What I watched in March

I decided to change things up a bit on the blog this year and do a post about the movies I’ve watched each month. I’ll post the earlier posts at the bottom of this one, if you fancy a look.

March has been a funny one. There were a few movies scheduled for a March release that’ve been pushed back so this months list feels a bit lacking. Even so, here’s the list. As with all these posts, I’ll include a little description of the film, my thoughts and a star rating out of five.

The Invisible Man (2020)

Directed by Leigh Whannell

Summary

A woman, after the apparent suicide of her abusive and wealthy boyfriend, believes she is being stalked by him.

My thoughts

I knew I wanted to see this film as soon as I saw the trailers and various critics write-ups. The film starts quickly with Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) plotting her escape from her husband Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cowen). From that moment, you realise that you’re in for a tense, thrilling ride.

Though the thriller genre is done to death (and there’s already a previous Invisible Man film), Whannell reimagines the genre with a feminist edge, as Cecilia tries to reclaim her life.

Elisabeth Moss is the vulnerable, shaken but determined Cecilia. I’ve seen Moss in the odd film/TV show, and I loved her performance as Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale , and she definitely brings the same gritty, almost haunting energy to her performance. I spent half of the film feeling sorry for her and the other half punching the air in delight. Secondly, I have to mention Aldis Hodge who plays James – the man whom Cecilia stays with after escaping her husband- I loved his character and the way he, Cecilia and his daughter gelled with each other. I’ll also mention Oliver Jackson-Cowen as Adrian, I’d seen Jackson-Cowen in The Haunting of Hill House and this performance was similarly enthralling and a little bit haunting.

The film was wild. I loved the excitement and intrigue throughout, even if I did spend a lot of the film watching from behind my coat!

Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Begin Again (2013)

Directed by John Carney

Summary

A chance encounter between a disgraced music-business executive and a young singer-songwriter turns into a promising collaboration between two talents.

My thoughts

I’d seen this film advertised before but never got the chance to watch it. Luckily, I found the film on Netflix one night when we couldn’t think of what to watch. The film begins with Gretta (Kiera Knightley) singing in a pub, which leads to the chance encounter between two characters and the exciting and musical events that follow.

I’ve seen another of Carney’s films before (Sing Street, which I’d definitely recommend!) so I knew I was in for a rom-com with a bit of drama and plenty of music. I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest musical fan but I was glad there was plenty of heart and humour to cut through the singing (which could’ve got tiresome 😂).

The two main characters of the film, Gretta and Dan, are played by Kiera Knightley and Mark Ruffalo. Both characters had their own problems, Gretta’s breakup from with her boyfriend and collaborator Dave (played by Adam Levine, who was funny but very difficult to like – probably on purpose!) and Dan getting the sack from his high stakes job. I liked how they were brought together (it was predictable but didn’t seem forced or silly, like some films) and they worked really well together.

This film is a light hearted, musical offering. Nothing too special, but perfect if you want a chilled film to unwind over.

Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Quiet Place (2018)

Directed by John Krasinski

Summary

In a post apocalyptic world, a family is forced to live in silence while hiding from monsters with ultra sensitive hearing.

My thoughts

I’ve already seen this film but, in anticipation for the second instalment (which I had been looking forward to watching last month but, for obvious reasons, the release date has been pushed back), I thought I’d watch it again. The film begins with Evelyn (Emily Blunt) quietly gathering supplies for her family. Even though there’s barely any dialogue in the film, from that moment, you’re gripped.

The horror-sci-fi genre is done to death but Krasinski brings a movie that is shocking, thrilling and exhilarating from the start.

As well as writing and directing this film, John Krasinski also stars in it as Lee. I loved that he chose his actual wife, Emily Blunt, to play his on-screen wife as you could tell their connection was genuine. Like I mentioned, this film features minimal speech – if any – but all of the actors involved were incredible at conveying the confusion, shock and horror you’d feel in this scenario. The actors who played their children were also incredible as well, even if some of the decisions they made were incredibly frustrating!

The film is tense, captivating and I guarantee you’ll watch it in complete silence.

Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Knives Out (2019)

Directed by Rian Johnson

Summary

A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.

My thoughts

I’d missed this film when it was released but I managed to give it a watch last month. The film sets the scene that a murder has occurred and the crime is about to be solved.

I’m not the biggest fan of the mystery genre but Johnson brings a mystery film that is filled with intrigue, interesting characters and humour.

There’s a great cast in this film, chock-a-block with A-Listers like Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette and Don Johnson. The one person I’ll note here, though, is Daniel Craig. I’m not a Bond fan and I honestly can’t recollect if I’ve seen him any film before but, as Detective Benoit Blanc, he was incredible. Though his accent was a bit dodgy, I think he was captivating and humorous and I loved following the mystery through him.

The film is full of twists and turns and humour but, for me, it took a little bit to long to get to the big reveal.

Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Holiday in the Wild (2019)

Directed by Ernie Barbarash

Summary

Jilted by her husband on the eve of embarking on an African safari, a woman travels there alone and meets an elephant conversationist.

My thoughts

We came across this film browsing Netflix one day and thought we’d give it a watch. The film begins with Kate (Kristin Davis) watching her son, and her husband soon after, leave for their own adventures. Though it’s a little sad given she sets off after getting jilted, what follows is a fun film about finding yourself and, maybe, finding love.

I like a good romantic drama-comedy and Barbarash definitely gave us this with this film, full of beautiful settings, interesting characters and a touch of Christmas.

The two main characters are played by Kristin Davis and Rob Lowe respectively and I thought both were pretty good. Davis plays Kate, who is rebuilding her life after being jilted and Lowe plays Derek, a man she encounters on her trip. I’m used to watching similar films with younger lead characters but I loved the fact that we had these characters at different stages of their lives. Their relationship was sweet, funny at times and more realistic than a lot of the teen characters I’m used to.

The film was light, a bit humorous with a gorgeous setting. Perfect for injecting a bit of cheer into your life, which feels much needed right now.

Rating

⭐️⭐️.5

So that’s it for March movies! Have you seen any of these? Alternatively, what did you watch last month or what have you been watching this month? I’d love to chat in the comments 🎥