Oscar contenders, Taylor Swift and Adam Sandler as a spaceman all hit streaming this month
If you’re looking for something new to watch on streaming, you’ve come to the right place. March brings with it a bevy of new releases to the various streaming platforms, and we’ve gone through everything coming to Netflix, Max, Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+ and Peacock to put together a curated list of the very best new releases to stream this month.
That includes the highly anticipated streaming debut of Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” concert film (with new bonus tracks) as well as Oscar-nominated “Poor Things” and “Anatomy of a Fall,” and even the surprisingly delightful “Wonka” starring Timothee Chalamet. As always, we round the list off with some noteworthy library titles that are well worth your time.
Check out our picks for the best new movies streaming in March 2024 below.
Netflix – March 1
Adam Sandler has made countless goofy comedies for Netflix. But this isn’t one of them. Instead, it’s an out-there sci-fi drama, which recently had a glitzy premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. “Spaceman” is an adaptation of Jaroslav Kalfař’s 2017 novel “Spaceman in Bohemia,” with Sandler starring as the titular explorer, sent to the edge of the galaxy on a mission of utmost importance. While he’s there, of course, he starts reflecting on his life and the choices he’s made, with the help of a creature from the beginning of time who is lurking on his ship and is voiced by Paul Dano. Is the creature in his mind or another traveler? The cast also includes recent Oscar hopeful Carey Mulligan, along with Lena Olin and Isabella Rossellini. The premise is cool and captivating, with “Chernobyl” filmmaker Johan Renck directing from a script by Colby Day. Dramatic Sandler might be our favorite Sandler. – Drew Taylor
Netflix – March 1
One of the funniest movies of the 21st century so far, “Step Brothers” is juvenile and brilliant in equal measure. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly play two grown men still living with their single parents who are forced to live together as step brothers when their parents get married. What begins as a rivalry soon turns into camaraderie as these two struggle through arrested development. Kathryn Hahn, Adam Scott, Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins co-star. – Adam Chitwood
Max – March 1
A wonderfully weird and wild fantasy tale, you’ll be amazed “The Green Knight” got made once the credits roll – until you see the A24 logo, that is. Of course A24 let “Pete’s Dragon” and “The Old Man and the Gun” filmmaker David Lowery go nuts with an adaptation of a 14th century poem. And of course the result is terrifying, mystifying and sexy all at once. Dev Patel plays Gawain, a man who sets out on a quest to face the Green Knight owing to a challenge set to him one year before. This film has mermaids, tree men and Sean Harris as King Arthur. Get thee to “The Green Knight!” – Adam Chitwood
Hulu – March 1
Before you sit down for “Dune: Part Two” in theaters, brush up by watching Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part One.” While the first film is streaming on Max, it also hits Hulu this month in case that’s your streamer of choice. And watching “Dune: Part One” is certainly a prerequisite for “Part Two” as the sequel is very much a continuation of one long story, and picks up right where the first film left off. Plus “Dune” is so pretty! The film won six Oscars, including Best Score and Best Cinematography. – Adam Chitwood
Paramount+ – March 1
Some say “Inside Llewyn Davis” is the best Coen brothers film, which is high praise considering these guys are among the best American filmmakers in history. The 2013 film takes place in the 1960s New York folk music scene just before Bob Dylan’s arrival and follows Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac), a struggling performer just trying to make his way. It’s the story of the pursuit of artistic greatness in the face of constant failure, and what it takes to persist (or not). Isaac is spectacular, doing his own singing and guitar playing while also acting his heart out. And the songs are incredible. – Adam Chitwood
Paramount+ – March 1
Make it Halloween in March with Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow,” one of the filmmaker’s very best films and a gothic delight. Written by Andrew Kevin Walker (“Seven”), this adaptation of the classic tale follows police constable Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) as he’s called to investigate a series of beheadings in Sleepy Hollow. The craft is immaculate and this R-rated feature is downright spooky. Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson and Michael Gambon co-star. – Adam Chitwood
Paramount+ – March 1
