What to Watch in June: Debut of ‘Ms. Marvel,’ ‘Fire Island’ and a Double Dose of J. Lo
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Whether heading out to theaters or surfing through streaming services, there’s a lot to watch this June. These include a pair from arthouse favorites Terrence Davies and David Cronenberg, a TV miniseries from one of France’s best directors, a Jennifer Lopez double feature and… did we mention dinosaurs? There will also be dinosaurs. But first, let’s hit the beach.
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Fire Island (Hulu, June 3)
Comedian and actor Joel Kim Booster adds another hyphenate to his credits by scripting this Pride & Prejudice-inspired romantic comedy set at the popular gay tourist destination of the title. Booster co-stars alongside SNL’s Bowen Yang and Conrad Ricamora (How to Get Away with Murder), who play a trio of friends looking for a good time and maybe finding something more. Watch with a free trial to Hulu here.
Benediction (Theaters, June 3)
Those familiar with director Terrence Davies (The Long Day Closes, The House of Mirth) know to treat each new film as an event. The foremost chronicler of yearning and repression, Davies follows his excellent Emily Dickinson biopic A Quiet Passion with another film inspired by the life of a poet. This time it’s World War I poet Siegfried Sassoon, played by Jack Lowden, the breakout star of the excellent recent series, Slow Horses.
Crimes of the Future (Theaters, June 3)
David Cronenberg returns with his first film since 2014 and it sounds like the most Cronenbergian movie imaginable. Set in the near future it stars Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux as performance artists who grow organs on stage. That description should probably tell you if you want to be first in line or avoid the movie entirely. Kristen Stewart co-stars.
Irma Vep (HBO Original, June 6)
An exercise in illusion, reality, and blurred personalities, Olivier Assayas’s 1996 film Irma Vep cast Maggie Cheung as an actress starring in a remake of the French silent classic Les Vampires. Given the original’s reflections on the state of filmmaking in the Ninties it’s probably fitting that this new version—also written and directed by Assayas—would take the form of a TV miniseries, a space where many creators have fled to try out their more ambitious ideas. Alicia Vikander stars this time out, but don’t expect a straightforward remake (especially since the original was itself pretty twisty). Watch on HBO Max here.
The Janes (HBO Max, June 8)
A freshly timely doc, this Tia Lessen- and Emma Pildes-directed documentary revisits the case of “The Janes,” five women arrested in 1972 for helping others find safe, legal abortions. What might have seemed like a piece of history even a few months ago now looks like it could be a vision of the future. Watch on HBO Max here.
Ms. Marvel (Disney+, June 8)
Kamala Khan, a superhero-adoring Muslim teenager who develops powers of her own, became an instant breakout for Marvel Comics when she was introduced in 2013. This new six-episode series brings Khan to the live-action world of the MCU in a series starring Iman Vellani. And, in typical MCU fashion, it lays the groundwork for future projects: Khan will also be appearing in the live-action film, The Marvels. Watch on Disney+ here.
Jurassic World Dominion (Theaters, June 10)
In this second sequel to Jurassic World, a 2015 film about a dinosaur theme park stupidly opened in spite of the disastrous events of Jurassic Park and its sequels, dinosaurs have begun running amok all over the world. Who could have seen that coming? World director Colin Trevorrow returns to the franchise alongside stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard and the original stars of Jurassic Park: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. See tickets and showtimes here.
Hustle (Netflix and select theaters, June 10)
Adam Sandler’s Netflix films have mostly been straightforward comedies but the star breaks from the pattern with his latest, a drama in which he stars as a down-on-his-luck sports agent making a longshot bid for a comeback by backing a troubled player. Queen Latifah, Robert Duvall co-star alongside a bunch of cameoing NBA greats. Watch on Netflix here.
Dark Winds (AMC, June 12)
Between 1970 and 2006, Tony Hillerman released 18 novels starring Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn, Navajo police officers patrolling Navajo Nation. That’s a lot of source material for this new AMC series starring Kiowa Gordon (as Chee) and Zahn McClarnon (as Leaphorn) to draw on should it prove to be a hit. This first season is set in 1971 and involves a homicide that might be tied to other crimes (and may have a spiritual connection). Watch on AMC here.
Halftime (Netflix, June 14)
Jennifer Lopez has been all over the place in 2022. On the movie front she’s already starred in Marry Me and can be seen again in Shotgun Wedding when it debuts on Prime Video on June 29. All that’s in addition to a busy music career and other ventures. How does she do it all? This Amanda Michell documentary, which uses Lopez’s 2020 Super Bowl halftime performance as a focal point, might provide some of the answers. Watch on Netflix here.
