Natalie Portman in Annihilation, which arrives on Netflix March 12. Photo / Netflix
Natalie Portman in Annihilation, which arrives on Netflix March 12. Photo / Netflix
Netflix
Annihilation
While its release has been hampered by disagreements between producers, Annihilation finally arrives on Netflix this month after a flood of glowing reviews in the US. Natalie Portman leads this female-led sci-fi thriller about an expedition into an ecologically mysterious zone, with Ex Machina's Alex Garland on directingduties. Prepare to be dazzled; Annihilation has been described by critics as "unforgettably mind-bending".
Crime drama's winning streak is set to continue with this politically potent miniseries that takes place over four days in London. Carey Mulligan leads Collateral as Kip Glaspie, a detective assigned to investigate the seemingly random death of a pizza delivery man. The tragedy changes the lives of a multitude of interconnected characters, leading Glaspie down a rabbit hole of increasingly dark secrets.
Available March 9
Jessica Jones Season 2
Arguably the best of Marvel's Netflix shows, Jessica Jones returns this month for a second season two years on from its first. This season will pick up on the gritty hero's story after her confrontation with her nemesis Kilgrave, with Jones putting her life back together as she takes on a new case that digs up memories of her past.
In what looks like another tightly wound sci-fi head-scratcher (a la Westworld and Altered Carbon), Counterpart follows Howard Silk, a UN agent played by J.K. Simmons, who discovers his agency is guarding none other than a gateway to a parallel dimension. Things get weirder when Silk meets his completely identical "counterpart" from the other side. Prepare to get hooked – Counterpart was unanimously praised over in the States, with a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Season 1 begins weekly March 12
Halt and Catch Fire Season 4
Underseen, underrated, but beloved by its fans, Halt and Catch Fire's fourth and final season arrives on Neon this month. Set in the 1980s, this acclaimed show follows some of the innovators behind the personal computing boom of the era. Starring Lee Pace (The Hobbit) and Mackenzie Davis (Black Mirror), Halt and Catch Fire draws to a close in this character-driven, delicately crafted final season.
Season 4 available from March 13
Get Out
A tightly-wound horror film that delivers a biting commentary on race in Trump's America, Get Out was one of 2017's most successful and culturally relevant films. It arrives on Neon just a week after the Academy Awards, where it's up for four Oscars. Regardless of whether it wins or not, Get Out is well worth watching (and watching again).
The reboot avalanche is well and truly upon us, continuing this month with a TV series based on the iconic 80s film Heathers. The show reimagines the film as a black comedy anthology series that modernises the story, with lead character Veronica Sawyer dealing with a different and diverse – though equally scathing – group of Heathers. Weekly episodes begin March 8
For The People
This is Shonda Rhimes' world and we're living in it. The powerhouse behind Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder is back with For The People, a legal drama following a group of newly-graduated lawyers as they handle some of the most high-profile cases in the US. It'll be worth watching to see actress Britt Robertson given a second chance as a TV lead after Netflix cancelled her show Girlboss.
Weekly episodes begin March 14
Poker Face Comedy for a good cause is the central mantra of this web show, in which comedians have to do their best to make a local celebrity laugh. With a roster of guests such as Hilary Barry and Matilda Rice, this brilliantly simple concept promises some big laughs.
Lightbox has made the exciting new step of creating its own original local content, beginning with an expansion of the web series High Road. The eight, 30-minute episodes will follow washed-up rock star Terry Huffer as he moves to New Zealand and starts a community radio station in Piha. Alongside local talent, High Road stars none other than UK legend Emma Thompson as herself.
Season 1 available March 30
Mark Mitchinson and Jennifer Ward-Lealand in High Road. Photo / supplied
Mr Mercedes
Another twisted and gripping idea from the brain of Stephen King comes to life in this 10-part thriller, starring Brendan Gleeson as a cop who begins to receive messages from a serial killer who walked free two years before. With a strong supporting cast including Harry Treadaway and Mary-Louise Parker, Mr Mercedes premiered to strong reviews in the US last year.
This is one for the anti-romantics among us. A hate-love story between two narcissistic, cynical and all-round unlikeable people who fall accidentally in love, You're the Worst takes a bitingly funny look at modern-day romance. Created by Stephen Falk (Weeds, Orange is the New Black), the first three seasons of this hit comedy arrive on Lightbox this month.
