It looks like the movie train is ready to roll during the month of March, and I couldn’t be happier about it. The list is both theatrical and online streaming – some films opting for both – so hopefully one of these will be up your alley. If not, Netflix plans to release movies every week this entire year, so I’m sure you can find something to enjoy.
First up: the Amy Poehler directed comedy-drama Moxie. Adapted from the book of the same name, the story follows a Texan teenage girl who, after being fed up with the sexist standards of her school, decides to anonymously pen a feminist zine, which sparks a new kind of revolution. Starring Hadley Robinson in the lead role, this one looks to cover heavy topics with Poehler’s ever-so-comical flare. This also isn’t her first time in the director’s chair, so I’m expecting this one to be fairly well received for its timely content. It releases to Netflix on March 3.
For the animation fans, Disney releases Raya and the Last Dragon. Heavily inspired by the cultures of southeast Asia, like Thailand and Vietnam, the film is set in the fictional land of Kumandra, where Raya, voiced by Kelly Marie Tran of the new Star Wars trilogy fame, must track down the elusive last dragon to save her land from destruction. The computer animation looks absolutely wonderful as always, and the action shown in the trailer should hopefully be a fun sight for all ages. Awkwafina voices Sisu, the story-centered final dragon, so expect a healthy dose of comedy injected into the story. It releases both theatrically and on Disney Plus on March 5.
Over at HBO Max, Zack Snyder is getting another chance to fix his tepidly received superhero blockbuster, Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Production on the 2017 version of this film was filled with issues – due in part to the tragic passing of Snyder’s daughter. This led him to (understandably) hand off the reins to an unprepared Joss Whedon, who mostly followed Warner Brothers’ misguided attempts at steering the film away from its original intent. This time around, Snyder has full control, adding effects, score, editing and newly shot footage to the tune of $70 million. Originally thought to be released as a four-part miniseries, HBO Max plans to roll it out as a single – likely very, very long – film on March 18. Count me in as extremely curious.
This last one is…odd. Titled The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, it stars Nicholas Cage as a cash-strapped version of himself who accepts a $1 million offer to appear at the birthday of a Mexican billionaire super fan, played by Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian). As of this writing, there isn’t a trailer out, but I imagine this will be an insanely self-aware parody of all things Nicholas Cage when the innocent birthday party plot inevitably hits the proverbial fan. It should be out on March 19.
