The Best Movies, TV, Books and Music for March

Welcome to Culture Hound, InsideHook’s deep dive into the month’s most important cultural happenings, pop and otherwise.

WATCH: Us
Jordan Peele’s followup to Get Out looks equally disturbing. Here, a family vacation to the beach turns into a bizarre home-invasion plot, complete with doppelgangers and, based off the trailer, lots of scissors. Also, any movie with Lupita Nyong’o, Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker wins on casting alone. (March 22)

For more recommended flicks this month, including ‘Captain Marvel’ and Matthew McConaughey’s stoner romp ‘The Beach Bum,’ check out our 21 Movies You’ve Gotta See Between Now and April.

BUY/RENT: Life After Flash
You’re destined to be the next movie star, your first flick is a sci-fi blockbuster with a soundtrack by Queen … and then it call goes to hell. That’s the life of actor Sam J. Jones, who lost his shot at stardom with 1980s flop-turned-cult-hit Flash Gordon. This doc follows Jones’s unusual post-Hollywood career, and examines the legitimate impact Flash had on cinema. (March 26)

ENJOY: Love, Death and Robots
Directors Tim Miller (Deadpool) and David Fincher (Seven) team up for an R-rated animated sci-fi anthology where each short is 5-15 minutes long and features a different animation style. Favorite episode description: “Unleashed by an archaeological dig, a bloodthirsty demon battles a team of mercenaries armed with … cats?’” (March 15, Netflix)

BUY: JCRT Flannels
JCRT, an independent clothing company hand-designs plaid flannels, each influenced by a piece of pop culture. Namely, their Mixtape Collection, which draws inspo from classic ’80s and ’90s record sleeves like My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, The Clash’s London Calling, De La Soul’s Three Feet High and Rising, Depeche Mode’s Violator, The Cocteau Twins’ Heaven or Las Vegas, New Order’s Power Corruption and Lies and The Jesus and Mary Chain’s Psychocandy. Call it a sophisticated band-tee.

READ: Inspection
Yes, Josh Malerman wrote Bird Box, an incredibly disturbing apocalyptic novel that became a so-so Sandra Bullock flick/meme. But hey, his scares are better read than seen. In his latest book, two schools for gifted children are purposely hidden from the rest of the world — and each other. Without spoiling anything, it’s a bit Handmaid’s Tale, a little Lord of the Flies and penned by the best horror writer of the last five years. (March 19)

LAUGH: What We Do in the Shadows
The Office for bloodsuckers? Director Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) is behind this continuation/reimagining of the 2014 cult comedy flick, a cinema verite take on the day-to-day lives of vampires who live together in Staten Island. Of particular note: Colin, the energy vampire, who “bores you with a long conversation.” (March 27, FX)

LISTEN: Our monthly Spotify playlist
All of the month’s best new tunes from artists old and new, including tracks by Broken Social Scene, Lee Fields, Billie Eilish, Theophilus London and more.

And don’t forget … Was Green Book really that objectionable? No idea, but it’s out on Blu-ray (March 12), followed by people-pleasers Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (March 19) and Aquaman (March 26) … Surreal female nudes photo’d and printed on glass? Behold, the best NSFW avant garde pics of Russian shutterbug Sergei Romanov (March 19) … Action Bronson is a rapper, chef and, now, pot historian in Stoned Beyond Belief (March 19) … In opposite news, here’s what you can learn about yourself after running 26 Marathons (March 19) … Hanna is still the girl with powers on the run, but we’re not sure if the TV adaptation will keep the same kickass Chemical Brothers soundtrack (March 29, Prime Video) … And finally, we welcome the return of Happy (March 27, Syfy), Santa Clarita Diet (March 29, Netflix), The OA (March 22, Netflix), Barry (March 31) and Veep (March 31).