7 unmissable Netflix releases to stream this week
July on Netflix is stacked—7 must-watch movies and shows to put at the top of your queue.
Too hot outside? Same. Netflix just loaded up the first week of July with a mix of horror chills, glossy drama, true crime mess, and a couple of rock-solid movies you probably have not rewatched in a while. A bunch of big titles land later this month, but there is already more than enough to keep the AC humming. Here is what to queue up this week.
Spider- Man: Homecoming
With Tom Holland swinging back into theaters on July 31, 2026 in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, now is a great time to rewind to the start of his run. Homecoming is Holland’s first solo outing, where Peter tries to be a normal high school kid and a friendly neighborhood hero at the same time. Michael Keaton makes a chewy villain, Zendaya ’s dry wit steals scenes, and yes, Robert Downey Jr. pops in. It is on Netflix right now, so the rewatch is easy.
"Almost 10 years later and we’re still here Spider-Man Homecoming is now on Netflix!" — Netflix (@netflix), July 5, 2026
The Witch
Robert Eggers’ breakout creeper drops you into 1630s New England with a Puritan family whose baby vanishes, paranoia sets in, and the woods start to feel like they are looking back. Anya Taylor-Joy makes a striking feature debut, flanked by Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, and Lucas Dawson. With twisted horror titles like Obsession and Backrooms pulling huge numbers right now, this is the perfect slow-burn reset if you want dread without jump-scare fatigue.
Human Vapor
Premised like a pulpy manga but played straight, this new sci-fi crime thriller series premiered July 2, 2026 and riffs on Toho’s 1960 tokusatsu film The Human Vapor. Detective Kenji Okamoto teams with reporter Kyoko Kono to track a killer who can literally turn into gas and walk through any barrier. Their case uncovers a long-buried tangle involving a meteorite crash, government cover-ups, and a shadowy organization called White Center — while the Human Vapor works his own revenge list.
It looks sharp too: the VFX come from the Academy Award-winning team behind Godzilla Minus One. Shun Oguri, Yu Aoi, and Suzu Hirose star. Eight episodes, roughly 45 minutes each, so it is a quick binge.
Summer '36
Glitz, gossip, and a body on the Riviera. Set on the Cote d'Azur in 1936, this limited series follows four women from very different worlds who get pulled into a murder at the opulent Riviera Hotel. Expect secrets, class tension, and the kind of revelations that change your read on every character. Julie de Bona, Sofia Essaidi, Nolwenn Leroy, Constance Gay, and Arthur Pichon lead the ensemble. Six episodes, about 55 minutes each.
Queen & Slim
On what should be a forgettable first date, a routine traffic stop turns deadly in self-defense, and two strangers become reluctant fugitives on a cross-country run. Directed by Melina Matsoukas and starring Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bokeem Woodbine, and Chloe Sevigny, the film premiered at AFI Fest in 2019. It finally hits Netflix, and it still stings — stylish, tense, and not shy about its point of view.
Apollo 13
Ron Howard ’s 1995 docudrama remains one of the best nail-biters about people doing their jobs under impossible pressure. After an explosion knocks out the spacecraft, astronaut Jim Lovell and his crew fight to survive while Mission Control hustles to find a way to get them home with dwindling power, oxygen, and time. Tom Hanks, Ed Harris, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, and Gary Sinise keep the tension grounded and human. If your Fourth of July weekend needs a classic, this one still delivers.
Worst Neighbor Ever
Because sometimes the real horror is the house next door. This true crime docuseries looks at real disputes that escalated way past petty, with each standalone episode tackling a different case. All four episodes dropped July 1, 2026, so you can burn through the whole thing in an evening and then side-eye your HOA group chat.
Also newly streaming this month if you want comfort rewatches: The Boss Baby, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Gone Girl, White Chicks, and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. More animated series and thrillers are on deck later in July, but this first wave is already stacked.
What are you starting with? Tell me in the comments — and if you pick The Witch after dark, that is on you.