Programming Note: This will likely be the last of these columns I’ll write for the year. My attempts at curation have failed to wrangle the massive behemoth of streaming into something manageable. I think there’s still a place for it, but not sure exactly what form it will take next. Thanks for reading.
FILM
Top Pick
Hit Man – Netflix 6/7
In a real conundrum here. On the one hand, this is one of my most anticipated movies of the year, and by all accounts a return to form for Richard Linklater. But it’s also indicative of the problem with Hollywood, that this well-regarded crowd pleaser was turned down by every major studio and instead will go to streaming after the smallest of limited releases. No one’s a bigger advocate of going to see movies in theaters than I, yet this will still likely be the way I end up seeing it.
New Releases
A Prince – Criterion
I.S.S. – Paramount+ with Showtime 6/3
*Let the Canary Sing – Paramount+ 6/4
*The Price of Nonna’s Inheritance – Netflix 6/4
*Under Paris – Netflix 6/5
*Am I OK? – Max 6/6
*Basma – Netflix 6/6
*Big City Greens: Spacecation – Disney+ 6/7
*No Way Up – AMC+ 6/7
*Protecting Paradise: The Story of Niue – Disney+ 6/8
Perfect Days – Hulu 6/6
Mothers’ Instinct – Prime Video 6/7
Poolman – Prime Video 6/7
Mob Land – Prime Video 6/10
Origin – Hulu 6/10
*Exhuma – AMC+ 6/14
*Clotilda: The Return Home – Disney+ and Hulu 6/17
*Here to Climb – Max 6/18
*Inheritance – Netflix 6/19
Bread & Roses – AppleTV+ 6/21
*Trigger Warning – Netflix 6/21
Prey (2024) – Hulu 6/22
*Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple – Max 6/22
Out of Darkness – Paramount+ with Showtime 6/24
The Old Oak – Prime Video 6/24
*I Am Celine Dion – Prime Video 6/25
*Drawing Closer – Netflix 6/27
Problemista – Max 6/28
*The Devil’s Bath – AMC+ 6/28
*A Family Affair – Netflix 6/28
*Fancy Dance – AppleTV+ 6/28
Freelance – Prime Video 6/28
*original title
Essential Viewing
1917 – Netflix
Anchorman – Hulu
Another Round – Criterion
The Barbarian Invasions – Criterion
Blazing Saddles – Paramount+
Borat – Hulu
The Breakfast Club – Netflix
Carlito’s Way – Starz
Chicago – Paramount+
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – Max
Dazed and Confused – Criterion
Dog Day Afternoon – Paramount+
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – Hulu
Fight Club – Hulu
Hausu – Criterion
High Noon (1952) – Paramount+
In the Bedroom – Paramount+
John Wick series – Peacock
Koyaanisqatsi – Prime Video
L.A. Confidential – Criterion
La La Land – Netflix
The LEGO Movie – Netflix
Minari – Max
Notting Hill – Starz
Office Space – Hulu
The Other Guys – Max and Peacock
Paris Is Burning – Criterion
Persona – Criterion
Philadelphia – Peacock
The Quiet Man – Paramount+
The Royal Tenenbaums – Criterion
Saving Private Ryan – Peacock
The Seventh Seal – Criterion
Shutter Island – Paramount+
Stand by Me – Prime Video
Terms of Endearment – Criterion
There Will Be Blood – Paramount+
Thief – Criterion
The Watermelon Woman – Criterion
Casino Royale (2006) – Paramount+ with Showtime 6/12
Carol – Netflix 6/17
Aftersun – Netflix 6/21
Spotlight Collection
Paul Schrader – Criterion
Like any filmmaker with this long a career, his movies are hit or miss. But when Schrader hits, as he’s done recently, few things are better. This assortment of movies includes some of his most acclaimed flicks, like Affliction, Mishima, Light Sleeper and Auto Focus. And there’s also some of his older work that I’ve never seen, including Blue Collar, Hardcore and The Comfort of Strangers. And for the morbidly curious, there’s also The Canyons, his misbegotten “erotic” “thriller” starring Lindsay Lohan and porn star James Deen. Someone on Letterboxd will almost certainly call this a “misunderstood masterpiece” in the next month.
