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A new month means another batch of films and television shows to add to your Netflix list.
The streaming service will attempt to keep subscribers from the sunshine this June with a number of new titles, ranging from returning TV shows and intriguing films.
TV wise, the biggest release is the fifth series of Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones's Black Mirror . The dystopian anthology series will return for three new episodes that'll features Anthony Mackie, Andrew Scott and Miley Cyrus. Then there's the second season of Dark , the German time travel mystery drama from Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar that first scored rave reviews from critics back in 2017.
Ahead of The Irishman , the gangster film set to be released later this year, Martin Scorsese will unveil his latest Bob Dylan documentary, which will look back at the musician's Rolling Thunder Revue tour from 1975.
In terms of films, subscribers will be able to watch Marvel's Spider-Man: Homecoming , Rush and Creed II .
You can find a full list of every movie and TV show joining Netflix this month below.
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missedShow all 20 1 /20Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Money Heist (TV series, one season, 2017–) Known as La Casa de Papel (House of Paper) in its native Spanish, Money Heist is Netflix’s most streamed non-English language show. The bank heist is a tired dramatic trope these days, but don’t let that, or the show’s bland English-language title, put you off – creator Álex Pina has made something special. The heist here, led by a mysterious man known only as The Professor, involves breaking into the Royal Mint of Spain and printing off €2.4 billion. There are even more twists in the show’s 15 episodes than there are hostages.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed American Vandal (TV series, two seasons, 2017–2018) Part satire of true crime documentaries such as Making a Murderer, part carefully observed portrayal of teenage life, American Vandal was criminally underappreciated during its two season run. It’s been cancelled now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t catch up with it, and then write Netflix a strongly worded email.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed One Day at a Time (TV series, two seasons, 2017–) In stark contrast to the off-beat, low-key comedy that currently rules TV – the kind that provokes a wry smirk rather than a hearty laugh – One Day at a Time is a big, bright sitcom filmed in front of an interminably enthusiastic studio audience. You wouldn’t have thought that the story of a Cuban-American army veteran / nurse / single mother – who suffers from PTSD and depression – would fit into this format, but it does so beautifully, tackling issues of sexuality, racism and sexism in the process.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Private Life (Film, 2018) Based on writer / director Tamara Jenkins’s own fertility struggles, Private Life stars Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti (both giving brilliant performances) as a spiky, loving middle-aged couple desperate to have a baby. They even rope their enthusiastic but irresponsible niece Sadie (Kayli Carter) into the mix, much to the horror of Sadie’s mother (Molly Shannon, turning a potentially repellent character into one worthy of empathy). It’s subtle, restrained and beautifully realised.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Big Mouth (TV series, two seasons, 2017–) Crude, rude, and rife with surprise emissions and bodily functions, animated sitcom Big Mouth is also a sensitive, nuanced deep dive into the various horrors of teenagehood. When 12-year-old Andrew Glouberman (John Mulaney) is visited by the hormone monster (Nick Kroll, who voices many of the show’s best characters), he finds his life irreversibly – and seemingly disastrously – changed. Unlike many other puberty-centred comedies, Big Mouth makes as much time for its confused female protagonists as its male ones; Maya Rudolph is a delight as the female hormone monster, and look out for Kristen Wiig’s wonderful turn as a talking vagina.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Easy (TV series, two seasons, 2016–) Joe Swanberg’s style of defiantly undramatic mumblecore isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoyed his earlier films, Drinking Buddies and Happy Christmas, you’ll find plenty to admire in this anthology comedy-drama series. Big-name stars such as Orlando Bloom and Aubrey Plaza crop up, but Jane Adams – who you might remember from Todd Solondz’s chronically depressing 1998 film Happiness – is the show’s heart, and Marc Maron is its jaded soul.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Love (TV series, three seasons, 2016–2018) Community’s Gillian Jacobs is brilliant as the prickly, magnetic recovering addict Mickey, who forms an unlikely – and arguably deeply unwise – relationship with her nerdy neighbour Gus (Paul Rust). Despite Gus’s pathological need to be the nice guy, we’re never quite sure who or what we’re rooting for – which is what makes Love such complex, compelling viewing.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Patton Oswalt: Annihilation (stand-up special, 2017) In 2016, comedian Patton Oswalt’s wife, the true crime writer Michelle McNamara, died suddenly in her sleep. That subject matter doesn’t exactly scream “stand-up special”, but out of his devastating loss, Oswalt managed to craft something funny and profound. Over the course of an hour, he processes his grief onstage, managing to find humour in the struggle to raise his grieving six-year-old daughter alone.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Santa Clarita Diet (TV series, two seasons, 2017–) Granted, this horror-comedy – which stars Drew Barrymore as a neurotic real estate agent who suddenly develops a taste for human flesh – is really silly, and really, really disgusting. But it’s also strangely charming, and funny. Timothy Olyphant is excellent as Sheila’s frazzled husband Joel, and the pair’s idiosyncratic but respectful relationship with their smart teenage daughter Abby (Liv Hewson) isn’t quite like anything else on TV right now.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Dark Tourist (TV series, one season, 2018–) New Zealand journalist David Farrier is an unlikely TV presenter in the same way that Louis Theroux is – in just about every scenario in which he finds himself, he’s a little bit awkward. But as with Theroux, Farrier’s weakness is actually his strength, allowing him to endear himself to the many unusual people he meets on his journey through the world’s most questionable tourist destinations. Farrier’s stops include the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the road where JFK was assassinated, and the Milwaukee suburbs where serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer murdered his victims.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Sacred Games (TV series, one season, 2018–) Based on Vikram Chandra’s epic 2006 novel, Netflix’s first Indian original series is a slowly unfolding gem. The first season of Sacred Games – which follows a troubled police officer (Saif Ali Khan) who has 25 days to save his city thanks to a tip-off from a presumed dead gangster – only covered one quarter of Chandra’s 1,000-page novel. As the show itself declared when it announced the forthcoming second season, “the worst is yet to come”.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Dumplin’ (Film, 2018) When the trailer for Dumplin’ first landed, it seemed all the ingredients were in place for a film that was at worst tone-deaf, and at best vaguely patronising. Thank heavens, then, that the trailer did Dumplin’ such a disservice. Starring Danielle Macdonald (who broke out in the excellent 2017 film Patti Cake$) as Willowdean, a self-described “fat girl” who enters a local pageant to annoy her former beauty queen mother (Jennifer Aniston), Dumplin’ is as funny, warm and sensitive as its protagonist – and with a killer Dolly Parton-laden soundtrack to boot.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Dark (TV series, one season, 2017–) This sci-fi thriller – which features disappearing children, a mysterious local power plant, and scenes set in the Eighties – has, for obvious reasons, drawn comparisons to Stranger Things. But Dark is even more beguiling and (true to its name) less family-friendly than Stranger Things.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson (Film, 2017) Though it’s been somewhat tarnished by claims that director David France appropriated the work and research of trans film-maker Reina Gossett, this documentary is nonetheless a loving, respectful tribute to gay rights activist Marsha P Johnson. One of the key figures in the Stonewall uprising (though her involvement was almost entirely eradicated in 2015’s critically hated Stonewall), Johnson modelled for Andy Warhol, performed onstage with drag group Hot Peaches, helped found the Gay Liberation Front, and then died under suspicious circumstances in 1992.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed On My Block (TV series, one season, 2018–) This coming-of-age series might not have found as many eyeballs as it deserved last year, but those it did find were glued to the screen. In fact, it was the most-binged show of 2018 – meaning that it had the highest watch-time-per-viewing session of any Netflix original. Created by Awkward’s Lauren Iungerich, On My Block follows a group of Los Angeles teens as they navigate both the drama of high school and the danger of inner-city life.
