Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
A new month has arrived – and there are now plenty of great new Netflix movies to stream on the platform. That includes the latest Netflix Original in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, as well as returning fan favorites in Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man film trilogy and the Christian Bale-fronted American Psycho.
New Netflix movies arrive on the streaming titan every week, so the company’s 260 million-plus userbase (including you) always has something new to watch on a very regular basis. And, with the arrival of a new month, there are tons of new movies – Netflix Originals and third-party flicks – to tune in for. We haven’t included every single one in this article’s latest update (we’d be here all day if we did), but we’re confident that you’ll find something worth watching on Netflix from the options listed below.
Not convinced by any of them? Read our best Netflix movies guide for even more recommendations tailored to your genre tastes. Our new on Netflix in July 2024 article contains a full list of every film and TV show that’ll join the the world’s best streaming service this month, too, so it’s also worth reading. For now, though, scroll on to see if any of the below movies tickle your fancy.
New Netflix movies: July
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
Release date: July 3
Runtime: 115 minutes
Age rating: R (US) / 15 (UK)
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, and Kevin Bacon
Director: Mark Molloy
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: 67% (critics); 78% (audience)
30 years after the action-comedy franchise’s last entry, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F reunites audiences with Eddie Murphy’s titular, fast-talking detective for more 80s-inspired police chases, firefights, humor, and California vibes. This time, Axel Foley teams up with new and old faces to unravel a conspiracy after his daughter’s life is threatened.
A decades-later sequel that, unlike some of its contemporaries, actually brings the heat, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F had our reviewers feeling nostalgic for an action-packed era they never experienced. A fresh and familiar take on the buddy cop formula that might convince Netflix to greenlight more adventures for the renegade law enforcer with a mercurial talent for never shutting up.
Watch Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F on Netflix.
Original Spider-Man film trilogy
Release date: July 1
Runtime: 116 minutes to 133 minutes
Age rating: PG-13 (US) / 12 (UK)
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Thomas Haden Church, and Topher Grace
Director: Sam Raimi
RT score: 63% to 93% (critics); 51% to 82% (audience)
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy pioneered a lot of what we see in many Marvel, DC, and more of the best superhero movies today. Okay, they’ve aged slightly since their initial releases, and they can come off as somewhat goofy, campy, and a tad misogynistic. But, they’re everything a comic book movie should be – thematically rich, funny, action-packed, narratively dark when needed, gorgeous to look at, and come equipped with a banging score and original soundtrack.
With scintillating performances from Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, and Alfred Molina (in Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 in particular), the webslinger’s first live-action films laid the foundations for many of its contemporaries, and proved there was a space for comic book films to thrive on the big screen.
(NB: UK viewers can watch them on Sky/Now TV. Australian fans can watch Spider-Man on Foxtel/Binge/Stan, and its two sequels on that trio as well as Netflix).
Watch 2002’s Spider-Man on Netflix.
The Back to the Future movie collection
Release date: July 1
Runtime: 107 minutes to 118 minutes
Age rating: PG (US) / 12 (UK)
Cast: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson, and Tom Wilson
Director: Robert Zemeckis
RT score: 63% to 93% (critics); 78% to 95% (audience)
One of the best and most consistently great sci-fi trilogies ever made, the Back to the Future films are tailormade flicks for fans of all ages. In fact, I’d consider them to be not only genuinely terrific comfort viewing, but also worth watching on an annual basis. For the uninitiated: Fox plays Marty McFly, a teen who gets sent back to various points in the past by Doc Brown’s (Lloyd) insanely cool-looking, car-based DeLorean time machine. Each movie sees McFly venture to a different time period to save Brown, get caught up in all sorts of hijinks, and try not to alter anything that’ll impact the pair’s future.
A funny, heartfelt, action-packed, and wholly innovative series of sci-fi films, the Back to the Future franchise is must-see. Just try to ignore what the second movie thought 2015 would look like!
(NB: UK fans can stream them on Sky/Now TV. Australian viewers can watch them on Paramount Plus, Foxtel, and Binge).
Watch Back to the Future on Netflix.
American Psycho
Release date: July 1
Runtime: 103 minutes
Age rating: R (US) / 18 (UK)
Cast: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Reese Witherspoon, and Samantha Mathis
Director: Mary Harron
RT score: 68% (critics); 85% (audience)
Less than a decade before the donned Batman‘s famous cape and cowl, Bale made a name for himself by having the time of his life in this dark comedy-thriller. In it, he plays Patrick Bateman, a young professional who lives a second life as a horrifying serial killer by night.
A ferocious and wry black comedy masquerading as a gruesome horror, American Psycho‘s thematic exploration, iconic and meme-worthy scenes, and electrifying performance from Bale were worth the admission fee alone. Stick this on your new Netflix movies watchlist, and thank me later once you’ve been left enthralled and scarred by it.
(NB: UK audiences can stream it on MGM Plus and Channel 4. Australian fans can also watch it on Stan/Netflix).
