A lot of great movies and TV shows are expiring for subscribers in the United States in June. Here are the ones worth finding time for.
Big, beloved Oscar winners from the 1960s through the 2010s populate the slate of titles leaving Netflix in the United States at the end of the month, as well as a family favorite, a sci-fi smash and two coming-of-age classics (one for boys, one for girls). But the must-see for movie buffs is a hysterically funny puncturing of documentary conventions, so we’ll start there. (Dates reflect the final day a title is available.)
‘Documentary Now!’: Seasons 1-3 (June 2)
When the “Saturday Night Live” writer-stars Fred Armisen, Bill Hader and Seth Meyers created this series with their frequent “S.N.L.” director Rhys Thomas, it seemed safe to bet they would attempt to extend that show’s brand of wild satire. In fact, they created something far more niche (and funnier, perhaps because of it): a charmingly niche spoof of documentary styles and specific nonfiction movies, in the kind of hyper-specific detail that only film nerds can fully appreciate. It’s funny and surprisingly heartfelt as its creators both skewer and shine up their subjects. Standout episode: “Original Cast Album: Co-Op,” from Season 3, a parody of D.A. Pennebaker’s “Original Cast Album: Company” that was so on target it was included in the bonus features of the original film’s recent Criterion Collection release.
Stream it here.
‘Lady Bird’ (June 2)
The actor-turned-filmmaker Greta Gerwig made her solo feature directorial debut with this poignant and funny 2017 coming-of-age movie, which was nominated for five Academy Awards. Two of those were for its stars: Saoirse Ronan is the title character, a Sacramento teenager desperate to find a way out of her suburban surroundings. Laurie Metcalf co-stars as her perpetually put-upon mother, trying her very best to ease her daughter’s bumpy transition into adulthood. Gerwig’s perceptive screenplay digs into the stickiness of this complex dynamic, and her energetic direction honors the characters’ emotional woes without getting bogged down in them.
Stream it here.
‘Silver Linings Playbook’ (June 17)
Jennifer Lawrence won the Academy Award for best actress for this tricky exploration of love, loss and ballroom dancing from the writer-director David O. Russell. Adapting the novel by Matthew Quick, Russell tells the story of Pat (Bradley Cooper), recently released from a mental institution and trying to recalibrate his life after divorce from a tricky vantage point: his old room in the attic of his childhood home. His parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) prove not quite the steadying influences one might hope; for that, he finds himself drawn to Tiffany (Lawrence), a young widow who implores him to join her in a dance competition. Their rehearsals form the heart of the movie, and in those scenes, the careful blend of pathos, tough talk and self-delusion casts a delicate spell.
Stream it here.
‘Desperado’ (June 30)
The director Robert Rodriguez is best known these days for family entertainment like the “Spy Kids” franchise and sci-fi efforts like “Alita: Battle Angel.” But he broke through as a master of hyperkinetic action, first on the self-financed indie “El Mariachi,” and then with this follow-up, which injected that film’s Spaghetti Western style and filmmaking bravado with studio resources and the stars Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. Banderas is an enigmatic musician, strolling from one border town to the next with a guitar case full of guns, looking for the man who killed the woman he loved; Hayek is a bookstore owner who bandages his wounds and steals his heart. Their chemistry is off the charts, the action beats are rip-roaring and the cameos are delightful.
Stream it here.
‘The Exorcist’ (June 30)
Very few films can be said to have “changed everything,” but William Friedkin’s 1973 adaptation of the novel by William Peter Blatty is certainly one of them — a box office smash, a critical success and a certified cultural phenomenon. A haunted Ellen Burstyn stars as a Georgetown actress whose daughter (a powerful Linda Blair) seems controlled by evil forces. Once a sensitive priest (Jason Miller) determines she has been possessed by the devil, a specialist (Max von Sydow) is brought in to rescue her soul. So many of the film’s big moments — the green vomit, the devil voice, the incantations of the exorcism — have been recycled and satirized that you’d think the film would lose its bite, but “The Exorcist” has lost none of its ability to scare and shock.
Stream it here.
‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ (June 30)
The actor turned screenwriter Jason Segel and his “Muppets” and “Five Year Engagement” collaborator Nicholas Stoller first teamed up for this 2008 romantic comedy from the producer Judd Apatow. Segal is Peter, a sad-sack composer in a perpetual funk after his breakup with the title character (Kristen Bell), a famous TV actress. In an attempt to escape his depression, he takes a Hawaiian vacation — only to find Sarah at the same resort with her new beau (Russell Brand), a pretentious British pop star. Mila Kunis co-stars as the resort receptionist who presents a new opportunity for love; Bill Hader, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, and Jack McBrayer turn up in small but uproarious supporting roles.
Stream it here.
‘Her’ (June 30)
The idea of falling in love with a virtual assistant might have seemed like pure science fiction when this comedy-drama from the writer and director Spike Jonze hit theaters in 2013; today, the growing ubiquity and sophistication of Siri and Alexa are perhaps making it inevitable. The assistant here is named Samantha and voiced by Scarlett Johansson; her “user” is Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), who is particularly wounded because of a pending divorce. Jonze’s touching script bypasses the easy, cheap jokes for a penetrating exploration of loneliness and companionship, and Phoenix’s performance is an astonishing symphony of vulnerability and pain.
Stream it here.
‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (June 30)
This 2010 adaptation of the book by Cressida Cowell was one of the family franchise success stories of the decade, spawning two sequels, a TV series, video games and even a live “arena spectacular.” But it is, at its heart, a simple story — something like the “boy and his dog” stories of old, in which the meek young Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel), intimidated by his dragon-slaying dad (Gerald Butler) teaches himself how to tame the beasts instead. Kids will appreciate the gorgeous animation and the “be yourself” messaging; grown-ups will enjoy the comic supporting cast, which includes Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Kristen Wiig.
Stream it here.
‘Looper’ (June 30)
When the family of Bruce Willis announced his retirement from acting in March, fans took to social media to share their favorite Willis performances: the gun-toting snark of “Die Hard” was oft-invoked, as was the sensitivity of “The Sixth Sense.” But this 2012 hit from Rian Johnson was one of the few films to successfully meld those personas, allowing Willis to emote and kick butt in equal measures. As Joe, a one-time hit man who (through a complicated combination of double-crosses and time travel) must face his 20-years-younger self (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), in a world where there’s only room for one of them. The sci-fi and action are tiptop, but “Looper” excels most in its quiet moments, which allow Willis to do some of his most finely-tuned acting since his ’90s heyday.
Stream it here.
‘My Fair Lady’ (June 30)
George Cukor’s 1964 adaptation of the Broadway hit by Alan Jay Lerner (itself a reconfiguration of George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion”) remains one of the most widely beloved movies of its era, though it’s not an obvious slam-dunk — after all, it’s a nearly-three-hour musical starring two people who can’t sing. (Audrey Hepburn’s vocals were dubbed; Rex Harrison does a kind of rhythmic lyric-reading.) But the story is timeless, the songs are memorable, and the production is handsomely mounted. It won an astonishing eight Oscars (including best picture, best actor and best director), and that sounds just about right.
Stream it here.
‘Stand by Me’ (June 30)
Rob Reiner’s early directorial career is a mind-boggling display of adept genre-surfing, moving with ease from broad comedy (“This Is Spinal Tap”) to road movie (“The Sure Thing”) to fantasy (“The Princess Bride”) to rom-com (“When Harry Met Sally”) to suspense (“Misery”) to courtroom drama (“A Few Good Men”). In the middle of that astonishing run, he took a shot at coming-of-age dramas and proved he could do that too. This modest but memorable adaptation of the Stephen King novella “The Body” digs into its time and place (a small town in Oregon, circa 1959), shows a remarkable ear for the way boys communicate and boasts top-notch leading performances by Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, Wil Wheaton and River Phoenix.
Stream it here.
ALSO LEAVING: “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce”: Seasons 1-5 (June 13), “Criminal Minds”: Seasons 1-12 (June 29), “Corpse Bride,” “Eagle Eye,”“Happy Gilmore,” “Into the Wild” and “Midnight in Paris” (all June 30).
Source: Movies - nytimes.com
