Netflix, Disney, Amazon Prime, Binge and more: What to watch on streaming in July

Locked down? Of course you are. But just because it feels like deja vu, it doesn’t mean you need to relive your 2020 watchlist. Find something new.

It’s hard to think we’ve travelled back in time to 2020 again with more than half the country back in lockdown. At least it’s winter, right?

Just because we’ve all deja-ed this vu before, it doesn’t mean you need to resort to repeating your 2020 watchlist – for the love of god, stop that Friends rewatch, I beg you.

Luckily, there’s a ton of new offerings this month to keep you stimulated and hooked, from new seasons of instant classics such as Ted Lasso, Never Have I Ever and The Good Fight to brand new offerings such as Dr Death, The White Lotus and The Pursuit Of Love.

There are also star-studded new release blockbusters you can stream such as Black Widow, The Tomorrow War and Jungle Cruise while SBS On Demand is dropping a seriously formidable catalogue of world movies that should land on anyone’s must-see list, including A Separation, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Incendies, Toni Erdmann and Capernaum.

Ted Lasso couldn’t return fast enough.

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Ted Lasso (Apple TV+, July 23): Aww, gee, shucks. Admit it, you could definitely do with an injection of Ted Lasso’s signature enthusiasm and goodness. The first season of the comedy about an American coach in charge of an English football team surprised everyone for being so much more than a gimmicky premise. With its deep character development and genuine heart, season two can’t start soon enough.

Fear Street Trilogy (Netflix, from July 2): If you were a kid in the 1990s, you’ll remember the Fear Street books, written by Goosebumps author RL Stine. This three-part movie adaptation lifts elements from the bone-chilling novels set in a cursed town called Shadyside. Fear Street is pure teen slasher territory – axe murders at summer camp, monsters at the shopping centre and a bloody legacy that stretches back three centuries.

The White Lotus S1 (Binge/Foxtel Now*, July 12): Starring Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Steve Zahn and Jake Lacy, The White Lotus follows the guests and staff at ritzy paradise resort over a week. Secrets and resentments are revealed, and someone is leaving in a body bag. That might make the series sound like a thriller, but The White Lotus is more like a satirical dramedy, packed with absurdities and quirks.

The White Lotus will be available on both Foxtel Now and Binge.

Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+, July 16): With a crazy good cast including Keegan-Michael Key, Cecily Strong, Jane Krakowski, Alan Cumming, Martin Short, Kristin Chenoweth, Fred Armisen and Ariana DeBose, Schmigadoon! is a musical about a bickering couple who gets lost on a hike only to stumble on a town where everything happens as if it’s a Golden Age musical. Sounds like fun but the catch is they can’t leave until “they find true love”.

Black Widow (Disney+, July 9): Seems ridiculous to float this given half the country is in lockdown, but if you can see Black Widow at a cinema (where it will release simultaneously) do it, because it was made for a theatrical experience and the scale of the action deserves that. Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff gets the stand-alone story we’ve been waiting for in this action packed and stunningly performed Marvel movie which also stars Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour and Ray Winstone.

Never Have I Ever S2 (Netflix, July 15): Created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, the charming Never Have I Ever centres on Devi, a plucky Californian teen trying to fit in, be “normal” and kiss her crush. But she’s better known at school as the Indian girl whose father died during a school concert. The first season saw Devi work through some traumas and now she finds herself in a position her 12-months-ago-self would think impossible: two boyfriends. Fresh and funny, Never Have I Ever is a must.

Never Have I Ever’s second season starts on July 15.

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Gossip Girl S1 (Binge/Foxtel Now, July 8): It seems kind of wild that nine years after the original series ended, there’s already a reboot for the show renowned for showcasing the dramas of NYC’s rich kids. It catapulted Blake Lively to stardom so the updated class of mostly newcomers will be hoping for the same. But there’s no point to a reboot if it doesn’t have something new to say, so on that note, this series is said to more inclusive but also steamier given it’s on streaming and not broadcast.