Watch American Psycho on Netflix.
New Netflix movies: June
A Family Affair
Release date: June 28
Runtime: 113 minutes
Age rating: PG-13 (US) / 12 (UK)
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, and Joey King
Director: Richard LaGravenese
RT score: 41% (critics); 30% (audience)
Romantic comedies are all the rage on Netflix recently, and A Family Affair is yet another bang average film offering from the streaming giant. King plays Zara, whose mother Brooke (Kidman) becomes romantically entangled with Zara’s self-absorbed Hollywood star boss Chris Cole (Efron) – an incident that, according to Netflix, leads to plenty of comedic moments.
Fans of the movie’s leading trio will likely enjoy what’s on offer, as will anyone entertained by rom-com tropes and easy-to-watch flicks with unsubstantial narratives. Everyone else, though, will want to give it a wide berth.
Watch A Family Affair on Netflix.
Trigger Warning
Release date: June 21
Runtime: 106 minutes
Age rating: 16-plus (US) / 15 (UK)
Cast: Jessica Alba, Mark Webber, Jake Weary, Anthony Michael Hall, Tone Bell, and Gabriel Basso
Director: Mouly Surya
RT score: 19% (critics); 14% (audience)
Billed as an action mystery-thriller, Trigger Warning stars Jessica Alba as Parker, a special forces commando who’s pulled back to her hometown when her father suddenly dies. Unconvinced by the suggestions that he died of natural causes, Parker begins investigating – and soon finds herself coming up against numerous obstacles that attempt to block her attempts to unearth the truth.
One of the worst-rated Netflix films of 2024, Trigger Warning is another damp squib for the Netflix Original Film team. Labeled as a “lifeless”, “routine”, and “mediocre” flick that’s as “inflammatory as a cheese sandwich” (erm, OUCH), this is certainly one of June’s new Netflix movies you’ll most likely want to skip.
Watch Trigger Warning on Netflix.
Ultraman: Rising
Release date: June 14
Runtime: 121 minutes
Age rating: PG (US) / PG (UK)
Cast: Christopher Sean, Gedde Watanabe, Tamlyn Tomita, Keone Young, and Julia Harriman
Director: Shannon Tindle
RT score: 83% (critics); 92% (audience)
Based on Tsuburaya Productions’ popular Ultraman franchise, this family-friendly flick aims to follow in the footsteps of Nimona, The Sea Beast, and other animated Netflix Originals with a successful streaming run. Sean voices Ken Sato, who reluctantly returns home to adopt the Ultraman mantle amid rising monster attacks on the Japanese city of Tokyo. Unbeknownst to Sato, though, he’ll soon adopt a baby kaiju of his own – a life-altering event that’ll force him to simultaneously protect his hometown and said baby monster from nefarious individuals.
Based on what the general critical and audience consensus is, Ultraman: Rising is one of the best new Netflix movies seen in a while. I’s an extremely fun family adventure flick with tons of heart that’ll certainly keep the kids entertained for a few hours.
Watch Ultraman: Rising on Netflix.
Hit Man
Release date: June 7
Runtime: 115 minutes
Age rating: 16-plus (US) / 15 (UK)
Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Molly Bernard and Sanjay Rao
Director: Richard Linklater
RT score: 95% (critics); 91% (audience)
One of the best-rated new Netflix movies we’ve seen in a long time, this black comedy romantic thriller is a twisty, thrills-a-minute, and steamy flick that’ll appeal to all kinds of genre fans. Powell plays Gary, an unassuming professor who discovers he has a hidden knack for portraying fake hit men. However, while his new lifestyle is full of perks, when he’s hired by a mysterious client (Arjona) for a seemingly run of the mill assignment, things quickly take a turn for the silly and spectacular.
A flick inspired by true events, Hit Man is a, well, certified hit. Armed with potent on-screen chemistry from its two leads, and with mastermind director Richard Linklater behind the camera, we shouldn’t have expected anything other than a terrific, captivating, and funny film that’s done and dusted in less than two hours.
New Netflix movies: what’s coming in 2024?
Here’s a list of new Netflix movies you’ll see on the service before the year ends:
- The Imaginary (July 5)
- Find Me Falling (July 19)
- Rebel Moon – Chapter One: Chalice of Blood (August 2)
- Rebel Moon – Chapter Two: Curse of Forgiveness (August 2)
- Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie (August 2)
- The Union (August 16)
- Incoming (August 23)
- The Deliverance (August 30)
- His Three Daughters (September 20)
- Back in Action (November 15)
- Spellbound (November 22)
- Carry-On (November, date TBC)
- That Christmas (December, date TBC)
- The Electric State (expected 2024)
- Joy (expected 2024)
- Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (expected 2024)
- The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep (expected 2024)
For more Netflix-based coverage, read our best Netflix shows and best Netflix documentaries guides. Alternatively, find out how to sign up to Netflix or get the lowdown on whether it’s worth cancelling your Netflix subscription.