culturally relevant and how desperation can cause intelligent people to make ridiculous decisions.
The challenge will be making the younger characters feel like real people rather than stereotypes created only to confuse Hart’s character.
Who Should Watch?
72 Hours should appeal to:
- Kevin Hart fans
- Viewers seeking a weekend comedy
- Netflix subscribers
- Audiences who enjoy generational humour
- Fans of bachelor-party comedies
- People looking for light entertainment
Who Should Skip It?
It may not suit:
- Viewers who dislike Kevin Hart’s comic style
- People seeking subtle humour
- Audiences tired of chaotic party movies
- Anyone wanting serious drama
Flicklevel early verdict: The week’s most accessible streaming comedy, although its success will depend on the chemistry between Hart and the younger cast.
4. Music, Fashion, Film by Charli xcx
Release date: July 24, 2026
Format: Album
Confirmed standard track count: 11
Charli xcx returns with Music, Fashion, Film, an album whose title directly reflects the different creative worlds surrounding her career.
Her official store confirms an 11-track standard edition featuring songs including “Rock Music,” “SS26,” “Card Declined,” “Camera,” “2007,” “I’m Afraid,” “Yeah,” “Wink Wink,” “Persona,” “Magic Metal Montana” and “No One Lasts Forever.” The album arrives on July 24.
Why It Matters
Following the enormous cultural impact of the Brat era, Charli faces a difficult creative question.
She can attempt to recreate the exact energy of her previous success, or she can use her increased visibility to explore a different artistic direction.
The title suggests a project interested in more than music alone. Fashion, image, celebrity, performance and filmmaking may all influence the album’s themes and presentation.
That makes it one of the week’s most unpredictable releases.
Who Should Listen?
The album should interest:
- Charli xcx fans
- Electronic-pop listeners
- Audiences interested in fashion and pop culture
- Fans of experimental mainstream music
- Listeners who enjoyed the ambition of the Brat era
Who Should Skip It?
It may not suit:
- People seeking traditional acoustic pop
- Listeners who dislike electronic experimentation
- Audiences expecting another identical version of Brat
- People uninterested in conceptual pop projects
Flicklevel early verdict: The week’s most anticipated pop experiment and the release most likely to create wider cultural conversation.
5. A*POP by Tyla
Release date: July 24, 2026
Format: Album
Confirmed track count: 14
South African singer Tyla returns with APOP*, her second studio album.
The album follows the international success of her self-titled debut and continues her combination of pop, R&B, amapiano and African rhythmic influences.
Tyla’s official website confirms that APOP* arrives on July 24, while Apple Music lists the project as a 14-song release through FAX Records and Epic Records.
Why It Matters
Tyla’s first album established her as an international pop artist without requiring her to abandon the South African sounds that helped distinguish her.
The new project must show whether that success can become a long-term artistic identity.
APOP* also arrives at a time when African music is reaching wider global audiences. The album therefore carries expectations beyond producing another viral single.
It must demonstrate range, stronger songwriting and a complete album experience.
Who Should Listen?
The album should appeal to:
- Tyla fans
- Amapiano listeners
- R&B and pop audiences
- Fans of African music
- People looking for dance-focused summer music
- Listeners interested in modern global pop
Who Should Skip It?
It may not suit:
- People who dislike dance-oriented production
- Listeners seeking rock or acoustic music
- Audiences expecting every track to sound like “Water”
- People uninterested in rhythmic pop
Flicklevel early verdict: A major moment for African pop and one of the week’s most important international music releases.
What Is the Biggest Release of the Week?
The answer depends on the audience.
Biggest gaming release: Splatoon Raiders
Biggest Netflix release: 72 Hours
Best sports comedy option: The Dink
Most anticipated experimental-pop release: Music, Fashion, Film
Most important African pop release: APOP*
Flicklevel Weekly Verdict
This week offers a useful mixture of familiar stars and new creative directions.
Kevin Hart and Jake Johnson lead accessible streaming comedies, Nintendo expands one of its most recognisable franchises, Charli xcx enters another ambitious pop era and Tyla continues building a global career rooted in African sound.
Flicklevel’s first recommendation is Splatoon Raiders for Nintendo players.
For music listeners, Music, Fashion, Film and APOP* should be approached as complete albums rather than judged only through their biggest singles.
For streaming audiences, 72 Hours looks like the easiest crowd-pleasing option, while The Dink may offer the more emotionally grounded story.
Final Opinion
The best release weeks are not dominated by one type of entertainment.
Between July 20 and July 26, audiences can choose between gaming, comedy, electronic pop, amapiano and character-driven sports storytelling.
The most valuable approach is to choose according to genuine interest rather than trying to follow every trending release.
Nintendo players should watch Splatoon Raiders. Comedy fans should compare The Dink and 72 Hours. Music listeners should give Charli xcx and Tyla enough time to reveal what their complete albums are trying to accomplish.
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