John O Flexor/Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Set It Up (Film, 2018) Two beleaguered assistants (Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell) conspire to get their over-demanding bosses (Taye Diggs and Lucy Liu) together in order to get their lives back in this winning romantic comedy. Set It Up is responsible not only for coining the term “over-dicking” (it’s much more innocent than it sounds), but for rejuvenating a tired genre.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Cargo (Film, 2017) Martin Freeman stars as the father struggling to protect his young daughter from a zombie epidemic spreading across Australia. So far, so overdone. But this drama thriller, directed by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke and based on their 2013 short of the same name, throws a handful of unpredictable spanners in the works.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed 3% (TV series, two season, 2016–) Like a cross between The Hunger Games and CW series The 100, this Brazilian dystopian thriller, set in an unspecified future, revolves largely around an impoverished community known as the Inland. Every year, each 20-year-old takes part in a series of tests; the highest scoring 3% will be chosen to live in paradise in the Offshore. It is an intriguing and addictive commentary on class and privilege.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Godless (TV series, one season, 2017–) With shades of John Ford's The Searchers, this languorous western was critically acclaimed but swiftly forgotten after it landed on Netflix in 2016. Set in 1884, it's about Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) and his notoriously ruthless gang of outlaws’ pursuit of their injured former ally Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), who is hiding out in a small town populated solely by women after a mining accident killed off all its men. A gun-toting Michelle Dockery, clearly relishing the change of scenery after years of Downton Abbey, and a taciturn Jack O’Connell, are on brilliant form.
Netflix
Hidden gems: The best Netflix originals you might have missed Atypical (TV series, two seasons, 2017–) This coming-of-age series about a teenage boy with autism was sweet and well-intentioned from the start, but its first season was criticised for a handful of inaccuracies, and for its lack of autistic actors. Rather than drowning in a sea of defensiveness – as too many shows tend to do – it listened, and brought in autistic actors and writers for its excellent second season.
Netflix
ORIGINAL SERIES
1 June
Arthdal Chronicles
Arthdal Chronicles depicts the birth of civilisation and nations in ancient times. It is a story of mythical heroes, their struggle, unity and love of people living in a virtual land called Arth. The storyline of Arthdal Chronicles is centred around the ancient city of Arthdal, established on Arth. Eunseom relentlessly fights to protect his own tribe and has strong protective instincts. Tagon is very charismatic and most talented, yet overwhelmingly dangerous. Tanya is the successor of Wahan Tribe clan mother, who realizes her destiny to protect her own people against other powerful tribes. Taealha is the most beautiful lady in Arthdal, and has the strongest desire for power.
5 June
Happy! season two
Newly sober-ish, Nick struggles to be a solid family man during the Easter season even as villains arise that threaten to unloose his personal demons.
Black Mirror season five
"SMS": A cab driver with an agenda becomes the centre of attention on a day that rapidly spirals out of control.
:SV": Two estranged college friends reunite in later life, triggering a series of events that could alter their lives forever.
"RJAT": A lonely teenager yearns to connect with her favourite pop star - whose charmed existence isn’t quite as rosy it appears...
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
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Try for free 7 June
3% season three
Michele creates an idyllic Inland sanctuary that's open to all, but when a crisis hits, she's forced to design a selection process of her own.
Tales of the City
Returning to San Francisco after a long absence, Mary Ann Singleton reunites with the colourful community of LGBTQ characters at 28 Barbary Lane.
Designated Survivor season 3
The gloves come off as Kirkman launches his election campaign amidst ethical quandaries, international incidents and a new terrorism threat at home.
13 June
Jinn
When a school trip to Petra turns deadly, some students suspect supernatural forces are to blame. Back home, a mysterious boy appears before Mira.
14 June
Unité 42
A widowed cop tapped to lead a special cybercrimes unit teams up with a former hacker to hunt down tech-savvy criminals who are terrorising Belgium.
Leila
Leila , from writer and executive producer Urmi Juvekar, based on a book by Prayaag Akbar, tells the story of Shalini, a free-thinking woman in search of the daughter she lost upon her arrest 16 years earlier. Set in the near future, this inventive, boundary-breaking story centres around longing, faith and loss.
Awake: The Million Dollar Game
Sleepless for 24 hours, contestants in this comedy game show stumble through challenges both eccentric and mundane for a chance at a $1m prize.
Charité at War
During World War II, the patients and staff at Berlin's Charité hospital grapple with Nazis, eugenics and euthanasia.
21 June
Ad Vitam
In an age of medical technology that allows humans to live forever young, a cop and a rebellious 20-something investigate a mass suicide of seven teens.
Dark season two
As the date for the apocalyptic Last Cycle approaches, Winden's families discover that they play a critical role in the fate of their world.
Girls Incarcerated season two
A year after Madison Juvenile closed, a new group of girls at LaPorte Juvenile Correctional Facility navigate the challenges of teen life behind bars.
Mr Iglesias
Stand-up phenom Gabriel Iglesias stars in this series as a good-natured high school history teacher who tries to help gifted misfit kids.
Bolívar
This dramatisation depicts the life — and loves — of Venezuelan leader Simón Bolívar, who helped several countries gain independence from Spain.
The Confession Tapes season two
They confessed to horrible crimes they claim they never really committed. But why? Four more stories tackle the tricky question.
27 June
Answer for Heaven
A righteous fallen angel must work and live with a rating-obsessed reporter to investigate crimes in a highly competitive office environment.
28 June
Dope season three
Around the world, from Los Angeles to Rotterdam, the war on drugs rages on as users and addicts remain caught in the middle.
The Chosen One
Three young doctors sent to a remote village in Pantanal to vaccinate residents find themselves trapped in an isolated community shrouded in secrets.
Best films on NetflixShow all 28 1 /28Best films on Netflix Netflix's recommendation algorithm is pretty sophisticated these days, to the point where it can probably determine not only what you want to watch next, but what you'll eat for breakfast 13 years on Wednesday and the thread count of your sheets. And yet, it still has a tendency to spit out some peculiar recommendations. Double features like The Boss Baby: Back in Business and Full Metal Jacket, presumably the result of a four-year-old relative having briefly taken charge of your account. Sometimes you just can't beat a good old-fashioned human recommendation. So here's a list of exclusively great films, from renowned and revered award winners to lesser-known gems.
Rex
Best films on Netflix The Wolf of Wall Street (2013. Dir. Martin Scorsese, stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey) It's strange that this title doesn't often rank high in "best Scorsese movies" lists, given that it is so accomplished at every level of production. Compelling, shocking and very, very funny, it tells the story of Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), a ruthless stockbroker whose fraudulence and market manipulation afforded him an incredibly opulent and debauched lifestyle - until the feds closed in. Cast to perfection, this is the film that cemented Jonah Hill as more than just a stoner comedy actor (so desperate was he to achieve his dream of appearing in a Scorsese film that he offered to perform his key role in Wall Street for free).
Paramount Pictures
Best films on Netflix Crazy Stupid Love (2011. Dir. Glenna Ficarra and John Requa, stars Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone) Write off this movie as a throwaway romcom because of its sappy title at your peril. Centring on a divorcee (Carell) being reeducated on single life by a suave younger man (Gosling), Crazy, Stupid, Love starts out a light watch that packs a lot of laughs. It's working away on your soul, though, and by the end this surprisingly profound comic drama will have you in tears.
Warner Bros.
Best films on Netflix Seven (1995. Dir. David Fincher, stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey) Criminally overlooked at the Oscars (it only received one nomination - Best Film Editing) Se7en became the blueprint for the neo-noir crime thriller. Two detectives (Pitt and Freeman) stalk a serial killer whose murders are inspired by the seven deadly sins. The film moves through them with great pace and suspense, before concluding with an unforgettably macabre twist.
New Line Cinema
Best films on Netflix Scarface (1983. Dir. Brian De Palma, stars Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer) Come for the mafia story, stay for the 1980s nostalgia. De Palma brought style and emotion to this fairly simple story of a Cuban refugee turned drug kingpin, a rambunctious mix of artful relationship drama and gory, pulp action movie. It's always a pleasure to soak up the pastel neon of 1980s Miami, the iconic new wave soundtrack, and the fearsome, immersive lead performance from Al Pacino. That I nearly wrote "stars Tony Montana" above says it all.
