What’s Worth Streaming: ‘Stranger Things’ and beyond: Here’s what’s worth streaming in July 2022

Most importantly, that viewing can be done without busting your budget: This month’s must-have streaming services can be had for just under $30 combined.

Each month, this column offers tips on how to maximize your streaming — along with your budget — rating the major services as a “play,” “pause” or “stop,” similar to investment analysts’ traditional ratings of buy, hold and sell, and picks the best content to help you make your monthly decisions.

As we’ve previously mentioned, consumers can take full advantage of cord-cutting though a churn-and-return strategy — that’s adding and dropping streaming services each month — and all it takes is good planning. Keep in mind that a billing cycle starts when you sign up, not necessarily at the beginning of a month. Also keep an eye out for lower-priced tiers, limited-time discounts (keep an eye on Amazon Prime Day offers!), free trials and cost-saving bundles. There are a lot of offers out there, but the deals don’t last forever.

Here’s a look at what’s coming to the various streaming services in July 2022, and what’s really worth the monthly subscription fee.

Netflix ($9.99 a month for basic, $15.49 standard or $19.99 premium)

There is no use resisting “Stranger Things,” so just strap in and enjoy the ride.

Volume 2 of the fourth season drops July 1, and it’ll take up a good chunk of your Fourth of July weekend. After returning in late May with seven supersized episodes, Season 4 of “Stranger Things” will conclude with two super-duper-sized episodes (1 hour and 25 minutes, and 2 hours and 30 minutes, respectively) as the teen heroes from Hawkins, Indiana, confront their latest and greatest big bad, Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), with the future of the world at stake. The first half ended on a cliffhanger, with a bunch of key characters in dire situations, and the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, have hinted at some major-character deaths in the finale.

And while they may be overshadowed, Netflix NFLX, -0.69% still has a full slate of non-“Stranger Things” stuff in July. At the top of the list is “The Gray Man” (July 22), starring Ryan Gosling as a CIA operative being hunted by international assassins, and co-starring Chris Evans, Regé-Jean Page and Ana de Armas. Directed by the Russo Brothers (“Avengers: Endgame”), the action thriller is reportedly Netflix’s most expensive movie ever, at about $200 million. It’ll also hit theaters July 14, a week before its streaming premiere. It looks dumb but fun — perfect summer fare.

And see: Here’s everything coming to Netflix in July 2022, and what’s leaving

There’s also a new adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Persuasion” (July 15), starring Dakota Johnson in the Regency-era romance about a young woman getting a second chance at love; “Boo Bitch” (July 8), starring Lara Condor (“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”) in a limited series about a goody-goody high school senior who decides to finally let loose — only to suddenly find herself a ghost; “Umma” (July 16), a horror movie starring Sandra Oh as a single mom haunted by her dead mother; “How to Build a Sex Room” (July 8), which sounds like the icky HGTV-meets-Skinamax mashup that we never asked for; Season 3 of the oddly addictive glass-blowing competition “Blown Away” (July 22); a new season of the small-town romantic drama “Virgin River” (July 20); and “Resident Evil” (July 14), a gory thriller based on the popular videogame series.

Who’s Netflix for? Fans of buzz-worthy original shows and movies.

Play, pause or stop? Play. For the season finale of “Stranger Things” alone, though there are some good offerings beside that.

Hulu ($6.99 a month, or $12.99 with no ads)

Hulu has a strong slate of shows in July, highlighted by new episodes of two series that premiered in June: The Jeff Bridges spy-on-the-run thriller “The Old Man” (season finale July 21) and Season 2 of the delightful comedy/mystery “Only Murders in the Building” (new eps every Tuesday), starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez.

Add to that arguably the best comedy on TV: FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows” (July 13), the vampire mockumentary returning for its fourth season. The gang — which split up amid a season-ending shocker last year — reunite at their ramshackle Staten Island mansion as Laszlo (Matt Berry) struggles with something resembling fatherhood and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) opens a vampire nightclub. Clever, hilarious and packing a sneaky dose of heart, it’s a must-watch. As with “The Old Man,” new eps stream a day after they first air on FX.

