DVD: “Side Effects,” “Struck By Lightning,” “Yossi,” And More!

Side Effects

($34.98 Blu-ray, $29.98 DVD; Universal)

When a doctor (Jude Law) prescribes a drug called Ablixa to a suicidal patient (Rooney Mara), he finds himself in hot water when she suffers an unexpected, horrific side effect. Steven Soderbergh’s next-to-last film before his self-imposed retirement (the last is Liberace biopic, Behind The Candelabra, which debuts on HBO May 26th) is a stylish, slow-burn thriller with a – SPOILER ALERT! – hot lesbian twist. Fun, beautifully shot stuff with solid performances. Alas, co-star Channing Tatum doesn’t hit the runway and strip in this one. Extras include a behind-the scenes featurette, the “Aliza Website Experience,” and a commercial for the fictional drug, Ablixa.

Atomic Age

($19.99 DVD; TLA)

Young Euro-hipster pals Victor and Rainer hit Paris one night, but what starts as a bit of clubbing leads to some unexpected detours – least of which, into their sexual identities. Atmospheric, hypnotic, gorgeously shot, and featuring some darned cute lads, this won a critics’ prize at the Berlin Film Festival.

Yossi

($27.99 DVD; Strand)

This sequel to director Eytan Fox’s 2002 romance about two gay Israeli soldiers, Yossi & Jagger, picks up a decade later. Yossi is now a Tel Aviv cardiologist, closeted, and still scarred by the heartbreaking death of his lover and is unhappy with his older, bear-like appearance. Could an openly gay, young twink soldier he meets while on a vacation provide liberation from the past… and an embracing of the present?