Spring is in the air, and new movies aplenty are hitting streaming this month. March is chock-full of noteworthy films hitting the various streamers, and we’ve sorted through all the new releases to put together a curated list of the best new movies streaming on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max, Paramount+ and more.
And did we mention March is packed? Oscar nominees like “Hamnet,” “The Secret Agent,” “Sentimental Value” and “It Was Just an Accident” all make their streaming debuts this month, and for the families you’ll want to keep an eye out for the Disney+ premiere of “Zootopia 2.” And that’s not to mention the great library titles newly added to Netflix and other streamers too. Check out our list of what to watch below.
It Was Just an Accident
Hulu – March 1
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who faces arrest in his home country for his projects that criticize the government, secretly made “It Was Just an Accident” without permits and with an extremely small cast and crew. It went onto win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and is currently nominated for two Academy Awards – Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay. The movie, which oscillates between comedy and thriller, is unlike anything you’ve ever seen; it’s pointed and political while also incredibly accessible. It follows a group of citizens who kidnap and interrogate a man they believe to be their torturer from an Iranian prison years earlier. Your allegiance is constantly shifting, as the morality of the piece is constantly in flux. And it all leads to one of the most unforgettable final scenes in recent memory – it will haunt you long after you push stop or toggle over to YouTube or whatever it is you do after you finish a streaming movie.
The Secret Agent
Hulu – March 1
Kleber Mendonça Filho’s blistering political thriller is currently nominated for four Academy Awards – Best Picture, Best Actor for Wagner Moura’s performance as a professor embroiled in the Brazilian military dictatorship in the 1970’s, Best Casting and Best International Feature Film. And Moura might pull an upset in the category. He really is so good – transfixing, even – as a man scrambling to live, while the gears of political machinery constantly threaten to crush him under their oppressive weight. That’s about all you need to know about “The Secret Agent,” which is ostensibly a thriller but has so many delightful twists and turns, digressions and detours, that it’s hard to pin down just exactly what it is. Moura falls in with a lovable band of oddballs, spends a lot of time at a local movie theater during the summer of “Jaws” and engages with a local legend about a severed leg that hops around town – all while attempting to keep his “subversiveness” hidden. Thankfully there is no way to draw parallels behind a fascistic South American government of the 1970s and anything that is happening today in America. Whew!
Angel’s Egg
HBO Max – March 1
If you only know director Mamoru Oshii from his groundbreaking 1995 feature “Ghost in the Shell,” it’s time to buckle up. “Angel’s Egg,” a collaboration with influential designer Yoshitaka Amano, was released a decade earlier, in 1985. Enigmatic and somewhat inscrutable, it is a largely dialogue-free affair, set in a vaguely European, post-apocalyptic landscape, where a young girl coddles a mysterious egg and is interrogated by a soldier as to its origin and contents. (She can’t say – and neither can you.) Utilizing stark visuals and a sweeping orchestral score by Yoshihiro Kanno, “Angel’s Egg” was inspired by everything from Tennessee Williams to Andrei Tarkovsky but casts an alluring spell all of its own. In the years since its direct-to-video release in 1985, the film has been widely hailed as a masterpiece while also being damnably hard to find. That changed when a new 4K edition screened at the Cannes Film Festival and, a few weeks later, at Annecy. Now, you can watch it in the comfort of your own home. Have some people over, get lost in the world of “Angel’s Egg” and then have a spirited debated about what it all means. There are worse ways to spend an evening than with this underseen classic.
5 Centimeters Per Second
HBO Max – March 1
The sophomore feature from Makoto Shinkai, the acclaimed filmmaker behind modern classics “Your Name,” “Weathering with You” and “Suzume,” “5 Centimeters per Second” is a charming, slender precursor to those later masterpieces. The film follows Takaki Tōno, beginning in the 1990s and continuing until the present day (at the time 2007), as he gets involved in a series of relationships. (The movie is structured as a triptych.) Unlike Shinkai’s later work, there are no magical elements or science fiction flourishes. This is just a beautiful, charming drama from start to finish. Hugely influential in Japan, it inspired a manga, a novel and a live-action remake (released last fall). If you are a fan of Shinkai’s later films or animation in general, you owe it to yourself to enjoy “5 Centimeters per Second.” Also, it’s only 63 minutes long. That’s shorter than an episode of “Landman!”
