In 2002, Oscar-winning Italian actor Roberto Benigni, who’d earlier found worldwide acclaim with, of all things, a sugar-coated chronicle of the horrors of the Holocaust, produced his most harrowing film yet: A live-action version of his home country’s most beloved children’s novel The Adventures of Pinocchio in which the 50-year-old actor himself played the sprightly title character.
His attempt to darken the dreams of a generation of kids was stymied by the film’s box office failure (it was also nominated for six Razzie Awards), but in 2020 he made a second attempt, starring as the sinister cobbler Geppetto—who curses Pinocchio with life—in Pinocchio (arriving on Prime Video on June 11), which faithfully recreates the nightmarish imagery of the original story. Is the filmmaker under some sort of curse, requiring him to feature in ever-more haunting versions of this classic fable? For the sake of humanity, let us hope the madness stops here—though we can still “look forward” to at least two more remakes, including one from Guillermo del Toro and another from Robert Zemeckis.
If that sounds too intense for you, there’s a short list of other goodies coming to Amazon’s streaming service in June, including a new season of Anna Paquin-starrer Flack (June 11) and the final episodes of Bosch (June 25), which, at seven seasons, is one of the longest-running original streaming series yet.
What to watch on Amazon Prime in June 2021
Arriving June 1
- 50/50 (2011)
- Adaptation (2002)
- Ali (2001)
- Alive (1993)
- An American Werewolf In London (1981)
- Burn After Reading (2008)
- Chicken Run (2000)
- Colombiana (2011)
- Courageous (2011)
- Dear John (2010)
- Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005)
- Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
- Fight Club (1999)
- I Spy (2002)
- Little Man (2006)
- Mo’ Money (1992)
- Rent (2005)
- Revolutionary Road (2008)
- Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World (2012)
- Seven Pounds (2008)
- Signs (2002)
- Spring Break (1983)
- Step Brothers (2008)
- Stomp The Yard (2007)
- Take Shelter (2011)
- Takers (2010)
- Testament Of Youth (2015)
- The Fisher King (1991)
- The House Bunny (2008)
- The Wrestler (2009)
- This Means War (2012)
- Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection (2015)
- We Own The Night (2007)
- American Experience: Stonewall Uprising (2011) (PBS Documentaries)
- Growing Up Trans (2015) (PBS Documentaries)
- Hurley (2019) (Motortrend)
- Keith Haring: Street Art Boy (2020) (PBS Living)
- Man in the Orange Shirt: Season 1 (PBS Masterpiece)
- Queer as Folk: Season 1 (Showtime)
- Rastamouse: Season 1 (Kidstream)
- Slavery by Another Name (2012) (PBS Documentaries)
- The L Word: Generation Q: Season 1 (Showtime)
- Work in Progress: Season 1 (Showtime)
Arriving June 4
- Dom – Amazon Original Series: Season 1
- The Family Man – Amazon Original Series: Season 2
- Britannia: Season 2
Arriving June 9
Arriving June 11
- Pinocchio (2020)
- Flack — Amazon Original Series: Season 2
Arriving June 18
- Chivas: El Rebaño Sagrado – Amazon Original Series: Season 1
Arriving June 25
- Bosch — Amazon Original Series: Season 7
- September Mornings (Manhãs de Setembro) — Amazon Original Series: Season 1
