June will be an exciting month for Game of Thrones fans, as House of the Dragon returns for Season 2. Although several shows saw their productions halted during last year’s SAG and WGA strikes, the GOT spin-off was one of the few series out there that didn’t experience filming delays. Although Season 2 is what most Max subscribers are dying to watch in June, there are other films arriving on streaming that deserve some love. From the fan-favorite musical Mamma Mia! to A24’s fresh-out-of-the-big-screen indie Problemista, here is a list of titles to watch in between new episodes of HOTD.

Minari (2020)

This Oscar-nominated film offers a sensitive take on the immigration experience, and how the American dream isn’t as easy to attain. In Lee Isaac Chung‘s Minari, which is loosely based on his own life, Jacob Yi (Steven Yeun) and his family move from California to Arkansas in the 1980s with the hopes of owning a piece of land and starting a farm. Yet, adapting to a new place becomes a challenge when Jacob’s decision to start over in a new place is plagued by financial instability and health hardships. As the protagonist’s mother-in-law Soonja (Youn Yuh-jung) arrives from South Korea, she brings with her Minari seeds that could potentially help him grow the crop he’s longed for, but nothing is as easy as it seems.

Minari

Release Date

January 26, 2020

Runtime

115

Main Genre

Drama

Mamma Mia! (2008)

It is never a bad time to sing along to ABBA, and what better way to do it than watching a movie filled with the Swedish group’s greatest hits? Mamma Mia is an upbeat musical about a bride-to-be named Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), who decides to invite three men from her mother’s past to her ceremony in order to figure out who her biological father might be. While Sophie is hoping to meet her dad so that he might accompany her as she walks down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams, Donna (Meryl Streep) must face her former love interests for the first time in years after raising her daughter by herself. With a wedding on the way and three distinct men hitting Greece and trying to unpack which one of them is Sophie’s biological parent, everything goes out of control in this comedy, made better by songs like “Dancing Queen” and “Voulez-Vous”.

Mamma Mia

Release Date

July 2, 2008

Director

Phyllida Lloyd

Runtime

108

Main Genre

Comedy

Uncut Gems (2019)

Adam Sandler might be known for his spot-on comedic timing, but he is also able to step into drama with the same ease. In Uncut Gems, he plays Howard Ratner, a charismatic gem dealer from New York City with a gambling addiction. With his family and career on the line after he accumulates a lot of debt, the protagonist finds that the solution to all his problems lies in a rare Ethiopian rock. Set on making big bucks by selling the gem to a high-profile buyer at an auction, Howard’s plans are threatened by his urge to win another bet. Directed by the Safdie brothers, this film is exhilarating and keeps viewers at the edge of their seats from start to finish as they see the main character risking it all despite the consequences.

Uncut Gems

Release Date

August 30, 2019

Director

Ben Safdie , Joshua Safdie

Runtime

130

Main Genre

Drama

The Disaster Artist (2017)

Based on the real-life story behind one of the worst movies ever made (The Room), A24’s The Disaster Artist has James Franco playing Tommy Wiseau, a failed actor who partners with his much younger best friend Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) to create an indie. As the duo writes, directs, produces, and stars in their own film, Tommy’s control issues and unique vision becomes a setback while shooting the project, leading it to lose its quality along the way. Nonetheless, as this passionate duo decides to make it or break it in Hollywood, their creation garners an unexpected reaction from the public. Although The Disaster Artist is about the making of a cult classic that became popular for its oddness and downright bad storyline, it is an emotional portrayal of two struggling artists giving their all to make their dreams come true.

The Disaster Artist

Release Date

December 8, 2017

Runtime

104 Minutes

Main Genre

Comedy

50/50 (2011)

Also inspired by a true story, 50/50 follows Adam Lerner a man who is overly cautious about his health and is caught by surprise when he learns that there are several tumors down his spine. Left with only a 50 percent chance of survival, the protagonist must find a silver lining amid a difficult situation that he never anticipated. With the help of his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) and his therapist Katie (Anna Kendrick), he begins to understand that he might not be able to change his cancer diagnosis, but the character is able to change the way he perceives life with a terminal illness. Despite the subject, this film will make you laugh with Adam and Kyle as they make the most of the time they can spend together.

50/50

Release Date

September 30, 2011

Runtime

100

Main Genre

Comedy

Am I OK? (2022)

In this dramedy starring Dakota Johnson, a 32-year-old woman has an unfulfilling love life and struggles to understand her own identity. It is only after experiencing unsuccessful dates with men that she learns that she is actually interested in women. With her best friend accepting a job offer in London, far away from her home in LA, the protagonist decides to be vulnerable about an aspect of her life she was never able to come clean about before. As her friend helps her navigate the hardships of coming out and finding a partner, their bond is thrown into chaos. After premiering at Sundance in 2022 and receiving positive reviews, Max subscribers will finally be able to watch Johnson’s comedy when it arrives on streaming very soon.

Problemista (2023)

Another A24 project, Problemista is a triple threat effort by Julio Torres, who directed, starred and wrote the film’s screenplay. In it, he plays Alejandro, an aspiring toy designer who leaves El Salvador and moves to New York in the hopes of having a successful career in the toy industry (preferably working for Hasbro). Yet, upon his arrival in the busy city, he quickly finds out that his goals will be harder to accomplish than what he initially expected. With his money going down the drain and few options for maintaining a legal status in the country, Alejandro finds a job assisting an outcast artist called Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton). He agrees to the opportunity with the sole condition that she might sponsor him in his quest to stay in the U.S.

According to Collider’s own Ross Bonaime in his review, “Torres has taken his style that can often be considered “too niche,” and found a way to utilize that to explore deeper, relatable issues in a film that doesn’t skimp on the strangeness of the humor.”

Problemista

Release Date

March 13, 2023

Director

Julio Torres

Runtime

98 minutes

Main Genre

Comedy