One of the year’s best movies so far from an American auteur, an action blockbuster where giant robots do battle, an animated gem with a familiar feline face, and much more await in our weekly roundup of everything coming to streaming this week.
Asteroid City
Release Date: Tuesday, July 11 on VOD
Not only isAsteroid City one of Wes Anderson’s best films to date, it provides a glimpse of what the director thinks of his own films in beautiful yet bittersweet fashion. Built upon layers of abstraction, a television show that is about the making of the play that is the movie we are watching, it is the director at his most reflective yet. It is a thrilling experience that is overflowing with his love of the craft that also lays you flat when you least expect it. There is nothing like it this year and it is worth seeking out for that alone. Though it is odd to see it coming to VOD so soon after making a killing at the box office, any opportunity to see it again or for the first time is worth taking.
A Little White Lie
Release Date: Friday, July 14 on Hulu
Michael Shannon and Kate Hudson in the same movie together? Okay A Little White Lie, you sure know how to get our interest. Telling the story of a man who shares a name with a famous author who gets swept up in a deception when he pretends to take on his identity, this dramedy is all about the repercussions of deception. While a story set at a writer’s conference doesn’t sound like one of the most thrilling types of movies you could seek out, we’re willing to give this one a chance on the cast alone which also includes Don Johnson, Romy Byrne, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
Bird Box Barcelona
Release Date: Friday, July 14 on Netflix
Remember Bird Box? The movie that spawned a million memes from a few years back that was also rather soullessly bad? Well, the streamer is giving it another go with Bird Box Barcelona by taking the same premise to a new place. An expansion of the basic setup, it now sees a new cast of characters navigating the streets of Barcelona where to see is to die. Will this new riff have the same success as the first one? Maybe. Will it be as good? Honestly, who knows. Whether you open your eyes to it or not, it is very much a film that is coming out.
Carmen
Release Date: Tuesday, July 11 on VOD
There is so much that is promising about Benjamin Millepied’s Carmen. It has a talented cast in Melissa Barreraand Paul Mescal, a strong score by Nicholas Britell, plus some often well-choreographed sequences of dance. For some, this may be enough to get swept up in. Unfortunately, there is also the sense that this is a musical drama that dances to nowhere despite some bold attempts to give it something more. There are jolts of kineticism we get, but much of it comes far too late to really work. Still, for those looking to see Barrera and Mescal doing their darndest to dance their way to a more dynamic experience, then this is the film for you.
Chile ’76
Release Date: Tuesday, July 11 on VOD
A smaller film on this list that is still worth checking out, Chile ‘76 takes place during the birth of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship and follows the journey of Carmen (Aline Kuppenheim) as she goes to her summer home where she is overseeing its renovation. While there, her otherwise sheltered upper middle-class life is challenged when she is asked to take care of an injured young man by a local priest who had been hiding him in secret.
God is a Bullet
Release Date: Tuesday, July 11 on VOD
Another action offering of sorts, Nick Cassavetes’ God is a Bullet is a grim mystery story that centers on detective Bob Hightower (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) who one day discovers his ex-wife has been murdered and his daughter kidnapped. In order to get his back, he decides to infiltrate the cult behind it with some help from the former member Case (Maika Monroe) and a man known as The Ferryman (Jamie Foxx). Maybe they’ll also be able to explain to him how the almighty became a singular piece of ammunition.
Gray Matter
Release Date: Thursday, July 13 on MAX
Next is Gray Matter, a science fiction thriller about a young girl and her mother who have special powers. Specifically, Aurora (Mia Isaac) can manipulate the world around her in a way that others want to control. As they try to navigate their complicated and precarious existence, darker secrets start to come to the forefront.
The League
Release Date: Friday, July 14 on VOD
If there is one thing you should take away from this list, it is that Sam Pollard is one of the best documentary filmmakers working today. His latest, The League, is one for anyone who is wanting to learn about history, race, and sports as it takes a look at the development of the so-called Negro League baseball in America. Paying tribute to some of the talented players that were initially dismissed by the MLB though helped reshape the game into what it is that we know today, it is a dynamic portrait that mustn’t be overlooked.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Release Date: Thursday, July 13 on Netflix
We still can’t believe that Puss in Boots: The Last Wishis as good as it is, but there is just nothing that comes close to it in this franchise. Lovingly animated with a rich adventure story that also confronts mortality along the way, it just really sneaks up on you the longer you get to sit with it. Without giving away details for those that haven’t had the chance to see it for themselves just yet, it also features a terrifying villain who makes it worth seeing for him alone. Seriously, put aside any and all expectations as this one is really solid.
Quicksand
Release Date: Friday, July 14 on Shudder
No streaming roundup would be complete without the inclusion of at least one horror film and this week it is the Shudder original Quicksand. We’ll give you three guesses about what it is about. That’s right, it is about a pair of hikers who get caught in quicksand in a Colombian rainforest after being nearly robbed. They will have to deal with the perilous predicament, snakes, and the sinking feeling (get it?) that they will soon be swallowed whole with no one around to save them.
The Starling Girl
Release Date: Tuesday, July 11 on VOD
Of all the many movies to show at Sundance this past year,The Starling Girl managed to tap into something all its own and prove once more thatEliza Scanlenis a performer to watch. Directed with a real eye for the quiet moments by Laurel Parmet, it is a subtle deconstruction of faith, love, and self-worth that sneaks up on you when you least expect it to. The basics, that it focuses on a 17-year-old Jem Starling (Scanlen) who begins an affair with an older man who is also a youth pastor in her Christian fundamentalist community, is merely the beginning of what is a measured coming-of-age story about repression and freedom. Well-acted, written, and directed, it is one of the films on this list that is absolutely worth watching.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Release Date: Tuesday, July 11 on VOD
Another release that felt like it only just came out, Transformers: Rise of the Beastsis a film that makes some strides forward while also taking quite a few back. The most positive aspect comes down to the introduction of well-written humans that will always be more important than Autobots. It isn’t as good as the prior entry that was the delightful Bumblebee, but it still will likely resonate with those looking for more smashing fights that hints at much more to come.
Vesper
Release Date: Friday, July 14 on Hulu
A science fiction story about what comes after the end of the world, Vesper draws you into a visually vibrant world where a father and daughter must survive together against the odds. While it is low-tech, it doesn’t skimp on creating an enveloping atmosphere all its own.
You Won’t Be Alone
Release Date: Sunday, July 16 on Peacock
A film that upends the typical witch horror movies tropes, You Won’t Be Alone was one of the real surprises from last year’s Sundance that deserves more attention for its unique vision. It is evocative and haunting, finding an enduring sense of connection from its folk horror roots. The poignant and patient manner in which it achieves this all comes back to being about re-imagining what we think of when we think of witches. It leaves a lasting impression, ensuring you’ll never think of its subjects in the same way again.
