New movies to watch in March

It seemed inconceivable for months on end, but there’s no two ways about it: theatres have reopened. Having been closed or in a state of perpetual limbo for nearly a year, it goes without saying that the current offer is a little scattershot. It consists of films whose theatrical releases were cut short the last time theatres were open, popular titles that have nevertheless been available on VOD for some time (such as Promising Young Woman) and a smattering of new releases. Suffice to say that, although I doubt that theatres will be closing again in the upcoming month, it will be hard to gauge exactly what’s coming out and when. That said, here’s our list of new movies to watch in March:

It’s been no less than 33 years since Coming to America, the cult classic comedy starring Eddie Murphy, was first released. Murphy reteams with Dolemite Is My Name helmer Craig Brewer for the sequel, Coming 2 America. The sequel, which is hitting Amazon Prime Video on March 5, finds Prince Akeem (Murphy) discovering he has an illegitimate son (Jermaine Fowler) in America on the eve of being crowned king of Zamunda. Moxie is Amy Poelher’s second directorial effort after the ensemble comedy Wine Country; Poelher takes a supporting role as the protagonist’s mother in this riot-grrl adjacent comedy about a teenager who takes inspiration from her mother’s activist past to start a zine that shakes up her high school; it hits Netflix on March 3.

Tom Holland attempts to shake off the Spider-Man image with Cherry (March 12 on Apple TV+), a crime drama from the Russo Brothers in which he plays an Army vet who is forced to rob pharmacies in order to feed his opioid addiction. Early reviews contain much praise for Holland but less for the film, a derivative ’90s-style crime drama. Nicholas Jarecki’s Crisis is interested in similar thematic concerns. Partially shot in Montreal, it tells the stories of several people involved with opioids. Gary Oldman, Armie Hammer, Evangeline Lilly and Greg Kinnear star in the film, which is hitting VOD on March 16.

Andra Day is earning many plaudits (including a Golden Globe) for her performance as Billie Holiday in Lee Daniels’ The United States vs. Billie Holiday. The film (coincidentally also shot in Montreal), which details the government’s weaponizing of Holiday as an agent of the war on drugs, is being less favourably reviewed. Most describe it as a safe and bog-standard music biopic. Anthony Hopkins is also being bandied about as an Oscar hopeful for his performance in Florian Zeller’s The Father (on VOD March 26). Hopkins plays an octogenarian who struggles with his age as his daughter (Olivia Colman) moves back in with him.

Postponed, then accidentally leaked by Amazon before being sold off to Netflix (who are finally releasing on March 26), Bad Trip is a hybrid prank comedy starring Eric André and Lil Rel Howery as two friends on a road trip. The film — which is analogous to the Jackass film Bad Grandpa in that it strings together hidden camera pranks with a story — was rather well reviewed on its festival run, with many comparing it favourably to the anarchic spirit of André’s talk show. Edgar Ramirez and Jennifer Garner star in Yes Day (March 12 on Netflix), a family comedy in which a family decides to spend a whole day saying yes to everything. It basically sounds like Yes Man meets Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (which coincidentally also starred Garner).

Philippe Falardeau’s My Salinger Year was meant to be released a few times after the last lockdown. It finally hits theatres on March 5. In it, Margaret Qualley stars as a young woman who lands a job working for the editor that handles the affairs of the enigmatic J.D. Salinger; Sigourney Weaver and Colm Feore co-star. My Salinger Year was shot in Montreal, just like Matthew Bissonnette’s Death of a Ladies Man (March 19 at Cinéma du Parc), a drama loosely based on the songs of Leonard Cohen. Gabriel Byrne plays an ageing college professor and lothario facing the twilight of his life; Jessica Paré and Brian Gleeson co-star.

March 5 also sees the release of Martin Eden, Pietro Marcello’s adaptation of Jack London’s novel of the same name. Luca Marinelli took home the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his portrayal of the titular Eden, a destitute young proletarian who dreams of becoming a writer. On March 12 you can catch Philippe Lacôte’s Abidjian-set prison drama La nuit des rois as well as Stray, a documentary following stray dogs in Istanbul. ■

This article was originally published in the March issue of Cult MTL.

---

For more film coverage, please visit the Film & TV section.