Streaming is more important than ever. As huge numbers of people stay home during the global pandemic, many have turned to the plethora of services for a much-needed escape. At the start of each month, most streaming services do a little shuffle, adding new movies and taking some off, and we’re here to help with your decision making.
Welcome to The Nerd’s Watch, our monthly column where we curate the most interesting sci-fi, fantasy, and genre movies coming to the biggest streaming services in the world in June 2020. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and Disney+ are all here, so let’s get to it.
Netflix
Available June 1
All Dogs Go to Heaven – I don’t remember much about this 1990s animated hit, but I distinctly remember liking it a lot and that makes me want to revisit it.
Casper – If you were a kid during the summer of 1995, you were a fan of Casper. This live-action hit featuring Christina Ricci (and Devon Sawa, briefly) breathed impressive CGI life into the old-school cartoon series and introduced a generation to a brand of scary that wasn’t that at all.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – One of the all-time greats. What more needs to be said? You know you’re going to rewatch it and cry.
The Silence of the Lambs – This multi Oscar-winning masterpiece about an FBI agent (Jodie Foster) who gets help from a psychopath (Anthony Hopkins) to hunt a serial killer is as chilling and compelling now as it was 30 years ago.
Starship Troopers – One of my personal all-time favorite films is this exciting and subversive adaptation by Paul Verhoeven about a future where humanity travels through space to fight bugs. It’s just such a fun and fascinating film.
The Boy – Brahms knows what he did. He knows what he did.
Twister – If you’re in the mood for pure ‘90s cheese and action and excitement with a cast of actors so impressive, you’ll do double-take after double-take, may we suggest this Jan de Bont banger about a group of scientists who chase tornadoes.
V for Vendetta – It’s nowhere near November yet, but anytime is a good time to watch one of the best comic book adaptation of all-time, starring Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving, based on the comics by Alan Moore and David Lloyd.
Available June 5
Hannibal: Seasons 1-3 – This and Silence of the Lambs? Some kind of coincidence? We aren’t sure. But if you’re like me and missed this fan-favorite show from a few years ago, it’s coming to Netflix and odds are that’ll give it a whole new level of popularity.
Available June 16
The Darkness – This 2016 Blumhouse movie stars Kevin Bacon as the head of a family who brings an evil spirit back with them from the Grand Canyon. It was panned pretty badly but that plot does sound awfully cool.
Available June 22
Dark Skies – Another earlier Blumhouse film, this one stars Keri Russell as the head of a family who is dealing with an unknown evil. Unlike The Darkness, this one doesn’t come from the Grand Canyon though. It comes from space.
Amazon
Available June 1
How To Train Your Dragon – The first film in an epic saga about a young boy who comes of age with the help of a friendly mythical dragon. It’s a great series and this first film, in particular, is truly special.
The Natural – Wait. What’s this 1980s baseball movie doing on a genre list? Well, if Roy Hobbs, the main character with the magic baseball bat made from a tree struck by lightning, isn’t kind of a superhero, we don’t know who is.
Available June 7
Equilibrium – Some people think Christian Bale doesn’t make bad movies. To which I submit this 2002 Matrix rip off. It’s pretty crappy—and yet, seeing Bale as sort of an alternate Neo is kind of fascinating to watch. (Also on Hulu)
Available June 12
Knives Out – We here at io9 love director Rian Johnson, and if for some strange reason you missed his post-The Last Jedi murder mystery starring James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, along with tons of other big stars, now is the time to remedy that.
Available June 30
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol – Also known as Mission Impossible 4, this is the Brad Bird-directed installment that takes Tom Cruise’s character to the top of the Burj Khalifa. It’s a truly stellar spy-fi film that’s only bested by the next two installments. (Also on Hulu)
Spy Kids and Spy Kids 3: Game Over – But no Spy Kids 2. Odd. Anyway, Robert Rodriguez’s family-friendly spy movies about little kids who save their super-spy parents are loads of fun and absolutely worth watching for the first time or all over again.
Where The Wild Things Are – This epic, gorgeous Spike Jonze adaptation of the classic Maurice Sendak children’s book rarely gets the credit it deserves. Even 11 years after its release, the incredible music, visuals, and practical effects will cast a spell on you.
Hulu
Available June 1
Constantine – In the years since its release, this 2005 Keanu Reeves DC movie has gained a bit of a cult following, mostly because the character came back on TV and Keanu in everything is awesome. It’s not a great movie but it’s worth a stream for sure.
I Am Legend – Will Smith is the last man on Earth in this acceptable, but slightly underwhelming sci-fi, horror adaptation. It’s worth watching for the amazing effects of an empty, overgrown New York City though. And then Smith fighting creatures is just a bonus.
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer – Though its superior original film is not on the streaming service, you can still take a spin with this horror sequel that feels just about as late-1990s as any movie you could possibly imagine.
Joyride – Is Joyride basically just a ripoff of Steven Spielberg’s Duel? Yes. Which makes sense when you realize it was co-written by noted Spielberg protégé J.J. Abrams! Plus, you can’t go wrong with a cast that includes Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski, and Steve Zahn. (Also on Amazon)
Robin Hood: Men in Tights – It’s probably because I grew up with it, but I love Mel Brooks’ insanely offensive and crass send-up of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves very, very much. Excited more people will get to see, and be shocked, by it now that it’s streaming.
The Tuxedo – What if Jackie Chan got his own kind of Iron Man suit, but it was just a tuxedo? That’s the plot of The Tuxedo, a not-so-great, but highly watchable action film starring the martial arts legend.
The X-Files – This is the first movie from 1998. People generally like this one, yes? More than the others at least? Most X-Files fans probably already own it but if not, maybe it’s time for a rewatch.
Zardoz – A giant talking head. Sean Connery in a banana hammock. A weird story about a sexless, immortal society. What’s not to love about Zardoz?
Available June 12
Child’s Play – I missed this 2019 remake in theaters and though I heard wildly mixed things, from god-awful to incredibly fun, I am excited to now be able to stream it for free. (Also on Amazon)
Available June 13
Dragonheart – I’ve definitely written about Dragonheart before. Mostly because this 1996 film spawned a slew of direct-to-video sequels most of us have never heard of. Usually, when that happens, the original movie is at least pretty good. And this one is at least that. Dennis Quaid and a Sean Connery-voiced talking dragon? Perfect.
Available June 18
Crawl – One of last year’s most underrated genre films was Crawl, which shows what happens when a father and daughter get trapped in a house during a hurricane with a bunch of killer crocodiles. It’s scary and fun. (Also on Amazon)
Available June 25
Charlie’s Angels – Another 2019 film I missed, heard wildly divergent things about, and can now stream for free is the Charlie’s Angels remake directed by Elizabeth Banks. People either adore it or hate it and now, since it’s streaming, we can all find out for ourselves.
Disney+
Available June 12
Artemis Fowl – Arguably the biggest streaming release since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, Artemis Fowl comes to Disney+ with massive expectations. It’s based on a popular series of children’s books, is directed by Kenneth Branagh, and was originally scheduled to go to theaters. Now, we’ll see if the move to streaming has to do with its quality.
Available June 26
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief – Fresh off the news that a Disney+ show is coming, the original movie starring Logan Lerman as a young man who realizes he’s the son of a God is coming to the streamer. It’s directed by Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Harry Potter) and is actually a fairly good Harry Potter copycat.
Tarzan and Tarzan II – One of the few big-time Disney animated films that wasn’t already on the streaming service finally arrives at its permanent home. It’s a rousing adventure totally in the Disney mold. And, you can watch the direct-to-video sequel too. Bonus.
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Source: gizmodo.com
