What to watch in July: new to streaming, cinemas and film festivals near you

Your guide for what to watch in July – whether you're streaming from home, heading to the cinema, or sampling a local film festival.
Barbie streaming Netflix and Apple TV+

Table of Contents

Streaming

5 July

Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire (Disney+)

This anthology series brings together a new wave of animation stars to tell tales rooted in Africa’s future – inspired by the continent’s diverse histories and cultures.

Wham! (Netflix)

Netflix documentary from the director of Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. In 1982, the best of friends and still teenagers George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley as Wham. set out to conquer the world. By June of 1986 they played their very last gig at Wembley Stadium having done exactly that.

6 July

The Lost City of Melbourne (DocPlay)

The attempted ‘modernisation’ of Melbourne in the 1950s destroyed much of the city, including its elegant cinemas and picture palaces. This Melbourne-made documentary brings them back to life, using a treasure trove of rare and stunning film archive from the NFSA and photography from the likes of Mark Strizic & Wolfgang Sievers.

7 July

Duck & Goose season 2 (Apple TV+)

Feathered friends Duck and Goose couldn’t be more different, but in this preschool show, they learn how to bring out the best in one another. Based on books by Tad Hills.

Robots (Prime Video)

In this sci-fi rom-com starring Shailene Woodley and Jack Whitehall, a womaniser runs into a gold digger. They both own physically identical robots, and when they both send their doubles on the date, neither of them expected their mechanical clones to fall in love and ditch their masters.

The Horror of Dolores Roach (Prime Video)

A woman tries to rebuild her life as a masseuse, only for an unexpected incident to put that all into jeopardy, in this Blumhouse series

The Out-Laws (Netflix)

A straight-laced bank manager is about to marry the love of his life in this meet-the-parents comedy with a heist film twist. When his bank is held up by infamous Ghost Bandits during his wedding week, he believes his future in-laws who just arrived in town, are the infamous Out-Laws.

12 July

Quarterback (Netflix)

Sports docuseries exploring the lives and careers of Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota following their 2022-23 NFL season.

The Afterparty season 2 (Apple TV+)

Tiffany Haddish returns as Detective Danner for another mystery in this comedic crime series from Christopher Miller (22 Jump Street).

13 July

Full Circle (Binge)

Emmy winner Claire Danes stars alongside Emmy nominees Zazie Beetz, Timothy Olyphant and Dennis Quaid for this HBO crime saga centred on an investigation into a botched kidnapping that uncovers a long and wide web of secrets in New York City.

Survival of the Thickest (Netflix)

Black, plus-size and newly single, Mavis unexpectedly finds herself having to rebuild her life after putting all her eggs in one man’s basket, but she’s determined to not only survive but thrive with the support of her chosen family.

14 July

Bird Box Barcelona (Netflix)

The sequel to the 2018 Netflix hit. After a mysterious force decimates the world’s population by causing all who see it to take their lives, Sebastian and his young daughter Anna must navigate their own journey of survival through the desolate streets of Barcelona. But as they form an uneasy alliance with other survivors and make their way toward a safe haven, a threat more sinister than the unseen creatures grows.

Foundation season 2 (Apple TV+)

David S Goyer, co-writer of The Dark Knight trilogy, teams up with Apple TV+ for this series adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s beloved sci-fi novels—the thousand year saga following the collapse of a galactic empire and the generations-long plan to save humanity’s future. Stars Golden Globe nominees Jared Harris (Chernobyl) and Lee Pace (The Hobbit)

Quicksand (Shudder)

In this survival thriller, a married couple on the brink of divorce becomes trapped in quicksand while hiking through a Colombian rainforest. It’s a struggle for survival as they battle the elements of the jungle and must work together in order to escape.

The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2 (Prime Video)

A continuation of the story centred on a teenage girl’s first experiences of love and heartbreak over the course of an unforgettable summer. Adapted from the young adult novel from Jenny Han (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before).

