Netflix
Hit Man
Film, US, 2023 – out 7 June
It feels like every month brings a new movie about an assassin – a type of character colossally over-represented in cinema. But Richard Linklater’s latest film has a pronounced point of difference: divorced college professor Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) only pretends to be a hitman, luring prospective “customers” into committing conspiracy to murder while cops wait outside. The plot swings into gear when Gary talks Madison (Adria Arjona) out of arranging to kill her abusive husband, then falls in love with her.
The film has been billed as a “somewhat true story,” inspired by a 2001 feature published in Texas Monthly magazine. Linklater has form when it comes to true crime comedies, having directed one of the greatest (Bernie). Hit Man has received not one, two, but three four star Guardian reviews.
Black Barbie
Film, US, 2023 – out 19 June
It wouldn’t be accurate to say that Greta Gerwig’s spectacularly successful Barbie movie brought the toyline back into the zeitgeist, because it never left. But there’s a renewed interest in Mattel’s very famous doll, which Lagueria Davis’ new documentary explores from an interesting perspective. It focuses on the Black Barbie doll, first released in 1981 – more than two decades after the original, very white Barbie premiered.
The film reportedly draws on the famous “doll test” from the 1940s, which found that children of colour assigned positive characteristics to white dolls and negative characteristics to the Black ones. Variety’s Lisa Kennedy described the film as a “jam- packed” and “wryly playful” investigation.
Honourable mentions: Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial (TV, 5 June), Sweet Tooth season 3 (TV, 6 June), Bridgerton: Season 3 Part 2 (TV, 13 June), Parasite (film, 15 June), Taken (film, 15 June), Trigger Warning (film, 21 June).
Stan
Priscilla
Film, US, 2023 – out 1 June
In news that’ll surprise no one who is familiar with either director, Sofia Coppola’s film about Priscilla Presley is very different to Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic, released the previous year. It’s an elegant adaptation of Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir, with a very captivating Cailee Spaeny playing the eponymous character, who meets Elvis (Jacob Elordi) at a party when she’s just 14 and he was 24.
Unfolds as it does from its subject’s perspective, the film leaves judgments around Elvis potentially being a groomer to the viewer: suffice to say, it certainly doesn’t present him in a flattering light. There’s a swelling sense of emptiness in this stylistically beautiful film; an aching feeling that the protagonist’s spirits are slowly being drained.
Hotel Cocaine
TV, Canada, 2024 – out 17 June
Chris Brancato, co-creator of Narcos, carves up some more marching powder for his new show revolving around Miami’s Mutiny Hotel, described by the official press materials as “Casablanca on cocaine”. Danny Pino plays its general manager, Roman Compte, who explains in the trailer that the hotel was “neutral territory, where drug dealers avoided killing each other because everybody was having too much fun”. But good times don’t last forever, with all those murderous criminals and party-crashing cops and what-not.
Revealed: Otto By Otto
Film, Australia, 2024 – out 16 June
The great Australian actor Barry Otto is the subject of this documentary exploring his 50 plus year career, dotted with lots of Aussie classics – from Bliss to Strictly Ballroom, Cosi and The Dressmaker. The film weaves in commentary from colleagues including Baz Luhrmann, Gillian Armstrong and Cate Blanchett. And, as the title implies, it is a family affair, directed by Otto’s daughter Gracie.
Honourable mentions: Wild Winter (TV, 1 June), Trailblazers (TV, 4 June), Groundhog Day (film, 5 June), Freeman (film, 6 June), Speed (film, 10 June), I, Robot (film, 12 June), Sex Tape (film, 13 June), Moulin Rouge (film, 14 June), Super (film, 20 June), Exposure (TV, 20 June), McEnroe (film, 26 June).
Prime Video
My Lady Jane season 1
TV, UK, 2024 – out 27 June
Like the recent Netflix film Damsel, this adaptation of a bestselling young adult book series was conceived to counter the timeworn “damsel in distress” trope, whereby a woman in trouble inevitably waits for a man to rescue her. This show reimagines the tale of Lady Jane Grey (played by Emily Bader), who was queen of England for just nine days before she was deposed and executed the following year.
