What’s New to Stream on Netflix for July 2022

Crossing the Streams is a series of columns spotlighting all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month. This time we’re checking out the new Netflix arrivals for July 2022. They include the Russo Brothers’ The Gray Man, a season finale for Stranger Things, and more!

Netflix Pick of the Month for July 2022

I’ve been anticipating The Gray Man (premieres July 22nd) since it was first announced, and the reasons are numerous. First, I’ve read and enjoyed Mark Greaney’s novel, and a movie could be great fun while kicking off an entire franchise as there are currently eleven novels in the series. Second, this cast is aces with Ryan Gosling in the title role as a professional hitman targeted by international assassins, Chris Evans as a rogue CIA officer on his trail, and Ana de Armas as… a character I’m not sure is even in the book? (I could be wrong, but if she’s there it’s a small character that doesn’t resemble the one Armas is playing.) Add in Billy Bob Thornton, Jessica Henwick, Alfre Woodard, and the Russo Brothers in the directors’ chairs, and there’s real promise here. If there’s a concern it’s that $200 million price tag, something the book’s action can’t justify, suggesting that the thought of a sequel is already dead in the water.

New Netflix Series for July 2022

I haven’t done the math, and Netflix’s numbers aren’t always to be believed, but Stranger Things 4: Volume 2 might be set to break every record the streamer has so far in regards to viewers. The show is certainly among (if not at the top of) the streamer’s most popular offerings, and while I never caught season three and honestly don’t remember season two, I know I’m in the minority. Expect this season’s finale to be the talk of the interwebs for days to come… and then wonder why Netflix doesn’t change this to a weekly release to keep the conversation going.

By contrast, The Longest Night (premieres July 8th) is arriving with no preconceived notions whatsoever, and I’m hoping that means we’re in for a surprisingly good time. The limited series is set in and around a high-security prison for the mentally insane as an armed group of men arrives intent on extracting a convicted serial killer. Are they there to rescue him or kill him? No clue, but I’m always down for action/thrillers with bad men, worse men, and plenty of violence.

Stuck somewhere in between expectation and the unknown is the brand new live-action series of Resident Evil (premieres July 14th). After numerous games, movies, and animated features, the popular franchise gets a series bringing together old and new characters for more encounters with monsters and corporate misbehaviors. The synopsis states “an outbreak reveals the Umbrella Corporation’s dark secrets” and no, you think? Feels like the same story being told every time, but action/horror is filled with promise, and with Lance Reddick and Ella Balinska along for the ride it might just be an entertaining one.

Okay, enough with the monsters and murders you’re thinking, where are the romantic comedies?! Uncoupled (premieres July 29th) is to scratch that itch, and it’s pretty good (so far)! Neil Patrick Harris stars as a guy in his 40s whose comfortable, long-term relationship implodes when his boyfriend walks out on him. What follows is an attempt to understand the breakup while also stepping tentatively into the NYC dating scene. The show is co-created by Darren Star and Jeffrey Richman, and it’s an entertaining time with fun characters and a little bit of heart.

Horrors New and Old-ish (But Not Really Because Come On This Is Netflix)!

It’s always the right time of year for horror movies, and Netflix has you covered with a modern classic, a mixed-bag sequel, and two new originals. First up is the classic, James Wan’s Insidious (2010). This movie remains an all-timer for my money as it’s one of the few horror movies to deliver real scares. Wan is a master of both big scares and atmospheric dread, and both come into play here with the story of an otherworldly demon traumatizing a couple’s child. We get jump scares with music stingers, scares without any audible cue at all, and a wildly imaginative villain who stares directly and terrifyingly into the camera. Just a fantastic time.

I’m admittedly far less enamored by Adam Wingard & Simon Barrett’s reboot/sequel Blair Witch (2016, arrives July 3rd), but it has many fans out there. The film sends another group of unfortunate souls into the woods armed only with recording equipment and a death wish, but this time around we do see a little bit more of the supernatural shenanigans going on out there. It’s an uneven ride, but there’s fun to be had for fans of the franchise, found footage, and the filmmakers.

Two unknowns are dropping this month for horror fans, and both look just promising enough. Incantation (premieres July 8th) is a found footage film from Taiwan with an interesting premise — “WARNING: This is a cursed video, it might contain certain risks to watch. For those who dare to follow, please solve the puzzle of my daughter’s curse with me.” That direct plea to viewers is intriguing, and the trailer suggests a good mix of mythology and scares.

Valley of the Dead (premieres July 11th) debuted at the Sitges Film Festival in 2020 before disappearing until now. Whether or not that’s a bad sign is something we’ll discover together. It’s a zombie flick, one paired with action as a platoon of Spanish soldiers stumbles into a zombie uprising. The trailer shows some solid bloodletting — real red and wet stuff as opposed to a focus on cg blood — and combined with the action element that might be enough to deliver a solid genre outing.

The Oldest New Arrival to Netflix for July 2022

One of Netflix’s weaknesses is a light catalog of “older” titles, and by older, I mean movies made before the turn of the century. It’s a legitimate gripe and one they’ll hopefully address someday, but until then we like to highlight the oldest new arrival to the streamer each month. Robert Aldrich’s The Dirty Dozen (1967) is July’s winner, and it remains a terrific action/adventure about a ragtag group of bad men tasked with an act of heroism. Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Richard Jaeckel, George Kennedy, Robert Ryan, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland… this cast is stacked, and it’s considered a classic film for a reason.

The Complete Netflix List for July 2022

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