What to watch on Netflix in June 2022

Let’s be honest; you’re still watching Stranger Things, aren’t you? And, with those endlessly rewatchable musical montages and huge runtimes, we don’t blame you. But, if you’re looking for some respite from all the big budgets (and bigger hair), there are a handful of cheaper, chintzy titles hitting Netflix this June.

And these new releases — mostly movies with more action than plot — hit that summertime sweet spot; giving you fun, frothy adventures without demanding too much in return. Defend a nuclear missile interceptor platform! Scale a mountain to evade murders! Save your daughter from a crime lord! It’s melodramatic, it’s excessive and it’s trashy — but it looks like a whole lot of fun…

Let’s kick off with some cliff-hangers — literally. The Ledge may not be peak cinema (that’s it for the mountain puns, we promise), but it’s a solid enough thriller; something in the vein of The Shallows, Frozen or Don’t Breathe. After a rock-climbing adventurer captures the murder of her best friend on camera, she must begin an ascent of a notoriously tricky cliff face to evade the killer.

Something a little less fictional next — but just as far-fetched. This documentary film, originally released in 2013, tells the tale of the Yakuza’s slow demise. Deeply rooted in Japanese society and infamous across the globe, we follow the governmental crackdowns that threaten the murderers and extorters of the organisation; and discover how, despite its criminality, the group still follows a rigorous code of honour.

Starring Elsa Pataky (of the Fast & Furious franchise and, of course, the seminal Snakes on a Plane), this Netflix original film follows an Army captain’s single-handed attempts to protect a nuclear missile ‘interceptor’ platform from terrorists. Expect sketchy dialogue, solid fight scenes and John Wick-ery including a henchman getting stabbed in the eye… with his own gun.

Another heritage documentary hitting Netflix this month, The Spider’s Web: Britain’s Second Empire is well worth a watch — even five years after its release. Produced by John Christensen of the Tax Justice Network, the film investigates how Britain transformed from a colonial power into the financial power it is today.

Adam Sandler’s Netflix films have been hit-and-miss. After signing a multi-movie deal, the American actor made some barnstormers (The Meyerowitz Stories being a particular standout), but also many duds (The Ridiculous 6, The Do-Over, Hubie Halloween). This latest, Hustle, looks to be a return to form — seeing Sandler play a retired basketball scout who tries to recruit a disgraced player to play in the NBA.

There are plenty of stars in Edward Norton’s 2019 neo-noir drama — from Bruce Willis (in his final big screen role) to Alec Baldwin, Bobby Cannavale and former Gentleman’s Journal cover star Willem Dafoe. The story lags a little under a long runtime, but the familiar faces and engaging story (Norton’s private investigator must solve the murder of his mentor) keeps things rattling along. Some good 1950s style, too.

While all eyes will be on Elvis this June, Netflix looks to be cashing in on the popularity surge of singer-songwriter biopics. Rocketman can already be found on the streaming service, and now Rami Malek’s Oscar-winning turn as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury joins the streaming service. Look out for Mike Myers’ enjoyable cameo as EMI executive Ray Foster.

Perhaps the biggest budget Netflix original hitting our screens this month, this sci-fi thriller sees Chris Hemsworth star in an adaptation of the George Saunders short story Escape from Spiderhead. Hemsworth is Steve Abnesti, a man whose facility offers reduced sentences for prisoners — if they consent to taking part in experimental drug trials. Helmed by Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, it also feature Tom Cruise’s co-star from that film, Miles Teller.

Another month; another so-so watchable action thriller from Netflix. This month — along with Elsa Pataky’s Interceptor above — we’re treated to Collision; the gun-fighty, nail-bitey story of a corrupt business man and his socialite wife, who must both race to save their daughter from a notorious crime lord. The tagline? ‘Freedom always comes at a price’. You’ll feel like you’ve seen it before, but it’ll be a fun ride along the way.

And, finally, the return of another cult series. While Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy may not have a fanbase as rabid as Stranger Things, the time-twisting, juke-boxing sleeper hit is one of the most enjoyable pieces of original content on the streaming service. In the show’s third outing, the family find themselves jumped to an alternative timeline where ‘The Sparrow Academy’ have taken their place, and the world is ending (again).

Want more Netflix recommendations? Here’s the best new titles to land on the streaming service in May 2022…

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