“Anchorman” and “Step Brothers” filmmaker Adam McKay’s first foray into dramatic filmmaking won him an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. 2015’s “The Big Short” is an enormously entertaining chronicle of the 2007-2008 financial crisis with a stacked cast that includes Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale and Brad Pitt. McKay finds unique ways to deliver complicated information, and the cast grounds the whole thing with performances that feel at once over-the-top and exactly right. This one will make you angry every time you watch it. – Adam Chitwood
Paramount+ – March 1
“Moulin Rogue!” and “The Great Gatsby” filmmaker Baz Luhrmann always has a flair for the theatrical, which made him a brilliant fit for 1996’s reimagining of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Aptly named “Romeo + Juliet,” the film retains much of Shakespeare’s dialogue but features a contemporary setting and characters, trading swords for guns and Verona for “Verona Beach.” The freshly popular duo of Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes make a firecracker pairing at the center of the film, and a a hip soundtrack pairs nicely with Luhrmann’s fast-paced visual approach. – Adam Chitwood
Paramount+ – March 4
The new “Mean Girls” is good! This 2024 update is based on the Broadway musical which itself was based on the 2004 film starring Lindsay Lohan. Tina Fey returns to write the screenplay, which keeps the basic bones of her original comedy classic while adding some updates that keep it current — and full-on musical numbers. Yes, despite the trailers, “Mean Girls” 2024 is very much a musical and all the better for it. Renée Rapp is delightfully nasty as Regina George, but it’s Auli’i Cravalho as Janis who steals the show — the “Moana” star’s voice is show-stopping. Fey and Tim Meadows reprise their roles from the 2004 film. — Adam Chitwood
Prime Video – March 7
Peter Farrelly, one half of the Farrelly Brothers duo that gave us “Dumb and Dumber” and “There’s Something About Mary,” has spent the last few years making respectable tear-jerkers, including the Best Picture-winning “Green Book.” But now he’s returning to his goofy roots with “Ricky Stanicky,” a movie that has been around so long that it landed on the Black List of best unproduced screenplays back in 2010. Between then and now, a handful of prominent actors have been courted to play the character, a washed-up actor who agrees to play the role of Ricky Stanicky, a made-up person that a bunch of friends would use interchangeably to get out of something. Before John Cena, the character was nearly played by James Franco, Jim Carrey and – unbelievably – Joaquin Phoenix. Cena seems like the perfect lovable dolt, supported by Zac Efron (in his post-“Iron Claw” glow), Jermaine Fowler and William H. Macy. The poster proudly proclaims this an “R-rated comedy.” Make sure the little ones have left the room before spending time with “Ricky Stanicky.” – Drew Taylor
Hulu – March 7
If you haven’t seen “Poor Things,” currently nominated for a whopping 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture, well, now is your chance. “The Favourite” team of director Yorgos Lanthimos, star Emma Stone and screenwriter Tony McNamara reconvene for this off-the-wall adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel. Willem Dafoe plays a Frankenstein-ian mad scientist who resurrects Stone’s suicidal waif, implanting the brain of her unborn child into her adult woman body. Somehow, from there, things get even weirder, as Stone’s Bella Baxter encounters weirdos while fully embracing all that this singularly surreal, steampunk-inspired world has to offer. With a starry supporting cast of movie stars playing a bunch of off-putting weirdos (Mark Ruffalo as a horny scoundrel is standout) and a unique style that combines silent movie aesthetics with progressive sexual politics, “Poor Things” is a strange brew but an intoxicating, utterly fulfilling one. At the very least try to squeeze this one in before the Oscars ceremony. You’ll want to have an opinion. – Drew Taylor
Netflix – March 8
Ready for a fractured fairy tale? Millie Bobby Brown plays a young noblewoman who marries a handsome prince. But there’s a catch – she discovers that his family means to sacrifice her to a fearsome dragon in order to repay an ancient debt. But she’s no “Damsel.” Judging by the trailers, she not only survives, but she gets revenge on the kingdom in the most satisfying way possible. This new feminist fantasy epic boasts an impressive cast, which includes Angela Bassett, Robin Wright, Ray Winstone, Nick Robinson and Shohreh Aghdashloo, with direction from Spanish filmmaker Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (“28 Weeks Later”). Originally part of Netflix’s 2023 slate, it got bumped by the strikes and is now finally coming out, with the full promotional might of the streamer and its homegrown star Brown, who not only anchors “Stranger Things” but also two “Enola Holmes” movies. (She’ll also be in the upcoming sci-fi epic “The Electric State” from the Russos.) Truly, she is Netflix’s princess. Hopefully they don’t throw her to the dragon … or Demogorgon. – Drew Taylor
Max – March 8
