March marks an interesting month at the movies. Hollywood is still waiting for the Academy to award Best Picture at the 2026 Oscars. In terms of major releases, the biggest movie hitting theaters is Project Hail Mary, the Ryan Gosling space adventure based on Andy Weir’s popular novel. Other than that, March is a fairly quiet month for new movies.
In years past, March has been the home of several box office juggernauts and award winners. We highlighted some memorable movies celebrating anniversaries this month and their streaming details. Some of our selections include a terrific crime thriller and a mind-blowing mystery.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (March 25, 2016 – 10 years)
Do you bleed?
After years of watching Disney grow the MCU, Warner Bros. finally decided to create their own shared universe with the DCEU. After 2013’s Man of Steel, Zack Snyder brought Bruce Wayne into the fold for a battle between elite superheroes in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In Metropolis, Superman (Henry Cavill) is now a polarizing figure after destroying the city in his battle with General Zod. The majority of people don’t trust Superman, including Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), who has been protecting Gotham as Batman for two decades.
Fed up with Superman’s antics, Batman embarks on a mission to neutralize the metahuman, as he believes his actions will save humanity. At the center of this conflict is Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), the master manipulator with something to gain from a fight between Batman and Superman. On the positive, Affleck’s portrayal of a hardened Bruce Wayne is extremely effective. Outside a few action sequences, Dawn of Justice is a chaotic mess as it rushes the development of the Justice League and falls flat with the Doomsday reveal. Still, Dawn of Justice is an intriguing relic from when superhero movies embarked on their meteoric rise to the top of pop culture.
Limitless (March 18, 2011 – 15 years)
Bradley Cooper takes the magical pill
In my best Bill Simmons voice, “Number 16, Limitless.” While it might not be on your list of rewatchable movies from the 21st century, Limitless is an important action movie because it proved Bradley Cooper could carry a movie outside The Hangover franchise. Cooper plays Eddie Morra, an uninspired writer in the midst of a downward spiral. In need of a creative reset, Eddie tries a new drug called NZT-48. The nootropic dramatically increases Eddie’s cognitive functions, leading to massive improvements in his life.
Business mogul Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro) notices Eddie’s newfound abilities and recruits Eddie to help make him millions. However, Eddie begins to experience withdrawal and must battle NZT-48’s deadly side effects. Limitless isn’t perfect, but it’s a fun sci-fi thriller featuring a magnetic performance from Cooper. Many dinner parties can credit Limitless for sparking countless debates about NZT-48 and whether people would actually take it if it existed.
Limitless
Release Date
March 18, 2011
Runtime
105 minutes
Director
Neil Burger
Inside Man (March 24, 2006 – 20 years)
You can’t go wrong with Spike Lee and Denzel Washington
As far as tandems go, the partnership between Spike Lee and Denzel Washington is in the upper echelon. Before 2006, Lee and Washington collaborated three times: Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, and He Got Game. All three feature some of their best work as artists. The run of successful collaborations continued for Lee and Washington when they teamed up for 2006’s Inside Man, a New York City crime thriller revolving around a bank heist.
Detective Keith Frazier (Washington) must negotiate with a group of criminals who have taken over a Manhattan bank. Their brilliant leader is Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), who remains one step ahead of Frazier at all times. Inside Man’s best quality is its wit—intelligence, not violence, drives this clever bank heist. Inside Man is one of two feature films directed by Lee in which he didn’t write the script. Part of me wishes Lee became a director for hire because if he could make more movies like Inside Man, Hollywood would be a better place.
Inside Man
Release Date
March 24, 2006
Runtime
129 minutes
Director
Spike Lee
Memento (March 16, 2001 – 25 years)
Christopher Nolan messing with our minds—a tale as old as time
Christopher Nolan has been putting audiences in mental pretzels for nearly 30 years. Consider me one of those consumers who leaves Nolan movies with more questions than answers. I still love the man and will always return for more madness. Memento is the first time on a mainstream level where Nolan challenged the audience.
Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) suffers from anterograde amnesia. It’s not an ideal condition to have, especially when trying to solve his wife’s murder. In place of his memory, Leonard frequently uses notes, photographs, and tattoos to help him piece together the clues. If that wasn’t confusing enough, Nolan tells the story in two timelines: chronologically and in reverse order. Nolan’s a genius, so Memento’s climax, where everything clicks, hits like a brick to your face.
Memento
Release Date
October 11, 2000
Runtime
113 minutes
Director
Christopher Nolan
Fargo (March 8, 1996 – 30 years)
There’s more to life than a little money, you know
The Coen Brothers always manage to find the humor in the darkest of situations. It doesn’t get more bleak than a kidnapping scheme turned murder investigation. Desperate for money, Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) hires two criminals (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his own wife. Jerry believes that his wife’s wealthy father (Harve Presnell) will pay a hefty ransom, which he plans to collect and end his debt issues.
Like many ill-conceived schemes, all hell breaks loose—the thugs kill a state trooper and two pedestrians. This brings the kindhearted, pregnant police chief, Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), into the fold. The Coen Brothers’ script is equally funny and violent. McDormand, who won the Oscar for Best Actress, is a breath of fresh air, injecting humanity and a sense of decency into this desolate story.
Fargo
Release Date
March 8, 1996
Runtime
98 minutes
Director
Joel Coen
If you’re searching for more movies, check out Alan Ritchson’s War Machine on Netflix. If television shows are more your speed, give Guy Ritchie’s Young Sherlock on Prime Video a shot.
