Films to Watch – March 2020

Here I will break down a brief list of the most talked about, anticipated, or interesting films due for release this month. It will follow the US release schedule which usually matches up to the rest of the world in general (I will do a weekly update of the films and TV to watch in the UK, beginning Monday). This is likely to become a monthly post if it is successful and helpful.

The Corona Virus is likely to start significantly impacting the release and box office of 2020 movies, and only time will tell when the main impact (obviously this is low on everyone’s worry list about the virus, but still worth considering) will be felt, with Mulan likely to be the first high profile film hugely impacted.

Onward – 6th March

Pixar return with an original film starring Tom Holland and Chris Pratt. I’ve already seen this one, and I can confirm it is full of heart, wonder, and humour. It isn’t tracking at the level of a usual Pixar hit, so time will tell on how commercially successful this film will be.

The Way Back – 6th March

Ben Affleck has been fighting a lot of personal demons in recent years, and this drama about an alcoholic basketball coach seems very close to his heart. He is making a big acting comeback this year and while it seems like the sort of film most people won’t see in this day and age, I’m curious to see what Affleck does here.

First Cow – 6th March

Kelly Reichardt is a hugely respected indie director, but not someone the mainstream audiences would be at all familiar with. That also perfectly sums up this A24 film, which very few members of the generals public would know about but many of us with a strong interest in the film industry cannot wait.

Bloodshot – 13th March

Vin Diesel has notoriously struggled to prove he is an out and out movie star when he isn’t in the Fast & Furious movies, and here is another attempt to launch a franchise. The thing I’m most looking forward to here is the always fun Eiza González. This adaptation of the Valiant comic has a responsible budget but I still don’t see many scenarios where this is a big success.

The Hunt – 13th March

A film that was originally due out in September 2019 but was pushed back by Universal due to a high profile mass shouting in America and the backlash that followed. This Blumhouse thriller stars an eclectic cast including Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank, Emma Roberts, and Glenn Howerton.

A Quiet Place Part II – 20th March

The hugely anticipated follow up to director John Krasinski’s horror smash hit, the film will again star Emily Blunt and this time brings Cillian Murphy along for the ride. We have little idea of the story, but hopefully Krasinski will continue to flex his muscles as a director and will also get another stunning star turn out of his wife Emily Blunt.

Mulan – 27th March

A $200 Million adaptation of the classic Disney toon, this is the first of these live action updates to take big risks and really diverge from the source material. With this in mind, I was hopefully it would succeed to encourage the Mouse House to take more risks. However, backlash over the political stance of its star, a reasonably low amount of buzz, and the Corona Virus meaning Chinese cinemas are closed, it doesn’t look bright for this film.