Netflix is now the most expensive streaming service, and so they've decided to up their game for July 2022. Season 4 of Stranger Things has obviously been the biggest recent draw to the platform, but there are a ton of classic movies hitting Netflix this month, as well. From action to comedy to horror, movie lovers will have a difficult time peeling themselves away from the tube this July, even if the weather outside is beautiful and the patio drinks are flowing.
Whether fans want to enjoy Tom Hanks' incredible catalog or catch up on old Paul Thomas Anderson movies, there is something for almost everyone on Netflix this month. Before heading out on that well-deserved vacation full of sunshine, beaches, and hikes, check out some of these classic films dropping on Netflix in July 2022.
Boogie Nights (1997)
Boogie Nights is about high school dropout, Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), as he overcomes his abusive background to become Dirk Diggler, one of the most popular porn stars on the planet. The ing cast reads like a dream, with Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Don Cheadle, and more, receiving overwhelming acclaim for their performances.
The movie was an instant cult classic upon its release in 1997 and it launched director Paul Thomas Anderson into mainstream stardom. Boogie Nights landed Anderson the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay among its many other accolades and Oscar nominations. Boogie Nights' rating was downgraded from NC-17 to R after Anderson cut just 40 seconds of material.
Se7en (1995)
As far as psychological horror movies go, Se7en takes the cake. Directed by David Fincher, the movie follows two detectives (Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman) as they try to solve a string of murders based on the seven deadly sins. Equal parts gruesome and disturbing, viewers will be glued to their seats right up until the surprising ending.
Se7ven is one of the more memorable horror films of the '90s that still holds up today. Pitt and Freeman's performances cemented their legacies as two of the best actors of all time, and Se7en went on to earn $327.3M at the box office. Horror fans who can stomach the gory scenes will love the originality of Se7en.
Deliverance (1972)
Staying in the theme of disturbing psychological thrillers, Deliverance is absolutely on target. When the movie was released in 1972, it set a new precedence for disturbing scenes in the horror genre. Set in the backwoods of Georgia, the film was praised for its acting but came under fire because of its graphic scenes and one, in particular.
Even Burt Reynolds, who plays outdoorsman Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, said the rape scene in Deliverance "went too far." Nevertheless, the movie went on to become the fifth highest-grossing film of 1972 and was nominated for 3 Academy Awards. Viewers will never hear the song "Dueling Banjos" the same way again.
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Zero Dark Thirty contains some brutal torture scenes. Despite this, Kathyrn Bigelow's military masterpiece is an absolute must-watch. Jessica Chastain stars as Maya, a fictional CIA agent tasked with the impossible challenge of finding al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. The movie follows Maya as she pieces together clues and risks her life to track Bin Laden down to a compound in Pakistan.
With impeccable research and phenomenal writing from Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty does an incredible job of making the hunt for Bin Laden hyper-realistic. Audiences feel like they're following the manhunt in real-time and the movie's intensity builds and builds to an epic conclusion.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Christopher Nolan made the definitive superhero trilogy with The Dark Knight series. But while The Dark Knight earned well-deserved heaps of praise for its acting (Heath Ledger as The Joker, to be specific) The Dark Knight Rises has drifted to the wayside over the years. That's too bad because the film actually delivers a satisfying conclusion to a Batman trilogy that was seven years in the making.
Since Nolan's Batman trilogy ended, things haven't been quite the same for DC movies. With several DC films meeting negative to mixed reviews, The Dark Knight Rises is one of the best Christopher Nolan movies. Tom Hardy puts in a convincing performance as Bane, and Christian Bale again stands out as The Caped Crusader.
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
War movie aficionados will appreciate The Dirty Dozen, a Robert Aldrich film set during WWII. Major Reisman (Lee Marvin) must train new recruits to parachute into and assassinate German soldiers. His team, however, is made up of ex-convicts convicted of murder, rape, and other heinous crimes. It's Major Reisman's job to bring the felons together to serve and earn the commuted sentences they were promised.
The endearing cast is what makes The Dirty Dozen such a great movie. In 2001, the American Film Institute put The Dirty Dozen at #65 on its 100 Years... 100 Thrills list. The movie is worth the watch for those interested in war and action movies, buddy comedies, or all of the above.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Combine great acting, a unique script, and a little bit of eccentricity and get smart comedy movies like Catch Me If You Can. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Frank Abagnale, Jr. a con artist with a taste for the finer things in life. His muse is imitating airline pilots, doctors, or whatever other professions will net him the most money and women. Tom Hanks plays Carl Hanratty, an FBI agent tracking Abagnale's fraudulent activity but the antagonist always seems to stay one step ahead of him.
Catch Me If You Can has a rare mix of humor, crime, and music that keeps viewers on their toes. With every close call, Abagnale gets smarter and smarter, leaving audiences guessing as to where this fun game of cat and mouse will end. The movie even features a cameo from the real Frank Abagnale, Jr.
The Terminal (2004)
Another original Stephen Spielberg/Tom Hanks collaboration worth checking out is The Terminal. It's a comedy-drama about European man Viktor Navorski (Hanks), stuck at JFK airport in NYC after he's denied entry into the United States, while simultaneously being forced out of his home country due to a military coup.
It's hard not to root for Viktor as he tries to navigate the airport, find food, and make friends with limited language or social skills. The Terminal is a genuinely funny movie with a lot of heart, and Viktor even takes a chance at finding love in his limited time in America. Those who need an uplifting, feel-good, pick-me-up movie for the summer should check out The Terminal.
Natural Born Killers (1994)
Natural Born Killers is a seminal crime film of the 1990s. The plot follows Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and his lover Mallory (Juliette Lewis) as they set off on a murder spree through the deserts of New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona. Both lead a life of crime due to their abusive upbringings, and they take their anger out on victims in unsuspecting ways.
At one time, Oliver Stone was considered one of the edgiest directors in Hollywood, and Natural Born Killers was his masterpiece. Based on a story crafted by Quentin Tarantino, Natural Born Killers still holds up as the film that kicked off the new murder-spree-in-the-desert movies, like Hell Or High Water, No Country For Old Men, and even Tarantino's own Kill Bill: Vol. 2,
Goodfellas (1990)
Good gangster flicks are hard to come by, and Goodfellas is one of the best. With excellent acting from Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and the late Ray Liotta, the movie is still considered one of Martin Scorsese's best over 30 years after its release. The movie chronicles infamous mobster Henry Hill through his rise and falls from 1955 to 1980.
The accolades both critics and fans have for Goodfellas are endless. Siskel & Ebert named Goodfellas the #1 movie of 1990. In 2000, the United States Library of Congress called the movie "culturally significant" and included it for preservation in the National Film Registry. There's a good chance Goodfellas will become a favorite movie for those who have not seen it already.
