Netflix adds two movies I’m determined to cross off my must-watch list — a classic comedy and modern horror favorite

If you ever feel like there is just too much stuff to watch and that it’s hard to keep up with everything, I can relate. There are only so many hours in the day and occasionally I like to try and get some exercise or speak to my loved ones! So while I try to stay on top of most of the big things playing in theaters or that are available on TV, there are always a few that slip through the cracks.

But this month I’m going to make a concerted effort to cross two movies that have just been added to Netflix as part of the streamer’s June lineup off my must-watch list — the classic 1980 comedy The Blues Brothers and the more recent and highly acclaimed horror/thriller Barbarian, both of which arrive on Netflix on June 1.

The Blue Brothers has been on my list for a while, but either I haven’t had easy access to where it is streaming or it has been removed from platforms before I could find the time to watch it. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd star as brothers Jake and Elwood, who take on “a mission from God” to reunite their old R&B band to save the church they grew up in.

Legendary film critic Gene Siskel wrote of The Blues Brothers at the time of its release, “The Blue Brothers is the year’s best film to date; one of the all-time great comedies; the best movie ever made in Chicago.” Other critics were initially a bit more mixed, though The Blue Brothers is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes and with the help of fans (92% positive on RT), it’s place in the pantheon of comedies is pretty secure.

Even though I haven’t seen the movie, I am familiar with a good bit of what The Blues Brothers has to offer. The iconic look of black suits, black ties, fedoras and sunglasses that Belushi and Aykroyd wear are cultural staples. But I’m excited to see Belushi on screen, as aside from Animal House a handful of early Saturday Night Live skits, I haven’t experienced enough of the legendary comedy figure's work. Plus, there look to be some cool cameos from some of the most famous musicians in history, including James Brown and Ray Charles.

Then there’s Barbarian, which was just released back in 2022 and caused quite a stir. The breakout movie from director Zach Cregger has a synopsis on Netflix that reads: “A young woman arrives at her Detroit rental house to find it already occupied by an interloper — and by something far worse below the floorboards.” That is as much as I know about the plot and I intend to keep it that way until I get to watch it.

Barbarian was highly acclaimed upon its release, with a 92% “Certified Fresh” score and I remember reacting to it strongly. Horror is not my first choice of genre though, so it simply went on my to-watch list and I’ve let it linger on there for a while. But with Cregger’s new movie, Weapons, coming out in August, now is the perfect time to finally check it out.

I will say that Bill Skarsgård starring in the movie intrigues me. The son of Stellan Skarsgård (Andor) and brother of Alexander Skarsgård (Murderbot), Bill Skarsgård has really enjoyed playing creepy roles, including Pennywise the Clown in IT and most recently Count Orlok in Nosferatu; he’s an expert at being a menace (if that is his role here, again, I’m flying mostly blind). Georgina Campbell and Justin Long also star in the movie.

So I’m adding those two to my Netflix queue this month. You can too now that they are streaming on Netflix, or check out what else is new on Netflix this week and some of the other best Netflix movies available to stream.