Vehicular Viewing: New on Streaming for March 2021
As spring and warm weather finally draw near, the major streaming services are welcoming a fresh selection of movies and television shows that you may want to check out if you’re a car lover. Here’s a look at several of March’s gearhead-approved new arrivals on Amazon, HBO Max, Hulu, and Netflix.
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Movies
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
In one of his most iconic and laugh-filled roles, Eddie Murphy plays Axel Foley, a brash, Chevy Nova-driving Detroit police detective who goes bananas on a working vacation in upscale Beverly Hills. HBO Max is also adding Beverly Hills Cop II and Beverly Hills Cop III, a pair of sequels that aren’t nearly as beloved as the original. (HBO Max, 3/20)
CHiPs (2017)
Based on a TV show from the late ’70s, CHiPs is nobody’s idea of a masterpiece. But this action-comedy about California Highway Patrol officers does offer a few good laughs and plenty of motorcycle-related mayhem. (HBO Max, 3/1)
The Ghost Writer (2010)
In this gripping thriller, a man hired to ghostwrite a politician’s memoirs finds himself entangled in a web of international intrigue. In one key scene, the navigation presets in a BMW X5 lead him to an important clue. (Hulu, 3/1; Amazon, 3/30)
The Hurricane Heist (2018)
This is the kind of movie where things like “dialogue” and “plot” are present mostly to fill time between huge CGI action sequences. Some of that action is pretty entertaining, though, including a chase involving a trio of semis in the eye of a hurricane. There’s also a cool custom-built “Dominator” storm research vehicle that’s conveniently on hand for smashing into things. (Hulu, 3/26)
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Rushmore (1999)
Wes Anderson’s beloved cult comedy features a Bentley Turbo R driven by Bill Murray’s character. According to Mental Floss, the film’s budget was too low to afford a rental, so the producers found a free loaner in exchange for giving the owner’s daughter a small role. (Amazon and Hulu, 3/1)
Speed (1994)
This ludicrous but totally rad ’90s thriller stars Keanu Reeves as an LAPD bomb expert aboard a bus wired to blow if the speedometer dips below 50 mph. Sandra Bullock plays a passenger who’s drawn into the action. (HBO Max, 3/13)
48 Hrs. (1982)
Hey, it’s another buddy cop movie starring Eddie Murphy (along with Nick Nolte and a Cadillac DeVille convertible). This one, directed by the legendary Walter Hill, is significantly meaner and grittier than Beverly Hills Cop. (Amazon, 3/1)
Television
Formula 1 — Drive to Survive: season 3
Thanks to the pandemic, the 2020 Formula 1 season was no ordinary one. The latest installation of this Netflix docuseries takes you behind the scenes to experience what it was like. (Netflix, 3/19)
The Lady and the Dale
This documentary series delves into the fascinating and complex true story of Liz Carmichael, a trans woman who tiptoed between fraud and genius with The Dale — a three-wheeled car that she represented as a breakthrough fuel-efficient option for the gas-starved ’70s. (HBO Max, streaming now)
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.