Top 10 Movies and TV Shows Coming to Streaming in February 2021

Disney+: February 19th, 2021
It’s clear that Disney+ has big plans for Kermit and the gang. They’ve just been taking their time figuring out how best to use this iconic cast of characters. In summer of 2020, we got a brand new series, “Muppets Now”. The reboot didn’t blow people away, but it shows plenty of promise and has lots of room to grow. It also got subscribers thinking about the classic Muppet moments from years gone by. Now, back by popular demand, “The Muppet Show”, which ran from 1976 to 1981, will be available on Disney+. That’s five full seasons of antics with Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and their motley crew of weirdos. Sometimes, a bit of nostalgia is just what you need!

Netflix: February 23rd, 2021
When you ascend to the greatest heights of your profession, you get to become a mononym. In the world of music, you’ve got Cher and Beyoncé. On television, it’s Oprah and Ellen. And out on the soccer/football pitch, there is no name more instantly recognizable than Pelé. Among the greatest athletes to ever play, Pelé not only changed the game, but arguably the world of sports as a whole. This isn’t the first documentary to put him in the spotlight, but the film promises “unprecedented interview access to Pelé”. It also offers a wealth of insight into his life, career and his iconic status during a tumultuous time in Brazilian history. For soccer/football fans, this is a must-watch.

Prime Video: February 19th, 2021
American Horror Story fans… eat your heart out. In this compelling new series, AHS alum and fan favorite, Lily Rabe, stars as Emma, a woman who “once looked into the eyes of a dangerous killer”. “Tell Me Your Secrets” is a thriller that follows Emma, a repentant predator named John, and Mary, a mother in search of answers about the disappearance of her daughter. The series is created, written and produced by Harriet Warner, whose credits include “The Alienist” and “Call the Midwife”. With its fresh and unique take on the ever-popular serial killer genre, the highly anticipated thriller is sure to find plenty of fans on Prime Video. Expect lots of twists and turns from this one.

“Apple TV+: February 26th, 2021
Nowadays, it seems like there’s some hot new star “disrupting the music industry” every second week. Oh, and they’re doing it at younger and younger ages. While many such artists come and go after one or two hit tracks or viral videos, Billie Eilish is the real deal. She has delivered hit after hit and proven herself to have the staying power to go the distance in this unforgiving industry. Listeners cannot get enough of her dark alt-pop sound. As weird and artistically-challenging as her music videos can get, she’s also extremely relatable. Celebrity documentaries often feel shallow and extremely staged, but based on the trailer, this seems like it will be an honest look into her life and creative process.

Prime Video: February 5th, 2021
Hey, what’s Owen Wilson been up to lately? He hasn’t appeared in any new films since 2017. In 2021 he seems poised to make up for lost time, however, with not one but three releases. Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” has gotten the most buzz, but first, we’re getting “Bliss” on Prime Video. Going against the actor’s comedic roots, “Bliss” finds Wilson flexing his dramatic chops opposite Salma Hayek. The film is written and directed by Mike Cahill, best known for his thoughtful 2011 sci-fi film, “Another Earth”. From the looks of the trailer, this promises to be another head trip of a movie. For fans of cerebral, out-there sci-fi, this is one to watch.

Hulu: February 26th, 2021
We don’t want to jinx it, but this has the potential to to be one of the best Hulu originals yet. “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” is a biographical drama about the titular jazz legend and FBI efforts to silence black voices. Adapted from Johann Hari’s (yo-han hawrry) book “Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs,” the film stars Andra Day as Billie Holiday, with support by Trevante Rhodes, Natasha Lyonne and Garrett Hedlund. The movie is written and directed by Lee Daniels, whose filmography includes such “Monster’s Ball”, “Precious” and “The Butler”. As the co-creator of “Empire,” Daniels also knows his way around music. All that to say, don’t sleep on this release.

HBO Max: February 12th, 2021
Can Daniel Kaluuya do no wrong? We’d watch this guy read the menu at a restaurant that exclusively serves different kinds of oatmeal. He’s that charismatic. But add Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons and Dominique Fishback to the mix...and you’ve got one heck of an ensemble cast. Set in the 1960s, “Judas and the Black Messiah” is a biographical drama about Fred Hampton, the chairman of the Black Panthers. Though only released in 2021, it claimed a place on the National Board of Review’s ten best films of 2020 list. Exploring a hugely important chapter in American history, this is a very strong start to HBO Max’s aggressive 2021 release strategy. This powerful film rightfully has awards season written all over it.

Netflix: February 5th, 2021
Making a black and white film in the 21st century is a bold creative choice--one that can significantly limit your audience. But with two of cinema’s hottest up-and-coming stars playing the titular leads, Zendaya and John David Washington, something tells us that people are going to pay attention to “Malcolm & Marie”. A romantic drama, the film takes us into the private life of the young couple following the premiere of Malcolm’s newest movie. The trailers promise the sort of intimate, volatile and nuanced conversations between partners that, while true to life, are so rarely captured accurately on film.

Disney+: February 5-26th, 2021
For better or worse, Marvel and Disney have fundamentally changed popular film. They’ve given us a level of spectacle unlike anything seen before. With that, however, has come numerous accusations that Marvel movies are all the same. Well, with this Disney+ Avengers spin-off series, it’s safe to say that the creators threw out the MCU mold. “WandaVision” is a massive departure from the MCU formula. Quite frankly, the first few episodes make for some of the most delightfully odd television in recent years. The mysteries are many in this series and we can’t wait to see what “WandaVision” has in store for us over the course of episodes 5 through 8. We suspect that the MCU is never going to be the same.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“To All The Boys: Always And Forever” (2021)
Netflix: February 12th, 2021

“The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” (2021)
Prime Video: February 12th, 2021

“Hip Hop Uncovered” (2021-) Series Premiere
Hulu: February 12th, 2021

“The Yin-Yang Master: Dream Of Eternity” (2021)
Netflix: February 5th, 2021

“Sonic the Hedgehog” (2020)
Hulu & Prime Video: February 18th, 2020

Hulu: February 19th, 2021
There are some powerful films and series coming to streaming services in February 2021. But there is no single piece of content that feels more highly anticipated than “Nomadland”. The film is a western drama directed by Chloé Zhao and based on Jessica Bruder’s 2017 non-fiction book, “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century”. The story centers on a woman leaving home to explore the western American states. And in the starring role of this beautifully-shot journey of self-discovery… is Academy Award winner Frances McDormand. “Nomadland” already took home the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and earned itself a spot on the National Board of Review’s top ten of 2020. It’s also being heralded as a landmark character study. Happy streaming!