June is bringing another wave of new movies on Netflix. Some of them are available on Netflix for the first time, others are returning to the streaming service after playing elsewhere.
But if you tend to suffer from decision paralysis like me, selecting a title to watch on movie night can keep you up until dawn. You could go with one of the new Netflix movies rated highly on Rotten Tomatoes or our roundup of the overall best movies on Netflix (which you may already be familiar with). But you might need more recommendations, especially since critics can be wrong.
That's why I've compiled my favorite new movies on Netflix this month. I've seen and can vouch for all of them, even if they fall short of an A-grade on RT.
The Breakfast Club (1985)
The coming-of-age classic is as relevant to today’s teens as it was to GenXers. The story works because of its simplicity: five high school students from different walks of life are forced to serve Saturday detention. Each fits a distinct category or clique: Confident jock Andrew (Emilio Estevez), popular princess Claire (Molly Ringwald), brainy nerd Brian (Anthony Michael Hall), oddball outcast Allison (Ally Sheedy) and troublemaking rebel John (Judd Nelson).
But over the course of the day, as they reveal their innermost thoughts and feelings, the seemingly insurmountable social barriers between them fall away. They discover they are not so different from each other in all the ways that count.
Genre: Teen comedy/drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%
Stream it on Netflix
Hook (1991)
Hook will bring you back, straight back to the whimsical and imaginative dreams of your childhood. The 1991 film by Steven Spielberg is a modern-day take on the classic tale of Peter Pan. It’s anchored by an outsized performance from the late Robin Williams, who plays an older Peter. Now a workaholic lawyer, Peter has forgotten about his past. But when Peter’s children are kidnapped by his nemesis Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman), Peter must remember how to “bangarang.”
He has the help of Tinker Bell (Julia Roberts) and the scrappy, tough Lost Boys. Together, they work to restore Peter’s imagination and take on the pirates to save his kids. Hook has action, adventure, camaraderie and a ton of heart, making it one of the best family films of all time (despite a poor Rotten Tomatoes rating).
Genre: Fantasy adventure
Rotten Tomatoes score: 29%
Stream it on Netflix
The Italian Job (2003)
A star-studded ensemble elevates this heist flick, which is as slick and entertaining as they come in this genre. After stealing $35 million worth of gold bullion from a safe in Venice, thief Steve (Edward Norton) double-crosses the rest of the crew and kills safecracker John (Donald Sutherland).
Bent on revenge, team leader Charlie (Mark Wahlberg), explosives expert Left Ear (Mos Def), driver Handsome Rob (Jason Statham) and tech geek Lyle (Seth Green) team up with John’s daughter Stella (Charlize Theron) to get the gold back from Steve’s Los Angeles mansion.
Genre: Heist action
Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%
Stream it on Netflix
Magic Mike (2012)
Finally, a blockbuster franchise for the female gaze. Magic Mike came out of nowhere to become a sensation, a critical and commercial success that was surprisingly deep for a movie about male strippers.
Channing Tatum stars as Mike Lane, who works a series of odd jobs while dreaming of opening his own business. At nights, one of those jobs is headlining an all-male revue at a Tampa strip club. When college dropout Adam (Alex Pettyfer) approaches him for a construction gig, Mike instead takes him under his stripping wing. But Adam soon finds that life as a stripper has a dark side.
Genre: Comedy/drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
Stream it on Netflix
Mean Girls (2004)
Raise your hand if you've ever been personally amused by Mean Girls. The 2004 classic comedy, written by Tina Fey, has become one of the most highly memed and quoted movies of all time. We're still saying "fetch" after nearly 20 years, so in a way, it really did happen!
Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) starts a new high school after being home-schooled on another continent all her life. She infiltrates the clique of popular girls, ruled by queen bee Regina George (Rachel McAdams), but soon discovers that social power comes at a price.
Genre: Teen comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 84%
Stream it on Netflix
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