From a new movie with Adam Scott and Robert De Niro to an animated stop-motion film with the blessing and backing of Guillermo del Toro, here’s our top summer picks.
Cr. David Lee/Netflix © 2026
The weather is finally warming up, which means beach bags are being packed, the AC is cranking up to full blast, and Netflix is gearing up to drop its massive Summer 2026 movie slate.
The full(ish) slate was unveiled last week, but which movies should you keep on your radar ahead of their release? Here are five Netflix movies you absolutely need to put on your radar for Summer 2026!
Office Romance
Coming to Netflix:June 5th, 2026
Genre:Romantic Comedy
Director:Ol Parker
Cast:Jennifer Lopez, Brett Goldstein, Betty Gilpin, Amy Sedaris, Tony Hale, Bradley Whitford, Edward James Olmos
Picture Credit: Netflix
If you’re in the mood for some laughs and chemistry,Office Romancelooks like the perfect summer kickoff. Jennifer Lopez andTed Lassobreakout Brett Goldstein are teaming up for a raunchy rom-com about two workaholics who find themselves in deep trouble when they start thinking with their hearts instead of their heads. With Ol Parker (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,Ticket to Paradise) at the helm and a stacked comedic supporting cast that includes Betty Gilpin and Tony Hale, this secret workplace fling is bound to deliver heavy laughs.
Why we’re hyped: Jennifer Lopez has had a pretty good streak when it comes to Netflix movies, particularly with The Mother, which did very well. This return to rom-coms is a first for Netflix, though, and also sees a big on-screen reunion.
I Am Frankelda
Coming to Netflix:June 12th, 2026
Genre:Animated / Fantasy
Directors:Arturo Ambriz, Roy Ambriz
Cast:Mireya Mendoza, Arturo Mercado Jr., Luis Leonardo Suarez
Picture: Woo Films / Cinema Fantasma
If you’re a fan of stunning stop-motion animation and dark fantasy,I Am Frankelda should be right at the top of your queue ever since Netflix acquired the rights earlier this year.
Set in 19th-century Mexico, the film follows Frankelda, a gifted writer whose dark tales are dismissed by the world around her. When she is thrust into her own subconscious, the very monsters she created spring to life. To save both the fictional and real realms from collapsing, she must team up with Herneval, a tormented prince, and defeat the sinister writer Procustes.
Why we’re hyped: Thankfully, for this one, there are a plethora of reviews already out there from when it toured awards circuits late last year, and they’re all glowing. This looks like a visually magnificent and spooky treat for the summer, and anything with Guillermo del Toro’s endorsement instantly has us on board.
Enola Holmes 3
Coming to Netflix:July 1st, 2026
Genre:Action / Adventure
Director:Philip Barantini
Cast:Millie Bobby Brown, Louis Partridge, Himesh Patel, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter
Cr. John Wilson/Netflix ©2026.
Millie Bobby Brown is back in action as our favorite fourth-wall-breaking sleuth in Enola Holmes 3. This time, the adventure takes Enola out of London and chases her all the way to Malta. According to the synopsis, personal and professional dreams will collide in a case that is “more tangled and treacherous than any she has faced before.” Fans will also be thrilled to see Louis Partridge returning as Tewkesbury, alongside Henry Cavill’s Sherlock and Helena Bonham Carter’s Eudoria.
Why we’re hyped: As someone who enjoyed the first two movies (yes, I’m well aware it’s in at the moment to hate on Millie Bobby Brown, but I’m still a fan), I’m pretty sure it’s going to be another bankable hit. Will it exceed expectations? Probably not, but that’s fine. What makes this entry particularly compelling is that the director behind Adolescence is working on it, so hopefully, we will see a few upgrades in that department.
The Last House
Coming to Netflix:August 7th, 2026
Genre:Sci-Fi Thriller
Director:Louis Leterrier
Cast: Greta Lee, Wagner Moura, Gabriel Barbosa, Emma Ho, Noah Alexander Sosnowski, Riley Chung
Picture Credit: Netflix
August is bringing the heat, but it’s also bringing the chills with The Last House. Directed by Louis Leterrier (Fast X, Lupin), this claustrophobic sci-fi thriller stars the phenomenal Greta Lee (Past Lives) and Wagner Moura (Narcos). The premise is delightfully anxiety-inducing: a family of four finds itself suddenly sealed inside its home with absolutely no way out. As their resources dwindle, they must work together to survive a mysterious, looming threat keeping them trapped inside.
Why we’re hyped: An intriguing premise that’s actually been done on Netflix far more times than you’d think, most recently with the German entry, Brick, some serious talent behind the camera and in front of it, should make for a definitive version of this type of story on Netflix. Fingers crossed, anyway.
The Whisper Man
Coming to Netflix:August 28th, 2026
Genre:Thriller
Director:James Ashcroft
Cast: Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott, Hamish Linklater, Owen Teague
The Whisper Man. Adam Scott as Tom Kennedy in The Whisper Man. Cr. David Lee/Netflix © 2026
Closing out the summer is a heavyweight thriller based on the gripping New York Times bestselling novel by Alex North. The Whisper Man follows a widowed crime writer whose eight-year-old son is suddenly abducted. Desperate, he reaches out to his estranged father—a retired police detective—for help. Together, they uncover a chilling connection to a decades-old case involving a convicted serial killer known only as “The Whisper Man.” With a powerhouse cast led by Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, and Michelle Monaghan, this dark mystery will have you checking your locks before bed.
Why we’re hyped:The cast is the main reason to be hyped for this film, but the early stills are particularly compelling. It presents a moody Fincher-esque vibe thus far, so keen to see if they can pull it off and, more importantly, put the Russos back on winning form with Netflix after the disaster of The Electric State.
Which of these summer movies are you most looking forward to checking out on Netflix? Let us know in the comments down below!
