February 2024 is dead; long live March 2024! Last month was such a buzzkill, with terrible movies playing in the theater (Madame Web) and at home (Netflix’s Lift, which didn’t lift anyone’s spirits). This month promises more great films (Dune: Part Two is here!) and shows (The Gentlemen is just around the corner).
To celebrate the beginning of March, Digital Trends has a suggestion for you: stay in, log on to Hulu, and watch the movies on this list. One is an underrated British murder mystery, another is an Oscar-nominated film noir from 2021, and the final recommended movie is a serial killer thriller that is made for fans of The Silence of the Lambs.
The Oxford Murders (2010)
Here’s a dandy little murder mystery for fans who like cozy British crime thrillers. In The Oxford Murders, Elijah Wood stars as Martin, an American student who is about to study at the titular school of higher learning. Martin takes up residence at the home of Mrs. Eagleton (Anna Massey), who is being cared for by her daughter Beth (Julie Cox). Martin attempts to impress one of his professors at school, the legendary mathematician Arthur Seldom (John Hurt), but only embarrasses himself. One day, he discovers Mrs. Eagleton has been murdered and teams up with Seldom to solve the crime.
There are two reasons to watch The Oxford Murders. The first is to witness Wood and Hurt’s comically prickly repartee as they try to solve a seemingly unsolvable murder. The second is to witness the movie’s ending, which is only revealed after you think the movie is over. It’s a clever whodunit, even if it’s a bit unbelievable.
Nightmare Alley (2021)
Can a movie be nominated for Best Picture and still be underrated? In the case of Nightmare Alley, the answer is yes. The 2021 Guillermo Del Toro remake of the classic 1947 film noir stars Bradley Cooper as Stanton “Stan” Carlisle, a Depression-era professional con man whose latest grift is convincing people he can talk to the dead. From a traveling circus to the upper echelons of high society, Stan showcases his prowess at tricking people out of their hard-earned cash until he meets a woman who could be his match: Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett).
Nightmare Alley is one of those movies that sneaks up on you and only gets better the more you think about it. The acting is superb, with Cooper turning in his finest work ever as the increasingly desperate Stan and Blanchett turning Lilith into one of the great femme fatales of the silver screen. It’s Del Toro, though, who impresses the most; his direction has never been so assured and so precise. The movie is a tad long, but it’s worth it, and the ending will hit you like one of Del Toro’s beloved kaijus from Pacific Rim.
Boston Strangler (2023)
Boston Strangler plays like Diet David Fincher; it’s not as flavorful as the original, but it still satisfies. Based on real-life events, the film takes place in 1960s Boston. It follows reporters Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley, terrific as usual) and Jean Cole (Carrie Coon, who doesn’t get as much to do as her co-star) investigate the rape and murder of several women by a serial killer later named by the Boston Record American as the Boston Strangler.
With the publication of their series of newspaper articles, McLaughlin and Cole reveal a botched police investigation that may have helped the killer claim more victims. This puts both women at risk, not only from the killer, but also a resentful police force. Boston Strangler can’t entirely escape the shadow of better movies like Zodiac, but it’s still captivating to watch. It will make you want to check the locks on your doors one more time after you’ve finished the movie.
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