Every month, kawarthaNOW is the only local media source to bring you a list of what’s coming to Netflix Canada.

This month, we’re highlighting the second season of The Umbrella Academy, last year’s hit Netflix original series based on the comic book of the same name about the Hargreeves, a dysfunctional family of adopted sibling superheroes. Season two premieres on Netflix on Friday, July 31st.

The new Netflix original series Cursed premieres on Friday, July 17th. Based on the New York Times bestselling book, it’s a reimagining of the Arthurian legend, told through the eyes of Nimue (Katherine Langford), a young woman with a mysterious gift who is destined to become the powerful and tragic Lady of the Lake.

VIDEO: Cursed official trailer

Another new Netflix original series is Stateless, co-created by Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, premiering on Wednesday, July 8th. It tells the story of four diverse strangers — a troubled woman, an anguished refugee, a bureaucrat and a struggling dad — whose paths intersect at an immigration detention centre in the Australian outback.

Other new Netflix original series coming in July include Warrior Nun (Jul. 2), The Baby-Sitters Club (Jul. 3), The Twelve (Jul. 10), and Get Even (Jul. 31). Returning original series include season two of Deadwind (Jul. 1), season three of Norsemen (Jul. 22), and season three of Good Girls (Jul. 26).

There’s also seasons three to seven of Sons of Anarchy (Jul. 22).

VIDEO: Stateless official trailer

Documentaries and reality shows include Unsolved Mysteries (Jul. 1), The Business of Drugs (Jul. 14), Street Food: Latin America (Jul. 21), Fear City: New York vs The Mafia, Love on the Spectrum (Jul. 22), season five of Last Chance U: Laney (Jul. 28), season four of Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons (Jul. 29), and The Speed Cubers and Sugar Rush: Extra Sweet (Jul. 31).

Netflix films coming this month include Desperados (Jul. 3), The Old Guard (Jul. 10), Fatal Affair (Jul. 16), The Kissing Booth 2 (Jul. 24), and The Hater (Jul. 29).

Theatrically released films coming to the streaming platform include Catch Me If You Can, Stand By Me, Legends of the Fall, Mean Girls, The Big Short, The Great Gatsby, and True Grit (Jul. 1), The Girl on The Train (Jul. 4), Crazy Rich Asians (Jul. 6), Paranormal Activity 2, 3, and 4 (Jul. 12), Slender Man (Jul. 14), and Elysium (Jul. 27).

VIDEO: New to Netflix Canada in July

Here’s the complete list of everything coming to Netflix Canada in July, along with what’s leaving.

Coming in July (no release date specified)

• Arashi’s Diary – Voyage – Episode 9 and 10 (Netflix documentary) – As the new coronavirus’s spread impacts the world, the five members of Arashi explore what they can do to inspire Japan and their international fans.

Wednesday, July 1

• Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt: Season 2 (Netflix family) – Chico Bon Bon and his Fix-It Force crew are on call to solve any problem, from heating up a cold cup of cocoa to rescuing a sandwich from a safe.
• Deadwind: Season 2 (Netflix original) – Corruption and murder collide as Helsinki detectives Sofia Karppi and Sakari Nurmi scour the city for the rumored connection.
• Say I Do (Netflix original) – Dream weddings really do come true as experts Jeremiah Brent, Thai Nguyen and Gabriele Bertaccini help couples pull off their perfect celebration.
• Under the Riccione Sun (Netflix film) – While vacationing on the beaches of Riccione, a group of teens become friends and help each other manage romantic relationships and summer crushes.
• Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix documentary) – Fusing signature elements from the original series with contemporary immersive, character-driven storytelling, the new episodes are rooted in the experiences of ordinary people who have lived the unthinkable: from the trauma of a loved one’s unexplained disappearance or horrific death, to the shock of a bizarre paranormal encounter. Alongside detectives and journalists, family members offer clues, present theories, and identify suspects, hoping one viewer holds the key to solving the mystery.
• #Anne Frank – Parallel Stories
• Beastly
• Catch Me If You Can
• Cleo & Cuquin: Season 2
• Get Rich or Die Tryin’
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army
• Jumping the Broom
• Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
• Last Action Hero
• Legends of the Fall
• Little Odessa
• Lord of War
• Mean Girls
• Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown
• Once Upon a Time in the West
• Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon: Sun & Moon: Ultra Legends
• Stand by Me
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
• The Amazing Spider-Man
• The Art of War
• The Big Short
• The F**k-It List
• The Great Gatsby
• The Italian Job
• The Terminal
• Trotro
• True Grit
• True Romance
• Tully
• Zodiac

