New To Netflix & Amazon 6/21: ‘Dark,’ ‘Beats,’ & Japanese Originals

It’s slimmer pickings for big original releases from the major streaming platforms this week. Perhaps with the official start of summer and the release of major films like "Toy Story 4" in theaters, the likes of Netflix and Amazon are holding back on new offerings to ensure more competitive premieres. No matter the reasoning, below are some of the biggest new streaming originals for your viewing pleasure available on June 21.

Netflix

“Beats”: Premiering earlier in the week on Wednesday, “Beats” is a Chicago-set musical drama film about two individuals who form an unlikely musical partnership. Newcomer Khalil Everage plays an agoraphobic musical prodigy who teams up with a disgraced former manager played by Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”), and together the two must overcome their demons to move forward and achieve their dreams.

“Dark” Season 2: Netflix’s first-ever German-language original series returns for the second of its planned three seasons. Set in the fictional town of Winden, the series concerns the discovery of a wormhole through time in an underground cave system that is leading to a rash of missing person cases. The series ends up spanning three different time periods, exploring a twisty, multi-generational mystery. Many have compared the feel of the show to Netflix’s golden goose, “Stranger Things.”

Amazon

Offerings from other services are slim to none this week, but anyone looking to explore some foreign offerings can hop onto Amazon Prime Video, which is premiering three Japanese original series’ this weekend: “Documental” Season 3, and the first seasons of “Tokyo Alice” and “Final Life.”