One of the year’s biggest surprises was “Wonka,” Paul King’s ingenious musical origin story for the famous chocolatier (brightly played here by Timothée Chalamet) in the time before his magical factory. Wisely acknowledging the versions of the Roald Dahl story that came before it (particularly the Gene Wilder-led “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”) without ever becoming to reverential, “Wonka” traces the character in his early days, as he fights against the systemic oppression of the chocolate consortium and other factors conspiring to snuff out his dream. Of course, this being Willy Wonka, his enthusiasm remains. And this being Paul King, his plan to make a splash in the chocolate world is carried out through a series of inventive, almost clockwork-like set pieces. (The songs are pretty good too.) And if you’re worried about overloading on sugar, King also maintains the weird flintiness of Roald’s original story; it’s spiky sometimes when you’re expecting it to be smooth. The fact that King, Chalamet and the rest of the team created a new story worthy of Roald’s delectable original is maybe their greatest accomplishment. Best enjoyed with a frosty glass of milk. – Drew Taylor
Max – March 8
If you’re in a musical mood but are in the market for a combo of great songs and great drama, Bradley Cooper’s phenomenal 2018 version of “A Star Is Born” will do the trick. Cooper co-wrote, directed and stars in the film as an alcoholic musician on the decline who discovers a star in the making, played by Lady Gaga. As her career takes off he guides her – both as a mentor and a romantic partner – but the question becomes whether he himself can survive the journey. Cooper and Gaga turn in spectacular performances, the original songs are genuinely great, and Cooper proves he’s an incredible filmmaker as he captures it all with an intimate gaze. – Adam Chitwood
Paramount+ – March 8
“Sleeping With Other People” writer-director Leslye Headland described her approach to this 2015 rom-com as “like ‘When Harry Met Sally’ with assholes.” The film begins in 2002 with Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis as college students who lose their virginity to each other. They never strike up a relationship, but the film charts their yearslong friendship as they’re each in different relationships but maybe kinda-sorta are into one another – but will they ever admit it? This one has the R-rated raunch of “Bridesmaids” and a biting wit, with a supporting cast that includes Adam Scott, Jason Mantzoukas, Natasha Lyonne, Amanda Peet, Adam Brody and Billy Eichner. – Adam Chitwood
Peacock – March 14
“Trolls Band Together” asks the question that has been dogging the franchise since the very earliest days: does Branch (Justin Timberlake) have a family? In this, the third film in the series, we get the answer and it’s an emphatic yes – he’s got a whole gang of brothers (voiced by Eric André, Daveed Diggs, Kid Cudi and Troye Sivan). And what’s more, he and his brothers used to sing in a boy band together called Bro Zone. But when the brothers start getting captured by evil, talentless hacks (Amy Schumer and Andrew Rannells), it’s up to Branch and the gang to rescue them. “Trolls Band Together” amplifies earlier installments’ arts-and-crafts aesthetic to an almost absurd degree (our favorite is Vacation Island, a Yacht Rock-inspired land where everything is made of pool floaties) while upping the familial dynamics that have always been a key part of the series’ appeal. With gentle sweeps of surrealism and an honest-to-God *NSYNC reunion, “Trolls Band Together” is a joyful romp that the whole family can get behind. – Drew Taylor
Max – March 15
Who among us hasn’t dreamt of Nicolas Cage? That is the question at the heart of A24’s “Dream Scenario,” a darkly comedic drama about a mild-mannered college professor (Cage) who starts showing up in the dreams of strangers. But what starts out innocently enough (an ad agency contacts him about selling Sprite), the phenomenon soon turns quite sinister. Writer/director Kristoffer Borgli, working with producer Ari Aster (“Hereditary,” “Beau is Afraid”), incorporates a number of big ideas about cancel culture and the meme-ification of modern society, into a unique, propulsive film that features one of Cage’s all-time best performances. Leave it to a man both as fearless and as self-aware as Cage to give the character depth, complexity and tenderness. The final moments of the film are among last year’s most heartbreaking – and most unforgettable. – Drew Taylor
Disney+ – March 15
Are you ready for it? The highest-grossing concert film of all time finally comes to streaming as “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” finds its home on Disney+. As is usually the case with bespoke TS releases, the streaming version of the concert film includes extra goodies: The performance of “Cardigan” which was not in the theatrical or digital release, but four additional songs that weren’t featured in those releases either. What they are is a secret for now but fingers crossed for “Exile.” In the meantime, whether you’re reliving the live experience or checking out “The Eras Tour” for the first time, it’s no understatement to say this is a historical event. – Adam Chitwood
