With June comes summer, and Netflix’s selection of films this month reflects that. The streamer has added several new films to watch for the month of June, including classics alongside some of their newer originals. Some of the movies that didn’t make the cut for this list, but are still new to Netflix in June include “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” “Mission: Impossible,” “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Hurt Locker” and “Titanic.”
The following batch of films offers something many an audience member, from the heartfelt stories that have their ups and downs, animated films that still teach solid lessons and even an inspirational sports movie.
Read on to discover or re-discover the best new movies on Netflix this month.
“Steel Magnolias” (1989)
Boasting a brilliant cast of powerful female actresses, “Steel Magnolias” compliments “Hustle” and “We Are Marshall” in the vein of triumphs and tragedies. M’Lynn (Sally Field) is the mother of Shelby Eatenton (Julia Roberts) who is approaching her wedding day. Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton) is all set to do the ladies’ hair, with the help of new girl in town and aspiring beautician Annelle Dupuy Desoto (Daryl Hannah). Shelby has diabetes, and she suffers some obstacles in her storyline as it interweaves with those of her mother and the other women in their close circle. Far from a lighthearted ‘chick flick,’ “Steel Magnolias” is just one of many films that shows how strong women are when they have close bonds with each other.
“We Are Marshall” (2007)
A classic tale of loss and grief surrounded by the triumphant sport of football, “We Are Marshall” falls in line with “Remember the Titans” and “Rudy” in the must-watch football films. Coach Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey) gets hired to rebuild the majority of a fallen football team after they lose almost their entire starting lineup and coaching staff in a plane crash. 75 lives were lost in the crash in 1970, and Lengyel is determined alongside Red Dawson (Matthew Fox), senior Nate Ruffin (Anthony Macki) who was injured and therefore didn’t travel with the rest of the team on that fateful flight, and President Dedmon (David Straitharn). The Thundering Herd recruits all sorts of freshman players to form a resilient team that bounces back from their tragedy in victory, cheering the small town of Huntington, West Virginia up in the process.
“Sing 2” (2021)
Ambitious dreamer and koala bear Buster Moon (voiced by Matthew McConaughey) and his crew of talented singers return in the sequel to 2016’s “Sing” for new adventures. In the first film, Moon realized he loved theater and wanted to save his local building from going under by launching a singing competition, drawing all kinds of talent from everywhere in their town. Jonny the gorilla (Taron Egerton), mother pig Rosita (Reese Witherspoon), sidekick pig Guther (Nick Kroll), shy elephant Meena (Tori Kelly) and rocker porcupine Ash (Scarlett Johansson) answer Moon’s call when he wants to take them to Redshore City to put on their Alice-in-Wonderland inspired singing show at the Crystal theater, owned by literal wolf Mr. Crystal (Bobby Canavale). A talent scout (Chelsea Peretti) tells Moon that he and his ensemble aren’t good enough, and Crystal barely hears them before pressing the red X-factor like buzzer that eliminates them from consideration. Gunther randomly starts talking about his idea for a sky-fi space musical featuring reclusive rockstar Clay Calloway (Bono), and Crystal says if they have Calloway then they can put on the show, so then Moon does everything in his power to persuade the lion to come back into the spotlight one more time. Featuring a solid soundtrack complete with some U2 classics and even a brand new original song by them, “Sing 2” will warm hearts and maybe even trigger tears.
“Hustle” (2022)
The latest in the seemingly never-ending partnership between Adam Sandler and Netflix is also one of the best. Instead of a silly comedy (like “Hubie Halloween”), “Hustle” is a sports drama, with Sandler playing a washed up scout with dreams of coaching, who stumbles upon an unlikely phenom with a checkered past in Spain (played by actual NBA player Juancho Hernangómez). While “Hustle” doesn’t particularly break new ground, that’s okay. It’s moving and inspiring and expertly shot and edited, with great performances from Sandler and Hernangómez, alongside Queen Latifah (as Sandler’s wife), Robert Duvall (as his boss) and Ben Foster (as his workplace nemesis). Plus, with LeBron James among the producers, there are plenty of cameos by NBA stars past and present (Anthony Edwards is terrific as Hernangómez’s on-court rival). What more do you want?
“Halftime” (2022)
On Netflix June 14, Jennifer Lopez’s documentary “Halftime” will explore the actress and singer’s rise to stardom from her point of view. Known for her meticulous choreography as well as her career acting in rom coms, and for other more tabloid-y topics like her dating history, Lopez gives a full glimpse into what it is like to be her and the challenges she faced in seeing big projects through like her historic Super Bowl halftime performance Feb. 2020. Lopez’s beau Ben Affleck features in the doc, which shows shots of Lopez rehearsing her shows, hanging out with her children and talking about performances in film. On the heels of “Marry Me,” which reminded many of JLo’s shine, this documentary is bound to build even more respect for Jenny from the Block.
“Spiderhead” (2022)
Director Joseph Kosinski has the hottest movie in the world right now with “Top Gun: Maverick” and pretty soon he could also have the hottest movie on streaming with “Spiderhead,” out on Netflix on June 17 (Considering the “Top Gun” sequel wrapped years ago, it’s easy to understand how he could squeeze in another feature.) “Spiderhead” is clearly a pandemic movie – a single-location thriller with a limited cast and an emphasis on big ideas and a beautifully elaborate set. But this isn’t a bug, it’s a feature. Miles Teller stars as a prisoner who volunteers for a cushier sentence in a secretive lab that is going tests on mood-altering medication; Jurnee Smollett is his crush. And Chris Hemsworth, channeling some of the energy he brought to the oddly underseen “Bad Times at the El Royale,” is the handsome scientist running the tests. The less you know about “Spiderhead” (based on the short story by George Saunders that originally ran in the New Yorker), the better.
“Love & Gelato” (2022)
Loosely based on the book “Love & Gelato” by Jenna Evans Welch, the Italian-language film adaptation of this romance story hits Netflix on June 22. Lina (Susannah Skaggs) makes a promise to her mom, who has cancer in the book, that she will visit Rome. Lina is an ambitious girl who is about to embark on her college experience. In Italy, she meets Lorenzo, “Ren” (Tobia De Angelis) and senses a spark with him. She also falls in love with the country, the food and more, discovering things about her past and future. For all the rom-com lovers, “Love & Gelato” will continue the trend of Young Adult summer book adaptation films that have started to trickle out, like Netflix’s “Along for the Ride” which launched in May.
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