6 must-watch originals coming to Netflix in July

Commanding: Radhika Apte (right) in ‘Sacred Games’, new on Netflix

Netflix in July brings us new and returning bingeable shows, including international thrillers, gritty and inspiring documentaries, wholesome favorites, and dramatic returns.

Sacred Games – July 6

Sacred Games is an Indian crime thriller based on Vikram Chandra’s novel of the same name. It is Netflix’s first Indian series and it looks cool as hell.

The series, which is in English and Hindi, is about a jaded Mumbai cop named Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan) who receives a call informing him of the location of wanted crime boss Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui).

As the story progresses it becomes clear that the two men are merely pawns in a larger game. The series is made up of eight hour-long episodes, and based on the trailer they look flashy, fast-paced, violent, sexy, tense, and gritty – with maybe just a little bit of Bollywood thrown in.

All eight episodes will have Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane directing parallel storylines – one focusing on Singh’s storyline, and the other focusing on Gaitonde’s.

Anne with an E / Netflix-CBC

Anne with an E: Season 2 – July 6

On the extreme, other end of the spectrum, Anne with an E — the Anne of Green Gables adaptation — is also being released on July 6.

This is a plucky, optimistic, wondrous coming of age story about an irrepressible girl named Anne (Amybeth McNulty). While season one did focus more explicitly on the grittier details of Anne’s abusive upbringing and her struggles adjusting to her new home, Anne herself kept her positive attitude and imaginative resiliency.

The trailer for season two is filled with life-affirming phrases spoken by a wide-eyed, awestruck girl about the utter wonder to be found in the world and the miracle of being alive to experience them.

The series also takes on eternal issues like sexism and gender equality.