The 10 best things to watch on Netflix Canada this February

Netflix Canada

Rain, snow, and new Netflix content will be falling from the sky this February.

This month the giant streaming site will be offering up new films, new original series, and new ways to stay locked up inside your home, so that way you don’t have to listen to a single person complain about the weather.

So what’s good on Netflix this February?

There is a new Netflix sci-fi series called Altered Carbon that will be getting most of the buzz, but there are also some fabulous films being released that deserve eyeballs too. Below are ten recommendations that include foreign gems, award winners, wonderful performances, binge inducers, and ummm… Ghost in the Shell.

Make sure to check out the complete list of everything that is falling from the heavens onto Netflix this month.

Ghost in the Shell

Release Date: February 1
Director: Rupert Sanders
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbaek, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, Michael Pitt

This 2017 live adaptation may not be as good as the internationally acclaimed Japanese Manga, but it’s still a gorgeous film to look at. Scarlett Johansson plays Major, who after a tragic accident is turned into a cyborg that hunts down cybercriminals. After investigating a terrorist who can hack into people’s minds and control them, Major discovers secrets about her past. This is not a perfect film but good enough to turn your brain off to.

The Mermaid

Release Date: February 1
Director: Stephen Chow
Cast: Show Luo, Zhang Yuqi, Lin Yun

This was one of the highest grossing films of 2016 and broke box office records in China. The Mermaid is an adult fairy tale about a mermaid assassin who falls in love with a businessman she is supposed to kill. Of course, this crazy story comes from the mind of acclaimed director Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer). So you know you’re going to get insanity mixed with the absurd and somewhere hidden within the cheesy special effects and twisted humor is a little bit of heart.

Moon

Release Date: February 1
Director: Duncan Jones
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Benedict Wong, Malcolm Stewart, Matt Berry, Kaya Scodelario

Shout out to this 2009 beauty that stars Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). I feel like people are just starting to realize how amazing and underrated Rockwell is as an actor, so it’s fitting that Netflix has released one of his finest performances. This psychological sci-fi is directed by Duncan Jones (Source Code) and is about an astronaut miner named Sam Bell who extracts gas from the moon. With only weeks until his three-year contract is up, Sam makes an ominous discovery.

The Danish Girl

Release Date: February 1
Director: Tom Hooper
Cast: Alicia Vikander, Eddie Redmayne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Amber Heard, Ben Whishaw, Sebastian Koch

This Oscar-winning film is highlighted by the fabulous performances of Alicia Vikander and Eddie Redmayne. If you can get past some of the historical inaccuracies of the story, it’s actually a pretty good biopic about famous artist Gerda Wegener (Vikander) and her husband Einar Wegener (Redmayne). After dressing up as a woman for one of Gerda’s paintings, Einar realizes that he identifies as a woman and slowly transforms himself into Lili Elbe.

On Body and Soul

Release Date: February 2
Director: Ildikó Enyedi
Cast: Alexandra Borbély, Géza Morcsányi

If you need to check off one of this year’s Oscar nominees, Netflix is releasing the Hungarian film On Body and Soul which is nominated for Best Foreign Film. This is a strange flick but has been getting a ton of awards love. The story centers around Endre and Maria who both work at a slaughterhouse. Every night they have the same dream where they meet as deer in the forest and fall in love. Unfortunately for them, that same kind of love and attraction is hard to duplicate in real life.

Altered Carbon (Season 1)

Release Date: February 2
Director: Nick Hurran
Cast: Joel Kinnaman, James Purefoy, Martha Higareda, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Will Yun Lee, Dichen Lachman, Kristin Lehman

This is Netflix’s new sci-fi series they have poured a lot of money and high hopes into. The story takes place 300 years in the future when human minds are digitized and downloaded from body to body. This is based upon the popular cyberpunk novel and it stars the fantastic Joel Kinnaman (The Killing, House of Cards). This has smash hit written all over it.

A Most Violent Year

Release Date: February 7
Director: J.C. Chandor
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Alessandro Nivola, Albert Brooks

This is a 2015 period piece that contains some great performances from Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. It is also a great story about an immigrant named Abel (Isaac) trying to work his way to the top even if it’s by nefarious means. When he starts to see his Empire crumble, he suspects the people around him to be the culprits. Don’t be fooled by the title because this movie is far from violent, but it is incredibly tense and compelling. If you are not familiar with director J.C. Chandor’s work, than you are in for a treat.

Midnight Special

Release Date: February 7
Director: Jeff Nichols
Cast: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Jaeden Lieberher, Sam Shepard, Bill Camp, Scott Haze, Paul Sparks

One of the best films of 2016 is now on Netflix and if you were living under a rock or never got a chance to check out this dramatic sci-fi, do yourself a favor and give this film a go. Michael Shannon stars in a story about a father and his eight-year-old son who go on the lam upon discovering that the boy possesses mysterious powers. This is another masterpiece by director Jeff Nichols (Mud, Loving) who really hasn’t made a bad film yet. Shannon is great, but he has a fabulous cast backing him up, highlighted by a stand out performance by Kirsten Dunst.

Everything Sucks! (Season 1)

Release Date: February 16
Director: Michael Mohan, Ry Russo-Young
Cast: Patch Darragh, Peyton Kennedy, Jahi Di’Allo Winston

Not much is known about this series but it’s a coming of age story that takes place in the 90s. Two groups of high school misfits – the AV club and drama club collide in this quirky comedy set in Oregon. This looks like a sleeper hit.

Seven Seconds (Season 1)

Release Date: February 23
Director: Jon Amiel, Gavin O’Connor, Ernest R. Dickerson, Victoria Mahoney, Daniel Attias
Cast: Clare-Hope Ashitey, Nadia Alexander, Raúl Castillo, Regina King, David Lyons, Beau Knapp, Zackary Momoh, Michael Mosley, Patrick Murney, Michelle Veintimilla

This is an anthological crime thriller from acclaimed creator Veena Sud (The Killing). It also stars two-time Emmy winner Regina King (American Crime) alongside British actress Clare-Hope Ashitey. This looks like a powerful series that will no doubt get a lot of attention. The story centers around a black teenager who is accidentally run over by a white police officer, a cover-up ensues and racial tensions run high.

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