July is here, the heat is rising, and the streaming recommendations are coming in hot. Yes, it’s time for the Nerd’s Watch, the place to find out all the best genre titles coming to Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, and more. Plus, we do the work for you. These are just the titles we think you’ll care about.
What follows is a list of the best stuff on all the big streaming services. We look at all those long, annoying lists and whittle them down to a few dozen titles that we think are noteworthy this month. Some are new, some are old, but either way, we’ll tell you why you should care. Or at least joke about it.
The Real Ghostbusters (Seasons 1-5) (July 15 on Tubi)
We’re sure this official Ghostbusters animated series that debuted in 1986 has been available here and there, but with Netflix now working on its own new animated show, we thought you’d want to know where you can find this cult classic series on streaming.
Apollo 13 (July 1 on Netflix)
Houston, we don’t have a problem. One of Ron Howard’s best movies ever is on Netflix.
Heroes: Seasons 1-4 (July 1 on Netflix)
Remember this show? Some people may not. But 20 years ago, before Iron Man, before The Dark Knight, before The Avengers, Heroes was the pinnacle of the superhero world. Sure, the show suffered a bit in later seasons, but those first few? Iconic.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 1 on Netflix)
With Tom Holland’s latest Spider-Man film mere weeks away, Netflix is bringing his first full-length foray to its streaming service. And it’s a fun one.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (July 1 on Netflix)
Netflix is heavy into the business of Roald Dahl, and with the new Wonka reality show coming later this year, it’s smart to get two of the biggest adaptations of the franchise onto the service.
Memento (July 5 on Netflix)
Before Christopher Nolan was “Christopher Nolan,” the talented filmmaker put himself on the map with this unforgettable murder mystery told backwards. Or, in other words, .sdrawkcab dlot yretsym redrum elbattegrofnu siht htiw pam eht no flesmih tup rekammlif detnelat eht “,naloN rehpotsirhC” saw naloN rehpotsirhC erofeB.
The Tick (July 8 and 15 on Netflix)
Fans of The Tick, rejoice. Both the live-action version starring Peter Serafinowicz and “The Complete Series” of animated shows are coming to Netflix in July. The animated show drops on July 8, and the live action comes on July 15.
The Hunger Games series (July 14 on Netflix)
In November, the sixth Hunger Games film is coming to theaters. How can you get prepared? How about the first five—The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes—all coming to Netflix?
Hannibal: Seasons 1-3 (July 27 on Netflix)
Break out the fava beans and a nice Chianti. Mads Mikkelsen’s Hannibal series is coming to Netflix, and you know it’s going to give the murderer new life.
Interstellar (July 1 on Hulu)
With the release of The Odyssey on the way, it’s Christopher Nolan month across most streamers. You read about Memento, and his epic space adventure starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain is arriving on Hulu.
The Twilight Saga (July 1 on Hulu)
Looking for some vampire baseball action this July 4 weekend? Why not sit down with Edward, Bella, and the rest of the Twilight crew as all five Twilight movies—Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn Part 1, and Breaking Dawn Part 2—take a bite out of streaming?
Everything Everywhere All At Once (July 3 on Hulu)
The multiversal martial arts dramedy that won multiple Oscars, including Best Picture, returns to streaming. And though we don’t come back to this film all that much these days, it didn’t win all those Oscars by accident. It’s a banger. Also, it’s going to be on Tubi and Pluto TV on July 1.
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie (July 24 on Hulu)
One of our favorite movies of the year is this hilarious comedy about two friends who try to get their band a gig at a local venue and find themselves back in time. If you’ve seen the show it’s based on (Nirvanna the Band the Show) you’ll love it. And if you haven’t seen it? That might be even better. This is such a special movie.
X-Men ’97 Season 2 (July 1 on Disney+)
Cue the music. X-Men ’97, arguably Marvel Animation’s most famous and popular show, is back with a three-episode premiere and new episodes each week after.
The Evil Dead franchise (July 1 on HBO Max)
Lots of streaming ties to new movies in theaters this month. Spider-Man, Nolan, and next up is Evil Dead Rise, the latest film in the franchise Sam Raimi helped create. Raimi’s three Evil Dead movies—The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, and Army of Darkness—and the 2013 remake directed by Fede Álvarez are all arriving on HBO Max to watch before, or after, the new one.
The Mummy Franchise (July 1 on HBO Max)
This is awesome. Not only are the three Brendan Fraser Mummy movies—The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor—coming to HBO Max, but it’s also getting a deeper cut 1959 version starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
The Long Walk (July 10 on HBO Max)
This Stephen King adaptation about a group of young men who walk until they die is maybe the best movie of 2025 that you probably didn’t see. Fix that. Trust us. It’s a brutal, worthwhile ride.
Alita: Battle Angel (July 1 on Peacock)
James Cameron produced and Robert Rodriguez directed this weird manga adaptation starring Rosa Salazar as a killer cyborg who has lost her memories. It’s one of those movies that’s decent, but should be better than it is, so you want to revisit it every once in a while.
Big (July 1 on Peacock)
Break out the floor piano. Penny Marshall’s classic Tom Hanks comedy about a man who wishes to be big is back on streaming. And while some of it feels a tad dated (mostly, the dating), it’s still one of those movies we’ll love forever.
Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (July 1 on Peacock)
Since he started making big, prestige movies, we often lose sight of the fact that Guillermo del Toro directed multiple comic book movies early in his career. Two of those were Hellboy movies, which you can revisit on Peacock this month (the first film will also be on Netflix on July 1).
The Jaws franchise (July 1 on Peacock)
July is here, and that means two things. The beaches at Amity will be open. And it’s a perfect time to watch Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. Then, if you so desire, you can also watch Jaws 2, Jaws 3-D, and Jaws: The Revenge.
The Men in Black franchise (July 1 on Peacock)
Here come the Men in Black. *snap snap* Streaming now on Peacock. *snap snap* (All four films, in fact, even the really bad one without Will Smith in it.)
The Prestige (July 1 on Peacock)
No twists here. Just another Christopher Nolan favorite arriving on streaming in time for The Odyssey. This one stars Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as rival magicians. It’s a fan favorite.
War of the Worlds (July 1 on Peacock)
Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day is still in theaters, and if you’re craving some more Spielberg alien action, you can’t go wrong with this Tom Cruise action flick.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (July 1 on Peacock)
Robert Zemeckis directed this landmark action comedy that blends animation and live action in a way audiences had never quite seen back in 1988, and hasn’t quite been done as well since. P-p-p-please go check it out again!
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.