Thursday, July 2

• Thiago Ventura: POKAS (Netflix comedy special) – In a rollicking special, Thiago Ventura jokes about life in the hood, politics and more, explaining how actions speak louder than words.
• Warrior Nun (Netflix original) – After waking up in a morgue, an orphaned teen discovers she now possesses superpowers as the chosen Halo-Bearer for a secret sect of demon-hunting nuns.

Friday, July 3

• The Baby-Sitters Club (Netflix family) – Based on the best-selling book series that follows the friendship and adventures of Kristy Thomas (Sophie Grace), Mary Anne Spier (Malia Baker), Claudia Kishi (Momona Tamada), Stacey McGill (Shay Rudolph), and Dawn Schafer (Xochitl Gomez) as the middle-schoolers start their babysitting business in the town of Stoneybrook, Connecticut. Rounding out the cast, Alicia Silverstone plays Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer, the selfless single-mother of Kristy Thomas and love interest of all around good guy Watson Brewer, played by Mark Feuerstein.
• Cable Girls: Final Season: Part 2 (Netflix original) – When Lidia’s biggest rival uses a prison camp to enact revenge, Lidia and her friends become even more defiant in their fight against Franco’s regime.
• Desperados (Netflix film) – A panicked young woman (Nasim Pedrad) and her two best friends (Anna Camp & Sarah Burns) fly to Mexico to delete a ranting email she sent to her new boyfriend. On arrival, they run into her former beau (Lamorne Morris), who soon gets caught up in their frantic scheme.
• JU-ON: Origins (Netflix original) – A paranormal researcher searches obsessively for a cursed home where something terrible happened to a mother and her child long ago.
• Southern Survival (Netflix original) – The BattlBox crew tests out a variety of products designed to help people survive dangerous situations, including fires, explosions and intruders.

Saturday, July 4

• The Girl on the Train

Monday, July 6

• A Kid from Coney Island
• Crazy Rich Asians
• The Nun

Wednesday, July 8

• Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (Netflix documentary) – Astrologer Walter Mercado, with 120 million viewers at his peak, was sui generis: a peacock in macho culture, a naive biz whiz, a courier of hope.
• Stateless (Netflix original) – At an Australian immigration detention centre, four strangers — a troubled woman, an anguished refugee, a bureaucrat, and a struggling dad — cross paths.
• Was It Love? (Netflix original) – When four very different men appear in her life, a single mother who hasn’t dated in years begins to rediscover love — and herself.
• Yu-Gi-Oh!: Season 1

Thursday, July 9

• Japan Sinks: 2020 (Netflix anime) – After catastrophic earthquakes devastate Japan, one family’s resolve is tested on a journey of survival through the sinking archipelago.
• The Protector: Season 4 (Netflix original) – Vizier and the Immortals rule over modern Istanbul, Hakan travels to the past to stop a war, and Zeynep undergoes a powerful transformation.

Friday, July 10

• The Claudia Kishi Club (Netflix documentary) – Asian American creatives pay passionate tribute to the iconic, stereotype-busting “Baby-Sitters Club” character in this heartfelt documentary short.
• Down to Earth with Zac Efron (Netflix original) – In this travel show, actor Zac Efron journeys around the world with wellness expert Darin Olien in search of healthy, sustainable ways to live.
• The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants in Space (Netflix family) – Best friends George and Harold — along with their classmates and tyrannical principal — are recruited for a mysterious mission in outer space.
• Hello Ninja: Season 3 (Netflix family) – In their third season, the adventure-loving ninjas learn new katas, meet Wesley’s cousin, Gen, and visit Baa-chan’s hometown of Osaka, Japan.
• O Crush Perfeito (Dating Around: Brazil) (Netflix original) – In this reality show, six singles meet five different blind dates at trendy hot spots in São Paulo. Who will they choose for a second date?
• The Old Guard (Netflix film) – Led by a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron), a covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. But when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it’s up to Andy and Nile (Kiki Layne), the newest soldier to join their ranks, to help the group eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary. Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Greg Rucka and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (LOVE & BASKETBALL, BEYOND THE LIGHTS), THE OLD GUARD is a gritty, grounded, action-packed story that shows living forever is harder than it looks.
• The Twelve (Netflix original) – Twelve ordinary citizens on jury duty must decide the fate of a respected headmistress accused of two murders.

