What’s New to Stream on Amazon Prime for March 2023

Crossing the Streams is our series of guides looking at all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month. This time we’re checking out what’s new to streaming on Amazon Prime in March 2023, including the ‘Rocky’ franchise, new Prime originals, and more!

Prime Pick of the Month for March 2023

Creed III is new to movie theaters, and it’s worth your time for fans of underdog sports tales and long-running franchises. To that point, I’m making that entire franchise my Prime pick of the month. It all starts with Rocky (1976), the story of an underdog in more ways than one. Written by and starring a thirty-year-old Sylvester Stallone, the film went on to earn ten Academy Award nominations and win three, including Best Picture. Stallone plays a no-name boxer who finagles an opportunity at a title fight, but the film’s genius is that it doesn’t let him win the fight in the end — it lets him win the crowd. It’s a film that holds up beautifully on rewatch, and it’s worth chasing it with Rocky II (1979) as it follows Rocky’s journey toward a rematch with Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). You can stop there if you want, but Prime’s new arrivals also include Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990), Rocky Balboa (2006), and the spin-offs Creed (2015) and Creed II (2018). The opportunity to follow a character across eight films and four decades is a rarity, so take it while you can.

New Prime Originals Focused on Women in Odd Situations

Fair warning, you probably shouldn’t get too excited about either of these new series as Prime (and streamers in general) is too prone to canceling young shows. (RIP Paper Girls…) We’ll pretend otherwise, though, as both of these shows show promise. First up is Class of ’07 (premieres March 17th), which brings together a group of young women for their ten-year reunion, only to leave them trapped at their high school when a tidal wave raises the water all around them. It’s a comedy, so while cliques form and a Lord of the Flies vibe appears, the proceedings aim mostly for laughs. Emily Browning headlines an ensemble cast, and it looks like a bit of fun.

Next up is The Power (premieres March 31st), which sees teenage girls discover new powers within — primarily, the ability to electrocute people! This one’s no comedy and instead looks to follow a dark, fantastical path as the girls use these abilities as both an offense and a defense. Raelle Tucker (Supernatural, True Blood) is the showrunner, and it stars Alice Eve, Toni Collette, John Leguizamo, Eddie Marsan, Josh Charles, and more. Here’s hoping a strong cast and an engaging premise make for a compelling show.

The Best of 2022 Theatrical, But on Prime in March 2023

Some heavy hitters from 2022 are making their way to the streamers this month, with three great ones premiering here on Prime. First up is Jackass Forever (2022, premieres March 10th), which sees Johnny Knoxville and friends facing their own mortality once again. It’s a little bit different this time as they’re all getting up there in years, and while I wish the film embraced that observation more, there’s fun to be had to see them hit that wall all the same. The usuals bring on some new blood as well, and these young’uns are more willing to put their bodies in harm’s way for laughs.

Jordan Peele has found plenty of acclaim for his first two films, Get Out and Us, but for my money, it’s his third movie that gets closest to being a straight-up masterpiece. Nope (2022, premieres March 21st) explores a diverse range of topics, from Black talents behind the scenes in Hollywood to alien abductions to the audience’s craving for exploitation, and all of it combines into something extraordinary. Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer headline, and they’re joined by Steven Yuen, Michael Wincott, Keith David, and others. Everyone’s giving their best here, and the film swirls with wonder, character, thrills, warmth, and terror — on that last point, there’s a flashback scene here involving a chimp that is the most frightening sequence of the year.

The accolades for Top Gun: Maverick (2022, premieres March 24th) are numerous — Steven Spielberg thanked Tom Cruise for saving theaters with it, the film earned nearly $1.5 billion at the box office (which is wild), and it even won big at Vulture’s inaugural Stunt Awards — and to top it all off? It’s just a damn entertaining movie. The premise is simple and the third act is essentially lifted from Star Wars, but Cruise and company keep things fresh and charismatic, and director Joseph Kosinski delivers with big aerial thrills that shake the walls. It’s just a fun, highly satisfying ride.

80s Jams Worth Your Time

Steve McQueen was one of the greats, and his filmography is filled with all-timers, including Bullitt, The Great Escape, and plenty more. His final film isn’t nearly as beloved, but I’m a fan of 1980’s The Hunter (no relation) all the same. McQueen plays real-life bounty hunter Ralph “Papa” Thorson as he deals with threats and personal issues in the waning years of his career. There’s some pathos there as the character and star share in age-related dramas knowing they’re in the twilight of their lives, but we also get some great McQueen moments and some solid action beats.

Christopher Reeve will always be best known for the Superman films, but his best work was arguably in smaller films. Think Deathtrap or Somewhere in Time, and you’ll see what I’m saying. One even lesser-known example is 1987’s Street Smart which sees Reeve play a journalist in way over his head. He lies over some crucial information and soon finds himself in trouble with a mean pimp played by a fierce and fiery Morgan Freeman. It’s a solid little drama rich in character detail, and it’s worth a watch.

I try to highlight fresh films with these columns each month, but some movies deserve the shout-out every damn time. The Presidio (1988) is a tight thriller from director Peter Hyams that sees a San Francisco detective (Mark Harmon) reluctantly team up with a military officer (Sean Connery) to investigate a series of murders. We get some good twists and turns, a spunky supporting performance from Meg Ryan, and one of cinema’s great foot chases through the city’s streets. Watch it!

The Complete Prime List for March 2023

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