film / tv / substack / social media / lists / web / celeb / pajiba love / misc / about / cbr
film / tv / substack / web / celeb

mythic quest (1).jpg

What's Streaming This Month? Romance, Keys, And... Not The Witcher

By Tori Preston | TV | February 1, 2020 |

By Tori Preston | TV | February 1, 2020 |


mythic quest (1).jpg

Get your heart-shaped boxes full of chocolates ready, because there’s a slew of new stuff to binge instead of, like, doing the romance! Yes, I call it “the romance” — can you tell I dated a lot? Because I did. All the time. In fact, I’m on a date right now! I multitask my dates, like a professional! Wait, what was I saying? Oh right:

DISNEY+
Honestly, it’s another sad month for Disney+ — unless you haven’t yet seen Toy Story 4, which will be hitting the platform on February 5.


APPLE TV+
On the other hand, Apple has got one of the more anticipated shows of the month, for a change! It’s Always Sunny’s Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day are exec producing Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet (February 7), a workplace comedy set in the world of video game design, where an egomaniacal boss (played by McElhenney) is spearheading the development of the biggest MMORPG of all time — and inserting himself into the narrative. The ensemble cast includes Danny Pudi, Imani Hakim, Charlotte Nicadao, David Hornsby, Ashly Burch, Jessie Ennis, and freaking Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham because why not?


Also coming is the 5-part docuseries Visible: Out on Television (February 14), which explores the way that the LGBTQ movement, through characters and creators, has shaped the television landscape — and our public consciousness. The series features narration from Janet Mock, Margaret Cho, Asia Kate Dillon, Neil Patrick Harris and Lena Waithe, and will have new interviews from Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, Anderson Cooper, Billy Porter, Rachel Maddow, Don Lemon, Sara Ramirez, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and more.


CBS ALL ACCESS
I owe you all a heartfelt apology: I forgot to include CBS All Access in the roundup last month, which was bad enough, but it was made even worse because it was the month that g*ddamn Picard was premiering! I suck, I’m a failure, but I’m trying to be better. The good news is: This month you can continue watching Picard because new episodes continue to drop weekly, and the show is really fantastic! Like The Mandalorian before it, Picard singlehandedly justifies adding another subscription to your monthly budget… at least until the finale rolls around, and you cancel the service again.

While they’ve got your eyeballs, however, CBS is doing its best to tempt you into sticking around. This month they’re launching Interrogation (February 6), a high-concept true-crime drama filled with incredible actors like Peter Sarsgaard, Vincent D’Onofrio, David Strathairn, Andre Royo, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. It’s inspired by a real murder investigation that spanned 30 years, and the hook is that after the pilot you can watch the episodes in any order you want (because cold case detectives abandon linear narratives or something?). Basically, this could be great, or it could be a frustrating mess, but either way, you’ll still have Jean-Luc Picard to comfort you.


AMAZON PRIME
Amazon saw CBS’s Interrogation and decided to raise them a Pacino: Hunters (February 21) is also inspired by real events, and also has an incredible cast, only this one is led by Al Pacino and I’m here for it. Exec produced by Jordan Peele, Hunters is about a group of Nazi Hunters hunting down secret hidden Nazis in 1977 America. Because in 1977, Nazis actually, you know… hid. The cast includes Logan Lerman, Lena Olin, Carol Kane, Jerrika Hinton, Josh Radnor, Dylan Baker, and Louis Ozawa.

And if that’s not enough Pacino for you, it’s my absolute pleasure to inform you that the platform is adding Dick Tracy to their library on Feb 1, because if we’re really going to talk about ensemble casts then need I remind you… *gestures emphatically*


HULU
Hulu is having a weirdly musical Valentine’s Day this year. Remember that Nick Hornsby novel that was adapted into a John Cusack movie? Well, Hulu’s new series High Fidelity (February 14) is literally that, but with Zoë Kravitz playing the luckless record store owner instead of Cusack as she reconnects with her top five lost loves. I already prefer this version to the original, because I’d much rather have Zoë Kravitz school me on cool music than get mansplained by another mopey dude again… which is an unintended insight into my own history of broken romances. MOVING ON.


