Melanie Martinez, who performed at New York's Madison Square Garden in May, will take the stage Sunday at Lollapalooza 2024 in Chicago’s Grant Park. (Emma Goldschmidt/MSG Entertainment)

‘Lollapalooza 2024′

Still hip enough to enjoy hot bands, but no longer willing to put up with the heat and crowds that accompany outdoor concerts? Hulu has a solution. The streaming service is offering access to this weekend’s festival in Chicago’s Grant Park, culminating Sunday with performances from Melanie Martinez and Blink-182. Later this year, a regular Hulu subscription gets you a pass to the iHeartRadio Music Festival (Sept. 20-21) with Doja Cat and Dua Lipa, and the Austin City Limits Festival (Oct. 4-6), featuring Chris Stapleton and Tyler, the Creator. Ponchos not necessary. Hulu

‘Influenced’

There are plenty of reasons for older viewers to scoff at the social influencers who host this lifestyle series, starting with the way they reflect on past service-industry jobs as if they barely survived tours of duty in Afghanistan. They’re also way too excited to be in the presence of C-level celebrities. But these “youngsters” eventually won me over with their infectious confidence and handy tips, like how to get wrinkles out of shirts by tossing them into a dryer with a few ice cubes. Now if they could just learn not to all talk at the same time. Prime Video

‘Cowboy Cartel’

Don’t be surprised if Ryan Gosling someday portrays Scott Lawson, a rookie FBI agent who figured out the connection between American horse racing and Los Zetas, Mexico’s deadliest drug gang. Until that movie gets developed, we have this four-part docuseries, featuring Lawson and a colorful supporting team that slowly put the pieces together. Apple TV+

‘Land of Bad’

Russell Crowe hasn’t turned up in a truly memorable role since 2016′s “The Nice Guys” and he hasn’t earned an Oscar nomination in 23 years. This thriller won’t trigger a comeback. But it’s a smartly crafted diversion for those who need a break from playing video games, but aren’t fully committed to divorcing themselves from intense gun play. Crowe plays a desk-bound sergeant trying to guide an inexperienced drone pilot (Liam Hemsworth) out of the kind of jam Rambo is famous for facing. Netflix

‘On the Waterfront’

The 70th anniversary of this groundbreaking film is reason enough to pay it another visit — or experience it for the first time. Marlon Brando, as conflicted dockworker Terry Malloy, turns in one of cinema’s all-time great performances with terrific support from Karl Malden, Eva Marie Saint and Rod Steiger. The “I coulda been a contender” speech still holds up. Prime Video

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.