An HBO series based on a hit video game tops the DVD releases for the week of July 18.
“The Last of Us: The Complete First Season”: A smuggler treks across a post-apocalyptic America filled with spore-infected zombies, a teenage girl in tow, in this prestige drama starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.
“The first couple hours of ‘The Last of Us’ stick so closely to the original narrative that it may be eerie for folks who grew up playing the game,” writes Los Angeles Times TV critic Lorraine Ali in her review. “But prior knowledge of the saga is not required to become entangled in this rich drama. The series, co-created by the game’s architect, Neil Druckmann, and ‘Chernobyl’ showrunner Craig Mazin, is an enthralling experience — no prowess with a DualShock controller required.”
Also new on DVD July 18
“Love Again”: Priyanka Chopra Jonas shares the screen with Sam Heughan in this romantic comedy, which sees Celine Dion showing up to portray herself.
“Fool’s Paradise”: “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” star Charlie Day makes his directorial debut with this satire in which he portrays a mute man recently released from a mental health facility who’s mistaken by a struggling publicist for a method actor. Also featuring Ken Jeong and Kate Beckinsale.
“Little Richard: I Am Everything”: Documentary film from filmmaker Lisa Cortes that examines the colorful, complicated pioneer of early rock ‘n’ roll.
“Your Honor: Season Two”: Bryan Cranston comes off the bench for a second season of this New Orleans-set crime drama from Showtime.
“Breathless”: This Criterion Collection release boasts a 4K restoration of French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard’s 1960 masterwork starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg.
“The Ranown Westerns: Five Films Directed by Budd Boetticher”: This 4K Ultra-HD box set, also by Criterion, contains a quintet of low-budget movies from the late 1950s that all feature Randolph Scott in the lead role.
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”: Spider-Man Miles Morales learns to write his own story as he contends with the legions and lore of Spider-People across the multiverse in this animated sequel.
“The Flash”: Barry Allen and his speedy alter ego travel back in time in this DC superhero flick starring Ezra Miller that features Michael Keaton’s return as Batman after three decades.
“Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken”: A teen girl, voiced by Lana Condor, learns she is a mythical sea creature in this offering from DreamWorks Animation that features voice work by Toni Colette, Sam Richardson and Jane Fonda.
“What the Waters Left Behind: Scars”: Horror film in which the members of an indie rock band find themselves stranded in a desolate city.
