Hakim Hayat
We are starting July with a bang and one of the reasons is a new Stranger Things drop. On July 1, the streamer is debuting the highly anticipated second volume of the smash-hit science fiction series’ fourth season. The much hyped conclusion to the show’s fourth outing will feature two extra-long episodes, including a two and a half hour season finale.
Here’s everything else you need to watch on Netflix this month:
The Sea Beast
Netflix spent a lot of money on this animated feature, following their breakthrough last year with the Oscar-nominated Mitchells vs. the Machines. A period seafaring adventure from Big Hero 6 director Chris Williams, it is the story of Jacob Holland (Karl Urban), a macho monster hunter who has his world turned upside down by a pint-sized stowaway (Zaris-Angel Hator) who teaches him how misguided his lifelong quest might be.
Full of thrilling action sequences (animated beautifully by Sony Pictures ImageWorks), thoughtful character work and very modern politics, The Sea Beast really delivers.
Umma
If you’re looking for a horror movie about intergenerational trauma, this one is for you! Umma, which was quietly released earlier this year despite being very good , stars Sandra Oh as a woman dealing with her daughter wanting to attend college and the vengeful spirit of her mother haunting her. You know, that old story. Writer-director Iris K Shim fills the movie with wonderful, tactile details (mostly related to Oh living on a bee farm without electricity) and an unexpected sensitivity. It’s an emotionally resonant fright fest.
Incantation
Fact: Asian horror movies hit differently. They always manage to nail the horror aspect, and we’re expecting nothing less from Incantation, a 2022 Taiwanese horror film designed to induce trepidation through a true-story-inspired storyline filmed in found footage.
Resident Evil
The Resident Evil franchise continues to expand on Netflix with a new live-action series.
The show, set in 2036, takes place 14 years after an apocalyptic virus and follows Jade Wesker as she fights to survive. But, her father is disturbingly connected to the Umbrella Corporation, and she’s haunted by something that happened to her sister Billie. Ella Balinska, Lance Reddick, and Siena Agudong star.
The Gray Man
Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo helm this action film, which stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. Gosling plays Courtland Gentry, a CIA agent who is being hunted down by Evans’ villainous Lloyd Hansen after getting hold of some sensitive information.
Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, and Billy Bob Thornton co-star.
Hurts Like Hell
From illegal gambling to match-fixing, discover the squalid underworld behind the once-revered sport of Muay Thai. Hurts Like Hell is inspired by true events, real boxers, real gamblers, real referees, real promoters, and real loss.
Uncharted
Uncharted was a modest hit when it came out earlier this year. The film version of the PlayStation game stars Tom Holland as a young Nate Drake, an explorer and treasure hunter who teams up with a more experienced soldier of fortune (Mark Wahlberg) for a globetrotting adventure. The action scenes have an appropriate amount of zest (particularly one where cars fall out of a plane, inspired by a similar moment from the game) and Wahlberg and Holland have good, flinty chemistry. The movie drops on Netflix on July 15.
Persuasion
The world is not lacking for Jane Austen adaptations, and yet Netflix has a new take on Persuasion debuting on July 15 anyway. Dakota Johnson stars in this new iteration of Austen’s story, which co-stars Henry Golding, Suki Waterhouse, Richard E Grant and Cosmo Jarvis as Captain Frederick Wentworth. The story concerns a young woman who is reunited with her former fiancé after breaking off their engagement years before.
It’ll be interesting to see how modern sensibilities will seep into this classic tale.
Uncoupled
A New York City real estate broker faces the prospect of starting over in his 40s as he deals with the shock of his longtime partner’s decision to walk out on him. Season one will feature eight episodes. If you’re a sucker for romantic comedies, we believe this is your kind of show.
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight
As part of the Kung Fu Panda franchise, upcoming animated series Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight follows the story of legendary warrior Po and an elite English knight as they embark on a global quest to rescue magical weapons and save the world. Animation lovers or not, this film franchise is a classic for kids and adults alike.
