Summer is here and we’ve got the best new stuff on Netflix and Hulu in July. It’s not the greatest month for the streamers, honestly. But there are definitely a few movies and TV shows any kind of fan can get excited about. Here’s our top 10:
Netflix
Starring: Joey King, Joel Courtney, Jacob Elordi, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Taylor Perez, Molly Ringwald
The Kissing Booth was destroyed by critics in 2018, but Netflix has produced a sequel anyway. Fans loved it. Hopefully, the always-charming Joey King can recreate the magic but don’t expect Oscars. The original was an awkward teen romance full of dorky humor. The sequel will undoubtedly be more of the same.
Netflix
Starring: Alba Baptista, Toya Turner, Tristan Ulloa, Thekla Reuten, Kristina Tonteri-Young, Lorena Andrea, Emilio Sakraya, Sylvia De Fanti, Lope Haydn Evans
A comic adaptation, Warrior Nun is also the best-titled new series of July. We’ll see if it can live up to its name. All indications are this will be a wild one. It’s about a girl who’s resurrected by nuns with a supernatural brand. Ava (Baptista) wakes up with awesome new powers and finds herself in the middle of a battle between good and evil that sees her fending off demons and saving the world.
Netflix
Starring: Katherine Langford, Devon Terrell, Gustaf Skarsgård
Netflix will debut Cursed in July. The original TV series is a new reimagining of the Arthurian legend that focuses on a young girl, Nimue (Langford), who will become the Lady of the Lake. Instead of emerging with the legendary sword, Excalibur, however, Nimue seeks out the future king (as well as Merlin). The series is based on the illustrated novel of the same name by comic mainstay Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler.
Netflix
Starring: Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Mary J. Blige, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Cameron Britton
One more comic book TV show coming up on Netflix — The Umbrella Academy returns for its second season at the end of July. The show follows a dysfunctional family of adopted sibling superheroes who band together to discover the mystery of their father’s death and fend off a coming apocalypse.
Netflix
Starring: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Chiwetel Ejiofor
The new film from Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love and Basketball, Beyond the Lights) is a bit of a deviation from her resume. The Old Guard is a comic book film starring Charlize Theron in yet another butt-kicking lead role. She’s the leader of an ancient band of immortal mercenaries who must maintain their secrecy. When it’s threatened by a rogue immortal, they go to war.
Hulu
Starring: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, Peter Gallagher, J. K. Simmons
Hulu paid quite a bit to purchase the rights to Palm Springs at Sundance this year. The magical rom-com follows a couple who meet at a wedding, sleep together, and wake up in a Groundhog Day-reality where they live the same day over and over. The movie was well-received at Sundance. Critics gave the movie credit for reworking the Groundhog formula into something new.
4. ‘I Am Not Your Negro’ (2016)
Available now on Netflix and Hulu
Directed by Raoul Peck
The words and philosophies of author James Baldwin set the pace of I Am Not Your Negro, a history of racism in the United States. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, the documentary talks race through the recollections of Baldwin, who was a leading social critic during the Civil Rights era with close ties to Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr., among others.
Starring: Julia Garner, Matthew Macfadyen, Makenzie Leigh, Kristine Froseth, Noah Robbins, Jon Orsini
A quiet, procedural look at sexual harassment in a pressurized work environment, The Assistant stars the talented Julia Garner as the title character. Jane works in a film production office and tolerates the overcooked abuse she takes at the hands of her boss, an unseen villain only heard on the phone. She’s good at her job and on a track to success, but she can’t ignore the office’s toxic culture. She gets yelled at, but other girls are being put in situations way over their heads.
Starring: Rob Morgan, Amber Havard, Yolonda Ross
An authentic, passionate film centered in a world far from the postcard suburbs of America, Bull was one of the best-reviewed movies of last year. Directed with intimacy by Annie Silverstein, the story follows a former bull riding legend (Morgan) who’s now basically a rodeo clown. Just getting by, he finds his house trashed one day and eventually meets the young girl (Havard) responsible. To make up for it, she helps at the rodeo and the two forge a tentative bond as she takes an interest in the sport.
Director: Jason Hehir
Including footage that’s been locked away for over 20 years, The Last Dance follows the Chicago Bulls’ historic 1997-’98 season — Michael Jordan’s last with the team. Tracing the history of Jordan and the Bulls over the course of 10 hours, the 10-part documentary is a fascinating inside account of the greatest NBA player ever.
The Last Dance flashes back and forth between each year of Jordan’s professional life and the ’97-’98 season, and it’s full of fantastic anecdotes fans are usually not privileged enough to hear. Throw in interviews with Jordan himself, his teammates — hell, everyone, and you’ve got something you can’t turn away from. The Last Dance is high, fascinating drama that transcends sports.
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