With the chaotic Oscars and March behind us, now we can get into the rest of the movies and TV this year has to offer. The last week of the third month of the year didn’t disappoint, though. Moon Knight arrived on Disney+ halfway through the week, FX’s Atlanta Season 3 is still going strong with an incredible third episode, and Hulu is debuting a series titled The Girl from Plainville, which is based on yet another bizarre real-life news story people couldn’t get enough of. If you’re looking for a laugh and perhaps even some soul searching, Jerrod Charmichael is debuting his latest standup on HBO this weekend, and it’s as real, revealing, and raw as it gets. If streaming isn’t in your plans this week, don’t fret. Movie theaters are gathering more and more options for us to choose from.
Morbius, starring Jared Leto, hit theaters on Friday, Apr. 1. Although critics aren’t satisfied with Marvel’s latest offering, don’t let that dissuade you from forming your own opinions. Speaking of men with stunning blue eyes, Chris Pine is also back on the big screen this week with The Contractor, making it the first time we see him in a movie since 2020’s Wonder Woman 1984. There’s plenty to watch this weekend, so before you read any reviews, just hit play and enjoy the abundance that these stars have gifted us. If nothing on this list suits your needs, check out last week’s What to Watch for more options.
'Morbius'
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When: Apr. 1
Where: In theaters
It’s the year of the bat. First, we had Robert Pattinson have a full circle moment by starring in The Batman—the most successful film of the year so far—after he played vampire Edward Cullen in five Twilight movies. Now Jared Leto is starring in Morbius, Marvel’s latest superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Morbius, the Living Vampire.
After suffering from a rare blood disease that prevents his body from creating blood, Dr. Michael Morbius has dedicated his life to finding a cure for himself, his adopted brother Milo, and other people like him. His desperation after failing to find treatments that worked led him to conduct illegal experiments with bats he stole from the Amazon Rainforest. Instead of curing his disease, as these stories sometimes go, he ends up turning himself into a vampire, and naturally, things get a little wild. Leto is the king of transformations and he frankly didn’t disappoint in this role. He tends to enjoy a physical challenge and Morbius is definitely the proper outlet for that. His performance is already getting the meme treatment, and critics aren’t too pleased with it either, but if you’re looking for some entertainment, head to a theater near you this weekend. Other stars joining the Oscar winner in the Marvel movie are Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson.
'Atlanta' Episode 3
'The Girl from Plainville'
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When: Mar. 29
Where: Hulu
Hulu’s The Girl From Plainville is inspired by the true story of a girl named Michelle Carter (Elle Fanning) from a small town in Massachusetts who was involved in a controversial texting-suicide case that ended in the death of an 18-year-old named Conrad Roy III in 2014. The limited series is based on the Esquire article of the same name written by Jesse Barron, and they both explore Carter’s relationship with Roy III and the events that led to his death. Carter, who was his girlfriend at the time, was accused of encouraging him to kill himself in a text message exchange. The show will cover her trial and her eventual controversial conviction of involuntary manslaughter.
'Moon Knight'
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When: Mar. 30
Where: Disney+
Moon Knight hit Disney+ this week, becoming the sixth television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show’s first episode “The Goldfish Problem” introduces viewers to a timid museum gift shop employee from London named Steven Grant who blacks out and finds himself waking up in odd places with no recollection of the events that led him there. He starts to realize that there is another person named Marc Spector and the voice of the Egyptian god Khonshu (F. Murray Abraham) that are living inside him. And soon he is faced with a religious cult leader named Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) who is after Marc and Khonshu.
Oscar Isaac is playing the dual roles of Steven Grant and Marc Spector. I’d personally watch Isaac read from a thesaurus for hours on end, but watching him trying to fight his way out of this mess he’s in isn’t half bad either. Sure, his British accent could use some work, but the actor said that was an intentional choice. Do we believe that? Not sure, but we’ll roll with it for now. People have already been sharing their opinions about the show since its premiere, but like with all things, you have to see it for yourself to believe it.
'Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel' Comedy Special
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When: Apr. 1
Where: HBO and HBO Max
“There’s no easy way to say that your grandma was a side piece,” Jerrod Carmichael says halfway through his latest HBO standup. The comedian is heading back to HBO with his new standup comedy special, Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel, debuting Friday, Apr. 1, at 9:00 p.m. ET. The special was taped in February in front of a live audience at the legendary Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City, and it quickly evolves from a comedy show to something that feels like group therapy. Carmichael gets deeply personal about his family trauma, his personal life, and the deep secrets he has carried with him all of his life. This touching standup is the third HBO comedy special for the comedian, who made his HBO debut in 2014 with the stand-up special Jerrod Carmichael: Love at the Store, which was followed by 2017’s Jerrod Carmichael: 8. Rothaniel was directed by Bo Burnham. This is a momentous weekend for Carmichael, who will also be hosting Saturday Night Live for the first time on Apr. 2 alongside musical guest Gunna.
'The Contractor'
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When: Apr. 1
Where: In theaters
Chris Pine stars as Special Forces Sergeant James Harper in the action-packed thriller, The Contractor. (Not to be confused with the 2007 film of the same name starring Wesley Snipes.) Harper is involuntarily discharged from the Army and loses his pension, which his family depends on to survive. Finding himself in debt and in need to provide for them, Harper takes a job as a contractor with a private underground military force. Listen, a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. Things quickly go awry during his first assignment, and now Harper finds himself running and fighting for his life in order to make it back home. The film also stars Kiefer Sutherland, Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs, and Eddie Marsan, and you catch it in theaters or buy it or rent it now on Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu.
