A curated selection of the best new movies to watch on streaming in June, including Glen Powell’s Hit Man, Godzilla Minus One and Kung Fu Panda 4.
Summer is here, which means you might have some extra time on your hands. Why not watch a great movie? Ah, but finding the right movie to watch on streaming can be a chore. Not to worry, we’ve put together a curated list of some of the best new movies streaming in June — from monster mashes to Oscar contenders to underrated gems that hit theaters earlier this year and are making their streaming debut. Platforms spans Netflix, Prime Video, Max, Hulu and more — there’s a little something for everyone, and we’ve also thrown in some new library titles to put on your watchlist as well.
Check out our picks for the best new movies streaming in June 2024 below.
Netflix – June 1
Yes. “Godzilla Minus One” is finally streaming. Our long national nightmare is finally over. The movie, which is set before the original 1954 film (hence the “Minus One” in the title), was meant to be in theaters for a limited engagement last December. But it was such a hit that it played for ages. And what’s more – it was the first “Godzilla” entry that was nominated (and then won) an Academy Award, at this year’s ceremony, for visual effects. If you haven’t seen “Godzilla Minus One,” it’s absolutely astounding. Set in the immediate aftermath of World War II, it follows a failed kamikaze pilot Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) as he searches for meaning in the bombed-out rubble of post-war Japan. Soon, that meaning confronts him, literally, as Godzilla, who Shikishima confronted earlier in the war, makes landfall. Considering that, for the past few years, the only Godzilla we’ve seen is the version in the increasingly silly western series of movies, it’s nice to see the iconic monster returned to his elemental power – scary, fearsome and full of metaphoric dread. This is one of the best Godzilla movies in his seventy-year history and one of the greatest movies of last year. If you missed it the first time around, now is your chance to experience the horror and wonder of “Godzilla Minus One.” And if you’ve already seen it, you’re likely to watch again. And again. – Drew Taylor
Netflix – June 5
From Xavier Gens, the French genre filmmaker behind “Frontier(s)” and, more recently, “Mayhem!,” comes a new movie that answers the question we’ve all thought about: what if there was a giant shark swimming around underneath Paris? (Admit it – you’ve wondered.) Bérénice Bejo stars as a scientist attempting to keep the River Seine from running red … with blood. Honestly, what more do you want from the movies? Looks like a total blast. – Drew Taylor
Max – June 6
This romantic drama, directed by Tig Notaro and her wife Stephanie Allynne, first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival way back in 2022. Now it’s finally premiering as a Max Original. Dakota Johnson plays a woman unlucky in love, who comes to the conclusion that she might be looking for the wrong gender. Sonoya Mizuno, recently seen in “Civil War,” plays her BFF who helps awaken her queerness. The cast also includes Molly Gordon, Kiersey Clemons and Sean Hayes. – Drew Taylor
Netflix – June 7
One of the best movies of the year, “Hit Man” debuted at the fall festivals last year, where it won critical acclaim and declarations that co-writer and star Glen Powell’s big movie star moment had arrived. (A couple of months later, this would be cemented by the release of his sleeper hit “Anyone but You.”) “Hit Man,” co-written and directed by Richard Linklater and based on a Texas Monthly article by Skip Hollandsworth (who also wrote an article that Linklater’s earlier, underrated “Bernie” was based on), follows Gary Johnson (Powell), a mild-mannered college professor who moonlights as a fake assassin for the New Orleans Police Department. His life gets markedly more complicated when he falls in love with Madison (Adria Arjona), a woman who tries to hire him to kill her abusive husband. As amusing and soulful as any Linklater project, with a ratatat romantic comedy/thriller vibe that is utterly infectious and will make you swoon while also being perched at the edge of your seat. There’s a reason that, when the movie played as part of the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, the crowd erupted into spontaneous applause before the movie even ended. This is a crowd pleaser of the highest order, so invite some friends over, order a pizza and try to reproduce the sensation of seeing this in the biggest auditorium possible. – Drew Taylor
Hulu – June 10
“Selma” filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s 2023 film “Origin” is an ambitious adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent.” It’s a narrative film but almost feels like a documentary in places as it follows Isabel (played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) as she travels to India, Germany and the United States to study the influence of caste systems. It culminates in a powerful look at the origins of racism. – Adam Chitwood
Netflix – June 13
This documentary offers an intimate look at Gene Wilder, including the battle with Alzheimer’s disease that ultimately ended his life. Using home videos and interviews with Mel Brooks, Alan Alda, Carol Kane, Dick Cavett and Wilder’s wife, “Remembering Gene Wilder” promises a close chronicle of the life of a screen legend. – Adam Chitwood
Hulu – June 13
This feature-length documentary from Andrew McCarthy investigates the Brat Pack phenomena, which McCarthy was very much a part of. For those who are unaware, the Brat Pack was a group of young actors in the 1980s, who were given that moniker by a 1985 New York Magazine cover story. McCarthy investigates an essential question: “What did it mean to be part of the Brat Pack?” How does he get to the bottom of this? By talking to his fellow Brat Packers (and Brat Pack-adjacent actors), including Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Jon Cryer, Lea Thompson and Timothy Hutton. (It’s unclear why Molly Ringwald wasn’t involved; maybe the documentary will explain her omission.) Judging by the trailer, this looks like a fun, entertaining, breezy examination of a very specific time in pop culture.