Sunday, July 12

• Paranormal Activity 2
• Paranormal Activity 3
• Paranormal Activity 4

Tuesday, July 14

• The Business of Drugs (Netflix documentary) – To detail how drugs push people into risky — even deadly — behaviours, former CIA officer Amaryllis Fox investigates the economics of six illicit substances.
• On est ensemble (We Are One) (Netflix documentary) – Activists around the world fight injustice and drive social change in this documentary that follows their participation in the music video “Solidarité.”
• Slender Man
• Urzila Carlson: Overqualified Loser (Netflix comedy special) – Urzila Carlson keeps the laughs coming with thoughts on “The Biggest Loser,” sex tapes and boxed wine in a stand-up special from Melbourne, Australia.

Wednesday, July 15

• Dark Desire (Netflix original) – Married Alma spends a fateful weekend away from home that ignites passion, ends in tragedy and leads her to question the truth about those close to her.
• Gli Infedeli (The Players) (Netflix film) – From campy lies to sexy surprises, this collection of vignettes captures the follies of several men as they fumble with fidelity and relationships.
• Skin Decision: Before and After (Netflix original) – Plastic surgeon Dr. Sheila Nazarian and skin-care expert Nurse Jamie use the latest procedures to transform clients and bring out their best selves.

Thursday, July 16

• Fatal Affair (Netflix film) – Ellie (Nia Long) tries to mend her marriage with her husband Marcus (Stephen Bishop) after a brief encounter with an old friend, David (Omar Epps), only to find that David is more dangerous and unstable than she’d realized. FATAL AFFAIR is directed by Peter Sullivan.
• Indian Matchmaking (Netflix original) – Matchmaker Sima Taparia guides clients in the U.S. and India in the arranged marriage process, offering an inside look at the custom in a modern era.
• MILF (Netflix film) – Three best friends in their 40s start relationships with younger men while on vacation.

Friday, July 17

• Boca a Boca (Kissing Game) (Netflix original) – In a Brazilian cattle-ranching town, adolescents panic when they’re threatened by the outbreak of a contagious infection transmitted by kissing.
• Cursed (Netflix original) – Based on the New York Times bestselling book, Cursed is a re-imagination of the Arthurian legend, told through the eyes of Nimue, a young woman with a mysterious gift who is destined to become the powerful (and tragic) Lady of the Lake. After her mother’s death, she finds an unexpected partner in Arthur, a humble mercenary, in a quest to find Merlin and deliver an ancient sword. Over the course of her journey, Nimue will become a symbol of courage and rebellion against the terrifying Red Paladins, and their complicit King Uther. Cursed is a coming-of-age story whose themes are familiar to our own time: the obliteration of the natural world, religious terror, senseless war, and finding the courage to lead in the face of the impossible.

Monday, July 20

• Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love (Netflix family) – On the heels of the Fall Ball, Ashley continues her California adventure — and explores the thrills and spills of teen romance.

Tuesday, July 21

• How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast): Season 2 (Netflix original) – As Moritz and the MyDrugs crew ramp up their hustle, the online drug shop grows more successful — and even more dangerous.
• Ip Man 4: The Finale
• Jack Whitehall: I’m Only Joking (Netflix comedy special) – Award-winning actor, comedian, and presenter Jack Whitehall is back with more hilarious quips and shocking stories in his second Netflix original comedy special, Jack Whitehall: I’m Only Joking. The hour-long set features a disastrous audience interaction, absurd tales of Jack’s [in]famous father, and an uncomfortable story from the Berlin airport.
• Street Food: Latin America (Netflix documentary) – From the creators of Chef’s Table, the hit series Street Food returns for a new culinary adventure. The newest instalment will travel to six countries in Latin America and explore the vibrant street food culture of Oaxaca, Mexico; Salvador, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Lima, Peru; Bogota, Colombia; and La Paz, Bolivia. Each episode highlights the stories of perseverance and culture that bring life to each country’s cuisine.

