Steamy Streaming: March

BY: Zak Wojnar

Every month, Netflix and Hulu refresh their offerings, bringing in a slew of new and classic programming for TV junkies to enjoy. Here are Provokr’s Picks for the top eleven things to watch this month!

Turn Up Charlie (Netflix)

This half-hour comedy stars one of the hottest guys on the planet, Idris Elba. Not that we need to say anything more than that to guarantee you’ll watch it, but it shows off a different side of the actor, who plays an aging DJ who never made it in his field and never found the happiness he never admitted he was searching for. However, he gets one last chance at redemption when he becomes a nanny to a sassy little girl, leading to heartwarming drama and riotous comedy.

Up in the Air (Hulu)

Director Jason Reitman is one of the most talented auteurs in the business, and we can’t wait to see what he does with 2020’s Ghostbusters 3. In the meantime, though, one of his greatest projects, Up in the Air, is on Hulu. An odyssey following George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, and Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air is an existential romp filled with comedy, romance, and heart-wrenching tragedy. We don’t often say this, but Up in the Air is a perfect film.

The Dirt (Netflix)

Mötley Crüe are an iconic rock band, a melding of 1970s glam rock and power pop, the product of an orgy between The Archies, The Raspberries, Van Halen, and Black Sabbath. Their music isn’t for everyone, but for fans of straight-up rock and roll with a take-no-prisoners edge and no fucks given, there’s a charm and purity to Mötley Crüe that other bands just can’t capture. After languishing in development hell for years, their story is finally getting the cinematic treatment with The Dirt, which shows off the joy and consequences of a hard-partying rock and roll lifestyle, for better and for worse. Plus, the band got together to record a cover of Madonna’s Like a Virgin for the film, which we’re pretty sure already makes this the best movie ever.

Shoplifters (Hulu)

This film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, and it’s easy to see why. A brutally realistic tale about poverty in Japan, Shoplifters puts a human face on the issue of poverty and welfare. Leave it to a foreign country to point out that so-called “welfare queens,” or “takers” are people who deserve a reasonable standard of living. It’s a heartbreaking movie, but one which needs to be seen.

Goodfellas (Netflix)

What more can we possibly say about Goodfellas, one of the greatest movies ever made? With genre-defining performances from Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, and Robert De Niro, and a thrilling gangster storyline told over the course of decades of the world’s most iconic pop songs, Goodfellas is the gangster movie by which all others are judged. It’s got a grittier, more intimate feel than the more operatic Godfather films, and spends more time with the characters as they rise, fall, and ultimately implode. If you haven’t seen it yet… What’s wrong with you?

Party of Five (seasons 1-6) (Hulu)

After the launch of Beverly Hills, 90210, there were a slew of “beautiful young people shows,” from Melrose Place to Dawson’s Creek. For the record, our favorite “Post 90210” show is Party of Five, which carried a lot of heart for following a family of orphans whose parents were killed by a drunk driver. Season one is great, but we think Party of Five got a real shot in the arm in season 2, when the beautiful and talented Jennifer Love Hewitt joined the cast as the shy and confused Sarah, who struggled to find her place in the world. Of all the 90210-esque shows, Party of Five was arguably the one to which real teens could most easily relate.

Collateral (Netflix)

Michael Mann is one of the best directors of our time, and Collateral made audiences and critics aware of the power of digital video over traditional film. Thanks to the technology at play, Mann was able to capture the city of Los Angeles in a way that had never been achieved before. Tom Cruise is a hitman, and Jamie Foxx is a cab driver enlisted to shuttle him from hit to hit over the course of one night. Naturally, all hell breaks loose. A triumph of style and visceral intensity, Collateral is a game-changing film, and the first in Mann’s series of gritty noir stories shot with a breathtakingly modern lens, a series which includes Miami Vice, Public Enemies, and Blackhat.

The Dark Knight (Hulu)

Speaking of Michael Mann, director Christopher Nolan was clearly inspired by Heat when he was planning his sequel to Batman Begins. The Dark Knight is universally beloved as one of the greatest superhero movies ever made, and is a great subject to cite when arguing that there’s no such thing as the “superhero genre.” After all, The Dark Knight is a violent crime thriller, hardly comparable to the zany silliness of Batman & Robin or the gothic sensibilities of Batman Returns. Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for his turn as The Joker, while Aaron Eckhart remains underrated for his role as Harvey Dent, the heart and soul of the film, a man who is torn apart by the contest between the contrasting absolutes of Batman and The Joker.

Triple Frontier (Netflix)

It’s only March, but if there’s an early contender for “Manliest Movie of the Year,” it’s Triple Frontier. The film stars Ben Affleck, Garret Hedlund, Pedro Pascal, Oscar Isaac, and Charlie Hunnam as special forces soldiers who decide to fight, not for their country, but for their own gain, aiming to use their decades of combined experience to take down a ruthless South American drug kingpin and rob him blind. Something of a modern western with its themes of masculinity, greed, and moral ambiguity, hopes are high that director J. C. Chandor (All is Lost, A Most Violent Year) will emerge as the modern reincarnation of Sam Peckinpah… Minus the alcoholism.

Free Solo (Hulu)

This beautiful and terrifying documentary follows Alex Honnold as he attempts to free climb El Capitan, a sheer and dangerous cliff. Free climbing isn’t like regular mountain climbing; there are no harnesses or safety equipment, just a climber and their own judgment, perception, and upper body strength. The spectacular photography in the movie isn’t a result of special effects or even camera tricks; it’s just capturing the indomitable will and righteous passion of a man who believes in himself and has the skills to back up his willpower.

Winter’s Bone

The film that made Jennifer Lawrence a star, Winter’s Bone is one of 2010’s most acclaimed films. A dark tale about family ties, loyalty, duty, and the lengths to which people will go to protect the ones they unconditionally love, Winter’s Bone is one of those movies that deserves more love considering how acclaimed and influential it has been over the years. If you haven’t seen it, now’s your chance.