Netflix – March 15
Did somebody order a St. Patrick’s Day-themed romantic comedy starring Lindsey Lohan? That would be Netflix’s “Irish Wish,” which follows a woman who begrudgingly agrees to be the bridesmaid while her best friend marries the man she loves. But at the destination wedding in Ireland, a wish for true love finds Lohan’s character waking up as the bride-to-be. Ed Speelers and Alexander Vlahos co-star in this love triangle rom-com with an Irish twist. – Adam Chitwood
Prime Video – March 21
Who knew that a glossy “Road House” remake would be this controversial? The new movie, which sees Jake Gyllenhaal fill in for Patrick Swayze as a former UFC fighter turned “cooler” at a dingy roadside bar in Florida, has besieged by scandal – between producer Joel Silver getting removed from the project, to director Doug Liman publicly distancing himself from the movie as a protest for Amazon’s lack of theatrical exhibition, to a recent lawsuit claiming that the movie utilized AI voice reproduction during the writers’ strike as a way of skirting copyright expiration. Honestly, none of this really matters, considering how cool the first trailer was, how tantalizing the supporting cast is (including Jessica Williams, Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen and Conor McGregor) and how well-regarded the original movie has become over the years. We cannot wait to visit “Road House,” controversy be damned. – Drew Taylor
Netflix – March 22
Powerhouse Regina King stars as political icon Shirley Chisholm in this Netflix biopic, aptly named “Shirley.” The film chronicles the story of the first Black woman elected to Congress and her trailblazing 1972 presidential campaign. Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave” co-writer John Ridley wrote and directed the film, which also stars Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, Christina Jackson, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Terrence Howard. – Adam Chitwood
Hulu – March 22
The Oscar-nominated French legal drama “Anatomy of a Fall” comes to Hulu this month, and it’s a great chance to catch up on one of the most talked-about films of 2023. Sandra Hüller stars as a writer who is questioned after the death of her husband, who either fell or was pushed from the window of their house. Personal details come to light through the course of the trial, and their visually impaired son (and his adorable guide dog) is caught in the middle. Is she guilty or innocent? That’s certainly the question on everyone’s mind through the course of the film, but what makes co-writer/director Justine Triet’s film so engrossing is what it says about our obligation to the truth in relationships. It’s nominated for five Oscars including Best Actress and Best Picture. – Adam Chitwood
Hulu – March 25
First thing’s first: Elizabeth Banks’ 2019 update of “Charlie’s Angels” isn’t as stylish as the Cameron Diaz/Drew Barrymore/Lucy Liu original. But if you’re curious, it’s well worth a watch — largely for Kristen Stewart’s flirtatious and extremely funny performance as one third of the spy trio. It’s pretty fun! Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska, Noah Centineo and Patrick Stewart also star. – Adam Chitwood
Netflix – March 31
When Quentin Tarantino was filming “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” his code name for it was “Magnum Opus.” And while the scope and sprawl of that alternate history yarn is impressive, it’s hard not to think of “Kill Bill,” the two-part extravaganza, as being his true epic. Uma Thurman, who had collaborated with Tarantino on “Pulp Fiction,” plays The Bride, an assassin left for dead by her double-crossing partners in the Deadly Viper assassination squad. When she comes to she goes on a roaring rampage of revenge, tracking down each of her former colleagues until she goes for the man who had brought them all together – Bill (David Carradine). The first film is pure fun, as the Bride travels to Japan to track down an old foe. Tarantino stages one of the greatest fight scenes of all time – the assault on the House of Blue Leaves – and also throws in flourishes like a gnarly assault in a suburban home and a blood-soaked anime interlude. The second film is the “western” to the first film’s “eastern,” as she tracks down several of her old teammates, gets buried alive and finally has a face-to-face with Bill. Two falters somewhat on some of the big moments, but it’s also a hugely satisfying and features some of the best performances of Thurman and Carradine’s careers, respectfully. Order a pizza. Grab a six pack (of Coke or beer). And have the time of your life watching these two bruisers back-to-back. Talk about a magnum opus. – Drew Taylor
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