Wicked Little Letters and Damsel among March’s must-see movies
Lindsay Lohan finds love on the Emerald Isle, while Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley swear up a storm in flicks on a screen near you this month. James writes. Croot
Not only does March herald the arrival of Hollywood’s big movie night in the form of the Academy Awards ceremony, it’s also a fabulous month packed full of new titles for film lovers.
Those keen for an in-theatre experience can choose from the blockbuster delights of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (March 28), the horrors of Imaginary (March 7) and Immaculate (March 21), Spanish comedy Let The Dance Begin, family-friendly fun via Combat Wombat 2 (both March 7) and drama in the form of a biopic of 19th-century Catholic missionary Francesca Cabrini (Cabrini) and the Baftawinning, New Zealand International Film Festival returnee How To Have Sex (both March 7).
Meanwhile, on streaming services, Netflix’s lineup includes a biopic of the America’s first Black congresswoman (March 22’s
Shirley) and a remake of the 1953 French classic The Wages Of Fear (March 29), Disney+ debuts an extended version of hit concert movie Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (March 15), Prime Video boasts rom-com sequel Beautiful Wedding (March 8) and new rental titles include motor-racing drama Race For Glory: Audi vs Lancia (March 20), country music romance Just Jake (March 13) and TV series spin-off Mr Monk’s Last Case (March 8).
However, after looking through the schedules, Stuff To Watch has come up with 13 titles we’re most excited about that are coming to a screen near you over the next few weeks.
(March 29, Netflix)
Bill Nighy (Living) plays the manager of England’s homeless football team in this sports drama penned by Frank Cottrell Boyce (24 Hour Party People, Goodbye Christopher Robin).
Aiming to take home the top prize at the Homeless World Cup’s latest edition in Rome, he makes a last-minute decision to include talented striker Vinny (Empire Of Light’s Micheal Ward) in the squad, but is the young man ready to let go of his past and become part of the team?
(March 14, cinemas)
Lee Tamahori (Once Were Warriors) directs this 1830s New Zealand-set drama about a lay preacher whose violent past is drawn into question – and his faith put to the test – when he finds himself caught in the middle of a bloody war between Māori tribes.
The cast includes Guy Pearce, Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne (Whina, Cousins), Lawrence Makoare and Dean O’Gorman. Damsel (March 8, Netflix) Millie Bobby Brown, Angela Bassett, Ray Winstone and Robin Wright team up for this fantasy-adventure directed by 28 Weeks Later’s Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.
Brown plays the eponymous maiden, a young woman who agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to discover the royal family has recruited her as a sacrifice to repay an ancient debt. Thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon, she must rely on her wits and will to survive. Frida (March 14, Prime Video) Just when you thought you knew all there was to know about the Mexican artist, along comes this vibrant and vital portrait from Emmy-nominated editor-turned-director Carla Gutierrez (RBG).
Using Frida Kahlo’s own words, taken from letters, diaries, essays and interviews, as well as archival footage and animation inspired by her iconic painting style, Gutierrez details her triumphs and tragedies in sometimes raw and intimate detail.
(March 21, cinemas)
When the discovery of an ancient artefact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new (Paul Rudd, Mckenna Grace) and old (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd) must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.
Released 40 years after the original movie, this brings back William Atherton’s unctuous Environmental Protection Agency official Walter Peck.
(March 7, cinemas)
Michael Caine plays octogenarian Bernard Jordan in this true-life tale about a military veteran who, in 2014, liberated himself from his care home in order to attend the 70th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings in France.
Directed by Swimming with Men and Funny Woman’s Oliver Parker, the drama also features Glenda Jackson (Mothering Sunday, Elizabeth is Missing) in her final film role. “There’s a real emotional heft to the storytelling and Caine, at 90, is a knockout,” wrote The Observer’s Wendy Ide. Io Capitano (March 28, cinemas) Acclaimed Italian writer-director Matteo Garrone’s (Gomorrah, Dogman) latest drama tells the adventurous journey of young boys Seydou and Moussa, as they leave their home in Dakar – sights set on a new life in Europe.
“Garrone invites you into a story and demands your attention with visual clarity and narrative urgency,” wrote The New York Times’ Manohla Dargis, “yet his great strength here is the tenderness of his touch.”
Irish Wish (March 15, Netflix)
Lindsay Lohan returns to the spotlight with this Emerald Isle-set romantic-comedy. She plays Maddie, a woman who attempts to put her own feelings aside and be bridesmaid for her best friend, even though she is marrying the love of Maddie’s life. Look out for Jane Seymour (Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman) as Maddie’s mom Rosemary.
The Mountain (March 28, cinemas)
Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Thor: Ragnarok scene-stealer and Heartbreak High revival star Rachel House steps behind the camera for this Taranaki-set comingof-age dramedy about three children on a mission to find healing by climbing their local maunga.
Sam (Elizabeth Atkinson), Mallory (Reuben Francis) and Bronco (Terrence Daniel) together discover the true spirit of adventure and the magic of friendship.
Ricky Stanicky (March 7, Prime Video) Wicked Little Letters
(March 21, cinemas)
John Cena teams up with Zac Efron for this very adult comedy about three childhood best friends whose decades-long way of getting out of trouble – their imaginary pal Ricky Stanicky – has finally caught up with them.
With their spouses and partners demanding they finally meet the elusive “Ricky Stanicky”, the trio decide their only option is to hire celebrity impersonator “Rock Hard” Rod Rimestead.
However, when the alcoholic actor takes the role of his lifetime too far, they start to wonder if they’ve made a terrible choice. Road House (March 21, Prime Video) Jake Gyllenhaal headlines this “reimagining” of the Patrick Swayze-starring 1989 actiondrama. He plays an ex-UFC fighter trying to escape his dark past and a penchant for violence.
A change of scene – and fortunes – comes from an opportunity to be a bouncer at an establishment in the Florida Keys. However, a violent gang and a vicious crime boss mean “Dalton” ends up facing far bigger dangers than anything he encountered in the Octagon.
The cast also includes Irish pugilist Conor McGregor and The White Lotus’ Lukas Gage.
Spaceman (March 1, Netflix)
Adam Sandler takes a rare foray into more serious territory with this sci-fi drama about an astronaut, six months into his solo mission, whose concerns about the state of his life back on Earth are eased by an ancient creature (voiced by Paul Dano) that he discovers in the bowels of his ship.
Carey Mulligan, Isabella Rossellini and Lena Olin also feature.
“Offers up deep truths, terrific performances and an alien gob that truly transfixes,” wrote Total Film’s Leila Latif. Jessie Buckley stars opposite Olivia Colman in this based-on-fact dramedy about the residents of the English seaside town of Littlehampton, a village that became the focal point for a wave of scandalous and obscene notes in the 1920s.