Also on Valentine’s day comes Utopia Falls, which Hulu describes as the “first ever Sci-Fi Hip-Hop television series” but which sounds to me like future dystopian Glee. A bunch of teenagers are selected for a musical competition, and also discover an archive of old (read: our) music, and somehow it helps them exert their independence and/or change the world. I couldn’t find a trailer, and I don’t really understand the premise, but if this season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has taught me anything, it’s that I’ll happily sit through anything that tries to inject teenagers singing and dancing into every plot.


NETFLIX
I know I should probably lead this round-up with the more thematically relevant offerings Netflix will be delivering this month, like the eagerly awaited film sequel To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You starring Lana Condor (February 12), or Love is Blind, a new dating/ psychological torture series in which singles are locked into pods and forced to talk to each other by Nick Lachey, in the hopes that they’ll fall in love with someone they’ve never seen (February 13). Those sound great, or at least one of them does! But they’re not Locke & Key:

Launching February 7, Locke & Key is based on the comics by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez — and the fact that this adaptation exists at all is exciting enough, as there has been something like three or so failed attempts to turn the comics into films and television series in the past. Mostly though, the series is exciting because the story is exciting: three siblings move into a mysterious old house and discover an array of magical keys that unlock special abilities, but also draw the attention of a dangerous and unusual villain. Of everything coming this month, this is the thing I’m making room for in my very busy schedule. You know, amidst my dates.

Also coming this month is the second season of Altered Carbon (February 27), the adorable A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (February 14), and an indie movie starring Alison Brie as a very confused and quirky woman called Horse Girl (February 7).

Coming in February (Originals in BOLD)

Amit Tandon: Family Tandoncies — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
From the death of romance in marriage to the injustices of modern-day parenting, Amit Tandon shares wisdom and wisecracks as a battle-scarred family guy.

Taj Mahal 1989 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Dharam and Rashmi, both students at the university, are in love and are enjoying the first flush of youth. As Dharam gets more passionate about following his political ambitions Rashmi questions the change in his demeanor and moves away. Angad is the friend that everyone needs, while his philosophy about love is very clear, that it doesn’t exist, he falls head over heels for Mamta who is the student leader for the communist party and stands against the party that Dharam is a part of.


Avail. 2/1/20

A Bad Moms Christmas
A Little Princess
Back to the Future Part III
Blade Runner: The Final Cut
Center Stage
Cookie’s Fortune
Dear John
The Dirty Dozen
Dirty Harry
Driving Miss Daisy
Elizabeth
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Fools Rush In
Hancock
Love Jacked
The Notebook
The Other Guys
The Pianist
Police Academy
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
Police Academy 3: Back in Training
Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol
Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach
Police Academy 6: City Under Siege
Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow
Purple Rain
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Scary Movie 2
Sex and the City 2


Avail. 2/3/20

Sordo — NETFLIX FILM
Alluding to “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” this WWII drama follows a fugitive guerrilla, deaf after a bombing, as he tries to survive in northern Spain.

Team Kaylie: Part 3 — NETFLIX FAMILY
Adventure is calling! Join Kaylie, Ray Ray, Amber, Valeria, Chewy, Jackie and more as they navigate friendship, flirtation and the great outdoors.


Avail. 2/4/20

Faith, Hope & Love
She Did That

Tom Papa: You’re Doing Great! — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
In this age of insurmountable consumption of media and where bad news travels fast from all directions, Tom Papa is here to proclaim You’re Doing Great!, which is also the title of his debut Netflix comedy special. Life isn’t perfect, it never has been and it never will be and Tom wants you to know that’s OK! Life is rough, he gets it, and wants to remind us to take care of ourselves, embrace who you’ve become, and absorb the beauty of life. There are a lot of challenges and responsibilities we take on in life like family, work, climate change, social media, and living in New Jersey, but if we find someone who loves us for who we are, whether it be a human or a goldfish, Tom believes we’ll be just fine. Filmed in front of a live audience at the Victoria Theater at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.


