March is winding down as we head into spring. But as the end of the month draws near, Max is set to lose some of its very best movies. Fortunately, March is also one of the months that has 31 days, so that’s going to give you extra time to catch some of your favorite movies before they depart.
Our choices for the five movies leaving Max in March that you have to watch right now include three classic films that rank among the all-time greats, a ghostly romance, and an unlikely toy movie adaptation.
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The late Stanley Kubrick was a one-of-a-kind filmmaker, and his adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange is one of his best movies. In Britain’s near future, Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) is a young gang leader who delights in mayhem and violence. But when Alex is betrayed by his own gang, he’s left to face the consequences of his actions.
Desperate to get out of prison, Alex volunteers to undergo an experimental treatment to cure him of his violent tendencies. Alex quickly realizes that he’s made a mistake, because the treatment has worked all too well. The “cure” leaves Alex unable to commit any act of sexuality or violence, which leaves him completely vulnerable in an outside world that he no longer has a place in.
Watch A Clockwork Orange on Max.
Citizen Kane (1941)
Perhaps the biggest loss from Max’s lineup this month is Citizen Kane, a film that is widely recognized as one of the greatest movies of all time. Orson Welles directed, co-wrote, and starred in the film as Charles Foster Kane, an enigmatic publishing magnate who perishes at the start of the story. (Relax, that’s not a spoiler.)
Because Kane’s final word (“Rosebud”) left behind one more mystery to solve, reporter Jerry Thompson (William Alland) begins seeking out the key figures in Kane’s life. Through extended flashbacks, the film reveals the source of Kane’s fortune, his rise to prominence in the media, and the extent that he was willing to go in order to amass even more power and wealth. If you love movies, Citizen Kane is a must-watch.
Watch Citizen Kane on Max.
Ghost (1990)
There aren’t a lot of supernatural romances with staying power at the box office, but Ghost not only bucked that trend, it took home Oscars for Best Supporting Actress for Whoopi Goldberg and Best Original Screenplay for Bruce Joel Rubin. Patrick Swayze (star of the original Road House) and Demi Moore headline the film as a couple, Sam Wheat and Molly Jensen, both of whom are deeply in love with each other.
When Sam is senselessly murdered during a mugging, he resists the pull of the afterlife and discovers that Molly may be in danger from the man who killed him. While looking for a way to save his lover, Sam stumbles upon a fake psychic, Oda Mae Brown (Goldberg), who is shocked and alarmed that she can see and hear him. Oda Mae proves to be Sam’s best option to communicate with Molly, but it’s going to take a lot of convincing.
Watch Ghost on Max.
The Lego Movie (2014)
Nine years before Barbie became a box office blockbuster, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse‘s Phil Lord and Christopher Miller pulled off a similar feat with The Lego Movie. Lego Batman (Will Arnett) has a leading role, and there are numerous cameos from famous characters, as well as new Lego heroes like Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), and Princess Unikitty (Alison Brie). But the heart of this story belongs to an ordinary Lego construction worker named Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt).
Emmet lives a blissful life until he is unexpectedly caught up in Wyldstyle’s quest to stop Lord Business (Will Ferrell) from freezing the world as they know it. Wyldstyle is absolutely convinced that Emmet is the prophesied “Special” who can bring about Lord Business’ downfall. Emmet just needs to convince himself and somehow live up to those lofty expectations before it’s too late to save their world.
Watch The Lego Movie on Max.
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971)
It seems like bad timing that Max is losing the most famous Roald Dahl adaptation, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, just after the modern prequel, Wonka, arrived on Max earlier this month. But it can’t be helped because the former was produced by Paramount, which means that it was always going to eventually leave Max.
Gene Wilder gave one of his best performances as Willy Wonka, a hilarious and mischievous candy maker who welcomes five children into his chocolate factory. Vying for the grand prize of a lifetime supply of chocolate are Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum), who’s accompanied by his Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson), and the other kids who found Wonka’s Golden Tickets: Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole), Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson), Mike Teevee (Paris Themmen), and Augustus Gloop (Michael Böllner). And if any of these kids fail Wonka’s morality tests, then they’ll really get what’s coming to them … and then some.
Watch Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory on Max.
