The Film Fix: Previews, Reviews of What’s Streaming in June

By JONATHAN W. HICKMAN, Special to The Paper

Below are reviews and capsules of various movies or series streaming this month.

Review rating … A “Fix” is recommended with a rating between 6 and 10. A “No Fix” is not recommended with a rating between 1 to 5.

Streaming Selects

NETFLIX

FUBAR: Season 2 (June 12) – Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as Luke Brunner, whose retirement from the CIA is delayed when he discovers that his daughter, Emma (Monica Barbaro), is also a secret agent. “The Matrix” star Carrie-Anne Moss joins the cast, playing a former East German spy who may have a romantic past with Luke. Other returning cast members include comedian Fortune Feimster, Travis Van Winkle, Jay Baruchel, and Tom Arnold (who shared the screen with Arnold in “True Lies”). This wacky series is ridiculous by diverting entertainment.

Squid Game: Season 3 (June 27) – More games are teased in the final season of the Korean worldwide sensation, “Squid Game.” After failing to succeed in his rebellion in season 2, Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) returns to battle the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) for control of the game. Expect more challenges, both psychological and bloody physical, as the blockbuster series reaches the end of its epic run.

APPLE TV+

Stick (new episodes weekly) Fix rating 6/10 – Owen Wilson gives this lowkey comedy drama some much-needed everyman charisma by playing Pryce “Stick” Cahill, an affable former golf pro looking for a second career as a coach and manager. When Stick notices Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager) hitting balls at a local driving range, he can’t believe the boy’s talent. Determined to pull himself out of a downward spiral, Stick approaches Santi and his mother, Elena (Mariana Treviño), about going on the road to qualify for the tour. But Santi’s past struggles might threaten Stick’s plan. This show is fun (especially for golfers) and features a winning cast, including Marc Maron as Stick’s former caddie.

HBO MAX (formerly HBO Go, HBO Now, HBO Max, and Max):

Cleaner (June 13) – This familiar-looking actioner stars Daisy Ridley (Rey from the “Star Wars” films) and Clive Owen. From the trailers, “Cleaner” appears to be another “Die Hard” imitation, as Ridley’s ex-soldier turned hi-rise window cleaner attempts to thwart the efforts of hijackers who disrupt a gala event in a skyscraper. Clive Owen is the villain frustrated by Ridley’s poison pill. Martin Campbell (see “Casino Royale”) directs.

PEACOCK

Jaws (June 15) Fix Rating 10/10 – To celebrate the 50 th anniversary of the film that created the concept of the summer blockbuster, Peacock is giving subscribers all four “Jaws” films. Of course, the first two are the only ones of note, with the second one lacking Steven Spielberg’s dedicated direction. It’s hard to believe that “Jaws” is 50 years old, but regardless, it is one of the best films of the 1970s and might crack top 25 lists of the best films of all time. Scary, funny, and rawly entertaining, few movies other than this one can lay a clear claim to being the definitive summer thrill ride that is consistently rewatchable.

Drive-Away Dolls (June 12) No Fix Rating 4/10 – In my long-form review, I said, “The mildly amiable farce is thankfully short, but this failure doesn’t bode well for other standalone Ethan Coen productions.” I’m in no mood to revisit this one, but for those that might plan on seeing “Honey Don’t” in August, you might want to check “Dolls” out because it is part of a series referred to as the “lesbian B-movie trilogy.” The whole B-movie designation is a way of blunting some of the criticism that “Dolls” received, but just because a movie is a B-movie (not a prestige offering and made with a small budget) doesn’t mean it has to be a bad film. And “Dolls” just isn’t very good, regardless of its A, B, Z, or other distinctions.

DISNEY+

Ironheart (series premiere June 24) – The MCU continues to mine its content for other characters to showcase in standalone outings. “Ironheart” focuses on Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), who we met in 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” In addition to creating a device that could detect vibranium, Riri, a super-smart MIT student, also built an Iron Man-like suit. In “Ironheart,” we follow this genius inventor as she plies her clever talents (and builds the ultimate suit of armor) against Parker Robbins, aka The Hood (played by Anthony Ramos).