Dr Death (Stan, July 16): The cast of Joshua Jackson, Christian Slater and Alec Baldwin would be reason enough to be curious about Dr Death, a series based on the true story of Christopher Duntsch, a surgeon accused of deliberately maiming and killing patients. The series tells the story of the urgent race to expose and stop him.

Tig Notaro: Drawn (Foxtel Now, July 31): Perhaps you’ve loved wry comedian Tig Notaro for her stand-ups for almost two decades, perhaps you thought her series One Mississippi was transcendent, or perhaps you’ve only just discovered her as the deadpan pilot in zombie flick Army of the Dead. No matter when you joined the Tig Notaro train, you’re going to want to board for Drawn, her new comedy special with a twist – it’s animated.

The Pursuit of Love (Amazon Prime Video, July 30): Adapted from Nancy Mitford’s novel, two cousins – Fanny and Linda – want different things in life, one wants a grand romance, the other stability. With a huge cast including Lily James, Andrew Scott, Dominic West and Shazad Latif, the sweeping period drama was written and directed by actor Emily Mortimer.

Ohmigod, that puppy.

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Better Things S5 (Foxtel Now, July 16): Pamela Adlon’s semi-autobiographical series about a working actor and single mum in LA draws from her own experiences in the business. Now in its fifth season, it continues to be an under-discovered gem that explores life through an honest if not sometimes frustrated lens.

Miracle Workers: Oregon Trail (Stan, July 14): One of the more unusual anthology series out there, the Miracle Workers team rolls into its third season with a story set among the pioneering folk who ventured out west in the 19th century. With Daniel Radcliffe, Steve Buscemi, Geraldine Viswanathan and Jon Bass returning, you know the comedy is high on the wacky scale.

The Tomorrow War (Amazon Prime Video, July 2): Thirty years into the future, aliens have invaded Earth and humans are days away from extinction. With depleted forces, what do they do? Send emissaries to 2021 and recruit battalions of soldiers from the past, to fight for their future. Chris Pratt plays one of those 2021 recruits in this big action movie which also stars Yvonne Strahovski and J.K. Simmons.

The Great Celebrity Bake Off S1 (Binge/Foxtel Now, July 5): The first of four seasons of this Bake Off spin-off, it’s a pretty simple concept – baking and celebrities in the big, sweltering tent. And all for charity so it doesn’t look like an entirely ego-driven project on the part of the famouses. Speaking of, this season it includes comedians Roisin Connaty, Lee Mack and multi-hyphenate Tim Minchin. The first series was broadcast in the UK in 2018 so don’t go googling unless you want spoilers.

Will Sean Bean survive until the end of Time?

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Time (Binge/Foxtel Now, July 11): Just because Sean Bean is in this show, it doesn’t mean his character is going to die – we think. He plays a man named Mark Cobden, a new inmate in a nasty prison while Stephen Graham plays a sympathetic officer. The two will find themselves pushed to the edge in a vicious place but the most important question is whether Mark will survive the Sean Bean curse.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Amazon Prime Video, July 23): Quietly powerful, this thoughtful drama is centred on a teen girl from an impoverished town who scrapes together the money to go to New York City for an abortion. At times intense and at times easygoing, this poignant film is smart storytelling about the universal experiences of women.

Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra (iview, July 6): Directed by Wayne Blair and Nel Minchin, Firestarter tracks the journey of the world-renowned Bangarra Dance Theatre, from its roots more than 30 years ago to the transformative experiences it still crafts today. But more than the story of a dance company, Firestarter is also the story of Australia and its Indigenous heritage.

The Good Fight S5 (SBS On Demand, July 1): For a show whose chaotic energy was so enmeshed with the absurdity of America in the Trump era, how does it refocus now that the Donald is out of office? With ease – it is still the country that elected him and there’s plenty to say about that. With Christine Baranski still holding court, the fifth season continues to be searing and incisive. Plus, Australian actor Charmaine Bingwa joins the series as a morally ambiguous, inscrutable junior associate.

