16 best movies to watch on Netflix, Hulu before they leave (June 2022)

As summer continues to heat up so does the number of movies streaming on Netflix, Prime Video and Hulu at the close of each month. There are plenty of great films leaving Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and others at the end of June or start of July, and we’ve picked out a few standouts for you to enjoy at home.

Blue Velvet

Image: De Laurentiis Entertainment Group

David Lynch’s psychological neo-noir thriller ranks among the director’s very best films, featuring iconic performances courtesy of frequent Lynch collaborators Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern, a terrifying turn for Dennis Hopper as the villainous Frank Booth, and a heart-wrenchingly memorable performance by Isabella Rossellini as the troubled lounge singer Dorothy Vallens. Surreal, sensuous and often disturbing. Blue VelvetLynch is in his prime. —Toussaint Egan

Blue Velvet Leaves Criterion Channel June 30,

Dark Waters

Focus Features Image

Todd Haynes’ (Carol, SecureThe legal thriller () was among the top movies of 2019. This movie tells the amazing story of an attorney, who uncovers corruption in a chemical corporation and fights for his town.

Mark Ruffalo plays the role of Robert Bilott (who also produced the movie) and delivers a strong performance as an upstanding man against the system. Haynes brings life to the story through his attention to detail, especially the tactile way in which he depicts Bilott’s work — in a storage room surrounded by boxes and papers on all sides, digging through hoping to find anything helpful among the seemingly miles of data. Some of the people who were directly affected by the films’ events are also represented in the cast. —Pete Volk

Dark Waters leaves Peacock June 30.

The Exorcist

Warner Bros.

The Exorcist, a timeless classic that has been remade many times over the years is still terrifying today as it was in 1973 when it caused mild panic across the country. The film’s title is about a mother trying to get help for a daughter (Linda Blair), who suddenly behaves strangely. The realism of a mother’s desire to keep her daughter safe in an uncontrollable world set against a supernatural conflict pulls you right in from the very beginning, and keeps its hold on you far beyond the end of its two-hour run time. —PV

The Exorcist Netflix will be available July 1

Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Universal Pictures

Season of the Witch, the best Halloween movie ever made since the original is an entertainingly absurd entry that almost has nothing in common with the original. There’s no Michael Myers (the only entry in the franchise not to feature him), and the slasher elements from the rest of the series are discarded for a more supernatural, witchcraft-based approach.

It absolutely rules, and it’s been delightful to see this movie get some critical reappraisal decades later. Tom Atkins (Fog() plays a troubled physician who investigates mysterious deaths tied to Halloween mask-making company. This company can be placed in the antagonist role. Season of the Witch It was necessary to investigate the marketing of products to children. The result is a mind-melting conclusion. —PV

Halloween III: Season of the Witch leaves Peacock June 30.

Her

Warner Bros. Pictures

Romantic sci-fi romance HerJoaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly. He is an introvert and falls for Samantha Johansson, an artificial intelligence operator system. Set in an uncanny future only partially removed from our present, Spike Jonze’s cinematic ode to the intersecting forces of love and technology is a humorous and affecting experience whose poignant clarity will stick with you long after it’s over. —TE

Her Netflix will be available July 1

My Valley Was Green

Image: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation

I recently mentioned this in our list of some of our favorite labor movies, so I’ll keep it brief. My Valley Was GreenJohn Ford may have made the best film, and it is a powerful portrayal of mankind in triumph and struggle for all time. This movie is also the answer to the trivia question “What beat Citizen Kane for Best Picture?” And let me tell you, dear reader: No mistakes were made that day. —PV

My Valley Was Green Leaves Criterion Channel June 30,

How to Train Your Dragon

DreamWorks Animation Image

Although the entire How to Train Your Dragon trilogy has been solid, there’s something special about the first. This epic fantasy story follows the adventures of a group Vikings who are constantly in battle against dragons. Hiccup is a Misfit who finds a injured dragon. Instead of killing it, she begins to train it and develops deep friendships with him. It’s a story of outcasts finding each other and proving generational prejudices wrong against all odds. The soundtrack is phenomenal, the story a perfect blend of funny and heartwarming, and the character designs are amazing — especially the dragons. Dreamworks could have made these creatures look the same as every other dragon out there, but they’re all so distinct and fun to see in action. Toothless, however, is the most popular of all. —Petrana Radulovic

How to Train Your Dragon Netflix will be available July 1

Knight and Day

Image: 20th Century Fox

Enjoy a rollicking time of fun with these two movie superstars. Knight and Day is an “odd couple” comedy about a woman (Cameron Diaz) who makes a friend on a flight (Tom Cruise), only to discover he is a secret agent (and, of course, get mixed up in his adventures). James Mangold directs.Logan, Ford v Ferrari), Knight and Day is a fun action-comedy that leans heavily on its stars’ copious charisma. Since then, it has been recreated in India and is now known as Hindi-language Bang Bang!Hrithik Rosshan and Katrina Kaif are the stars of the film. —PV

Knight and Day leaves Peacock June 30.

