I watch Netflix for a living — here are the 5 new shows and movies I'd stream this week
Normally, there would be a deluge of new Netflix shows and movies to stream this week. But there are just five new arrivals to the streaming service between June 23 and June 29.
There may be a good reason for this, though. "Squid Game" season 3 arrives on June 27, and it wouldn't be a shock if Netflix is clearing the decks for the final season of its most popular series ever.
Of course, there are still other shows and movies worth checking out besides the series finale of Netflix's hit Korean drama.
Chief among the best of the rest is "The Ultimatum: Queer Love" season 2, which adds yet another reality show to Netflix's already massive stable of popular reality TV.
For more to watch, read on for my top picks, a full list of everything new on Netflix this week and the scoop on what's leaving Netflix this week.
If you need more, check out our guide to everything new to Netflix in June or our review of Netflix's new soapy crime drama, which was the biggest new show last week.
"Squid Game" takes place in a dystopian version of our world where a cabal of the wealthy and powerful pits the poor and desperate of South Korea against each other. If you win this series of children's games, you could take home a life-changing sum. Lose, and you lose more than just the game.
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In season 1, a down-on-his-luck divorced dad named Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) took home the top prize, and ever since, he's been looking to take the game down for good. Season 2 saw him in the game yet again, but his violent revolution ended in disaster.
Now, he's the prisoner of The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), but that doesn't mean the game is over. Tune in to the final season of Netflix's hit Korean-language thriller this week to see if Gi-hun can win once and for all.
Watch on Netflix starting June 27
"The Ultimatum" has been a hit for Netflix. The premise is simple: several couples enter a reality dating show where one person in the relationship is given an ultimatum by the other — marry me or leave me.
To determine if the couples are truly right for each other, though, they must first do the unthinkable. They will temporarily split up and enter into a trial marriage to see if married life is for them at all, or if maybe they're just with the wrong partner.
Tune into "The Ultimatum: Queer Love" season 2 premiere this week and begin the eight-week journey to see which couples are right for each other and which are maybe better off with someone else.
Watch on Netflix starting June 25
Some people like cruises. They're wrong, but people are entitled to their opinion.
But what happens when a 4,000-passenger Carnival cruise ship loses power? That's the question "Trainwreck: Poop Cruise" looks to answer and — spoiler alert — everything goes to sh*t.
If you love a story where the truth is stranger than fiction, do not miss this new Netflix documentary about the 2013 Carnival Triumph engine fire, which will forever live in infamy as the "poop cruise."
Watch on Netflix starting June 24
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To call Steph Tolev's comedy raunchy might be an understatement. But the standup certainly has an ardent fanbase, including standup legend Bill Burr.
Tolev has worked with Burr on multiple occassions, as well as appearing in "Hacks" as and "Tires" season 2.
But in "Steph Tolev: Filth Queen," she's the main attraction of the show, dropping unfiltered confessions, dating stories and observations about life. Fair warning — when I say unfiltered, I mean it.
Watch on Netflix starting June 24
Incredibly, the "Pokémon" anime has been ongoing for 27 seasons.
Now titled, "Pokémon Horizons: The Search for Laqua," it probably looks unrecognizable to us who grew up with the original 150 Pokémon — it doesn't even feature Ash Ketchum — but if you need something for the kids this week, then this is the show for you.
This latest batch of episodes picks up with Liko, Roy, and Dot reuniting with the Rising Volt Tacklers as they head to Kitakami and continue their Pokémon journey.
Watch on Netflix starting June 27
JUNE 24
"Steph Tolev: Filth Queen" (Netflix comedy special)
Bow down to the queen as fearlessly filthy Steph Tolev rules the stage with hilarious confessions, unfiltered dating stories and absurd observations.
"Trainwreck: Poop Cruise" (GB) (Netflix documentary)
An engine fire leaves 4,000 passengers stranded at sea without power and plumbing in this wild documentary about the infamous "poop cruise" of 2013.
JUNE 25
"The Ultimatum: Queer Love" season 2 (Netflix series)
Six couples put their love to the test by moving in with other partners. Are they ready for marriage — or is "the one" actually someone else?
JUNE 27
"Pokémon Horizons: The Search for Laqua" season 2 part 3 (JP) (Netflix family)
With their training complete, the three young adventurers embark on a new quest to learn more about Lucius and track down the rest of the Six Heroes.