Sicario
Netflix – March 1
“Sicario” rips. Directed by “Dune” and “Blade Runner 2049” filmmaker Denis Villeneuve and written by “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan, the film stars Emily Blunt as an FBI agent who joins an FBI task force to help bring down a cartel. Josh Brolin is the morally questionable CIA agent steering the ship, and Benicio Del Toro is chilling as a mysterious man helping with the mission. Incredibly tense, this thing will have you white-knuckling from start to finish, and leaves a lot to be discussed after the credits roll.
The Green Knight
Netflix – March 1
A wonderfully weird and wild fantasy tale, you’ll be amazed “The Green Knight” got made once the credits roll – until you see the A24 logo, that is. Of course A24 let “Pete’s Dragon” and “The Old Man and the Gun” filmmaker David Lowery go nuts with an adaptation of a 14th century poem. And of course the result is terrifying, mystifying and sexy all at once. Dev Patel plays Gawain, a man who sets out on a quest to face the Green Knight owing to a challenge set to him one year before. This film has mermaids, tree men and Sean Harris as King Arthur. Get thee to “The Green Knight!”
21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street
Paramount+ – March 1
Before you see “Project Hail Mary” in theaters, revisit filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s first two live-action features, “21 Jump Street” and its sequel “22 Jump Street.” The film adaptations of the TV series take the central premise – adult cops go undercover at high school – but twist it on its head. Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill play the cops, but when they return to high school in the 2010s, they find that the roles they filled in the early 2000s are reversed – Tatum’s jock-ish demeanor now makes him uncool, while Hill falls in with the cool kid crowd. The sequel moves the two to college and adds Jillian Bell to the mix, but both films are delightfully inventive and hilarious.
Licorice Pizza
Peacock – March 1
With Paul Thomas Anderson likely to finally receive the Academy Award appreciation that has long escaped him, for his political action adventure “One Battle After Another,” why not revisit his previous film, which earned Anderson a Best Director nomination (along with Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay). “Licorice Pizza” couldn’t be any more different from “One Battle After Another;” where the newer film is propulsively plot-driven, “Licorice Pizza” is decidedly looser, following a series of misadventures of the young Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman), a teenage schemer in the 1970’s San Fernando Valley. Among other things, he gets into selling waterbeds and crosses paths with actual characters like Jon Peters (Bradley Cooper), a hairstylist-turned-producer (who at the time was dating Barbara Streisand) and Joel Wachs (Benny Safdie), a real-life Los Angeles mayoral candidate who at the time was a closeted gay man. “Licorice Pizza” is overflowing with life, energy, exuberance and character, a rich tapestry depicting a specific time and place. It’s perhaps the ultimate hangout movie, in the tradition of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” or “Dazed and Confused,” a beautiful, languorous party you don’t ever want to leave.
Hamnet
Peacock – March 6
“Hamnet,” currently nominated for a whopping eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (for Chloe Zhao) and Best Actress (for Jessie Buckley), finally arrives on streaming. Ready to cry? Based on the 2020 novel by Maggie O’Farrell, who co-wrote the screenplay with Zhao, it imagines the life of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife Anne Hathaway (Buckley) and the tragedy that befell their family and ultimately led to his play “Hamlet,” now considered an immortal classic. Zhao, who directed the Oscar-winning “Nomadland” and Marvel Studios’ underrated “Eternals,” gives the story a lyrical beauty, particularly towards the end, with a climax that will leave you weeping audibly. But this isn’t some downer of a movie, it’s a celebration of life and its preciousness, rendered meticulously by some of the most incredible actors and craftspeople of their generation. (Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes produced it.) “Hamnet” is a singular and singularly moving experience and you’d better catch up now, before it takes home some trophies next month.
