5 Certified Fresh Streaming Gems That Are Too Irresistible to Miss

March Genre Mashup

Image: Vesper, IFC Films

Welcome to Widening the Lens’ inaugural edition of Genre Mashup!

Each month, we’ll discover tantalizing picks from across multiple genres that are worthy additions to your watch list.

Who has time to sort through hundreds of new titles across every digital platform? 

Certainly not you.

However, if you know where to look, streaming remains a repository of unfound treasures. 

It’s especially true for limited theatrical releases and lesser-known titles, many dropping without warning. 

Being overlooked doesn’t equate to poor quality or a waste of time. 

Quite the opposite. These rare finds offer better storytelling and more memorable performances than the forgettable titles crowding your “next up” queue.

Connection and survival are at the core of this month’s picks. 

Each story echoes why survival is often the foundation on which we build extraordinary lives.

These hopeful narratives push storytelling boundaries, challenge genre norms, and encourage us to persevere. 

“We don't even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome.” - Isabel Allende

From passengers battling to survive a blood-fueled nightmare to small-scale conservation efforts with colossal results, ordinary people performing extraordinary acts of courage reinforce our innate desire to endure. 

Here are ten underrated darlings for your next binge session that are too irresistible to miss.

A minimalist approach to romance: the antithesis of conventional rom-coms.

1. A Love Song, 2022 (Showtime)

A lonely widow, Faye (Dale Dickey), anxiously awaits a reunion with Lito (Wes Studi), her childhood friend, at a rural Colorado campground site. 

The two nomadic widows wander the magnificent, sweeping terrain that serves as a metaphor for their forgotten friendship and tender memories. 

Max Walker-Silverman writes, directs, and produces this striking and compassionate award-winning film.

Instead of the stereotypical adorable first encounter followed by unlucky-in-love shenanigans, Silver exercises meditative restraint. 

He captures the grace and fragility of sentimental attachments. Dickey and Studi relish more in moments of silence rather than relying on a steady stream of long-winded monologues. 

He reminds audiences that our fondest romantic memories are full of fleeting moments that blanket us like a warm, cozy sweater on a frigid, snowy day. 

A Love Song is an intimate character study traversing through the different shades, stages, and sentiments of love.

Honorable Mention: Meet Cute, 2022 (Peacock) 

Kaley Cuoco, and Pete Davidson relive their perfect first date in this charming Groundhog Day take on a time-traveling romantic fairy tale.

White-knuckle action that’s an adrenaline rush from start to finish.

2. Project Wolf Hunting, 2022 (VOD)

A police envoy transports a group of dangerous criminals from the Philippines to Busan via a cargo ship. All hell breaks loose when things don’t go according to plan.

Kim Hong-sun writes and directs this South Korean science fiction thriller with horror undertones.

Herculean punches fly in a steady stream of gratuitous violence in this monster mashup of insane action and ghastly gore.

Hong-sun’s gruesome madhouse slasher isn’t for the squeamish or the faint of heart. 

His high body count terror train leaves little room for character development or a convoluted plot. Instead, he opts for jaw-dropping fight sequences that defy all sense of logic.

It’s unabashed entertainment dialed up to Jerry Bruckheimer’s bombastic combat levels and underlined with Michael Bay’s stylistic visual effects.

Project Wolf Hunting is a barrage of pulpy carnage full of mayhem and gnarly bloodshed that leaves you wanting more.

Honorable Mention: The Roundup , 2022 (Tubi) 

Two South Korean police officers travel to Vietnam to extradite a criminal but stumble upon an elaborate murder scheme targeting tourists in this enthralling detective caper.

A clever, modern makeover of vintage crime thrillers.

3. Poker Face, 2023 (Peacock)

Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) possesses extraordinary power, a gift, and a curse.

She finds herself on the lam from shady gangsters after her unusual talent gets her into serious trouble. 

Rian Johnson, the famed creator of Knives Out, develops this Columbo-style murder-of-the-week whodunnit series he co-produces with Lyonne.

Johnson’s bona fide crime hit is an ambitious puzzle box that fires on all cylinders. 

Lyonne shines as she navigates lucky coincidences and unlucky timing. Her irresistible wisecracking, endearing tone and curious lens are an addictive combination that rewards viewers. 

