As Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, et al. add more content, it can be difficult to know what to look for amidst all of the new titles. Every month, I compile a list of particularly noteworthy and interesting movies and TV shows to add to your streaming queues.
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Netflix
Babe (February 1)
Baa-ram-ewe! Baa-ram-ewe! The Citizen Kane of talking pig pictures, as one critic called it, will start streaming as soon as February rolls around. I plan on watching it with my kids, and all the while, I’ll try to wrap my mind around the fact that the man responsible for this charming little film is the same deranged genius who gave us Mad Max.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (February 1)
This first of the modern live action adaptations of C.S. Lewis’ beloved fantasy series gets a little too action-heavy at times, and it unfortunately modifies (and ruins) its most famous and crucial line (the one about tame lions). But overall, Andrew Adamson’s film does an admirable job of capturing the spirit of Lewis’ work.
Corpse Bride (February 1)
I’ve always preferred Tim Burton’s stop-motion animation titles to many of his live action titles. In this gothic tale based on Russian folklore, Johnny Depp voices a hapless groom who unwittingly marries another woman — who just so happens to be dead. Given that this is Burton, lots of weirdness soon follows after.
Finding Dory (February 1)
This follow-up to Finding Nemo focuses on Dory, the forgetful blue-tang fish voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, as she tries to find her parents. Finding Dory set numerous records at the box office, including the biggest animated film opening of all time here in the U.S..
Abstract: The Art of Design (February 10)
This Netflix original series follows in the footsteps of series like Chef’s Table, but instead, focuses on famous and influential designers. Among those featured include architect Bjarke Ingels, illustrator Christoph Niemann, and shoe designer Tinker Hatfield.
Magicians: Life in the Impossible (February 13)
We’re big fans of magic here at Opus HQ, so this documentary — which follows four magicians as they strive to make it in their chosen profession, and the various hurdles and struggles they face along the way — seems like a no-brainer. The magicians featured include Jon Armstrong, Brian Gillis, Jan Rouven, and David Minkin.
I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (February 24)
Fresh off some considerable Sundance buzz — it opened this year’s festival — Macon Blair’s film follows a young woman who tries to track down the people who stole her laptop and silverware. But as the trailer makes clear, things quickly spiral out of control.
Click here for a complete list of everything arriving and leaving Netflix in February 2017.
Hulu
The Fountain (February 1)
Darren Aronofsky’s visually stunning sci-fi epic spans millennia as it tells the story of conquistadors searching for immortality, a grieving husband and his cancer-stricken wife, and a far-future space explorer. The story doesn’t quite hold together but the visuals and effects are mind-blowing.
The Machinist (February 1)
Christian Bale underwent an incredible physical transformation — he lost over 60 lbs — to play this film’s titular character, an insomniac who is haunted by bizarre visions and paranoia.
The Running Man (February 1)
It’s no Terminator, Commando, or Predator, but this post-apocalyptic action/satire is still vintage ’80s Arnold Schwarzenegger, complete with over-the-top violence and cheesy one-liners.
The Station Agent (February 1)
In this quirky indie drama, Peter Dinklage (aka Tyrion Lannister) inherits an abandoned train station, which leads him to meeting a cast of odd individuals who slowly draw him out of his shell. If “quirky indie drama” turns you off, rest assured there’s plenty of heart and fascinating character study to go along with the offbeat material.
Click here for a complete list of everything arriving and leaving Hulu in February 2017.
Amazon Prime
Goldfinger (February 1)
A slew of classic James Bond films are coming to Amazon Prime, including Diamonds Are Forever and Octopussy. In this one, Bond matches wits with a madman intent on destroying America’s supply of gold at Fort Knox. Of course, this being Bond, there’ll be plenty of witticisms, clever gadgets, and beautiful (and dangerous) women.
Payback (February 1)
I have a soft spot in my heart for this Mel Gibson-starring thriller about an amoral gangster who’s trying to get his share of a heist after he’s double-crossed and left for dead. Gibson is suitably gruff and grim in the role, and few actors look as good as he does when roughed up. It’s unclear if this is the theatrical version or the director’s cut that is supposedly much better.
10 Cloverfield Lane (February 24)
Three individuals — a woman and two men — are living in an underground bunker after some cataclysmic event has devastated the world outside. Or has it? Not exactly a sequel of the smash hit Cloverfield, though set in the same universe, 10 Cloverfield Lane stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman.
Captain Fantastic (February 27)
Viggo Mortensen plays a father who’s been raising his kids “off the grid” and in the wilderness. But when his wife dies, the family travels back to “civilization” for the funeral, and they find themselves ill-prepared for the culture shock.
Click here for a complete list of everything arriving and leaving Amazon Prime in February 2017.