Neon continues to bring in a convoy of quality shows and films. See our handpicked highlights below followed by the full release schedule.
Top picks: TV
Rain Dogs (March 8)
Dang, now I just want to listen to that Tom Waits album again. British comedy talent Daisy May Cooper stars in this funny yet fearless series full of harsh truths about the sacrifices parents make for their kids—especially parents dealing with the brutal cycle of poverty. Mum Costello (Cooper) will do anything for her precocious daughter Iris, and luckily they have a chaotic found family of ex-lovers and besties to support them. But the temptation to act crooked in a crooked world will challenge the pair, and trying to play fair from the fringes of society might not be enough.
Yellowjackets: Season 2 (March 24)
I’m not emotionally prepared for a new season of survival-horror-drama Yellowjackets, the female-driven saga of a 1990s high school hockey team going all Lord of the Flies on one another and now reckoning with the ghosts of their past in the present day.
The cast? Excellent, both in the fresh young talent of the past storyline and the juggernaut actresses in the present day (queens Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci, Tawny Cypress and Juliette Lewis). The drama? Unbearably tense, with the obvious suggestions of cannibalism hopefully (hopefully!!!) coming to fruition in season 2. The mystery? Let’s hope the showrunners haven’t become caught up in fandom speculation, and have a bold, bewitching plan for where to take our stranded girlies.
Succession: Season 4 (March 27)
Oh how the turntables have turned. The dynamic change in the Roy siblings since season one of this acclaimed, brilliantly written business comedy is obvious, with their surprising solidarity in season three’s finale a world away from their competitive bitchiness back in the day. We suspect it’ll be tested beyond its limits in these hugely anticipated new episodes, with monster dad Logan (Brian Cox) now seeing that his kiddos are out from under his thumb, if not invulnerable to his spiteful scheming. And now Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and Greg (Nicholas Braun) have signed away their souls to the dad side, too: prepare for more Shakespearean boardroom backstabbing and genius f-bomb-laden insults.
Top picks: Movies
Muru (March 1)
The 2007 Tūhoe police raids are masterfully, if not furiously, brought to life in this Aotearoa action-thriller from director Tearepa Kahi. Sometimes, the pathos of real history and Indigenous memory provides cinematic clout in itself, and Cliff Curtis keeps his star role grounded as a cop caught between loyalty to his badge and love of his people. In Rachel Ashby’s review, she praised that “Muru is something much larger and more complex than any one moment in time. The boldness of the story and the method of its telling make it a riveting and essential watch.”
Nope (March 9)
Guess which western/sci-fi spectacle was voted as our absolute fave film of 2022. Jordan Peele’s haunting, thought-provoking tale of siblings up against a mysterious alien force is, I’d say, much more effective upon rewatch. It’s got a funny rhythm that doesn’t quite come together until that awesome horse-riding, inflatable-flailing-arm-man-chasing climax, so entering the world of OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer) a second time brings the themes of spectatorship, fame, shame and trauma out in a much bolder way. The Gordy’s Home subplot is one of my favourite horror moments I’ve ever seen, right from that skin-crawling opening scene.
Elvis (March 21)
Austin Butler is winning a hunk-a-hunk-a burnin’ awards for his full-bodied transformation into The King in Baz Luhrmann’s predictably flamboyant biopic, and now you can stream it from the comfort of home to find out why. He’s exceptional particularly in Elvis’ paunchy, medicated Vegas years, bringing all the cowboy confidence and musicality of Presley roaring to life. I just wish Baz had relied on a few more of his over-caffeinated, anachronistic musical touches: the film isn’t as whirlwind-wild as, say, Moulin Rouge, and the narratorial focus on Tom Hanks’ goofy manager Colonel Tom was a bit of a misstep. Still: a new King has entered the building, baby.
Everything Coming to Neon this March
March 1
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Muru
Santiago of the Seas: Season 1 Part B
War of the Worlds
March 2
Best Sellers
The Equalizer: Season 2
Lansky
March 3
Prisoners of the Ghostland
March 4
The Boss Baby
No Man Of God
The Walking Dead: Season 10 Part C
March 5
James & Isey
Ride The Eagle
White Elephant
March 6
Infinite Sotmr
March 7
Perry Mason: Season 2
Zombieland
March 8
Dear John
Kiri and Lou
Rain Dogs
March 9
Nope
March 10
Haywire
March 11
The Inbetweeners Movie
The Inbetweeners 2
March 12
Gran Torino
Stan Lee’s Lucky Man: Seasons 1-3
March 14
Blockers
On Deadly Ground
March 15
Catfish UK
The Choice
March 16
Mr. Malcolm’s List
March 17
Bumblebee
Gotham Knights
March 18
The Other Guys
March 19
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
March 20
The Taking of Pelham 123
March 21
Elvis
A Streetcar Named Desire
March 22
The Lucky One
Shimmer and Shine: Seasons 3-4
March 23
Curious George 6: Cape Ahoy
The Last Ship: Seasons 1-5
March 24
Ghost Rider
Yellowjackets: Season 2
March 25
Baywatch
Drama Club
March 26
Ben-Hur
A Town Called Malice
March 27
Succession: Season 4
March 28
Where the Crawdads Sing
March 29
Dance Academy
Guessable: Season 1
March 20
Beast
