Must-see movies in March
There’s a touch of March madness in the air with a bumper selection of exciting new movies releasing in Australian cinemas this month. Popcorn Podcast has the 13 films that should be at the top of your cinema scorecard.
Michael Ward and Olivia Colman play co-workers who forge a surprising connection in Empire Of Light
Empire of Light (March 2)
A moving ode to the healing power of music, cinema and connection, Empire Of Light is written and directed by Sam Mendes (1917) and stars the incomparable Olivia Colman (The Son, The Mitchells vs The Machines) alongside Michael Ward (Beauty), Colin Firth (Mothering Sunday) and Toby Jones (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny).
Listen to Popcorn Podcast’s Empire Of Light movie review
Adonis Creed (Michael B Jordan) comes out of retirement for one last epic match
Creed III (March 2)
Michael B Jordan’s directorial debut takes its predecessors to the mat with a familiar story of revenge and redemption set in and around the boxing ring. Creed III promises to both honour the original Rocky franchise it’s based on and take the format to new heights with Jordan punching his weight behind the camera. Jordan returns as Adonis Creed, with Tessa Thompson as his wife, Bianca, and Jonathan Majors (Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania) as Creed’s formidable and bitter opponent, Damian ‘Diamond Dame’ Anderson.
Ghostface returns!
Scream VI (March 9)
Following the ‘requel’ (reboot/sequel) success of Scream last year, filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett were quick to jump onboard another instalment in the slasher franchise. This time, Ghostface has followed the survivors of the last Woodsboro massacre (including a returning Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courteney Cox, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding) to New York City, where the Big Apple provides a busy backdrop for more murder and mayhem.
Listen to Popcorn Podcast’s NO SPOILER Scream VI review
It’s Earth, but not as he knows it. Adam Driver stars in 65
65 (March 9)
From the writers of A Quiet Place (Scott Beck and Bryan Woods) comes this sci-fi adventure starring Adam Driver as an astronaut stranded on a mysterious planet. He soon discovers he’s on Earth, but there’s a twist – it’s 65 million years in the past – so Mills (Driver) and his charge Koa (Ariana Greenblatt) must make their way across a terrain populated by dangerous prehistoric creatures if they have any hope of surviving.
Danielle Deadwyler is a mother seeking justice in Till
Till (March 9)
Based on the true story of the brutal lynching and murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall) in 1955, this powerful biographical drama follows the quest of his mother (Danielle Deadwyler) to expose the racism behind the attack while working to have those involved brought to justice.
The blatant absence of Oscar nominations for director Chinonye Chukwu, Deadwyler and the film in general is glaring, as Till deserves to be seen.
Andrea Riseborough turns in a stellar performance in To Leslie
To Leslie (March 9)
Andrea Riseborough is a single mother struggling to rebuild her life after winning the lottery and frittering it all away in To Leslie. Controversy about campaign tactics swirled around this drama, co-starring Allison Janney, Marc Maron and Owen Teague, when Riseborough was nominated in the Best Actress category at this year’s Oscars, but an investigation found no wrongdoing. Discover whether the nod is deserved.
Woody Harrelson leads a talented cast in Champions
Champions (March 9)
Bobby Farrelly’s (There’s Something About Mary) remake of Spanish film Campeones stars Woody Harrelson as a disgraced basketball coach ordered to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. The heartwarming story features Kevin Iannucci, Joshua Felder, Madison Tevlin and James Day Keith as members of ‘The Friends’ team, who prove teamwork can take them further than their doubting coach could have imagined.
Watch Popcorn Podcast’s interview with the stars of Champions on YouTube now
Bill Nighy’s performance in Living will stay with you
Living (March 16)
Cementing his status as one of the most talented actors to ever come out of Britain, Bill Nighy turns in an Oscar-nominated performance as a humourless civil servant who busts out of his monotonous 1950s routine to make the most of life following a grim diagnosis. The film is a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Japanese film Ikiru from 1952.
The band is back together in Shazam! Fury Of The Gods
Shazam! Fury Of The Gods (March 16)
Shazam! Billy Batson (Asher Angel/Zachary Levi) returns for another adventure, but he’s going to need some help from his superhero pals as he faces off against a vengeful trio of ancient gods (Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler) searching for the magic that was taken from them long ago. There’s a lot riding on this DC flick as it heralds the first release since James Gunn and Peter Safran were appointed to completely overhaul DC’s extended universe.
Listen to Popcorn Podcast’s NO SPOILER Shazam: Fury Of The Gods review
It’s a new chapter, but John Wick (Keanu Reeves) still means business
John Wick: Chapter 4 (March 23)
With a plan to defeat The High Table and secure his freedom, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) finds himself battling a new enemy with far-reaching alliances and resources that forces friends to become foes. Expect plenty of the high-octane fight sequences this incredibly popular film franchise has become synonymous with.
Hattie Hook, Thom Green and Elias Anton in Of An Age
Of An Age (March 23)
An unexpected and intense romance develops between Serbian-born Australian ballroom dancer Kol (Elias Anton) and his friend’s older brother Adam (Thom Green) in Of An Age. This Aussie drama, the second feature from writer and director Goran Stolevski (You Won’t Be Alone), evokes memories of Call Me By Your Name in its similar take on the transformative power of an important, but brief connection.
Sam Neill and Patrick Gibson in fantasy adventure The Portable Door
The Portable Door (March 23)
In another entertaining Australian-made film, a series of unfortunate coincidences leads Paul Carpenter (Patrick Gibson) to an intern role at a mysterious London firm, led by a CEO (Christoph Waltz) looking to disrupt the ancient magical world with modern corporate practices. This fantasy adventure, adapted from Tom Holt’s 2003 novel of the same, also stars Sam Neill, Miranda Otto and Rachel House.
“You can certainly try…” Dungeons and Dragons is honour-bound to meet an entire fandom’s expectations
Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (March 30)
Based on one of the most popular role-playing games in history, Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves brings the lore to life through a charming thief (Chris Pine) and a mismatched band of adventurers (Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith and Sophia Lillis) on a quest to recover a relic and save the realm. Honour Among Thieves will have its worldwide debut at South By Southwest Film Festival in early March, before a worldwide theatrical release.