Hidden Gems
50/50 – Max
About Time – Peacock
Bandits – Max
Brokeback Mountain – Peacock
Burn After Reading – Netflix
Far from Heaven – Peacock
Girlhood – Criterion
How Do You Know – Starz
If Beale Street Could Talk – Peacock
It Follows – Hulu
Jennifer’s Body – Peacock
A Knight’s Tale – Prime Video
Limbo (2020) – Peacock
The Lookout – Paramount+ with Showtime
Lord of War – Hulu
Money Monster – Hulu
Nights and Weekends – Criterion
Open Water – Max
Over the Hedge – Hulu
Saved! – Peacock
The Skin I Live In – Max
State and Main – Criterion
Sugar – Max
The Terminal – Peacock
Tomboy – Criterion
Water Lilies – Criterion
Keanu – Max 6/3
Nostalgia Picks
Galaxy Quest – Paramount+
Pretty in Pink – Paramount+
TELEVISION
Top Picks
Hannibal (Complete Series) – Prime Video
The Boys (Season 4) – Prime Video 6/13
The Bear (Season 3) – Hulu 6/27
Now that it’s streaming again, it is my sworn duty to remind you of the greatness of Hannibal, Bryan Fuller’s homoerotic fever dream adaptation of Thomas Harris’s books (except The Silence of the Lambs).
But we’re going to be eating good (no pun intended) with the return of The Boys and The Bear. Both shows have yet to make a misstep, yet there’s still a tiny bit of concern as to how the talent in front of and behind the camera can keep up this level of greatness.
New Releases
Mayor of Kingstown (Season 3) – Paramount+ 6/2
Ren Faire – Max 6/2
The Acolyte – Disney+ 6/4
Clipped – Hulu 6/4
Jo Koy: Live from Brooklyn – Netflix 6/4
Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial – Netflix 6/5
How to Rob a Bank – Netflix 6/5
Nelma Kodama: The Queen of Dirty Money – Netflix 6/6
Rafa Márquez: El Capitán – Netflix 6/6
Criminal Minds: Evolution (Season 2) – Paramount+ 6/6
Kubra (Season 2) – Netflix 6/6
Sweet Tooth (Season 3) – Netflix 6/6
Beyond the Veil (Season 2) – Prime Video 6/7
Fantasmas – Max 6/7
Perfect Match (Season 2) – Netflix 6/7
Power Book II: Ghost (Season 4, Part 1) – Starz 6/7
Transformers: EarthSpark (Season 2) – Paramount+ 6/7
Snowpiercer (Season 3) – AMC+ 6/8
How Music Got Free – Paramount+ 6/11
Keith Robinson: Different Strokes – Netflix 6/11
Tour de France: Unchained (Season 2) – Netflix 6/11
King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch – Netflix 6/12
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman (Season 5) – Netflix 6/12
Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors – Netflix 6/12
Presumed Innocent – AppleTV+ 6/12
Bridgerton (Season 3, Part 2) – Netflix 6/13
Doctor Climax – Netflix 6/13
1122 – Prime Video 6/14
Joko Anwar’s Nightmares and Daydreams – Netflix 6/14
Miss Night and Day – Netflix 6/15
House of the Dragon (Season 2) – Max 6/16
My Life Is Murder (Season 4) – AMC+ 6/17
Agents of Mystery – Netflix 6/18
Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution – Netflix 6/18
Black Barbie – Netflix 6/19
The Accidental Twins – Netflix 6/20
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders – Netflix 6/20
Steeltown Murders – AMC+ 6/20
Gangs of Galicia – Netflix 6/21
Shoresy (Season 3) – Hulu 6/21
The Victim’s Game (Season 2) – Netflix 6/21
Rising Impact – Netflix 6/21
Orphan Black: Echoes – AMC+ 6/23
Kaulitz & Kaulitz – Netflix 6/25
Land of Women – AppleTV+ 6/26
Worst Roommate Ever (Season 2) – Netflix 6/26
Domino Day – AMC+ 6/27
My Lady Jane – Prime Video 6/27
Supacell – Netflix 6/27
That ’90s Show (Part 2) – Netflix 6/27
The Mole (Season 2) – Netflix 6/28
Òlòtūré: The Journey – Netflix 6/28
Owning Manhattan – Netflix 6/28
Savage Beauty (Season 2) – Netflix 6/28
WondLa – AppleTV+ 6/28
The Whirlwind – Netflix TBD
Binge-Worthy Shows
How I Met Your Mother (Complete Series) – Netflix 6/3
Chewing Gum (Complete Series) – Hulu 6/14
Dracula – AMC+ 6/16
Dexter (Complete Series) – Netflix 6/19
Other Recommendations
Hannah Einbinder: Everything Must Go – Max 6/13
Slave Play – Max 6/20
Nostalgia Picks
One Tree Hill (Complete Series) – Prime Video
Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill – Hulu 6/3
Mike Birbiglia: What I Should Have Said Was Nothing – Hulu 6/14
30 for 30: June 17th, 1994 – Netflix 6/17