What’s New to Stream on Netflix for March 2024

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 Netflix in March 2024, including 3 Body Problem from the creators of Game of Thrones, a new Adam Sandler film called Spaceman, and more!

Netflix Pick of the Month for March 2024

Opinions on Game of Thrones continue to vary wildly, but they’re nothing compared to opinions on the two creatives behind it — David Benioff and D.B.Weiss. Viewers who haven’t sworn off their collective creations will want to tune in for their latest effort, 3 Body Problem (premieres March 21st). An adaptation of the bestselling book by Cixin Liu, the series follows a group of scientists reeling from a far-reaching, intergalactic discovery with connections back to 1960s China. Firmly established scientific principles start to crumble, and the greatest mystery the modern universe has ever seen spreads its tendrils across the globe. The cast is mostly comprised of newcomers (at least to Western eyes) alongside Eiza González, Benedict Wong, and Liam Cunningham. The risk here is that the show is phenomenal and grabs our interest immediately… only to be canceled by Netflix. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves!

New Netflix Originals

Adam Sandler’s production deal with Netflix — arguably the best such deal between any creative and a production company — has given us plenty of dumb comedies over the years, but there’s also been a handful of good times in the mix. His latest, Spaceman, leans away from broad comedy and into a dramatic sci-fi adventure about a lone astronaut forced to rely on an alien being if he ever wants to make it back home to Carey Mulligan. The creature is voiced by Paul Dano, and the film looks to be an emotionally affecting story of survival and character. No, really.

Hulu gave us the legit good Joey King-led action/adventure The Princess back in 2022 (before taking it away from us because Disney sucks ass), and now Netflix is following suit with the Millie Bobby Brown fantasy vehicle, Damsel (premieres March 8th). I don’t expect it to be nearly as good as The Princess, in part because it looks to be more interested in traditional set-pieces as opposed to fun fights, but director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo has a solid resume with the likes of 28 Weeks Later (2007) and Intruders (2011), so I’m staying optimistic.

1953’s The Wages of Fear remains an all-timer in the suspense genre, and William Friedkin’s 1977 remake, Sorcerer, maintains that high level of quality. This year sees yet another adaptation on Georges Arnaud’s source novel with the French release, The Wages of Fear (premieres March 29th). Director Julien Leclercq has some low-key bangers in his filmography including Sentinelle (2021), Earth and Blood (2020), and The Crew (2015), so the odds are good that he’s more than capable for the job when it comes to building atmosphere, tension, and thrills from a premise involving temperamental, explosive trucks. And not for nothing, but the great Alban Lenoir stars — seek out Lost Bullet (2020) and Lost Bullet 2 (2022) if you haven’t already seen them — so I’m already fully along for the ride.

Great Movies You May Have Missed

We used to get movies like 21 Bridges (2019) all the damn time, mid-budget action films with engaging leads and fun set-pieces but without the heavy overhead of epic CG antics, but they’re an endangered species these days. So when they do come, we need to celebrate. Brian Kirk’s entry into this particular subgenre stars the late Chadwick Boseman as a good cop caught up in something dirty that explodes into a city-wide manhunt. It’s a good time and makes some creative choices with the story that do well at holding attention and building suspense.

Speaking of mid-budget gems, Carl Franklin’s Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) should have been the start of a franchise, but audiences failed it back in 1995. We still have this film, though, and what a fantastic time it is as Denzel Washington brings the character of Easy Rawlins to life in late 40s Los Angeles. Mystery, noir, conspiracy, racial tensions, and murder all boil over into a terrific time for viewers, and cinematographer Tak Fujimoto helps bring the period to beautiful life. Add in entertaining turns by Tom Sizemore, Jennifer Beals, and Don Cheadle, and a cameo by Washington’s young son, John David Washington, and it’s a must-see.

Made for far less money and released during a pandemic, Halina Reijn’s Bodies Bodies Bodies (2020, premieres March 20th) is a thriller of a different kind. Both a terrifically fun horror film and a scathing commentary on today’s “online” culture, the film manages numerous surprises while also delivering thrills and laughs. The cast is aces with Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha’la, Rachel Sennott, and Chase Sui Wonders joined by Pete Davidson and Lee Pace. Good luck guessing who the killer is before it’s revealed!

The Oldest New Arrival to Netflix

There are more than a few valid reasons to criticize Netflix, from the constant price gouging to the premature cancellation of shows, but they’re also a streamer with a real lack of older film titles. By older I mean pre 90s, and that shallow library hurts when you go looking for classics. To that end, each month we highlight the oldest new arrival to the streamer, and for March that film is Arthur Penn’s criminal romance, Bonnie and Clyde (1967). Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty star as the violently inclined lovers who embark on a crime spree with only one possible ending. The Oscar winner also stars Gene Hackman, Michael J. Pollard, Estelle Parsons, and Gene Wilder.

The Complete Netflix List for March 2024

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