The trailer takes a flippantly revisionist tone, raising a middle finger to history, the official synopsis declaring that “we’re retelling history the way it should have happened: the damsel in distress saves herself”.
Honourable mentions: Hannibal seasons 1-3 (TV, 1 June), Jerry Maguire (film, 1 June), Rolling Thunder (film, 1 June), Stand by Me (film 1, June), Taking of Pelham One Two Three (film, 1 June), Looking for Alibrandi (film, 4 June), The Boys season 4 (TV, 13 June), Promising Young Woman (film, 18 June), Anyone But You (film, 21 June), I Am: Céline Dion (film, 25 June).
Binge
House of the Dragon season 2
TV, US, 2024 – out 17 June
Dragons, dragons, dragons! A Game of Thrones spin-off centered around those flying pyromaniacs practically sold itself. And yet the first season didn’t have enough dragons, in my opinion, and also felt paralysed by its own grandeur, afraid or unwilling to take risks.
There’s no doubt however that the arrival of the second season is a cultural event. Showrunner Ryan Condal has indicated he will address the dragon deficient, announcing that five new ones will flap their wings in season two. The story continues to revolve around the Targaryen dynasty and a civil war that takes place approximately 200 years before the events of GoT.
Fantasmas
TV, US, 2024 – out 8 June
I’ve watched the first episode of this surreal Emma Stone-produced comedy series created, written and directed by Julio Torres, and can assure you there’s nothing else out this month remotely like it. Based in a bizarro alternate world, lit up with overripe neon colours, a very loose storyline follows Torres’ orange-haired protagonist as he searches for a lost earring in New York City.
The narrative trajectory seems to be inspired by the rhythms of dreams, taking long chunky detours and side steps, including a bizarre parody of an Alf-like TV show, with Paul Dano playing a man who gets frisky with a fluffy puppet-like alien creature. It’s strange in very self-conscious ways, with notes of David Lynch and Michel Gondry.
Honourable mentions: The Craft (film, 1 June), Ren Faire (TV, 3 June), Am I OK? (film, 6 June), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (film, 6 June), Dumb Money (film, 10 June), Saw X (film, 28 June).
SBS on Demand
Good Time
Film, US, 2017 – out 2 June
Robert Pattinson’s post-Twilight road to critical appreciation is dotted with highlights, including the post-GFC existential rumination Cosmopolis and the David Lean-esque epic The Lost City of Z. But his celebrity-shedding performance in the Safdie brothers’ gritty streetside drama might be his best.
Taking place over 24 hours, the film follows bank-robbing brothers Connie (Pattinson) and Nick (Ben Safdie) in a high octane plot involving stolen money and LSD. There’s bust-ins, break-outs and on-the-run action, executed with Scorsesean verisimilitude. Pattinson’s wild performance has the explosive charge of a young Al Pacino or Robert De Niro.
Contact
Film, US, 1997 – out 1 June
Robert Zemeckis’ classic sci-fi ponders the relationship between science and science fiction, significant breakthroughs often synonymous with great imagination and longing. Jodie Foster’s stargazing scientist fulfils a lifelong ambition when she discovers an encoded message from aliens, which she discovers is a series of instructions (slightly more elaborate than your average Ikea ensemble) on how to build a transportation machine. The more the story progresses, the more it engrosses – all the way to a very tripping ending.
Dark Age
Film, Australia, 1987 – out 7 June
Arch Nicholson’s creature feature about a group hunting for a 25-foot crocodile begins iconically: the late and great David Gulpilil in an Akubra hat, on horseback herding cattle. From that moment there’s an energy to this film that really sings. The aforementioned croc has the respect of local Aboriginal people, and also John Jarratt’s wildlife ranger, who’s assisted in his expedition by Gulpilil’s Adjaral and Burnam Burnam’s Oonadabund. The film was shot by Andrew Lesnie, who won an Oscar for his work on The Fellowship of the Ring.
