Photo Credit: Netflix
Netflix has a fresh slate of shows just in time for the summer to start.
A new month brings a pack of new originals from Netflix, offering everything from medical documentaries to magical animes and science fiction thrillers. June is a busy month for bingeing, as Netflix steps up its game once again in both variety and originality. Here’s what looks good.
Arthdal Chronicles – June 1
If you’re one of the multitudes now in withdrawal after the disappointing climax to Game of Thrones, this series is being touted as Korea’s take on the genre. The series takes place in the ancient kingdom of Arth and follows two mythical warriors as they battle to gain control of their civilization and defend their tribe. Song Joong-ki plays Eunseom, a warrior from the Wahan Tribe who struggles with his identity while defending his people.
The series also stars Jang Dong-gun as the rival warrior who dreams of conquering Arthdal, Kim Ji-won as the Wahan Shaman, and Kim Ok-bin as the first empress of Asdal.
While the series has a very different style and feel from Game of Thrones, based on the trailer and first look photos, it has the same kind of intricate and vast world building that initially made the HBO series so intriguing. And it’s no wonder, considering it took nine pain-staking months to film all eighteen episodes that make up the three seasons of the series. While it doesn’t look like there will be any dragons, there will definitely be battles, political strategy, shocking twists, and pretty people doing terrible things.
Malibu Rescue: Season 1 – June 3
If this title sounds familiar, Netflix has previously released an original film that precedes the series.
Malibu Rescue follows a scrappy group of junior lifeguards from The Valley as they challenge the preppy locals for the ultimate tower at Malibu Beach. The series takes place immediately following the movie and chronicles the adventures of the junior lifeguards after they have staked their claim on the beach.
The show stars Ricardo Hurtado (School of Rock) and Breanna Yde (School of Rock) and is executive produced by Savage Steve Holland (School of Rock) and Scott McAboy (Legends of the Hidden Temple) alongside writers Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas (R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour).
While obviously a series aimed at young adults, it definitely has some solid names behind it. The movie received middling to non-existent reviews, so it probably won’t be anything groundbreaking or exceptional, but it should at least be watchable.
Black Mirror: Season Five – June 5
This is obviously one of the biggest highlights of Netflix’s June release schedule. Charlie Brooker’s sci-fi anthology series takes a cue from The Twilight Zone and produces imaginative episodes of speculation with a focus on social commentary. While the episodes are usually dark and disturbing in tone, it sometimes surprises with lighthearted episodes of optimism and hope.
This season is somewhat shorter than usual with three episodes, due mostly to the time and effort it took to produce the interactive movie Bandersnatch. With an anthology series like Black Mirror, the cast is always a point of high excitement.
This season the series will feature actors like Andrew Scott (Sherlock), Topher Grace (That 70s Show), Damson Idris, Miley Cyrus, Anthony Mackie (The Avengers: Endgame), and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman). As always, details on the episodes are kept to a minimum, but we know that Andrew Scott will be playing a cab driver whose day spirals out of control, that Miley Cyrus will play the pop star idol who becomes the focus of a fan’s obsession, and that Anthony Mackie will reunite with an old friend with the potential to change their lives forever.
3%: Season Three – June 7
3% is about a future where the world’s elite live in luxury on an island while the rest of the population lives in squalor on the mainland. There is one chance to escape the slums and join the elite as applicants stream a testing facility and undergo testing, procedures, and challenges in order to be chosen. Due to the rigorous selection process, many are eliminated and some won’t even survive, and only 3% of applicants will be selected to move to the island.
This Brazilian thriller was created by Pedro Aguilera based on an independent pilot episode he wrote and created in 2011. If you think this dystopian future hits a little too close to our real life present for a good percentage of the world population, that’s obviously part of the point and inspiration behind science fiction thrillers like this and similar movies like The Hunger Games.
In fact, 3% has been described as “The Hunger Games meets Saw but with more moral ambiguity.” Lest you think that all three seasons are dedicated to this deadly competition, there is a rebellion brewing to overthrow the government and balance the system. Bianca Comparato leads this talented cast.
