Netflix’s Best New Films And Shows For February 2018

2017 was a big year for Netflix as it established its reputation for quality Netflix Original shows. The company is building on that momentum in 2018, with more funds hyping up expectations on just what the studio can do. Each month in 2018 tons of new shows are lined up for release, and February is no different, with options for whatever genre is your fave. Below are some of the best picks out of the bunch for the shortest month of the year.

 

Altered Carbon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhFM8akm9a4

If science fiction is your jam, this series is one to watch from early Feb. Based on the popular book series by Richard K Morgan, this futuristic thriller follows Takeshi Kovacs, an ex-soldier whose mind has been imprisoned for hundreds of years. Awoken in a new body and tasked with catching a serial killer, the prisoner is entangled in a web of conspiracy that he must decipher in return for his freedom.

 

On body and soul

This Hungarian fantasy drama about two strangers who find out they are having eerily similar dreams was nominated for best foreign language film at the 2018 Oscars. The two strangers set out to recreate their dreams in real life in an attempt to get to the bottom of what it all means. Netflix presumably believes so much in the film that it isn’t waiting to see how the movie fares at the awards event, scheduling its international release in early Feb.

 

Coach Snoop

Everyone knows and loves the DOGG’s comedy skits, but the rapper does a 360 in this heart-wrenching reality series when he takes to the street, creating and coaching a youth football team of at-risk kids. Fueled by his own rough upbringing, Snoop reveals in this eight-episode first season how football took him to places his music never could – and how he’s using it to help underprivileged teenagers rise above the hurdles of their circumstances. Be ready for some serious feels.

 

Queer Eye

A reboot of the endlessly camp Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, this series tags along with five fashionistas as they help straight men all over America refresh their look and confidence. The show also seeks to break down misconceptions about the LGBT community. As the guys say, the original show was fighting for tolerance – this new show is fighting for acceptance. Catch it from Feb 7.

 

The Ritual

While this movie isn’t breaking new ground in the horror genre – it has a pretty basic premise, a group of backpackers taking a shortcut through a dense forest while hiking in Scandinavia – its sense of self-awareness and the beautiful scenery make this a standout flick for Feb; when the protagonists come across an abandoned house, one proclaims, “Well, this is clearly the house we’re getting murdered in.” Their path brings them face to face with an evil force connected to an ancient Norse ritual. Get spooked in mid-Feb.

 

The Trader

For the documentary lovers out there, this one goes outside the box to explore the poverty of Eastern Europe. The Trader follows a man who travels throughout rural Georgia selling knick-knacks in return for the only currency worth anything to the poor and starving inhabitants – potatoes. An eye-opening experience, viewers will be shocked at the realities facing these areas. Step outside your comfort zone from Feb 9.

 

My next guest needs no introduction, with David Letterman

Unusual for Netflix, the company is releasing this series one episode at a time. The first part featured an hour-long interview with Barack Obama, talking about politics and beards. This time George Clooney is in the guest seat and, with Letterman asking the questions, it’s sure to be an interesting, honest chat. As Clooney says to Letterman: “We’ve missed you.” Part two is due for release in mid-Feb.

 

Seeing Allred

Netflix is chiming in on the sexual harassment allegations made in late 2017 against celebrities in Hollywood with this documentary. It follows Gloria Allred, a long-standing activist attorney who has represented multiple clients involved in lawsuits against famous celebrities and is a vocal opponent of discrimination. Called ‘America’s most formidable feminist lawyer,’ Allred is sure to stir the pot when the film lands on Netflix on Feb 9.

 

Re-mind

This Japanese series starts with eleven female classmates having woken up in a locked room, restrained to a dining table with no idea how they got there. The more clues they uncover as to why they’re there and who orchestrated the scene, the more their lives are in danger. Be sure to check it out on Feb 12.

 

The Frankenstein Chronicles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qiV2p825HY

This might be familiar to UK residents since it’s been running in the UK since 2015 and has quite the cult following. The acclaimed horror mystery series follows a 19th-century detective, played by Sean Bean, as he tries to catch a madman – who may or may not be the famed Doctor Frankenstein. Netflix has rebranded it as an original series and is releasing seasons 1 and 2 for a worldwide audience on Feb 20.

 

Mute

This film, from Warcraft director Duncan Jones, has been in the making for more than ten years and is landing with a punch. Set in a near future Berlin, a mute bartender forges a path through the city’s underbelly on a quest to find his missing girlfriend – a woman, he discovers, he may have never truly known. Alexander Skarsgard stars alongside Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux. Catch it on Feb 23.

 

Darren Brown: The Push

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Img2ir5JU

British illusionist Darren Brown is known for his controversial shows and social experiments, and his latest mini-series won’t be any different. He’s been pushing the envelope for years, trying to answer some pressing questions about psychology: whether people can actually be hypnotized to kill, discovering what the ‘pack mentality’ can really do, and forcing unwitting participants to push a dead man off a building. Details are being kept hush-hush about what the mentalist is up to next, so you’ll just have to watch it when it’s released on Feb 27.