I came into 2018 pretty scared about what the new year would mean for Netflix. Considering the streaming service's loud moves toward more original content, plus other studios' interest in starting their own websites, I expected a pretty brutal drop-off when it came to outside content. And for January, I was happily proven wrong.
But after Netflix announced its lineup of new arrivals for Valentine's Day month, my concerns have returned.
In short: I've got no love for this February lineup.
Sure, there are still a couple of gems to be found coming to the big red streaming giant next month, from "Goodfellas" (Netflix always tends to pick up movies by directors making something big for them – and Martin Scorsese's upcoming "The Irishman," reuniting Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, would qualify) to "The Hurt Locker" to "Men in Black" and the entire "Ocean's 11" saga.
But after day one, the number of outside movies worth staying in for drops down to almost none, with "Lincoln" really the only noteworthy addition coming after Feb. 2.
And as for new releases? The only major recent release premiering on the service is ... "The Emoji Movie." That's just insulting.
As will become increasingly routine, the Netflix Originals are the big names here, from the hotly anticipated sci-fi detective show "Altered Carbon" to newly announced Best Foreign Film nominee "On Body and Soul" (looking forward to Netflix putting no promotion behind that!) and the return of "Queer Eye." It will also add the latest episode of David Letterman's new chat show, the first episodes of comedian Joel McHale's new series and the latest movie from Duncan Jones ("Moon," "Source Code"), a high-concept sci-fi adventure called "Mute" starring Alexander Skarsgard and a mustachioed Paul Rudd.
Hopefully this is just a light month, and Netflix will return with some noteworthy new releases for those who still use the service like Blockbuster. Or perhaps the new normal has finally begun, with Netflix's focus almost entirely on Netflix content – and little else.
Here's the rest of everything coming to Netflix in February.
For the list of movies and TV shows leaving Netflix in February, click here.
Feb. 1
"3000 Miles to Graceland"
"42 Grams"
"Aeon Flux"
"American Pie"
"American Pie 2"
"American Pie Presents: Band Camp"
"American Pie Presents: The Book of Love"
"American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile"
"Ella Enchanted"
"Extract"
"Goodfellas"
"How The Beatles Changed the World"
"The Hurt Locker"
"John Mellencamp: Plain Spoken"
"Kill Bill: Vol. 1"
"Kill Bill: Vol. 2"
"Lara Croft: Tomb Raider"
"Liberated: The New Sexual Revolution"
"Lovesick"
"Meet the Fockers"
"Meet the Parents"
"Men in Black"
"National Parks Adventure"
"Ocean's 11"
"Ocean's 12"
"Ocean's 13"
"Paint It Black"
"Scream 3"
"Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story"
"Z Nation" season 4
Feb. 2
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Altered Carbon"
"Cabin Fever"
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Coach Snoop" season 1
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Kavin Jay: Everybody Calm Down!"
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Luna Petunia: Return to Amazia" season 1
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "On Body and Soul"
Feb. 6
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Fred Armisen: Standup for Drummers"
"Valor" season 1
Feb. 7
"Imposters" season 1
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Queer Eye" season 1
Feb. 8
"6 Days"
"The Emoji Movie"
Feb. 9
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Fate/Apocrypha: Part 2"
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman: George Clooney"
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "The Ritual"
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Seeing Allred"
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "The Trader (Sovdagari)"
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "When We First Met"
Feb. 14
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Greenhouse Academy" season 1
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Love Per Square Foot"
Feb. 15
"Deep Undercover Collection" collection 2
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Re:Mind"
Feb. 16
"DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge" season 6
"Evan Almighty"
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Everything Sucks!" season 1
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "First Team: Juventus" season 1
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Irreplaceable You"
Feb. 17
"Blood Money"
Feb. 18
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale"
Feb. 19
"Dismissed"
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "FullMetal Alchemist"
Feb. 20
"Bates Motel" season 5
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "The Frankenstein Chronicles"
Feb. 21
"The Bachelors"
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Forgotten"
"Lincoln"
Feb. 22
"Atomic Puppet" season 1
Feb. 23
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Marseilles" season 2
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Mute"
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Seven Seconds" season 1
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Ugly Delicious" season 1
Feb. 24
"Jeepers Creepers 3"
Feb. 26
"El Vato" season 2
"Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards"
"People You May Know"
"Sin Senos Si Hay Paraíso" season 2
"Winnie"
Feb. 27
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Derren Brown: The Push"
NETFLIX ORIGINAL: "Marlon Wayans: Woke-ish"
As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.
When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.