Wednesday, July 22

• Fear City: New York vs The Mafia (Netflix documentary) – This docuseries chronicles how the feds took down the five mafia empires of New York City at the height of their powers during the 1980s.
• Love on the Spectrum (Netflix documentary) – Finding love can be hard for anyone. For young adults on the autism spectrum, exploring the unpredictable world of dating can be even more complicated.
• Norsemen: Season 3 (Netflix original) – This season of the Norwegian Viking comedy goes back in time to tell the story that led to Season 1. Don’t worry, there is still plenty of pillaging and plundering.
• Signs (Netflix original) – When a young woman’s murder shows similarities to a decade-old cold case, a new police commander must break the silence permeating an Owl Mountain town.
• Sons of Anarchy: Season 3-7

Thursday, July 23

• The Larva Island Movie (Netflix family) – The island adventures of silly larva buddies Yellow and Red get a feature-length treatment, taking their slapstick fun to the next level.

Friday, July 24

• ¡A cantar! (Sing On! Spain) (Netflix original) – In this new singing contest, players face off on some of the biggest hits, and the jackpot of up to 30,000 euros grows every time they hit the right note.
• Dragons: Rescue Riders: Secrets of the Songwing (Netflix family) – When a musical dragon with a beautiful voice hypnotizes the dragons and people of Huttsgalor, the Rescue Riders have to find a way to break the spell.
• The Kissing Booth 2 (Netflix film) – In this sequel, high school senior Elle juggles a long-distance relationship, college apps and a new friendship that could change everything.
• Ofrenda a la tormenta (Netflix film) – Amaia investigates several suspicious infant deaths and horrific rituals. Meanwhile, people around her risk grave danger. Part 3 in the Baztan Trilogy.

Sunday, July 26

• Banana Split
• Good Girls: Season 3 (Netflix original) – Suburban mothers-turned-criminals Beth, Ruby and Annie return to face the consequences of last season’s hijinks.

Monday, July 27

• Elysium

Tuesday, July 28

• Jeopardy!: Collection 6
• Last Chance U: Laney (Netflix documentary) – Netflix’s critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated series Last Chance U returns for Season 5 in a brand new setting to give viewers a raw, authentic look at the junior college football program at Laney College in the heart of Oakland, CA. After clinching the title of state and national champions in 2018, the Laney Eagles have a hard season to follow and a lot to prove. Going into his eighth season and having built the program from the ground up, powerhouse head coach John Beam must fight to rally the team amidst countless setbacks. Season 5 brings intensity both on and off the field as players battle injuries, stress, and personal demons while finding much needed support in the community and taking pride in their scrappy mentality and motto ‘Laney Built’.

Wednesday, July 29

• The Hater (Netflix film) – A duplicitous young man finds success in the dark world of social media smear tactics — but his virtual vitriol soon has violent real-life consequences.
• Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons: Season 4 (Netflix original) – Journalist Raphael Rowe lives like an inmate while investigating dangerous prisons in Paraguay, Germany, Mauritius and Lesotho.

Thursday, July 30

• Transformers: War For Cybertron Trilogy (Netflix anime) – On their dying planet, the Autobots and Decepticons battle fiercely for control of the AllSpark in the Transformers universe’s origin story.

Friday, July 31

• Get Even (Netflix original) – Four teen enemies band together to exact revenge on their bullies until they get blamed for a crime they didn’t commit. Will they get mad — or get even?
• Latte and the Magic Waterstone (Netflix family) – In this animated adventure, brave hedgehog Latte sets out to retrieve a magic stone from a greedy bear king and restore water flow to the forest.
• Seriously Single (Netflix film) – Two besties with polar opposite views of men, sex and love navigate the complicated singles scene together in this romantic comedy.
• The Speed Cubers (Netflix documentary) – Discover the special bond — and uncommon competitive spirit — shared by the world’s Rubik’s Cube-solving record breakers in this documentary.
• Sugar Rush: Extra Sweet (Netflix original) – Four teams of brilliant bakers battle it out for sugary success as they race against each other and the clock over three rounds of competition. This season the challenges are harder, the creations are more spectacular and the rewards are even sweeter. Hosted by Hunter March, judges Candace Nelson & Adriano Zumbo return for the Extra Sweet season.
• The Umbrella Academy: Season 2 (Netflix original) – The super-powered Hargreeves siblings return for Season 2.
• Vis a vis: El Oasis (Locked Up) (Netflix original) – After years of stealing jewellery, Zulema and Macarena recruit four other women for a final heist worth millions, to take place at a narco family wedding.