Designated Survivor: Season Three – June 7
As is the case with many fan-favorite shows these days, Designated Survivor started out ABC but couldn’t quite pull in the numbers to justify renewal after its second season. And so it has found a second home on Netflix for season three, whether to continue forward or to bring its story to a close.
Designated Survivor follows Keifer Sutherland as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Thomas Kirkman. He is the designated survivor for the State of the Union address, a person in the presidential line of succession appointed to be physically distant from an event attended by the President and immediate successors in case of a disaster. He unexpectedly ascends to the place of President of the United States when a terrorist attack kills all those in line before him. Season three will follow him as he campaigns to keep the job to which he was appointed.
Tales of the City – June 7
Tales of the City is based on a series of novels by Armistead Maupin and is a revival of the critically acclaimed PBS miniseries of the same name, as well as two follow up series. Laura Linney and Olympia Dukakis are reprising their roles from the original series as Linney’s Mary Ann returns to San Francisco and reunites with her daughter and ex-husband 20 years after leaving them behind to pursue her career.
The original series was a huge rating success for PBS but was also the subject of controversy surrounding themes of homosexuality and usage of nudity. PBS declined to be involved in further sequels due to funding threats, but Linney and Dukakis have appeared in all revivals to date.
This new series, which continues to explore the trans and queer themes of the original, boasts Orange is the New Black’s Lauren Morelli as showrunner, a whole line up of trans writers and directors behind the scenes, Ellen Page as Mary Anne’s daughter Shawna, and trans actress Jen Richards as young Anna.
Jinn – June 13
This is Netflix’s first original Arabic series, a supernatural thriller that follows a group of teenagers who go up against a mystical figure they encounter at the ancient city of Petra. The teens must work together to stop the Jinn from destroying the world.
The series, which is filmed in Jordan, features a variety of Arabic talent, including Jordanian writer Bassel Ghandour (Theeb), Lebanese director Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya (Very Big Shot), and executive produced by Elan and Rajeev Dassani (SEAM). Perhaps the coolest thing about this project is that it is a contemporary drama, meaning that Netflix has the chance to bring modern Arabic youth and culture to mass audiences.
According to Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya:
"”This is a great opportunity to portray Arab youth in a very unique way. The level of authenticity Netflix is trying to achieve with this show is definitely what attracted me the most to be part of this project.”"
Not only does this sound like a fun adventure story, but it will open up yet another culture to Netflix viewers around the world.
MADRID, SPAIN – MAY 23: Producers Teresa Fernandez Valdes and Ramon Campos pose at the red carpet during “Alta Mar” Netflix Special Screening at Paz Cinema on May 23, 2019 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Samuel de Roman/Getty Images for Netflix)
The Alcàsser Murders – June 14
If you’re a fan of true crime documentaries, this looks like a good one. The four-part series will investigate the unresolved 1992 triple murder in Alcàsser, Spain. The crime was notorious both for its brutality and mystery, but also for the criticism of the police investigation and its broadcast and exploitation by the media. The series will investigate the abduction, rape, torture, and murder of three teenage girls who were hitchhiking to a nearby club.
While there were two suspects in the crime, numerous loose ends and theories have left the murders ultimately unresolved. What at first glance looks like an open and shut case at closer inspection reveals multiple forensic and witness inconsistencies ignored by police in favor of a quick result. This will be Spain’s first Netflix original documentary series and ambitiously tackles one of its most notorious crimes.
BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 30: Mala Emde attends the Goldene Kamera at Tempelhof Airport on March 30, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Christian Marquardt/Getty Images)
Charité at War – June 14
Charité at War is the second season of a German anthology series following the residents of the Charité hospital in Berlin. The first season was set during the 1880s and chronicled the dramas surrounding major medical breakthroughs and social upheaval. Due to the historical nature of the show, many characters are real-life physicians and scientists – some Nobel Prize winners – that helped make modern medicine what it is today; people like Robert Koch, Emil von Behring, Paul Ehrlich, and Rudolf Virchow.
