What's on Netflix in February

Here's everything streaming on Netflix in February.

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER

Premieres on February 22, 2024 

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony — then everything changed. A live-action reimagining of the popular animated series.

Starring: Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, Dallas Liu, Daniel Dae Kim, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Elizabeth Yu, Ken Leung

ONE DAY

Premieres on February 8, 2024 

After spending graduation night together, Emma and Dexter go their separate ways — but their lives remain intertwined. Based on David Nicholls' novel.

Starring: Ambika Mod, Leo Woodall, Essie Davis

EDDIE'S LIL' HOMIES

Premieres on February 16, 2024 

Inspired by AFL legend Eddie Betts’ popular book series, Eddie’s Lil’ Homies joins Eddie and his ragtag group of friends on their playground adventures as they navigate the fun and challenges of friendship.

Starring: Hunter Page-Lochard, Miah Madden, Leela Varghese, Crystal Nguyen, Billy Betts

LOVE IS BLIND: SEASON 6

Premieres on February 14, 2024 

Singles in Charlotte shake up their search for love by entering the pods and embarking on a wild journey of romance and self-discovery over four weeks.

Starring: Nick Lachey, Vanessa Lachey

MEA CULPA

Premieres on February 23, 2024 

A criminal defense attorney must choose between family, duty and her own dangerous desires when she takes on the case of an artist accused of murder. Tyler Perry wrote, directed and produced this seductive romantic thriller starring Kelly Rowland and Trevante Rhodes.

Starring: Kelly Rowland, Trevante Rhodes, Kerry O'Malley, Sean Sagar, Nick Sagar, RonReaco Lee, Shannon Thornton, Angela Robinson

CODE 8 PART II

Premieres on February 28, 2024 

In a city where people with powers are policed and oppressed, a former criminal must turn to a drug lord he despises to protect a teen from a corrupt cop. “Arrowverse” alums Robbie Amell and Stephen Amell reteam for this gritty sci-fi film directed by Jeff Chan.

Starring: Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, Alex Mallari Jr.

LOVER, STALKER, KILLER

Premieres on February 9, 2024 

In this twisting documentary, a mechanic tries online dating for the first time and meets a woman who takes romantic obsession to a deadly extreme.

FORMULA 1: DRIVE TO SURVIVE: SEASON 6

Premieres on February 23, 2024 

Drivers, managers and team owners live life in the fast lane — both on and off the track during one cutthroat season of Formula 1 racing.

ORION AND THE DARK

Premieres on February 2, 2024 

A boy with an active imagination faces his fears on an unforgettable journey through the night with his new friend: a giant, smiling creature named Dark.

Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Paul Walter Hauser, Angela Bassett

THE VINCE STAPLES SHOW

Premieres on February 15, 2024 

Kind of famous and sort of rich, rapper and actor Vince Staples navigates the challenges and surprises of everyday life in his hometown of The Beach.

Starring: Vince Staples

EINSTEIN AND THE BOMB

Premieres on February 16, 2024 

What happened after Einstein fled Nazi Germany? Using archival footage and his own words, this docudrama dives into the mind of a tortured genius.

Merkel: DVD Review

Depressingly book-ended by Donald Trump's hatred, doco Merkel is a fascinating and human approach to a character many will have seen on the world stage but in truth, know little about.

Director Eva Weber pulls together a portrait of the woman who rose from behind the communist wall of East Germany to triumph as she led a reunited Germany to success. Using footage from her past, as well as interviews from the likes of Tony Blair, Hillary Clinton and Condoleeza Rice, what emerges from Merkel is a formulaic but friendly look at her failings and her success.

From Blair's quote of absence of ego to her own dismissal of a party portrait overdone in make up, Merkel is a fairly sympathetic approach to the woman, and does revel more in the positive rather than the negative. Her seeming toppling of Helmut Kohl is largely brushed over, and a refugee crisis that rocked Germany is presented more in the light of her fear of separatism having grown up in East Germany than a look at the wider issues. Equally, a relationship with Vladimir Putin and Russia's energy deal is seen more as the former intimidating her than the politics that occasionally divided.

