We sometimes get a little excited when we look at what films are arriving on Netflix and Stan over the next month. But man, this time we are very excited. Talk about a bumper crop. June boasts a particularly strong line-up of titles coming to the streaming providers, from Oscar-winning dramas to off-the-wall psychedelic thrillers. Here’s 10 films to look out for.
Black Swan (Netflix, June 1)
Trippy. Very very trippy. Those words could apply to several films directed by Darren Aronofsky, whose cinematic mind-melts include Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain and Mother! Still, there is something particularly dark and unusual about his ballerina-story-on-acid psychological thriller, Black Swan. It stars Natalie Portman in her Oscar-winning performance, as a tortured dancer with a, shall we say, fragile grip on reality.
Everybody Wants Some!! (Stan, June 5)
Flicks critic Luke Buckmaster recently wrote some positive words about filmmaker Richard Linklater, arguing he is one of the best contemporary American directors. One of Linklater’s lighter films, the 2016 sports comedy Everybody Wants Some!!, is coming to Stan. It’s about a successful college baseball team that knows how to play, and knows how to party.
12 Years a Slave (Stan, June 5)
Once seen and never forgotten. Director Steve McQueen’s intense racial period drama, based on the true story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), is not an easy watch. 12 Years a Slave is, however, important and powerful viewing. Among many other awards, it won Best Picture at the 2013 Academy Awards.
Enter the Void (Stan, June 13)
We guarantee you have never seen a film quite like this psychedelic thriller from in-your-face Argentinian director Gaspar Noé. Enter the Void roared through the festival circuit when it premiered in 2011, turning audiences into dumbstruck masses collecting their jaws from the floor. The official synopsis described it as “an immersive and just plain mind-bending experience.” You can say that again.
Under the Skin (Stan, June 15)
Scarlett Johansson stars as a mysterious alien seductress, who targets lonely men and does very strange things to them. If the premise sounds a little…sleazy, Under the Skin is actually a classy film. Flicks writer Tony Stamp called it “a masterpiece”, “a meditation on the human condition” and a “showcase for a stunning performance by Scarlett Johansson.”
Muriel’s Wedding (Netflix, June 18)
“You’re terrible Muriel!” Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to rewatch this bona fide Australian classic. Director P.J. Hogan’s famous romantic comedy follows the socially awkward Muriel. The film put its star, Toni Collette, on the map, and became one of the most beloved Australian comedies of the 1990s.
Dunkirk (Netflix, June 20)
The latest film from director Christopher Nolan flew into cinemas last year like a bat out of hell. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, Dunkirk, an intense WWII drama, was revered by audiences and critics alike. Flicks reviewer Steve Newall gave it five stars, describing the film as “a relentlessly tense affair” that drops viewers into “the action, tension, panic, and dread of the plight of hundreds of thousands of troops.”
The LEGO Ninjago Movie (Netflix, June 20)
Ordinarily we would say something like “here’s one for the kids.” But the truth is that adults have a damn good time with the LEGO movies too.
Piranha 3DD (Stan, June 22)
OK, so this one might not have all that much going on upstairs. But hey: it’s a hell of a lot of fun, if you’re into gore and comedy. And more gore, and more comedy.
Midnight in Paris (Netflix, June 27)
This funny and charming romantic comedy, set in Paris and starring Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard and Rachel McAdams, is one of Woody Allen’s most acclaimed films. American critic Richard Roeper called it “smart, funny, whimsical – one of the best romantic comedies in recent years.”
