Here we are. The first month in 2017 has come to a close. What awaits us this year? No one can say for certain—Well, I can say for certain on one thing: What’s coming to Netflix next month! February offers us candy and flowers for Valentine’s Day but it also gives us the gift of new movies, shows and Netflix Originals. So, grab some champagne and chocolate covered strawberries and cuddle up with your loved one because we’re going to skip the fancy expensive restaurant this year and spend some quality time on the couch streaming movies.
Let’s get started!
Babe (February 1st) – It’s a movie about a talking pig that is raised by sheepdogs and learns to be a sheep herder. Look, this isn’t a movie that I will watch in my adult life but I won’t deny how cute it is and how great it is for kids. If you have little ones, have them Check It Out!
Contact (February 1st) – Based on the Carl Sagan book of the same name, this 1997 film tells the story of a message sent to us from a distant alien race and its discovery by a hungry young SETI scientist played by Jodie Foster. Inside the message is plans to create a vehicle that will usher in first contact and opens up the philosophical, ethical and religious debate over whether man is ready for this discovery. The cast is great, the story is awesome and the commentary this movie makes is all-around fascinating. However, it does have a fairly disappointing ending that is more about substance than instant gratification. Still, I’d call it a Must See!
Corpse Bride (February 1st) – This 2005 film is basically Tim Burton trying to recreate The Nightmare Before Christmas and it tells the story of a living man accidentally ending up in the world of the dead and circumstances are created where he’s going to marry a living corpse. The animation in this film is great but the whole thing feels like a cliché of Tim Burton’s work. Everything from the cast to the visuals look like someone is parodying the man and it made for a story that I couldn’t get invested in. Still, if you love stop-motion animation or Burton, I’d say Check It Out!
Finding Dory (February 1st) – In my opinion, Pixar is the undisputed king of animation and storytelling. Even if you aren’t too keen on their decision to do as many sequels as they are doing with their films, there’s no denying the charm they have and this latest adventure involving the lovable and forgetful Dory from Finding Nemo as she sets out to find her parents is adorable and a lot of fun. The animation is great and the film made me laugh as often as it made me tear up. I’d say it’s a Must See!
Magic Mike (February 1st) – Steven Soderbergh directs this story about a young male stripper who finds himself under the tutelage of some veterans of the game and discovers a world of drama and trouble. It’s easy to write this one off as “something for the ladies” but it actually has an interesting story going for it and the performances are fantastic. Plus, you get to see pro-wrestler Kevin Nash awkwardly dance and that’s pretty funny. I’d say Check It Out.
Silver Streak (February 1st) – Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder made some great films together and this was the first collaboration the two had. It centers on murder on a train journey from L.A. to Chicago and it is hysterical. I’d say this one is a Must See!
The Blair Witch Project (February 1st) – Essentially this 1990 low-budget/huge hit phenomenon is the grandfather of the “found footage” genre. Yes, there were a few before it but this one shoved the sub-genre into the mainstream and it has never been able to be replicated. Thanks primarily to its pre-viral era viral marketing, this story about some recovered footage of some film students investigating a potential haunting in the woods of Maryland and how their final days play out in horror is a bit polarizing with audiences but still a wonder to watch. The film is amazingly well made, very creepy and terrifyingly realistic—in ways no other “found footage” film has been able to come even close to ever since. I watched it again recently and it still holds up. I’d say this is a Must See!
The Nightmare Before Christmas (February 1st) – This is Tim Burton’s classic that would go on to be a product synonymous with Hot Topic! This stop-motion affair tells the story of Jack Skellington and his desire to claim Christmas as his own holiday in Halloween Town. The film looks incredible, the voice cast is top notch and the music is fantastic. There’s a reason why it is even more popular now than it was when it came out and it’s definitely a Must See!
