What to Stream: June 19–25, 2026
House of the Dragon S3 opens at 98% RT; The Bear ends its run; Digital Circus finale hits Netflix.
House of the Dragon Season 3 arrives Sunday with a 98% Tomatometer opening. The Bear begins its final run Wednesday night on Hulu with all 10 episodes at once. The Amazing Digital Circus gets its Netflix grand finale Thursday. And Sugar Season 2 kicks off Friday on Apple TV+ with Colin Farrell. This is one of the strongest single weeks of the summer.
Quick reference: all featured titles
| Title | Platform | Premiere date | Type | RT Critics | RT Audience | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of the Dragon S3 1 | HBO Max | June 21 | Drama series | 98% (41 reviews) | Not yet rated | Binge-Worthy |
| The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act 2 | Netflix | June 19 | Animated movie | 94% (8 reviews) | N/A | Binge-Worthy |
| The Bear S5 3 | Hulu (FX) | June 25 | Drama series (final) | Not yet rated | Not yet rated | Binge-Worthy |
| Sugar S2 4 | Apple TV+ | June 19 | Drama / neo-noir | Not yet rated | Not yet rated | Watch It |
| Star City S1, Ep. 5 5 | Apple TV+ | June 19 | Drama series (cont.) | 97% (30 reviews) | 71% | Binge-Worthy |
| Cape Fear S1, Ep. 4 6 | Apple TV+ | June 19 | Limited series (cont.) | 76% (66 reviews) | 63% | Watch It |
| How to Make a Killing 7 | HBO Max | June 19 | Movie (black comedy) | 45% (193 reviews) | 76% | Skip It |
| Color Book 8 | Netflix | June 19 | Movie (drama) | Early reviews: positive | Not yet rated | Watch It |
| In the Hand of Dante 9 | Netflix | June 24 | Movie (drama) | 43% (21 reviews) | Not yet rated | Skip It |
| Avatar: The Last Airbender S2 10 | Netflix | June 25 | Drama series | Not yet rated | Not yet rated | Watch It |
| 5lbs of Pressure 11 | Netflix | June 21 | Movie (crime/thriller) | 57% (14 reviews) | 68% | Watch It |
| Why We Dream 12 | HBO Max | June 24 | Documentary | 2 reviews (positive) | Not yet rated | Watch It |
RT scores as of June 18, 2026. Scores for titles releasing June 25 will appear post-premiere.
HBO Max
House of the Dragon — Season 3 premiere ✦ Binge-Worthy
Type: Drama series · Premieres: June 21 on HBO Max · 8 episodes, weekly · Rating: TV-MA
Showrunner: Ryan Condal · Co-creator: George R.R. Martin · Cast: Emma D'Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Tom Glynn-Carney, Ewan Mitchell, Fabien Frankel, Harry Collett, Sonoya Mizuno
Set 200 years before Game of Thrones, the Dance of the Dragons — the Targaryen civil war — reaches its most destructive phase. Season 3 picks up the morning after Season 2's finale cliffhanger, with the conflict now consuming both sides. Naval battles open the season; new dragonriders take the field; the personal cost of war runs through every episode. 1
RT Critics: 98% (41 reviews, Certified Fresh) · RT Audience: Not yet rated (premiere week)
"The fate of Westeros comes to a head in a reinvigorated and riveting third season of House of the Dragon, complete with wicked new characters and more thrilling battles, crafting a punchy prequel that matches the expectations of its predecessor." — RT Critics Consensus 1
Mashable's Belen Edwards called the first four episodes "jaw-dropping spectacle" that makes up for Season 2's pacing and then some. 13 A 98% from 41 critics is a meaningful opening — that's a large enough sample to treat it as a real signal, not a small-batch number. The companion podcast also returns this season, now in video format for the first time.
Verdict: Binge-Worthy — the week's anchor. If you watched Seasons 1 and 2, nothing here requires justification. If you haven't: both seasons are on HBO Max, and Season 1 holds up well enough to start tonight.
Also on HBO Max this week
How to Make a Killing (June 19) is an A24 black comedy directed by John Patton Ford (Emily the Criminal) and inspired by the 1949 British film Kind Hearts and Coronets. Glen Powell plays Becket Redfellow, a man disowned at birth who systematically murders his wealthy relatives to reclaim his inheritance, tempted along the way by a femme fatale played by Margaret Qualley. The cast also includes Ed Harris, Bill Camp, Topher Grace, and Jessica Henwick. Runtime: 1h 45m, rated R. Theatrical release was February 20, 2026. 7
RT Critics: 45% (Rotten, 193 reviews) · RT Audience: 76%
The RT Critics Consensus: "Deploying Glen Powell's magnetic likability to head-scratching ends, this tonally bizarre comedic thriller wants to eat its rich and have it, too." 7 Mashable's Kristy Puchko called Powell "woefully miscast" and the film "more bland than funny." 13 The 31-point gap between critics (45%) and audiences (76%) is notable — viewers who caught it theatrically found more to enjoy than critics did, possibly because they came in without the Kind Hearts comparison hanging over the film.
