2020 hasn't been the greatest year so far, and things don't seem to be looking to improve any time soon. Of course, the biggest issue remains the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that has wreaked havoc across the globe since the beginning of the year. The novel coronavirus has now infected 10.4 million people worldwide and killed at least 510,00 – and those numbers are likely to be even higher due to asymptomatic cases and inadequate testing. The United States remains the epicenter of the virus with 2.7 million cases and 129,000 deaths, yet many states are continuing with the goal of reopening their economy.
The movies and shows releasing on streaming platforms lately have been top-tier. Netflix has been getting huge hits like E.T. the Extraterrestrial and The Silence of the Lambs, Hulu scored wonderful titles like A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and I Am Legend, and Disney Plus has been building and completing its Marvel movie collection. There's certainly plenty of enrapturing content to watch regardless of what streaming service you regularly use, but Disney's platform in particular is shaping up to have an exceptional July.
Even with so much fantastic content to watch over the past few months on every major streaming service, there's still no denying that Netflix reigns supreme when it comes to offering the largest and most diverse collection of films and shows. June has seen a huge influx of new stuff to watch, including classics like E.T. the Extraterrestrial and The Silence of the Lambs and underrated gems like Observe and Report. Now, as the month finally comes to a close, the platform has one last drop today that's bringing some new movies and series alongside a comedy special.
Netflix is often home to some of streaming's absolute best content, including top-tier original films and shows that have long-since rivalled the production quality of theatrical and cable releases. It's also one of the easiest places to find huge collections from your favorite genres, especially since it's so well-known for procuring plenty of classics alongside more modern content. That said, if you're a fan of horror, you're really in luck come July, as you can expect a smorgasbord of scary and unsettling content launching for you to watch throughout the month.
July is shaping up to be an excellent month for every streaming platform. Tons of popular films and shows will be making their way to each service to help mitigate the boredom caused by social distancing, and some of the best of them are coming to Disney Plus on July 3rd. Even better, many of the offerings are classics that will excite those who are seeking out nostalgic experiences.
If you're a fan of taking a chance, PlayStation Plus can be one of the most affordable ways to add to your collection of games. On top of offering access to PlayStation 4's multiplayer functionality and chat features, subscribers also get two free games a month chosen by Sony. Sure, occasionally the service doesn't have such a great month, such as when it upset users by giving away two extremely niche titles, Farming Simulator 19 and Cities: Skylines earlier this year. But they quickly made up for it in June by giving away Call of Duty: WWII and Star Wars Battlefront II, granting gamers hours upon hours of multiplayer fun. So, clearly there is a lot of value for its relatively low price point of $60 or less a year.
Twitter can be an interesting place, especially when actors begin engaging with their fans regarding memes and casting wish lists. That's exactly what happened with Matthew Lillard this week when someone tweeted a picture of him next to a picture of President Donald Trump, as the resemblance is admittedly uncanny.
If you're an Xbox Live or PlayStation Plus subscriber, you know the benefits of these two services can be absolutely incredible. Not only do you gain access to their respective system's online multiplayer and chat functionalities, but you also get a collection of free games every month. Those additional free titles make the $60 price point of each of the subscriptions more than worth it over a 12 month period, and it's not uncommon to see deals that bring the cost down to as low as $30 a year.
With June already being such an exceptional month for Netflix subscribers, it's just icing on the cake to keep getting even more new stuff to watch while most of us are stuck inside. This month's already impressive list of titles like Inside Man, V for Vendetta, The Silence of the Lambs, and E.T. the Extraterrestrial will be joined now by two new movies and three new shows. They aren't all winners, of course, but there are a few pieces of content you might want to check out over the weekend.
