For those who are worn out by the sheer amount of content on Max, Disney+, and Hulu, Kanopy might be the streaming service for you. Designed specifically for public/academic library members, the offerings on Kanopy are a bit more eclectic and intellectual than other streaming services and have something to offer virtually everyone.

Luckily, their catalog is only continuing to grow. With March already in full gear, we’re highlighting the most exciting new films on Kanopy, from a heartwarming Scorsese family flick to a couple of breakout independent hits. The streaming service also has an incredible, 91-film collection celebrating Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. Some highlights from that collection are below as well.

Highlights from Kanopy’s 2024 Women’s History Month:
“Past Lives”

“She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry”

“Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It”

“Regarding Susan Sontag”

“RBG”

“Portrait Of A Lady On Fire”

“Middle of Nowhere”

“Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise”

“Growing Up Female”

BlackBerry (2023)
Streaming on Kanopy

One of 2023’s most unexpected surprises was BlackBerry, a wildly entertaining take and fascinating exploration of the rise-and-fall of Mike Lazaridus (Jay Barchuel), the creator of the once-beloved, now-forgotten BlackBerry mobile phone. Unlike too many biopics, which often feel less like movies than expanded Wikipedia articles, BlackBerry isn’t at all concerned with being shackled to reality; director Matt Johnson openly admits to fictionalizing vast parts of the tale to tell a good story. BlackBerry’s story is wildly compelling and classical in its “win it all, then lose it all” structure, while the proceedings are livened by caustic wit and a surprising sense of humor.

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As hard as it is to imagine in a pre-iPhone world, the BlackBerry phone was once inescapable and seemingly unstoppable in the tech world. And yet a once-promising device ultimately met its downfall through a combination of Lazaridus’s hubris, inability to realize his overambitious promises for the product, and internal investigations from the SEC as a result of co-CEO Jim Balsillie’s (It’s Always Sunny’s Glenn Howerton, in a dynamite performance) shady behavior. Through its mix of humor and pathos, BlackBerry is compulsively watchable and functions as a cockeyed, farcical companion piece to The Social Network.

BlackBerry Release Date May 12, 2023 Director Matt Johnson Runtime 2hr Writers Matt Johnson , Jacquie McNish , Sean Silcoff

Corsage (2022)
Streaming on Kanopy

Period dramas often go out of their way to deconstruct the notion of gender dynamics in society and how expectations for both men and women in olden times stifle their individuality. Yet, 2022’s Corsage still stands as a unique outlier within the genre, tackling gender expectations with an explicitly feminist bent and, crucially, having a female director (Marie Kreutzer) at the helm. The film depicts roughly a year in the life of Austria’s Empress Elisabeth (Phantom Thread’s Vicky Krieps), once hailed as a public idol for her looks, and her difficulties in maintaining her popularity after turning 40 and being declared an “old woman.”

Much like current Oscar favorite Poor Things did so effectively this year, a large part of the film’s joy comes from seeing the idealized image of aristocracy completely dismantled to reveal the undercurrents of viciousness lying underneath. Krieps, one of the most consistently underrated actresses, delivers some of her best work to date and carries the film on her shoulders.

The Eight Mountains (2022)
Streaming on Kanopy

Another of 2023’s most underrated films was the quietly powerful The Eight Mountains, a subtle but heartwrenching look at a friendship doomed by circumstance. Set in the Italian Alps, the film depicts the years-long connection between Pietro and Bruno, two young men who met as children during a vacation in the mountains. 20 years later, Pietro returns to the Alps after his father’s death, intending to fulfill his wishes to build a house on the slope of the mountain, and his work allows him to reconnect with Bruno, still in the village and determined to find a way to live the rest of his life in the slopes.

However, despite their initial reconnection, the friendship between the two is quickly put to the test yet again, as Bruno’s intended lifestyle quickly proves itself unsustainable, while Pietro realizes that living in the remnants of his past will keep him from moving forward. The proceedings build to a devastating conclusion, and the film, directed by Felix van Groeningen (The Broken Circle Breakdown, a similarly beautifully done tearjerker), successfully pulls on the heartstrings while never feeling manipulative. The cinematography captures the beautiful but dangerous world surrounding Pietro and Bruno with astonishingly vivid detail.

Hugo (2011)
Streaming on Kanopy

Despite getting 11 Oscar nominations and winning five, Hugo remains an underrated gem in Martin Scorsese’s legendary filmography. In one of his only stabs to date at a family-oriented picture, Scorsese displays, among his countless other gifts, a knack for old-fashioned sentiment and whimsical charm, bringing to life the story of a young orphan boy (Asa Butterfield) who lives in a clocktower in a Paris train station. Based on the beloved children’s novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick, the story sees the titular character get swept up in a giant adventure after activating his late father’s old automaton.

What follows is a deeply heartfelt tribute to a bygone era of cinema; Hugo’s journey brings him into the orbit of legendary silent filmmaker George Melies (Ben Kingsley), disillusioned at his fear that the larger world has forgotten about his trailblazing work. The result is a beautifully shot and realized adventure, appealing to children without talking down to them and with enough sincerity that it’s almost impossible not to be moved by the closing scenes. It’s so unlike the rest of Scorsese’s catalog, except in quality as it’s one of the best Martin Scorsese films of all time.

Hugo Release Date November 22, 2011 Runtime 127

Sick of Myself (2022)
Streaming on Kanopy

Dream Scenario was one of the wildest indie breakouts of 2023, but director Kristoffer Borgli actually had another small hit the year before with Sick of Myself. The plot centers around Signe, a young woman in Norway who is jealous of her boyfriend’s breakout success as a local artist. In an attempt to overshadow him, she deliberately overdoses on anti-anxiety medication, which leaves her with a severe skin disease. Her rapidly deteriorating physical condition gains mass attention, and she soon engages in a battle for the public’s attention with her boyfriend.

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The film is not for the faint of heart and will almost certainly prove too much for some to stomach, but it’s an undeniably impactful satire of narcissism in the social media age and the desperate things people do for attention. As hard to watch as it can often be, it’s also viciously funny and filled with fine performances, skewering its target with laser-like precision.

For a complete list of every film coming to Kanopy in March 2024, check out the complete list below:

BlackBerry (2023) The Blue Captain (2022) Corsage (2022) The Eight Mountains (2022) Farewell Amor (2020) Fast Charlie (2023) Hugo (2011) Kinky Boots (2006) Little Fish (2020) The Lost King (2022) Margin Call (2011) Ode to Joy (2019) Paint (2023) Past Lives (2024) Sick of Myself (2022) Sunshine (1999)