Avail. 2/5/20

Black Hollywood: ‘They’ve Gotta Have Us’
#cats_the_mewvie

The Pharmacist — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
In 1999, after losing his son in a drug-related shooting in New Orleans and lacking answers from police, a small town pharmacist - Dan Schneider - beats the odds when he embarks on a dogged pursuit to find and bring his son’s killer to justice. But months later, the ripple effects of his son’s addiction and tragic death would find him again when a troubling number of young, seemingly healthy people begin visiting Dan’s pharmacy with high dose prescriptions for OxyContin. Sensing a crisis long before the opioid epidemic had gained nationwide attention, Dan stakes a mission: Save the lives of other sons and daughters within his community. Then take the fight to Big Pharma itself. Directed by Julia Willoughby Nason and Jenner Furst (Time: The Kalief Browder Story, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story), The Pharmacist shows how one man channeled his grief into a crusade that helped bring a reckoning against the powerful figures behind the nation’s devastating opioid epidemic.

Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story


Avail. 2/6/20

Cagaster of an Insect Cage — NETFLIX ANIME
Thirty years after a disease that turns the infected into carnivorous insects emerged, a young exterminator and a teenage girl search for her mother.


Avail. 2/7/20

The Ballad of Lefty Brown

Dragons: Rescue Riders: Season 2 — NETFLIX FAMILY
The Rescue Riders continue their mission to keep the residents of Huttsgalor safe but face a new nemesis in Magnus’s crafty nephew, Axel.

Horse Girl — NETFLIX FILM
Sarah (Alison Brie), a socially isolated arts and crafts store employee, finds herself more content in the company of horses and supernatural crime shows than people. But when a series of strangely surreal dreams upend the simplicity of her waking life, Sarah struggles to distinguish her visions from reality. Directed by Jeff Baena, Horse Girl is a darkly humorous psychological thriller about a woman’s search for the truth, however abstract it may be.

Locke & Key — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
After their father is murdered under mysterious circumstances, the three Locke siblings and their mother move into their ancestral home, Keyhouse, which they discover is full of magical keys that may be connected to their father’s death. As the Locke children explore the different keys and their unique powers, a mysterious demon awakens — and will stop at nothing to steal them. From Carlton Cuse (Lost, Bates Motel) and Meredith Averill (The Haunting of Hill House), Locke & Key is a coming-of-age mystery about love, loss, and the unshakable bonds that define family. Locke and Key on Netflix is the long-awaited television adaptation of the best-selling comic book series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez for IDW comics.

My Holo Love — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Soyeon is a lonely woman leading a lackluster life because of prosopagnosia. One day she inadvertently comes to possess a prototype of Hollo, a state-of-the-art AI hologram device, and her life is changing. Nando, a genius programmer who creates Hollo, moves in next door of Soyeon to snatch Hollo. For Soyeon, the appearances and voices of Nando and Hollo are same. Where will their triangle relationships go?

Who Killed Malcolm X?


Avail. 2/8/20

The Coldest Game — NETFLIX FILM
During the Cold War, troubled math genius Josh Mansky finds himself drafted to play in a U.S.-Russia chess match — and a deadly game of espionage.


Avail. 2/9/20

Better Call Saul: Season 4

Captain Underpants Epic Choice-o-Rama — NETFLIX FAMILY
In this interactive special, Harold and George need your decision-making skills to stop Krupp from blowing their beloved treehouse to smithereens.

Polaroid


Avail. 2/11/20

Good Time

CAMINO A ROMA — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Mexican documentary director Andrés Clariond made a making-of documentary about Roma. They shot the entire production and an in-depth interview with Alfonso Cuaron. It was self-financed by Agencia Bengala (Andrés’s production company).

Q Ball


Avail. 2/12/20

Anna Karenina

To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You — NETFLIX FILM
It’s a new year and Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter (Noah Centineo) are no longer pretending to be a couple. They ARE a couple. And, as Lara Jean navigates a trove of official firsts with Peter — her first real kiss, her first real date, her first Valentine’s Day — she finds herself leaning more on Kitty and Margot (Anna Cathcart and Janel Parrish), Chris (Madeleine Arthur), and an unexpected new confidant, Stormy (Holland Taylor), to help her manage the complex emotions that come with this new chapter of balancing a relationship and figuring out her authentic self. But when John Ambrose (Jordan Fisher), another recipient of one of Lara Jean’s old love letters, enters her life again she must rely on herself more than ever as she’s confronted with her first real dilemma: Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?