Paths of Glory

Photo by United Artists

This early Stanley Kubrick picture is one of the most moving anti-war films ever made, anchored by Kubrick’s evocative camerawork and unforgettable performances by Kirk Douglas and the rest of the cast. Douglas portrays Colonel Dax in World War I, who is a French commander officer and refuses to follow orders. This would certainly lead to his unit’s destruction. Dax, along with some soldiers, is convicted of treason following his refusal to obey orders. Dax was an experienced criminal defense attorney before World War II. He must now defend his life in front of a group of seemingly ignorant superiors. —PV

Paths of Glory leaves Prime Video June 30.

Personal shopper

Image by IFC Films

Maureen Stewart (Kristen Stewart), is a personal shopper to a supermodel. She tries on and sometimes buys clothes, shoes, jewelry, and other accessories for others. Maureen also hopes to speak with her twin brother Lewis. Both siblings were spiritual mediums and made an agreement that the first person to die would transmit a message from the afterlife. Maureen gets a strange series of texts messages from Lewis. Her twin lives merge into one beautiful and haunting ghost story. This is the second collaboration between Stewart & Olivier Assayas. Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal shopperAssayas won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director in 2016 and it was a well-deserved award. —PV

Personal shopper leaves Hulu June 30.

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy

Sony Pictures Releasing

Sam Raimi’s latest Marvel movie is now on streaming, so why not revisit his first three?

The original Spider-Man trilogy is held together by a terrific cast, its strong moral arc, Raimi’s horror sensibilities, and sure, a dash of nostalgia. This is my opinion, and I recommend it to anyone who has the chance.

Yes, the third film is included in this list. I know; it’s not nearly as strong as the first two, but I encourage you to give it another shot! Spider-Man 3This is actually an interesting portrayal of Peter Parker’s character as a witty boyfriend who lets the events in the first two films go to his head. (And that hilarious sequence with Emo Peter, Actually) Just, uh, don’t worry about all the Venom stuff in the third act (or better yet, the entire third act). —PV

Sam Rami’s Spider-Man trilogy leaves Peacock June 30.

The Social Network

Sony Pictures Releasing

One of the finest movies of the 21st century leaves Netflix at the start of July, so if you’ve never seen David Fincher’s masterful story of the dawn of Facebook, there’s no better time than the present. Aided by a strong script from Aaron Sorkin, Fincher pulls this whole thing together into a delicate portrait of people who think they’re smarter than you (and know they’re richer). —PV

The Social Network Netflix will be available July 2nd

Tangerine

Magnolia Pictures

Filmed entirely with iPhone cameras, Sean Baker’s 2015 comedy-drama Tangerine follows Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor), two trans sex workers who set out to find Chester (James Ransone), Sin-Dee’s boyfriend/pimp, and get to the bottom of a salacious rumor that he cheated on her while she was serving a 28-day stint in prison. The film was filmed on Los Angeles’ streets during Christmas Eve. TangerineThis is an uproariously funny, touching, heartbreaking, and engaging experience. It offers a glimpse into the emotions of sexwork while painting a picture of Los Angeles in its multi-splendored chaos. —TE

Tangerine Netflix will be available July 1

Thief

Warner Home Video

James Caan (The Godfather) stars in Michael Mann’s 1981 neo-noir crime thriller ThiefFrank, an ex-convict turned safe cracker and ace safety cracker, wants to have a family. Frank gets robbed of his part in a large diamond heist. He is forced to quit and take up a final job. As Frank inches ever closer to realizing his lofty vision of the American Dream, he’ll have to contend with shady partners and opportunistic mobsters in order to make it out alive. Thief would be the solitary crown jewel in any other director’s career. In Mann’s, the film is a masterful debut and precursor to an exceptional career of genre-defining crime thrillers. Caan gives a cool and compelling performance, Donald Thorin captures the nighttime scenes of Chicago 1980s, while Tangerine Dream provides the music. ThiefIt is an electrifying movie and a must-see. —TE

Thief leaves Prime Video June 29.