Summer is at peak hotness with all the new shows and movies to watch in July 2025 on Netflix, Prime Video, Paramount Plus and other major streaming services, as well as broadcast and cable TV.
We're highlighting the biggest, buzziest new shows and movies premiering this month. If the cineplex has gotten too costly, "Happy Gilmore 2" is teeing up big laughs at home, and "The Old Guard 2" is back with more immortal action.
Some returning favorites are hitting the small screen. "The Summer I Turned Pretty 3" amps up the teen love triangle, "The Sandman" season 2 slips deeper into your dreams with season 2 and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" season 3 charts new cosmic adventures.
Here's our guide on what to watch in July 2025.
‘The Old Guard 2’ (July 2, Netflix)
Charlize Theron + Uma Thurman + Katanas: Consider me sat for this sequel. “The Old Guard” was one of 2020’s coolest surprises — a gritty, soulful action flick with Theron as Andy, the leader of a crew of immortal mercenaries.
The sequel levels up by throwing Thurman into the mix as Discord, the first and fiercest (and very grumpy) immortal, who is deadly with aforementioned katana. Five years after the original became a hit on Netflix, the gang’s back, the grudges are bigger and the weapons are sharper. Come for the sword fights, stay for the existential crisis. - Kelly Woo
Premieres July 2 on Netflix
‘The Sandman’ season 2 (July 3, Netflix)
Way back in 2022, Netflix and Neil Gaiman teamed up to finally bring “The Sandman” to life on our screens. The iconic comic series had been considered almost unadaptable, but after a few decades of waiting, it finally happened.
The end result was great. Tom Sturridge was perfectly cast as Dream of the Endless, a race of immortal beings. Also known as Lord Morpheus, he was given a killer cast to play against, with Boyd Holbrook as the Corinthian, David Thewlis as John Dee and Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar all contending against him at various points.
Now, we’re back for a second and final season, but while the show has come to an all to quick end, it looks like Netflix has spared no expense for this show’s swansong. Whether you like comic book adaptations, high fantasy or science fiction, “The Sandman” season 2 is sure to be for you. — Malcolm McMillan
Premieres July 3 on Netflix
‘Ballard’ (July 9, Prime Video)
“Bosch: Legacy” may have wrapped up earlier this year, but the universe is far from over. Prime Video is gearing up to launch its next chapter with “Ballard,” and if the trailer is anything to go by, it’s going to be another intense ride.
The new series centers on Detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q), who’s been tasked with leading the LAPD’s newly formed cold case division. The department’s low on funding but high on forgotten crimes, and Ballard dives in headfirst, bringing compassion and fierce determination to cases the city left behind.
As she digs into decades-old murders, including a chilling string of serial killings and an unidentified John Doe, “Ballard” starts to uncover something far more dangerous: a conspiracy buried deep within the LAPD itself. With help from a small volunteer team and retired detective Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver), she faces personal demons and professional obstacles to bring the truth to light.
Based once again on Michael Connelly’s bestselling novels, “Ballard” puts Renée at the forefront, and it looks like she’s ready to carry the torch in this gripping new crime drama. — Alix Blackburn
Premieres July 9 on Prime Video
‘Too Much’ (July 10, Netflix)
Fans of “Hacks, this show is for you.
"Too Much" stars Megan Stalter as Jessica, who leaves New York for London after a bad breakup. Like, her ex-boyfriend is already living with another woman level of bad. She goes to England hoping to meet a dashing Hugh Grant type, but instead, she meets Felix (Will Sharpe), an indie musician who is distinctly not like Hugh Grant.
But while Felix may not be Jessica’s ideal British boytoy, he might just be the right person for her current stage of life. Regardless, these two might be the perfect cast for a clever, sometimes raunchy comedy, and I can’t wait to watch it. — MM
Premieres July 10 on Netflix
‘Foundation’ season 3 (July 11, Apple TV Plus)
“Foundation” is dense. Based on the Isaac Asimov book series of the same name, the cast is deep and changes significantly, given the show covers literal centuries of history in this fictional world.
But at it’s core, this is the story of the decline of an empire. That empire is lead by three clones of the ancient emperor Cleon I, and they’re portrayed by Lee Pace, Terrence Mann and Cassian Bilton. Their world is shattered when Professor Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) and his pupil Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell) come to them with psychohistory, a new field of study that scientifically predicts the fall of the empire.
Once Seldon’s psychohistory starts getting things right, the emperors exile him to found the Foundation at the outer reaches of space. Flash forward to season 3 and Foundation is nearly as powerful as Empire, but a new enemy named The Mule (Pilou Asbæk) might bring them both to their knees. — MM
Premieres July 11 on Apple TV Plus
‘Dexter: Resurrection’ (July 11, Paramount Plus)
“Dexter” spawns yet another sequel. For those who never watch the original series, it starred Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan, a vigilante serial killer who also happens to work for the Miami Metro Police Department. In the series “Dexter: New Blood,” it seemed he was left for dead, having taken a bullet to protect his son Harrison (Jack Alcott).