"Squid Game" season 3 (KR) (Netflix series)
The third and final season of Squid Game follows Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) after losing his best friend in the game and being driven to utter despair by The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who was hiding his true identity to infiltrate the game. Gi-hun persists with his goal to put an end to the game, while the Front Man continues onto his next move and the surviving players' choices will lead to graver consequences with each round. The world eagerly awaits to see the grand finale written and directed by Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who has vowed to bring the epic story to its deserved closure. Can we hope for humanity in the cruelest of realities? Fans all over the world are counting the days until the final answer is revealed.
Leaving 6/26/25
"Ordinary People"
Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.
Here's what he's been watching lately:
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Tom's Guide
17 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
Netflix drops first look at new psychological thriller — and it just became one of my most anticipated movies of summer 2025
Netflix seems to be steering its thrillers in a more claustrophobic direction lately. I recently wrote about 'Brick,' a German mystery thriller where an entire apartment building is sealed off by an impenetrable brick wall. Now, the streaming service has dropped a teaser trailer and first-look images for 'Wall to Wall,' another gripping thriller set within an apartment complex. This time, however, there's no brick barrier driving the tension. Instead, it's the strange neighbors and creeping psychological torment that make this Korean thriller sound just as suffocating. 'Wall to Wall' lands on Netflix on July 18, 2025, and based on the details and teaser we've been given so far, it's already earned a spot on my must-watch list this summer. The teaser opens with a cheerful voice announcing, 'Congratulations on your new home,' as a bright, upbeat tune about life in Seoul plays in the background. Woo-sung (played by 'Squid Game' star Kang Ha-neul) has finally secured his own apartment after pulling together severance pay, a small loan, a one-room deposit, and even selling off his mother's garlic farm to make it happen. At first, he's thrilled. But that joy quickly unravels when unsettling noises from above begin to invade his nights, sending him spiraling into paranoia. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. We also meet some unsettling neighbors, including Eun-hwa (Yeom Hye-ran), the building's sharp-tongued resident rep who hides something behind her smile, and Jin-ho (Seo Hyun-woo), the wary man upstairs who seems just as disturbed by the strange sounds echoing through the walls. Along with the teaser trailer and first-look images, Netflix revealed the logline: 'A man who finally saves up enough to buy an apartment, only to have it turn into a nightmare with financial ruin and mysterious noises from neighboring floors.' The streamer also dropped more details about the characters. Woo-sung is a financially burdened homeowner who struggles to find sleep and peace in what should be his dream home. When all his neighbors accuse him of being the source of the noise, he sets out to find the source himself and prove his innocence. Eun-hwa is the resident representative dedicated to maintaining peace within the apartment complex. And then Jin-ho, the mysterious upstairs neighbor, initially suspects Woo-sung but decides to help him in his search. The movie's original Korean title actually translates to '84 Square Meters,' a nod to the standard apartment size in South Korea. It's essentially a symbol of the country's brutally competitive housing market, where privacy is scarce, and peace is even scarcer. In this thriller, Woo-sung is surrounded by neighbors he doesn't know, haunted by strange noises through the walls, and trapped in routines that offer no escape. It's isolation with just enough proximity to make anyone feel watched, which is the perfect setup for paranoia and tension to take root. After the success of 'Unlocked,' director Kim Tae-joon is back with his second thriller 'Wall to Wall,' and once again, he's tapping into the unsettling side of ordinary life. Centered around a deeply relatable protagonist and set in a compact, 84-square-meter apartment, the movie aims to explore how the 'mystery of untraceable noises between floors sets the stage for suspense filled with unpredictable twists.' Kang Ha-neul is shaping up to be one of 2025's standout stars. With memorable performances in 'Squid Game' season 2, the acclaimed drama 'When the Camellia Blooms,' and the recent series 'Tastefully Yours,' he's built a reputation for bringing emotion and charisma to every role. I'm confident he'll deliver something fresh and compelling in this upcoming thriller. Beyond the horror-thriller elements, the movie seems to offer a sharp and relevant critique of South Korea's cutthroat housing market and the intense emotional strain involved in both obtaining and holding onto a home. So, yes, this is definitely a claustrophobic thriller. Anyone with a fear of enclosed spaces is in for a head-spinning ride, since single-location stories excel at ratcheting up unbearable tension. I'm confident 'Wall to Wall' will keep most of us guessing right up to the very end. Thankfully we don't have long to wait, because 'Wall to Wall' starts streaming on Netflix from July 18. In the meantime, see what new movies and shows got added to Netflix in June 2025.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