Verdict: Skip It — with House of the Dragon S3 right there on the same platform, this one can wait.
Why We Dream (June 24) is a CNN Films documentary directed by Meredith Danluck, chronicling the final generation of World War II veterans returning to Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Original score by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg. Runtime: 1h 33m. The film premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival and aired on CNN on Memorial Day (May 25, 2026). 14 RT score: 2 reviews, both 4/5. Verdict: Watch It for anyone interested in WWII history or documentary filmmaking.
Apple TV+
Star City — Season 1, Episode 5 ✦ Binge-Worthy (ongoing)
Type: Drama series · Episode 5 ("Bite Your Elbow"): June 19 · 8 episodes total, weekly Fridays through July 10 · Rating: TV-MA
Created by: Matt Wolpert, Ben Nedivi, Ronald D. Moore · Cast: Anna Maxwell Martin (Lyudmilla Raskova, KGB surveillance chief), Rhys Ifans (the Chief Designer, based on Soviet space pioneer Sergei Korolev)
Star City is a For All Mankind spin-off set inside the Soviet space program in an alternative history where the USSR beat the US to the moon. Episode 5, "Bite Your Elbow," picks up as pressure mounts on all fronts. Co-creator Ben Nedivi has described the premise in sharp terms: "If For All Mankind the danger is in space, in Star City it's on the ground." 5
RT Critics: 97% (Certified Fresh, 30 reviews) · RT Audience: 71% (50+ ratings)
"Taut, ambitious, and impressively self-assured, Star City proves a worthy expansion of the For All Mankind universe with its blend of political intrigue and human drama." — RT Critics Consensus 5
Empire's David Opie called it "cold and claustrophobic where For All Mankind is caring and cheerful, which makes for a gripping inversion." 5 Four episodes are available now. If you haven't started, this week is a good on-ramp: four back-to-back, then weekly through July.
Verdict: Binge-Worthy — 97% from 30 critics is the strongest sustained score on Apple TV+ right now. Catch up before Episode 5.
Sugar — Season 2 premiere ✦ Watch It
Type: Drama / mystery-thriller · Episode 1 premieres: June 19 on Apple TV+ · 8 episodes, weekly Fridays through August 7 · Rating: TV-MA
Creator: Mark Protosevich · Executive producers: Colin Farrell, Fernando Meirelles, Simon Kinberg · New cast this season: Jin Ha, Raymond Lee, Tony Dalton, Laura Donnelly
Colin Farrell returns as John Sugar, a private investigator with a particular gift for finding people and a set of personal demons that are harder to locate. Season 2 sends him after the troubled brother of rising local boxer Danny Moon. The first season ran 8 episodes on Apple TV+ in 2024 and built a cult following around Farrell's performance and the show's midseason genre pivot. 4
RT Critics S2: Not yet rated (premieres June 19) · RT Critics S1: 81% / RT Audience S1: 71%
Verdict: Watch It — Season 1's 81% from critics is a real baseline. Farrell's performance was the consistent bright spot even when the plot stretched. Season 2 enters with a clean case setup; scores will accumulate within days of the June 19 premiere. Worth watching from Episode 1 of Season 1 if you haven't — it's 8 episodes.
Also on Apple TV+ this week
Cape Fear (Episode 4, "Pierced," June 19) continues its weekly run. The 10-episode limited series stars Javier Bardem as ex-convict Max Cady, Amy Adams as Anna Bowden, and Patrick Wilson as her husband Tom — a family terrorized by the man they put away. Executive produced by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. Through three episodes, the series holds a 76% Tomatometer (66 reviews) and 63% Popcornmeter. 6 The Times UK gave it 4/5; USA Today gave it 2/4. The divide is consistent: critics who respond to Bardem's physically committed performance rate it higher; those wanting faster pacing are less forgiving. Episode 4 synopsis: "Anna leans on Max to help with a new client; Natalie and Amber get closer; Zack offers an apology." Verdict: Watch It for thriller fans already on board.
Netflix
The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act ✦ Binge-Worthy
Type: Animated feature (the series finale) · Streams: June 19 on Netflix · Runtime: 1h 35m · Rating: not yet specified
Created by: Gooseworx · Produced by: Glitch Productions · Theatrical release: June 4, 2026; Netflix streaming June 19
The internet animation phenomenon lands on Netflix for its final chapter. The Amazing Digital Circus started as a YouTube series and accumulated billions of views — an indie animation following Pomni and a cast of characters trapped inside a whimsical, increasingly terrifying virtual reality game. "The Last Act" is the feature-length finale, arriving on Netflix two weeks after its theatrical run. 2
RT Critics: 94% (Certified Fresh, 8 reviews) · RT Audience: 2,500+ verified ratings
RT critics wrote: "The Last Act adds a surprising amount of pathos to the psychedelic chaos it's known for." 2 What's on Netflix's Kasey Moore called it "the indie animation phenomenon that completely took over the internet" finally getting its grand finale. 15
Verdict: Binge-Worthy — 1h 35m, 94% from critics, and it works as a standalone for viewers who haven't followed the series (though the YouTube episodes are free if you want context). The highest-scored Netflix title this week.