More: Here’s what’s new to Hulu in July 2022, and what’s leaving

There’s also Season 3 of “Solar Opposites” (July 13), the twisted animated comedy about a family of aliens stranded on Earth, from two of the creative minds behind “Rick and Morty”; “Maggie” (July 6), a comedy series starring Rebecca Rittenhouse as a psychic whose visions mess with her dating life; the disappointing fourth and final season of “Killing Eve” (July 10), which aired on BBC America earlier this year; a new season of ABC’s “The Bachelorette” (July 19); Season 2 of the spinoff anthology horror series “American Horror Stories” (July 21); and “The Bob’s Burgers Movie” (July 12), which hit theaters in May.

Finally, Hulu is finally adding every season of the outstanding FX spy series “The Americans” (July 29), and rolling out “The Bear,” a compelling and addictive under-the-radar dramedy about the high-stress world of a small restaurant.

Who’s Hulu for? TV lovers. There’s a deep library for those who want older TV series, and next-day streaming for many current network and cable shows.

Play, pause or stop? Play. “The Old Man,” “Only Murders in the Building” and “What We Do in the Shadows” are three of the best shows of the summer, and there’s plenty beyond that to justify a subscription.

Apple TV+ ($4.99 a month)

Apple AAPL, +1.30% doesn’t have many new series in July, but two that are debuting look promising.

“Black Bird” (July 8) stars Taron Egerton (“Kingsman,” “Rocketman”) as a convicted drug dealer who’s given an opportunity to avoid prison time — but it’ll involve him being sent to a maximum-security prison for the criminally insane, befriending a suspected serial killer (creepily played by Paul Walter Hauser) and getting a confession out of him. The six-episode psychological thriller is based on a true story, was developed by acclaimed crime novelist Dennis Lehane, and also features the late Ray Liotta in his last TV performance. This seems right up the alley of viewers who are fans of Netflix’s late, great “Mindhunter.”

Apple has another good-looking thriller lined up later in the month: “Surface” (July 29), about a woman — played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“The Girl Before,” “Loki”) — who’s suffering from memory loss and trying to rebuild her life while piecing together the events that led to her (apparent) attempted suicide.

There’s also Season 3 of the new-parent comedy “Trying” (July 22), as well as new episodes every week of “For All Mankind” (currently the best drama on TV), the Rose Byrne ’80s-set aerobics drama “Physical” and the Maya Rudolph comedy “Loot.”

Who’s Apple TV+ for? It offers a little something for everyone, but not necessarily enough for anyone — though it’s getting there.

Play, pause or stop? Play. “For All Mankind” is spectacular, the other new additions look solid and the library is growing.

Disney+ ($7.99 a month)

Disney DIS, -0.28% has a “glass half full/half empty” situation in July. On the one hand, there are a couple of new episodes of Marvel’s fantastically entertaining teen-superhero series “Ms. Marvel,” but once that ends July 13, there’s not much left.

The one big addition comes late in the month, with Season 3 of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” (July 27), set this time around at a summer camp. All your favorite characters will return, though Olivia Rodrigo — now a global pop sensation — will be reduced to a guest-star role, while Corbin Bleu, a franchise OG, joins the cast in a guest role as a fictional version of himself.

There’s also Disney’s version of Shark Week, with a slew of shark programming, including  “50 Shades of Sharks,” “Raging Bull Shark” and “World’s Biggest Great White?” (all July 1); and the documentary “America the Beautiful” (July 4), about America’s natural wonders and narrated by Michael B. Jordan.

Who’s Disney+ for? Families with kids, and hardcore “Star Wars” and Marvel fans. For those not in those groups, Disney’s library can be lacking.

Play, pause or stop? Pause and think it over. “Ms. Marvel” is worth the subscription price alone, but after that ends, it gets really iffy.

Peacock (free basic level, Premium for $4.99 a month with ads, or $9.99 a month with no ads)

NBCUniversal’s Peacock actually has an impressive lineup in July, with a little something for everyone.

“Trigger Point” (July 8) is a six-episode British thriller about a police bomb-disposal unit battling a terrorist bombing wave in London. It’s from producer Jed Mercurio, who was behind the massively popular cop dramas “Line of Duty” and “Bodyguard,” and this looks like a good bet to be a solidly entertaining, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride.

Then there’s “The Resort” (July 28), a comic thriller starring William Jackson Harper (“The Good Place,” “Love Life”) and Cristin Miliotti (“Made for Love,” “How I Met Your Mother”) as a married couple vacationing on the Mayan Riviera who get caught up in trying to solve a 15-year-old mystery. It comes from producer Sam Esmail (“Mr. Robot”) and showrunner Andy Siara (“Palm Springs”) and sounds intriguing.

Peacock also has the streaming debut of the recent hit animated movie “The Bad Guys” (July 1) and a new season of “Love Island” (July 19), which is being billed as steamier than ever now that it’s streaming-only. “Love Island,” BTW, will stream six days a week, for your trash-watching pleasure.

If you haven’t watched the Tour de France cycling race in a while, this is a good chance to get back in the saddle. Streaming July 1-23, the iconic race has never looked better, thanks to technology like GPS-tracking aerial cameras and transponders to monitor each rider. Add the stunning French scenery and it’s a spectacularly immersive viewing experience. And don’t worry: While each stage may be up to six hours, Peacock will offer daily highlights to wrap up the action.

Also on the sports side: British Open golf (July 14-17), the World Track & Field Championships (July 15-24), the U.S. Swimming National Championships (July 26-29), and MLB games every Sunday morning.

It’s not too shabby on the movie side too, with favorites like “The Big Lebowski,” “Bridesmaids,” “Dazed & Confused,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Field of Dreams,” all eight “Harry Potter” movies and the “John Wick” trilogy (all July 1) joining recent releases like “The Northman,” “Ambulance” and “Downton Abbey: A New Era.”

Who’s Peacock for? If you like network and basic-cable TV, a good movie lineup and don’t mind ads, the free version of Peacock is great. And if you have a Comcast  CMCSA, +0.51%  or Cox cable subscription, you likely have free access to the Premium tier (with ads). The paid tiers are generally unnecessary.

Play, pause or stop? Pause. With all of the above, plus recent comedy series like “Girls5eva,” “Rutherford Falls” and the newly-renewed “Killing It,” Peacock just might be worth checking out.

HBO Max ($14.99 a month without ads, or $9.99 with ads)

Streaming may have killed traditional television seasons, but HBO Max sure seems to be taking the summer off, like in the olden days — at least until the “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon” premieres in late August.

July won’t be much busier than a slow June for HBO, though there are some low-key gems among the new releases. The most anticipated of the bunch is Season 3 of the animated “Harley Quinn” (July 28), a brilliantly raunchy, violent and hilarious take on the Gotham City antiheroine, starring the voices of Kaley Cuoco and Lake Bell. It’s demented in the very best way.

There’s also “The Rehearsal” (July 15), a new series from king of awkward comedy Nathan Fielder (“Nathan for You”), who will help people prepare for major life events by “rehearsing” them through simulations of his own design; “Rap Sh!t” (July 21) from Issa Rae (“Insecure”), a comedy about two estranged high school friends (Aida Osman and KaMillion) who reunite and try to make it big as rap stars in Miami; and the fourth and final season of the New Zealand horror/comedy “Wellington Paranormal” (July 28), the mockumentary from Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, creators of “What We Do in the Shadows.”

See: Here’s everything coming to HBO Max in July 2022, and what’s leaving

Meanwhile, the somehow-not-trashy-enough dating show “FBoy Island” (July 14) returns for a second season, and a longtime hit teen drama gets a spinoff with “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” (July 28), about a group of girls being tormented by a mysterious figure for the sins of their parents years earlier. Max is also adding movies such as the recent animated hit “The Bob’s Burgers Movie” (July 12), Edgar Wright’s supernatural thriller  “Last Night in Soho” (July 1) and “Mad Max: Fury Road” (July 9).

Who’s HBO Max for? HBO fans and movie lovers.

Play, pause or stop? Stop. Even the best streaming service needs to stop and recharge every once in a while. Time for you to save $15.

Amazon’s Prime Video ($14.99 a month)

It’s a fairly slow month for Prime Video too. The big release is “The Terminal List” (July 1), a conspiracy thriller starring Chris Pratt as a Navy SEAL seeking vengeance as he tracks down the people responsible for the massacre of his entire platoon. Based on the novel by Jack Carr, it looks a lot like Amazon’s 2021 adaptation of Tom Clancy’s “Without Remorse” (starring Michael B. Jordan), or virtually any other one-note revenge thriller of the past two decades.

Also: Here’s what’s new on Amazon’s Prime Video in July 2022

Amazon AMZN, +1.42% also has “Don’t Make Me Go” (July 15), a tearjerker movie starring John Cho as a father with a terminal illness who takes a cross-country road trip with his daughter to find her estranged mother; the time-traveling drama “Paper Girls” (July 29), based on the popular comic and the directorial debut of Billy Porter (“Pose”);  the docu-soap “Forever Summer: Hamptons” (July 15); the trans high-school romance “Anything’s Possible” (July 22); and the streaming debut of last year’s Oscar-nominated “House of Gucci” (July 2).

Who’s Amazon Prime Video for? Movie lovers, TV-series fans who value quality over quantity.

Play, pause or stop? Stop. There’s just not enough to justify a hefty subscription price.

Paramount+ ($4.99 a month with ads but not live CBS, $5.99 a month with ads, $9.99 without ads)

Paramount+ has a pretty underwhelming July schedule, with “Skymed” (July 10), a Canadian drama about air-ambulance nurses and pilots; “The Only” (July 12), a documentary about legendary U.S. women’s soccer goalie Brianna Scurry; the animated special “South Park: The Streaming Wars Part 2” (July 13); Season 2 of the stolen-art-and-antiquities action series “Blood & Treasure” (July 17); “The Day the Music Died” (July 19), a documentary about the making of Don McLean’s song “American Pie”; Season 2 of the missing-persons docuseries “Never Seen Again” (July 26); and the coming-of-age comedy movie “Honor Society” (July 29), starring Angourie Rice (“Mare of Easttown”) and Gaten Matarazzo (“Stranger Things”).

There are also new episodes every week of the supernatural drama “Evil,” and a slate of live soccer games (starting July 7), as the U.S. Women’s National Team vies for the CONCACAF championship.

Who’s Paramount+ for? Gen X cord-cutters who miss live sports and familiar Paramount Global  PARA, -1.88%  broadcast and cable shows.

Play, pause or stop? Stop. There’s just not enough right now to justify a subscription.

Discovery+ ($4.99 a month, $6.99 ad-free)

The 34th(!) iteration of “Shark Week” kicks off July 24 with a slew of new shark documentaries and an “Impractical Jokers” shark special.

Discovery+ also has a new season of “Alex vs. America”(July 31), as three chefs per episode vie to take down Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli in a cookoff, and the six-episode “BBQ USA” (July 11), as chef Michael Symon checks in on the country’s biggest barbecue competitions.

Meanwhile, pop star Kesha hunts ghosts and other spooky things in “Conjuring Kesha” (July 8), a new six-episode series.

Who’s Discovery+ for? Cord cutters who miss their unscripted TV or who are really, really into “90 Day Fiancée.”

Play, pause or stop?  Stop. Sorry. Discovery+ is still fantastic for background TV, but there’s nothing that could be considered “necessary” watching. Still, it should add value if/when the reconfigured Warner Bros. Discovery WBD, -3.59%  combines it with HBO Max.