Although undeniably a major triumph, the release of 2021’s Dune was hampered by pandemic complications that saw it premiere in theaters and streaming on the same day, which only serves to make Dune: Part Two feel like more of a grand occasion. Director Denis Villeneuve spoke to Mia Lee Vicino about the film’s visual influences, and we also heard from co-stars Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista and Stellan Skarsgård. “In an age of hundred-million-dollar blockbusters that never quite manage to justify their cost, Dune: Part Two feels like nothing short of a miracle,” hails Ana. “A staggering and scale-expanding bookend to that first movie, but also a formal expansion on every moving part and idea in it,” raves Calvin. “Epic filmmaking on a scale that we haven’t seen since The Return of the King,” exalts Alan. Rendy, on the other hand, simply enjoyed seeing Wonka and Elvis fight: “Can’t believe one of the most intense and thoroughly orchestrated hand-to-hand fight sequences I’ve ever seen involves two of Hollywood’s it white boys duking it out. Denis, your spicy power.” Now in theaters.

Salvadoran polymath Julio Torres, who has built up a following with his short-lived wonder of a TV series Los Espookys and as the writer of the iconic Ryan Gosling-fronted Avatar/Papyrus SNL sketch, makes his feature writing/​directing debut with Problemista. Torres also stars as an aspiring toy designer forced to work for a demanding art critic (Tilda Swinton) in order to remain in America. Strong film-nerd energy shines through in everything Torres does, making this A24 release a very Letterboxd-friendly proposition indeed. “Cute, visually imaginative, messy, very funny, relatable in its musings on the absolute nightmare of American job hunting,” says Coffee. Coleman adores “the way this explodes Julio Torres’ obsession with the microscopic mundanity of life and all of its silly dramatics into outrageous color.” Ryan reckons it “contains some of the funniest lines, line deliveries, and running gags of the year.” Now in select US theaters.

Adam Sandler’s long association with Netflix has mostly generated comedy movies that play to his established comedic persona, like Murder Mystery 2 and Hubie Halloween. 2022’s basketball drama Hustle subverted the formula somewhat, and this month the Sandman ventures even further outside his regular wheelhouse with esoteric sci-fi oddity Spaceman, in which Sandler plays a solo astronaut having weird encounters out in the vast beyond. It’s “one of his best performances to date”, Benji reckons, adding that “Paul Dano is great as a spider”. Watch both actors give their four (and more) faves, which include ’70s hits Serpico and Five Easy Pieces. Martin urges us not to overlook this film as other recent contemplative space movies have been, assuring that Spaceman “offers an intriguing blend of existential aesthetics similar to classics like Solaris, and a yassified spectacle of a more contemporary space sci-fi.” Now on Netflix.

I often lament the lack of R-rated contemporary comedies in this newsletter, so it behooves me to acknowledge that Peter Farrelly and Prime Video have possibly come to the rescue with a little movie called Ricky Stanicky. Farrelly, an Oscar-winner for Green Book, has form in this arena as one-half of the team that directed There’s Something About Mary, one of the most successful R-rated comedies ever. He also co-directed Hall Pass. Ricky Stanicky stars Zac Efron (who also led Farrelly’s Green Book follow-up, The Greatest Beer Run Ever), as one of a trio of pals who have all repeatedly used the titular fictional friend to get out of obligations to their loved ones. On the verge of having their life-long deception revealed, they hire an actor (John Cena) to pretend to be Stanicky; throwback comedy hijinks ensue. On Prime Video March 7.

Following a rapturously received premiere just a few weeks ago at Sundance (where it was cited by our team as one of the best of the festival), A24 is giving stylized lesbian body-horror-noir Love Lies Bleeding a pretty decent theatrical bow in the US from March 8. Kristen Stewart plays a gym manager who meets a bodybuilder (Mandalorian breakout Katy O’Brian) and things get intense very quickly. “If you are into queer violent genre films that are funny, sexy, freaky and wild as sh*t, it’s a damn good day to be you if you’re watching this,” is Kit’s endorsement. “A pulsating queer thriller jacked up on sex, flesh, metal and poison,” promises Sydney. Love Lies Bleeding is the sophomore feature from Saint Maud director Rose Glass, and Joe is ready to announce that the filmmaker “is this generation’s Cronenberg and we are so lucky to be witnessing her ascension”. In US theaters March 8.

Despite occasional missteps (The Exorcist: Believer), Blumhouse remains today’s best-performing producer of mainstream horror, a genre that seems to become more critical to the survival of theatrical exhibition with every passing month. Arguably the most successfully branded studio outside of Disney, Blumhouse’s latest offering is called Imaginary, and concerns a stuffed toy bear, that is actually an imaginary friend, or possibly a vengeful monster. Directed and co-written by Blumhouse’s go-to-guy Jeff Wadlow (Truth or Dare, Fantasy Island) this movie is getting a jump on John Krasinki’s upcoming Ryan Reynolds-starrer IF, which promises a gentler take on the notion that imaginary friends are real. In theaters March 8.

Like Adam Sandler, Millie Bobby Brown is a star whose fortunes are currently somewhat tied to Netflix. Aside from her two Godzilla movies, the Stranger Things breakout pretty much only appears in Netflix projects. She’s already established the Enola Holmes franchise there, and now has Damsel, which looks like even more of a star vehicle than portraying Sherlock Holmes’ sister has been (where she had to share the screen with Henry Cavill). Seeking to subvert fairy-tale tropes, perhaps in an aspirationally similar manner to co-star Robin Wright’s prior movie The Princess Bride, Damsel has Brown playing the traditionally rescued titular figure who steps up to take control of her own destiny when she is offered as a sacrifice to a dragon. On Netflix March 8.

Rounding out a big couple of weeks for queer visibility in theaters, Glitter & Doom is a new romantic musical set to the songs of legendary folk rockers Indigo Girls, whose hit song ‘Closer to Fine’ soundtracks the Barbie travel-montage. “If only most queer romances had as much ambition and creativity,” laments Jamie. “Pros: handsome actors, strong singing voices and colorful cinematography. Cons: The lads mumble,” remarks RainbowGlasses. Isabel calls it a “fun, campy, and unapologetically cheesy gay romance musical.” For more Amy and Emily nerdery, Alexandria Bombach’s recent documentary It’s Only Life After All is a great journey through the Indigo Girls’ story. In select US theaters March 8.