Leaving Netflix Canada in July

Wednesday, July 1

• A Quiet Place

Wednesday, July 8

• Solo: A Star Wars Story

Tuesday, July 28

• Ant-Man and the Wasp

Friday, July 31

• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
• Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
• The Godfather
• The Godfather: Part II
• The Godfather: Part III

All titles and dates are subject to change.

Award-winning Ojibwe playwright, novelist, and filmmaker Drew Hayden Taylor moves from stage to screen with his new documentary Cottagers & Indians, which brings more attention and perspective to ongoing land disputes and cultural clashes affecting indigenous peoples across the country.

Based on his successful and national-touring play of the same name and topic, Taylor’s new doc is set to premiere on CBC Television on Saturday, July 4th at 8 p.m.

Making its debut in February 2018 at Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre, Taylor’s stage play Cottagers and Indians was inspired by the decades-old battle between Curve Lake First Nation’s James Whetung and cottagers and residents on Pigeon Lake, located northeast of Toronto.

For many years, Whetung has been growing and harvesting wild rice — called “manomin” in the language of the Ojibwe people, meaning “gift from the creator” — in Pigeon Lake, arguing that doing so is an indigenous right of food sovereignty. On the other side of the issue, residents and cottagers who want to maintain the lake for recreational use (which is hampered by the thick growth of wild rice) believe Whetung is breaking the law.

Taylor’s play, which takes a balanced and light-hearted look at the conflict, included sold-out shows at the Market Hall in Peterborough. It was selected as a runner-up for the 2020 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour.

Taylor has a long history of writing about the topic of indigenous rights and sovereignty in Canada using dramatic humour but also through documentary film. And according to Taylor, documentaries are much more challenging.

“There are two sides to every story,” Taylor explains. “In drama, each character thinks they’re right. In documentary it is harder. You have to respect the people you are interviewing in a doc.”

Taylor’s new film delivers by respectfully showcasing the different perspectives of historic land disputes and considers the causes of conflict, from the debate over wild rice in Pigeon Lake to larger issues such as food sovereignty, property rights, restricted access to capital on reserves, racism, privilege, contract law, and indigenous poverty.

VIDEO: “Cottagers & Indians” Trailer

Through each conflict, Taylor — who both presents and directs the film — explores what it might look like to simply coexist, through individual and personal perspectives after spending months building the trusted relationships needed to get the stories to the screen.

“These are all the repercussions of what happened years ago,” Taylor explains. “Communicating is good — and so is understanding both sides. There are still land issues, people are still going to court, and this is still creating animosity.”

Taylor’s cross-country journey takes him to Shoal Lake 40, an isolated reserve thatt has provided the city of Winnipeg with pristine drinking water for a century, while leaving the First Nation with a boil water advisory since the 1980s. He is wowed by Canada’s most prosperous indigenous bands in Osoyoos B.C., and he meets an indigenous chief and small-town mayor with different perspectives on the ownership of Sauble Beach, one of Canada’s most popular beaches.

It’s a journey filled with laughter, tears, joy, and anger as Taylor returns to meet with the adversaries at Pigeon Lake, all of whom are still hoping to find a solution many years later.

The inspiration for the pivotal character in Taylor’s play Cottagers and Indians, Whetung also features prominently in the documentary. Knowing Whetung through his own connection to Curve Lake, Taylor was prompted to write the play by Tarragon Theatre’s artistic director Richard Rose.

“When I started working on the play, I was a bit reluctant,” Taylor admits. “How do you dramatize a bag of wild rice?”

But Taylor says once he put on his objective eyeglasses, he was able to put different clothes on the story, going deeper and bringing awareness.

Now, in a documentary form, the story remains rich and full of twists and turns.

“James barely lives above the poverty line because education is so important to him,” Taylor explains. “He takes groups out (on Pigeon lake), he gives lots of the wild rice away, and he has built up many allied supporters.”

Taylor says he looks forward to the new doc continuing to shine a light on the still-growing conflict and exposing real issues between that have a long history across the country.

Cottagers & Indians debuts on CBC Television’s Docs POV on Saturday, July 4th at 8 p.m. and on the free CBC Gem streaming service.