Our monthly round-up of the hottest entertainment releases. This month: Tom Cruise’s final Mission: Impossible outing, Jon Hamm’s new TV series, and more

Movies

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

After 29 years, could Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) finally have nowhere left to run? The direct sequel to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is the eighth, and possibly final, instalment in the Mission: Impossible series — or at least the last one starring Cruise.

The movie continues the story of Ethan and team’s fight against Gabriel (Esai Morales), who is vying for control of the AI superweapon called ‘the Entity’. Its ensemble cast includes Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Angela Bassett, Pom Klementieff, and Shea Whigham.

Each Mission: Impossible film faces the challenge of trying to outdo the last, and so The Final Reckoning, naturally, goes bigger and bolder than ever with the stunts. Highlights include a wildly over-the-top biplane chase between Ethan and Gabriel that culminates in Ethan climbing onto Gabriel’s plane, a chaotic firefight involving Ethan’s crew and Russian special forces, and a heart-stopping underwater sequence in which Ethan tries to retrieve a device containing the Entity’s source code from submarine wreckage. Director Christopher McQuarrie tells Empire that one sequence is “the most difficult thing we’ve ever done”, which, considering the movie’s storied history of ambitious stunts, is saying something.

Is this goodbye for real? On paper, yes, but Ethan Hunt has a knack for defying death, so fingers crossed for his future return to the franchise.

TV

Murderbot

Most of us check in and out of the office, then head home and catch up on our favourite shows. In that respect, the lead character of Murderbot is just like you and me — except he’s (sort of) a robot.

Played by Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood, The Northman), the titular Murderbot was genetically designed to serve and protect, with human-like features and a taste for carnage. However, Murderbot starts gaining sentience, and he realises he’d much rather be at home watching TV than risking life and (artificial) limb on intergalactic expeditions.

Here’s the thing: no one else on his team can know about his deal. And Murderbot shows how even a robot can struggle to survive the daily grind, just like anyone else.

Your Friends & Neighbors

Mad Men alum Jon Hamm returns to prestige TV in Your Friends & Neighbors, a dark comedy and crime drama that peels back the glossy veneer of suburban affluence. He stars as Andrew Cooper, a disgraced former hedge fund manager who, after getting divorced from his cheating ex-wife and losing his high-paying job, turns to robbing his affluent neighbours in the exclusive Westmont Village.

What begins as a desperate act to sustain his life spirals into a tangled web of secrets as he begins to understand his wealthy friends’ affairs and lies. With standout performances from Amanda Peet and Olivia Munn, Your Friends & Neighbors offers a compelling look at themes such as class privilege and materialism.

Music

Maroon 5 ft Lisa — Priceless

2025 is Lisa’s year. Even as we’re reaching June, the Thai rapper and singer has checked off several goals in her career bucket list.

For one, the BLACKPINK star released her highly anticipated debut album, Alter Ego, which features collaborations with the likes of Rosalia, OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, and Jessie Reyez. She also made her acting debut, starring in the latest season of HBO’s The White Lotus.

Now, she has a new hit with Maroon 5 in “Priceless”, where the pop-rock group goes back to their guitar-driven roots. Lisa hands in a rap verse with attitude while frontman Adam Levine balances it out with a seductive falsetto. It’s classic Maroon 5 with a modern, (black)pink-hued twist.

Games

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

Adventurers rejoice! The time has arrived for the Hero of Kvatch to return to Cyrodiil in the remaster of the classic open-world RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Retaining the DNA of what made the original so great, this updated version rehauls the graphics, menu interface, and gameplay mechanics with the help of Unreal Engine 5.

Developed by Virtuos in collaboration with Bethesda Game Studios (the studio behind the original), The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered doesn’t just include the base game but also seamlessly incorporates the expansions Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles. Combat has also been massively improved, allowing for more dynamic and responsive encounters.

The remaster is currently out now and available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, with day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass.