New on Netflix: 7 movies and shows you have to watch this February

Now that the longest month of the year is finally over, it's time to get in the mood for love, and more importantly, more Netflix! As well as chowing down on heart-shaped candy and watching Bridget Jones's Diary on repeat, this Valentine's period why not take advantage of Netflix’s newest movies and TV shows? And boy, do we have some first-class content for you. 

February's streaming highlights include the long-awaited live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, a steamy thriller starring a certain noughties popstar, and One Day - a heart-wrenching romantic drama that gives Love Rosie a run for its money. Not only that, as well as a whole lot of Netflix originals, BBC hit series The Tourist will also hit the streamer in all its glory, meaning there truly is something for everyone this month.

So, what are you waiting for? Read on as we take you through the latest releases that the streaming giant has on offer this season. 

New on Netflix in February 2024

 The Tourist seasons 1 & 2

Release date: February 1 (season 1) and February 29 (season 2)

It’s official, the BBC hit show The Tourist is finally making its way to Netflix. Created by Harry and Jack Williams, the first season follows Elliot (Jamie Dornan), who, after a freak road accident, is stranded in the middle of the Australian Outback with no memory of who he is or where he has come from. With the help of an Aussie policewoman named Helen Chambers (Danielle Macdonald), he sets out on a path to remember his past with limited clues and a band of mysterious people hunting him.

When season 2 rolls around, Elliot and Helen travel back to his home country of Ireland in the hope that they can uncover more about who Elliot really is. But of course, there are a few bumps in the road. Less than a few hours after landing on the the Emerald Isle, a feuding family war is revealed and once again more information about Elliot’s dark former life is uncovered.

 Read Total Film’s exclusive interview with the show’s creators here. 

 Orion and the Dark

Release date: February 2

If you are an Inside Out fan then you are in for a treat with Orion and The Dark. This fun-filled family comedy follows Orion, a normal-seeming elementary school student harboring a bout of irrational fears and phobias, the largest one being of the dark. So, when the literal embodiment of the thing he is most scared of pays him a visit, instead of terrifying Orion as he expects, Dark whisks him away on a journey around the world to prove there is nothing to be afraid of in the night. With Room’s Jacob Tremblay and I, Tonya’s Paul Walter Hauser voicing the unlikely pals, this animated flick looks at how we let fear control our lives and how to let go in order to start living.

One Day

Release date: February 8

One Day tells the story of two university students Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall), who, on the night of their graduation in 1988, speak for the very first time. The next morning, they go their separate ways, but fate brings them back together the year after on that same day, and every year that follows after that. 

Sound familiar? That’s because this story, based on the worldwide bestselling novel by David Nicholls, was already adapted into a movie in 2011 starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. However, with Netflix turning the beloved romantic drama into an 8 episode-long series, expect to dive deeper into the pair’s twisty love story. After years of growing and changing, moving closer together and further apart, will the star-crossed pair end up as lovers or just friends? Well, for that answer you will have to wait and see! 

Whilst you wait for its release, watch the full trailer for One Day here. 

A Killer Paradox

Release date: February 9

Starring Choi Woo-shik from the 2020 Oscar-winning thriller Parasite, A Killer Paradox follows two men on parallel yet different paths. We meet ordinary college student Lee Tang (Woo-shik), a submissive man who never fights back but happens to become a serial killer when one accidental death of a wrong-doer leads to another. The shrewd yet relentless detective Jang Nan-gam (Son Suk-ku) will then stop at nothing to capture the murderer. 

Based on writer Kkomabi’s original webtoon of the same name, this South Korean crime thriller is a never-ending game of cat and mouse, enough to make one question their moral compass and values. 

Players

Release date: February 14

Whether you're single or taken, nothing sweetens up Valentine's Day quite like a good old rom-com. Bringing back that noughties chick flick vibe, Players follows sports writer Mack, played by Jane the Virgin’s Gina Rodriguez, a self-certified playgirl more interested in one-night stands than love. Along with her friendship group, she has up until now played the New York hook-up scene by treating it like a sports game. That is until our leading lady falls for her latest target and starts to rethink her game plan entirely. As her new romance blossoms with fellow journalist Nick, played by Lucifer’s Tom Ellis, the lines between work, fun, friendship, and love begin to blur, forcing Mack to learn how to play for keeps rather than score. 

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Release date: February 22

Ever since Netflix released the first trailer for Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans have been chomping at the bit to get their hands on the live-action adaptation. Well, the time has come. Adapted from the beloved animated show of the same name, the eight-episode-long series follows the young Aang (Gordon Cormier) who must learn to master the four elements - water, earth, fire, and air - to restore balance to a world threatened by the terrifying Fire Nation. Alongside his newfound friends Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio Tarbell) from the water tribe, Aang must set out on a journey to enlist the help of more team members to restore peace to the world and take his rightful place as the next Avatar. 

Before Avatar hits Netflix, check out SFX’s exclusive interview with showrunner Kim. 

Mea Culpa

Release date: February 23

It wouldn't be the month of love without a little bit of spice, and Netflix has all that and more with Tyler Perry’s new steamy thriller. Written, directed, and produced by Perry himself, Mea Culpa follows a criminal defense attorney named Mea, played by singer/actor Kelly Rowland, as she takes on her most challenging case yet - a seductive artist (Trevante Rhodes) accused of murdering his girlfriend. But when lust and desire come into play and things get hot, the lawyer soon realizes that not everything is as it seems and at the end of the day, everyone is guilty of something. 

Looking for more to watch? Here are the best shows on Netflix.