New In Theaters: Six Picks For July 19

New in theaters for the week of July 19, moviegoers have some pretty interesting choices: fantasy, horror, and another brutal team-up from director Nicolas Winding Refn and star Ryan Gosling.

Of course, not all of these movies are opening in wide release, and we’ve noted that where applicable. We’ve also developed a highly scientific guide for helping you determine what you should see: buy a ticket, wait for the rental, or read a book instead. It’s your time, people. Use it wisely!

(Hat tip to IMDb for the loglines.)

Red 2 (Wide)

What It’s About: Retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device.

After the unexpected success of the first Red, you would think this one would be one to look forward to, but Bruce Willis’ choice in films as of late has been suspect: The Expendables 2, A Good Day to Die Hard, G.I. Joe: Retaliation. He’s definitely having more fun at the movies than we are. That, along with this flick’s early critical clobbering has us hesitant.

Prognosis: Read A Book Instead

Only God Forgives (Limited)

What It’s About: A drug-smuggler in Bangkok’s criminal underworld, sees life get more complicated when his mother convinces him to avenge his brother’s death.

Hollywood Elsewhere critic Jeffrey Wells said the latest Refn/Gosling flick left him feeling “violated, s*** upon, sedated, narcotized, appalled, and bored stiff.” The film also received boos at the Cannes Film Festival with many rejecting the violent content. This one is pulling in 48 percent from Top Critics over at Rotten Tomatoes, but it has inspired the kinds of visceral reactions that make one curious, including us.

Prognosis: Wait For The Rental

RIPD (Wide)

What It’s About: A recently slain cop joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him.

After Man of Steel, it’s getting tougher and tougher to get excited about comic book movies, but with director Robert Schwentke (Red) helming this project, RIPD has potential. Also, it helps that Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds are involved. Let’s just hope that in the latter’s case, this one turns out better than Green Lantern. Color me “cautiously optimistic” on this one. It doesn’t look like a world beater, but if you’re dead set on going to the movies this week, and you’re not in the mood for some of the other types of movies on this new in theaters list, then you could do worse.

Prognosis: Buy A Ticket (though maybe a matinee)

Turbo (Wide)

What It’s About: A freak accident might just help an everyday garden snail achieve his biggest dream: winning the Indy 500.

Featuring the voice-work of Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Samuel L. Jackson, and Maya Rudolph, this latest from DreamWorks Animation sounds like harmless fun for the youngsters in your life. The only thing unproven is director David Soren, whose directorial credits at this point are TV and straight-to-video jobs on the Madagascar franchise (Merry Madagascar and Madly Madagascar). Still, it’s pulling a slightly Fresh rating at RT.

Prognosis: Buy A Ticket (if this is your weekend to have the kids)

The Conjuring (Wide)

The only new in theaters film for us horror lovers! Bias aside, it’s also the best reviewed of the wide release movies hitting theaters this week. Director James Wan (Saw, Insidious) has a knack for horror, and so you can pretty much take it to the bank this one will be creepy. It is rated R, unlike Insidious, so it may be too early to tell whether he’s slipping back in to gore territory or still opting for suspense over ooze, but I, for one, am amped to find out.

Prognosis: Buy A Ticket

Girl Most Likely (Limited)

A failed New York playwright awkwardly navigates the transition from Next Big Thing to Last Year’s News.

Not sure the world’s ready for an American Splendor-ized version of Kristen Wiig. Girl Most Likely is getting creamed by the critics, but that could be because they’re looking for another Bridesmaids from a creative team that is cut from a separate cloth. This new in theaters release is interesting, but ultimately not exciting enough to trump some of the other offerings.

Prognosis: Wait For The Rental

Other limited new in theaters releases: The Act of Killing, Blackfish, Broken, Grabbers, Ways To Live Forever, Evidence, Under the Bed, Nicky’s Family, Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp, The Rooftop, D-day, La playa DC, Centro Historico, Big Words, and Ramaiya Vastavaiya.

Which new in theaters flick(s) will you be seeing this weekend?