Twilight (February 1st) – We all know what this one is about because it was a damn popular property and it took the pop culture world by storm but, to boil it down, it’s about vampires that glitter in the sun in the Pacific Northwest and how one of them falls in love with a human. It’s easy to make fun of this film for a number of reasons but it has its fans. To them, it’s a Must See but to others who don’t really dig on vampires or movie adaptations of tween novels, I’d say Skip It!
Milk (February 16th) – This 2008 bio-pic from Gus Van Sant starring Sean Penn tells the story about the politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk. It’s powerful, contains a great cast and a bit sad when you realize that Milk’s work began in the 70s and we still have a long way to go here in 2017. This is definitely one I’d say is a Must See.
Sausage Party (February 23rd) – It’s not the first R-rated animated comedy but it sure pushes the boundaries like no other. Starring a plethora of talented comedians and comedic performers, this film tells the tale of our food and how they believe people to be gods that choose them from the supermarket to be taken to paradise. However, a hot dog and his bun girlfriend soon learn the horrifying truth. This comedy is not for everyone as it is shocking and offensive but, with that being said, I thought it was hysterical. I wanna put this as a Must See but because of the nature of it all, I’d say Check It Out if you think it’s up your alley.
Additional Films (That I Haven’t Seen) Released in February
February 1st
Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, and Cyber Attacks (2016)
Babe: Pig in the City (1998)
Balto (1995)
Balto 2: Wolf Quest (2001)
Balto 3: Wings of Change (2004)
Eleven P.M. (1928)
From This Day Forward: A Trans Love Story (2016)
Gun Runners (2015)
Hell-Bound Train (1930)
Highly Strung (2015)
Hot Biskits (1931)
I Am Sun Mu (2016)
Invincible (2006)
Mother with a Gun (2016)
Paris Is Burning (1990)
Project X (1987)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe (2005)
The Five Heartbeats (1995)
The Girl from Chicago (1932)
The Longest Day (1962)
February 2nd
American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson (2016)
February 3rd
Daniel Sosa: Sosafado (Netflix Original)
Imperial Dreams (Netflix Original)
Santa Clarita Diet (Netflix Original)
Michael Bolton’s Big, Sexy Valentine’s Day Special (Netflix Original)
February 8th
Tiempos Felices (2014)
Girl Asleep (2015)
February 10th
Abstract: The Art of Design
David Brent: Life on the Road (Netflix Original)
February 11th
Stronger Than the World (Netflix Original)
February 12th
Clouds of Sils Maria (2014)
February 13th
Code: Debugging the Gender Gap (2016)
Magicians: Life in the Impossible (2016)
February 14th
Girlfriend’s Day (Netflix Original)
Katherine Ryan: In Trouble (Netflix Original)
King Cobra (2016)
Project Mc 2: Part 4 (Netflix Original)
White Nights (Netflix Original)
February 15th
Aram, Aram (2015)
Before I Go to Sleep (2014)
Fire Song (2015)
February 16th
Sundown (2016)
February 17th
Kill Ratio (2016)
February 19th
Growing Up Wild (2016)
Tini: El Gran Cambio De Violetta (2016)
February 24th
I Don’t Feel At Home in This World Anymore (Netflix Original)
Ultimate Beastmaster (Netflix Original)
Ultimate Beastmaster Mexico (Netflix Original)
February 26th
Night Will Fall (2016)
February 27th
Brazilian Western (2013)
February 28th
Be Here Now (2015)
Michael Birbiglia: Thank God for Jokes (Netflix Original)
And there ya have it! February is a short month so there’s not a lot coming but there’s definitely enough for you to make enough excuses for refusing to leave your couch. Now, my friends, go forth and stream!
Rev. Ron is the one who knocks. He is Spartacus and he is The One. Actually, he’s none of these. He’s just a geek who watches a lot of movies and refuses to socialize due to crippling social anxiety. He also likes to review the films he watches and you can read those reviews on his blog at RevRonMovies.BlogSpot.com. You can also follow him on Twitter (@RevRonster).