What to Watch This Weekend: August 9, 2013

There are a lot of great DVD releases this week, if you don't make it to the theaters, make sure to stop by a Red Box or your local DVD store / rental place and grab a few!

In Theaters: We're the Millers

We're the Millers is just a funny movie; it has great interactions between some very funny actors and sharp writing. Although it doesn't look like it from the trailers, it is definitely worth a watch. 

On DVD: Oblivion

Oblivion spends a lot of time setting up a beautiful, interesting sci-fi world. Although the final act is a little ridiculous, you'll forgive it because so much time is spent establishing this wonderful place. 

On DVD: The Place Beyond the Pines

The Place Beyond the Pines is a long movie that deals with some very complex issues. It has three distinct acts that will take the viewer through some involved plot, but if you're willing to stick it out, it is worth the time.

On DVD: Mud

Mud is one of those indie movies that had a very successful box office time. It's supposed to be phenomenal (especially Matthew McConaughey's performance). It's definitely a movie we'll be checking out this weekend, and you should too!

Streaming (Netflix): Arbitrage

Richard Gere made one of his most praised performances in last year's thriller Arbitrage, playing a corrupt hedge fund manager fighting to cover his tracks following an unexpected accident. Some reviewers note holes in the plot, but even they mostly agree that Gere's unsympathetic schemer and his suffering family make Arbitrage an absorbing character study.

Streaming (Netflix): Zodiac

David Fincher's Zodiac focuses on the hunt for California's elusive Zodiac Killer during the late 1960's and early 1970's. Though it is a mystery, it places greater emphasis on the investigation process and its effects upon those involved rather than the killer and their victims. Outside of a couple of brief scenes, the two-and-a-half hour film is driven by dialogue and suspenseful encounters rather than murders and confrontations. Maybe this is why Zodiac--possibly the director's second-most acclaimed film following The Social Network--is Fincher's lowest-grossing film, taking in much less than his more macabre Seven and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It's good, but don't expect a standard serial killer plot.