Occasionally a commentary on women in politics that could be widened to powerful women in a modern world, Weber's film only ever lightly raises issues rather than intensely tackling them. That may be no bad thing, but it does give a feeling there are less current critics of her regime given time to speak, even if archive footage provides some of the harder lines.

But as Merkel's humour comes to the fore, and Weber's tight hand on proceedings keeps it all in check, this 90 minute outing into the enigma feels like it's a solid outing into one of the world politics' old guard, whose desire to be on the right side of history, is entertaining enough fare. And as with most docos, it may provoke many to go and seek out further information on its subject.

Tekken 8: PS5 Review

Developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Arika
Published by Bandai Namco Studios
Platform: PS5

The latest entry into the Tekken fighting series is as overblown as you'd expect - but is all the better for it.

Not really veering away from the usual blend of kicking and punching, the game is a little more aggressive than previous entries but is totally accessible for those who've never picked up one of the prior games. Of course, it's obligatory to say that if you have a familiarity with the game's prior entrants, you'll get a little more from some of the subtleties but also from the narrative in the main story.

In short, the story focuses on the ongoing tensions and conflict between Jin Kazama and antagonist Kazuya Mishima who has revealed his devil form and wrought down destruction on New York. From then on, it's a series of battles, encounters and fights to the death as the different characters face off.

Tekken 8 looks incredible.

Every single crunch of the bones resounds during the conflict, and there are constant explosions of colour pertinent to each character when certain moves are triggered. The game's mechanics have changed little in terms of what's expected but the final result is thrilling, easily accessible and endlessly playable.

With the introduction of a system to reward those who fight aggressively rather than defend selectively, Tekken is catering for those who want to progress in the game. The new Heat system changes properties of attacks and can do more for restoring health and regeneration.

It's an interesting way to change up the gameplay and the player's attitude but Tekken 8 wants to reward those who play the game with the necessary pace and skill.

With a deep and varied roster, Tekken's commitment to its characters is more than admirable - it's downright impressive. With some 32 playable characters and each one of them feeling like well-defined entrants into the genre, there's much for new and old players to engage with.

An arcade quest mode, Tekken Ball and also multiplayer round off a very impressive 3D fighter that's up there as one of the best in the genre. 

Tekken 8 should be appreciated by fans of its genre - but more than that, it should be owned by those who haven't dabbled in the games before. From stellar graphics to easy to learn moves, this is how fight games should be done.

What's on Shudder in February

SHUDDER ORIGINALS AND EXCLUSIVES 

Dario Argento: Panico – Shudder Original Film 

Streaming Exclusively on Shudder and AMC+ 

Film Premieres Friday 2 February 

In the secluded ambience of hotel rooms, Dario Argento crafted his greatest cinematic creations, seeking solace from the outside world to delve into his nightmares. Now, he finds himself in a hotel room to return to the very setting that ignited his creative fervor to conclude his latest  script and participate in an intimate interview, all while being followed by a film crew documenting his life  for a movie about his illustrious career. 

History of Evil – Shudder Original Film 

Streaming Exclusively on Shudder and AMC+ 

Film Premieres Friday 23 February  

In the near future, war and corruption have plagued America and turned it into a theocratic police state. Against the oppression, ordinary citizens have formed a group called The  Resistance. One such member, Alegre Dyer, breaks out of political prison and reunites with her husband  Ron and daughter Daria. On the run from the militia, the family takes shelter in a remote safe house. But  their journey is far from over, as the house’s dark past begins to eat away at Ron, and his earnest desire  to keep his family safe is overtaken by something much more sinister. Starring Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries) and Jackie Cruz (Orange is the New Black). 

NEW ADDITIONS TO SHUDDER’S FILM LIBRARY 

1 February 

Sorority House Massacre 

College student Beth and her sorority sisters are stalked by an escaped psychopathic killer who shares  a strange telepathic link with her. 