Universal Pictures
Best films on Netflix Girl, Interrupted (1999. Dir. James Mangold, stars Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Brittany Murphy, Elisabeth Moss) 1999 was a vintage year for cinema and this drama was ahead of its time, both in its brutally honest exploration of mental health and its overwhelmingly female cast. Kaysen (Ryder) is on the surface of it one of the less severe cases at Claymoore psychiatric hospital, but, as she is led astray by the other rebellious patients (Jolie et al), her manipulative personality has an insidious effect on them all.
Columbia Pictures
Best films on Netflix Whiplash (2014. Dir. Damien Chazelle, stars Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons) This is one of the very best movies about music, and it had a budget of $3 million. You don't have to be particularly into jazz nor drumming to appreciate this meditation on creative discipline. It's a fireworks display of a film which overloads the senses and will have you so close to the edge of your seat as to risk back injury.
Sony Pictures
Best films on Netflix The Social Network (2010. Dir. David Fincher, stars Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Rooney Mara, Justin Timberlake) As with The Big Short, this biopic was hard to get excited about when it was first announced – the story of Facebook's rise from dorm room prank to world-changing social network didn't appear to be particularly dramatic on the surface of it. Thanks to a razor sharp script from Aaron Sorkin, Eisenberg's performance as Facebook founder and neurotic genius Mark Zuckerberg, and Nine Inch Nails's Trent Reznor's driving score, it is however an absolute pleasure to spend 120 minutes with. In light of recent events surrounding Facebook, I only wish we were going to get a Social Network 2.
Columbia Pictures
Best films on Netflix La La Land (2016. Dir. Damien Chazelle, stars Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone) If you take my Whiplash recommendation and have a good time with Chazelle's breakthrough feature, you'll be pleased to hear his follow-up is also on Netflix. La La Land isn't quite as easy to love but stunningly executed. It's a love letter to classic Hollywood unfolding through the lives of a struggling musician and actor (Gosling and Stone).
Summit Entertainment
Best films on Netflix Atonement (2007. Dir. Joe Wright, stars Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan, Benedict Cumberbatch) This beautifully-acted adaptation of the Ian McEwan novel centres on precocious 13-year-old writer Briony Tallis (Ronan) and the lives she irreversibly changes when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he didn't commit. The cinematography is breathtaking; you'll want to hang stills from the film on your wall.
Universal Pictures
Best films on Netflix Good Will Hunting (1997. Dir. Gus Van Sant, stars Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver) Damon and Affleck penned one of the all-time great scripts here, telling the story of a kid from the wrong side of the tracks in Boston (Damon) who happens to also be a self-taught maths genius. Robin Williams gives an unforgettably tender performance as his therapist, as the film probes deep philosophical questions and examines the worth of knowledge.
Miramax
Best films on Netflix Children of Men The year is 2027, and two decades of human infertility have left society in ruins. This is no mild dystopia – there's only one functioning government left in the world. Clive Owen plays civil servant who (mild to medium spoiler alert) who discovers a refugee is pregnant and must get her to safety amid chaos and rioting. Engrossing from start to finish, the thriller is notable for its daring single-shot sequences, which saw long strings of action captured in one take thanks to some nifty camerawork.
Alamy
Best films on Netflix Rain Man This comedy road movie swept the board at the 1988 Oscars, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Dustin Hoffman. His chemistry with Cruise is fabulous to watch. Cruise's hustler character finds his inheritance has been given to an autistic savant brother (Hoffman) he knew nothing about. He initially tries to exploit Raymond's gift for numbers, but ends up warming to him and the pair establish an unusual and touching sibling relationship. Rain Man also features on our list of movie mistakes that only made their scenes better.
Best films on Netflix Fantastic Mr Fox (2009. Dir. Wes Anderson, stars George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray) Almost a decade before Isle of Dogs came Anderson's first foray into stop-motion animation, an adaptation of Roald Dahl's 1970 children's novel, Fantastic Mr Fox. As quirky and detail-orientated as you would expect for the auteur, this is a film made with a lot of love that will please viewers of all generations.
20th Century Fox
Best films on Netflix Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016. Dir. Aktiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, stars Andy Bamberg, Schaffer, Taccone, Joan Cusack, Maya Rudolph) The Lonely Island gang give the modern pop industry a much needed ribbing in this mockumentary, which centres on a Justin Bieber-esque popstar known as Connor4Real (Samberg) as he ditches his boyband mates and embarks on a solo career. Hugely funny, it skewers everything from stadium show gimmicks to celebrities' use of social media. Keep your eyes people for an amazing TMZ parody.
Universal Pictures
Best films on Netflix 20th Century Women (2016. Dir. Mike Mills, stars Annette Benning, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig) Given the male egos on the geopolitical stage at the minute, there's something quite timely about this story of a boy being raised by women amid a spirit of freedom prevalent in Santa Barbara in 1979. Annette Benning shows why she is one of Hollywood's greats, in an increasingly rare lead role.
A24
Best films on Netflix Nightcrawler (2014. Dir. Dan Gilroy, stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Riz Ahmed) Realising that his sensitive demeanour is actually weirdly creepy was the best thing Gyllenhaal could do for his career. With Nightcrawler, he quit playing heroic soldiers and explorers and took on a sinister video journalist obsessed with covering the most grim and violent crime scenes he can scramble to. An underrated thriller with a lot to say about American news consumption.
Open Road Films
Best films on Netflix Loving Vincent (2017. Dir. Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, stars Saoirse Ronan, Helen McCrory, Aidan Turner) Each of this film's 65,000 frames is an oil painting on canvas, created painstakingly by a team of artists employing the same techniques as Vincent van Gogh. If that fact doesn't get you to at least stick this film on and give it a chance to draw you in, I don't know what will.
Altitude
Best films on Netflix Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017. Dir. Miloš Forman, stars Jim Carrey) A film about Jim Carrey's portrayal of Andy Kaufman in 1999 film Man on the Moon might sound niche, but this documentary transcends its behind-the-scenes premise. Carrey stayed in character for the entire production of the biopic, infuriating and inspiring his co-stars. Here we find out why, and get to spend some time in Carrey's mind, which is not always a very happy place to be. A surprisingly moving watch.
Netflix
Best films on Netflix The Invitation (2015. Dir Karyn Kusama, stars Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard) There's neither witchcraft nor unexplained supernatural goings on in this horror, which takes place entirely at an incredibly awkward dinner party. The hosts will just not stop being creepy. Protagonist Will seems to be the only guest convinced something is not quite right, but is it all in his head?
Drafthouse
Best films on Netflix Nymphomaniac volumes I & II (2013. Dir. Lars von Trier, stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgård, Shia LaBeouf, Christian Slater, Jamie Bell, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe) The third part of Lars von Trier's so-called "Depression Trilogy" (following Antichrist and Melancholia), Nymphomaniac is probably the experimental director's most accessible film. Separated into two parts, it chronicles a young woman's (Stacy Martin and later Gainsbourg) sexual history, and the often dangerous impact it has on her life.
Les Films du Losange
Best films on Netflix Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011. Dir. David Gelb, stars Jiro Ono) Certainly the best film ever made about sushi and possibly the best film ever made about food, Jiro Dreams of Sushi centres on 85-year-old Jiro Ono, the owner of a Michelin three-star restaurant located in a Tokyo subway station. Jiro is one of the highest-regarded chefs in the world, but is any level of acclaim good enough for this uber-perfectionist?
Magnolia Pictures
Best films on Netflix Layer Cake (2004. Dir. Matthew Vaughn, stars Daniel Craig, Tom Hardy, Ben Whishaw, Sally Hawkins) Ever wondered how Daniel Craig ended up playing James Bond? Look no further than this gritty mob drama, in which he plays a suave and solemn cocaine supplier, drawn deeper than he would like into London's criminal underbelly.
