Netflix snuck in 12 more fantastic movies to begin March

The fine folks of Netflix can be sneaky little devils sometimes. Case in point: even though it wasn't announced with their regular slate of releases, Venom: The Last Dance made its bow on the streamer on February 25th. They decided to really up their stealth release game with a dozen more titles on Saturday. That's in addition to the 12 already on the slate.

This turned what was already a strong debut slate into an outstanding group. You'll find iconic comedies with some of the most popular stars of Hollywood, a trio of classic romances, and some knife-edge thrillers. There's drama and action, too.

There's also a pair of underrated horror flicks ready for your screen. Best of all is the addition of the finest films from one the most influential directors of the past 40 years. Like all art forms, film is subjective. But rest assured, I'm not talking about Uwe Boll's House of the Dead.

Netflix stealthily added more classic titles on March 1st

Again, the titan among streaming services added all of these to the already great lineup previously announced to kick off the month. So if movies like Black Hawk Down, Runaway Jury, and Blade Runner: The Final Cut weren't enough for you, Netflix has much, much more to offer. Let's start with the comedies, shall we? Oh yes, let's.

It's no secret to my friends and frequent readers that I'm generally not a fan of Adam Sandler movies. In the vast majority of his movies, he phones in a lazy performance of the same everyday mug who gets really, really angry at some point. 50 First Dates is a very happy exception to this and has the bonus of a sweet Drew Barrymore character. It isn't quite The Wedding Singer, but it's miles better than Jack and Jill.

Speaking of weddings, there's the Vince Vaughn/Owen Wilson pairing of Wedding Crashers. If you don't know, it's about two guys who - well, you can probably figure that out from the title. They're both at the top of their game here. There's also Friday and its sequel, Next Friday. Major bonus points to the studio for not being lazy and calling it Friday 2. Ice Cube and Chris Tucker are hilarious in the first. The second isn't quite as great - no Chris Tucker, sorry - but it's still definitely worth a watch.

Valentine's Day is long past, but every day is a great day for romance. In addition to the Sandler/Barrymore comedy, you'll get more love and laughter with The Holiday. The 2006 rom-com stars Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black as two women who find love after swapping homes during Christmas to escape bad relationships.

It was written and directed by Nancy Myers. She knows a bit about the genre, considering she also brought us What Women Want and Something's Gotta Give.

The other top romance is the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. This is the one that stars the luminous Kera Knightley and the hunky Matthew Macfadyen as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Don't confuse it with any of the dozens of adaptations of Jane Austen's novel, like the 1995 miniseries or the 1940 film or 2016's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. None of those are on Netflix, but there's always Bridgerton, my darlings.

I'm not going to dive into the rest of the March 1st surprise appearances, but I have to address the top entrant. As I wrote earlier, all art is subjective. One person's The Ridiculous Six is another's Spanglish. Unlike Mr. Sandler, some artists are a bit more reliable in their creations.

Very few are as consistently great as writer/director Spike Lee. His masterpiece has to be Do the Right Thing. I'll go into much more depth about this film another time. For now, here's your extra edition lineup of goodness for March 1st.

More good stuff on Netflix: March 1st

• 50 First Dates
• Beginners
• Blood and Bone
• Do the Right Thing
• Friday
• High-Rise
• The Holiday
• Ma
• Next Friday
• Pride and Prejudice
• Vampires
• Wedding Crashers

More Netflix news and reviews: