July streaming highlights
1.7.2026
Translation: Katherine Martin
New month, new streaming recommendations. From Netflix to Disney+, Prime Video to Apple TV+ and HBO Max, these are our series and film picks on streaming services this July.
What do you call a criminal sitting under a tree? A shady character! If you’re trying to escape the heat yourself this July, how about enjoying a couple of these film and TV highlights in the shade of your living room?
Netflix
Sparks of Tomorrow (series)
Sparks of Tomorrow transports us to an alternate Kyoto in 1907. Fifteen-year-old Inako can’t seem to do anything right in her father’s eyes, but finds solace and hope in her prayers at the local Inari shrine. It’s here she eventually meets a boy named Kihachi. Unlike Inako, he has no interest in gods – it’s the arrival of the Age of Electricity he believes in. When Inako’s father decides she should get married, she and Kihachi run away in the hope of finding a missing catalogue. The book could bring electrical power to the streets of Kyoto, which are currently choked with smoke from the city’s many steam engines.
Sparks of Tomorrow is the anime adaptation of Hiro Yuki’s novel «20 Seiki Denki Mokuroku» (20th Century Electricity Catalogue), produced by Kyoto Animation. The trailer promises speed, action, drama and – yet again – enchanting animations. My fellow film and TV enthusiast Luca certainly seems to be on board with it. In fact, he’s the one who recommended it to me. Aside from watching a classic or two, I’ve yet to venture down the anime rabbit hole myself. Why? Because I know I definitely won’t make it back out. Sparks of Tomorrow is actually making it hard for me to resist much longer. I can feel myself slipping away…
When: 5 July
Little House on the Prairie (series)
The Ingalls family embarks on a brand-new life in the Wild West. Sometimes, things on their small farm go well. Other times, it’s a struggle, throwing all manner of difficulties and problems their way. In other words, it’s a top-tier family and survival drama about the struggles and triumphs of settlers.
Ring a bell? That’s because, back in the ’70s and ’80s, the same show was a huge TV hit, starring the (in my view, unforgettable) Michael Landon (Bonanza, Highway to Heaven). Yep, Little House on the Prairie is indeed a remake. Both series are based on the semi-autobiographical children’s books by author Laura Ingalls Wilder. I’ll definitely check it out sometime, propping a pair of nostalgia-tinted, rose-coloured glasses over my steely critic’s eyes. I hadn’t realised just how much I miss Michael Landon.
When: 9 July
The East Palace (series)
A ghost hunter with the power to move between the spirit world and the land of the living. A lady-in-waiting who hears the voices of the dead and can communicate with them. Both have been tasked by the king with lifting a curse that hangs over the crown prince’s palace. But its thick walls harbour even more dark secrets.
K-drama, you say?! As a long-time fan of South Korean films and TV series (Memories of Murder, I Saw the Devil, Kingdom), the trailer for The East Palace had me intrigued within a few seconds. I definitely plan on seeing for myself whether – and how well – this mix of horror, fantasy, action and drama actually works.
When: 17 July
Disney+
X-Men ’97 – Season 2 (series)
Ratings of 8.7 on IMDb as well as 99 (!) and 91 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes speak volumes. X-Men ’97 is a wild ride down memory lane that so, so many people want to keep watching – including me!
In 2024, the first season blended seamlessly – both visually and narratively – with the original series, which ended in 1997 after five seasons. The second season of the modern version is out soon, with a third already on the horizon. According to producer Larry Houston said, fans won’t have to wait another two years for that. In the same statement, he dismissed concerns about a decline in quality out of hand:
«Trust me, as a fan, you’ll enjoy it.»
I have no doubt about that, Larry. Now move aside, please – I’m trying to see the TV!
When: 1 July
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (film)
It’s as if the devil has a hand in things. No sooner has Grace (Samara Weaving) survived her in-laws’ deadly games than the next bunch of crazies are waiting to get their hands on her.
Following the success of bloodthirsty horror comedy Ready or Not in 2019, a sequel was inevitable. Though it has kept us waiting a good few years. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have stayed on as directors. The cast, led by Samara Weaving, is rounded out by big names such as Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings). Otherwise, there probably won’t be much new. Not that there necessarily has to be – I’d be happy enough with more of the first film.
When: 2 July
Apple TV
Silo – Season 3 (series)
What’s the story behind the giant silo 144 stories below the earth’s surface? The one housing 10,000 survivors who have to follow various rules for their protection? What exactly do they need to be protected from? What’s going on in the world outside and above the silo? The vegetation has been destroyed and there are no signs of life.
If you haven’t watched Silo yet, there isn’t much point in me revealing more about it here. Do not under any circumstances click on the trailer above! Instead, do things the proper way and start with Season 1, Episode 1.
Now the dystopian science fiction series starring Rebecca Ferguson is heading into its third season. We also know for sure that there’s going to be a fourth and final season. As stoked as I am to watch Season 3, the memory loss mentioned in the trailer is dampening my excitement a little. I mean, what’s that all about? Is it a plot device being used to artificially pad out the series? I hope not. Either way, I’m going to watch Silo right through to the bitter end. This series is just too good not to.
When: 3 July
Lucky (miniseries)
Lucky (Anya Taylor-Joy) is a con artist who has been honing her criminal talents since childhood. When a major robbery goes wrong, however, Lucky stops living up to her name. From then on, she’s pursued by both the FBI and figures from the criminal underworld – and her own past catches up with her too.
