A Star is Born – Picture: Warner Bros. Pictures
A new month is here, and that means lots of new movies, and that’s especially true so far, with a few dozen movies having already touched down on the service. Which ones should be on your Netflix queue list for July? That’s where we step in to help – we’ve picked out our eight must-watch movies from Netflix’s new Original lineup and licensed library additions.
If you’re looking for more recommendations, we’ve covered several series coming up this month, including all the Netflix Originals we think you should watch, as well as licensed series. Want to see everything coming up? We’ve got you covered in our comprehensive preview for all of July’s new additions.
As always, we’ll split this article into two sections: first, we’ll examine the Netflix Original movies being added to the service globally and then address some of the US-specific licenses.
Best New Netflix Original Movies on Netflix
The Old Guard 2 (2025)
Coming to Netflix: July 3rd
The big new movie for the month, and arguably one of the biggest blockbusters Netflix has lined up for the summer, is the long-awaited return of Charlize Theron in The Old Guard. It’s been five years since the original touched down on Netflix and made an impression, justifying a sequel order, but numerous delays have meant that it’s been a long wait to see our favorite Immortals back on our screens.
At the time of publication, we already know what most critics think of the film, given that it has been out for a few days and the results are mixed to bad, honestly. One outlet has already dubbed the movie the worst of the year so far, and that’s somewhat backed up by its disappointing 25% Rotten Tomatoes score.
That said, our reviewer did enjoy the flick. Writing in his full review that can be read here, Andrew Morgan concluded, “The Old Guard 2 will give fans of the first film exactly what they could have wanted over this half decade. The same quality direction (kudos to Mahoney for not missing a beat) and fight choreography as the critically well-regarded original, a better villain performance from Thurman, and story elements so enticing that they decided to make it a cliffhanger to force a Part 3. While the Andromache/Quynh relationship could use some refinement for the franchise’s success moving forward, we should all have faith in Charlize’s talent and the source material from Rucka to deliver the proper story conclusion we all deserve.”
Brick (2025)
Coming to Netflix: July 9th
We’ve been tracking Brick for the best part of a couple of years now. Coming out of Germany, the movie sees Matthias Schweighöfer (best known for his role in Netflix’s Army of the Dead) teaming up with Ruby O. Fee in a distinct new horror thriller that has a plot you’d expect to see explained by an AI robot on one of those strange TikTok or YouTube accounts. The plot revolves around a couple who find themselves and all the other residents of a tower building surrounded by a brick wall and must work together to try and get out. This one will either be a big bust or a big win, and there won’t be much in between – we can’t wait to find out.
Happy Gilmore 2 (2025)
Coming to Netflix: July 25th
Serving as a long-awaited follow-up to the 1996 movie, Happy Gilmore 2 seeks to answer the question, “Exactly how many cameos can you stick in a movie before it’s no longer a movie?” The answer, at least the preliminary one, appears to be quite substantial. Little is still known about the sequel other than that Happy is back and has picked up the golf clubs once again.
Will this be lining up for an award at the Oscars season in 2026? Absolutely not. Will it be an enjoyable summer comedy blockbuster with one of the biggest hitmakers for Netflix? Absolutely yes.
Best New Licensed Movies on Netflix
A Star is Born (2018)
Coming to Netflix: July 8th
Moving over to licensed movies, A Star is Born is one of the big pickups from Warner Bros. Pictures this month, and this will mark the first ever time the 2018 movie has ever been on Netflix. It’s an opportune pickup given that in August, we’ll be seeing Lady Gaga perform in another on-screen role courtesy of the new season of Wednesday.
Beloved by critics and audiences alike, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga shine in this romantic musical. The movie actually serves as a remake, and while it seemed risky at the time, the results speak for themselves more than adequately. The plot revolves around a seasoned musician who falls in love with a fellow musician who is struggling to make a name for herself. Now boosted and firmly in the spotlight, their own personal relationship takes a turn.
Cora Bora (2023)
Coming to Netflix: July 17th (also includes Netflix UK)
Sticking to the theme of opportune licensing pickups, we’re pleased to see the little-known indie comedy Cora Bora join Netflix in July. Why is this an opportune pickup? That’s because we’re about to see a lot of its lead star, Megan Stalter, on her screens, given that she’s headlining the brand new Netflix show titled Too Much from the creator of HBO’s Girls, Lena Dunham. Stalter takes center stage in that series, and we suspect her standing is about to rocket, but she also put in a great performance in this rom-com.
Released a couple of years ago to widespread praise, earning a Certified Fresh score on RT, the movie follows Cora, who is heading home to win back her girlfriend and hopefully put her life back together. It is an easy task at first glance, but harder in practice. Aisle Seat said the movie is a “fresh, funny, and smart LGBT-themed anti-rom-com that deserves to find a big audience.” Hopefully, it can now find that bigger audience on Netflix.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Added to Netflix: July 1st
Picture: DreamWorks Pictures
Rewind back to the beginning of the month, and Netflix added just shy of 60 new movies as part of its first of the month rotation. As part of that group of new films, there were some fantastic comedy films that the streamer launched as part of a new initiative where it both licenses movies and showcases them in its owned theaters. Among the surprise additions were both of the Anchorman movies, with the first one, at my complete shock, having been released now 21 years ago. Where does the time go!?
While some of the jokes have certainly aged better than ever, it’s hard to think of a better film with a better ensemble of what are now considered to be comedy legends. These are only streaming for a limited time, so if you’re looking for a back-to-back comedy marathon, you could do a lot worse.
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Added to Netflix: July 1st
Staying with the July 1st additions, we come onto this very opportune licensing pickup from Netflix which is unexpected given that you’d expect the license for this particular film would rocket during July as a lot more people search out where it’s streaming but alas, Netflix either got lucky or was willing to spend to big bucks to pick up the excellent war biopic starring Tom Cruise.
Winning two Oscars and becoming for some an annual rewatch as the United States celebrates its independence, the movie tells the story of US Marine Ron Kovic, who is returning home after an active tour of duty in Vietnam to find a country that’s changed beyond his recognition, and even finds new changes in himself. A fan-favorite – it’s a great watch for July 4th.
A Hundred Flowers (2022)
Added to Netflix: July 1st
Also among the first of the month additions was a little Japanese feel-good drama that has not entered the top 10 so far. We suspect it is getting slightly buried by the algorithm, so let’s give it a nod here. Serving as Genki Kawamura’s directorial debut based on his novel, the plot revolves around Izumi, who is now facing the unfortunate position that all too many of us have to go through by taking care of his elderly mother, who is afflicted with dementia. If you love emotionally resonant stories about relationships and memory, with strong acting and visually stunning imagery, A Hundred Flowers is a quietly powerful film worth watching.
Those are our picks of the best new movies added to Netflix throughout July, but what are you watching? Let me know on social media or down in the comments.