(Stacker) – Two decades ago, if you had wanted to spend the weekend having a movie marathon, you would have had to get in your car, drive down to the local video store, and choose from whatever options they had in stock that particular day. Today, all you have to do is log in to any of the number of streaming services you’re subscribed to and you can be watching something new in seconds.
While the advent of streaming services has made binge-watching so much easier and increased our viewing options exponentially, there are downsides. It’s easy to get bogged down in the sheer number of titles available so that you spend more time scrolling than watching. Occasionally, this can lead to the discovery of a new favorite, but more often it leads to decision paralysis.
To help make your next what to watch decision a little easier, Stacker scoured the slate of June additions to major streamers like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and HBO GO, and chose 15 great films that represent a diverse array of cinematic expression. From cult classics to box office smashes, any title from the following list is sure to be an excellent experience.
1/15 (Credit: Revolution Studios)
Across the Universe (2007)
– Where to watch: Hulu
– Director: Julie Taymor
– IMDb user rating: 7.3
– Metascore: 56
– Runtime: 133 minutes
Set during the turbulence of the 1960s, “Across the Universe” follows Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) and Jude (Jim Sturgess) as they fall in love and wade through the chaos that is life. A jukebox musical set to tunes from the Beatles, the film is more of a love story to those songs than it is a fully-fleshed-out story. Still, the inventive choreography, joyful tone, and watchability make this a must-see.
2/15 (Credit: Polygram Pictures)
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
– Where to watch: Amazon Prime
– Director: John Landis
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Metascore: 55
– Runtime: 97 minutes
Equal parts comedy and horror, “An American Werewolf in London” is an acquired taste, but one whose cult classic status indicates it’s a flavor worth trying. The movie follows two teenage backpackers, who are attacked by a werewolf no one believes exists, while trekking around Britain. Some of the special effects will feel a bit dated to today’s viewers, but the storyline and editing still make the film a fun weekend watch.
3/15 (Credit: Forward Pass)
The Aviator (2004)
– Where to watch: HBO Max
– Director: Martin Scorsese
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Metascore: 77
– Runtime: 170 minutes
R.K.O. Pictures owner, aviation tycoon, and billionaire Howard Hughes is the focus of this 2004 biopic. Leonardo DiCaprio gives a masterful performance as Hughes, lending romance to his relationships with Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett) and Ava Gardner (Kate Beckinsale) and sympathy to his descent into madness. A period piece, “The Aviator” is visually stunning, as evidenced by its Academy Awards for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction.
4/15 (Credit: Columbia Pictures)
The Big Chill (1983)
– Where to watch: Hulu
– Director: Lawrence Kasdan
– IMDb user rating: 7.2
– Metascore: 61
– Runtime: 105 minutes
A baby boomer classic, “The Big Chill” is a must-see for every thirty-something. A group of friends reunites for a weekend after the funeral of one of their own, reminiscing on their college days, worrying about their futures, and wondering when and where they lost their idealism as they became fully-fledged adults. Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Tom Berenger, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, and JoBeth Williams star in the Oscar-nominated picture.
5/15 (Credit: Granada Television)
Bloody Sunday (2002)
– Where to watch: Hulu
– Director: Paul Greengrass
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Metascore: 90
– Runtime: 107 minutes
“Bloody Sunday” is a drama shot in the style of a documentary about the Bloody Sunday conflict and shootings that took place in Northern Ireland in January 1972. What really happened that day, and how the fighting started, has never really been nailed down, but this film tells one side of the story in a stunning and urgent way. Several individuals who were actually present on the day in question play extras in the more-intense scenes, which lends the film a real and gritty feel.
6/15 (Credit: Focus Features)
Burn After Reading (2008)
– Where to watch: Amazon Prime
– Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
– IMDb user rating: 7.0
– Metascore: 63
– Runtime: 96 minutes
A sleeper hit from the Coen brothers, released between “No Country for Old Men” and “A Serious Man,” “Burn After Reading” sees two dim-witted gym employees stumble across a trove of CIA data that they use to “blackmail” the agent to whom it belongs. Only after getting Russian spies involved do they realize the data in question is actually a memoir. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, and Tilda Swinson star in the satirical comedy.
7/15 (Credit: Warner Bros.)
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
– Where to watch: HBO Max
– Director: Stanley Kubrick
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 68
– Runtime: 159 minutes
Stanley Kubrick’s final film, “Eyes Wide Shut” is interesting for so many reasons beyond its erotic mystery plot. The movie follows a doctor who embarks on a night of sexual exploration and moral adventure after his wife reveals an uncomfortable secret to him. Starring the then-married Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, the film took 15 months to shoot (a Guinness World Record) and much of its production has been shrouded in secrecy, though we do know that the shoot drove its two stars, and their marriage, to the brink.
