After our short month of February, March in North America is a volatile month that, on the East Coast, flirts ambitiously with spring. It’s a transitional season, bringing back memories of winter and making us want warmth. This month’s Hulu premieres highlight the breadth of expectation, reminding us that the darkness is ultimately balanced by the sunlight and that significant journeys take time.
Devil In A Blue Dress
Available: March 1
Director: Carl Franklin
Writer: Carl Franklin
Cast: Denzel Washington, Tony Sizemore, Jennifer Beals, Don Cheadle
Devil In A Blue Dress is an intriguing and thought-provoking late-eighties mystery noir that holds up today because of its well-thought-out, fast-paced narrative. Denzel Washington plays the protagonist, a guy hired to discover a missing woman who becomes embroiled in a political scandal with lots of manipulating and murders. The film’s overall great performances anchor it in its who-did-it-and-will-do-it-again plot, keeping you wondering and captivated until the end (Jennifer Beals is also a stand-out, as the missing lady).
Blue Velvet
Available: March 1
Director: David Lynch
Writer: David Lynch
Cast: Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern, Kyle MacLachlan
Blue Velvet is one of the most recognizable films by renowned filmmaker David Lynch, with an impressively complex narrative that is inventive in every manner. Beginning with the finding of a severed ear, the plot evolves into a probe into the kidnapping of a nightclub singer’s daughter. There isn’t just one kidnapper, but a gang of terrible characters that have kidnapped her child, making the inquiry more sadistic and mentally addictive to unravel. As the vocalist, Rossellini is both sexual and tremulous. You pity her as a mother while also wondering if she is who she claims to be.
Drinking Buddies
Available: March 1
Director: Joe Swanberg
Writers: Joe Swanberg
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Olivia Wilde, Jack Johnson, Ron Livingston
When Kate and Luke are together, Drinking Buddies achieves something good and unique with the friends-secretly-in-love-with-one-another cliche by anchoring their relationship in strong notions of personality and true chemistry. When Kate and Luke’s significant others join in and go on a trip, things naturally become more complex. The film is amusing, but be prepared for genuine grief, not only the type that occurs when you fall in love with someone and it doesn’t work out but also the kind that philosophizes about loneliness and connection more broadly.
L.A. Confidential
Available: March 1
Director: Curtis Hanson
Writers: James Ellroy, Brain Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
Cast: Danny DeVito, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, Russell Crowe
The atmosphere of this classic thriller set in 1950s Los Angeles is gritty with a dash of beauty. The film covers the investigation of a series of killings by three police officers, each having a distinct personality and attitude to their duties as law enforcers. The cops find riddle after mystery, sending them down a rabbit hole of a case while distrusting one another and making a wider message on law enforcement’s precarious nature. The story is elevated by outstanding performances.
The Descendants
Available: March 1
Director: Alexander Payne
Writers: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, Alexander Payne
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, George Clooney
The Descendants is a lovely film that understands sentimentality and respects its vibe without becoming saccharine. The plot is simple enough: after the protagonist’s wife has an accident, he must figure out, for the first time, how to relate to his daughters and take the lead in emotionally supporting his family’s future. The film is also about friendship, with the soul connection between Woodley and Krause’s characters demonstrating that trust can be rediscovered.
Shanghai Noon
Available: March 1
Director: Tom Dey
Writers: Miles Millar, Alfred Gough
Cast: Owen Wilson, Lucy Liu, Brandon Merrill, Jackie Chan
Shanghai Noon is an action-comedy that combines humor and adventure as it follows a Chinese guy who travels to the Wild West to save a Princess who has been kidnapped. When a railway thief joins them, the story thickens as the two go for two new villains: a Chinese traitor and his equally swindling boss. Lucy Liu is bold as the Princess, the film’s low-key heroine, defying damsel-in-distress stereotypes. The performers work effectively together, creating an atmosphere that maintains a sense of levity while realistically grappling with issues of safety, competitiveness, honesty, and what success entails.
Monsters and Men
Available: March 28
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Writers: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Cast: Chanté Adams, Jasmine Cephas Jones, John David Washington, Anthony Ramos
Monsters and Men is a crime thriller that depicts what occurs when a Black guy is slain by the police. Through the eyes of the individual who videotaped the death, an African-American police officer, and a high school baseball star, the film investigates the aftermath. Excellent performances add to the story’s weight and emotionality, making it feel timely even though it was published in 2018. “Are monsters men, or are men monsters?” may almost be construed as the title of the film.