The Real Winner of ‘Squid Game' Is Hwang Dong-hyuk
'Squid Game,' the candy-colored South Korean series about a deadly competition, premiered on Netflix in 2021 and almost immediately became an international sensation. Hwang Dong-hyuk, who wrote and directed the series, could hardly believe it. 'Literally, I pinched myself,' he said, gripping the skin of his cheek. 'It was very surreal to me.' Hwang was speaking — sometimes in English, sometimes through an interpreter — earlier this month in the breakfast room of a luxury hotel in midtown Manhattan. The series was conceived in far shabbier locations. In 2009, having earned a master's in film at the University of Southern California, he found himself back in South Korea, broke and demoralized. Spending his days huddled in cafes, reading grisly comic books and sliding deeper into debt, he began to dream up a story about a competition, based on popular children's games, in which players would either solve all their money woes or die. No one would finance that nascent feature until nearly a decade later, when Netflix came calling. In its first season, 'Squid Game' became the streamer's most popular series ever, spawning think pieces, spinoffs, memes, bobblehead dolls. You could buy a 'Squid Game' tracksuit, emblazoned with 456, the player number of the show's protagonist, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae). You could participate in less lethal recreations of the games, with on-site snack bars and a gift shop. A capitalist satire had become a capitalist triumph. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Squid Game star praises 'unpredictable' ending as creator reveals fears
Squid Game is coming to an end with its hotly-anticipated third season, which Lee Jung-jae has described as having the 'most unpredictable, most meaningful and the most intriguing ending possible' — but the show's creator Hwang Dong-hyuk is still in two minds about it. Speaking at a press conference in London for the Netflix juggernaut, the showrunner admitted he had a hard time coming up with a satisfying conclusion to the story. Season 3 returns to Gi-hun (Lee) as a broken man after his rebellion against the leaders of the deadly games failed and led to his friend's death. As the players that are left decide to keep playing, Gi-hun is forced to question his mission and also his faith in humanity. There are a lot of twists and turns in store for viewers in the final episodes, and when asked about the hardest decision he had to make director Hwang shared: "Even when I was writing the season 3 I had to make a big decision because this is the finale of the whole series, the whole show. "So that decision was so difficult to make. I'm still thinking about whether it's good or not, but the viewers will see." Lee and his co-stars Lee Byung-hun and Park Gyu-young, who play the Front Man and Pink Guard No-eul respectively, were effusive in their praise of how Hwang's chose to close out the series. "I thought that director Huang's decision that he had made... he was very determined," Lee Jung-jae said. "I'm sure that he went through a lot of internal debate and struggles because, as we all know, this series has been just hugely successful. So when it's a story that big, how do you bring that to a close as director, writer and creator? And especially for a character like Gi-hun, where do you take him? "And so I know that he listened to a lot of other people's ideas as well, we would have discussions among ourselves, among the cast. He would also discuss it with me and the crew as well, but I believe that director Hwang came up with the most adequate, the most unpredictable, the most meaningful and the most intriguing and entertaining ending possible. "So personally, I am very happy with the finale and you all are going to be able to see where it all ends soon. But I can guarantee you it's not going to be what you think." Lee Byung-hun, on the other hand, implied that while the finale gives the series a satisfying conclusion he feels there's room for more if the audience craves it. "Director Hwang keeps saying it's a finale," the actor reflected. "When I first read it I felt it could be a finale but, at the same time, it could be a new start. I'm not sure [if it definitely is], that's my personal opinion, but if the audience's love and support increase you never know what might happen!" Park added that she looked at the series as a fan, having come into it later than her co-stars, and so that gives her a different and interesting angle: "If I answer it's as a fan, as one of the audience. So if season 2 was the explanation of the expanded universe of Squid Game, in Season 3 all those questions will be answered really clearly and all the characters will make their own decisions and break through all the hardships they're going through." Squid Game season 3 premieres on Netflix on Friday, 27 June.
