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What to Watch: June 2024’s Certified Fresh Movies and Shows
If you want just the cream of the June crop, here’s every movie and show that went Certified Fresh during the month!
In movies, four wide releases: crime drama The Bikeriders, Pixar comeback Inside Out 2, and A Quiet Place prequel Day One. On limited release, we had fun caper Thelma, A24’s Tuesday, and horror films Handling the Undead, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, and The Devil’s Bath.
On streaming, ’80s doc Brats hit Hulu, Disney+ got into The Beach Boys and Jim Henson (Idea Man), and Netflix geared up Ultraman: Rising and The Imaginary.
With TV, we got a new Walking Dead continuation, The Ones Who Live, and Star Wars saw The Acolyte, while The Bear, The Boys, and House of the Dragon continue to build on beloved previous seasons.
#1
Adjusted Score: 94473%
Critics Consensus: Led by young Sofía Otero’s outstanding performance, 20,000 Species of Bees explores an array of weighty themes with gentle humanity.
Synopsis: In a small, sleepy village in the Basque Country, a sculptor named Ane and her three children arrive at her… [More]
Starring: Sofía Otero, Patricia López Arnaiz, Ane Gabarain, Itziar Lazkano
Directed By: Estíbaliz Urresola Solaguren
#2
Adjusted Score: 83969%
Critics Consensus: Anchored in an authentically relatable approach to its story of self-discovery, Am I OK? is further elevated by strong work from Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno.
Synopsis: Lucy and Jane have been best friends for most of their lives and think they know everything there is to… [More]
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sonoya Mizuno, Jermaine Fowler, Kiersey Clemons
Directed By: Stephanie Allynne, Tig Notaro
#3
Adjusted Score: 86834%
Critics Consensus: An outstanding showcase for Devery Jacobs, Backspot is front of the line as an insightful and thrilling sports drama.
Synopsis: An ambitious cheerleader (Devery Jacobs) faces both new adversity and the increased drive for perfection and triumph when she and… [More]
Starring: Devery Jacobs, Evan Rachel Wood, Shannyn Sossamon, Kudakwashe Rutendo
Directed By: D.W. Waterson
#4
Adjusted Score: 90952%
Critics Consensus: An overview of The Beach Boys’ history that wraps all the essentials up in a warm blanket, The Beach Boys is a straightforward jam of greatest hits that congeals into a compelling harmony.
Synopsis: “The Beach Boys,” which streams on Disney+ beginning May 24, 2024, is a celebration of the legendary band that revolutionized… [More]
Starring: Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks
Directed By: Frank Marshall, Thom Zimny
Adjusted Score: 101874%
Critics Consensus: Having set an exceedingly high standard of excellence for itself, The Bear spends its third season simmering, stewing, and giving off an aroma that whets the appetite.
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Abby Elliott
Directed By: Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo, Nate Matteson, Hiro Murai
#6
Adjusted Score: 93267%
Critics Consensus: Fueled by a charismatic cast and the gritty authenticity of writer-director Jeff Nichols’ approach, The Bikeriders offers a conventional yet impactful look at motorcycle culture.
Synopsis: THE BIKERIDERS captures a rebellious time in America when the culture and people were changing. After a chance encounter at… [More]
Starring: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Mike Faist
Directed By: Jeff Nichols
Adjusted Score: 101482%
Critics Consensus: Boxing in the political arena with a bloodied smile, The Boys‘ fourth season is grim and even a little glum while holding up a cracked mirror towards modern society.
Starring: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty
Directed By: Eric Kripke, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver
#8
Adjusted Score: 87648%
Critics Consensus: An insightful overview of a bygone Hollywood era as well as a deeply personal journey for director Andrew McCarthy, Brats is a bittersweet reflection on childhood stardom.
Synopsis: Centering on 1980s films starring the “Brat Pack” and their profound impact on the young stars’ lives…. [More]
Starring: Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Lea Thompson
Directed By: Andrew McCarthy
Adjusted Score: 87426%
Critics Consensus: Sordid and soapy as befitting the story of Donald Sterling’s fall from grace, Clipped‘s terrific ensemble brings this memorable cast of real-life characters to vivid life.
Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Jacki Weaver, Ed O’Neill, Cleopatra Coleman
Directed By: Gina Welch, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Zanne Devine
#10
Adjusted Score: 99650%
Critics Consensus:Copa 71 uses the real-life saga of a group of pioneering athletes to shine a light on a chapter from sports history that’s as infuriating as it is inspiring.
Synopsis: The extraordinary story of the 1971 Women’s World Cup, which was held in Mexico City and witnessed by more than… [More]
Starring: Brandi Chastain, Nicole Mangas, Silvia Zaragoza, Carol Wilson
Directed By: Rachel Ramsay, James Erskine
#11
Adjusted Score: 81186%
Critics Consensus: A ruminative chamber piece on wheels, Daddio feels expansive thanks to Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn’s compelling rapport.
Synopsis: New York City. JFK airport. A young woman jumps into the backseat of a yellow taxi, the cabbie throws the… [More]
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sean Penn, Marcos A. Gonzalez, Shannon Gannon
Directed By: Christy Hall
#12
Adjusted Score: 92800%
Critics Consensus: A squirm-inducing period piece that locates true horror in both mind and spirit, The Devil’s Bath might be Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz’s most chilling directorial effort yet.
Synopsis: In 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon… [More]
Starring: Anja Plaschg, David Scheid, Maria Hofstätter, Natalija Baranova
Directed By: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala
#13
Adjusted Score: 100910%
Critics Consensus: An urgent drama grounded in its observant depiction of reservation life, Fancy Dance establishes director/co-writer Erica Tremblay as a rising filmmaking talent.
Synopsis: Since her sister’s disappearance, Jax (Lily Gladstone) has cared for her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) by scraping by on the… [More]
Starring: Lily Gladstone, Isabel Deroy-Olson, Ryan Begay, Shea Whigham
Directed By: Erica Tremblay
Adjusted Score: 98058%
Critics Consensus: A colorful succession of sketches made cohesive by Julio Torres’ one-of-a-kind sensibility, Fantasmas is another vivid variation on the wunderkind’s imaginative themes.
Starring: Emma Stone, Steve Buscemi, Paul Dano, Julia Fox
Directed By: Julio Torres, Alex Bach, Emma Stone, Julio Torres
#15
Adjusted Score: 96014%
Critics Consensus:Gasoline Rainbow takes an honest look at adolescence and — befitting its title — finds arresting beauty in incongruous and unexpected places.
Synopsis: Celebrated directorial duo the Ross Brothers (Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets and Contemporary Color) turn their pioneering hybrid approach to the… [More]
Starring: Micah Bunch, Nathaly Garcia, Nichole Dukes, Tony Aburto
Directed By: Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross
#16
Adjusted Score: 104700%
Critics Consensus: A small film that elicits a huge emotional response, Ghostlight is a deeply moving and superbly acted meditation on grief.
Synopsis: When melancholic construction worker Dan (Keith Kupferer) finds himself drifting from his wife and daughter, he discovers community and purpose… [More]
Starring: Keith Kupferer, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Tara Mallen, Dolly De Leon
Directed By: Kelly O’Sullivan, Alex Thompson
#17
Adjusted Score: 94915%
Critics Consensus: With unyielding clarity, Green Border renders a compassionate portrait of the unmerciful landscape that flanks the Polish-Belarusian border.
Synopsis: In the treacherous and swampy forests that make up the so-called “green border” between Belarus and Poland, refugees from the… [More]
Starring: Jalal Altawil, Maja Ostaszewska, Behi Djanati Ataï, Tomasz Wlosok
Directed By: Agnieszka Holland
#18
Adjusted Score: 78592%
Critics Consensus: A grounded zombie picture with emotional bite, Handling the Undead shuffles along at a patient pace but succeeds as a poignant and thoughtful addition to the genre.
Synopsis: On a hot summer day in Oslo, the dead mysteriously awaken, and three families are thrown into chaos when their… [More]
Starring: Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Bjørn Sundquist, Bente Børsum
Directed By: Thea Hvistendahl
Adjusted Score: 97354%
Critics Consensus: Approaching its dynastic cataclysm with a deliberate stride rather than a charging gallop, House of the Dragon carefully sets up its emotional stakes to make the fiery spectacle all the more scorching.