Sony Pictures
Best films on Netflix God's Own Country (2017. Dir. Francis Lee, stars Josh O'Connor, Alec Secăreanu) "Same-sex lovers struggle to just be themselves in a small town where being gay is frowned upon" may be a story we've seen many, many times on the big screen now, but this British drama just does it so beautifully, and with a budget of only £1 million. Johnny (O'Connor) is a bored and bitter young farmer in Yorkshire, but his life is turned upside down when Romanian migrant worker Gheorge (Secăreanu) arrives and soothes his weary soul.
Orion Pictures
Best films on Netflix Good Time (2017. Dir. the Safdie brothers, stars Robert Pattinson, Jennifer Jason Leigh) A scintillating little film, this centres on one night in the life of Constantine (Pattinson) and his mentally-handicapped brother Nick (Ben Safdie) as they bungle a bank robbery and are hounded by the police. Harnessing the same piss and vinegar spirit as a Heat or a Carlito's Way, this will make you nostalgic for the action movie golden age of the 1990s.
A24
Best films on Netflix Gaga: Five Foot Two (2017. Dir. Chris Moukarbel, stars Lady Gaga) Lady Gaga is a fascinating figure in that she exists in a space within the pop industry entirely of her own. We get a glimpse of her world in this documentary, which encounters her struggle with chronic pain caused by fibromyalgia, her Super Bowl LI halftime show, her guest role in American Horror Story and her feud with Madonna.
Netflix
June TBA
Trinkets
When three teenage girls from different corners of the high school cafeteria find themselves in the same mandated Shoplifter’s Anonymous meeting, an unlikely friendship forms. Elodie — the grieving misfit, Moe — the mysterious outsider, and Tabitha — the imperfect picture of perfection, will find strength in each other as they negotiate family issues, high school drama and the complicated dilemma of trying to fit in while longing to break out.
Marvel's Jessica Jones season three
When Jessica (Krysten Ritter) crosses paths with a highly intelligent psychopath, she and Trish (Rachael Taylor) must repair their fractured relationship and team up to take him down. But a devastating loss reveals their conflicting ideas of heroism, and sets them on a collision course that will forever change them both.
NETFLIX FILM
1 June
Oh, Ramona!
Awkward 16-year-old Andrei is infatuated with his alluring but aloof schoolmate Ramona — until he meets stunning hotel clerk Anemona while on vacation.
6 June
Alles ist gut
A woman sexually assaulted by her new boss's brother-in-law tries to move on as if nothing happened, but the night weighs heavily on her mind and body.
7 June
Rock My Heart
A thrill-seeking teenage girl with a heart defect bonds with a rowdy black stallion and fights to ride in a race despite her life-threatening illness.
Elisa & Marcela
In 1901 in Galicia, Spain, Elisa Sánchez Loriga adopts a male identity in order to marry another woman, Marcela Gracia Ibeas. Based on true events.
I Am Mother
In the wake of humanity’s extinction, a teenage girl is raised by a robot designed to repopulate the earth. But their unique bond is threatened when an inexplicable stranger arrives with alarming news.
13 June
The 3rd Eye 2
Working in an orphanage, Alia meets teen Nadia, who says she hears a strange voice in the walls. When they try to find the source, things go very wrong.
14 June
Murder Mystery
When a NYC cop finally takes his wife on a long promised European trip, a chance meeting on the flight gets them invited to an intimate family gathering on the super yacht of elderly billionaire Malcolm Quince. When Quince is murdered, they become the prime suspects in a modern day whodunit
19 June
Beats
A reclusive teenage musical prodigy forms an unlikely friendship with a down-on-his-luck high school security guard. United by their mutual love of hip hop, they confront the demons of their past and try to break into Chicago's music scene.
20 directors who hate their own filmsShow all 20 1 /2020 directors who hate their own films 20 directors who hate their own films American History X – Tony Kaye There are few directors who have gone so actively out of their way to discourage people from watching their film as Tony Kaye. Unhappy with the way the studio, New Line, had re-cut American History X, the filmmaker wrote multiple open letters – published by the trade press – telling people to not watch the final version. He even had the film pulled from Toronto Film Festival. “I had tried to get my name taken off it, and replaced with various pseudonyms,” Kaye wrote in The Guardian, three years after the release. “One was ‘Humpty Dumpty’. Another was ‘Ralph Coates’, who played for Tottenham in the 1970s.” The Directors Guild of America would not allow Kaye to change his name, and he has bitterly lived with the accolade of directing the cult classic ever since.
20 directors who hate their own films Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – Michael Bay The first Transformers was a decent-enough popcorn flick. Critics may not have been enamoured by the CGI blockbuster, but there’s no denying watching robots beating each other up is mindless entertainment of the highest order. Yet, Michael Bay managed to make a mess of that simple winning formula in the sequel, Revenge of the Fallen, something he later admitted. "When I look back at it, that was crap,” he said of the film in 2011. “The writers' strike was coming hard and fast. It was just terrible to do a movie where you've got to have a story in three weeks. I was prepping a movie for months where I only had 14 pages of some idea of what the movie was. It's a BS way to make a movie.”
20 directors who hate their own films The Snowman – Tomas Alfredson While Swedish director Tomas Alfredson received acclaim for the Oscar-nominated Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, his follow-up film, the mystery thriller The Snowman, was ripped apart by critics. “Our shoot time in Norway was way too short,” he explained following the film’s release. “We didn’t get the whole story with us and when we started cutting we discovered that a lot was missing.” Alfredson added that, despite The Snowman being in development for years, with Martin Scorsese once attached as director, around 10 to 15 per cent of the script was not filmed. “It’s like when you’re making a big jigsaw puzzle and a few pieces are missing so you don’t see the whole picture,” he added.
20 directors who hate their own films Avengers: Age of Ultron – Joss Whedon Joss Whedon changed cinema with The Avengers. The ensemble film brought a host of disparate superheroes together, and in the process made over $1.5 billion (£1.15 billion) at the box-office. Balancing all those characters was tough, and come the sequel, Age of Ultron, the director was worn down. Whedon apparently couldn’t muster the ability to watch the entire film after completion, saying: “I’m tied and I had a terrible time.” A year later, in 2016, the filmmaker clarified his comments. “I was so beaten down by the process. Some of that was conflicting with Marvel, which is inevitable. A lot of it was about my own work, and I was also exhausted.” Whedon added that he remains “proud” of the film, yet there are still things about the film that “frustrate” him hugely.
20 directors who hate their own films Annie Hall, Hannah And Her Sisters, Manhattan – Woody Allen Annie Hall is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time. Hannah And Her Sisters won an Oscar for best screenplay. Manhattan is often heralded as a comedy masterpiece. Woody Allen, though, believes his other films are better. “For some reason [Annie Hall] is very likeable. I’ve made better films than that. Match Point is a better film, Purple Rose of Cairo is a better film, the French one – Midnight in Paris – is a better film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is as good. I mean, I’ve made films that were as good, but for some reason that’s got some charismatic, inexplicable hold on people. That and Manhattan too. [On] Manhattan, I missed what I was going for. Same thing with Hannah and Her Sisters. I’m not saying it’s a terrible film or a bad – I’m not here to knock my films. But for me personally, I missed. It was too treacly at the end, too bailed-out.”
20 directors who hate their own films Highball – Noah Baumbach Noah Baumbach is now a beloved indie filmmaker (thanks to The Squid and the Whale, Frances Ha, and The Meyerowitz Stories). Yet he was not always an acclaimed director. Baumbach despised his second film, Highball, so much that his directing credit was changed to Ernie Fusco and his writer’s one to Jesse Carter. “It was just too ambitious,” he said of the film, which concerns a newly married couple who end up inviting too many people to their Brooklyn flat for a party. “We didn't have enough time, we didn't finish it, it didn't look good, it was just a whole ... mess. We couldn't get it done, and I had a falling out with the producer. He abandoned it, and I had no money to finish it, to go back and maybe get two more days or something. Then later, it was put out on DVD without my approval.”
