February streaming highlights: the movies and series you just can’t miss

Luca Fontana

1.2.2024

Translation: Elicia Payne

New month, new streaming recommendations. Netflix, Sky, Disney+, Prime Video,Apple TV+ – find out which series and films are showing on the streaming services this February.

My wife recently asked me what we were going to do on Valentine’s Day. I asked her if she liked Munich. Her eyes lit up. Then I asked her what she thought of Rome. Her grin grew wider. «It’s a deal,» I said, «We can watch Bayern versus Lazio!» She wasn’t amused. Perhaps I should’ve suggested something from my must-see movie and series list for February instead.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (series)

Those were the days, in 2005, when the most glamorous, but also most controversial celebrity romance of all time began: Brangelina. It started on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Brad Pitt was actually married to Jennifer Aniston, but couldn’t resist the charms of Angelina Jolie. A divorce from Aniston followed, Pitt and Jolie became Hollywood’s new dream couple and the rest is history. I wonder if the spark between Donald Glover and Maya Erskine was that strong on the set of the series adaptation ?

What we do know, is that the plot in the series is a little different from the movie. In the movie, Pitt and Jolie are a married couple leading a secret double life as special agents. They only realise this when one day they’re pit against each other by their rival agencies – of all things. The irony is that their marriage has long since reached an impasse, but the mission to kill each other gives them a much-needed kick. Haha.

In the series, however, Glover and Erskine work for the same agency. Their marriage is just a cover. And although they don’t particularly like each other, they have to complete missions together week after week as lovebirds in love. And then, of course, they grow closer. What I make of it? I much prefer the premise of the movie.

Start: 2 February
Where: Prime Video

The New Look (miniseries)

Just last month a Spanish production about Cristóbal Balenciaga, one of the most influential fashion designers of all time, was launched on Disney+. Together with other names loved and adored such as Gabrielle «Coco» Chanel, Christian Dior and Hubert de Givenchy, he set new standards for haute couture in Paris in the 1940s with his New Look.

The series of the same name takes place in the exact same time period, but isn’t directly about Balenciaga, but about his competitors Chanel (Juliette Binoche) and Dior (Ben Mendelsohn). Apple’s version even shows the two as bitter rivals, fighting nefariously for supremacy in the sophisticated Parisian fashion world. Sounds exciting. Especially because the series is being produced by Apple, which is slowly but surely becoming a major player in the film and series business.

Start: 14 February
Where: Apple TV+

The Bad Batch (series, final season)

The Clone Wars are over. But the killing isn’t. In The Bad Batch, the now rebellious elite troop known from The Clone Wars takes centre stage in a story about civil wars, betrayal and free will. For the last time too, as Season 3 is the final season of the animated series.

Shame. The Bad Batch is just as good at mixing light-hearted, flippant and serious, emotional stories as its parent series. Most recently, fans had to part with Tech, who sacrificed himself to help his team escape from a seemingly hopeless situation. Meanwhile, Crosshair, blinded by the Empire, questions his loyalty to the regime that treats him and his clone brothers like dirt. And then there’s Omega. A clone who, unlike his siblings, ages at a normal rate and is therefore still a child. He seems to carry the key to some grand plan of the dreaded Emperor Palpatine in his genes.

Looks like we’re in for a treat.

Start: 21 February
Where: Disney+

Constellation (miniseries)

Wow. Epic trailer. When it comes to claustrophobic space action à la Gravity or LIFE – the latter brutally underrated and disturbing, by the way – I’m always in. Constellation seems to be something in between space action and psychological thriller on Earth. It stars Prometheus actress Noomi Rapace as Jo, an astronaut who returns to Earth after a catastrophe in space – only to find that important parts of her life seem to be missing.

