18 great movies new to streaming to watch in June 2022

June is on the calendar, summer is fully here, and it’s getting hotter around the country. It’s also getting hotter on streaming services, where a group of new movies have been added to platforms like Netflix (here’s a full list), Hulu, HBO Max, and Prime Video.

But which are the best of the new additions to those streaming services? That’s what we’re here for. We’ve combed through each platform’s new offerings and picked out a selection just for you, dear reader.

From rowdy comedies to pensive comedies, musclebound action to legal thrillers, and a classic of Italian cinema to boot, there’s plenty to dig into this month. Here are 18 of the best movies new to streaming platforms in June 2022.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Image: DreamWorks Home Entertainment

Adam McKay’s 2004 comedy Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy stars Will Ferrell as the eponymous San Diego newsman and blowhard as he clashes with his new female counterpart (Christina Applegate) in the cutthroat, male-dominated field of local news journalism.

The first of many collaborations with Ferrell during the early aughts, McKay’s film is a wickedly funny satire of male chauvinism and ’70s culture complete with absurdist gags, endlessly quotable lines, and terrific breakout performances by Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner. Not to mention one hell of a back-alley street brawl. —Toussaint Egan

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is available to stream on Netflix.

Cinema Paradiso

Image: Lionsgate Films

Giuseppe Tornatore’s 1988 coming-of-age drama Cinema Paradiso follows the story of a famous director recalling his childhood growing up in a small village in post-World War II Sicily, falling in love with the small cinema house of his town, and his friendship with the local projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret). From the early days of his youth, his departure from Italy in search of a better life, and his fateful homecoming to town now irrevocably changed, Cinema Paradiso is a moving, melancholic, and beautiful testament to the power of cinema to break down boundaries and bring audiences together. —TE

Cinema Paradiso is available to stream on Criterion Channel.

Daybreakers

Image: Lionsgate

Set in an alternate 2019 where human civilization has been overtaken by a population of immortal vampires, the sci-fi horror film Daybreakers stars Ethan Hawke as Edward Dalton, a vampire hematologist attempting to develop a substitute for human blood to stave off the extinction of both humans and vampires. As the war between humans and vampires reaches a tipping point, Edward must choose a side after a miraculous discovery forces him to rethink everything he thought he knew. With beautiful lighting, intense action, and wonderful performances by Hawke, Willem Dafoe, and Sam Neill, Daybreakers is a unique and entertaining vampire action thriller. —TE

Daybreakers is available to stream on HBO Max.

Double Indemnity

Image: Paramount Pictures

Billy Wilder’s classic film noir, often considered one of the finest American movies ever made, finally returns to streaming. The movie stars the incomparable Barbara Stanwyck as a femme fatale accused of killing her husband, Fred MacMurray as an insurance salesman caught up in the scheme, and Edward G. Robinson as an insurance investigator looking into the incident. A legendary film starring three timeless movie stars at the height of their powers, directed by one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation, and co-written by Raymond Chandler? It’s an opportunity that is simply too good to pass up. —Pete Volk

Double Indemnity is available to stream on the Criterion Channel.

The Firm

Image: Paramount Pictures

Tom Cruise stars in Sydney Pollack’s 1993 legal thriller The Firm as Mitch McDeere, an ambitious Harvard Law graduate who accepts a generous offer from a small but prestigious law firm based in Memphis, Tennessee. When the suspicious deaths of four of the firm’s associates arouses his suspicions, Mitch uncovers a dark side to his dream job that threatens the lives of both himself and his wife (Jeanne Tripplehorn). Aside from being a superb thriller with taut pacing and excellent lead performances by Cruise, Tripplehorn, and Gene Hackman, The Firm boasts an absolute embarrassment of riches with a supporting cast including Wilford Brimley, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, Tobin Bell, and Gary Busey, just to name a few. —TE

The Firm is available to stream on HBO Max.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Image: Searchlight Pictures/20th Century Fox

One of Wes Anderson’s finest works (and, throwback: one of Polygon’s favorite movies of 2014), The Grand Budapest Hotel is equally a touching coming-of-age story, an uproarious ensemble comedy, and a confrontation between a director and his distinctive style.

At a luxury hotel in the fictional nation of Zubrowka, the concierge (Ralph Fiennes) is renowned for his attention to detail and his tendency to woo the hotel’s older clientele. When he is framed for the murder of one of his lovers (Tilda Swinton), he attempts to prove his innocence with the help of lobby boy Zero (Tony Revolori). Zero, who is also the narrator (the older version is played by F. Murray Abraham), has his own thing going on: In addition to helping his mentor retain his freedom, he is also falling head-over-heels in love with a local baker’s apprentice (Saoirse Ronan). All the while, a fascist regime grows and spreads around them.

With a large cast highlighted by Anderson regulars giving some of their best performances (including Willem Dafoe as a sinister hitman and Harvey Keitel as the leader of a prison gang), it’s easy to enjoy The Grand Budapest Hotel as one of the best examples of the director’s particular approach to filmmaking. But there’s a deeper reflection here, for those willing to look for it: Anderson’s style often evokes a romanticization of the past, but the past was very much not romantic for many people around the world. Grand Budapest directly engages with it, bringing the horror of fascism directly into this nostalgic setting. —PV

The Grand Budapest Hotel is available to stream on HBO Max.