But Dexter is alive and well, much to his surprise. But that pleasant surprise is quickly overshadowed by another — Miami Metro Captain Angel Batista is at the hospital in Dexter’s New York small town and he knows Dexter’s dark secret.
So Dexter makes a run for New York City to escape Batista. He’s also there to find Harrison, but instead he finds a group of serial killers, brought together by the wealthy Leon Prater (Peter Dinklage). — MM
Premieres July 11 on Paramount Plus
‘Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Destination Wedding’ (July 11, Netflix)
Madea’s packing her bags — and her attitude — for the Bahamas in Tyler Perry’s 13th Madea film. When Madea’s nephew Brian and his ex-wife find out their daughter’s marrying a rapper she met on a yacht (with the wedding in two week), the family scrambles for a beachside showdown.
Expect sun, shouting matches and Madea’s wisdom delivered with no filter. Two decades in, Madea’s still the queen of turning family drama into laugh-out-loud therapy. - KW
Premieres July 11 on Netflix
‘The Institute’ (July 13, MGM Plus)
I’ve been a Stephen King fan for as long as I can remember, so when I heard “The Institute” was being turned into a series, I was immediately all in.
The story centers on Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman), a brilliant teenager who’s kidnapped and wakes up in a mysterious facility known as The Institute. He’s not alone, though, since other kids are there too, all taken the same way, and all with strange, supernatural abilities.
Not far away, a former cop named Tim Jamieson (Ben Barnes) is trying to start over in a quiet town, but it’s only a matter of time before his path crosses with Luke’s in a big way.
Think “Stranger Things” meets “Firestarter,” with that signature King mix of suspense, sci-fi, and a deep dive into the dangers of unchecked power. If you’re a fan of his work, this one’s definitely worth adding to your watchlist. — AB
Premieres July 13 on MGM Plus
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ season 3 (July 16, Prime Video)
Pack your swimsuit for one last, messy summer at Cousins Beach. The third and final season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” wraps up the love triangle involving Belly (Lola Tung) and her lifelong friends, brothers Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Conrad (Christopher Briney).
Now in college, Belly thinks she’s found her forever with J … until Conrad shows up and stirs everything back up. Brace yourselves for romantic whiplash, plenty of soaring needle drops and heartbreak — maybe yours. - KW
Premieres July 16 on Prime Video
‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ season 3 (July 17, Paramount Plus)
If you’re a “Star Trek” fan and haven’t started watching "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," you need to. The prequel to "Star Trek: The Original Series" stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, captain of the USS Enterprise, alongside familiar names like Spock (Ethan Peck), Number One (Rebecca Romijn) and Starfleet engineer Montgomery Scott (Martin Quinn).
These are just a few of the fan favorite characters given new life in this prequel series set in the decade prior to the original “Star Trek.” Season 3 will cover the third year of the Enterprise's five-year mission, marking the midpoint of the series, so it’s not too late to start. — MM
Premieres July 17 on Paramount Plus
‘Untamed’ (July 17, Netflix)
Netflix knows how to pull us into a good mystery, and the streamer’s upcoming thriller series, “Untamed,” looks like it could be the next one we all get hooked on.
The show follows Kyle Turner (Eric Bana), a top agent in a high-level unit of the National Parks Service. When a murder happens in Yosemite — one of the most popular parks in the country — Kyle gets pulled into the investigation.
He teams up with rookie ranger Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago) and seasoned agent Paul Souter (Sam Neill), and as the case unfolds, it starts digging up more than just clues, including secrets from Kyle’s own past.
With its dramatic wilderness and a vibe that feels right at home for fans of “Yellowstone,” “Untamed” seems like it has all the ingredients for a gripping, twisty ride. Let’s hope it delivers. — AB
Premieres July 17 on Netflix
‘Happy Gilmore 2’ (July 25, Netflix)
"Happy Gilmore 2" is set 30 years after the ice hockey player turned professional golfer won his first Tour Championship in “Happy Gilmore.” Things haven’t gone so well for him in the meantime, and he’s having to find a way to pay for his daughter Vienna's (Sunny Sandler) ballet school.
So Happy decides to get back into the professional golf game, but he’s not the only one looking to make a comeback. Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) is standing in Happy's way, and is on a quest to take the gold jacket that Happy earned all those years ago. — MM
Premieres July 25 on Netflix
‘Twisted Metal’ season 2 (July 31, Peacock)
The stakes are even bloodier in this post-apocalyptic action comedy. John Doe (Anthony Mackie) and Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz) are diving headfirst into Calypso’s no-mercy demolition derby, where one wish is up for grabs … if they can outdrive a bunch of lunatics.
Cars will burn, clowns will kill and Anthony Carrigan will be smirking as the world goes up in flames. Dollface and Mr. Grimm crash back in for more mayhem, plus there’s a scrappy kid in the mix.
Premieres July 31 on Peacock
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