War Machine
Netflix – March 6
Alan Ritchson, the star of Prime Video’s extremely popular “Reacher,” gets a big, muscular action movie all its own. And it’s a hoot. In “War Machine,” Ritchson plays a slightly over-the-hill soldier who attempts to become an Army Ranger after a promise made to his deceased brother (Jai Courtney in a brief but memorable role). Training to be an Army Ranger is, as you can imagine, very difficult, especially when his commanding officers are a couple of hard-asses played by Esai Morales and Dennis Quaid. But he makes it to the final training exercise with his squad only to uncover something … otherworldly. Then he and his squad (including the always excellent Stephan James) are forced to fight for their lives against something they can barely understand. Smartly directed by Australian filmmaker Patrick Hughes and full of tense, violent set pieces and a nifty creature design, “War Machine” is a throwback to a simpler time when a high-concept and a big star was all you needed to make a movie a hit. If “War Machine” was made and marketed in the 1980s, it’d probably have a poster that simply read “Ritchson vs. Robot.” And, really, what more do you need? Besides, of course, a 2-litre bottle of RC Cola and a copious amount of popcorn, we mean.
Nuremberg
Netflix – March 7
If it’s a historical drama you’re in the mood for, check out “Nuremberg.” The 2025 film stars Russell Crowe as Hermann Goring and follows the the U.S. Army psychiatrist (Rami Malek) assigned to monitor Goring’s mental status in preparation for the Nuremberg trials. The ensemble also includes Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Colin Hanks and Michael Shannon.
Zootopia 2
Disney+ – March 11
How do you top “Zootopia,” 2016’s $1 billion+ grossing, Oscar-winning animated feature? By making an even more clever, more exciting, more thoughtful sequel that grossed nearly $1.9 billion (making it the most successful Disney animated feature ever) and is nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar. In this super-sized follow-up, wily fox Nick (Jason Bateman) and straight arrow bunny Judy (Ginnifer Goodwin) are new partners investigating a conspiracy that reaches back to the very formation of Zootopia. The original film was a one-of-a-kind hattrick, investigating prejudice and racism through the prism of a jolly talking animal movie; the sequel tackles up-to-the-minute issues like immigration and the concept of stolen land, alongside Patrick Warburton as a horse mayor and an extended “Shining” reference that will have you wheezing with delight. There’s so much imagination, humor, heart and barbed social commentary in every minute of “Zootopia 2” that you can’t help but be delighted and, ultimately, quite moved. It’s also the biggest, most technically challenging and most visually ravishing movie that Walt Disney Animation Studios has ever produced. Whether you’ve seen it before or are visiting for the first time, “Zootopia 2” really is special.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Netflix – March 20
The “Peaky Blinders” saga continues with the new Netflix film “Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.” Cillian Murphy, fresh off his Oscar win for “Oppenheimer,” reprises his role as Tommy Shelby in 1940, with series creator Steven Knight back to write the screenplay for the film that boasts a wicked ensemble including Barry Keoghan, Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth and Stephen Graham.
Wicked: For Good
Peacock – March 20
2025’s “Wicked: For Good,” the follow-up to 2024’s “Wicked: Part One,” wasn’t quite the sensation that the original film was – it made less at the box office and didn’t secure a single Oscar nomination. But if you’re looking for more “Wizard of Oz”-adjacent adventures, “Wicked: For Good” will do the trick. It’s got more songs (sung by the very talented Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo), including two new tracks, more rococo visuals and will get you even closer to the original “Wizard of Oz.” And this isn’t the only version of the movie you can enjoy on Peacock – sing-along version and an edition featuring director Jon M. Chu’s commentary will also be available to stream starting today. There’s also a documentary, “Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked,” that you can watch too. Talk about hours and hours of “Wicked” good fun.