Also on Netflix this week
Color Book (June 19) is a Netflix Original drama directed and written by David Fortune. William Catlett plays Lucky, a widowed single father who takes his son Mason (Jeremiah Alexander Daniels), who has Down syndrome, on a journey across Metro Atlanta to attend their first baseball game together. Shot in black and white. Runtime: 1h 38m, rated R. The film ran the festival circuit in 2024 before landing on Netflix. 8 Early reviews are unanimously positive, with Kathy Fennessy at the Seattle Film Blog scoring it 4/4 and writing: "It works on every level, and it's as uplifting as it is heartbreaking." 8 Verdict: Watch It — all six visible early reviews are in the B+ to A range. An RT percentage hasn't calculated yet due to the small sample.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 (June 25) returns for its sophomore run on Netflix. The live-action adaptation of the Nickelodeon animated series dives into the Earth Kingdom arc. What's on Netflix's Kasey Moore called it "the crown jewel" of Netflix's June 2026 lineup. 10 No RT score available yet (premieres the same day this guide publishes). Season 1 held a 67% Tomatometer. Verdict: Watch It pending scores — the audience for this adaptation knows whether it's for them.
5lbs of Pressure (June 21) is a 2024 Lionsgate crime-thriller licensed to Netflix. Luke Evans plays Adam, an ex-con released after 16 years trying to make contact with the son he never knew, while Rory Culkin plays Mike, desperate to escape his drug-dealing uncle. 11 Director: Phil Allocco. Runtime: 1h 51m. RT: 57% critics (14 reviews) / 68% audience. Verdict: Watch It for crime-drama fans who've run out of queue.
In the Hand of Dante (June 24) is directed by Julian Schnabel with Martin Scorsese as executive producer, starring Gerard Butler, Al Pacino, and Jason Momoa. The film follows parallel stories: a 21st-century author recruited by the mafia to steal Dante's original Divine Comedy manuscript, and 14th-century Dante himself. Runtime: 2h 33m, rated R. RT: 43% from 21 reviews. 9 The Daily Telegraph's Robbie Collin described it as "a sort of accidental Monty Python's Da Vinci Code — without jokes, though not entirely without laughs." 9 Verdict: Skip It unless you're watching for Al Pacino specifically.
Hulu
The Bear — Season 5 (final season) ✦ Binge-Worthy
Type: Drama / comedy series · All 10 episodes drop: June 25 on Hulu (FX on Hulu) · Rating: TV-MA
Creator: Christopher Storer · Cast: Jeremy Allen White (Carmy), Ayo Edebiri (Sydney), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Richie), Abby Elliott (Natalie "Sugar"), Lionel Boyce (Marcus), Liza Colón-Zayas (Tina), Matty Matheson (Neil Fak)
FX's The Bear ends here. Season 5 opens the morning after Carmy (White) has quit the restaurant, leaving Sydney, Richie, and Natalie scrambling to keep the Bear running without him. The final 10 episodes include a flashback special called "Gary" (Richie and Mikey on a work trip to Gary, Indiana) plus nine regular episodes. FX confirmed the cancellation in early May 2026 alongside a standalone teaser episode to whet appetite. 16 All 10 episodes drop simultaneously on June 25.
RT Critics S5: Not yet rated (drops June 25) · RT Critics S4: 93% / RT Audience S4: 85%
PCMag's K. Thor Jensen on the show's run: "Over four seasons, The Bear has been one of the best TV shows ever to explore how food connects us and divides us, featuring tremendous performances and surprising twists." 17 Season 4 held a 93/85 split — among the strongest showings of any ongoing drama series in 2025.
Verdict: Binge-Worthy — S4's 93% is a hard baseline to dismiss. If you've followed Carmy, Sydney, and Richie this far, all 10 episodes land at once on Wednesday night. If you haven't watched at all, the show is worth starting from Season 1; four seasons fit in a long weekend.
Also on Hulu this week
Hulu's main library addition this week is The Creator (2023, June 20) — Gareth Edwards' science fiction film starring John David Washington, set during a future war between humanity and AI. RT: 63% critics / 86% audience. A solid rental substitute if you missed the theatrical run. Also arriving: Between the Temples (June 21) and The Forge (June 21), both 2024 theatrical films added to the library. 16
This week in one line
House of the Dragon opens at 98%, The Bear closes the curtain on Wednesday, and The Amazing Digital Circus wraps its four-billion-view internet run — all in the same seven days. Clear your weekend.
RT scores current as of June 18, 2026. Scores for titles premiering June 25 will appear post-release.
Cover: AI-generated illustration.
References
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- 9RT\
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- 10What's on Netflix\
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- 11RT\
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- 12RT\
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- 13Mashable — New to streaming June 19, 2026
mashable.com
- 14CNN Press Room — Why We Dream
cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com
- 15What's on Netflix — June 15–21 weekly preview
whats-on-netflix.com
- 16Vulture — New on Hulu June 2026
vulture.com
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