8/15 (Credit: Permut Presentations)
Face/Off (1997)
– Where to watch: Hulu
– Director: John Woo
– IMDb user rating: 7.2
– Metascore: 82
– Runtime: 138 minutes
John Travolta and Nicolas Cage star as an FBI agent and a terrorist who are sworn enemies that assume each other’s appearances in order to exact revenge. Over-the-top in its action scenes and violence, “Face/Off” is generally regarded as John Woo’s best film, with one critic from the Orlando Sentinel calling it “slick and sensational.”Keep it pristine in Reno Tahoe. Ad by Reno Tahoe See More
9/15 (Credit: Archive Photos // Getty Images)
The Fisher King (1991)
– Where to watch: Amazon Prime
– Director: Terry Gilliam
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Metascore: 61
– Runtime: 137 minutes
While looking back at Robin Williams’ filmography just after his death, Roger Ebert critic Niles Schwartz described “The Fisher King” as a “modern-day Grail Quest that fused New York romantic comedy with timeless fantasy.” He couldn’t have been more accurate. The movie follows a radio shock jock (Jeff Bridges) who, as an act of penance for a previous misstep, helps a homeless man (Robin Williams) obtain the Holy Grail from a Manhattan billionaire who has it locked away in his apartment. It’s a film unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.
10/15 (Credit: Rossen Films)
The Hustler (1961)
– Where to watch: Hulu
– Director: Robert Rossen
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: 90
– Runtime: 134 minutes
Paul Newman plays an up-and-coming pool hustler who risks everything in an attempt to break into the big leagues in 1961’s “The Hustler.” Newman’s breakthrough project, the film tackles winning, losing, and the role of character in both in an award-winning and impactful way.
11/15 (Credit: Columbia Pictures)
Little Women (1994)
– Where to watch: Hulu
– Director: Gillian Armstrong
– IMDb user rating: 7.3
– Metascore: 87
– Runtime: 115 minutes
A star-studded cast that includes Susan Sarandon, Winona Ryder, Trini Alvarado, Kristen Dunst, Claire Danes, and Christian Bale brings this adaptation (the fifth!) of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” to life. The classic tale follows the March sisters as they grow up during the Civil War, learning how to navigate the modern world as women. The film was nominated for several Academy Awards, and earned over $50 million at the box office, marking it as a critical and commercial success.
12/15 (Credit: John Ford Productions)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
– Where to watch: Hulu
– Director: John Ford
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 123 minutes
A subversive Western starring John Wayne and James Stewart, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” is about a senator who returns to the small town of Shinbone for the death of a friend, and sets the record straight about the duo’s history. In contrast to other John Ford Westerns, the film is shot in black and white and on soundstages, heightening the contrast in tone and message to the others in his oeuvre.
13/15 (Credit: Paramount Pictures)
Ordinary People (1980)
– Where to watch: Hulu
– Director: Robert Redford
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 86
– Runtime: 124 minutes
“Ordinary People” marks Robert Redford’s directorial debut. The 1980 film follows an upper-class family as they reel in the loss of one of their sons and must deal with the tension that exists in their remaining relationships. The picture won four Academy Awards at the 1981 ceremony, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
14/15 (Credit: Hydraulx)
Take Shelter (2011)
– Where to watch: Amazon Prime
– Director: Jeff Nichols
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 85
– Runtime: 120 minutes
In “Take Shelter,” a young father (Michael Shannon) begins to experience a series of apocalyptic visions and questions whether his family should brace for the end of the world, or if he’s suffering a mental breakdown. A hallucinatory thriller, the film is driven by a general sense of unease and dread, making it one of the better thrillers to come out of the last decade.
15/15 (Credit: Morgan Creek Entertainment)
True Romance (1993)
– Where to watch: HBO Max
– Director: Tony Scott
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Metascore: 59
– Runtime: 119 minutes
An all-star cast that includes names like Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Brad Pitt, Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken, Samuel L. Jackson, James Gandolfini, and many more, elevates “True Romance” from genre flick to classic film. The Quentin Tarantino written script follows a call girl and her boyfriend who are on the lam, running from the mob, after stealing cocaine from her pimp. Initially a box office failure, the movie is now regarded as a cult classic.
You may also like:
Best and worst Leonardo DiCaprio movies
Movie trivia for the top 100 films of all time