Honourable mentions: The Fringe Dwellers (film, 1 June), The Tracker (film, 1 June), Mad Dog Morgan (film, 1 June), Contact (film, 1 June), Pride (TV, 1 June), Bosch: Legacy (TV, 6 June), Emily (film, 6 June), Snatch (film, 7 June), Tiny Beautiful Things (TV, 10 June), The Fortress (TV, 13 June), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (film, 28 June).
ABC iView
Austin
TV, Australia, 2024 – out 9 June
The eponymous character, a man on the autism spectrum (Michael Theo), prepares to introduce himself to his father, Julian (Ben Miller), a children’s author unaware of his existence who is going through a career crisis, having accidentally retweeted or re-Xed a neo-Nazi. The plotlines converge when the self-centered and scheming Julian cottons on to the idea that uniting with his son might help rehabilitate his image.
The jokes are often laugh-out-loud funny and the performances very entertaining – Theo lovable and charming, Miller perfect as a babbling Brit with an amazing ability to drown in his own words. I flew through all eight episodes.
Ladies in Black
TV, Australia, 2024 – out 16 June
Period dramas are catnip to ABC viewers, and who doesn’t enjoy watching people wearing beautiful clothes? Ladies in Black follows on from Bruce Beresford’s 2018 film of the same name, which was based on Madeleine St John’s 1993 novel The Women in Black, revolving around employees of the ladieswear section of a Sydney department store circa 1959. The TV show moves into the 1960s, as they – according to the official synopsis – “face tumultuous lives navigating societal shifts and personal challenges”. The cast includes Debi Mazar, Miranda Otto, Jessica De Gouw and Kate Box.
Honourable mentions: Not Going Out (TV, 3 June), Speechless (TV, 3 June), ER (TV, 3 June), ABBA: Against The Odds (film, 9 June), Bluey Minisodes (TV, 16 June).
Disney+
The Bear season 3
TV, US, 2024 – out 27 June
Carmy, the head chef! Sydney, the chef de cuisine! Marcus, who makes those beautiful pastries! There’s lots of excellent characters in The Bear. The second season of this well-loved and critically acclaimed drama changed its key location from a humble sandwich shop to a fine dining restaurant, that process creating much commotion and consternation. The show can be terribly stressful one moment, heart-rending or heartwarming the next. So far there’s been no indication that the quality will drop, so bring on season three.
Honourable mentions: Clipped (TV, 4 June), The Acolyte (TV, 5 June), Becoming Karl Lagerfeld (TV, 7 June), Under the Bridge (TV, 12 June), Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge (TV, 25 June).
Apple TV+
Bread and Roses
Film, 2023, Afghanistan/US – out 21 June
Afghan director Sahra Mani’s documentary (produced by Jennifer Lawrence and Malala Yousafzai) explores the lives of three women in Taliban-controlled Kabul, highlighting what’s happened to the citizenry – particularly women – after the regime took control in 2021.
ScreenDaily critic Allan Hunter described Bread and Roses as a film that “conveys the full nightmare of what has happened to women in Afghanistan” but “becomes a celebration of resistance rather than a lament for what has been lost”.
Presumed Innocent
TV, US, 2024 – out 12 June
AppleTV+ has a reputation for very high-end, polished shows; my favourites are Dark Matter and Silo. The latest begins with Jake Gyllenhaal’s lawyer Rusty Sabich giving the jury a spiel about how his job is to prove reasonable doubt; soon he’ll be the accused. Well, soon-ish: the first episode of Presumed Innocent (all I’ve watched so far) only just gets around to implicating him in the murder of his colleague and lover Carolyn (Renate Reinsve). The series was executive produced by JJ Abrams, adapting Scott Turow’s 1987 of the same name.
Honourable mentions: Land of Women (TV, 26 June), Fancy Dance (film, 28 June), WondLa (TV, 28 June).
