If you watched May turn into June and immediately realized that you had nothing to watch, you’re not alone. The spring came with its now-traditional influx of Prestige TV thanks to an Emmy calendar that incentivizes networks to release all their biggest shows at the last possible moment to ensure they stay fresh in the minds of voters. That makes it quite fun when “Succession,” “Barry,” and “Yellowjackets” all start up again at the same time — but rather depressing when they all end at once.
If you’re looking for some entertainment to fill your days before July rolls in with “Mission: Impossible 7” and the “Barbie”/”Oppenheimer” double feature, Netflix’s latest slate of additions to its film library has plenty of gems to be found. The new lineup is filled with ’80s classics, from beloved teen comedies like “The Breakfast Club” to over-the-top sci-fi blockbusters such as “Terminator 2: Judgement Day.” Anyone looking to take a trip down memory lane is in luck.
There’s plenty of great contemporary fare as well, including the Sarah Snook-led psychological thriller “Run Rabbit Run.” The Australian film was one of the buzziest titles to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this year, and Snook’s first major post-“Succession” role is bound to be a draw for grieving fans of the HBO series.
Whatever your entertainment poison of choice is, you’re bound to be able to find something new you like on Netflix this month. Keep reading for our seven favorite movies debuting on the streaming service in June.
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“Groundhog Day” (Streaming now)
Image Credit: ©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Co / Everett Collection Bill Murray gives the best performance of his career in Harold Ramis’ story about a curmudgeonly weatherman who can’t stop reliving the same day. What starts out as a dry comedy about the pointlessness of a holiday revolving around a groundhog seeing its shadow gradually morphs into a timeless story about the secrets to happiness under Ramis’ capable direction. The brilliantly repetitive nature ensures that no matter how many times you’ve seen it, it always gets better on the next viewing.
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“Terminator 2: Judgement Day” (Streaming now)
Image Credit: ©TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Nobody does sequels better than James Cameron. The king of sci-fi blockbusters somehow found a way to improve on Ridley Scott’s “Alien” and up the VFX ante with his long-delayed “Avatar” sequel, so in hindsight it’s not surprising that he hit his “Terminator” sequel out of the park. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cold, villainous turn in the original “Terminator” was iconic, but Cameron’s decision to flip the script and turn him into the good guy in “Judgement Day” made him a bona fide movie star. Throw in some of the best live action set pieces of Cameron’s career, and you end up with a near-perfect summer movie.
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“Funny People” (Streaming now)
Image Credit: ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection Adam Sandler’s upcoming reunion with Josh and Bennie Safdie has indie film lovers ecstatic to see the comedian’s dramatic renaissance continue. But anyone who has tracked his entire career knows that Sandler was demonstrating dramatic talent long before “Uncut Gems.” One of his better roles of the 2000s was “Funny People,” Judd Apatow’s understated film about a comic who reevaluates his life after learning he has a terminal illness. Many of the signature Apatow tropes are still there, but it’s one of the most sophisticated storytelling efforts that either of the two men has participated in.
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“Mean Girls” (Streaming now)
Image Credit: ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection Nearly 20 years after it first hit theaters, “Mean Girls” is back in the zeitgeist (to the extent that it ever truly left) thanks to Tina Fey’s upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway musical it inspired. While you wait for the new movie to come out, it’s a great time to rewatch the original — which is still one of the most addictively quotable teen movies of all time.
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“The Breakfast Club” (Streaming now)
Image Credit: ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection Sometimes classics are classics for a reason. John Hughes’ landmark teen comedy about five high schoolers from dramatically different cliques who bond in detention has been copied, parodied, and generally memed to death in the 40 years since it hit theaters. The fact that it’s still endlessly watchable is a testament to his clever script and the stellar ensemble cast headlined by Molly Ringwald and Emilio Estevez.
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“Dunkirk” (Streaming June 12)
Image Credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection Anyone who prefers Christopher Nolan movies that are grounded in historical accuracy has a big summer ahead of them, with his highly anticipated biopic “Oppenheimer” hitting theaters next month. But why not start the festivities earlier and revisit his first war movie? “Dunkirk” proved that Nolan’s knack for spectacle was just as compelling when he didn’t have a twisty plot to work with, recreating the famous WWII retreat with a stark realism that prompted many to deem it one of the best war movies of the century.
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“Run Rabbit Run” (Streaming June 28)
Image Credit: ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection There’s no shame in suffering from “Succession” withdrawal, but time (eventually) heals all wounds. It won’t be long before you can see your favorite cast members in bigger film roles, starting with Sarah Snook’s upcoming turn in “Run Rabbit Run.” The Australian thriller, which premiered at Sundance, stars the former Waystar Royco heiress as a fertility doctor who begins to suspect that something sinister is afoot when her young daughter begins vividly describing her memories of past lives.