20 directors who hate their own films Babylon AD – Mathieu Kassovitz Before Babylon AD – a futuristic sci-fi flick about a mercenary who has to escort a woman from Russia to America – reached cinemas in the UK, the director, Mathieu Kassovitz, was trying to distance himself from the Vin Diesel-led project. "The movie is supposed to teach us that the education of our children will mean the future of our planet,” he said. “All the action scenes had a goal: they were supposed to be driven by either a metaphysical point of view or experience for the characters... instead parts of the movie are like a bad episode of 24." Kassovitz later added the film was "pure violence and stupidity".
20 directors who hate their own films Catchfire – Dennis Hopper In 1992, Dennis Hopper joined the ranks of directors who released their film under the pseudonym Alan Smithee (famously used when filmmakers disown their own film). Originally called Catchfire, the Jodie Foster-starring thriller about a woman who enters witness protection was later retitled Backtrack, and 20 minutes were cut for the straight-to-VHS release. Hopper rarely spoke about the film; he wanted to distance himself as much as possible from the doomed project.
20 directors who hate their own films The Underneath – Steven Soderbergh “I think it’s a beautiful film to look at and I think the score is beautiful,” Steven Soderberg said of The Underneath, “but 15 seconds in I know we’re in trouble because of how f***ing long it takes to get through those opening credits. That’s just an indication of what’s wrong with this thing: it’s just totally sleepy.” The film, about a recovering gambling addict, was an unsurprising box-office flop. “I can’t say I’d recommend it to anyone,” Soderbergh added, “other than to look at in the context of someone’s career”.
20 directors who hate their own films Thor: The Dark World – Alan Taylor Alan Taylor – of Game of Thrones and Sopranos fame – seemed a perfect fit for Thor, the heroic God of Thunder who spoke in Shakespearean prose. When the sequel was released, many were disappointed with the film, which somehow wasted Christopher Eccleston, who played the villain. Taylor later criticised the project, saying: “The Marvel experience was particularly wrenching because I was sort of given absolute freedom while we were shooting, and then in post it turned into a different movie. So, that is something I hope never to repeat and don’t wish upon anybody else.”
Marvel
20 directors who hate their own films Fear and Desire – Stanley Kubrick Few filmmakers have spotless filmographies. Stanley Kubrick believed the blotch on his was Fear and Desire – the renowned-perfectionist’s cinematic debut. As his stature as a director grew, Kubrick was said to grow ever-more disgruntled with Fear and Desire, an anti-war film about four soldiers trapped behind enemy lines. Reports emerged in the Sixties that Kubrick had destroyed the original negative print, and was hoping to destroy all leftover prints. In 1964, Kubrick called the film “a serious effort, ineptly done”.
20 directors who hate their own films Batman and Robin – Joel Schumacher Almost everyone involved with Batman & Robin seems to hate the final product. George Clooney has apologised for his Bat-nippled version of the Caped Crusader, while director Joel Schumacher has said sorry multiple times. “Look, I apologise,” he said in 2017. “I want to apologise to every fan that was disappointed because I think I owe them that.” After the widely maligned film reached cinemas, Schumacher said he was treated like “scum”. “It was like I had murdered a baby,” he continued.
20 directors who hate their own films The Day the Clown Cried – Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis’s The Day the Clown Cried has never been released. The director, who also starred as the leading character, locked the film – about a clown arrested in Nazi Germany for drunkenly defaming Hitler – in a private vault after completion. Lewis thought the film was so “bad, bad, bad” that he often refused to discuss the project, only commenting very occasionally. "I was ashamed of the work and I was grateful I had the power to contain it all and never let anyone see it. It could have been wonderful but I slipped up – I didn't quite get it,” he said in 2013.
AFP
20 directors who hate their own films Fantastic Four – Josh Trank Everything was looking good for Fantastic Four before filming began. Some of Hollywood’s most promising actors were playing the eponymous characters – Michael B Jordan, Miles Teller, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell – while Josh Trank, coming off the back of runaway success Chronicle, was hired to direct. During post-production, though, everything fell apart. Trank was forced by the studio, Fox, to do extensive reshoots (you can tell which scenes were reshot because Mara’s wig looks awful and Teller has varying lengths of stubble). The month before the film’s release, the director spoke out on Twitter. “A year ago I had a fantastic version of this,” he wrote. “And it would’ve received great reviews. You’ll probably never see it. That’s reality though.” The film bombed at the box office, with Trank’s tweet reportedly costing Fox between $5m and $10m (£3.8m and £7.6m).
20 directors who hate their own films Woman Wanted – Kiefer Sutherland During the Nineties, Kiefer Sutherland wanted to progress from acting to directing. Although his feature-film debut as director, 1997’s Truth or Consequences, was not exactly a critical success, he persevered, directing the 2000 flick Woman Wanted. Sutherland was so disappointed with the results, he released the film under the pseudonym Alan Smithee – becoming the last person to ever use the famed name. He has not directed a film since.
20 directors who hate their own films An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn – Alan Smithee/Arthur Hiller A film about the pseudonym Alan Smithee that ironically ended up being an Alan Smithee film. Arthur Hiller had no intention of disowning Burn Hollywood Burn, which aimed to lampoon the Hollywood system. The film centred on a director, named Alan Smithee (played by Eric Idle), who hands in a cut of a film, only for the studio to recut the entire thing. Life mirrored art as the studio behind Burn Hollywood Burn took the film away from Hiller, who ended up using the Smithee pseudonym on the release.
20 directors who hate their own films Dune – David Lynch Following the success of Oscar Best Picture winner The Elephant Man, David Lynch could have done almost anything. Despite having not read the book, Lynch agreed to adapt Dune, choosing the project over the third Star Wars, Return of the Jedi. Lynch soon started work on turning Frank Herbert’s epic novel into a screenplay, turning in over five drafts. Yet, despite the preparation time, the final results were less than satisfactory for the director. “I started selling out on Dune,” he said. “Looking back, it's no one's fault but my own. I probably shouldn't have done that picture, but I saw tons and tons of possibilities for things I loved, and this was the structure to do them in.”
20 directors who hate their own films Alien 3 – David Fincher David Fincher was just 28 years old when the producers of Alien decided to bring the upstart on board their second sequel. With just five weeks’ preparation time, an unfinished script, and no real clout behind his name, Fincher struggled with the film. “Oh, it was just awful,” he later said. “This is the worst thing that ever happened to me.” In 2009, promoting The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fincher elaborated: “I had to work on it for two years, got fired off it three times and I had to fight for every single thing. No one hated it more than me; to this day, no one hates it more than me.”
20 directors who hate their own films Hellraiser: Bloodline – Kevin Yagher The fourth film in the horror series Hellraiser had a troubled production. Original director Kevin Yagher was ordered by the studio to reshoot scenes, which he refused to do. Joe Chappelle stepped in, leading to Yagher demanding the Alan Smithee pseudonym be used. The final film – which acted as both a prequel and a sequel to the other three films – was not screened for critics, and was dismissed by many fans.
20 directors who hate their own films Accidental Love – David O Russell David O Russell began working on Nailed in 2008. Envisioning the film as a romantic comedy with political undertones, the director cast Jessica Biel and Jake Gyllenhaal in leading roles, and was awarded $26 million (£20 million) to make it. And still, somehow, the entire filming process was a mess. The set was shutdown a reported 14 times after cast and crew complained about not being paid. Eventually, after key scenes were not filmed during production, the entire thing was abandoned. After Russell started drawing Oscars attention for The Fighter and American Hustle, though, the studio wanted to get Nailed out in cinemas. Work continued on the film without Russell’s involvement. The film was then retitled Accidental Love and released in cinemas, with the director’s name changed to Stephen Greene. Critics hated the results.
