We are nearly halfway through March and things seem to be falling apart. Except for the hours we spend in front of our laptop screens, mindlessly bingeing on TV shows and films, life pretty much sucks! Stagnancy and boredom make us wonder “what do we watch next?”
Netflix has a variety of films and shows but they keep recycling the films available. To make room for new additions, they usually evict older films that have been streamed for quite some time. Many a time we fail to recognise which film to watch and by the time we come around, the film is long gone.
Before some more films leave the platform in march (worry not, new additions are on their way), we decided to take a look at some of them to urge you to binge on these. For your daily dose of serotonin rush, here are the 10 best films to watch before they leave Netflix in March.
10 great movies to watch before they leave in March
March 16, 2021
Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell, 2012)
Pat has recently been discharged from the clinic after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and is sent to his childhood home in Pennsylvania. He is fixated on winning back his estranged wife Nikki. While he is in Pennsylvania, he meets a young widow Tiffany who strikes a deal with pat. In return for her constant help in wooing his wife back, he would have to partner up with her in a dance competition. During dance lessons, sparks fly and the undeniable attraction between the two is hindered by the wedding rings on their fingers.
A wonderful rom-com as good as a classic old romance tale, the film boats of wonderful chemistry between the leads as it deals with very sensitive themes. More then Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence’s chemistry, the palpable tension between Cooper and Robert Deniro as father and son is remarkable. Oscillating between the cynical and the melodramatic, the film is a perfect balance of both worlds.
“You’re a conformist. You’re a liar. I opened up to you and you judged me. You are an asshole. You are an asshole.”
![Silver Linings Playbook Official Movie Trailer [HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EI_3ywJLQio/hqdefault.jpg)
March 30, 2021
Killing Them Softly (Andrew Dominik, 2012)
In this neo-noir crime film, Markie Trattman’s poker game is robbed by three crooks Squirrel, Frankie and Russell. Enraged, Markie enlists the help of hitmen Jackie and Mickey to investigate the case and exact revenge. Dominik almost aims at infusing Scorsese’s plotline with Tarantinoesque dialogue, violence and adrenaline.
The film takes a cynical approach of the world it exists in. With the 2008 US economic recession as the backdrop financial crisis and pessimistic take on the future. Unsettling and violent, the film boasts of phenomenal performances. Brad Pitt, with his slicked-back hair and powerful dialogues, is a vision of perfection. Amidst the gratuitous violence of the organised crime that takes place in America, Brad Pitt’s closing statement, referencing Obama’s Presidential speech, sends shivers down the viewers’ spine due to the eerie truth value of his words:
“This guy wants to tell me we’re living in a community? Don’t make me laugh. I’m living in America, and in America, you’re on your own. America is not a country; it’s just a business. Now fucking pay me.”
March 31, 2021
Molly’s Game (Aaron Sorkin, 2017)
In a solid directorial debut, Aaron Sorkin, who is best known in the cinema circuit for his outstanding screenplays, presents a film that boasts of electrifying performances by al actors, namely Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba. Chastain’s character, in particular, is intense and intriguing and the script contains all of the Sorkin elements to an optimum. “The tribulations of a woman in a man’s world” takes a chilling picture in this film.
The film is based on the true story of a young and blossoming Molly Bloom whose dreams of being an Olympic skier is shattered after an accident. She starts off at a poker club before becoming a poker mogul, running the world’s most exclusive and high-profile poker game before getting involved in dangerous and perilous waters. Her only ally is the criminal lawyer Charlie Jaffey who believes that there is some goodness in Molly who covers up for the innocents whose lives might be in jeopardy.
“I don’t like playing poker. I like playing with people’s lives.”
Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010)
Dom Cobb is a professional ‘extractor’ who engages in stealing information by infiltrating into the unknowing subconscious of his targets. However, he receives an excellent offer where his criminal history shall be erased in lieu of a mammoth task; he is entrusted with the job of implanting an idea into the subject’s mind instead of extracting it this time.
Inception is Nolan’s mind-bending masterpiece that received eight Academy Award nominations, taking four home. The film’s sheer genius lies in its ability to transcend the textbook definition of dream-reality. Leonardo DiCaprio’s excellent portrayal of the masterful and crafty Cobb goes down in history as one of his most memorable characters. DiCaprio, whose character was compared to a hero in a gothic romance, was “intrigued” by Nolan’s film and agreed to do it after months of collaboration that helped improve the emotional and psychological journey of the character.
“Well, dreams, they feel real while we’re in them, right? It’s only when we wake up then we realize that something was actually strange.”
Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976)
Vietnam War veteran and now, a taxi driver, Travis Bickle, leads a lonely and desolate life in the morally bankrupt New York City. He is infatuated with a campaign volunteer named Betsy. Disgusted and appalled by the degradation of New York City, plagued by forced prostitution, corruption and dysfunction, Travis’ descent into madness and frenzy motivated by violence, causes him to be obsessed with the assassination of the Presidential candidate as well as the man who pimps out Idris, an underage prostitute and his friend.
