Updated on 17 July: Summer is well and truly upon us. And, whether it proves to be a scorcher or a total washout, Netflix is doing all it can to keep us entertained throughout July. Which means, yes, the streaming platform is dropping a dazzling selection of new films and TV shows for us to enjoy.

True-crime fans will no doubt want to check out Unsolved Mysteries, a docuseries that looks into six different stories of murders that never got solved. JU-ON: Origins takes all the horror of The Grudge and transforms it into a spine-tingling TV series. And fantasy thriller The Old Guard looks set to be this summer’s big blockbuster.

Elsewhere, Yvonne Strahovski – aka Serena Joy from The Handmaid’s Tale – stars in Stateless, a series all about four strangers who meet at an Australian immigration detention centre. Nostalgic favourite The Baby-Sitters Club is getting a fresh new reboot for summer, too, and there’s the highly anticipated second season of The Umbrella Academy, either.

And let’s not forget about Cursed, the much-anticipated ‘feminist twist’ on the classic Arthurian legends, either.

As reported on 1 July 2020: as we said, it’s a dazzling selection. And so, without any further ado, here’s our pick of the best TV and films coming to Netflix in July 2020. 

Happy viewing.

#Anne Frank – Parallel Stories (1 July) 

In this thought-provoking documentary, Helen Mirren retraces Anne Frank’s life through the pages of her diary, and through the lives of five woman who, as young girls, were also deported to concentration camps but escaped the Holocaust.

The Secret Garden (1 July )

In this classic tale for all ages, a spoiled young girl finds herself transformed when she uncovers a secret garden which has been neglected and hidden for years. Slowly but surely, the magic of the outdoors winds its spell upon her and the entire household, setting in motion a chain of wonders.

Enchanted Kingdom (1 July)

Narrated by Idris Elba, Enchanted Kingdom takes viewers on a spell-binding journey through earthly realms to display the natural world at its most ethereal.

Watch the trailer below:

Unsolved Mysteries (1 July)

In this revival of the iconic docuseries of the same name, we revisit real cases of perplexing disappearances, shocking murders, and… paranormal encounters?

You can read all about it here.

JU-ON: Origins (3 July)

In this chilling horror series, a paranormal researcher searches obsessively for a cursed home where something terrible happened to a mother and her child long ago.

Desperados (3 July)

Fancy a light-hearted romcom? In Desperarados, hopeless romantic Wes drunkenly fires off a cringeworthy email to her new boyfriend. Cue her planning a trip to Mexico with her best friends to erase the note before he sees it…

The Baby-Sitters Club (3 July)

Penned by author Ann M. Martin, The Baby-Sitters Club book series followed the lives of a group of friends living in Stoneybrook, Connecticut, and sold 176 million copies. With titles like Dawn and the Older Boy, Stacey’s Secret Friend, and Jessi’s Big Break, the series taught young readers about relationships, dealing with family issues, and provided lessons for overcoming jealousy and coping with competitive situations. And now, just in time for 2020, it’s been given a fresh live-action remake.

Read our spoiler-free review of the show here.

Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (8 July)

Mucho Mucho Amor tells the story of celebrated astrologer Walter Mercado, who mysteriously disappeared from the public eye in 2007. And this absorbing and affectionate tribute to Mercado’s life has gone down a treat with fans, achieving a whopping 100% ‘fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Stateless (8 July)

This TV series follows four people caught up in an immigration system that severely impacts their lives, with each character confronting issues around protection and border control in a different way.

Read our spoiler-free review of the show here.

The Old Guard (10 July)

Led by a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron), a covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. But when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it’s up to Andy and Nile (KiKi Layne), the newest soldier to join their ranks, to help the group eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary. Marwan Kenzari and Chiwetel Ejiofor also star.

Watch the trailer below:

The Claudia Kishi Club (10 July)

As per Netflix’s press release, The Claudia Kishi Club takes a closer look at Claudia Kishi, one of the main characters in the best-selling Baby-Sitters Club books, and the enormous impact she had.

“She was one of the only Asian Americans in 80s-90s popular culture,” reads the release. “Not only was Claudia a rare Asian American protagonist, but she also defied stereotypical portrayals of Asian characters: she was creative, popular, and (gasp!) bad at school. For readers who craved seeing themselves in the media they consumed – not as exotic others or token sidekicks, but as fully realised human beings – Claudia was a revelation.”

Fatal Affair (16 July)

Omar Epps and Nia Long haven’t appeared on screen together since 1999, but they’re set to reunite in this dark thriller. 

From the team who brought us Secret Obsession, Fatal Affair sees Ellie do her best to mend her marriage with her husband Marcus after a brief encounter with an old friend, David. However, she soon discovers that David is more dangerous and unstable than she realised…

Cursed (17 July)

In this new  take on the Arthurian legend, teenager Nimue joins forces with mercenary Arthur on a quest to find Merlin and deliver an ancient sword.

Based on the bestselling book of the same title, you can rest assured that there’s more to Nimue than meets the eye. And, while critic reviews haven’t been overwhelmingly positive, all who’ve watched it have agreed that it’s very watchable and packed full of fun moments. So… good easy weekend viewing, right?

Searching (24 July)

Everyone was talking about this mystery thriller when it first hit cinemas back in 2018. Expect twists galore as a worried father files a complaint in order to find his missing daughter, only to uncover a string of hidden truth unravels when he checks her laptop.

Good Girls: Season 3 (26 July)

One of the most popular shows on Netflix UK, Good Girls follows the adventures of suburban moms Beth, Ruby, and Annie after they end up laundering money for a dangerous drug kingpin and taking profits for themselves to help with their individual crises. Trust us when we say you’re going to want to set aside a weekend for this on: you’re going to want to binge the whole thing.

Watch the trailer below:

The Umbrella Academy: Season 2 (31 July)

Fans of The Umbrella Academy will be delighted to know that their superhero family is back this month with a highly-anticipated second season. Following the catastrophic events of the season one finale, the gang has been blasted back through space and time, winding up in Dallas in the 60s. However, the team has been split up in the process, each arriving in Dallas at a slightly different point in history…  

This article was originally published on 17 June, but has been updated throughout with new titles.

All images: Netflix