March is already here, which means Spring is just around the corner! Soon, the big Summer blockbusters will begin appearing in theaters, but for now, some of last year’s biggest and buzziest movies are arriving at the library to tide us over. Whether you want fun family fare, sci-fi adventure, or something more grounded in reality, there is something coming out for every taste!
QUEEN & SLIM
While on a forgettable first date together in Ohio, a black man (Daniel Kaluuya) and a black woman (Jodie Turner-Smith), are pulled over for a minor traffic infraction. The situation escalates, with sudden and tragic results, when the man kills the police officer in self-defense. Terrified and in fear for their lives, the man, a retail employee, and the woman, a criminal defense lawyer, are forced to go on the run. But the incident is captured on video and goes viral, and the couple unwittingly become a symbol of trauma, terror, grief and pain for people across the country. As they drive, these two unlikely fugitives will discover themselves and each other in the most dire and desperate of circumstances, and will forge a deep and powerful love that will reveal their shared humanity and shape the rest of their lives.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“This is one of the best and most important movies of the year.” – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
“There’s a particular thrill when all of a film’s many story elements — here, so dense with symbolism — come together with such thematic and emotional vigor. That intensity pairs exquisitely with the tenderness the film never wants to lose sight of.” – Inkoo Kang, Slate
“Marked by a pair of powerful lead performances, Queen & Slim is a stunning feature directing debut by Melina Matsoukas.” – Joi Childs, IGN
Available Formats (3/3):
Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
DARK WATERS
Inspired by a shocking true story, a tenacious attorney (Mark Ruffalo) uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of unexplained deaths due to one of the world’s largest corporations. In the process, he risks everything – his future, his family, and his own life – to expose the truth.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“A great movie like Dark Waters reminds us of what happened, of just what the ‘system’ failed to do to safeguard us. And it reminds us of what a legal crusade looks like — a years-long grind of discovery, depositions, evidence and trials, and to be thankful for dogged, dull pluggers like Robert Bilott who stopped a mass murder in progress, armed with only a degree from ‘a no name law school.'” – Roger Moore, Movie Nation
“Riveting, responsible and deeply unsettling, a first-rate film like Dark Waters is a rare and welcome chapter in the dramatic fabric of how one unlikely person can make a big dent in the world of social injustice.” – Rex Reed, Observer
“What gives Dark Waters its singular texture is that Todd Haynes (Carol, Far From Heaven), who has never made a drama remotely like this, colors in the scenario with an underlying dimension of personalized obsession.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Available Formats (3/3):
Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
PLAYMOBIL: THE MOVIE
In PLAYMOBIL’s® animated action adventure, a top secret organization has caused citizens from different lands to vanish from thin air. The dashing and charismatic secret agent Rex Dasher (Daniel Radcliffe) must partner with smooth-talking food truck driver Del (Jim Gaffigan) and Marla (Anya Taylor-Joy) a smart, savvy civilian with her own secret agenda, to rescue them. Against unthinkable odds, the trio go on a fantastic journey across stunning new worlds as they gather clues for their rescue mission.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“While a lot of modern kids’ movies (especially those based on toys or apps) feel crass and cheap, Playmobil is heartfelt and earnest. It doesn’t have much to offer childfree moviegoers, and it does mostly feel like The Lego Movie with the serial numbers filed off. But it’s the sort of film that will keep kids entertained without driving their parents crazy.” – Caroline Siede, Polygon
Available Formats (3/3):
Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
TITANS: SEASON 2
Dick Grayson aka Robin (Brenton Thwaites), Rachel Roth aka Raven (Teagan Croft) team up with Gar Logan aka Beast Boy (Ryan Potter) and Koriand’r aka Starfire (Anna Diop) to defend Earth from destruction in this live-action series based on the Teen Titans characters.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“Superheroes, mysteries and brawls, Titans has it all.” – Nick Venable, CinemaBlend
“This series might not appeal to longterm fans of the Superman mythos, especially those who really believe in the innocence of Krypto. But for those who don’t mind their Krypto getting a little blood in his mouth, Titans will be a surprising change.” – J.K. Schmidt, ComicBook.com
“Despite leaning a little too hard on ‘gritty’ at times, Titans remains a solid show with much to recommend it. It is solidly-acted, beautifully-shot, and even the bits that miss – Iain Glen’s Bruce Wayne – are not far off the mark.” – Alan Boon, Starburst
Available Formats (3/3):
DVD
BOMBSHELL
A group of women decide to take on Fox News head Roger Ailes and the toxic atmosphere he presided over the network.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“A superb drama about sexual harassment at Fox News.” – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
“Bombshell is a scalding and powerful movie about what selling, in America, has become. The film is about selling sex, selling a candidate, selling yourself, selling the truth. And about how at Fox News all those things came together.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“An explosive piece of entertainment that also means to make a difference. Listen up.” – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Available Formats (3/10):
Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
UNCUT GEMS
Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a charismatic New York City jeweler, is always on the lookout for the next big score. When he makes a series of high-stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime, Howard must perform a precarious high-wire act, balancing business, family, and encroaching adversaries on all sides, in his relentless pursuit of the ultimate win.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“For me, Uncut Gems is the most exhilarating movie experience of the past year. It’s a film that is impossible to sit back and watch passively – a clenched-muscle collision of overstimulation.” – Wendy Ide, The Observer
“It’s a remarkable work of feral filmmaking that makes everything else feel domesticated by comparison.” – Vince Mancini, Uproxx
“Can a movie that generates steady-state anxiety also function as entertainment? Yes it can, and Adam Sandler is here to prove it in Uncut Gems, a hard-edged and hard-charging phenomenon directed by Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie from a screenplay the brothers wrote with Ronald Bronstein. Mr. Sandler is flat-out sensational as Howard Ratner.” – Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
Available Formats (3/10):
Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
SPIES IN DISGUISE
Super spy Lance Sterling (Will Smith) and scientist Walter Beckett (Tom Holland) are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair. Walter is… not. But when events take an unexpected turn, this unlikely duo are forced to team up for the ultimate mission that will require an almost impossible disguise – transforming Lance into the brave, fierce, majestic… pigeon. Walter and Lance suddenly have to work as a team, or the whole world is in peril.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“This is terrific family entertainment.” – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
“The humor includes enough slapstick and gross-out gags to keep the kids entertained, but there are clever callbacks and meta-jokes for older audiences to chuckle at as well.” – Thomas Floyd, Washington Post
“It’s a proud piece of family entertainment with a good heart, an eye for inventive action, and a delightfully wacky sense of humor.” – Christian Holub, Entertainment Weekly
Available Formats (3/10):
Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
CHARLIE’S ANGELS
Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska are working for the mysterious Charles Townsend, whose security and investigative agency has expanded internationally. With the world’s smartest, bravest, and most highly trained women all over the globe, there are now teams of Angels guided by multiple Bosleys taking on the toughest jobs everywhere.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“What could have been a watery rehash is a fresh, exciting update on an attractive story that previously got lost in its own glamour. Do not underestimate these women.” – Ella Kemp, Empire
“This heavenly action-comedy takes on familiar elements of John Wick and James Bond but is sufficiently empowering – ‘Women can do anything’ is literally the first line in the movie. There’s also an unexpectedly dark edge throughout for the new Angels, from gallows humor to actual dangerous stakes for our butt-kicking crew.” – Brian Truitt, USA Today
“Banks’ enthusiasm and respect for the history of this franchise takes it from retrograde to fresh within minutes.” – Garrett Mitchell, Arizona Republic
Available Formats (3/10):
Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL
In Jumanji: The Next Level, the gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, they discover that nothing is as they expect. The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored, from the arid deserts to the snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“Welcome to the Jungle didn’t need a follow-up, but The Next Level actually ups the ante, rebuking flagging reboots by addressing its material thoughtfully. It makes the return to the jungle a thrill, and, crucially, makes it easy to imagine coming back for more.” – Karen Han, Polygon
“Jumanji: The Next Level is a fast-paced thrill ride, and fans of the original will not be dissatisfied. The writing is just as smart as the first, and the main cast revives its original magic.” – Alan Ng, Film Threat
“The Next Level works precisely for the same reasons why Welcome to the Jungle did. It’s never boring, it’s genuinely funny in a way that’s family friendly but still clever, and the cast’s chemistry is outstanding – it just works.” – Sarah Hagi, The Globe and Mail
Available Formats (3/17):
Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
RICHARD JEWELL
The world is first introduced to Richard Jewell as the security guard who reports finding the device at the 1996 Atlanta bombing—his report making him a hero whose swift actions save countless lives. But within days, the law enforcement wannabe becomes the FBI’s number one suspect, vilified by press and public alike, his life ripped apart. Reaching out to independent, anti-establishment attorney Watson Bryant, Jewell staunchly professes his innocence. But Bryant finds he is out of his depth as he fights the combined powers of the FBI, GBI and APD to clear his client’s name, while keeping Richard from trusting the very people trying to destroy him.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“Yes, this is a great one, and a magnificent centerpiece performance by an unknown actor named Paul Walter Hauser in the title role is a major reason it is so unforgettable.” – Rex Reed, Observer
“Jewell is not just a man, but a type, and his story is a warning, not just about the excesses of power, but about our own reflexive assumptions. Paul Walter Hauser gives us the soul of a man that deserved respect even before he did something heroic, but one that people might never have noticed.” – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
“Eastwood once again takes a sharp stab at America’s penchant for attacking first, asking questions later.” – Alex Saveliev, Film Threat
Available Formats (3/17):
Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
BLACK CHRISTMAS
Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays. But as Riley Stone (Imogen Poots) and her Mu Kappa Epsilon sisters-athlete Marty (Lily Donoghue), rebel Kris (Aleyse Shannon), and foodie Jesse (Brittany O’Grady)-prepare to deck the halls with a series of seasonal parties, a black-masked stalker begins killing sorority women one by one. As the body count rises, Riley and her squad start to question whether they can trust any man, including Marty’s beta-male boyfriend, Nate (Simon Mead), Riley’s new crush Landon (Caleb Eberhardt) or even esteemed classics instructor Professor Gelson (Cary Elwes). Whoever the killer is, he’s about to discover that this generation’s young women aren’t about to be anybody’s victims.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“Blended brilliantly, this remake of Black Christmas makes for holiday horror that’s a tantalizing and terrifying treat.” – Christie Puchko, IGN
“Black Christmas is a fun film that gets its kicks out of literally smashing the patriarchy.” – Kimber Myers, Los Angeles Times
“Using the hyper-gendered spaces of college Greek life as a fertile palette, Takal and her co-writer April Wolfe skewer toxic masculinity, the white male literary canon, rape culture, patriarchy, and white male rage — all wrapped up with a bow in the stylishly entertaining package of a studio-backed holiday horror.” – Jude Dry, IndieWire
Available Formats (3/17):
Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
1917
At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers—Blake’s own brother among them.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“Perhaps no film can capture the enormity of that war, which left around 17 million dead, and generations to grieve. Director Sam Mendes wisely takes the opposite approach, personalising the experience through two young British soldiers sent on a harrowing, high-stakes, night-long mission, he creates a film that is tense, exhilarating and profoundly moving.” – Caryn James, BBC
“With brilliant, innovative, claustrophobically effective directing choices by Mendes, Oscar-worthy cinematography from the living legend Roger Deakins and strong, raw performances from the two young leads, 1917 is a unique viewing experience you won’t soon shake off.” – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
“1917 is a modern war classic and one of the best movies of the year.” – Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post
Available Formats (3/24):
Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
THE GRUDGE
After a young mother murders her family in her own house, a single mother and young detective tries to investigate and solve the case. Later, she discovers the house is cursed by a vengeful ghost that dooms those who enter it with a violent death. Now, she runs to save herself and her son from demonic spirits from the cursed house in her neighborhood.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“Can you recommend a horror movie based on its impressive meanness? Meet Nicolas Pesce’s new and improved take on The Grudge, which is often as nasty as you want it to be, its cheesy jump-scares and generic packaging be damned.” – Nick Allen, RogerEbert.com
“An upper-tier addition to a long running horror franchise.” – Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle
“This is not a ‘fun’ horror picture. It’s about miseries both supernatural and mundane. And, yes, it’s scary. Pesce’s art-film roots are evident in the movie’s slow-burn first hour. But in the final third, The Grudge piles on the explicit gore and jump scares — all leading to a final scene and final shot as terrifying as anything in the original series.” – Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times
Available Formats (3/24):
Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
STAR WARS: EPISODE IX – THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
No one’s ever really gone… Rey’s journey continues and the Skywalker saga concludes in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“The movie snaps together like a jigsaw puzzle, a series of concluding beats that seem inevitable and perfect, and designed to please all parties, so long as you don’t dwell on the logic too much.” – Jordan Hoffman, The Guardian
“It’s a breakneck conclusion to what’s been a breakneck restart.” – Michael Roffman, Consequence of Sound
“The Rise of Skywalker completes a saga no one sane screenwriter would have dreampt up from scratch, but does so with such pluck and showmanship that the result feels strangely precious: a busked epic whose every individual move comes straight from the heart.” – Robbie Colin, The Telegraph
Available Formats (3/31):
Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
THE CURRENT WAR
Three brilliant visionaries set off in a charged battle for the future in The Current War, the epic story of the cutthroat competition that literally lit up the modern world. Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) is on the verge of bringing electricity to Manhattan with his radical new DC technology. On the eve of triumph, his plans are upended by charismatic businessman George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), who believes he and his partner, the upstart genius Nikolai Tesla (Nicholas Hoult), have a superior idea for how to rapidly electrify America: with AC current. As Edison and Westinghouse grapple for who will power the nation, they spark one of the first and greatest corporate feuds in American history, establishing for future Titans of Industry the need to break all the rules.
Description and score provided by Metacritic.
“The Current War is a remarkable period piece, one that evokes the transition from the era of soot and gaslights to the electrical age. The script by Michael Mitnick does not take sides, instead letting the two forefathers of the age of amperes jostle for a multitude of reasons: commerce, ambition, greed, intellectual drive, hubris, and a genuine aim to make the world a better place.” – Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle
“The Current War is even better than it has to be. Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung give the film a swooping elegance, so that shots that start as close-ups gracefully glide into medium shots, and medium shots give way to vistas. The camera is always moving in a way that suggests grace and flow.” – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
“Conversations about competing business strategies, which take up a great deal of The Current War, would seem to be a recipe for a dull movie. But the fervor and intelligence Cumberbatch and Shannon bring to their roles make for a gripping experience.” – Soren Andersen, Seattle Times