Avail. 2/13/20

Dragon Quest Your Story — NETFLIX ANIME
The story begins with a young boy named Dai. Dai, the young protagonist of the series, is the only human living on the island. Having been raised by Brass and with his best friend, the monster Gome, Dai grows up dreaming of becoming a hero.

Love is Blind — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
In Love is Blind, a three-week event, singles who want to be loved for who they are, rather than what they look like, have signed up for a less conventional approach to modern dating where they hope to meet the person they want to spend the rest of their lives with…without ever having seen them. With no distractions from the outside world, the singles talk to a stream of potential love interests and when a meaningful connection is made, they propose and then lay their eyes on their fiancé for the first time. Engaged and back in the real world, as the couples plan their wedding day, they will quickly discover whether they can turn their emotional connection into a physical one before the fast-approaching ceremony. Hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey, this addictive 10-part series will uncover whether looks or age do matter, or if love really is blind.

Narcos: Mexico: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Félix must cope with the U.S. and the consequences of his actions against the DEA while facing discontent within his organization.


Avail. 2/14/20

Cable Girls: Final Season — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Lidia returns to Spain to try and find her daughter with the help of her close friends, as they all grapple with the consequences of the civil war.

Isi & Ossi — NETFLIX FILM
They couldn’t be any more different: Isi (20) is a billionaire’s daughter from posh Heidelberg, Ossi (23) lives in the nearby working-class town of Mannheim, raised by his poor, struggling single mother. But when Isi meets Ossi, the two quickly realize that they could benefit from each other: Isi needs Ossi to provoke her overprotective parents and get them to fund her long-desired dream to become a chef - Ossi needs Isi’s money to finance a boxing match. What seems like a solid plan, soon develops into emotional chaos…

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon — NETFLIX FAMILY
The world’s favorite sheep returns in this BAFTA-nominated sequel to Shaun’s Oscar-nominated 2015 cinematic debut. When an alien named LU-LA crash-lands near Mossy Bottom Farm, her magical powers, irrepressible mischief and galactic sized burps soon have Shaun the Sheep and his flock enchanted. But when Shaun takes his new extraterrestrial friend on the road to find her lost spaceship, little does he know that a sinister alien-hunting agency is on their trail. Now Shaun and the flock must avert Farmageddon before it’s too late.

Avail. 2/15/20

Starship Troopers


Avail. 2/17/20

The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia — NETFLIX FAMILY
Multi-camera comedy about a 15-year-old female teen genius that moves across the country to work as a robotics engineer and live with her uncle, a high school football coach.


Avail. 2/19/20

Chef Show: Volume 3 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Cooking is a journey. And making a meal is about more than just food. It’s about appreciating friends, family and tradition. An opportunity to come together. To learn, to share and to celebrate different flavors, cultures and people. In The Chef Show actor/director Jon Favreau and award-winning Chef Roy Choi reunite after their critically acclaimed film Chef to embark on a new adventure. The two friends experiment with their favorite recipes and techniques, baking, cooking, exploring and collaborating with some of the biggest names in the entertainment and culinary world. Favreau and Choi embrace their passion for food, but more importantly their love for bringing people together over a delicious meal.

Guests include: Wolfgang Puck, Spider-Man director Sam Raimi, Sprinkles founder Candance Nelson, Pizzana chef Daniele Uditi, Border Grill co-owners Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, and Wexler’s Deli co-owners Micah Wexler and Michael Kasser.

The Chef Show is executive produced and directed by Jon Favreau. Roy Choi and Annie Johnson also serve as executive producers.


Avail. 2/20/20

Spectros — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
A horror mystery starts taking place in the district of Liberdade, the Japanese neighborhood of São Paulo. A teenage boy comes together with three other misfit kids, as they become embroiled in the clash amongst Brazilian witchcraft and Japanese Shinto spirits invading their neighborhood.


