The heat is on!! 🥵 It seems like all over the globe, we’re facing some crazy high temperatures due to a massive heat dome covering a big chunk of the central and eastern US. And it’s happening right before America’s 250th celebrations this weekend! I’ll be hanging out at my friend’s place for a summer get-together. I’ll probably avoid most outdoor stuff since I really struggle with heat and humidity.
JUNE VIEWINGS ON LETTERBOXD
I actually saw fewer movies in June than May, mainly because we’ve been doing some home improvements in our living room. The worst one I saw has got to be JLo’s latest rom-com with Brett Goldstein, with a boring title: Office Romance. Here’s my brief, 1.5-star review on Letterboxd:
Office Romance: This predictable drivel is only watchable for the first 15 minutes, but it gets stupider and more off-putting every minute. I’m a completist, so I didn’t turn it off, but it took me 3 days to actually finish this movie, ugh! Roy Kent should just stick with Ted Lasso!
(What I watched in June in the order of viewing)
FULL REVIEWS
TV REVIEW
Widow’s Bay (AppleTV)
UPCOMING REVIEWS
The Invite, The Odyssey, Reading Lolita in Tehran, Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
TV WATCHES
How To Get To Heaven From Belfast (Netflix)
Three lifelong friends reunite after the death of an old classmate turns a wake into a dark mystery. They embark on a thrilling adventure across Ireland, piecing together enigmatic truths amid complicated lives.
I really missed the amazing Widow’s Bay series, so I decided to find something with a similar feel. How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is a funny murder mystery set in Ireland, packed with quirky characters and crazy situations. Whenever I come across a movie or series based in Belfast, the first thing that pops into my mind is the Troubles, that 30-year conflict between Protestants and Catholics. So, it’s nice to see a Belfast-based series that steers clear of those dark times and focuses on female characters.
Created by Lisa McGee (Derry Girls), this show follows three lifelong friends in their middle age who go on a wild, cross-country adventure after receiving a mysterious email about the death of their estranged childhood friend, Greta (Natasha O’Keeffe). We have Saoirse (a brilliant but always stressed TV writer), Robyn (a bossy mom of three), and Dara (a compassionate but fatigued caregiver), portrayed by Roísín Gallagher, Sinéad Keenan, and Caoilfhionn Dunne, respectively. There’s also an Irish Garda (police) named Liam (Darragh Hand) who gets inadvertently dragged into their shenanigans. I’m not really familiar with any of these actresses, but they’re pretty fun to watch.
I have to admit, the quirkiness and chaotic vibe can get so intense that it almost makes you roll your eyes. I’m always fond of the Irish accent, so that alone is part of the show’s charm. I do have to turn on captions, though, as it can be tricky to understand them at times. Most murder mystery tropes depend on a twist, but I have to say that by the time I hit the halfway mark in the 8 episodes, I had already figured out what was going on with Greta and whether she was actually dead.
I’ve got two episodes left, and even with some pretty wild and uneven pacing, I’m happy I decided to keep watching. Not sure I’ll be up for future seasons though. Widow’s Bay season 2 can’t come soon enough!!
52 Films By Women – 2026 Challenge
I am once again participating in this challenge. Per Women In Film (WIF) organization, the basic rules are simple: watch 52 films directed by women within one year and share what you watched on social media, using the hashtag #52FilmsByWomen to spread the word and get more people talking about the women filmmakers that don’t always get attention.
Just like last month, I also saw 4 new movies #directedbywomen this month. So that brings the tally so far to 32 out of 52, so only 20 more to go until I hit my goal!!
Anyhoo, I ranked the movies on Letterboxd; you can follow my #52FilmsByWomen list as I will be updating it regularly. I have no doubt I’ll be able to at least meet the 2025 tally of 62.
JUNE MOVIE OF THE MONTH
I was curious to check out The Invite as it was one of the most buzzworthy movies at Sundance. I included it in this 10 Highly Anticipated Female-Directed Movies of 2026 list, and I’m glad to say it’s worth the hype! I just saw it last night on the big screen, and it was fun to watch with a crowd, as this dialogue-heavy movie is filled with some hilarious lines and situations. Stay tuned for my review sometime next week!
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
I have heard good things about The Invite as I heard it is a mass improvement for Olivia Wilde after the chaos of Don’t Worry Darling. I only saw a short, a doc, and one of the WORST FILMS EVER…. I’ve been devoting my time to the World Cup. I hope the U.S. wins tonight though Bosnia & Herzegovina are really good.
I only saw one new movie in theater last month, Disclosure Day. But I did see two new movies to me at home, both starring Rachel McAdams. Game Night and Send Help and I enjoyed both very much. Then I watched some older movies I got on 4K. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot starring young Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges. It was a heist film that came out in the early 70s and it was one of the few box office misfire for Eastwood at the time. Then I watched another 70s film called Bullet Train, a film that inspired Speed. It’s one of those Japanese 70s thrillers that were shown worldwide back in those days.
I also watched Bumblebee again, this time in 3D and it’s still a great Transformers film that should’ve been a huge hit. Lastly, I watched a film that was a huge hit but it was terrible, Jurassic World: Rebirth. It was as bad as Jurassic Park 3. I can’t believe so many people went to see that film, it was awful!