Need something new to watch? If you’re a Max subscriber and a movie fan, you’re in luck, because the streamer is welcoming several standout titles in March, from must-watch A24 movies to old favorites and movie musicals.
You can check out all the new shows and movies on Max this month in our complete list, but if you’re looking for something a little more hand-selected, we’ve got you covered. Highlights include the streaming debut of Timothée Chalamet’s “Wonka,” Josh and Benny Safdie’s masterfully anxious Robert Pattinson crime thriller “Good Time” and the underrated monster mash “Kong: Skull Island.”
Here are our curated picks for the best new movies on Max in March.
“Good Time”
Available: March 1
Max is now the streaming home of A24, which means you can count on a steady flow of the innovative, filmmaker-driven movies that have become the indie darling’s calling card. “Good Time” sits among the best of the best. From filmmaking duo Josh and Benny Safdie, the crime thriller stars a mesmerizing Robert Pattinson as Connie, a bank robber and chaotic powerhouse of rampant wilfulness who will use any means necessary to get his younger brother out of prison after a heist gone wrong. It’s electric, nerve-shredding delirium from start to finish, the all-too-rare movie that really sticks the landing and easily some of Pattinson’s finest work.
“Kong: Skull Island”
Available: March 1
If you want to get caught up with the Monster-Verse before “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” drops at the end of the month, now’s your chance. And naturally, the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned Max has that covered — at least the movies (If you want to watch the spinoff series “Monarch” as well, you’re going to need an AppleTV+ login). Though not the most critically acclaimed franchise, the Monster-Verse is a treat for enthusiasts of old-fashioned creature features who want to see monster mashes splash across the big screen with a proper studio budget — and perhaps none is more monster-filled than the criminally underrated “Kong: Skull Island.” Several other monster movies are also arriving on Max this month, including “King Kong” (1933), “Son of Kong” (1933), “Godzilla” (2014) and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019).
“The Green Knight”
Available: March 1
Another A24 gem, David Lowery’s “The Green Knight” is enigmatic and uncanny, adapted from the Arthurian legend of Gawain with both reverence for the source material and reinvention of what it’s ultimately all about. It’s more than a bit heady and sometimes achingly ambiguous, but Dev Patel’s commanding lead performance anchors Lowery’s wildest inventions and narrative detours. Lowery is one of those genre-fluid filmmakers you just can’t pin down and he sets his tale of rot and impermanence amidst a thicket of unforgettable imagery. It’s rich, dense stuff and, in keeping, not for everyone, but a decadent treat for those that like its flavor.
“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”
Available: March 1
One of the most enduring and original rom-coms of the early 2000s, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” hits such a precise sweet spot between the swooning ooey-gooey sweetness of a great romance and the heartfelt but raunch-fueled laughs that defined the era in Judd Apatow-produced comedy. Jason Segel stars and wrote the script, which follows creatively unfulfilled musician Peter (Segel) to Hawaii, where he jet sets to run away from a broken heart after a brutal breakup — only to run straight into his ex-girlfriend and her new rock star beau. Segel and Mila Kunis have phenomenal chemistry, both as romantic and comedic co-leads, and Segel’s script holds up as a real winner — and if you ever doubt that, I encourage you to revisit the “Dracula’s Lament” scene.
“Sinister”
Available: March 1
If you’re looking for a truly nightmarish horror movie that will churn your stomach, make your palms sweat and actually get your pulse pounding, Scott Derrickson’s “Sinister” is the scientifically proven titan of scaring the s–t out of you. An early Blumhouse hit that helped prove their low-cost, high-creative-freedom model, “Sinister” stars Ethan Hawke as a true crime writer who moves his unsuspecting family into a murder house. Naturally, he finds a box full of Super 8 snuff films in the attic that leads him down a paranormal rabbit hole. Nightmares ensue.
The Scariest Horror Movies on Netflix
“Wonka”
Available: March 8
Max’s splashy new streaming release of the month, “Wonka” is finally available to watch from home. Timothée Chalamet stars as the title candymaker in this charming, bright-spirited musical (yes, it’s a musical) comedy. “Paddington” and “Paddington 2” director Paul King brings his signature charm and sense of joy, so don’t expect any of the hints of darkness found in Gene Wilder’s iconic spin as the beloved Roald Dahl character. But the film is as sweet as a magical chocolatier’s concoction, with a supporting cast that includes Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant, Rowan Atkinson and Keegan-Michael Key, alongside newcomer Calah Lane.
“A Star Is Born”
Available: March 8
Say what you want about Bradley Cooper’s Oscar campaigns, he obviously has a passion for exploring the intersection of cinema, music and performance. And he really knocked that out of the park with his debut feature “A Star Is Born.” Another remake of the iconic and tragic tale of two lovers who connect on stage and fall apart in the spotlight, Cooper’s version boasts the brilliant casting of Lady Gaga, who shreds it up as the up-and-coming pop prodigy Ally to Cooper’s downward spiraling country superstar Jackson Maine. Their chemistry is, at this point, almost infamously electric and the film’s first act is some of the closest a movie’s ever felt like swooning in real-time.