Avail. 2/21/20

A Haunted House

Babies — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Filmed over the course of three years, Babies explores the miracle of the first full year of life through the pioneering work of leading scientists from across the globe. The series examines the epic journey every person embarks on, from helpless newborn to independent toddler.

Gentefied — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Three Latinx cousins navigate their differences as they work to keep their grandfather’s taco shop afloat in their rapidly gentrifying LA neighborhood.

Glitch Techs — NETFLIX FAMILY
Glitch Techs is an action-comedy set against a world of video game fantasies come to life. It features two teenage gamers who have the best after-school job ever - capturing escaped video game “glitches”!

Puerta 7 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
A woman (Dolores Fonzi) tries to rid an Argentine soccer club of the organized crime surrounding it. Created by Martín Zimmerman (“Ozark,” “Narcos”).

System Crasher — NETFLIX FILM
Traumatized, violent and yearning for love, 9-year-old Benni bonds with a gruff mentor as child-services workers struggle to find her a home.


Avail. 2/22/20

Girl On The Third Floor


Avail. 2/23/20

Full Count


Avail. 2/25/20

Every Time I Die


Avail. 2/26/20

I Am Not Okay With This — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
A teen navigates the complexities of high school, family and her sexuality while dealing with new superpowers. Based on Charles Forsman’s graphic novel.


Avail. 2/27/20

Altered Carbon: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
When a job brings Takeshi Kovacs back to Harlan’s World in a new sleeve, he finds the planet at war — and his long-lost love lurking in the shadows.

The Angry Birds Movie 2

Followers — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
FOLLOWERS is the first drama series directed by Mika Ninagawa (Diner, No Longer Human) and highlights her unique approach to filming with dreamlike vivid colors, along with distinct and vibrant aesthetic. It is an original story that depicts Tokyo with the authentic fashion and lifestyles of women living there, starring Miki Nakatani, Elaiza Ikeda and more talented casts. Tokyo: a vibrant city full of life, color, ambition and fashion. A famous and successful fashion photographer Limi Nara (played by Miki Nakatani) has built a career capturing the evolving people and city of present-day Tokyo. She lives her life confidently and showcases her independence in both her career and relationships. Conversely, a young, aspiring actress Natsume Hyakuta (played by Elaiza Ikeda) struggles to find her identity and self-confidence which impacts her personal relationships and career as an actress.

Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution — NETFLIX FAMILY
The film is the 22nd installment in the Pokémon film series and is a CGI remake of the first film


Avail. 2/28/20

All The Bright Places — NETFLIX FILM
Based on the internationally bestselling novel by Jennifer Niven, All The Bright Places tells the story of Violet Markey (Elle Fanning) and Theodore Finch (Justice Smith), who meet and change each other’s lives forever. As they struggle with the emotional and physical scars of their past, they come together, discovering that even the smallest places and moments can mean something. This compelling drama provides a refreshing and human take on the experience of mental illness, its impact on relationships, as well as the beauty and lasting impact of young love.

Babylon Berlin: Season 3 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Set in the decadent Berlin of the Weimar Republic, this award-winning crime drama returns for a new season.

Formula 1: Drive to Survive: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Formula 1 drivers, managers and team owners live life in the fast lane — both on and off the track. The series now returns for Season 2.

Jeopardy!: Celebrate Alex Collection
Jeopardy!: Cindy Stowell Collection
Jeopardy!: Seth Wilson Collection

La trinchera infinita — NETFLIX FILM
The first movie in Spanish from the producers and directors of HANDIA. A film based on the incredible true story of the mole from the Spanish Civil War who spent 33 years hidden in his own home for fear of retribution.

Queen Sono — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The action-packed series follows Queen Sono, the highly trained top spy in a South African agency whose purpose is to better the lives of African citizens. While taking on her most dangerous mission yet, she must also face changing relationships in her personal life.

Restaurants on the Edge — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
A team of experts turns failing waterfront restaurants into destinations connected to their community, and worthy of their jaw-dropping locations.

Unstoppable — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
In Mexico City, three spoiled young girls meet a dangerous woman who leads them on a risky journey, where they grow and learn about themselves.


Avail. 2/29/20

Jerry Maguire



Header Image Source: Apple TV +