'I'm a TV writer and these are the 10 best new films and shows to watch in July'

Glastonbury may be over and the final match of Euro 2024 is just around the corner, but there’s still a lot to look forward to in July. This month will see some of Hollywood’s biggest names grace our screens in a raft of blockbuster films and TV shows heading to streaming platforms.

There’s something for everyone to get stuck into this month, with everything from bears and brats to robots and wrestling. All of this cracking content comes from the likes of Disney+, Amazon’s Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV+ and Sky, all of which are available with a raft of money-saving deals.

Disney+ now costs as little as £4.99 a month, while Netflix is free with Sky’s lowest-ever-price TV streaming bundle. Prime Video is also available to try for free thanks to Amazon’s 30-day free trial, while Apple TV+'s stellar content can be enjoyed with a seven-day free trial.

So if you’re wondering what’s on the cards for your next streaming binge this month, we’ve compiled the best films and shows streaming in July.

The Bear: Season three

Jeremy Allen White as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto in The Bear

Ok so this one may have already been out for a few days, but we’d be remiss to leave out one of the most highly regarded shows of recent years. Available to stream now, season three of Christopher Storer’s acclaimed comedy-drama sees Carmy and crew vying for a Michelin star for the titular restaurant.

As per the official synopsis, the latest instalment joins the team as they do what it takes to elevate The Bear to the highest level, all while doing their best just to stay in business. It’s a losing battle every single day in the restaurant business, as Carmy pushes himself harder than ever and demands excellence from his crew who do their best to match his intensity.

The Bear season three is streaming now on Disney+, watch it here.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

40 since he first graced screens as street-wise Detroit cop Axel Foley, Eddie Murphy reprises his iconic role in this brand-new film. In Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the detective is back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F premieres July 3 on Netflix, join with Sky here.

Brats

Emilio Estevez and Andrew McCarthy in Brats

This feature documentary looks at the iconic films of the ‘80s that shaped a generation and the narrative that took hold when their young stars were branded the ‘Brat Pack’. Director and Pretty in Pink star Andrew McCarthy reunites with his fellow Brat Packers – friends, colleagues and former foes including Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Jon Cryer, Lea Thompson and Timothy Hutton, many of whom he had not seen for more than 30 years – to answer the question: What did it mean to be part of the Brat Pack?

Brats premieres July 5 on Disney+, join it here.

Sunny

Rashida Jones in Sunny

Rashida Jones stars in this ten-part mystery thriller with a darkly comic side as an American woman living in Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As ‘consolation’ she’s given Sunny (Joanna Sotomura), one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husband’s electronics company.

Though at first Suzie resents Sunny’s attempts to fill the void in her life, gradually they develop an unexpected friendship, as together they uncover the dark truth of what really happened to Suzie’s family, becoming dangerously enmeshed in a world Suzie never knew existed.

Sunny premieres July 10 on Apple TV+, try it free here.

Sausage Party: Foodtopia

Animated sausages in Amazon's Sausage Party: Foodtopia

Based on Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s 2016 animated comedy Sausage Party, this eight-part series follows Frank, Brenda, Barry, and Sammy as they try to build their own food society. Cast members from the film including Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Michael Cera, David Krumholtz and Edward Norton will reprise their roles, with Will Forte, Sam Richardson, Natasha Rothwell and Yassir Lester set to lend their voices.

Sausage Party: Foodtopia is executive produced by showrunners Ariel Shaffir and Kyle Hunter, who co-wrote the original film with Rogen and Goldberg.

Sausage Party: Foodtopia premieres July 11 on Prime Video, try it free here.

The Iron Claw

Harris Dickinson, Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White and Stanley Simons in The Iron Claw

Starring Zac Efron and The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White, this sports biopic is based on the true story of professional wrestler Kevin Von Erich and his family, a dynasty of wrestlers from the 1960s onwards that had enormous success and popularised the iron claw professional wrestling hold. However, they not only had to battle inside the ring, but fight the ‘Von Erich curse’ outside of it, which resulted in just one of the six brothers outliving their father.

The Iron Claw premieres July 12 on Prime Video, try it free here.

Cobra Kai: Season six

William Zabka, Ralph Macchio and Yuji Okumoto in Cobra Kai

The sixth and final season of Cobra Kai launches this month, continuing the legacy of Ralph Macchio’s karate kid Daniel LaRusso. In this latest instalment of the hit martial arts comedy-drama – to be released in two parts – Cobra Kai is eliminated from the Valley, with the senseis and students forced to decide if and how they will compete in the Sekai Taikai – the world championships of karate.

Cobra Kai season six, part one premieres July 18 on Netflix, join with Sky here.

Lady in the Lake

Mikey Madison and Natalie Portman in Lady in the Lake

Oscar-winner Natalie Portman stars in this ‘feverish noir thriller’ based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Laura Lippman. It follows two women whose lives converge on a fatal collision course when the disappearance of a young girl grips the city of Baltimore on Thanksgiving 1966.

Maddie Schwartz (Portman) is a Jewish housewife seeking to shed a secret past and reinvent herself as an investigative journalist, and Cleo Sherwood (Moses Ingram) is a mother navigating the political underbelly of Black Baltimore while struggling to provide for her family. Their disparate lives seem parallel at first, but when Maddie becomes fixated on Cleo’s mystifying death, a chasm opens that puts everyone around them in danger.

Lady in the Lake premieres July 19 on Apple TV+, try it free here.

Those About to Die

Anthony Hopkins in Those About to Die

In 79 A.D.Rome, the centre of the Roman Empire is the wealthiest city in the world and there is a heavy influx of slave labourers from the growing empire to take over the work. The Roman population – bored, restless and increasingly violent – is kept in line with free food and spectacular entertainment in the form of chariot racing and bloody gladiator fights.

From Independence Day director Roland Emmerich and starring Anthony Hopkins and Iwan Rheon, this 10-part epic delves into the world of the games – a world characterised by bloodlust, greed for money, the pursuit of power and corruption.

Those About to Die premieres July 19 on Prime Video, try it free here.

Time Bandits

Lisa Kudrow is among the stars of Time Bandits

Created for TV by Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement, The Inbetweeners’ Iain Morris and Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi, Time Bandits is an unpredictable journey through time and space with a ragtag group of thieves and their newest recruit: an 11-year-old history buff named Kevin. Together, they set out on a thrilling quest to save the boy’s parents – and the world.

Guided by Friends icon Lisa Kudrow, the eccentric crew of bandits embark on epic adventures while evil forces threaten their conquests and life as they know it. As the group transports through time and space, the gang stumbles upon fascinating worlds of the distant past while seeking out treasure, depending on Kevin to shed light on each situation.

The Time Bandits witness the creation of Stonehenge, see the Trojan Horse in action, escape dinosaurs in the prehistoric ages, wreak havoc during medieval times, experience the ice age, ancient civilizations, the Harlem Renaissance and much more along the way.

Time Bandits premieres July 24 on Apple TV+, try it free here.