New movies to watch in March

Among all the new movies to watch in March, for Montrealers this month’s must-see film is Scream VI (March 10). Shot in Montreal and starring Jenna Ortega (of Wednesday fame), Scream VI follows four survivors of the Ghostface murders who leave Woodsboro behind for a fresh start in New York City. However, they soon find themselves fighting for their lives when a new killer embarks on a bloody rampage. The trailer already had some hints of Montreal. How many will you be able to spot in the full feature film? 

Marvel takes a backseat to DC in March as the much-anticipated sequel to Shazam! hits the big screen. Shazam! Fury of the Gods (March 17) reunites most of the old cast (including primaries Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer), with a few new surprises. The sequel had a much bigger budget than the previous film, so this movie will likely be more spectacular — hopefully without sacrificing the playful tone that made the first film so successful.

With so many franchise films out, March promises at least one original blockbuster-style film. 65 (March 17) is a sci-fi action thriller starring Adam Driver. After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills quickly discovers he is stranded on Earth — 65 million years ago. With one chance at rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures in an epic fight to survive.

For something on the opposite end of the originality spectrum, Chris Pine stars in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (March 31). A group of thieves travel to a realm to stop a great evil from enslaving the world. Inspired by D&D, the trailer hints at post-Buffy Joss Whedon-level banter, which may or may not be your thing. The film co-stars Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Regé-Jean Page and Hugh Grant.

If you’re a cinephile looking for some feel-good cinema, look no further than Chandler Levack’s crowd pleaser I Like Movies (March 10). A coming-of-age dramedy, the film follows an awkward high school student, Lawrence Kweller (Isaiah Lehtinen), who wants to be a filmmaker and gets his first job at a video store. He develops a complicated relationship with his older female manager and has to reckon with some difficult aspects of his past. 

With the Oscars happening this month (March 12), we’re in the final stretch to catch up with the big Oscar contenders. The Quiet Girl (March 3) is nominated in the Best International Feature Category and is set in rural Ireland circa 1981. It’s the story of a neglected girl who’s sent away from her dysfunctional family to live with foster parents for the summer, and as she starts to blossom, she discovers a secret. 

Two critically acclaimed films from the festival circuit hit theatres this month. Return to Seoul (March 3) is about a 25-year-old French woman going back to her birthplace, South Korea, for the first time. She decides to look for her biological parents, but her journey takes a surprising turn.The dreamy Icelandic film Godland (March 24), inspired by a set of photographs, involves a young 19th century Danish priest who begins to lose touch with reality and his moral duty as he travels deeper into a remote part of Iceland.

For something lighthearted, the increasingly essential Quentin Dupieux (aka Mr. Oizo) returns with another absurd comedy: Smoking Causes Coughing (March 31). The director of Rubber and Deerskin brings to the screen another wild proposition: A group of vigilantes called the “tobacco forces” is falling apart; to rebuild team spirit, their leader suggests that they meet for a week-long retreat before returning to save the world.

One sign that winter is on the way out is that Cinéma du Parc is returning with a new Parc at Midnight program. Starting the weekend of March 3, this month’s line-up includes Blue Velvet, Millennium Mambo, Extra Ordinary, The Beyond and Down by Law. ■

This article was originally published in the March 2023 issue of Cult MTL. Check Montreal cinema showtimes here.

---

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