Top 5 – Awesome Movies Coming to Netflix in July

Netflix has a lot of original content coming out this month, along with some Oscar hits and a Star Wars flick.  Here are my picks for the best movies coming to Netflix in July.

You can see the full list of movies and shows coming to Netflix in July right here.

5 – PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2002)

Adam Sandler has become a cinematic joke as of late.  Since around 2010 until now, Sandler has made, arguably, the worst films of his career, causing people to forget how great of a talent Sandler actually was.  Known mostly for his comedic work, Sandler showed his first chops as a dramatic actor in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love.  This is a kinetic, dark, funny movie and one of the weirdest romantic comedies I have ever seen.  Sandler is extraordinary as a psychologically disturbed man who begins to fall in love with an English woman (Emily Watson) all while being extorted for money by a phone-sex operator (Phillip Seymour Hoffman).  In typical Anderson form, this a beautiful film to look at, with some amazing color pop, and he keeps this bizarre story from falling off the rails.  This was also Anderson’s for foray into comedy and proved that he was a true master of cinema and could do multiple genres on different scales.  Check this one out to see just how talented Sandler and Anderson really are.

4 – ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (Gareth Edwards, 2016)

With the recent news that the Han Solo origin movie is in complete disarray, fans might be worried about the future of Star Wars origin films.  But let’s think back only a few months ago to the first origin story, Rogue One.  This is an excellent film and feels more like a war film than a typical Star Wars film, as we follow the team of Rebel solders in charge of stealing the plans to the Death Star.  What’s great about this movie is that we know the ending of the film, and yet are still completely invested in the story.  The cherry on top of what makes Rogue One as good as it is is that it features the single greatest Darth Vader scene of all-time.  I don’t want to spoil it if you haven’t seen it, but just know that it was the best singular scene I saw in all of 2016.  Make sure to see Rogue One if you haven’t, it’s a worthy entry in the Star Wars cannon.

3 – LION (Garth Davis, 2016)

Lion tells the incredible true story of Saroo (Sunny Pawar), a five-year-old Indian boy who gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home and must survive the challenged that await him.  After he survives many challenges, he is adopted by a couple in Australia and begins to live a normal life. 25 years later, he sets out on a journey to find his lost family.  Garth Davis crafted this movie so perfectly, giving us an emotional and riveting journey about love, loss and family.  Dev Patel plays the older Saroo and he is really the heart and soul of this movie.  Giving the best of his young career, Patel is heartbreaking as Saroo becomes more obsessed with finding his family, yet also neglecting the Australian family that brought him in.  Nicole Kidman is equally great as his Australian mother trying to keep her family together.  Make sure you have some tissues when you watch one of 2016’s best movies.

2 – TITANIC (James Cameron, 1997)

I mean, obviously, right?  James Cameron’s epic is a true cinematic landmark.  The winningest film in Oscar history is a timeless love story that still holds up to this day.  Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet became stars and I absolutely love Billy Zane as the smarmy Cal.  Everyone has seen this, so there isn’t much more to say about it’s greatness.  But if you’re in the mood for some Celine Dion, masterclass filmmaking, and the feels, this is your movie.

1 – THE INCREDIBLE JESSICA JAMES (James Strouse, 2017)

What movie could beat Titanic as the best movie coming to Netflix in July?  A wonderful comedy that will have you laughing non-stop the whole time.  Netflix has a lot of good original content coming out this month, including the beautifully depressing Chasing Coral and the Keanu Reeves starrer To the Bone, one that I am super excited for.  But The Incredible Jessica James is one of the best comedies of 2017.  Jessica Williams is sure to become a star as our incredible titular character, Jessica James, an aspiring playwright in New York who strikes up a friendship with a guy while on the rebound from a break-up.  Chris O’Dowd plays the friend and he is just delight.  The chemistry between the two is perfect.  You can read my full review of the movie right here, but this is a funny and sweet comedy and as enjoyable as movies get.

What movies coming to Netflix in July are you excited for?  Comment below or hit me up on Twitter and Instagram, @kevflix, or on Facebook by searching Kevflix.