Netflix has been going big on original films in 2021.
With cinemas shut for most of the year, the streaming giant has been serving its subscribers at least one new film a week since January, which has included OTT melodrama in The Woman In The Window, the star-studded superhero parody Thunder Force and Amy Poehler’s coming-of-age comedy Moxie.
There have also been acclaimed films like Pieces Of A Woman, The White Tiger and News Of The World, which were all nominated for awards at the Oscars earlier in the year.
June’s offerings have now been unveiled, and among them are an apocalyptic thriller, animated fun and a seriously wild retelling of American history.
Here’s what you can look forward to streaming in the coming weeks...
Carnaval (2 June)
Netflix says: The digital influencer Nina discovers a video of her boyfriend’s betrayal going viral and, to overcome the breakup, she uses her contacts to travel to Salvador during Carnival, all-inclusive, together with her three best friends.
Awake (9 June)
Netflix says: After a sudden global event wipes out all electronics and takes away humankind’s ability to sleep, chaos quickly begins to consume the world. Only Jill, an ex-soldier with a troubled past, may hold the key to a cure in the form of her own daughter.
The question is: can Jill safely deliver her daughter and save the world before she herself loses her mind?
Wish Dragon (11 June)
Netflix says: Din, a working-class college student with big dreams but small means, and Long, a cynical but all-powerful dragon capable of granting wishes, set off on a hilarious adventure through modern day Shanghai in pursuit of Din’s long-lost childhood friend, Lina.
Their journey forces them to answer some of life’s biggest questions – because when you can wish for anything, you have to decide what really matters.
Skater Girl (11 June)
Netflix says: In this inspiring feature film, a teen in rural India must fight against all odds to follow her dreams of becoming a skater and competing in the national championship.
Jagame Thandhiram (18 June)
Netflix says: This film tells the story of Suruli, a nomadic gangster who has to choose between good and evil in a war for what one can truly call home.
Fatherhood (18 June)
Netflix says: In this heartwarming, funny and emotional true story, Kevin Hart stars as a widower taking on one of the toughest jobs in the world: fatherhood.
Good On Paper (23 June)
Netflix says: Andrea Singer always put her stand-up career first, and while dating came easy, love wasn’t a priority... that is until she meets Dennis, a quirky nerd with disarming charm who coaxes her into letting her guard down.
Her best friend Margot isn’t convinced he’s all he seems and she urges Andrea to embark on a wild goose chase to uncover who Dennis really is.
The House Of Flowers: The Movie (La Casa De Las Flores: La Película) (23 June)
Netflix says: The De La Mora siblings concoct a mischievous plan to break into their old family home to retrieve a hidden treasure of significant importance.
The Ice Road (25 June)
Netflix says: After a remote diamond mine collapses in far northern Canada, a “big-rig” ice road driver must lead an impossible rescue mission over a frozen ocean to save the trapped miners.
Contending with thawing waters and a massive storm, they discover the real threat is one they never saw coming.
America: The Motion Picture (30 June)
Netflix says: In this wildly tongue-in-cheek animated revisionist history, a chainsaw-wielding George Washington assembles a team of rabble rousers — including beer-loving bro Sam Adams, famed scientist Thomas Edison, acclaimed horseman Paul Revere, and a very pissed off Geronimo — to defeat Benedict Arnold and King James in the American Revolution.
Who will win? No one knows, but you can be sure of one thing: these are not your father’s Founding… uh, Fathers.