It’s been a year since we went into lockdown and while things are slowly beginning to change with the release of the vaccine, many things remain the same, such as how we (don’t) socialize, which, as it has since the beginning, includes movie-going. For many of us this means it’s also been a year since we’ve sat in a movie theater, and while it’s been one of the things I’ve missed the most, one small blessing to this entire situation has been the consistent releases of films through the many, many streaming services and virtual screenings through independents theaters. It hasn’t greatly improved the situation but, in times, has made it easier to bear.
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That said, March again offers us plenty of films to distract ourselves with from long-awaited sequels to new Disney films and the much-demanded “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” which will most likely dominate the conversation as we near its release. We’re also in awards season which, doesn’t always mean much, but with the prominence of women directors this year and the focus they’re receiving for once, it might be a nice reminder during Women’s History Month to seek out such celebrated films such as “Nomadland,” “Promising Young Women,” “One Night in Miami” and “First Cow” along with all the films available to stream. Otherwise, we’ll continue to see how releases fare through streaming services, especially with the joint release strategy taking place with HBO Max.
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“Moxie”
What You Need to Know: Aside from her recent turn as co-host at the 2021 Golden Globe Awards it feels like it’s been a minute since we’ve seen much of Amy Poehler. That changes with the upcoming, admittedly on the nose looking “Moxie” based on the novel of the same name by author Jennifer Mathieu. A story about an 11th grader who takes inspiration from her mother’s (Poehler) rebellious past and anonymously creates a zine that shakes up the status quo at her highschool. It’s simple enough stuff but hopefully, Poehler’s direction will lead to something that manages to elevate the story beyond what the trailer hints at and leans further into the Riot Grrrl roots. The film stars Hadley Robinson, Josephine Langford, Lauren Tsai, and Ike Barinholtz.
Release Date: March 3 on Netflix.
“Coming 2 America”
What You Need to Know: The long-awaited sequel to the 1988 film “Coming to America,” perhaps the greatest pull of the follow up isn’t just the thrill of revisiting these characters but the team-up of Eddie Murphy and director Craig Brewer. Brewer and Murphy last worked together for the 2019 film “Dolemite is My Name” which saw the latter delivering one of the finest performances in his storied career. “Coming 2 America” follows the newly-crowned King Akeem (Murphy) and his trusted confidence Semmi (Arsenio Hall) on a globe-trotting adventure that takes them from their great African nation of Zamunda to the borough of Queens, New York where the first story began. The original was a cultural phenomenon so there’s no surprise the long list of talent involved with its sequel with Wesley Snipes, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, Jermaine Fowler, Bella Murphy, Rotimi, KiKi Layne, Nomzamo Mbatha, and Teyana Taylor all on board.
Release Date: March 5 on Amazon Prime.
“Raya and the Last Dragon”
What You Need to Know: Actress Kelly Marie Tran (“Sorry For Your Loss,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”) shines in Disney’s latest output, the beautifully animated “Raya and the Last Dragon.” Following the plight of a young woman who is tasked with tracking down a dragon who might be the key to saving the world, the film reaches for epic fantasy heights. With a strong supporting cast including Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Sandra Oh, and Daniel Dae Kim and directed by Carlos López Estrada (“Frozen II”) and Don Hall (“Big Hero 6”) the film has all the components to make for an engaging feature. That said, our critic wasn’t wowed overall, calling out its repetitive nature and summing it up with, “Disney on autopilot is still pretty good.”
Release Date: March 5 on Disney+.
“The Truffle Hunters”
What You Need to Know: Sometimes the best documentaries are the ones that envelope you slowly, something that the charming “The Truffle Hunters” manages with its on-the-surface lowkey stakes. We travel into the deep forests of Northern Italy to follow elderly men and their dogs as they go to work to find the elusive white Alba truffle and learn of the perhaps surprising hardships that they face along the way. Directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw the film allows the viewer to simply exist in a world foreign to many of us. Our critic saw it at the 2020 New York Film Festival and called it, “…a charming, life-affirming film, a look at an enduring folkway that brings fun and flavor to Italians every year.”
Release Date: March 5.
“Boogie”
What You Need to Know: Following Alfred “Boogie” Chin (Taylor Takahashi in his debut role), a basketball phenom living in Queens, NY who dreams of one day playing in the NBA, “Boogie” marks the debut film from writer/director Eddie Huang. Huang isn’t a stranger to the film and television world as his autobiography was adapted into the series “Fresh Off the Boat” in which he served as a producer but this is quite the jump in terms of responsibilities and with a newcomer actor as well it will be interesting to see what the final product looks like. The cast is rounded out by Taylour Paige, Pamelyn Chee, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Alexa Mareka, Mike Moh, and Perry Yung along with the posthumous performance by rapper Pop Smoke who was killed early last year during a home invasion in Los Angeles. Smoke’s music will be available through the film’s soundtrack.
