June is in full swing, and with it, an illustrious lineup of new releases are set to bring its own bout of excitement to the viewing table. With an abundant flurry of shows coming in one by one, you might be feeling a tad spoilt for choice, but fret not—Vogue Singapore has you covered with a curation of shows to binge out to from streaming platforms in the vein of Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Go this month.
First on the list: Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area is a much-anticipated release that comes post the original series Money Heist which officially ended back in 2021. In a similar backdrop of revolting against nation-wide corruption, the South Korean spin-off takes it to another level, introducing a layer of South and North Korean politics into play. Coming in hot on the heels of South Korea’s phenomenal Squid Game, Park Hae Soo, who had previously played the role of Player 218 in the psychological thriller, is now also adopting the role of Berlin in this upcoming Korean spin-off of Money Heist, setting the expectations high for an equally formidable character to come into play.
Next up is Ms. Marvel, the latest addition to Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), highly anticipated for its groundbreaking attempts to push the boundaries of representation in the superheroes that lead on our screen. Within the confounding MCU timeline, we are met with Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American teenager, who daydreams and places her comic book superheroes on a pedestal—much like the rest of us admiring fans often do. When she finds herself coming into powers that allow her to channel a serious amount of cosmic energy herself, she experiences an adventure like never before, accompanied by an intertwining of fun dialogue and relatable moments for audiences worldwide.
Others to consider a watch from Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max include a lineup of documentaries, docudramas and adaptations: JLo’s insightful documentary is set to be a pivotal screen piece to consider amidst the superstar’s move towards new beginnings this year, whilst Rise and Irma Vep are loosely based on true narratives—discovered in an artfully explorative light. Exciting season returns also find themselves on our radar: in the vein of Only Murders In The Building and Peaky Blinders, the latter of which marks the finale of the famed gritty gang of English boys.
Below, the full list of our top streaming picks of the month.
1 / 8
Ms. Marvel
The Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it, is evolving. And this time around, Iman Vellani will be playing our superfan-turned-superhero teenage protagonist Kamala Khan—who’s trying to balance her high school life with all the awkward life moments in-between. This is the first time the MCU superhero lineup will be featuring a Pakistani-American hero as the lead with the 6-episode narrative to showcase how her powers come to be, alongside fun graphic splashes from the comics for an upbeat overcast.
Watch Ms. Marvel on Disney+ from 8 June.
2 / 8
Halftime
Offering an intimate peek behind the curtains of the one and only Jennifer Lopez, is Halftime, a Netflix produced documentary that lends a more personal viewpoint of the globally-renowned superstar. Considering she’s been in the public eye for most of her life, it’s an overarching sentiment of how the actor, singer, mother and business mogul has worked through the spotlight and the noise that comes through. A timely nod to a new phase of life Jlo seems to be embarking on; one can look forward to an alternative portrait of the multi-hyphenate, that is centred by moments of vulnerability amidst her stardom on stage.
Watch Halftime on Netflix from 14 June.
3 / 8
Peaky Blinders Season 6
The Shelby boys are returning to Birmingham, one last time. In what might be considered the finale season (sans a feature-length film that creator Steven Knight has mentioned), the English gang of blood-brothers-turned-businessmen are taking it into their own hands once again to ensure that the family business continues to thrive, despite the multiple enemies and growing familial distrust within the inner circle. Season 6 is set to continue exactly where the previous season finale ended—with Tommy Shelby, our brooding male lead played by none other than Cillian Murphy himself, pointing a gun to his head in the middle of an open field. Heart-wrenching moments await us, but the Peaky Blinders are back.
Watch Peaky Blinders Season 6 on Netflix from 10 June.
4 / 8
Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area
The hit Spanish series Money Heist on Netflix might have ended last year, but the thrill doesn’t stop there, at least not when the Korean adaptation, Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area, is almost here. Set in a backdrop of reunified Korea, the bitter realities of capitalism, where the rich only seem to get richer, are morbidly abundant. The Professor (Yoo Ji-Tae) masterminds a scheme to steal 4 trillion won from the Korea Unified Mint—and assembles a group of thieves including the intrepid Tokyo (Jun Jong-Seo) and ruthlessly manipulative Berlin (Park Hae-Soo). With an additional layer of North and South Korea social politics thrown into the mix, expect the betrayals to be gruelling and the tensions to run high.
Watch Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area from 24 June.
5 / 8
Rise
A moving tale of going against all odds, Rise tells the true story of the NBA stars and brothers by blood—Giannis, Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo. After migrating from Nigeria to Greece, the family faces severe roadblocks in their attempts to get citizenship at every turn of the way. A life-altering moment sets in when they get scouted by an agent during a free play match with a local youth team, who sees their potential for the sport.
Watch Rise on Disney+ from 24 June.
6 / 8
Irma Vep
An adaptation of the 1996 film classic with the same moniker, Irma Vep returns as an 8-episode limited series, with Oliver Assayas as the director once again. This time around, Alicia Vikander takes the leading role of Maggie Cheung’s character, whomst at that time, was playing herself—a major movie star who signs on to lead in yet another movie adaptation, Louis Feuillade’s Les Vampires. According to Assayas in a previous interview with Vogue, this most recent fic allowed him to experiment with new modes of filmmaking, and “work on aspects of Irma Vep he had no chance to explore,” in the original film.
Watch Irma Vep on HBO Max from 6 June.
7 / 8
Only Murders In The Building Season 2
The true-crime trio is back in the Arcania, for season 2 of the murder-mystery-comedy Only Murders In The Building. Mabel, Charles and Oliver, played by Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short respectively, are taking their crime podcast further in an attempt to unmask yet another mystery, after resolving the Tim Kono case in season 1. Suicide Squad actress and supermodel Cara Delevigne is also lined up to join the mainstay cast for this upcoming season as Alice, an art world insider who will be playing Mabel’s potential love interest.
Watch Only Murders In The Building on Disney+ from 28 June.
8 / 8
Alchemy of Souls
When it comes to what K-drama land hardly goes wrong with—it’s a period romance, infused with a bout of fantastical thrill on the side. Alchemy of Souls follows a pairing of characters whose destinies are somehow intertwined: one a young master of the Jang family, Jang Wook (Lee Jae Wook), and the other a grand assassin stuck in the world’s weakest body, Mu Deok Yi (Jung So Min). Tragic backstories are revealed, masterful plots of secrecy will be unveiled, and a budding romance between charismatic leads is to be expected—as with every period fic from South Korea.
Watch Alchemy of Souls on Netflix from 18 June.