As I said, where Apple’s at work, I’ve no doubts. I’m also a sucker for mystery box stories. This is when the tension arises from the fact that we viewers want to discover a secret hidden from us. Some critics consider this to be a rather cheap narrative trick because it takes far less character and plot development to keep us viewers interested. Let’s say the makers can’t come up with any exciting characters the viewers would really be in to? In that case, they could just spice up the plot with a mystery box and wait to reveal its contents at the very end. And voilà, suspense issues solved.

I couldn’t care less. I’m simple-minded. A mystery box doesn’t necessarily mean the series can’t write a good story or likeable characters. Prime example of this is Severance, also on Apple TV+, by the way, if you’re still looking for a really good series.

Start: 21 February
Where: Apple TV+

Avatar: The Last Airbender (series)

Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino had been working on a live-action adaptation of the classic animation for Netflix for two years when they dropped the bomb – both announced they’d be leaving the project. Creative differences being the reason for abandoning their work. «Whatever version ends up on-screen, it will not be what Bryan and I had envisioned or intended to make.»

That was in 2020. Quite the shock. The Nickelodeon cartoon series was a constant throughout my formative years. And since the live-action adaptation is coming out soon, I decided to rewatch the original on Paramount+. What can I say? The animated series is even better than I remembered. And a lot funnier. But it’s also more profound and more moving. There’s not one episode that’s purely superficial fun. They all have a deeper meaning. A lesson that Avatar Aang and his friends must learn on their journey before they can free the subjugated world from the Fire Nation.

So you probably understand why I’m feeling a little uneasy about the makers of this very masterpiece falling out with Netflix so badly. Naturally, telling 21 episodes at 23 minutes each in eight episodes of around 50 minutes each requires a lot of tweaks and changes. I just hope that the spirit of the series wasn’t lost in the process, especially without Konietzko and DiMartino. I really don’t want them to leave out the unsurpassed mix of silly comedy, meaningful life lessons and nuanced character sketches in the live-action adaptation.

Start: 22 February
Where: Netflix

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (miniseries)

I once gave up after the seventh season of The Walking Dead. I least I think I did. Maybe I was already in the middle of season 8. At some point, the series simply became too repetitive and the characters too stupid. I realised halfway that main character Rick Grimes died in season 9 because actor Andrew Lincoln was no longer interested in the franchise. Then there was talk of a surprising comeback in a film trilogy. The series finale after eleven seasons of The Walking Dead brought certainty: Rick is actually still alive – and his story is not yet finished.

The film trilogy has since been scrapped. Instead, they opted for a six-part miniseries with a visibly increased budget. And yes, the footage shown in the trailer does look very cinematic. I like it. Do hardcore fans agree? The original series was deliberately shot on 16mm film with old-fashioned grain and image noise to create the feeling of a broken, post-apocalyptic world. But it sometimes looked cheap. The Ones Who Live, the miniseries, looks much more polished. What do you think?

Start: 25 February
Where: Sky Show (entertainment pass)

Shōgun (miniseries)

Shōgun. That’s Japanese for Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against the Barbarians. In medieval Japan, the title belonged to the highest military commander. In fact, the leader of the entire country. This is because the Shōgunate period (also referred to as the Edo period) was an era in which Japan was ruled by a military regime. As a result the Shōgun was the actual ruler, while the emperor had more of a ceremonial role. Finally, the Shōgunate ended with the Meiji Restoration in 1868, when the once honourable samurai were stripped of their privileged status. Political power returned to Emperor Meiji and Japan began to modernise and open up to the West.

Sound familiar? Yep, The Last Samurai is set right during the Meiji Restoration. Hiroyuki Sanada as the relentless samurai sword master Ujio is also in the film. Today, 20 years later, he takes on the role of Lord Yoshii Toranaga in Shōgun. Through the eyes of the English sailor John Blackthorne, we see his rise from lord and regent to Shōgun in sixteenth century Japan. An exciting interpretation. The trailer looks promising. I can’t wait for the miniseries to start. And if you can’t get enough of samurai make sure you watch Blue Eye Samurai on Netflix!

Start: 27 February
Where: Disney+ (Star)

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.» more

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