Release Date: March 5.
“Chaos Walking”
What You Need to Know: And to think that so many of us thought that “Cherry” would be the only mess of a film starring Tom Holland this month. To be fair, reviews have yet to be unleashed on the upcoming “Chaos Walking” but considering the post-production hell the film has weathered, it’s fair to say expectations have been greatly lowered. A shame, considering with everyone on board including rising stars Holland and Daisy Ridley (who hasn’t seen the post-“Star Wars” success one might’ve assumed she would”) along with a story based on the trilogy by author Patrick Ness (who wrote “A Monster Calls”) and directed by Doug Liman (“Edge of Tomorrow”) one would assume this should have been a home run. Perhaps the film will surprise us, though the vague synopsis of a young man having to protect a mysterious woman in a dystopian world where all females have disappeared isn’t promising.
Release Date: March 5.
“My Salinger Year”
What You Need to Know: Actress Margaret Qualley has slowly been making a name for herself especially following last year’s turn in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood…” In “My Salinger Year,” she plays aspiring writer Joanna Rakoff who, while working for literary agent Phyllis Westerberg, receives personal advice from the reclusive author J.D. Salinger. The film also stars Douglas Booth and Sigourney Weaver and is directed by Philippe Falardeau whose work includes films “The Good Lie” and “Monsieur Lazhar.” Our critic wrote, “the film’s smorgasbord of strong performances, and gorgeous autumnal production design, particularly outweigh the script’s shortfalls.”
Release Date: March 5.
“Cherry”
What You Need to Know: After the tonally inconsistent trailer and truly bizarre, For Your Consideration-like promotional material, it’s tough to glean what we’re supposed to make of “Cherry.” Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo in their first film following “Avengers: Endgame” and starring Tom Holland, the film clearly is supposed to be a very serious film that establishes all parties outside of the roles/films they’re best known for. Co-starring Ciara Bravo and based on the novel of the same name by Nico Walker, the story follows an Army medic suffering from PTSD who becomes addicted to opioids and finds himself robbing banks in order to pay for the addiction. Our critic found it lacking, writing, “As for Russo Brothers’ ‘Cherry,’ it doesn’t succeed as a war film, as a heist flick, or the star vehicle it so craves to be for Holland. It’s just average at its core.”
Release Date: March 12 on Apple TV+.
“Zack Snyder’s Justice League”
What You Need to Know: Otherwise known as what happens when the loudest part of the internet wins, there’s little more that needs to be said that hasn’t already been discussed regarding “Zack Snyder’s Justice League.” A chance to showcase his intended vision for the film which was taken over by Joss Whedon originally (with disastrous results) the story once again sees the joining of superheroes Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot,) Batman (Ben Affleck,) Superman (Henry Cavill,) Aquaman (Jason Momoa,) The Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) as they look to put an end to a newly awakened threat. One key difference in this iteration will be the inclusion of Jared Leto’s Joker. It’s also going to be four hours long. More intriguing than the doubling of length will be how the film differs in tone to Whedon’s version, something that was a major point of contention for fans.
Release Date: March 18 on HBO Max.
“Godzilla vs. Kong”
What You Need to Know: Don’t waste your time hoping that “Godzilla vs. Kong” will be anything other than what it should be: good, dumb fun. Maybe it will surprise us all and be a new step in high brow, big-budget monster mayhem but considering our collective need for distraction, managing to at least be engaging, messy mayhem may be enough, especially with the narrative being convoluted, to begin with. A follow up to 2019’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” the latest in the franchise sees monsters Godzilla and King Kong face off in a battle for the ages as humanity looks on and simultaneously looks for the key to their destruction. Directed by Adam Wingard (“You’re Next,” “The Guest”) and starring Kyle Chandler, Rebecca Hall, Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, and Julian Dennison, the greatest achievement the film could pull off would be to somehow mimic the excitement of seeing a blockbuster in theaters while we’re in the confines of our living rooms.
Release Date: March 25 on HBO Max.
“Tina”
What You Need to Know: The latest music documentary will follow the life and legacy of icon and powerhouse Tina Turner in the simply titled “Tina” being released later this month on HBO Max. Directed by Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin the documentary will include footage from her career on and off stage as well as interviews with Angela Bassett, Oprah Winfrey, journalist Kurt Loder, playwright Katori Hall, and Tina’s husband Erwin Bach. Considering the mark she left on the music industry it’s surprising to think that there hasn’t already been a documentary surrounding her life. With a focus both on her personal life and her life as a performer, here’s hoping the documentary captures just why she’s celebrated as a music legend.
Release Date: March 27 on HBO Max.