21 June
Jaoon Kahan Bata Ae Dil
Tension plays the third wheel in this portrait of a couple whose caustic, at times jarring, interactions strain their relationship over a Mumbai evening.
La misma sangre
The strong family Santiago and Carla have built is challenged when Carla´s mother appears dead after an accident and Santiago suspects that his father-in-law is to blame.
28 June
Shaft
In this second-generation Shaft saga, the detective has been largely absent from his son's life. But when John Shaft Jr — an FBI expert in cybersecurity — needs help discovering the truth about his best friend's death, he turns to his dad.
NETFLIX ORIGINAL COMEDY SPECIALS
4 June
Miranda Sings Live…Your Welcome
With more than 2 billion views across her YouTube channels, Colleen Ballinger has become an international sensation with her hilarious alter-ego Miranda Sings. Filmed in front of a packed house of “Mirfandas,” Miranda Sings Live…Your Welcome launches globally on Tuesday, June 4. While Colleen reads snippets of her diary and sings through some of the weird comments she receives, the next "Virgin Mary" Miranda blesses the audience with her combination of acting, singing, dancing, modelling, and magic.
12 June
Jo Koy: Comin' In Hot
Witness the Blaisdell Arena explode with laughter when Jo Koy takes the stage. Returning for his second Netflix special, Jo Koy: Comin' In Hot , be prepared to witness a dazzling display of hula dancing and an arsenal of self-deprecating humour. Koy is fired up to educate the masses on how to raise a millennial, the intricacies of Filipino traditions, and more!
18 June
Adam Devine: Best Time of Our Lives
Critically acclaimed comedian, Adam Devine, knows that growing up sucks and is here to tell you why. Filmed in front of a packed house at The Orpheum Theater in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, Devine’s new Netflix comedy special will give a comedic take on the worst parts of growing up including puberty, parental judgment, and almost dying on your 21st birthday.
25 June
Mike Epps: Only One Mike
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27 June
Daniel Sosa: Maleducado
A new stand-up special from Mexican comedian and masterful impressionist Daniel Sosa.
NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARIES
7 June
The Chef Show
Cooking is a journey. And making a meal is about more than just food. It’s about appreciating friends, family and tradition. An opportunity to come together. To learn, to share and to celebrate different flavours, cultures and people. In The Chef Show actor/director Jon Favreau and award-winning Chef Roy Choi reunite after their critically acclaimed film Chef to embark on a new adventure. The two friends experiment with their favourite recipes and techniques, baking, cooking, exploring and collaborating with some of the biggest names in the entertainment and culinary world. From sharing a meal with the Avengers cast in Atlanta, to smoking brisket in Texas with world-renowned pit-master Aaron Franklin, to honouring the legendary food critic Jonathan Gold in Los Angeles - Favreau and Choi embrace their passion for food, but more importantly their love for bringing people together over a delicious meal.
The Black Godfather
An expansive look at the exceptional life and legacy of Clarence Avant, one of the most influential dealmakers in music, entertainment, and politics over the last 60 years.
12 June
Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese
In an alchemic mix of fact and fantasy, Martin Scorsese looks back at Bob Dylan’s 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue tour and a country ripe for reinvention.
14 June
The Alcàsser Murders
An analytical examination of the investigation into the 1992 murders of three teens from Alcàsser, Spain, a case that profoundly affected the nation.
Life Overtakes Me
In the grip of trauma, hundreds of refugee children in Sweden withdraw from life’s uncertainties into a coma-like illness called Resignation Syndrome.
The Edge of Democracy
A cautionary tale for these times of democracy in crisis - the personal and political fuse to explore one of the most dramatic periods in Brazilian history. Combining unprecedented access to leaders past and present, including Presidents Dilma Rousseff and Lula da Silva, with accounts of her own family's complex political and industrial past, filmmaker Petra Costa (ELENA) witnesses their rise and fall and the tragically polarised nation that remains.
28 June
Exhibit A
This true crime series shows how innocent people have been convicted with dubious forensic tools and techniques such as cadaver dogs and touch DNA.
NETFLIX KIDS & FAMILY
3 June
Malibu Rescue: The Series
On the heels of Junior Rescue training, Team Flounder returns to brave the beach in a series of thrilling saves and lighthearted laughs.
7 June
Pachamama
When a sacred statue is taken from his Andean village, a spirited boy who dreams of becoming a shaman goes on a brave mission to get it back.
Super Monsters Monster Pets
For big fun, think small. Join the Super Monsters and their adorable new Monster Pets for a series of short and silly animated adventures.
21 June
GO! Vive a tu manera season two
Mía tries to discover the truth about her father while also finding success with her singing career. Jealous Lupe's antics threaten her friendships.
28 June
Twelve Forever
Twelve-year-old Reggie's desire to remain a child is so powerful that it opens up a fantasy world where she never has to grow up.
28 June
Motown Magic season two
A second season of magic and music following Ben and his friends Angie and Mickey as they discover that creativity can bring vibrancy to their city and important life lessons.
The best TV cliffhangers of all timeShow all 38 1 /38The best TV cliffhangers of all time The best TV cliffhangers of all time Breaking Bad – "Gliding Over All" (2012) Karma for killing Gale comes for Walter White in season five. The meth maker believes his days of cooking are long over. Having lunch with his family, everything seems perfect. And then everything goes wrong. So, so wrong. Hank (Dean Norris) goes to use the toilet and picks up a copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass – a gift from Gale to Walter White. “To my other favorited WW. It's an honour working with you. Fondly, GB.” And with that, as Hank realises Walt’s true identity, the end of Heisenberg’s empire begins.
AMC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time The Sopranos – “Made In America” (2007) The debate over whether certain final scenes of television shows are actually good will rage on and on. The Sopranos remains front and centre of the conversation. It's a seemingly banal occasion – a restaurant dinner scene. We watch on as Tony sits there, observing other customers. Carmela arrives, then AJ and Meadow, who the last we see, is parking her car outside. A bell rings, Tony looks up and the screen cuts to black. It’s an ending that’s inspired essays offering varied interpretations but ultimately, it remains a beautifully-executed few minutes of television – and a cliffhanger that’ll never have a resolution.
HBO
The best TV cliffhangers of all time EastEnders – The Kat and Zoe revelation (2001) “You can’t tell me what to do ‘cause you ain’t my muvva” / “YES I AM!” - not the work of Shakespeare, granted, but surely one of the biggest moments in soap history. The nation’s jaws collectively dropped as they learned that Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) wasn’t Zoe’s sister at all, but her mum.
BBC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Game of Thrones – "The Rains of Castamere" (2013) Game of Thrones knew George RR Martin was willing to kill off leading characters, but nothing prepared non-book readers for The Red Wedding. Robb Stark (Richard Madden), Talisa Stark (Oona Chaplin) and Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) are attending the wedding of Roslin Frey (Alexandra Dowling) and Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies) when things go terribly, terribly wrong for the Starks. The Freys turn on them, killing Robb, Talisa and their unborn child. Then, as the blood spills everywhere, Catelyn’s throat is slit. Cut to black. Devastating.
HBO
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Dallas – "A House Divided" (1980) The cliffhanger that kickstarted the end of season cliffhanger trend. Larry Hagman’s oil baron JR Ewing had made plenty of enemies in Dallas. By the end of season three, one of them took justice into their own hands, shooting JR in the back twice. However, rather than reveal the culprit, the team behind Dallas left the case unsolved. And over the next eight months – the time between seasons – the whole world was asking “Who shot JR?” Unsurprisingly, considering the hysteria around the mystery, 350 million people tuned in to watch the revelatory episode “Who Done It”.
