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As people across the globe collectively suffer as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, many will be looking to their bank statements for assistance in whittling down inessential expenditures. Perhaps now is the time to cancel your subscription to the Star Trek T-Shirt Club, or the SpongeBob-themed Bikini Bottom Box (yes, both are real). 2022 has been an abjectly bad year for Netflix so far, having lost over 200,000 subscribers, with a reported two million more set to follow suit in the wake of subscription price increases for the streaming service. June’s substandard content provisions reflected the streaming giant’s languishing old model, and thus did little to convince customers that they were getting a bargain for their buck.
The writing seemed very much on the wall, with the word “Cancellation” emblazoned across it in that characteristic Netflix red; however, July’s forecasted output offers renewed hope, and with that, well, renewed renewals. July’s offerings are substantially better than that of June’s meager movie output, but will it be enough to avoid the cull that is cost-cutting? Here are some of the films coming to Netflix this July…
8 Natural Born Killers - July 1st (US)
Oliver Stone and his ardor for ‘maximal violence’ flicks certainly is not lost on his 1995 film, Natural Born Killers (the clue is in the name). Starring a homicidal Woody Harrelson as Mickey Knox and Juliette Lewis as his wife and accomplice, Mallory, the pair embark on a murderous ravaging of mostly innocent bystanders. This trippy picture was employed by Stone and its writer Quentin Tarantino as a lesson in the promotion of evil as a sort of twisted celebration of prestige by the press. While the movie certainly came into its fair share of criticism upon its release, it’s since gained cult status amongst film buffs and goes down as one of Stone’s best movies.
7 Up in the Air - July 1st (UK)
In this chirpy comedy drama, George Clooney is his stereotypically charming and prepossessing self, as he assumes the role of Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizing expert, or rather better put, a person contracted to come in and sack problematic employees. Yet, his relatively ‘no-strings attached’ existence is threatened when he strikes up a romance with Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), and a new fresh-faced employee seeks to transform his role. Up in the Air is a fun film, focusing on self-development and improvement, and quietly suggests that a life shared caters to a healthier, more meaningful existence.
6 The Sea Beast - 8th July
Netflix original animations have been somewhat of a slow-burner, partly due to the vast successes and rich history of their competitors in Disney Pixar and the like. However, when Netflix puts its hand to animated film, in the instances of Klaus, The Mitchells vs. The Machines, and I Lost My Body, both the critical and audience reception have been exceptional. So, with their new animation The Sea Beast appearing on the platform in July, it’s rightfully got people excited. Formerly known as Jacob and the Sea Beast, the film follows the tale of a sea monster hunter whose life is turned upside down when a young girl takes off on his ship and befriends a sea monster.
5 Incantation - 8th July
Another recipient of rave reviews has been the Taiwanese horror movie Incantation, which is set for a worldwide release on Netflix in July after becoming the highest-grossing film in Taiwan in 2022 and its most profitable horror movie of all time. Incantation follows a story loosely based on true events, as a mother realizes that her daughter isn't seeing things as they appear. Receiving seven Taipei Film Award nominations, the film uses certain elements of found footage to tell a self-aware, clever, but nonetheless terrifying tale.
4 Persuasion - July 15th
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Based on the Jane Austen novel of the same name, Persuasion is set for a worldwide release as a Netflix original in the coming weeks and has been receiving a lot of hype. The film details the story of Anne Elliot (Dakota Johnson), who is persuaded by her parents not to marry Captain Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis), despite the young couple’s depth of feeling for one another. Eight years later, she encounters Wentworth again with the hope of rekindling their fledgling romance. While Dakota Johnson’s casting of Elliot left some Austen fans skeptical, Persuasion is nonetheless littered with a star-studded cast well capable of doing the heavy lifting.
3 Uncharted - July 15th (US)
Uncharted was still being screened in cinemas in May, so the addition of the film onto Netflix with such a rapid turnaround is impressive. Despite the critics not taking too kindly to Uncharted and the film not wholly delivering on everything it seems to promise, it must be said that with Mark Wahlberg and Tom Holland steering the ship, emphatic performances are more or less guaranteed. Alongside that, the film is a very fun if surface-level, action-packed video game adaptation.
2 The Father - July 17th (UK)
Anthony Hopkins became the oldest ever recipient of an Academy Award for Best Actor for his rendition of Anthony, an elderly gentleman devastated by dementia who refuses the help of his daughter, Anne (Olivia Colman). The Father is a truly traumatic and harrowing account of losing one’s sense of self to dementia. Director Florian Zeller revolutionizes the way in which many may have experienced the disease second-hand, allowing us to peer through the disorientating and disconcerting lens of dementia and into the mind of a sufferer.
The film’s intimacy is one of its many strengths, as our perspective is shaped by viewing both sides of the curtain, from the distressing conversations Anne has with her husband regarding her father’s condition, and the struggle to accept the upsetting prospect of putting Anthony into a care home. The Father is thoroughly poignant, and touchingly gifts viewers with such an accurate, heartbreakingly real portrayal of what it is like for families dealing with dementia.
1 The Gray Man - July 22nd
The Gray Man is one of the most hotly-anticipated movies of the summer, a huge original for Netflix and a return to the screen for Ryan Gosling. The film is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo of the MCU and so much else, and stars the ever-formidable Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans as the protagonist and antagonist respectively. In a game of cat and mouse, it’s a battle of wits, as ‘the gray man’ (Gosling) discovers darkly incriminating agency secrets and is vehemently pursued by his ex-boss, Lloyd Hansen (Evans), in a global manhunt.