The Velvet Vampire 

Lee and his wife Susan accept the invitation of mysterious Diane to visit her secluded desert estate.  Tensions arise when the couple, unaware that Diane is a vampire, realise that they are both objects of  the pale temptress’s seductions.  

12 February  

Godless 

Lara is a woman tormented, torn between science and faith. Pushed by her husband to seek treatment  from a congregation of zealots, a ruthless exorcist will try to save her soul by putting an innocent woman  through hell.  

Bad Girl Boogey 

Halloween blood is shed by the wearer of parasitic mask cursed with black magic and bigotry. After  Angel’s friend is killed by a person wearing the mask, Angel must fight fear and find the killer before he  slaughters everyone.  

19 February  

Megalomaniac 

Megalomaniac questions the invisible line between victim and executioner and how it is crossed. A film  about the weight of patriarchy and the illusion of Manichaeism.  

Deathstalker 

A lone warrior nicknamed Deathstalker is sent by a witch on a quest to find a sword, a chalice, and an  amulet, two of which are held by the wicked king and sorcerer, Munkar.  

Deathstalker II 

In this parody of the sword and sorcery films, a princess is a deposed by an evil sorcerer. She enlists  the aid of Deathstalker to battle the forces of evil, including a clone of the princess, and win back her  kingdom.  

What’s on Neon in February

The Victim (February 18)

Fifteen years after the murder of her son, grieving mother Anna Dean is accused of revealing the killer's new identity online and conspiring to have him murdered. What is Anna capable of doing in her son's name? And is he really a notorious child murderer, or a tragic victim of mistaken identity? 

This thriller set within Scotland's unique legal system asks: who is really 'the victim’? 

Starring Kelly Macdonald, John Hannah and James Harkness.

Curb Your Enthusiasm S12 (February 5)

Starring Larry David as an over-the-top version of himself, the 12th and final season of this hit comedy series continues to prove how seemingly trivial details of day-to-day life can precipitate a catastrophic chain of events. 

Starring Larry David, Cheryl Hines and Jeff Garlin. 

Key and Peele (February 14)

The iconic, award-winning comedy series Key & Peele showcases the fearless wit of stars Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. 

The duo examines life through spoofs and satire, taking on everything from Gremlins 2 to systemic racism in an array of hilarious sketches that are as wide-reaching as they are cringingly accurate. 

MOVIES

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (February 8)

Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga! After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a whole team of Spider-People. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders to save those he loves. Anyone can wear the mask – it’s how you wear it that makes you a hero.

Starring Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya and Oscar Isaac.

The Zone of Interest: Movie Review

Cast: Sandra Huller, Christian Friedel

Director: Jonathan Glazer

Loosely based on Martin Amis' 2014 novel of the same name, Under The Skin director Jonathan Glazer's Zone of Interest is more a film about atmosphere and horror than any driven plot.

It's also a film of extreme dissociation which is evocative and terrifying in equal measure as the entirely mundane plays out.

Friedel and Huller play Rudolph and Hedwig Höss, who live in the house behind Auschwitz. Rudolph runs the camp and is concerned with efficiencies, whereas Hedwig is more concerned with making a life for their children and tending to the garden.

Both seem disconnected with the daily horrors that emerge from nearby, with Hedwig even revealing they're living their dream life and revelling in her title as "Queen of Auschwitz".

There's little plot as such in Zone of Interest, and it's more a film of atmospherics, unsettling imagery and unanswered questions of why they don't ever remark on what goes on over the walls.

Glazer is less interested in providing these answers, but what emerges from the Oscar-nominated film is a damning indictment of how complicit people can be in the horrors around them and how the banality of evil emerges in the most harrowing ways.

Interestingly much of the film is shot from a distance, as if to suggest Glazer doesn't want you to empathise with his subjects when they're told they have to leave their home; there's a distinct lack of intimacy that makes this movie feel even more upsetting - almost as if audiences are being compelled to disassociate from the subjects on screen and consequently your horrot at their ignorance is magnified.