Starring: Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint
Directed By: George R.R. Martin, Ryan Condal, Sara Hess, Alan Taylor
#20
Adjusted Score: 90975%
Critics Consensus: While not as innovative as its title, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person offers a dark-ish comedic take on a teen love story between misfits that renders a strangely sweet bite.
Synopsis: Sasha is a young vampire with a serious problem: she’s too sensitive to kill! When her exasperated parents cut off… [More]
Starring: Sara Montpetit, Félix-Antoine Bénard, Steve Laplante, Sophie Cadieux
Directed By: Ariane Louis-Seize
#21
Adjusted Score: 84015%
Critics Consensus: Bringing a droll edge to deeply serious subject matter, Ally Pankiw’s feature length debut provides Rachel Sennott a welcome opportunity to display her dramatic range.
Synopsis: I Used To Be Funny is a dark dramedy that follows Sam Cowell (Rachel Sennott), an aspiring stand-up comedian and… [More]
Starring: Rachel Sennott, Olga Petsa, Jason Jones, Sabrina Jalees
Directed By: Ally Pankiw
#22
Adjusted Score: 93377%
Critics Consensus: A visually splendid and emotionally resonant anime film that appeals to the child in everyone, The Imaginary is a flight of fancy that audiences won’t mind getting swept up in.
Synopsis: Rudger is a boy no one can see, imagined by Amanda to share her thrilling make-believe adventures. But when Rudger,… [More]
Starring: Louie Rudge-Buchanan, Evie Kiszel, Hayley Atwell, Sky Katz
Directed By: Yoshiyuki Momose
#23
Adjusted Score: 109968%
Critics Consensus: Spicing things up with the wrinkle of teenage angst, Inside Out 2 clears the head and warms the heart by living up to its predecessor’s emotional intelligence.
Synopsis: The little voices inside Riley’s head know her inside and out–but next summer, everything changes when Disney and Pixar’s Inside… [More]
Starring: Amy Poehler, Kensington Tallman, Maya Hawke, Lilimar
Directed By: Kelsey Mann
#24
Adjusted Score: 87731%
Critics Consensus: Unfolding at a gentle pace with an even more subdued sense of drama, Janet Planet revolves around Julianne Nicholson and Zoe Ziegler’s outstanding performances.
Synopsis: In rural Western Massachusetts, 11-year-old Lacy spends the summer of 1991 at home, enthralled by her own imagination and the… [More]
Starring: Julianne Nicholson, Zoe Ziegler, Elias Koteas, Will Patton
Directed By: Annie Baker
#25
Adjusted Score: 103028%
Critics Consensus: A rich and warm overview of Jim Henson’s life and career that avoids simplistic hagiography, Ron Howard’s documentary will give audiences a much clearer idea of the pioneering puppeteer’s artistry.
Synopsis: “Jim Henson Idea Man” takes us into the mind of this singular creative visionary, from his early years puppeteering on… [More]
Starring: Fran Brill, Jennifer Connelly, Dave Goelz, Brian Henson
Directed By: Ron Howard
#26
Adjusted Score: 85959%
Critics Consensus: A study of unbridled lust, Last Summer may not tell a new taboo story but is never less compelling for it.
Synopsis: With her first film in a decade, the fearless 75-year-old French auteur Catherine Breillat (Fat Girl, The Last Mistress) proves… [More]
Starring: Léa Drucker, Samuel Kircher, Olivier Rabourdin, Clotilde Courau
Directed By: Catherine Breillat
Adjusted Score: 94165%
Critics Consensus: A romp-antasy for revisionary souls, My Lady Jane has her cake and slays it too.
Starring: Emily Bader, Edward Bluemel, Jordan Peters
Directed By: Meredith Glynn, Sarah Bradshaw, Laurie MacDonald
Adjusted Score: 79311%
Critics Consensus:The Power is too ill-defined to do justice to its mighty potential, but the core idea is intriguing enough to give it a charge.