Mad God (Shudder, June 16)
Phil Tippett is a special effects legend whose work can be seen in everything from the original Star Wars movies to Robocop to the Twilight Films. Tippett’s worked in many aspects of visual effects but he’s a master of stop-motion animation and began this feature as a side (and passion) project way back at the end of the Eighties. He finished years later with the help of volunteers and Kickstarter and fans of his work won’t want to miss a highly experimental tour de force that plays like Eraserhead as made by Hieronymous Bosch. Watch on Shudder here.
The Old Man (FX, June 16)
After being sidelined by cancer and Covid-19, Jeff Bridges makes an extremely welcome return as the star of this new series adapted from a 2017 thriller by novelist Thomas Perry. Bridges plays a former CIA agent forced to go into hiding—and that’s when his troubles really begin. John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman, Alia Shawkat, and Gbenga Akinnagbe co-star. Watch with a free trial to FX on Hulu here.
Cha Cha Real Smooth (Apple TV+ and select theaters, June 17)
Writer/director/star Cooper Raiff won over Sundance with this charming, poignant comedy about a recent college grad named Andrew (Raiff) who find himself drifting through a summer working as a Bar and Mat Mitzvah party starter and beginning a hard-to-define relationship with Domino (Dakota Johnson), the mother of an autistic teen (Vanessa Burghardt). Watch on Apple TV here.
Pixar’s Lightyear (Theaters, June 17)
Chris Evans stars as Buzz Lightyear in this sort-of spin-off of the Toy Story films. But, instead of depicting Buzz as a toy, this film imagines the character’s adventures as the action hero who inspired the toy. It’s a little confusing, but this looks like Pixar’s version of a galaxy-spanning sci-fi adventure, which has the potential to be a lot of fun. See tickets and showtimes here.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (Hulu, June 17)
Another 2022 Sundance standout, this comedy stars Emma Thompson as Nancy, a recent widow who hires Leo (Daryl McCormack), a handsome sex worker, in an attempt to see what she’s been missing after a lifetime of mediocre sex. Both get more than they bargained for in this film directed by Sophie Hyde. Watch with a free trial to Hulu here.
Spiderhead (Netflix, June 17)
Joseph Kosinski isn’t done with summer movies after directing the much-liked Top Gun: Maverick. This futuristic thriller reunites him with Miles Teller, who plays an inmate at a prison performing experiments on its inmates. Adapted from a short story by George Saunders, it also stars Chris Hemsworth and Jurnee Smollett.
Related: How to Watch Top Gun: Maverick Online Free
The Black Phone (Theaters, June 24)
Director Scott Derrickson, co-writer C. Robert Cargill and Ethan Hawke previously teamed up 10 years ago for the well-regarded horror film Sinister, which would be reason enough to look forward to this adaptation of a Joe Hill story even if the trailer didn’t make it look terrifying. Hawke plays “The Grabber,” a kidnapper of children who might be undone by an escaped victim and some help from the supernatural.
Elvis (Theaters, June 24)
Baz Luhrmann has never been one for subtlety and this Elvis Presley biopic doesn’t appear likely to change that. Austin Butler stars as the King of Rock and Roll in a film that spans his life and pays special attention to his dubious manager Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). Expect spectacle, drama, and a lot of songs.
Loot (Apple TV+, June 24)
Joel Kim Booster almost bookends the month of June. In addition to Fire Island, he’s part of the cast of this new Maya Rudolph starring comedy in which Rudolph plays a beyond-wealthy woman who becomes involved with a charitable foundation after a public meltdown. Watch on Apple TV here.
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu, June 28)
One of last year’s best shows returns, reuniting the amateur sleuths played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez for another season of their true crime podcast and giving them another mystery to solve. The creators have been understandably tight-lipped about the plot but we do know a couple of the guest stars: Amy Schumer and Shirley MacLaine. Watch with a free trial to Hulu here.
Shotgun Wedding (Prime Video, June 29)
Jennifer Lopez continues her attempt to keep the rom-com alive with her second entry in the genre this year after Marry Me. Lopez stars alongside Josh Duhamel as a couple whose destination wedding takes a tumultuous turn thanks to a hostage situation. Watch with a 30-day free trial to Amazon Prime here.
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