what to stream in the US week of Jul 2 2013 (Netflix/Amazon Instant)
What’s new, what’s hot, and what you may have missed, now available to stream on Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.
catch up before the sequels hit

Despicable Me: totally fresh and wildly original, spectacularly funny and visually inventive animated comedy [my review] [at Amazon Instant Video]

Red: clever tongue-in-cheek action comedy about over-the-hill secret agents; Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren are at the top of their games [my review] [at Amazon Instant Video]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: diehard fans won’t mind all the sidetracks and tangents, but more casual moviegoers may be bored [my review] [at Amazon Instant Video]
because you missed it

The Call: tense and effective pulp crime drama smashes the woman-as-victim trope to smithereens [at Amazon Instant Video]

The Impossible: not a typical disaster movie, more about emotional shock than physical destruction, with heartbreaking performances from Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor [my review] [at Amazon Instant Video]

Side Effects: odd pairing of medical horror and crime drama… and oddly both lurid and undercooked at the same time [at Amazon Instant Video]
new to stream

Mulan: Disney’s gorgeously animated adventure about a girl in ancient China who disguises herself in order to become a warrior [my review]

The Truman Show: Peter Weir’s compulsively rewatchable speculative comedy is one of the best SF movies of recent decades, with perhaps Jim Carrey’s best performance yet [my review]

A Late Quartet: powerfully engaging performances keep us caught up in the emotional upheaval even when it feels a little trite [my review]
because you missed it

The Imposter: suspenseful documentary about a missing youth who turns up an ocean away… or does he?

Super 8: a gorgeous, affectionate pastiche of Spielberg, a teen adventure that is insanely and sweetly old-fashioned [my review]

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil: one of the funniest movies I have ever seen, a clever, witty, surprising splatter-horror comedy [my review]
explore:
Amazon Instant Video | Bruce Willis | Call | Despicable Me | Disney | Ewan McGregor | Helen Mirren | Hobbit An Unexpected Journey | Impossible | Imposter | Jim Carrey | Late Quartet | Mulan | Naomi Watts | Netflix | Peter Weir | Red | Side Effects | Steven Spielberg | Super 8 | Truman Show | Tucker and Dale vs Evil
Amazon Instant Video | Bruce Willis | Call | Despicable Me | Disney | Ewan McGregor | Helen Mirren | Hobbit An Unexpected Journey | Impossible | Imposter | Jim Carrey | Late Quartet | Mulan | Naomi Watts | Netflix | Peter Weir | Red | Side Effects | Steven Spielberg | Super 8 | Truman Show | Tucker and Dale vs Evil