Some really good crowd pleasers become available in June and some excellent original content shine brightly at Netflix, boosting an already irresistible library, distracting us from the cold shiver of June and beckoning us to become couch potatoes. Let's unpack some of the new releases.
There's serious murmurings about Okja (trailer), an original sci-fi film from Snowpiercer’s Bong Joon Ho. A young girl, Mija (An Seo Hyun) befriends and bonds with a friendly, gentle pig-like creature. However the Mirando corporation (headed by the icy cool Tilda Swinton as Lucy Mirando) which created Okja as a solution of fast growing food source becomes the target of food activists. With brilliant, seamless CGI and a laidback tone as Mija and Okja loll their days away, serious themes soon emerge and beg the question of animal farming as food via GMO engineering.
It seems like the smallest towns hold the biggest mysteries. Directorial debut for Oren Uziel, Shimmer Lake (trailer) unfolds as small-town mystery is told is reverse. Following the investigation of Sheriff Zeke Sikes (Benjamin Walker) working hard to uncover the suspects of a bank robbery, one of whom may be his brother. Also starring Rainn Wilson and Wyatt Russell.
For the faithful who have been patient, Orange Is the New Black S5 (trailer) arrives on June 9. Picking up after the sudden death of another inmate in S4 finale, we find the Litchfield inmates coming together to find themselves. Gleaning from the trailer, they stage a protest on their living conditions, and draw attention to their treatment and rights.
Continuing series on Netflix, Flaked S2, You Me Her S2, The Ranch 3, GLOW S1, the Originals S3, and Animal Kingdom eps are released weekly on Wednesdays.
A couple of kids favourites in here, including Storks, Disney's Pete's Dragon, World of Winx S2, Little Witch Academia S1. Plus the now-familiar and dependable Harry Potter movies 1-4.
Storks (trailer) is a easy ride, suggesting that there really is a delivery service in the sky that brings gurgling, bubbly newborns to eagerly waiting parents. Enter Tulip, an orphan who was adopted by the stork (now postal) delivery company as her destination address was lost. Without giving too much away, I'll say there's definitely a baby in there, and a lot of silly moments.
Beloved children's story Pete's Dragon (trailer) receives the Disney treatment in a heartwarming, wonder-filled experience that harks back to the good old family movies. Grace Meacham (Bryce Dallas Howard) listened to stories by her woodcarver father (Robert Redford) about a dragon that lived in the woods in her childhood. One day she comes across a young orphan Pete (Oakes Fegley) who had survived by himself for several years in the forest. Her interest is piqued when Pete starts to mention his special friend in the forest. Spirited and fun, this movie will appeal to the young at heart.
My personal pick of the bunch is Sweeney Todd (trailer). Adapted from the Stephen Sondheim stage show and musical, directed by Tim Burton, led by his favourite team Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman, it's rated R for gore and rollicking good fun.
Highlights
Suicide Squad (June 6)
The Blacklist: Season 4 Finale (June 5)
Animal Kingdom: Season 2, Episodes 2, 3, 4 & 5 (June 7, 14, 21, 28)
Harry Potter: Films 1 – 4 (June 16)
Fargo: Season 2 (June 16)
New Year’s Eve (June 18)
Disney’s Pete’s Dragon (June 20)
Storks (June 21)
The Originals: Season 3 (June 25)
The Magnificent Seven (June 28)
Netflix original film
Shimmer Lake (June 9)
Lucid Dream (June 2)
You Get Me (June 23)
Okja (June 28)
Netflix original series
Flaked: Season 2 (June 2)
The Mortal Instruments: Season 2B (June 6, 13, 20, 27)
Orange Is The New Black: Season 5 (June 9)
My Only Love Song (June 9)
You Me Her: Season 2 (June 15)
El Chapo: Season 1 (June 16)
The Ranch: Part 3 (June 16)
GLOW: Season 1 (June 23)
Gypsy: Season 1 (June 30)
Comedy
Chelsea: Season 2 (every Friday)
Oh, Hello On Broadway (June 13)
Marco Luque: Tamo Junto (June 15)
Roy Scovel Tries Stand Up For The First Time (June 20)
Chris D’Elia: Man On Fire (June 27)
Documentaries
Counterpunch (June 16)
Nobody Speak: Trials Of The Free Press (June 23)
Kids
World Of Winx: Season 2 (June 16)
Free Rein: Season 1 (June 23)
Little Witch Academia: Season 1 (June 30)
Movies
June 1
What if
The Man in the Iron Mask
Of Mice and Men
From Dusk til Dawn: The Series S2
Theater of Life
Life in a day
Inspector Gadget S2
Catfight
Little Boxes
June 2
Saving Banksy
The Lovely Bones
The Flintstones
June 3
True Story
June 4
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
June 9
Eye for an Eye
June 15
Gimme the Loot
June 16
Enemy at the Gates
Ricky Gervais – Science
June 18
Ninja Assassin
June 21
The Gift
June 23
Vanilla Sky
June 25
A Hologram for the King
The Last Samurai
June 28
J Edgar
June 30
Munich
The Intervention
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Krystle Shrimpton (Facebook, LinkedIn) is a contributor for Streambly.