19 July

https://youtu.be/i5U-w1yL4r0

The Bear season 2 (Disney+)

Jeremy Allen White (Shameless) leads this culinary drama series as a young chef from the fine dining world who comes home to Chicago and joins a rough-around-the-edges kitchen crew after a heartbreaking death.

Read: The Bear, Disney+ review: one of 2022’s standout shows

The Deepest Breath (Netflix)

A champion freediver and expert safety diver seemed destined for one another despite the different paths they took to meet at the pinnacle of the freediving world. This film looks at the thrilling rewards –and inescapable risks – of chasing dreams through the depths of the ocean.

21 July

Stephen Curry: Underrated (Apple TV+)

Apple and A24 tell the remarkable coming-of-age story of Stephen Curry – one of the most influential, dynamic, and unexpected players in basketball history – and his rise from an undersized college player to a four-time NBA champion.

They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix)

John Boyega, Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris (WandaVision) star in this comedic conspiracy caper from the writer of Creed II.

23 July

Special Ops: Lioness (Paramount+)

Laysla De Oliveira (Locke & Key) and Zoe Saldaña (Guardians of the Galaxy) star in this special ops thriller saga co-created by Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone).

27 July

Zoey 102 (Paramount+)

Jamie Lynn Spears returns as Zoey Brooks from Nickelodeon series Zoey 101 for this movie, seeing the older Zoey attend an over-the-top wedding that turns into a high school reunion.

28 July

The Beanie Bubble (Apple TV+)

Primetime Emmy veterans Zach Galifianakis, Elizabeth Banks and Sarah Snook star alongside Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers) for this business comedy based on a true stuffed animal product craze. 

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts (Paramount+)

Edited from the original, previously unreleased 16mm footage, this concert film captures Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band as they perform during the multi-day ‘No Nukes’ concerts at Madison Square Garden on September 21 and 22, 1979.

Captain Fall (Netflix)

Animated comedy series about a goofy, gullible sea captain hired to helm a high-end cruise ship who becomes the perfect fall guy for an illicit smuggling operation.

Good Omens season 2 (Prime Video)

Aziraphale, an angel, and Crowley, a demon, join forces to find the Antichrist and stop Armageddon in this Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett fantasy series starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant.

Miraculous Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie (Netflix)

A life of an ordinary Parisian teenager Marinette goes superhuman when she becomes Ladybug. Bestowed with magical powers of creation, Ladybug must unite with her opposite, Cat Noir, to save Paris as a new villain unleashes chaos unto the city.

The Slumber Party (Disney+)

A hypnotism at a sleepover birthday party goes wrong in this Disney teen flick. The morning after, best friends Megan and Paige, along with soon-to-be step-sister Veronica, wake up with absolutely no memory of the night before.

Cinema

6 July

Insidious: The Red Door

Insidious star Patrick Wilson leads and directs this fifth film in the horror franchise, following the Lamberts 10 years after the last instalment as Dalton begins college.

Joy Ride

Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu star in this globe-trotting comedy, the directorial debut of screenwriter Adele Lim (Crazy Rich AsiansRaya and the Last Dragon).

Lost in the Stars

A woman mysteriously disappears during her wedding anniversary trip in Balandia, a Southeast Asian island. Her clueless husband turns to a renowned international lawyer, but as the investigation progresses, hidden secrets are revealed …

One More Chance

Chow Yun-Fat stars in this Hong Kong drama about a pathological gambler who finds a way to connect with his autistic son.

Other People’s Children

A childless woman forms a deep bond with her boyfriend’s young daughter in this French drama from filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski (An Easy Girl), nominated for the Golden Lion at Venice 2022

The New Boy

Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett stars in this Cannes-selected drama from acclaimed Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton (Sweet Country).

Read: Trailer alert: Warwick Thornton’s The New Boy

7 July

Odesza: The Last Goodbye Cinematic Experience

Concert film experience showcasing ODESZA’s live show filled with jaw-dropping visuals and unreleased behind-the-scenes footage.

