Here’s what’s new to Netflix Instant for the week of June 23.

Top Picks

Lawless (2012)

Directed by John Hillcoat

In a year that also delivered “Moonrise Kingdom” and “The Avengers,” another star-studded ensemble cast slipped somewhat under the radar. “Lawless”, the neo-Western biopic about the moonshining Bondurant brothers, boasts performances from Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Guy Pearce, and Gary Oldman, among other notable names. The film delivers on the promise of such a roster, too; the performances are the highlight of the film. Pearce and Oldman are absolutely riveting villains and Tom Hardy adds an air of power and mystery to the legendarily indestructible Bondurant name. The unsparingly brutal screenplay by Nick Cave is a little flimsy in parts – a minor quibble that is made up for by gritty direction from Hillcoat, mixed with period-appropriate set design, costuming, and cinematography. It’s a wholly enjoyable watch, and any movie that can make Shia LaBeouf tolerable deserves an extra gold star for that merit.

Tarzan (1999)

Directed by Chris Buck & Kevin Lima

Thanks to spectacular and thrillingly energetic animation and an award-winning soundtrack from Phil Collins, it’s no mystery why this is the highest grossing film to come out of Walt Disney Feature Animation in the late 90’s. Based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs story, it features a young boy who is orphaned after a shipwreck and raised by apes. When a group of explorers show up and Tarzan must balance protecting his family and discovering new love, the film delves – as all good Disney films do – into more mature territory, surveying humanity by pitting man against animal. Like many Disney films of the time, it suffers a bit from a contrived comic relief character, but the rest of the performances are emotive and enjoyable. Excepting “The Emperor’s New Groove,” this would be the best release from the studio for the next 10 years.

Rapid Fire

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa 0.5 (2014)

Directed by Jeff Tremaine

Fans of Irving Zisman can now enjoy another 90 minutes of octogenarian troublemaking from the Jackass crew, thanks to this collection of outtakes and extra footage from the original 2013 film.

Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me (2013)

Directed by Chiemi Karawasa

This documentary offers a glimpse at a day in the life of the cheeky and candid Elaine Stritch, renowned for her long and prosperous career on Broadway.

Mauvais Sang (1986)

Directed by Leos Carax

From the director of the well-reviewed “Holy Motors” comes this surreal action romance, in which two lovers look for a cure to the sexual virus that is killing couples across Paris.



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