Top Movies To Watch-out For On Netflix This February

Even as February has just started, it makes sense to be informed about all the new releases on Netflix. Whether it is a new television show, episodes, or bringing nostalgic shows to the platform, there are endless options of content to dive into. There are many spectacular releases and additions to the platform and here are the top recommendations on what to keep your eyes out for on Netflix in February 2021:

Inception (Feb 1)

One of the movies that truly got me hooked from the start to the end. If you have ever been interested in the world of lucid dreaming, you’re about to be in for a treat. Starring Leonardo Dicaprio as a thief who goes into the subconscious security of people and takes their secrets and ideas from dreams. You’ll see how complex and intricate each dream is and find yourself holding your breath as they try their best to not be discovered by the person whose dream they are incepting.

Featuring an all-star lineup like Joseph Gordon Levitt, Michael Caine, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Hardy, this is one movie you do not want to sleep on. Christopher Nolen did a spectacular job directing the movie – from the editing, cinemeography, music tracklist to create an action-packed, suspenseful, and mind-bending movie. There’s a reason why this movie has highly rated throughout the years and Netflix is finally adding it to the platform!

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (Feb 10)

I’m sure everyone has heard of the mysterious case of Elisa Lam and her disappearance at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. Her body was later found in a water tank on the hotel roof and there have been many conspiracy theories regarding this case since she was shown to have erratic behavior before locating her body. This documentary will dive into her case and the history of this infamous hotel since there have are also many connections to other serial killers like Richard Ramierez who have stayed before.

There will be four episodes in the season and is produced by Joe Berlinger, who also filmed the other Netflix series, Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes andExtremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile featuring Zac Efron. If you’re a fan of true crime, this docu-series will be released on February 10th.

To All the Boys: Always and Forever, Lara Jean (Feb 12)

If you love the first and second movies, the final and last installation of this series is coming on February 12. Following Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky and the story of how their relationship developed from an old love letter, you’ll fall in love with the actors portrayed by Lana Condor and Noah Centineo. In the upcoming movie, the characters are headed towards their last year of high school and goes through prom proposals, college admissions, a trip to Korea, and their relationship on whether they can make long-distance work as they start thinking about college. If you’re a fan of young adult teen romance movies, this would be a great movie to watch, and make sure to watch the first two series before you watch the third one.

The Departed

Director: Martin Scorsese

Writer: William Nicholson

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Vera Farmiga, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Anthony Anderson, Alec Baldwin, and James Badge Dale

Filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s 2006 crime drama The Departed is the film that finally won him the Best Director Oscar, but he was simply trying to have a good time. After serious epics like The Aviator and Gangs of New York, Scorsese admitted he opted to make a commercial film, choosing to remake the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs with an all-star cast. The result is a tremendously entertaining crime drama packed with stellar performances, and led by one ofLeonardo DiCaprio’s best turns ever. The film not only won the Oscar for Best Director, but also Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. – Adam Chitwood

Hook

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writers: Jim V. Hart and Malia Scotch Marmo

Cast: Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith, and Charlie Korsmo

While Hook was critically derided when it hit theaters in 1991, with criticisms of its tame approach leading Steven Spielberg to directly go all-in on terror with 1993’s Jurassic Park, the film was actually a huge success… for kids. Spielberg taps into something special here in his retelling of thePeter Pan story, and while it’s hard to put a finger on—many still maintain it’s one of Spielberg’s worst movies—the impact it had on an entire generation of children is undeniable. Robin Williamsplays a grown-up Peter Pan who’s forgotten all about his time in Neverland, until Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) steals his children and forces Peter to go back. It’s a struggle, as Peter keeps trying to deny any semblance of magic, and indeed at heart this is a story about reconnecting with your inner child. Perhaps that’s why it works so well for kids. Well that and the tremendousproduction design that brings Neverland to life in vivid fashion. Watch this one with your children and they won’t be disappointed. It’s also lowkey one of John Williams’ best scores. – Adam Chitwood

