March is looking to be a great month for movies! Awards season is done, but it’s time to look out for some great stuff in what is a more calm time of year for movies. Whether you are looking to catch up on some Sundance documentary favorites (Apollo 11, The Inventor), a pre-summer tent pole (Captain Marvel, Us) or some star-studded Netflix thrills (Triple Frontier, The Highwaymen) there’s really something for everything this month. Welcome to our March 2019 movie preview, where we let you know about the noteworthy releases of the month and follow them up with 5 top picks. Hope to see you at the movies!
Noteworthy Releases
Leaving Neverland – March 3rd (HBO)
At the height of his stardom Michael Jackson began long-running relationships with two boys, aged 7 and 10, and their families. Now in their 30s, they tell their story and how they came to terms with it years later. (IMDB)
Directed by Dan Reed.
Featuring Wade Robson, Jimmy Safechuck and archival footage of Michael Jackson.
Triple Frontier – March 6th (Toronto), March 13th (Netflix)
Five former Special Forces operatives reunite to plan a heist in a sparsely populated multi-border zone of South America. For the first time in their prestigious careers these unsung heroes undertake this dangerous mission for self instead of country. But when events take an unexpected turn and threaten to spiral out of control, their skills, their loyalties and their morals are pushed to a breaking point in an epic battle for survival. (IMDB)
Directed by J.C. Chandor. Written by Chandor and Mark Boal.
Starring Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam, Pedro Pascal and Oscar Isaac.
Captain Marvel – March 8th (Theatrical)
Carol Danvers becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. (IMDB)
Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Written by Boden, Fleck and Geneva Robertson-Dworet.
Starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Annette Bening, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Lee Pace, Gemma Chan, McKenna Grace, Djimon Honsou and Clark Gregg.
I Am Richard Pryor – March 15th (Paramount Network)
I Am Richard Pryor tells the story of the legendary performer and iconic social satirist, who transcended race and social barriers by delivering his honest irreverent and biting humor to America’s stages and living rooms until his death at 65. Featuring an iconic comedic cast, historians, activists and artists who provide a unique brushstroke into the complex world of Pryor. (SXSW Film Festival)
Directed by Jesse James Miller.
Featuring Tiffany Haddish, Lily Tomlin, Howie Mandel, Sarah Bernhard, Mike Epps and archival footage of Richard Pryor.
The Mustang – March 15th (Theatrical)
MUSTANG tells the story of Roman Coleman, a violent convict, who is given the chance to participate in a rehabilitation therapy program involving the training of wild mustangs. (IMDB)
Directed by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre. Written by Clermont-Tonnerre, Brock Norman Brock and Mona Fastvold.
Starring Matthias Schoenaerts, Connie Britton, Bruce Dern and Jason Mitchell.
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley – March 18th (HBO)
The story of Theranos, a multi-billion dollar tech company, its founder Elizabeth Holmes, the youngest self-made female billionaire, and the massive fraud that collapsed the company. (IMDB)
Directed by Alex Gibney.
Featuring Elizabeth Holmes, Tyler Shultz and Robert Parloff.
Giant Little Ones – March 22nd (Theatrical)
Two popular teen boys, best friends since childhood, discover their lives, families, and girlfriends dramatically upended after an unexpected incident occurs on the night of a 17th birthday party. (IMDB)
Written & directed by Keith Behrman.
Starring Kyle MacLachlan and Maria Bello.
Hotel Mumbai – March 29th (Theatrical)
The true story of the Taj Hotel terrorist attack in Mumbai. Hotel staff risk their lives to keep everyone safe as people make unthinkable sacrifices to protect themselves and their families. (IMDB)
Directed by Anthony Maras. Written by Maras and John Collee.
Starring Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Anupam Kher and Jason Isaacs.
The Highwaymen – March 29th (Netflix)
A pair of police officers come out of retirement to catch the infamous outlaws Bonnie & Clyde. (IMDB)
Directed by John Lee Hancock. Written by John Fusco.
Starring Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson, Kim Dickens, John Carroll Lynch, W. Earl Brown and Thomas Mann.
Dan’s Top Five Picks of the Month
5. Climax – March 1st (Theatrical)
French dancers gather in a remote, empty school building to rehearse on a wintry night. The all-night celebration morphs into a hallucinatory nightmare when they learn their sangria is laced with LSD. (IMDB)
Written & directed by Gaspar Noé.
Starring Sofia Boutella.
Why You Should See It: A24’s first foray into foreign language cinema is this festival favourite that has been shocking and captivating audiences internationally, and if you want to open yourself up to a trippy, surreal and visually stunning film that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, this is one to keep on your radar.
4. Greta – March 1st (Theatrical)
A young woman befriends a lonely widow who’s harboring a dark and deadly agenda towards her. (IMDB)
Directed by Neil Jordan. Written by Jordan and Ray Wright.
Starring Isabelle Huppert, Chloë Grace Moretz and Maika Monroe.
Why You Should See It: One that certainly has and will divide audiences, one of our favourites of this past TIFF is a wild, campy ride that is hard to get with. However, if you’re down for something silly and go into this one with the perception that it is satire, you will be rewarded with one of the best schlock-horrors of recent memory.
3. Apollo 11 – March 1st (Theatrical)
A look at the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon led by commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin. (IMDB)
Directed by Todd Douglas Miller.
Featuring archival footage of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.
Why You Should See It: This Sundance favorite is being released exclusively in IMAX for one week only, and from the buzz that exists at the moment, this is definitely one you won’t want to miss in the format. A structured compilation of remastered, never seen footage of the Apollo 11 mission will immerse you into the story of Aldrin and Armstrong more than ever before.
2. Us – March 22nd (Theatrical)
A family’s serenity turns to chaos when a group of doppelgangers begin to terrorize them. (IMDB)
Written & directed by Jordan Peele.
Starring Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker.
Why You Should See It: Is there much that needs to be said? In what is going to be a surefire box office hit, Jordan Peele returns post best picture nomination (Get Out) with another social horror that is sure to blow your mind. Never mind having one of the best trailers I’ve ever seen. Stay tuned for our SXSW coverage for a review of this one, which has garnered the festival’s coveted opening night gala (which has been held by films like A Quiet Place, Everybody Wants Some, Chef and Cabin in the Woods in previous years).
1. Gloria Bell – March 22nd (Theatrical)
A free-spirited woman in her 50s seeks out love at L.A. dance clubs. (IMDB)
Written & directed by Sebastián Lelio.
Starring Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Michael Cera, Alanna Ubach, Jeanne Triplehorn, Sean Astin, Brad Garrett, Holland Taylor and Rita Wilson.
Why You Should See It: A film that can totally figure in to my favorites of the year, Gloria Bell is an absolute delight. Featuring one of the driest senses of humor in a romantic comedy seen in recent memory, this is choke-on-your-popcorn funny and is going to be some of the most fun you’ll have at the cinema in ages, guaranteed!
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