CBS
The best TV cliffhangers of all time The Simpsons – "Who shot Mr Burns?" (1995) Showrunner Matt Groening had long wanted to do an episode where Mr Burns was shot, and the culprit was not revealed until the next episode. Taking inspiration from Dallas, the animation concluded Part One with the nuclear power plant owner being shot by an unknown assailant. Then, after a Summer of waiting, fans were finally treated to the answer. The two-part episode has gone down as a classic and is often heralded as the series’ best.
FOX
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Doctor Who – "The Parting of the Ways" (2005) Choosing one standout Doctor Who cliffhanger is almost impossible – especially when you consider that all 37 (and counting) seasons have frequently used the plot device. While the introduction of John Hurt’s Doctor certainly ranks among them, one of best came at the end of the rebooted first series. Having absorbed a bunch of vortexes, the Doctor is struggling and on the verge of regenerating. Turning to Rose (Billie Piper), Christopher Eccleston’s incarnation of the iconic character utters the timeless lines: “Before I go, I just want to tell you, you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And you know what – so was I.” Queue shoddy CGI and the introduction of the soon-to-be nation’s favourite Doctor, David Tennant. “So, where was I? That’s it – Barcelona.”
BBC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Breaking Bad – "Full Measure" (2010) Gale (David Costabile) is one of the nicest characters on Breaking Bad. He is not interested in wealth or fame, but in science. However, niceties and a good cup of coffee are not enough to stop him getting in Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) way. When the choice between their lives has to be made, Walter chooses his own and sends Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to do the dirty work. Season three ends with Jesse killing Gale – an incident that eventually brings down the drug kingpin Gus Fring.
AMC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time The West Wing – “What Kind of Day Has it Been” (2000) The West Wing’s biggest cliffhanger came in the season one finale. The episode works its way back from the beginning as we see a Secret Service Agent sense danger from a nearby window at a town hall meeting with the president in attendance. When the episode catches up, gunfire rings out and each member of his senior staff is thrown to the floor. Cut to black as we hear an agent ask over the radio: “Who’s been hit?”
NBC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Smallville – “Covenant” (2004) It wasn’t until the third season finale of Smallville that Superman fans’ patience was rewarded as viewers saw Clark (Tom Welling) appear naked in the middle of a Kryptonian symbol burned into the field of his family’s farm. “You shall be reborn,” Jor-El can be heard saying to Clark Kent, but he wasn’t the alone one; the ending marked a radical turning point for the series.
The WB
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Twin Peaks – “The Last Evening” (1990) Twin Peaks’ season two finale – the mystery drama’s last episode for 27 years – may have featured the most chilling cliffhanger, but the biggest gasp of the series came at the end of season one as the seemingly untouchable Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) responds to a knock on his hotel room door, only to be gunned down by an unseen assailant.
ABC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Buffy the Vampire Slayer – "The Gift" (2001) The 100th episode of Buffy ended with one of the show’s most shocking moments (and no, we’re not talking about the musical episode). Season five concluded with the eponymous ass-kicker sacrificing herself to save the world by jumping into a demonic portal. The episode ends with a slow zoom onto Buffy’s tombstone, which reads: “Beloved sister. Devoted friend. She saved the world. A lot.“
The WB
The best TV cliffhangers of all time True Blood - "Plaisir d'Amour" (2008) It's easy to forget that True Blood began life as an acclaimed Emmy-nominated drama, and it was a cliffhanger such as this that made it so: Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) falls asleep with the friendly neighbour dog Dean for company. Upon waking up, Dean is gone and in his place is local barman Sam Merlotte ( Sam Trammell). Turns out he's a shapeshifter.
HBO
The best TV cliffhangers of all time The Walking Dead – "Last Day on Earth" (2016) After eight episodes of build-up, the comic book’s deadliest villain, Negan, reared his head in a scene fans were dreading. With the majority of the main cast lined up at his mercy, Negan – in retaliation for the death of one of his gang – decides which one to kill by using “Eeny Meeny Mino Moe”. After selecting his victim, the camera switches POV and Negan bludgeons the unseen character to death leaving fans with a six-month wait before finding out who had met their maker.
AMC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time The Leftovers – "Ten Thirteen" (2015) Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof's HBO drama was set in a world that saw two per cent of the world’s population disappear into thin air during a tragic event known as the Sudden Departure. Season two presented an intriguing mystery: the disappearance of three teenage girls from a Texan town that nobody had vanished from. It was the season's penultimate episode that cleared up this plot line as Matt Garvey (Chris Zylka) breaks into a heavily-guarded trailer – only to be met with the three teenage girls staring back at him. What’s more is they’re dressed all in white, a callback to the disbanded cult from the first season.
HBO
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Lost – “Deus Ex Machina” (2005) In episode 11, the writers had introduced a hatch buried underground and, week in week out, the fans waited patiently for any detail about the mysterious structure the writers were willing to give them. The end of episode 19 saw a desperate John Locke (Terry O’Quinn) banging on the door, just as desperate to get inside as the viewers were... only for a light to come on from within. This ending remains an unforgettable moment for those who watched it at the time of broadcast.
ABC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Lost – “Two for the Road” (2006) “I’m sorry.” “For what?” BANG. On paper, not so effective but on screen, it equated to one of Lost’s most gasp-inducing cliffhangers. Viewers watched behind their eyes as Michael (Harold Perrineau), desperate to save his son from the mysterious Others, shoots Ana-Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez) and, in a cruel twist, Libby (Cynthia Watros), who has accidentally stumbled upon the whole thing while looking for some blankets.
ABC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Lost - 'Through the Looking Glass – Part 2" Whether you love or hate Lost, there’s no denying that the season three finale deployed one of the most breathtaking rug pulls in television history as writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse revealed a shake-up long in the running: flashbacks featuring a suicidal Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) were, in fact, flashforwards to the future. The Oceanic Flight 815 plane crash survivor made it off the island he’d been so desperate to get off for three whole seasons, but was, disturbingly, desperate to get back. The ending set the benchmark for all future finale and was so huge it made newspaper headlines.
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Line of Duty – Series four premiere (2018) The fourth series of Line of Duty didn’t hold back on the shocks. In fact, its first episode featured a cliffhanger ending to rival the best of them. With DCI Roz Huntley (Thandie Newton) dead on his floor, her murderer – Forensic Coordinator Tim Ifield (Jason Watkins) – sets about dispatching her body, but as his chainsaw nears her face, Roz’s eyes suddenly open.
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Heroes – ”The Butterfly Effect” (2008) After season one, Heroes became pretty dreadful television. But this cliffhanger looms in the memory for being so left-field it warrants applaud: having captured serial killer Sylar, Angela Petrelli – parent to superheroes Nathan and Peter – tells him she can provide him with the love and guidance he needs. Angry, Sylar tells her she’s not his mother to which Angela drops the bombshell: “But I am dear, I am.” A head-scratching mid-season reveal that had fans chomping at the bit for the next episode.
NBC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Grey’s Anatomy – “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” (2005) After spending an entire season watching the blossoming romance between medical intern Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Dr Derek Shephard (Patrick Dempsey), the world of viewers was rocked upon discovering the shock revelation that Derek was married all along.
ABC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Green Wing – “Emergency“ (2004) Channel 4 sitcom Green Wing took the term “cliffhanger” quite literally for each finale of its two series. While it became a tad gimmicky the second time around, the first remained a genuinely surprising way for a comedy series to end: having discovered that the colleague he’d just slept with was his mother, drug-addled anaesthetist Guy Secretan (Stephen Mangan) steals an ambulance, drives it to the country and loses control. After crashing, the episode ends with Guy and several other characters dangling – you guessed it – off a cliff.
Channel 4
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Dexter – “The Getaway” (2009) A particularly nail-biting fourth season was shaping up to end well: after weeks of playing cat-and-mouse with the Trinity Killer (John Lithgow on Emmy-winning form), Dexter finally put an end to his murderous ways and returned home ready to pack up and join his wife Rita on their vacation. Only Rita’s still at home... dead in the bathtub. Trinity killed her before Dexter got to him. A heartbreaking end to a standout season.