Season two jumps ahead 50 years to WWII as several of Charité’s prestigious doctors clash over differences of idealism. While the hospital is still considered a center of modern medicine, some staff support the Nazi regime while others are critical of it. Of particular concern is the government’s eugenics and euthanasia programs, some of which the hospital is required to carry out. The series is an interesting, educational, and dramatic examination of a prestigious institution and groundbreaking science during tumultuous times in history.
Jessica Jones: Season 3 – June 14
Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Netflix’s last running Marvel series, is coming back for its third and final season. Which is a shame, because one of the best and most satisfying things about this series is that it is a rare example of a relatable female-led drama. The series makes a point of employing female writers and directors, and because of that, Jessica Jones displays a deep understanding of the female experience. Jessica Jones may be a reluctant superhero, but that doesn’t stop her from facing the same sexism – both overt and unintentional – that ordinary women encounter every day.
Not only that, but Jessica has depth and flaws. She’s lazy, anti-social, and sarcastic. She drinks too much, has a low maintenance fashion sense, and doesn’t take care of herself very well. She’s far from perfect and much more like a lot of women in the world than the pretty feminine facades that often populate film and television. When I first saw Jessica Jones, it was truly one of the most striking and important viewing experiences I’d ever had, because I had never felt so truly represented, and it will be sorely missed when it is gone.
Life Overtakes Me – June 14
This medical documentary examines a mysterious medical condition called Resignation Syndrome that has been affecting refugee children in Sweden which causes them to retreat into a coma-like state. It is a fascinating, amazing, and horrifying concept, that the human body and mind can become so stressed and traumatized that it will retreat completely from the situation. Once active and vibrate children suddenly become unable to walk or feed themselves and it seems to be a condition that exclusively affects refugees.
While it is incredible what the human body is capable of when trying to protect itself, it is also terrifying and pitiful that children should ever be subject to such trauma. Another mystery is why this condition only seems to occur in Sweden. A BBC article about the condition reported a theory that it may be something about Swedish culture, that the mind recognizes Resignation Syndrome as a culturally appropriate expression of trauma. Whatever the reasons, Life Overtakes Me intends to investigate.
Dark Season Two – June 21
Dark, Netflix’s first German-language original series, returns for its second of three seasons. This science fiction thriller follows the disappearance of a young boy from the small town of Winden and takes place in three different times periods via time travel by a wormhole that is discovered in a cave under the local nuclear power plant. As families, generations, and timelines are revealed to be inextricably interconnected, townspeople and police struggle to uncover the truth behind the disappearances and their connection to the town and residents.
This series is definitely what the title implies: dark. It is full of atmosphere and mystery, creepy machines in hidden rooms, frightening futures and mysterious pasts, deep forests and intricate caves, and lots of family drama. Based on the trailer for season two, there’s plenty of the same to come. It has been compared to Stranger Things as far as the horror tone of the series, but it certainly lacks the same nostalgic charm and lighthearted comedy.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 17: Johnny Yong Bosch attends the “Code Geass: Lelouch Of the Re;surrection” Los Angeles Dub Premiere at The Montalban on April 17, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Funimation)
Forest of Piano: Season Two – June 24
Forest of Piano is an anime series about a boy named Kai who finds an enchanted piano in the forest that only he can play. He is a musical prodigy with a special gift but lives a life of few opportunities as the son of a sex worker in the low-class red light district. Despite his socioeconomic background, Kai forges a friendship with an upper-class boy through their mutual love of music.
While season one followed the boys and their friendship in their younger years, season two is set to examine their lives as adults. The series has a beautiful and simple message that transcends class and origin, with equally moving music, and beautiful animation. The series itself is based on a popular manga series written and illustrated by Makoto Isshiki known as Piano no Mori: The Perfect World of Kai.
It also comes as Netflix makes a larger push to include more anime on their roster. Forest of Piano has been incredibly well received and will undoubtedly gain more popularity thanks to Netflix subscribers.
Which Netflix series will you be watching this June? Be sure to tell us in the comment section below!