As the calendar flips over to July, Netflix is wasting no time in dropping some of its buzziest releases of the summer.
Whether you’re craving a dose of real-life corporate drama, explosive supernatural action, or dark fantasy with a dreamlike twist, next week’s slate has you covered. In this post, we’re going to offer a rundown of three standout titles landing on the streamer that absolutely deserve a spot on your watchlist — and they include a new docuseries, a sequel to a hit Netflix original movie, and the final season of a cult favorite Netflix original TV series.
Let’s start with an upcoming documentary film I also previewed in a separate post, as it’s actually one of five Trainwreck-branded documentaries coming to Netflix in July.
Readers of a certain age won’t need reminding, but it’s hard to overstate just how massive American Apparel was in the mid-2000s. Known for its sexually provocative ads, the company became a fashion retail titan in part through its eyebrow-raising marketing — while its inner workings were pretty much a mess.
Directed by Sally Rose Griffiths, Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel dives into the chaotic rise and fall of the company through the eyes of the people who actually lived through that fall. At the center of the story is founder Dov Charney, a controversial figure accused of creating a toxic, cult-like workplace. Expect behind-the-scenes revelations, disturbing allegations, and plenty of black-and-white photos that might have you scratching your head and wondering just what the heck we were all thinking back then.
The immortal mercenaries are back.
After breaking into the Netflix Top 10 in 2020, The Old Guard became an unexpected summer hit. The sequel is now upon us and brings back Charlize Theron as Andy, the once-immortal warrior now grappling with her mortality. With old betrayals still fresh, including Quynh’s thirst for vengeance, the team faces a mysterious new threat that could expose their existence and unravel centuries of secrecy.
Directed by Victoria Mahoney, The Old Guard 2 ups the ante with international set pieces, emotionally charged stunts, and new cast members Uma Thurman and Henry Golding. As co-creator Greg Rucka put it in an interview with Netflix’s Tudum, “What I find most fascinating about these immortal characters is that fundamentally, they all face the same questions we do: ‘What am I doing here? What is the purpose of my life?’” Bottom line, this sequel is set to deliver bigger brawls and new scenery, with a director and star both intent on entertaining and wowing us.
The Sandman: Season 2, Volume 1 (Streaming July 3)
Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman returns with the first half of its second and final season, continuing the saga of Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams. Volume 1 picks up just weeks after the Season 1 finale, with Dream (Tom Sturridge) rebuilding his kingdom while trying to leave the past behind. But in the world of The Sandman, the past never stays buried.
Season 2 promises to be even more visually arresting, and it will take viewers on a journey through time and space, from ancient Greece to Elizabethan England — in addition to introducing new characters like Delirium (Esmé Creed-Miles), the youngest and most unpredictable member of the Endless. Showrunner Allan Heinberg told Netflix’s Tudum the returning cast and crew used everything they learned in Season 1 to raise the stakes creatively. “Change is … essential to all life,” Heinberg notes, a fitting sentiment for a story about immortal beings trying to evolve.