Starring: Toni Collette, Auli’i Cravalho, John Leguizamo, Toheeb Jimoh
Directed By: Naomi De Pear, Jane Featherstone, Reed Morano, Claire Wilson
Adjusted Score: 82243%
Critics Consensus: Enlivened by an outstanding ensemble, Presumed Innocent isn’t guilty of upstaging the original movie but acquits itself well as an entertaining courtroom drama.
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel
Directed By: Jake Gyllenhaal, David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams, Anne Sewitsky
Adjusted Score: 88561%
Critics Consensus: Compelling and flawed as its titular character, Queenie does justice to its acclaimed source material by fully embracing the messiness of coming into one’s own.
Starring: Dionne Brown, Michelle Greenidge, Mim Shaikh, Elisha Applebaum
Directed By: Candice Carty-Williams, Sarah Conroy, Steve November, Joelle Mae David
#31
Adjusted Score: 100563%
Critics Consensus: Grounded in raw humanity by Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn, this sideways entry into A Quiet Place finds fresh notes of fright to play amongst the silence.
Synopsis: Experience the day the world went quiet…. [More]
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou
Directed By: Michael Sarnoski
Adjusted Score: 95335%
Critics Consensus: Taking fresh risks with Star Wars lore while having infectious fun playing with the stylistic trappings of a galaxy far, far away, The Acolyte is a Padawan series with the potential to become a Master.
Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Carrie-Anne Moss
Directed By: Leslye Headland, Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff King
#33
Adjusted Score: 108557%
Critics Consensus: A stellar showcase for the talented June Squibb, Thelma avoids cheap laughs as it finds the lighter side of some serious issues.
Synopsis: Inspired by a real-life experience of director Josh Margolin’s own grandmother, THELMA puts a clever spin on movies like MISSION:… [More]
Starring: June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey
Directed By: Josh Margolin
#34
Adjusted Score: 98374%
Critics Consensus: A clever and stylish riff on the body horror that is puberty, Tiger Stripes is an exuberant allegory for personal agency as well as an impressive debut for writer-director Amanda Nell Eu.
Synopsis: The first amongst her friends to hit puberty, Zaffan, 12, discovers a terrifying secret about her body. Ostracized by her… [More]
Starring: Zafreen Zairizai, Deena Ezral, Piga, Sam Shaheizy
Directed By: Amanda Nell Eu
#35
Adjusted Score: 85428%
Critics Consensus: A meditation on mortality full of risky stylistic gambits, Tuesday achieves real grace thanks to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ committed performance and director Daina Oniunas-Pusic’s impressive ambition.
Synopsis: A mother (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, in a profoundly moving performance) and her teenage daughter (Lola Petticrew) must confront Death when it… [More]
Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lola Petticrew, Leah Harvey, Arinzé Kene
Directed By: Daina Oniunas-Pusic
#36
Adjusted Score: 85623%
Critics Consensus:Ultraman: Rising adds an interesting wrinkle of childrearing to the franchise’s high-octane formula, making for a colorful romp fit for the whole family.
Synopsis: With Tokyo under siege from rising monster attacks, baseball star Ken Sato reluctantly returns home to take on the mantle… [More]
Starring: Christopher Sean, Gedde Watanabe, Tamlyn Tomita, Keone Young
Directed By: Shannon Tindle, John Aoshima
Adjusted Score: 89545%
Critics Consensus: A Walking Dead spinoff that balances past and present without skimping on blockbuster scope, The Ones Who Live is a consistent treat for longtime fans.
Starring: Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira, Pollyanna McIntosh, Lesley-Ann Brandt
Directed By: Scott M. Gimple, Danai Gurira, Andrew Lincoln, Brian Bockrath
Adjusted Score: 78208%
Critics Consensus:The Woman in the Window‘s morbid mystery touches on real historical territory that it’s not always equipped to handle, but Ruth Wilson’s terrific performance provides ample enough reason to keep watching.
Starring: Ruth Wilson, Daryl McCormack, Simon Delaney, Philippa Dunne
Directed By: Simon Maxwell, Sam Lavender, Ruth Wilson, Harry Wootliff