Complete with Mica Levi's dissonant soundtrack, Glazer crafts some disturbing imagery, always just in the background of the frame. From shots of chimneys belching out endless smoke from the Nazis' push to exterminate the Jews to the orange glow that lights up the bedroom windows at night, there's plenty that will take your breath away - and not in a good way.

From conversations about how best to improve efficiencies at the camp to a confession that Höss makes that he was thinking of ways to gas a room full of his peers saluting his work, the Zone of Interest is shocking in ways you'd never, ever expect.

But the fact it does it all in such a matter of fact way is equally as disturbing. 

The end result is utterly numbing; and while this isn't a film about drama or a film about giving answers as to why the Höss family adults never mention what's going on around them, it's a horrifying indictment of those in the past - and also the present - who simply carry out orders or who wilfully choose to ignore what is around them.

Priscilla: Movie Review

Cast: Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi
Director: Sofia Coppola

Adapted from Priscilla Presley's own memoir Elvis and Me, Virgin Suicides director Sofia Coppola's take on the Elvis story is a stark and at times uncomfortable piece of viewing, that doesn't place Elvis in a great light.

Set against the backdrop of the start of Priscilla's young relationship with Jacob Elordi's Elvis, Priscilla feels like a series of scenes tacked together in a vague semblance of a story, rather than a constrained narrative.

Though it's ironic given the amount of control Elvis is seen exerting on Priscilla that perhaps Coppola didn't choose to deliver a stronger tied together film. Unlike Baz Luhrmann's almost-hagiographic take on the King, Coppola is more interested in portraying the seemingly uncomfortable side of Elvis as he manages pills, guns and the desire for Priscilla to stay and "keep the home fires burning". 

Spotted when she was just 14, Coppola's film pinpoints the grooming element of the relationship as Priscilla is inducted into the Elvis entourage and is swept up by jealousies of tabloid reports of relationships with other stars as well as the whirl of fame.

While parts of Priscilla are told from her point of view, the majority of the film seems to alienate her from her own storyline as she becomes suffocated in the grip of Elvis' world. Spaeny is perfectly fine as Priscilla, but is more an ethereal wisp wafting through Graceland and the related tribulations throughout, rather than driving matters.

Perhaps that's what ultimately Coppola wanted to do - create a film that's more about aesthetics and atmosphere rather than a damning portrait of the Blue Suede Shoes singer. Certainly she doesn't paint him in a good light, and Euphoria's Elordi makes a good fist of ensuring the character has the swagger and the charm as the domestically violent monster seethes underneath.

Ultimately, Priscilla may feel hollow to many; and in truth, parts of it feel largely constructed and constrained. But as the smothering of the Priscilla grows throughout, there's a feeling of discomfort and unhappiness that's hard to shake.

An abrupt end doesn't help matters and the feeling of catharsis is slight, but Priscilla is less interested in conforming to expectations and equally less interested in flattering all of its key subjects. 

The Academy Award nominations 2024

Here is the full list of the Academy Award nominations 2024.

Best Picture

 American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Directing

 Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

Actor in a Leading Role

 Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Actress in a Leading Role

 Annette Bening, Nyad
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Emma Stone, Poor Things

Actor in a Supporting Role

 Sterling K Brown, American Fiction
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr, Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

Actress in a Supporting Role

 Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
America Ferrera, Barbie
Jodie Foster, Nyad
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

 American Fiction
Barbie
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Writing (Original Screenplay)

 Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Maestro
May December
Past Lives

Cinematography

 El Conde
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Film Editing

 Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Animated Feature Film

 The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

International Feature Film

 Io Capitano
Perfect Days
Society of the Snow
The Teachers' Lounge
The Zone of Interest

Documentary Feature

 Bobi Wine: The People's President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill a Tiger
20 Days in Mariupol

Music (Original Score)

 American Fiction
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Music (Original Song)

 'The Fire Inside', Flamin' Hot
'I'm Just Ken', Barbie
'It Never Went Away', American Symphony
'Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)', Killers of the Flower Moon
'What Was I Made For?', Barbie

