February isn’t usually a great month for movie releases in theatres. There are maybe one or two romances for the Valentine’s Day date crowd (this year it’s Stella Meghie’s The Photograph starring Issa Rae), but since it’s Oscars month, the critically acclaimed films are already out, and the summer blockbusters are barely in the trailer phase.
That’s where Netflix Canada comes in. This month, it’s dropping the most anticipated rom-com of the year/of my life. If you don’t already know what that title is, you must not know me at all — and you probably also need some help picking the best of the best on the streaming service. Here are the top movies and TV shows to watch on Netflix Canada in February, plus everything that’s coming and going.
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Photo: Courtesy Of Bettina Strauss.
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You
Every month I pick a title I would like injected directly into my veins. We may as well set up an intravenous drip for this one because, once To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You drops, it’s going to need to be flowing steadily into my bloodstream/eyeballs. My point: I am going to watch the shit out of this rom-com. When To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before came out, I didn’t do anything but go to work, come home, and watch it on repeat. For a week. Yes, I am a teenager. As a massive fan of Jenny Han’s books, upon which the movies are based, I was already in love with Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky. Watching the movie, I got to fall in love with Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, the two perfect actors to bring these characters to life. They are both back for the sequel. Lara Jean and Peter are finally dating for real and living happily ever after, right? Not if John Ambrose McLaren (Jordan Fisher) has anything to say about it. If I told you the sound I made when I heard Fisher would be playing John Ambrose, you might lose all respect for me and stop reading so let’s just move on and let me wrap this with: I can’t fucking wait. February 12
Photo: Courtesy Of Netflix.
Horse Girl
Horse Girl is not at all what I was expecting based on its name and star. Alison Brie is best known for her comedic roles in shows like Community and BoJack Horseman. She’s had slightly more dramatic turns in Mad Men and GLOW, but to me, she’s funny and quirky. If I was scrolling through Netflix and saw a movie called Horse Girl I would think it was a light comedy about a girl obsessed with horses. We all knew/were a girl like this in elementary school. This is not that movie. Brie plays Sarah, a socially inept woman working at an arts and crafts store who does like horses — that’s where the playfulness ends. She starts having strange and disturbing dreams, and loses her sense of reality. This is a dark psychological thriller that may or may not include alien abduction. Netflix, keeping us on our toes. Horse Girl just premiered at Sundance, and despite how weird this movie sounds, critics are saying Brie gives her best performance to date. February 7
Photo: Courtesy Of Bob Parent/Hulton Archive/Getty Images.
Who Killed Malcolm X?
Comedian Jaboukie Young-White was suspended from Twitter for using his parody account to call out the FBI for tweeting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day when it is known that the organization conducted targeted surveillance of civil rights leaders during the movement and may or may not be responsible for MLK’s death. The same conspiracy is held about Malcolm X’s death. I’m assuming the new documentary series Who Killed Malcolm X? will get into all of this. Here’s the synopsis: “Decades after the assassination of African American leader Malcolm X, an activist embarks on a complex mission seeking truth in the name of justice.” Let’s hope the series doesn’t have a Twitter account. February 7
Photo: Courtesy Of Eli Reed/Imagine/Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock.
8 Mile
To say that Eminem is problematic would be a gross understatement. Stirring up controversy just for the sake of it and pissing off marginalized groups in the process has always been his M.O. But back in 2002, the rapper starred in his own biopic and gave us a heartfelt movie about a talented kid trying to make it in Detroit. The Eminem that exists inside 8 Mile is the one I like best. No matter how you feel about Slim Shady IRL, there’s no denying this movie was a pop-culture phenomenon. In 2020, it still holds up. Ignore Mekhi Phifer’s inexcusably bad dreadlocked wig and focus on the late Brittany Murphy’s enigmatic performance and Eminem’s seminal hit “Lose Yourself,” which drops at the exact right point in this movie. My affinity for 8 Mile might hinge on my nostalgia for the early 2000s or it may still be a great movie. Decide for yourself. February 5
Photo: Courtesy Of Eric McCandless/ABC/Getty Images.
Jeopardy!: Celebrate Alex Collection
Of all the shows to binge watch, Jeopardy! may not seem like an obvious choice, but think about how smart you’ll be after a few episodes. Since beloved host Alex Trebek announced his cancer diagnosis, an outpouring of love and support and tear-inducing clips have littered the Internet. Trebek has said he won't retire just yet, but still, now is our chance to spend as much time with the legend as we can. Get your buzzers ready. February 28
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Photo: Courtesy Of Netflix.
I Am Not Okay With This
Teen dramas are my whole shit. I also love a good superhero story. I Am Not Okay With This is the best of both worlds. Based on a graphic novel and brought to you from the same minds who delivered The End of the Fucking World and Stranger Things, this series follows Sydney, a teenage girl who, according to Netflix, is “navigating the trials and tribulations of high school while dealing with the complexities of her family, her budding sexuality, and mysterious superpowers just beginning to awaken deep within her.” Puberty is hard enough. Learning you have superpowers as a teenager must be a mind fuck. I am very OK with this new show. February 26
Photo: Courtesy Of Christos Kalohoridis.
Locke & Key
Locke & Key is a beloved horror comic that had a long road to Netflix. In fact, it's taken more than a decade to get this series — written by Gabriel Rodriguez and Joe Hill (fun fact: he’s Stephen King’s son) — to our screens. I respect the long journey the creators and writers had to get here but I probably will not be watching this series. As I remind you every month, I am a chicken shit when it comes to horror content. If being scared for fun is your jam though, Locke & Key seems like a solid option. It’s a coming-of-age mystery about three siblings who move into a haunted home (that I would never step foot in) after their father is murdered. At the house, they discover magical keys that may be connected to their father's death. February 7
Photo: Courtesy Of Kevin Estrada/NETFLIX.
Gentefied
The trailer for Gentefied made me laugh and cry. From executive producer America Ferrera and based on Gente-fied: The Digital Series, which premiered at Sundance 2017, the series is about love, community, and displacement. It follows three Latinx cousins trying to work out their differences as they “work to keep their grandfather's taco shop afloat in their rapidly gentrifying L.A. neighborhood.” Joaquín Cosío, Karrie Martin, JJ Soria, and Carlos Santos star. Wilmer Valderrama, of That '70s Show and dating-famous-women fame, guest stars. Deadline reports that the show will “navigate important themes such as identity, class, and balancing insta-fame with translating memes for their parents.” Sounds like a hit. I’m in. February 21
Photo: Courtesy Of Netflix.
The Chef Show: Volume 3
I don’t cook, but every now and then I love a good cooking show. Bring on the food porn. The Chef Show: Volume 3 brings together actor/director Jon Favreau and award-winning Chef Roy Choi after their critically acclaimed and inexplicably enduring film Chef. The friends test out recipes and techniques while they bake and collaborate with some of the biggest names in the entertainment and culinary worlds. As Netflix puts it, “Favreau and Choi embrace their passion for food, but more importantly their love for bringing people together over a delicious meal.” February 19
Photo: Courtesy Of Netflix.
Love Is Blind
As a decades-long viewer of The Bachelor for no good reason (seriously, I cannot explain why), I have a thing for dating reality shows. (Netflix’s Dating Around may be my all-time favourite because its premise was simple: people go on multiple dates and they pick one person in the end.) In its new series, Love is Blind — hosted by former VJ and former B-list boy bander Nick Lachey, and Vanessa Lachey — Netflix is combining The Voice, The Circle, and MTV’s TRL to bring us a show that is the opposite of Tinder: Contestants don't see their fiancée’s face until the day they propose. Then, they have to plan a wedding while getting to know each other face-to-face. As someone planning a wedding, I can tell you that this is a recipe for disaster, but they had me at this logline: “this addictive 10-part series will uncover whether looks or age do matter, or if love really is blind.” February 13
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