Picture: IFC Midnight
The second month of the year is here, and the movie lineup for the month is actually looking strong, albeit less so on the Netflix Original side, with most of the big hitters saved for March onwards. Below, we’ll give our picks of the best new movies coming up throughout the month.
As always, we will split our picks up into two buckets. First, we’ll cover the Netflix Originals we’re most excited about throughout the month. For the most part, these will be arriving on Netflix globally. We’ll only cover two this month, as their lineup is a little underwhelming. We’ll then look into the licensed movies headed specifically to US Netflix, with other regions’ lineups varying.
You can find the complete list of everything coming up on Netflix throughout February 2025 here.
Most Anticipated Netflix Original Movies in February 2025
The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep
Coming to Netflix: February 11th
It’s been four years since we got to visit the Continent through anime with the release of Nightmare of the Wolf, and this month, we’ll finally be heading back in animated form with Sirens of the Deep. Early indiciations are that this will be just as good as the original, with Kang Hei Chul directing and some familiar voices from the show, such as Anya Chalotra and Joey Batey, reprising their roles from the live-action show and Doug Cockle being pulled over from the beloved video games to voice Geralt.
Unlike the main The Witcher series, which I’m thoroughly checked out of and have been really since midway through season 2, I’m excited to dive back into the better-realized world crafted here by Studio Mir for the second outing, and I say that as a person who’s not traditionally a fan of anime.
Squad 36
Coming to Netflix: February 28th
Picture: Netflix
Teaming up with Netflix once again is director Olivier Marchal from France. If you’ve seen any of his titles on Netflix, which includes Blood Coast and Rogue City, you should have a pretty good idea of what to expect. It’s a no-nonsense crime thriller with plenty of action to keep you engaged through to the end of the credits, and that should be the case here.
The official synopsis of the film, which stars Victor Belmondo, Tewfik Jallab, and Yvan Attal, reads, “Forced out of his elite unit, a troubled cop launches his rogue investigation when mysterious killings claim the lives of his former colleagues.”
Best Licensed Movies Coming to Netflix in February 2025
The Nice Guys
Coming to Netflix: February 1st
Picture: Warner Bros.
This buddy-cop comedy regularly comes and goes from Netflix and I’m always happy to give it a nod every single time it does, as it’s a beaut. Headlined by Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, the movie is a thrill from start to finish set in Los Angeles during the swanky 1970s with the two playing private eyes who team up to find out what happened to a missing girl after the death of a well-known porn star. It’s an absurd parody of some famous movies in the genre, with two sterling performances from the leads.
Trial by Fire (2018)
Coming to Netflix: February 13th
Rewind seven years, and Trial by Fire landed in theaters during the summer. Laura Dern is the big draw of this movie and, as always, gives an exceptional performance. The real-world story of Cameron Todd Willingham is played out in this film, who was ultimately sentenced to death after killing his three children. Or did he?
Interestingly, critics weren’t overly keen on this biopic when it was first released, with many hitting out at the clumsy way in which the film’s central message is told. Variety said at the time, “Every line of dialogue in Trial by Fire is wrapped with so much exposition that the film feels tied to the train-tracks of good taste. Characters don’t converse, they simply say all their thoughts aloud.” Audiences have been far kinder both during and after its theatrical run, with it currently sitting at 7.1 out of 10 on IMDb, so you can be the judge when it launches on Netflix.
Spencer (2021)
Coming to Netflix: Thursday
Steven Knight, who wrote this biopic for the beloved indie distributor NEON, is a master of his craft. He has brought some excellent British stories to the world, including several for Netflix (plus at least two more in 2025: House of Guinness and the Peaky Blinders movie), with this one focusing on the late Princess Diana, played by Kristen Stewart, who was awarded an Oscar nomination for it, during the festive period one year when her mental health was in material decline. Excellent cinematography and this more intimate retelling of Princess Diana’s troubles is a must-watch for any fans of The Crown.
Watcher (2022)
Coming to Netflix: February 25th
Sticking with indies, we come onto IFC Midnight’s Watcher from three years ago. It’s a mix of horror and thriller, with the plot revolving around a young woman called Julia who reluctantly agrees to move with her husband from the States to Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Their new life doesn’t go quite according to plan, with Julia convinced that she’s being stalked by her new neighbor, who might be a serial killer. Maika Monroe is fabulous and convincing throughout. Karl Glusman, who plays the husband, is particularly insufferable, and with all that, the movie is a tense and precision-made movie that knows what it wants to do and does it well.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Coming to Netflix: February 26th
One of the late arrivals coming up on Netflix in February is the brilliant adaptation of the incredibly popular role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Starring Chris Pine alongside Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page and a host of other well-known names and faces, it’s a very enjoyable albeit rather juvenile entry that’s a bit absurd at times with over-the-top CGI but ultimately really entertaining. Sadly, the film looks like it is one-and-done after a rather subpar performance at the box office, which is a crying shame as I’d have loved to see them do more in this universe.
Despicable Me 4 (2024)
Coming to Netflix: February 28th
Last but by no means least, we come onto the fourth main entry in the long-running Illumination franchise Despicable Me. Netflix is nabbing the movie just four months after Peacock added it, and we suspect it’s going to do some serious numbers for the streamer when it lands on the last day of the month. All of your favorites are back for the sequel with the addition of Gru Jr, who makes taking over the world even more difficult.
What new movie are you going to be checking out throughout the month? Let us know in the comments.
Rating: TV-MA