The Bad Guys 2
Netflix – March 21
Last year’s “The Bad Guys 2,” a sequel to 2022’s “The Bad Guys” (and an adaptation of the book series by Aaron Blabey), got lost in the great animation shuffle of 2025. And that’s a real shame. Because DreamWorks Animation’s “The Bad Guys 2” is somehow even more fun than the first film – the animation style, inspired by early Hayao Miyazaki films and French comic books, has been pushed even further, to an almost delirious degree, with action sequences that are even more elaborate and hilarious. Sam Rockwell is terrific as the Big Bad Wolf, who gave up his life of crime at the end of the first movie but is having trouble adjusting to civilian life. Soon enough he’s roped back into a villainous plot by a trio of bad gals that involves, among other things, the theft of an actual spaceship. And somehow it gets even more outrageous from there. “The Bad Guys” franchise is quickly becoming one of the crown jewels of DreamWorks Animation. And this one is a doozy.
Mercy
Prime Video – March 22
A movie as widely derided as “Mercy,” which had a brief theatrical run earlier this year, demands to be seen. Or maybe it dares you to watch. Either way, we can’t wait to see “Mercy” from the comfort of our own home, with many other entertainment offerings in arm’s length. Directed by Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov, who directed “Wanted” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” and pioneered the Screenlife technology utilized by movies like “Searching,” “Mercy” follows a Los Angeles detective (Chris Pratt), who utilizes artificial technology to catch criminals. (This is the future, people!) Soon enough, of course, he’s on trial for his wife’s murder and given 90 minutes to confess or be condemned. Rebecca Ferguson plays an AI judge, with supporting performances by Kali Reis, Annabelle Wallis and Chris Sullivan. Could “Mercy” possibly be as bad as everyone said it was (with its abysmal 25% Rotten Tomatoes score) or is it a cult classic waiting to be unleashed? Only one way to find out!
Sentimental Value
Hulu – March 23
Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” premiered last year at the Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d’Or, was rapturously received and won the second-place prize (the Grand Prix). It’s currently nominated for a whopping nine (!) Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (for Renate Reinsve), Best Supporting Actor (for Stellan Skarsgård) and two Best Supporting Actress nominations (for Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas). If you saw Trier’s last film, “The Worst Person in the World,” you know what to expect – a deeply human drama that mixes pathos and humor, with richly drawn characters, a sensitively written screenplay and gorgeous cinematography. This time around the film follows a Norwegian filmmaker father (Skarsgård) and his two daughters (Fanning and Lilleaas), as he attempts to make a movie based on their life. Moving and profound, “Sentimental Value” is the rare movie that not only deserves all the acclaim it has received but still somehow feels underrated.
Pretty Lethal
Prime Video – March 25
Described as “an action-packed thriller,” “Pretty Lethal” follows five ballerinas, on their way to a prestigious dance competition, whose bus breaks down in a remote forest. Seeking shelter, they bunk at an iffy roadside inn run by a former ballet prodigy (played by Uma Thurman). According to the official synopsis, “from the moment they arrive, something feels wrong—and their worst instincts prove right. As the situation turns deadly, the fractured team must set aside rivalries and weaponize years of brutal training, turning grace, discipline, and even pointe shoes into tools for survival.” Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika and Maddie Ziegler star in the latest from producers David Leitch and Kelly McCormick (“Atomic Blonde,” “Bullet Train,” “The Fall Guy”). “Pretty Lethal” will have its splashy premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival just a few days before it drops on Prime Video. It’s almost like you’re there!
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice
Hulu – March 25
The sophomore feature from BenDavid Grabinski (director of “Happily” and co-creator of Netflix anime series “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off”) is a kinetic time travel romantic comedy action movie. You know. That old chestnut. In “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” James Marsden plays Mike, who works for Nick, a gangster played by Vince Vaughn. (The reason there are two Nicks in the title and two Nicks in the movie? You guessed it – time travel shenanigans.) Eiza González is Alice, the woman that both men (or is it three men?) love. To say anything more would be to give away the multitude of surprises that “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice,” which has its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 14, has in store. But rest assured it’s one of the coolest, funniest movies of the year. And while it’s a tragedy that you won’t be able to see it in a packed theater, surrounded by like-minded film fanatics, at least you can watch it in your sweatpants. Maybe invite some friends over, order some food and make it a whole thing? You won’t be disappointed.
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