Scorsese is at his best in this riveting film. Brutal violence and jarring characters add to the dysfunctional atmosphere of the film. Robert DeNiro delivers an outstanding and memorable performance as the angst-ridden Travis Bickles who embarks on carnage. He is relatable when he says “I got some bad ideas in my head”, yet unfamiliar when his hands are soaked in blood. Travis attempts to be the “real rain” that will “wash away all this scum off the streets.” wonderful cinematography and intense dialogues coupled with powerful performances make Taxi Driver a brilliant yet nightmarish masterpiece, which will surely quench the thirst for madness and violence in the neo-noir aficionados.
“You talkin’ to me?”
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky, 2012)
Based on Chobsky’s 1999 novel, this film is a coming-of-age drama that features the events in the life of the teenager Charlie in form of epistles he writes to a nameless friend, chronicling his ongoing battle with clinical depression while he tries to cope with a friend’s suicide as well as post-traumatic stress disorder on being subjected to child abuse; it also documents the first pangs of young love as he tries to navigate through high school, making new friends and experiencing life as a whole.
Raw and brutally honest, the film is nostalgic and tragic at the same time. While the actors portray unthinkable emotional depth, the trials and tribulations of teenage come to the forefront as the characters try and grapple with the unknown. As Charlie gets involved with a senior, Sam, he realises the meaning of ‘to love and to be loved.’ It is an old-school story of love and loss, of melancholy and madness, and high-school and friendships.
“So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I’m still trying to figure out how that could be.”
Enter the Dragon (Robert Clouse, 1973)
Although criticised for being “a low-rent James Bond thriller”, Enter the Dragon is one of the greatest martial arts films of all time. Bruce Lee is agile, intense and exudes raw charm on-screen as he kicks and punches through the crowd of bad guys. It is also one of the most influential and successful kung fu films of all time which inspired manga, comics, video games and more, besides elevating Kung fu’s global status by inspiring the kids in the West to indulge in martial arts.
Revolutionary in its portrayal of kung-fu as well as the African-Americans and Asians in a post-World War post-colonial Asian society, the film is based on seeking revenge. Lee is a Shaolin martial arts maestro who is approached by a British intelligence agent Braithwaite to take part in the corrupt crime lord Han’s elite martial arts competition, along with Roper and Williams. Pay extra attention to the fight sequence at the end- fuzzy bear claws never seemed this vicious, right?
“ Don’t think! Feel. It is like a finger pointing a way to the moon. Don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.”
Sex and the City (Michael Patrick King, 2008)
Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda are four best friends who live in New York City. Carrie plans a wedding with Mr. Big while Miranda struggles with her marriage as she catches Steve cheating on her. Charlotte, pregnant, worries about the hot nanny, while Samantha has bizarre problems of her own. When Mr. Big goes MIA at his own wedding, the girls go on Carrie’s honeymoon together.
Girls are not always catty to one another and despite quarrels, find their way back to each other. With this theme in mind, gaudy costumes and beautiful locations galore, the film depicts female friendship in a fresh and unique manner. Adapted from the very popular TV series, although the film is not as chirpy as the series, it is indeed a wonderful reunion of the characters who navigate love and loss while living a nearly fantasy-like bougie New York life.
“They say nothing lasts forever; dreams change, trends come and go, but friendships never go out of style.”
School Daze (Spike Lee, 1988)
Derived from Spike Lee’s own experiences at Atlanta University as a Morehouse student, the film focuses on a politically conscious student Dap who, as a student of the historically black Mission College, aims to lead the students to rally as a united front, conscious of various social movements. However, the head of the fraternity Julian wants to maintain on-campus decorum and elitism. The film is a wake-up call as it deals with the subjugation occurring within the black community in terms of skin tone and hair texture.
Lee was very conscious while directing the film; he wanted to exude the most authentic reactions possible. Not only did he arrange for better accommodations for the wannabes but also meted out different treatment to them on-set. This led to rising tension which ultimately broke out into a fight that was not included in the script but was included in the film to add authenticity.
Chappaquiddick (John Curran, 2017)
Based on true events that took place in 1986 in Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts, the film portrays the US Senator Ted Kennedy drove his car off the bridge which led to the untimely death pf a campaign strategist named Mary Jo Kopechne. This incident changed the course of history with the ongoing investigation exposing secrets and scandals that ultimately led to Kennedy losing the presidential elections.
Although the film has been criticised in its incorrect and contemptuous portrayal of Kennedy who reportedly felt remorse at the death of Kopechne contrary to the film’s interpretation, it received praise from Conservative commentator Mark Steyn. The film has been accused to fanning conspiracy theories as well. Hoever, Jason Clarke’s incredible acting shoulders the film forward and makes it an intriguing watch.
“Joey you have flaws. We all do, you said so yourself. Moses had a temper. Peter betrayed Jesus.”
