11 Best New Movies on Netflix: March 2021’s Freshest Films
March Madness doesn’t start for a few weeks, but Netflix‘s March lineup is already a slam dunk. This month, the streaming giant will build upon its already-excellent library by adding dozens of new films, including originals, cinematic classics, indie hits, and more. With so many great movies on Netflix to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start, but we’re here to help. These are the best new movies on Netflix in March 2021, from The Dark Knight to Moxie and everything in between.
Typically, this list only includes 11 movies, but in March, we had to add one more to account for the addition of both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. While the final film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy will not be hitting Netflix this month (it’s available to stream on HBO Max), fans can complete two-thirds of their movie marathon with these Christian Bale flicks, which hit Netflix on the first of the month. After all, a little Batman is better than none!
After you’ve calmed down from your Dark Knight marathon, step back into the real world with Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell, a feature documentary about legendary rapper Biggie Smalls, also known as The Notorious B.I.G. The Netflix documentary will chart the meteoric rise and tragic fall of the famed songwriter, whose influence on the music world can be felt even to this day.
Later in March, be sure to check out Amy Poehler’s Moxie — the film teased on her palm at the 2021 Golden Globes — Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal, and the many other films hitting Netflix this month. For more inspiration, here are the best new movies coming to Netflix in March 2021!
Batman Begins and The Dark Knight
Released March 1
Christopher Nolan may not be watching his Batman films on HBO Max, but at least he’ll be able to catch them on Netflix. This month, Netflix will be adding the first two films in The Dark Knight trilogy, Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008), both of which star Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne. Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are essential viewing for superhero movie junkies, so now is the time to introduce the next generation of fans to these Oscar-winning flicks.
Where to stream Batman Begins
Where to stream The Dark Knight
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
Released March 1
Long before he was The Notorious B.I.G., he was Christopher Wallace, a Brooklyn-born rapper and songwriter. Netflix’s Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell tracks the musician’s journey from small-time hustler to rap king. The documentary relies on hours of archival footage and in-depth interviews with industry heavyweights, friends, and family to tell Biggie Smalls’ complete story, which continued (and still continues, to this day) long after he was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1997.
Where to stream Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
Dances with Wolves
Released March 1
Yellowstone fans have another Kevin Costner Western to thank for the resurgence of the genre. In 1990, Costner made his directorial debut with Dances with Wolves, a Best Picture-winning adaptation of Michael Blake’s 1988 book of the same name. Costner stars as Lt. John J. Dunbar, a Union Army officer who travels to the American frontier and encounters a group of Lakota. As Dunbar bonds with the Lakota, he comes to question the government’s policy towards Native American tribes and his own role in their subjugation.
Where to stream Dances with Wolves
Moxie
Released March 3
Two years after her feature directorial debut, Wine Country, hit Netflix, Amy Poehler returns to the streaming giant with Moxie. The YA comedy brings the riot grrrl phenomenon into the 21st century through the story of Vivian (Hadley Robinson), a high schooler who becomes fed up with the everyday sexism she faces at school. When Vivian learns about mother’s (Poehler) riot grrrl past, she launches an anonymous zine to air her grievances, prompting her classmates to rethink their institutionalized misogyny.
Where to stream Moxie
Sentinelle
Released March 5
Every month, a new foreign language thriller makes its way into Netflix’s Top 10 list, and in March, we fully expect that film to be Sentinelle. The French action flick stars Olga Kurylenko as an army interpreter named Klara who’s transferred to a post closer to home after she’s traumatized in a combat mission. However, when her sister is brutally attacked, Klara puts her lethal skills to good use and sets out to get revenge on the powerful perpetrator.
Where to stream Sentinelle
YES DAY
Released March 12
In March, Netflix is delivering fun for the whole family with YES DAY, starring Jennifer Garner and Edgar Ramirez. When Allison and Carlos realize that they’re consistently telling their children “No,” they give the kids 24 hours to make all the rules, but the duo quickly realizes they’ve gotten more than they bargained for. A sweet comedy with a family-friendly message, YES DAY is perfect for your next movie night — as long as your kids don’t get any ideas.
Where to stream YES DAY
Audrey
Released March 14
Helana Coen’s documentary Audrey makes clear that Audrey Hepburn was so much more than just a Hollywood star. The feature doc combines never-before-seen archival footage with interviews of those who knew Hepburn best — including Richard Dreyfuss and Peter Bogdanovich — to tell the full story of the screen, stage, and style legend. As Jade Budowski put it in her review for Decider, “Audrey lovingly pays tribute to a woman rarely thought of outside her on-screen roles and sheds light on the human behind the icon.”
Where to stream Audrey
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal
Released March 17
It was only a matter of time before the college admissions scandal made its way to Netflix. On March 17, the streaming giant will debut Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal, a new documentary about the cheating scandal that implicated Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, among other prominent parents. Lest you had any doubt about the headline-making nature of the new doc, Operation Varsity Blues hails from the creator behind Tiger King and Fyre, so you’d better start preparing those memes now.
Where to stream Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal
Bad Trip
Released March 26
No, this new Netflix movie is not about psychedelic drugs; rather, it’s about two best friends, Chris and Bud (Eric Andre and Lil Rel Howry), whose road trip quickly spirals out of control. As viewers soon learn, the duo has stolen a car from Bud’s sister (played by Tiffany Haddish), and they spend their entire ride attempting to evade her. Cue a series of pranks, hijinks, and mayhem that fans at home are sure to enjoy.
Where to watch Bad Trip
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Released March 29
Idris Elba may be People’s 2018 Sexiest Man Alive, but he’s not afraid to undergo a complete transformation for a role. In 2013, Elba looked unrecognizable as Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Road to Freedom, a film based on the former South African president’s autobiography. The critically-acclaimed biopic was nominated for a series of awards, including an Oscar and three Golden Globes, and won one for Best Original Song for U2’s “Ordinary Love.”
Where to stream Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
At Eternity’s Gate
Released March 31
Another Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated film, At Eternity’s Gate stars Willem Dafoe as renowned painter Vincent van Gogh. The drama is set primarily in the final years of van Gogh’s life and puts forth the controversial theory that the artist’s death was an accident, not a suicide, as has long been thought. While not exactly a box office juggernaut, At Eternity’s Gate was praised by critics, and Dafoe went on to earn a Golden Globe, Academy Award, Critics’ Choice Award, and Satellite Award for his performance, the latter of which he won.
Where to stream At Eternity’s Gate