Goodfellas

Director: Martin Scorsese

Writers: Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese

Cast: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Lorraine Bracco, Joe Pesci, and Paul Sorvino

Any director would be happy to make one masterpiece in his or her career, but filmmaker Martin Scorsese has several. Surely Goodfellas is towards the top of the heap, as the director’s 1990 mob drama still stands today as a stone-cold classic. The film tells the true rise and fall story of mob associate Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), tracking his life of crime from childhood up through the 1980s. It’s an epic saga told with vigor—this thing moves, and it’s all thanks to Scorsese’s kinetic camerawork and editing style. The soundtrack is killer, the performances are incredible (Joe Pesci!), and it’s a film that’s been mimicked countless times since. But there’s no touching the original. – Adam Chitwood

Superbad

Director: Greg Mottola

Writers: Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg

Cast: Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emma Stone, Seth Rogen, and Bill Hader

Superbad was pretty much a coming-of-age classic as soon as it hit theaters in 2007, as writersSeth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, director Greg Mottola, and producer Judd Apatow crafted a high school comedy that was equal parts heart and humor. While the comedy is indeed R-rated, there’s a sweetness to the friendship between Michael Cera and Jonah Hill’s characters that elevates this above your average raunchy comedy. It’s as much a story about a kid being afraid he’s gonna lose his friend at college as it is a story about trying to score alcohol for a high school party, and the surprising twists and turns make it all that much more memorable. – Adam Chitwood

Casino Royale

Director: Martin Campbell

Writers: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis

Cast: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Tobias Menzies

Considered by many to be the best Bond movie of them all, Casino Royale introduced the world to Daniel Craig’s 007 — a gritty, swaggering post-Bourne Bond who can rough and tumble with the best of them. GoldenEye director Martin Campbell returns to the iconic spy franchise, bringing a bit of old school to the new generation, perfectly toeing the line between the classic must-have Bond moments (fast cars, shaken martinis, beautiful women, etc…) while elegantly updating the material at the same time. Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd is easily one of the most memorable Bond women, afforded a compelling and intimate relationship with the superspy beyond the standard seduction and Mads Mikkelsen’s villainous Le Chiffre is equally memorable (pretty sure some men are still wincing from that torture scene.) The perfect balance of classic and modern, Casino Royale is one of the best spy movies ever made, jam-packed with stunning set-pieces and all the best bits of the Bond legacy. – Haleigh Foutch

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Directors/Writers: Phil Lord and Chris Miller

Cast: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T, Benjamin Bratt, and Neil Patrick Harris

Before filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller upended convention with wildly entertaining films like The LEGO Movie and the Jump Street films, they wrote and directed the 2009 animated feature Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs—and it is delightful. The film is absolutely in the same vein of Lord and Miller’s other films; a mix of goofy humor, gloriously intricate jokes, inventive visuals, and most importantly genuine compassion. Bill Hader voices a wannabe scientist named Flint who lives in a tiny town called Swallow Falls, which is thrown into peril when one of Flint’s wild inventions starts turning water into food, at which point it literally starts raining all sorts of delicious—and gigantic—treats. It’s a great film for all ages really, and a terrifically science-positive story. –Adam Chitwood

Sherlock Holmes

Director: Guy Ritchie

Writers: Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, and Simon Kinberg

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, and Eddie Marsan

In the months following Iron Man’s blockbuster success, Robert Downey Jr. doubled-down by filming a very different kind of iconic role: that of Sherlock Holmes. Filmmaker Guy Ritchie brings his tough guy sensibilities to this 2009 adaptation Sherlock Holmes, which positions Holmes as a bit of a superhero using slow-motion camera techniques and a punishing sound mix that makes you feel every punch landed by this surprisingly buff detective. The story finds Holmes (Downey) and Watson (Jude Law) investigating a plot to control Britain by supernatural means, with Rachel McAdams proving to be a bright spot as Irene Adler. This one’s fun. – Adam Chitwood

Other notable mentions are the Conjuring series as well as Malcolm & Marie, a black and white romance film starring Zendaya and John David Washington on February 5.