Sound

 The Creator
Maestro
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest

Production Design

 Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Makeup and Hairstyling

 Golda
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Society of the Snow

Costume Design

 Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Visual Effects

 The Creator
Godzilla Minus One
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon

Documentary Short Subject

 The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber of Little Rock
Island In Between
The Last Repair Shop
Nai Nai and Wài Pó

Animated Short Film

 Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
War Is Over! Inspired By the Music of John and Yoko

Live-Action Short Film

 The After
Invincible
Knight of Fortune
Red, White and Blue
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

What's on Disney+ in February

Here's everything that's playing on Disney+.

The Marvels (February 7)

Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. However, unintended consequences see her shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with two other superheroes to form the Marvels.

27 February

FX's Shōgun

Star Original Series

Two-Episode Premiere

An original adaptation of James Clavell’s novel, FX’s Shōgun is set in Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village.

7 February

The Marvels

Disney+ Premiere

Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole, her powers are entangled with super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and work together to save the universe.

9 February

Suncoast

Star Original Movie

Premiere

Inspired by the semi-autobiographical story of a teenager (Nico Parker) who, while caring for her brother along with her audacious mother (Laura Linney), strikes up an unlikely friendship with an eccentric activist (Woody Harrelson) who is protesting one of the most landmark medical cases of all time.

16 February

Life & Beth: Season 2

Star Original Series

Premiere

As Beth and John’s relationship grows more serious, Beth begins to examine the possibilities of marriage and having a family as she and John seek answers for their communication problems. Is Beth’s traumatic history with men, and people she trusted from her youth destined to repeat itself? And what is triggering her fears? Beth does her best to keep her relationships alive while struggling to support friends and family who are all facing their own problems while entering their fourth decade.

28 February

Iwaju

Disney+ Original Series

Premiere

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, Walt Disney Animation Studios teams up with Pan-African comic book entertainment company, Kugali, for an original animated series set in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria. This exciting coming of age story follows Tola, a young girl from the wealthy island, and her best friend, Kole, a self-taught tech expert, as they discover the secrets and dangers hidden in their different worlds. Kugali filmmakers Olufikayo Ziki Adeola, Hamid Ibrahim and Toluwalakin Olowofoyeku take viewers on a unique journey into the world of “Iwájú,” bursting with unique visual elements and technological advancements inspired by the spirit of Lagos.

Also in February…

2 February

Disney+ Original

Self

Star Original

Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez: Season 1

Series

Genius: MLK/ X

5 February

Series

Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold: Season 1

7 February

Disney+ Original

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of the Marvels

Series

The Good Doctor: Seasons 1-4

Dino Ranch: Season 3

9 February

Movies

The Mission

14 February

Movies

The Space Race

16 February

Star Original

Cypher

21 February

Disney+ Original

Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Season 3

Series

Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: Season 2

Air Crash Investigation: Season 8

Car SOS: Seasons 8-9

28 February

Star Original

Death in the Dorms: Season 2

International

Everything is Fine: Season 1

29 February

Star Original

Me Hereafter: Season 1

New Episodes

Death and Other Details: Season 1 New episodes weekly on Tuesdays

Bob's Burgers: Season 14 New episodes weekly on Wednesdays

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures 6 x new episodes 14 February

A Shop for Killers: Season 1 2 x new episodes weekly on Wednesdays

Ishura: Season 1 New episodes weekly on Thursdays

Undead Unluck New episodes weekly on Wednesdays

Flex x Cop: Season 1 2 x new episodes weekly on Saturdays and Sundays

Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends: Season 3 New episodes weekly on Wednesdays

Synduality Noir: Season 1 New episodes weekly on Tuesdays

Mickey Mouse Funhouse: Season 2 7 x new episodes 14 February

Kiff: Season 1 4 x new episodes 21 February

Minnie's Bow-Toons: Camp Minnie 6 x new episodes 14 February

SuperKitties: Season 1 1 x new episode 21 February