The Top 10 Indies to Watch on VOD This July
Indiewire has weeded through the films hitting VOD this month to bring you the ten to look out for. You’ll find everything from an ensemble globe spanning drama, to a Danish sex comedy, to a documentary that gets to the bottom of what it means to be a man in the 21st century.
Here are the ten films to watch on VOD this July, in alphabetical order:
“2 Days in New York” (July 6)
Julie Delpy’s winning follow-up film to “2 Days in Paris,” “2 Days in New York,” adds Chris Rock to the mix as Delpy’s love interest. The result? A sequel that’s even funnier than the first entry. The free-wheeling comedy centers on Marion (Delpy) and Mingus (Rock), a happy couple living with two young children from previous relationships. When Marion’s father (played by Delpy’s real-life dad!), her horny sister and her sister’s boyfriend drop in from Paris for a visit, their bond is put to the test.
“360” (July 1)
Inspired by Arthur Schnitzler’s “La Ronde,” comes the latest drama from acclaimed director Fernando Meirelles (“City of God,” “The Constant Gardener”) and featuring a scrip penned by Peter Morgan (“The Queen”). With a stellar international cast that includes Rachel Weisz, Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, Ben Foster, Jamel Debbouze and Moritz Bleibtreu, “360” starts in Vienna, then weaves through Paris, London, Bratislava, Rio, Denver and Phoenix to tell a myriad of modern day love stories.
“Abel” (July 3)
“Y Tu Mama Tambien” star Diego Luna makes a stellar transition into filmmaking with his direcotiral debut “Abel.” The coming-of-age drama centers on Abel, a ten-year-old boy who after being released from a two year stay at a mental hospital, returns home to a struggling mother, a younger brother, a sister who is coming of age, and an absent father. To carve out a role for himself in his family, the young Abel decides to become head of the household, but when his father makes an unplanned return, his fantasy caves in.
“The Good Doctor” (July 27)
Orlando Bloom and up-and-comer Riley Keough (“Magic Mike”) star in this medical thriller from Lance Daly (“Kisses”) about an ambitious first year medical resident (Bloom) who’s dead set on impressing his colleagues, no matter the consequences. Keough plays the beautiful teenager who’s put under his care after being admitted for a kidney infection. Be sure to avoid “The Good Doctor” if you plan to visit the hospital anytime soon. Otherwise, you’re good.
“Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” (July 18)
From visionary auteur Takashi Miike (“13 Assassins”) comes another samurai tale about a mysterious warrior who arrives at the doorstep of his feudal lord, only to request an honorable death by ritual suicide in his courtyard. The lord threatens him with the brutal tale of Motome, a desperate young ronin who made a similar request with ulterior motives, only to meet a grisly end. Undaunted, the samurai begins to tell a story of his own. Cue the surprise revelations and sword fights!
“Klown” (July 27)
Based on a six-season Danish series of the same name, “Klown” stars standup comics Frank Hvan and Caspar Christensen as fictionalized versions of themselves. When Hvan’s girlfriend tells him that he’s not fit for fatherhood, he kidnaps his nephew and takes him on a debaucherous camping trip with his friend (Christensen). A whole lot of mayhem ensues. “The premise recalls Michael Winterbottom’s “The Trip,” which consolidated a miniseries starring comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon into feature-length format,” wrote Eric Kohn in his review. “While Winterbottom punctuated the comedy with moments of serious introspection, “Clown” director Mikkel Nørgaard strings his episodic adventure together by never slowing down.”
“Last Ride” (July 1)
Hugo Weaving gives a commanting turn in “Last Ride,” a road movie set in the South Australian outback that centers on ex-jailbird fugitive father Kev (Weaing), who is on the run from the law with his 10-year old son Chook (newcomer Tom Russell) in tow. The film marks the directorial debut of Australian filmmaker Glendyn Ivin, whose short “Cracker Bag” won the Palme d’Or for Best Short at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.
“Man in the Glass: The Dale Brown Story” (July 1)
Former Louisiana State University Head Men’s Basketball Coach Dale Brown gets profiled in this entertaining expose that shows how he took what was a fledging team, and turned them into one of the most feared in the country. Patrick Sheenan enlists the help of Matthew McConaughey, Shaquille O’Neal and John Wooden to craft a full portrait of the man who garnered both fans and detractors for his unorthodox behavior during his run as Coach.
“Mansome” (July 17)
Morgan Spurlock is back at it again with this raucous and entertaining documentary produced by Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Ben Silverman, that takes a light hearted look at what it means to be a man in the 21st century. Traveling to traditional barbershops and trend-savvy salons across the country and attending an international beard contest in Austria, Spurlock shows us the art of being a man — and it’s a lot of work! Arnett, Bateman, Paul Rudd and Zach Galifianakis all make appearances.
“She Monkeys” (July 17)
Audience Award Winner at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, the Swedish drama “She Monkeys” explores the competitive relationship between two teenage girls engaged in equestrian vaulting (aka gymnastics on horseback). If that sounds intense, it is. The film marks a very promising directorial debut for Lisa Aschan.