Lyonne’s performance is incredible, and Johnson’s wacky tall tales wrap around genuine emotional stakes. This combination results in one of the best crime shows of the decade.

However, Johnson’s weekly format doesn’t require audiences to binge. Instead, he offers viewers a welcome reprieve so that they can watch at their own pace.

Poker Face is an entertaining super sleuth showcase that’s a satisfying murder mystery delight, renewed by Peacock for a second season.

Honorable Mention: Slow Horses, 2022 (Apple TV+)

Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), an obnoxious MI6 boss, and his outcast agents remain England’s last hope against nefarious forces in this excellent slow-burn spy series.

An astonishing documentary highlights valiant environmentalism work. 

4. All That Breathes, 2022 (HBO Max)

Nadeem Shehzad and Mohammad Saud, two siblings, race to save the majestic black kite, a bird essential to the survival of New Delhi’s ecological system.

Filmmaker Shaunak Sen paints a breathtaking portrait of grass-roots environmentalism.

His opening frame is an incredible, visceral view of the lengths scavenger animals go to survive in depleted and deteriorated land.

This includes black kites, the birds that help clean human waste from India’s toxic rivers.

Through riveting imagery, Sen amplifies the devastating toll of the capital city’s toxic air and social unrest. He contrasts this with the brothers’ heroic efforts to save the dying birds and safeguard their country’s natural resources.

With over twenty years of dedicated Wildlife Rescue, their tireless efforts remain vital to the country’s ecological survival.

All That Breathes is an emphatic, virtuous plea to honor all breathing creatures, big and small, and to save our shared sacred environment.

Honorable Mention: The Territory, 2022 (Disney+) 

Bitaté, a young Urueu-Wau-Wau indigenous leader, defends the Amazon rain forest and his way of life against unwanted violent forces in this award-winning, powerful advocacy film.

Inventive sci-fi with magnificent fantasy world-building.

5. Three Thousand Years of Longing, 2022 (MGM+ and VOD)

Dr. Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton), a narratologist, encounters a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes for his freedom.  

As a scholar of story and mythology, she doesn’t believe he’s real and is aware of the cautionary tales associated with well-intended wishes gone awry.  

George Miller directs and produces this epic fantasy romantic drama he co-writes with Augusta Gore. Their dialogue-heavy screenplay is based on A. S. Byatt's short story, “The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye.”

Miller weaves centuries-old tales of love, betrayal, and desire that are vast in scale and poignant in scope in a lush, fantastical world.

His vivid dreamscape uses saturated jewel tones to fuel a psychedelic history trip. He imbues this royal tapestry with a rich color palette that permeates every frame with an intoxicating, seductive haze.

Three Thousand Years of Longing is a boundary-pushing adventure and a glorious optical feast from a genius visual storyteller.

Honorable Mention: Vesper, 2022 (AMC+) 

This imaginative sci-fi gem follows 13-year-old Vesper, a bio-hacker who relies on her intelligence and strength after the catastrophic collapse of the earth’s ecosystem.

Bonus: Emerging Artist Spotlight 

No genre mashup is complete without highlighting innovative, fresh voices in feature filmmaking. 

Bruiser, 2022 (Onyx Collective Hulu)

Director: Miles Warren

Fourteen-year-old Darious (Jalyn Hall) searches for the meaning of adulthood under the tutelage of Malcolm (Shamier Anderson), his strict authoritarian father, and Monica (Shinelle Azoroh), his loving, supportive mother.

However, a chance meeting with Porter (Trevante Rhodes), a charismatic drifter with a checkered past, changes the trajectory of everyone’s lives.

Warren directs this urban contemporary coming-of-age tale he co-writes with Ben Medina. 

Warren establishes an arresting visual style in his impressive debut as a feature-length storyteller. He frames his characters with a poetic grace while destructive tensions simmer within.

It’s a complex character study that examines the different ideologies of toxic Black masculinity. 

Warren adeptly depicts the inescapable cycle of violence and generational trauma perpetuating repeated patterns of abuse. 

He shows how transformation, forgiveness, and healing are possible when we stop expecting others to change and allow it to blossom within ourselves. 

Bruiser is a fierce, thought-provoking inspection of manhood through the lens of an impressionable boy guided by fractured father figures.

What are your favorite picks this month? Share your recommendations in the comments!

And remember to subscribe and spread the word! More must-watch recommendations arrive next week.