8 July

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning part one

Tom Cruise reunites with Fallout and Rogue Nation writer-director Christopher McQuarrie for the seventh entry in the spy actioner series, filmed back-to-back with an eighth film (due out in 2024).

13 July

Carmen

Director Benjamin Millepied’s gritty modern day take on the classic opera, with a score by Oscar-nominated composer Nicholas Britell (Moonlight) and starring Melissa Barrera (In the Heights) and Academy Award nominee Paul Mescal (Aftersun). 

Read: Carmen trailer: NSW transformed into Mexico and US borderlands

Dalíland

Screen legend Sir Ben Kingsley plays surrealist artist Salvador Dalí in this slice-of-history biopic following a young gallery assistant in 1973 who helps the aging genius prepare for a big show in New York. Directed by Mary Harron (American Psycho).

Love Never Ends

The story of two lonely and impoverished elderly lovers at the end of their lives, based on the comic I Love You by Kang Full.

Psycho-Pass Providence

Fourth film in the Psycho-Pass anime crime series. While attending a meeting as a Chief Inspector of the Public Security Bureau, Akane Tsunemori received a report that an incident had occurred on a foreign vessel, and this was the beginning of a big and unexpected case.

16 July

Oklahoma! Starring Hugh Jackman

The magic of musical theatre is coming to the big screen with the National Theatre’s acclaimed, Olivier Award-winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Starring then-newcomer Hugh Jackman as Curly, alongside Maureen Lipman, Josefina Gabrielle and Shuler Hensley.

20 July

Barbie

Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans. Directed by Greta Gerwig.

Read: Cheat sheet: Barbie by Greta Gerwig

Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan tells the story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy, and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.

Sugar and Stars

From an early age, Yazid has had only one passion, pastry. Raised between a foster family and a home, the young man has forged an indomitable character. From Epernay to Paris via Monaco, he will try to realise his dream: to work with the greatest pastry chefs and become the best.

27 July

Alcarràs

Writer-director Carla Simón follows up her acclaimed feature debut Summer 1993 with this small village drama about a family of peach farmers whose lives are fractured when the heir of the estate decides to sell the land.

Simulant

Sam Worthington (Avatar), Robbie Amell (Upload), Jordana Brewster (Furious 7) and Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) star in this sci-fi thriller about a humanoid A.I.’s attempt to win over a widow’s heart, placing it in the path of a government agent trying to stop the rise of machine consciousness.

Sisu

During the last desperate days of WWII, a solitary prospector (Jorma Tommila) crosses paths with Nazis on a scorched-earth retreat in northern Finland. When the Nazis steal his gold, they quickly discover that they have just tangled with no ordinary miner.

Talk to Me

Lonely teenager Mia gets hooked on the thrills of conjuring spirits through a ceramic hand, but when she is confronted by a soul claiming to be her dead mother, she unleashes a plague of supernatural forces, and struggles to decide who she can trust: the living or the dead.

Read: Talk To Me: early review roundup of A24’s Australian horror

Festivals

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival

Melbourne, 1-30 July

-The best non-fiction works from filmmakers all over the world

MonsterFest Weekender

Melbourne, 7-9 July

-Six horror films in glorious 3D at Cinema Nova

Saxo Scandinavian Film Festival

Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Byron Bay: 13 July- 9 August

The 2023 Saxo Scandinavian Film Festival, now in its ninth year, showcases the best contemporary cinema from the Nordic region, selected from international film festivals and markets such as Göteborg, Cannes and Berlin.

Revelation Perth International Film Festival

Perth: 12-16 July

-Independent films, both local and from all over the world.

Taiwan Film Festival in Australia

Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra: 20 July-20 August

-Feature films and shorts from Taiwan and by Taiwanese directors.

Silvi Vann-Wall is a journalist, podcaster, and filmmaker. They joined ScreenHub as Film Content Lead in 2022. Twitter: @SilviReports