Showtime
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Battlestar Galactica – “Kobol's Last Gleaming: Part 2” (2005) When things are going supremely well towards the end of a season finale, you know something big is about to go down. Battlestar Galactica proved no different. After destroying the Cylon Basestar – a warship belonging to the enemy – crew member Boomer, who viewers had learnt was a Cylon in the mini-series that aired the year before, fires a round into the chest of Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos), the show’s main character.
ABC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Babylon 5 – “Z’ha'dum” (1996) Having been warned for two seasons that Z’ha’dum means death, fans expected big things from an episode called “Z’ha’dum”. They weren’t wrong. It ended with the show’s lead character jumping to his death. The episode was so big the episodes leading up to it teased “Z minus 14 days” and “Z minus 7 days.”
PTEN
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Friends – "The One with Ross’s Wedding" (1998) While Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel’s (Jennifer Aniston) “will they, won’t they” courtship arguably went on far too long, there was one moment during the season four finale that left fans with their jaws on the floor. Just after Rachel had accepted Ross was happy with fiancé Emily (Helen Baxendale), everything goes catastrophically wrong. Instead of saying Emily’s name during the wedding vows, Ross says the iconic line: “Take thee Rachel”. After the wedding, as the season finished, everyone was left wondering whether the pair would finally rekindle their romance for good.
NBC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time The X-Files – "Anasazi" (1995) “I’m in a boxcar, buried inside a quarry, and there are bodies everywhere,” says Mulder to Scully during the season two finale. And just as Mulder solves the riddle of how those people died, the roof of the boxcar slams shut, trapping him inside. Worse still, the Smoking Man then arrives with a unit of soldiers. When they open the boxcar, Mulder’s somehow nowhere to be seen and they decide to blow the freight to smithereens. Did Mulder survive? Did he get away?
FOX
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life – "Fall" (2016) “It certainly wasn't the ending I expected,” Rory Gilmore actor Alexis Bledel said of the finale. “Fitting but frustrating”, was how Vanity Fair referred to the episode. The Gilmore Girls sequel, A Year in the Life, concluded with a four-word exchange between Rory and her mother, Lorelai (Lauren Graham). “Mum”, the daughter says, sitting in a park’s bandstand. “Yeah”, she replies. “I’m pregnant,” Rory says. Queue hundreds of fans wanting more from the story, which had, ultimately, come full circle.
Netflix
The best TV cliffhangers of all time 24 – “Day 5: 10:00pm – 11:00pm” (2006) 24 was filled to the brim with huge cliffhangers, but this one – arriving at the 16 episode mark – stands out for sparking what would be the show’s best run of episodes. President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin) is revealed to be the mastermind behind the shocking assassinations of David Palmer and Michelle Dessler, which kickstarted the season. And thus the show’s most memorable villain was born.
FOX
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Star Trek: The Next Generation – "Best of Both Worlds" (1990) Another science fiction show filled to the brim with cliffhangers. Star Trek: The Next Generation had many, but few can measure up to Picard (Patrick Stewart) becoming a Borg. The season three finale sees the Enterprise’s crew having no choice but to turn on their former captain, with Riker (Jonathan Frakes) ordering Worf (Michael Dorn) to open fire on Picard’s Borg ship. Fans had to wait three months to discover whether Picard could be saved – and the fandom almost imploded in the meantime.
Paramount
The best TV cliffhangers of all time The OC – "The Dearly Beloved" (2005) Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) and Ryan Atwood (Benjamin McKenzie) would have done anything for each other. When Ryan’s brother Trey (Logan Marshall-Green) gets in the way, attacking Marissa, Ryan has no other course of action but to settle things “once and for all” between them. As the brawl ensues, Marissa somehow ends up shooting Trey. And as the bullet goes through him, Imogen Heap’s song “Hide and Seek” – AKA the “Mmmmh, what you say?” song – suddenly starts playing. It’s hard not to laugh. The pop song cuts through the scene, completely at odds with what’s happening on screen. No wonder, then, that Saturday Night Live famously parodied the scene in one of their most-beloved skits of all time.
Fox
The best TV cliffhangers of all time The Office US – "Casino Night" (2006) Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) were the ultimate “will they, won’t they” couple, their chemistry electrifying the early seasons of The Office. Things peaked for the first time during the season two finale. Following Casino Night at Dunder Mifflin, Jim finally takes Pam aside to reveal his true feelings, telling her: “I’m in love with you.” She is, at the time, engaged to Roy (David Denman), and decides to reply to Jim: “What are you doing?” While all hope for the pair seems lost, Jim finds Pam (calling her mother) before the episode’s end and kisses her. Cruelly, the showrunners decided to cut to black after the moment, leaving fans wondering for months whether the couple would return to screens happily together (spoiler: they do not).
NBC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Alias – "The Telling" (2003) JJ Abrams loves ending things on a twist. Before creating the mystery-box filled Lost, the filmmaker created Alias, and the season two finale marks one the show’s greatest endings. The episode sees Sydney (Jennifer Garner) discover that Francie (Merrin Dungey) is not Francie at all, but a duplicate. The two then brawl, ending with Sydney shooting Francie and then collapsing due to exhaustion. We immediately jump to Sydney waking up in Hong Kong. After reuniting with her lover Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan), Sydney realises things are amiss as Michael is wearing a wedding ring. Turns out, she has been missing for almost two years. Cut to black, and the world asking “What just happened?”
ABC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Spooks – "Smoke and Mirrors" (2003) The season two finale of Spooks shocked the nation. While the episode begins with the CIA taking on a seemingly straightforward mission – to prevent a member of the Cabinet being assassinated – we soon discover that everything’s not as it seems. The formerly-presumed dead Herman Joyce (Tomas Arana) is still alive and masquerading as Herb Zeigler. Not only that, but the villain has masterminded an elaborate plan to make it seem as if Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) has assassinated the Chief of the Defence Staff. With everything working against Tom, the agent finds himself backed into a corner. And when Harry (Peter Firth) loses faith, Tom decides to shoot Harry with his shotgun. Does Harry die? Will Tom ever be found innocent? The questions were many.
BBC
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Dragon Ball Z – Next time on Dragon Ball Z There’s really no definitive Dragon Ball Z cliffhanger, as almost every single episode in the series finishes with one. From Vegeta staring menacingly at the camera to the villainous Cell launching a deadline attack on Goku, the series leaves you anywhere and everywhere. When that voice-over comes in with “Next time on Dragon Ball Z”, you can guarantee any child watching will be hooked and instantly wanting to watch the next episode.
Cartoon Network
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Pushing Up Daisies – “Kerplunk” (2009) Pushing Up Daisies was unceremoniously brought to an end after just two seasons, with showrunner Bryan Fuller having to quickly conclude the whimsical series with very little notice. The epilogue was added late into the writing process and sees the narrator offer some closure to each characters’ story. Yet, with Ned (Lee Pace) and Chuck (Anna Friel) standing on her aunts’ doorstep, waiting to finally reveal that she’s alive, fans could see that there were originally supposed to be many more seasons to come – and they still want them desperately.
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Sherlock – "The Reichenbach Fall" (2012) Following a war of words with Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott) on the roof of a building (in which Moriarty shoots himself in the head), Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) decides to seemingly commit suicide by jumping off the building. However, not all is at it seems, as Sherlock is seen alive before the episode end. Fans of the series – plus Martin Freeman’s Watson – were left questioning what exactly happened to Sherlock, with all being revealed in the following special.
The best TV cliffhangers of all time Barry – "berkman > block" (2019) HBO’s blackly comic drama, starring Bill Hader as a hitman who starts taking acting lessons, is full of edge-of-your-seat twists and episode-ending cliffhangers. But none are quite so ominous as the season two finale, which saw Fuches (Stephen Root) tell Gene (Henry Winkler) about Barry’s true identity.
HBO
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