In the Mouth of Madness

More stories

Spider-Verse’s wheelchair-using hero started out as a fan-art ‘spidersona’

June 7, 2023

We’re watching The Santa Clauses for Hot Bernard

November 16, 2022

The Rings of Power’s first season loved secrets more than stories

October 21, 2022

Get ready for the wettest year of movies ever

November 3, 2022

Image: New Line Cinema

John Carpenter’s 1994 supernatural horror movie is one of the finest in his storied career, a spooky tale about scary storytelling that is the coda to his unofficial “Apocalypse Trilogy,” along with The Thing and Prince of Darkness. Sam Neill stars as an insurance investigator who is hired to track down Sutter Cane, an ultra-popular supernatural horror author who has gone missing.

While searching for Cane, Neill’s John Trent encounters many people who have lost their minds after reading Cane’s latest book, titled In the Mouth of Madness. When Trent tracks Cane to a small town in New Hampshire, he is surprised to find himself in the fictional town that is the setting for many of Cane’s books.

A delirious horror movie anchored by an unforgettable performance by Neill, In the Mouth of Madness completes a stellar thematic trilogy of films. —PV

In the Mouth of Madness is available to stream on Shudder.

Miami Vice

Image: Universal Pictures

Michael Mann returned to the universe that helped launch his career with this slick 2006 adaptation of the 1980s TV series he produced. This time around for the classic buddy cop duo, Colin Farrell plays Crockett and Jamie Foxx is Tubbs. When they’re sent on an undercover mission as a part of a drug sting, things get personal as their romantic lives intertwine with their professional ones.

Although it received mixed reviews at the time, Miami Vice has earned a reevaluation in the years that followed. Mann’s particular approach to digital cinematography is on full display here, and the slick tones and digital texture are a perfect match for the sunny scenery of Miami. Both the theatrical version and the extended director’s cut are now available for your home viewing. —PV

Miami Vice is available to stream on HBO Max.

Mission: Impossible and Mission: Impossible 2

Image: Paramount PIctures

One of the longest-running and most consistent Hollywood movie franchises started with two consecutive bangers made by two master filmmakers. Yes, two. Haters, move on!

Let’s start with the first movie in the series, Mission: Impossible. Directed by Brian De Palma (The Untouchables), the movie is a tightly constructed conspiracy thriller with a young Tom Cruise at his most paranoid. The twists and turns are appealing, but two things really stand out from this one: 1) the now ultra-famous and oft-mimicked vault scene where Cruise hangs from the ceiling and 2) the endearing chemistry between Cruise and Ving Rhames that has continued many movies on.

The second movie, Mission: Impossible 2, has been unfairly maligned since its release. Directed by Hong Kong action master John Woo (Hard Boiled), there is a tangible romantic energy to this entry in the series. Cruise and Thandiwe Newton have electric chemistry from their first scene together, an unforgettable sequence at a party in Seville that culminates in a quintessential John Woo moment: two cars spinning around each other in slow motion like a pair of dancers on a ballroom floor. To many American audiences, dramatic moments like this in an action movie can feel uncomfortably earnest. To me, it’s pure cinema. —PV

Mission: Impossible and Mission: Impossible 2 are available to stream on Netflix.

Predator

Image: 20th Century Fox

Predator’s reputation precedes itself, but every bit of it is earned. While it may be best known now for some of the memes it has spawned, it’s also one of the best science fiction movies Hollywood produced in the 1980s.

John McTiernan (Die Hard) directed this movie about an elite team of soldiers (led by Arnold Schwarzenegger) who are sent to a rainforest in Central America on a hostage rescue mission. While there, the team is hunted by the extremely dangerous Predator, a lethal alien with highly advanced technology.

With superb creature design, an immersively terrifying atmosphere, a moving supporting performance by Bill Duke, and plenty of spectacle to enjoy (see: muscles), Predator is genre film excellence. A pair of fun facts first: Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally going to be the guy in the Predator suit, but he was replaced by the 7’2” Kevin Peter Hall; and Predator and The Running Man are two movies released in 1987 that feature future governors Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura. —PV

Predator is available to stream on Hulu.

Spider-Man 2

Image: Sony Pictures

Polygon’s pick for the best of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, Spider-Man 2 is simply one of the greatest superhero movies ever made. Set two years after the events of the original film, Raimi’s sequel finds Tobey Maguire reprise his role as the web-slinging costumed vigilante as he clashes with his former mentor, Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), all while struggling to balance his duties as a hero with being present for his family and loved ones. Boasting one of the most memorable fight sequences in any superhero film, disarming humor and wit, terrific performances, and a genuinely moving story about the hurdles, pitfalls, and virtues of everyday heroism, Spider-Man 2 is simply spectacular. —TE

Spider-Man 2 is available to stream on Peacock.

Top Gun

Image: Paramount Pictures

Top Gun: Maverick is out in theaters, and Polygon’s review definitely prefers it to the original. But there’s no better time to catch up with the first, Tony Scott’s highly influential summer blockbuster. Tom Cruise’s first turn as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell helped make him a global superstar, and his performance, the award-winning soundtrack, the high-energy flight sequences, and the unforgettable beach volleyball scene keeps Top Gun fresh, decades later. —PV

Top Gun is available to stream on Prime Video.

The Twilight movies

Image: Summit Entertainment

Much like the previous two entries on this list, the Twilight movies were A Moment in popular American cinema. All five movies, from the corny fun of 2008’s Twilight to the “bloody fun” two-parter Breaking Dawn, are now available to watch at home. The first is a classic American sports movie, of course, but the series is also a time capsule: of superstar actors before they would become superstars, and of a coming-of-age story that was critical to a whole generation of young people growing up in the late 2000s. —PV

The Twilight movies are available to stream on Prime Video.