What’s New to Stream on Hulu for March 2022

Crossing the Streams is our look at all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month, and this time we’re checking out what’s new on Hulu for March 2022 including saucy thrillers, Hulu Originals, and more!

Hulu Pick of the Month for March 2022

Mass (2021, premieres March 26th) is one of 2021’s best films even if it never quite got the love it deserves. Hopefully, that can change as it rolls out to streaming and premieres on Hulu as it really is quite possibly the most affecting film you’ll see in some time. Fran Kranz — yes, that Fran Kranz — wrote and directed this emotional powerhouse about two couples meeting in the back room of a church to discuss the incident that saw their children cross paths. It’s no spoiler to say that incident is a school shooting, but the film wisely stays with the couples for the entirety with no flashbacks to the day in question. The focus here isn’t terror or salaciousness but forgiveness, understanding, and humanity itself. Martha Plimpton, Jason Isaacs, Reed Birney, and Ann Dowd are all aces here with easily the best ensemble performance of 2021, and while it’s not an easy watch it’s most definitely a rewarding one.

New Hulu Originals for March 2022

The streamers are filled with real-life stories about scammers and fraudsters, but one of the more interesting characters to emerge from the news is Elizabeth Holmes. The college dropout took Silicon Valley and the business sector by storm after co-founding (and being the face of) a company that promised to revolutionize the testing aspect of health care. Her age, her long blond hair, and her deep voice are all superficial aspects that were given more attention than they deserved, especially as they clouded the truth behind her claims. The Dropout comes from Elizabeth Meriwether (creator of New Girl) and stars Amanda Seyfried as Holmes with a supporting cast including Anne Archer, Naveen Andrews, Sam Waterston, Laurie Metcalf, Michael Ironside, William H. Macy, Stephen Fry, Kurtwood Smith, and more.

Relationship troubles and strange appetites are at the forefront of the new film Fresh which stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan. The pair start dating only for her to discover that he’s hiding a peculiar food craving — he’s a people eater! Reviews have been mixed so far, but the casting is appealing and the trailer suggests it could be a slick and funny genre mash-up. It’s a horror/comedy with a female perspective as it’s written by Lauryn Kahn and directed by Mimi Cave, and Stan is currently racking up views on the streamer’s Pam & Tommy limited series as well.

Speaking of new Hulu limited series, Life & Beth (premieres March 18th) is the story of a woman who seems to have it all. The cracks begin to show, though, and soon she’s heading upstate to find herself. She tries new things but also reflects on her childhood and the actions, choices, and events that shaped her adult self. The show stars Amy Schumer who also helped create and directs some of the episodes, and she’s joined by Michael Cera (where has he been?!), Michael Rapaport, Jon Glaser, David Byrne, and more.

Fun for Adults

Look, sometimes you just wanna get naughty, but life doesn’t always cooperate. In those instances, you can instead get a little dirty by proxy through cinema made by and for adults. No, not porn… I’m talking more along the lines of a Paul Verhoeven film. His latest, Benedetta (2021), is a deceptively fun ride through 17th century Italy as a nun experiences saucy visions and a sapphic nightlife. Reportedly based on a true story, the film stars Virginie Efira as a young nun who plays the church’s expectations against themselves landing her in power before it lands her in trouble. Funny, cruel, sexy, smart — it’s a Verhoeven!

Hulu’s keeping the balls rolling with the arrival of the new Romanian gem, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (2021, premieres March 17th). The film follows a schoolteacher whose career is threatened after a sex tape is leaked online. Puritanical parents want her fired, others feel it’s nobody’s business, and the film captures the resulting conversations with a darkly comical eye for sad truths. It really is a depressing movie, but it also builds to one of the most cheer-worthy finales you’ve seen in some time. Don’t watch it with kids in the room…

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Deep Water (premieres March 18th) surfaces this month after quietly disappearing off 20th Century’s theatrical release calendar. The film marks the return of director Adrian Lyne to the world of adult dramas/thrillers, and that’s big news as evidenced by his filmography — 9 1/2 Weeks (1986), Fatal Attraction (1987), Indecent Proposal (1993), Lolita (1997), Unfaithful (2002). This is also his return to filmmaking after two decades away, and he’s bringing some big guns in stars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas. They play a married couple, and while he turns a blind eye to her affairs he’s forced to face them head-on once the men start turning up murdered. Adding some class into the production is the fact that it’s based on a Patricia Highsmith novel, so yeah, we’re looking forward to this one.

Bangers from the 90s

Hollywood may have inexplicably lost interest in adapting John Grisham novels, but the 90s was full of them. The Firm (1993) was the first and remains arguably the best, and stars Tom Cruise as a young attorney who discovers he’s working for some very bad people. Sydney Pollack directs, and they’re joined by a crazy great cast including Gene Hackman, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Hal Holbrook, Ed Harris, Wilford Brimley, Holly Hunter, David Strathairn, Gary Busey, Margo Martindale, and more. It remains a terrifically entertaining and suspenseful film with great character beats punctuated with action, tension, and a high degree of rewatchability.

A better world would have seen Carl Franklin’s Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) kick off a franchise of Walter Mosley adaptations starring Denzel Washington as Easy Rawlins. This is the only world, though, meaning this is the only adaptation we have. Luckily, it’s a damn fine film capturing the atmosphere of 40s Los Angeles through the eyes of a Black private eye attempting to find a missing white woman. Engaging characters, a densely plotted tale involving politicians and crooks, and a supporting cast that includes Tom Sizemore, Jennifer Beals, and Don Cheadle all make for a terrific thriller.

Of course, when it comes to period mysteries set in Los Angeles, few can beat Curtis Hanson’s masterpiece, L.A. Confidential (1997). James Ellroy’s novel comes alive with a script by Hanson and Brian Helgeland and a cast that includes Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, David Strathairn, and Simon Baker. Yes, Kevin Spacey is here too, but he’s great and not even his real-life assholery can ruin the film’s perfect pacing and blend of character beats, suspense, drama, romance, and action. Good gravy is this still an absolute class act of a film.

Speaking of class acts, the legendary Michael Mann’s The Insider (1999) is also available to stream and absolutely worth your time. Far from the filmmaker’s flashiest work, it’s still among his best as it tells the true story about a whistleblower amid the tobacco company giants. Russell Crowe stars as a scientist who goes public with truths the companies would rather the public not hear, and their retribution is severe. Drama and suspense are equal partners here alongside Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer, Philip Baker Hall, Gina Gershon, Rip Torn, and many more talented actors. It might lack the action setpieces of Heat (1995) or Manhunter (1986), but it’s no less engrossing.

Finally, when talking fantastically cast, beautifully directed, and deviously written thrillers of the 90s, you have to include The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999). The late Anthony Minghella adapts Patricia Highsmith’s novel about a young conman with dangerous ambitions. Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and more bring this lushly photographed tale of deception and wealth to life. The film smothers viewers in atmosphere and lives beyond their own, and it remains a masterclass.

The Complete Hulu List for March 2022

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