All hail queen Christine Baranski.

UFOs (SBS On Demand, July 22): When space engineer Didier’s rocket explodes on takeoff, he’s transferred to the unit which specialises in explaining the unexplainable. More rationalist than Scully was at the start of The X-Files, it’s a nightmare assignment for someone so sensible, especially since his new colleagues seems more than willing to entertain the fantastical.

Monsters at Work (Disney+, July 7): Pixar couldn’t let Marvel and Star Wars have all the Disney+ fun – so here comes Monsters at Work, the sequel to 2001 smash hit Monsters Inc. Picking up directly after Monstropolis discovers children’s laughter is even better fuel than screams, the series centres on a recent graduate who joins Monsters Inc to work alongside his idols, Mike and Sully.

My Name is Gulpilil (iview, July 11): The story of Australian legend David Gulpilil is charted in intimate detail in this documentary about his life and his impending death. He decided to embark on this project after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2017 and the result is a tender portrait of an extraordinary artist and human.

Turner & Hooch (Disney+, July 21): You may want to sit down for this – Tom Hanks’ Scott Turner is dead in this sequel series. Instead, it’s centred on his son, a US Marshal, who inherits an unruly dog and discovers there may have been something more sinister behind his father’s death. The series stars Josh Peck and Lyndsy Fonseca.

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The Rock and Emily Blunt will embark on a jungle cruise.

Jungle Cruise (Disney+, July 30): Another Disney movie that’s releasing simultaneously at the cinema and on Disney+ for an extra fee, Jungle Cruise has its origins in a Disneyland ride – and if you need reminding, that’s how Pirates of the Carribean started too. Starring Emily Blunt, The Rock and Jack Whitehall, the story is about a river boat captain who takes a scientist into the jungle to find the Tree of Life while fighting off a dangerous environment and a competing expedition.

Manhunt S1 (Britbox, July 1): Based on the true story of the murder of a young French backpacker in a London park, the Amelie Delagrange case broke open several heretofore unconnected killings. Martin Clunes plays the detective leading the urgent hunt for a dangerous predator.

Ms Represented with Annabel Crabb (iview, July 13): Women in Australia’s parliaments have never had it easy in a power structure that still favours their male counterparts. From breakthroughs to cross-party campaigns, female politicians have made an indelible mark on Australia, even as they were disrespected, marginalised, talked over and pushed over. Presented by Annabel Crabb.

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown S1-12 (SBS On Demand, July 1): In the three years since Anthony Bourdain’s death, his legacy stands strong as a man with an innate curiosity about the world and how food has shaped different communities. All 12 seasons are dropping at once for you to relive adventures in Copenhagen, Punjab, Tanzania and more.

New Zealand comedy Good Grief starts streaming on July 8.

Good Grief (SBS On Demand, July 8): With so much great comedy coming out of New Zealand, any new Kiwi series is worth a look. This one stars real-life sisters Grace and Eve Palmer who play on-screen sisters who inherit a funeral home from their grandfather. While one is responsible and keen to make it work, the other just wants to fulfil her life ambition as a DJ in Bali.

Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life (Disney+, July 28): The cheeky squirrels are back but not as you know it. Gone is the iconic theme song (Ch-ch-ch-Chip and Dale, rescue rangers!) and so is the dialogue. Instead, this French-produced series will follow the brothers as the get up to all sorts of misadventures in a big city park.

The Goodies S1, 3-4 (Britbox, July 22): An institution of the 1970s and the 1980s, The Goodies influenced generations of sketch comedians and has remained a fan favourite for decades. Those fans have been clamouring for the streaming release, so they can rewatch Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie act the fools time and again.

*Foxtel and Binge are majority owned by News Corp, publisher of news.com.au