Netflix Update: What's New in May and June 2015

In which I report on the upcoming changes to Netflix's streaming services.

Yeah, I know that I've been a bit negligent around here this last month or so (I personally blame all the great summer movies that are coming out), but I'm here to make up for it in spades.  So today we have a special double instalment of Netflix Update: in which I go over what I was excited for last month and what there is to look forward to this month!

Magical Girl Madoka (aka Puella Magi Madoka Magica, aka PMMM) has probably been my single favorite thing on Netflix since a friend of mine showed it to me last summer.  It's a 12 episode anime series that takes everything that you know about series like Sailor Moon and turns it completely on its head.  It starts off as some happy-go-lucky series about Magical Girls fighting witches, but then becomes a dark, soul-crushing series about friendship, betrayal and self-destruction.  Seriously, it's amazing.

As of last month, however, three Madoka movies have entered Netflix's streaming roster: Rebellion, Beginnings and Eternal.  While it's safe to say that non-fans of the show will probably not find much to enjoy out of them, it's a massive boon to those who have already seen the series.  Additionally, I've been assured by those who have seen it before that the movies - especially Eternal - are as exceptionally good as the series.

I've been looking for these movies for months to no avail (even through Netflix's DVD mailing services), so this is huge for me.  Expect to find a Revisited article sometime in the near future over the series and Date Nights for the three films.

Other than that, however, there was not much else that May brought to the table.  Sure, old favorites like The Blues Brothers, Legally Blonde, National Treasure, Big Trouble in Little China and Wes Craven's New Nightmare are always fun to have around.  And yes, Fruitvale Station classes the place up with a timely political piece while Zombeavers looks like a riotously good time, but it's nothing that most people haven't already seen, nor anything that we couldn't have done without.

June kicked off by bringing a few exceptional films into the fold as well.  The Aviator should have won DiCaprio an Oscar more than a decade ago for his portrayal of eccentric millionaire Howard Hughes.  Nightcrawler should have done the same for Jake Gyllenhaal earlier this year for his thoroughly unsettling portrayal of media sociopath Lou Bloom.

Rosewater was easily one of the better films that I saw last year and I've heard nothing but ovations for Cake, starring the purportedly underrated Jennifer Anniston.  And say what you will about the quality of the franchise that it belongs to, but Transformers: Age of Extinction was a genuinely good movie: which injected personality back into the Transformers and had a plot that was more involved than "get Shia Labeouf laid."  Throwing the Dinobots into the mix - however briefly - also didn't hurt things.

Other than those, however, the real draw for June is the second season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which is honestly just this side of being the best series on TV right now.  Seriously, I can't speak its praises highly enough.  If not for Orphan Black and Game of Thrones, I'd be hard-pressed to find a series to contest its spot on top of the hill.

Check out the full selection of June releases below:

June 1:

• The Aviator (2004)
• Employee of the Month (2006)
• Hidden Kingdoms (2014)
• The High and the Mighty (1954)
• La Dictadura Perfecta (2014)
• The Magdalene Sisters (2002)
• R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: Don’t Think About It (2007)
• R.L. Stine’s Mostly Ghostly (2008)
• Sex Ed (2014)
• Shaquille O’Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam: Live from Atlanta (2013)
• Shaquille O’Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam: Live from Las Vegas (2014)
• Shaquille O’Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam: Live from Orlando (2012)

June 3:

• The Best of Me (2014)
• Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014)

June 5:

• Sense8: Season One

June 6:

• On the Road (2012)
• Scandal: Season Four

June 7: 

• Words and Pictures (2013)

June 8:

• Grace of Monaco (2014)

June 9:

• Free the Nipple (2014)
• It’s Tough Being Loved by Jerks (2008)

June 10:

• Nightcrawler (2014)
• Pretty Little Liars: Season Five
• Rosewater (2014)

June 11:

• The Legend (1993)
• The Legend 2 (1993)
• Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season Two

June 12:

• Champs (2015)
• The Cobbler (2014)
• Life of Crime (2013)
• Orange Is the New Black: Season Three

June 13:

• Antarctica: A Year on Ice (2013)
• Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

June 15:

• Bindi’s Bootcamp: Season One
• Danger Mouse: Season One-Ten
• Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer (2013)
• Really Me: Season One-Two
• Rodney Carrington: Laughter’s Good
• Team Toon: Season One
• Wizards vs. Aliens: Season One-Three

June 16:

• Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of (2015)
• Curious George (2006)
• Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013)
• Two Days, One Night (2014)

June 17:

• Heartland: Season Six
• Point and Shoot (2014)

June 19:

• A Most Wanted Man (2014)
• Some Assembly Required (2012)

June 20:

• Cake (2014)

June 23:

• Advantageous (2015)

June 24:

• Beyond the Lights (2014)

June 25:

• Ballet 422 (2014)

June 26:

• Dragons: Race to the Edge: Season One
• Katy Perry: The Prismatic World Tour (2015)
• What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015)
• Young & Hungry: Season Two

June 27: 

• The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012)

So what are you planning on watching this month on Netflix from these new selections?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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