Apple TV releases almost always hit the mark, so I think this one probably will too. If the trailer is anything to go by, no expense or effort was spared in making Lucky. Incidentally, the seven-part miniseries is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Marissa Stapley, published in late 2021.
The cast’s crown jewel, Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), is everyone’s darling in Hollywood right now. She also co-produced Lucky alongside Reese Witherspoon and others. The stellar cast includes Timothy Olyphant (Justified) and Annette Bening (American Beauty).
When: 15 July
The Dink (film)
Former pro tennis player Dusty Boyd has seen better days. He coaches spoiled suburban brats at his father’s country club, sharing his dad’s disdain for globally popular tennis offshoots like padel and pickleball. And yet, pickleball – of all things – is what his doctor (Ben Stiller) strongly recommends he take up to make his wrist injury rehab as quick as possible.
Break point: sports comedies aren’t usually my thing. However, the trailer did make me smile, which isn’t a bad sign.
Set point: The Dink features an outstanding cast, including Jake Johnson (New Girl), Ed Harris (Westworld), Mary Steenburgen (Melvin and Howard) and Ben Stiller (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty).
Match Point: Andy Roddick, one of Roger Federer’s biggest rivals in the 2000s, makes an appearance in The Dink. I’ve got to see that!
Game, set, match. Or something like that.
When: 24 July
Amazon Prime Video
Elle (series)
Fancy a trip down memory lane? In this nostalgia ride, Elle takes us back to the mid-’90s. Everything’s going swimmingly for the teenage Elle Woods (Lexi Minetree). Until her parents tell her they’re all moving from Los Angeles to Seattle, that is. This presents Elle with a dramatic change of scenery.
I guess this means that before defying all the odds and naysayers at Harvard to become a lawyer, she went through something similar at high school. Time to put on my pink glasses!
Elle tells the backstory of Legally Blonde, the film that finally gave Reese Witherspoon her big break and catapulted her into the pantheon of Hollywood stars. Witherspoon’s also involved in the prequel series, albeit «only» as a producer.
When: 1 July
Batman: Caped Crusader – Season 2 (series)
In the 1940s, Gotham City is on the verge of descending into chaos. Crime is spiralling, and things are on the verge of spinning out of control. A lone avenger in a bat costume sets out to free the city from the underworld’s grip. But can you really trust a figure like that? Are they any different from the criminals they’re fighting? These are the kind of questions Batman has always had to face – and in Batman: Caped Crusader, it’s no different.
This noir-inspired series has divided opinion, at least according to Rotten Tomatoes. The site currently shows Batman: Caped Crusader has a 94 per cent rating from critics, but only 55 per cent from audiences. As is so often the case, the truth probably lies somewhere in between – and it’s up to you to figure out where you stand.
J.J. Abrams (Lost) and Matt Reeves (The Batman) have returned as producers for the second season of Batman: Caped Crusader. Visually, the series is strongly reminiscent of Batman: The Animated Series, a show still awarded a cult-like reverence by fans to this day. The visual similarity is no coincidence: Bruce Timm is responsible for most of both series.
When: 31 July
Sky Show
The Walking Dead: Dead City – Season 3 (series)
Maggie (Lauren Cohan) needs Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) help with something yet again. Even though he’s the very person she’d most like to see dead. Negan, after all, was responsible for the death of Glenn – Maggie’s husband and the father of her son, Hershel. But in a world full of zombies and with only a few people left, you need to very carefully consider who to ask for help.
Admittedly, I’m a sucker for the whole Walking Dead shebang. The erratic behaviour of the survivors in the face of a massive zombie apocalypse – preferring to slaughter one another rather than band together – is both repulsive and fascinating. Aside from the whole zombie thing, I’m afraid it’s also frighteningly realistic.
I’m one of those people who watched the main series right through to its bitter – and not even that satisfying – ending, regardless of how repetitive and predictable it had become. On top of that, I’ve watched every single spin-off so far and have enjoyed them all. Including The Walking Dead: Dead City. I especially like Jeffrey Dean Morgan, whose performance has actually led Negan to become my favourite character. I’m confident he won’t let me down in Season 3 either.
When: 26 July
Paramount+
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season 4 (series)
«Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds…»
Every episode of the very first Star Trek series, starring William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, begins with these words. Exploring strange new worlds has always been the Enterprise’s mission. Which, as you’d expect from the title, is a concept Star Trek: Strange New Worlds builds upon. It takes place a few years before the adventures of the original series. Although familiar characters like Uhura, Spock, Scotty and James T. Kirk do appear in this one, they still have to earn their stripes.
Bones, Data, Picard, Klingons – I was never a Trekkie. My Star Trek is patchy and largely revolves around references that have made it into pop culture and stuck. Of course, I’ve watched a couple of the films and a handful of old TV episodes. But the spark was just never there for me. Do you think Star Trek: Strange New Worlds could change that?
When: 23 July
HBO Max
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (series)
The success of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory has borne a string of spin-offs. Young Sheldon chronicled the early years of highly intelligent physicist and awkward nerd Sheldon Cooper, while Georgie & Mandie focused on Sheldon’s older brother Georgie and his wife. Now, with Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, the next offshoot is just around the corner.
Comic book store owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman) has a problem. After accidentally destroying a machine that Sheldon helped develop, he’s triggered a multiverse Armageddon. While he’s trying to restore reality, he gets help from friends and comes across alternate versions of familiar characters from The Big Bang Theory. Wondering how it’ll pan out? Read the title of the series again.
When: 23 July
Streaming highlights in July 2026
Which release are you most looking forward to?
Header image: Netflix
I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here.
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