What to Watch in June 2024

Your guide to all the best new films coming this month, as well as all of the new and returning TV shows to look out for in June...

Films

Kinds of Kindness

(June 28)

The last two films from Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos – namely 2018’s The Favourite and 2023’s Poor Things – both became multi-award winners at the Oscars, the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes, and could both be considered fairly mainstream compared to some of his earlier outings - his wonderfully odd 2015 film The Lobster being a case in point.

His latest offering, however, very much heralds a return to the weird. A pitch-black comedy comprising a triptych of loosely connected stories, Kinds of Kindness is an exploration of ruthless power and submission that’s not always easy to watch, but contains some genuinely brilliant performances –Jesse Plemons being a particular standout. Appearing alongside him are several other returning Lanthimos collaborators including Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Joe Alwyn, as well as Archive 81’s Mamoudou Athie and Downsizing star Hong Chau.

You’ll laugh, you’ll squirm, you’ll wonder what the hell you just watched… but watch you must.

The Watchers

(June 7)

If the name Ishana Night Shyamalan sets a few bells ringing, that’s because the young director behind this new fantasy-horror is the daughter of none other than Sixth Sense and Unbreakable creator M. Night Shyamalan, who also serves as producer on this spooky new film.

Starring Dakota Fanning, The Watchers follows the story of Mina, a young artist who becomes stranded in a remote forest in western Ireland. When she finally stumbles upon a group of strangers, her hopes of salvation are soon dashed as she becomes unwittingly trapped with her new acquaintances, who are terrorised each night by mysterious creatures living in the forest around them. Also starring Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré and Oliver Finnegan, Shyamalan’s directorial debut very much follows in the footsteps of her father’s filmography in terms of style and suspense. If you’re looking for a film that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, The Watchers should fit the bill nicely.

The Bikeriders

(June 21)

Inspired by the 1967 photo-book of the same name by Danny Lyon, this gritty, petrol-soaked drama from Jeff Nichols is nevertheless an entirely fictionalised story centred around a 1960s biker gang in Chicago named the Vandals, following their evolution over a decade as they grow from a ragtag bunch of outcasts to a major organised crime outfit.

Tom Hardy and Austin Butler turn in suitably smouldering performances as the gang’s leader and protégé, starring alongside Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, Norman Reedus and Mike Faist in this compelling tale of love and crime. Whether you’re a motorbike enthusiast or just here for the eye candy, The Bikeriders is likely to satiate the appetites of both.

Riddle of Fire

(June 7)

The film festival at Cannes has long been a highlight of the year for filmmakers and cinephiles alike and never fails to throw up some weird and wonderful creations, two of which are due to arrive in UK cinemas in June. Riddle of Fire is certainly one of the strangest to emerge from the festival this year, but arguably also one of the most original. A debut feature from director Weston Razooli, this hazy love letter to misspent youth revolves around the adventures of three young friends determined to get their hands on a new video game.

Their mother, on the other hand, is desperate for them to enjoy the last days of summer outside, and agrees to let them play the new game only if they fetch her a cake from the store. Simple enough, it seems, but when they can only obtain the recipe and find themselves short one key ingredient, the trio set off on a mission to complete their task that leads them into all manner of adventures. Sometimes disjointed, but frequently delightful, Riddle of Fire is well worth your time if you’re looking for something a little different.

Rosalie

(June 7)

Our final pick this month is another the debuted at Cannes this year and this French-language gem from Stéphanie Di Giusto is loosely inspired by the story of Clémentine Delait – a woman who enjoyed a certain amount of fame and notoriety in France as one of the first ‘bearded ladies’

In Rosalie, a young café owner becomes engaged to a man whose debt problem has a potential solution in the form of a wedding dowry from their pending marriage. However, her new beau is in for a shock when she reveals that she has been hiding a secret: since birth, her body and face have been covered in hair, and only a rigorous shaving regime enables her to maintain her feminine appearance. Horrified, but in need of money, her fiancée wrestles with his terrible conscience, but is soon persuaded – with the support of the café’s regulars – that allowing her beard to grow out may present an opportunity to increase their earnings by attracting visitors. A strange tale, for sure, but one that’s also strangely heartwarming.

TV

Bridgerton – Series 3, Part 2

(Netflix, June 13)

Back for the concluding half of its third series on June 13, the gripping period drama starring Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton is one of the most keenly-awaited returnees this month – even though June is a crowded field in that respect – as fans wait with baited breath on the latest developments in the friends-to-lovers relationship between Colin and Penelope.

Returning alongside them are cast regulars Claudia Jessie, Julie Andrews, Ruth Gemmel, Polly Walker et al, serving up another generous helping of regency romance.

Clipped

(Disney+, June 4)

Possibly one for the sports fans when it arrives on Disney+ on June 4, Clipped follows the disastrous tenure of Donald Sterling as owner of basketball team the Los Angeles Clippers. Based on the true story of his controversial reign over the NBA hopefuls, this new miniseries stars Laurence Fishburne as the team’s newly-appointed coach Doc Rivers, while Ed O’Neil takes on the role of the team’s mercurial owner.

Whether you’re a basketball enthusiast or just a fan of great drama, Clipped looks set to be one of June’s televisual highlights.

The Boys – Season 4

(Prime Video, June 13)

 Back for a fourth season – which, creator Erik Kripke recently confirmed, will not be its last – The Boys returns to find Victoria Neuman edging closer to the Oval Office, all under the watchful eye of Homelander, the show’s deliciously evil chief antagonist.

For Billy Butcher, meanwhile, time is running out and with only months left to live, he’ll have to find a way of working together with The Boys if he wants to save the world.

Due to arrive on June 13, the best thing about The Boys fourth season is that a fifth is in the pipeline.

The Bear – Season 3

(Disney+, June 27)

 Another highly-anticipated returnee this month, this high-pressure kitchen drama returns for another run as Carmy and Ritchie do everything in their power to raise their fine-dining establishment to the highest peaks – while trying increasingly hard to keep a hold of their sanity.

Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach are set to serve up more high-octane culinary antics when The Bear returns to Disney+ on June 27. The beef is going to get very spicy indeed…