Favorite: Good Luck to You Leo Grande
Welcome to the definitive guide of hot and fresh titles new to streaming this weekend, June 17th, 2022. Whether you’re looking for a full weekend binge or just a little inspiration for movie night, STW has you covered with picks for the best new shows and films being released this weekend across all platforms.
Spiderhead (Netflix)
One of Netflix’s BIG ACTION BLOCKBUSTERS of the summer, Spiderhead sees Top Gun: Maverick Joseph Kosinski right back at it with another high-flying adrenaline rush. The film follows two felons in a dystopian society of the future where the incarcerated are experimented on with emotion-altering drugs, imprisoned with little hope of escape.
This one has a ton of star wattage including Chris Hemsworth (Avengers), Miles Teller (Fantastic Four), and Jurnee Smollet (Lovecraft Country). The film is based on George Saunder’s short story “Escape from the Spiderhead” and heads to Netflix on Friday, June 17th.
The Old Man (Hulu)
In remission after months of chemotherapy to treat his lymphoma (which coincided with a severe case of COVID), Jeff Bridges is back on screens again in The Old Man, an action series following a former CIA operative on the run from those who wish him dead.
After decades of being known for the philosophical and easy-going Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski of The Big Lebowski, Bridges changes speeds, shifting into high gear for the six-episode action series. Helmed by Gone Baby Gone scribe Robert Levine, the show follows a grizzled CIA retiree who is forced to abandon his life off the grid to escape assassination.
After a Thursday night premiere on FX, the first episode is available to stream on Friday, June 17th.
Good Luck to You Leo Grande (Hulu)
“Anybody can get it” is the message of Emma Thompson vehicle Good Luck to You Leo Grande. Thompson stars as Nancy Stokes, a 55-year-old widow looking for love. Well, not love maybe, but definitely sex. And good sex. Nancy has never had an orgasm, and she’s on a mission to change that.
So she hires a charming and patient male escort, the titular Leo Grande (Dylan McCormack), to get the job done. Through the course of the film, it becomes clear that what Nancy is truly looking for is less a mind-blowing orgasm and more of a life-affirming moment that would provide her with the validation and vindication necessary to fuel acceptance of herself, her body, and her own sexual desires.
It’s a narrative all too familiar to women of any age, and the subject is handled deftly by two young female creators, with Sophie Hyde (best known for Animals) directing and Thompson collaborator Katy Brand as writer and creator.
Good Luck to You Leo Grande premieres on Hulu on June 17th.
The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
The Hargreeves are back for a third season at The Umbrella Academy, and they’re still keeping it all in the family. After a time jump leads to a time paradox where the Umbrella Academy is replaced by the Sparrow Academy, the gang must navigate the “blitz” of chaos and confusion before it swallows up their reality and time and itself.
The new season has been much-anticipated, with Netflix and showrunners being acknowledged in the press for their thoughtful handling of integrating Elliot Page’s transition into the show. Giving a masterclass on how to affirm gender identity, Netflix infamously changed Page’s credit in the series the day the actor made the announcement. And now, the narrative of the show reflects Page’s true identity as Vanya makes way for Viktor.
Fans will meet Viktor for the first time when Season 3 premieres on June 22nd.
Joel Kim Booster: Psychosexual (Netflix)
Coming off the buzz and critical success of the LGBTQ Jane Austen adaptation Fire Island, actor, producer, and writer Joel Kim Booster can add another credit to his IMDb page: stand-up comedian.
Having written romcom Fire Island and episodes of the HBO Max hit comedy The Other Two, Booster knows how to get a laugh. And he puts his comedic timing and talents to good use in Psychosexual, a new comedy special joining Netflix’s growing catalogue of new specials streaming for summer.
In Pyschosexual, Booster takes the stage to discuss some of the nuances of the Asian-American experience and also riffs on leaked selfies, dining at P.F. Chang’s, keeping secrets, and why cats are better than dogs.
Booster’s new special starts streaming on June 21st.