Everything Coming To Netflix In February 2019

The Mandarin language film Dear Ex, from Taiwan, has been collecting awards all over Asia, and Netflix put their stamp on it for streaming in all markets starting the first of the month. Described as a "melancholy comedy," the film follows a young man who loses his father to cancer, only to get caught up in a conflict between his mother and his late dad's secret gay lover; presumably, many melancholy chuckles ensue.

Screenwriter and co-director Mag Hsu is a respected television writer in Taiwan, and film festival critics have called her picture "an important and lovingly realized [film] from storytelling and performance perspectives." Check it out for yourself on February 1.

Natasha Lyonne (Orange Is the New Black) produced and stars in Russian Doll, a series about a woman forced to relive the night of a big party over and over again, an experience which is always rudely interrupted by her death. Forget the obvious similarity to Happy Death Day; the always-entertaining Lyonne told The Hollywood Reporter that the story is her "autobiography wrapped in a mind-bending concept... I'm 100 percent in there and most definitely the architect of the whole thing."

Also, the series' extra-crazy trailer hints at a development that could take the story in some strange new directions, and writer/director Leslye Headland explained to THR that she, Lyonne, and co-producer Amy Poehler "pitched Netflix three seasons of the most bonkers, heartfelt, passionate, this-is-what-we-truly-feel-like-is-our-story-to-tell idea... And they said, 'Great, the more of that the better... Here are the resources and the support — take off.'" This show not only sports a deadpan sense of humor, but has the potential to get very interesting very quickly, and the first season drops on February 1.

True and the Rainbow Kingdom has given the young ones two seasons of good-hearted life lessons on Netflix, and February will bring the Valentine's Day special True: Happy Hearts Day. The show's fearless young protagonist and her best friend Bartleby the cat are all about helping out the colorful residents of the Rainbow Kingdom with their everyday problems, sometimes with an assist from the Wishing Tree; it's all very whimsical and very, very cute. The special will be available for your little guy or gal's holiday enjoyment on February 1.

The Finnish detective series Bordertown was picked up for international distribution by Netflix after its debut season, which went on to strike a chord with streaming audiences with its dark, compelling storytelling and deft blend of family drama and crime procedural. Fans of shows like The Killing and True Detective with an appreciation for international flavor will find Bordertown (not to be confused with the slightly less heady Fox animated series) to be a treat; when the first episode of season 1 aired on Finnish television, it was watched by over a million viewers (that's roughly a fifth of the entire country's population). If you haven't checked out the first batch of episodes, you may want to catch up before season 2 drops on February 2.

If you've yet to check out the cooking series Nailed It!, you should probably do so if you enjoy watching beleaguered bakers who are in way over their heads doing their level best to recreate elaborate masterpieces. The results are sometimes a bit... lacking, and that's all part of the show's charm. As part of an effort to expand some of their original properties into international markets, Netflix will be presenting ¡Nailed It! México, which transposes the original's concept to south of the border with the help of genial hosts Omar Chaparro and Anna Ruiz. Slumping cakes? Fondant fails? Occasional unlikely triumphs through determination and/or sheer blind luck? Some things are equally fun in any language, which you can see for yourself when ¡Nailed It! México premieres on February 8.

Playwright turned screenwriter Tarell Alvin McCraney picked up a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for co-scripting the 2016 Best Picture winner Moonlight. For his next trick, he's giving us High Flying Bird, a fictionalized account of the efforts of a sports agent (André Holland) to salvage the careers of his clients in the wake of the real-life 2011 NBA lockout. The exceptional cast also includes Zachary Quinto (of the Star Trek reboot series), Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2), and veteran character actor Bill Duke, perhaps still best-known for his role in the 1987 classic Predator. Oh, and in the director's chair is Steven Soderbergh, whose recent successes include Magic Mike, Logan Lucky, and the iPhone-shot psychological thriller Unsane. The sports drama is scoring big time with critics; you can give it a shot when it premieres on February 8.

The animated kids' series The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants proved to be a hit among the little ones in its first season. Based on the children's book series by Dav Pilkey and its well-received big-screen adaptation, the DreamWorks Animation-produced series follows the adventures of a pair of prank-happy young comic book artists and their greatest creation: their school principal Mr. Krupp, whose transformation into the tighty-whitey-wearing Captain Underpants was facilitated by a slight case of brainwashing. The series makes its return for a second season on February 8.

The Spanish drama series Unauthorized Living focuses on the leader of a powerful Galician crime cartel who keeps up a front as a legitimate businessman. But he has more problems than those of the sort that would typically arise from such a double life: he's been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a plight which he attempts to keep a secret from his family and associates as he engages in a search for a successor to lead his dirty organization. Will he eventually go completely straight, pulling a sort of reverse Breaking Bad? It's a premise ripe for drama, and the first season will be ready for queuing on February 8. 

Daily Show alum Hasan Minhaj made a splash with the first season of his insightful political comedy series Patriot Act, in which he explores topics relevant to today's society through the filter of his singularly unique comedic sensibility. Each episode focuses on a single topic, which Minhaj delves into through a combination of standup, interviews, and on location segments; he intends to push buttons, as evidenced by the fact that the first-season episode "Saudi Arabia" ruffled more than a few feathers in that country and was eventually pulled from Netflix there. Minhaj's cutting yet thoughtful brand of political humor is perhaps something we can all use more of right now, and season 2 of Patriot Act will give us just that when it drops on February 10.

Just in time for Valentine's Day comes the Canadian reality series Dating Around, each episode of which follows one single guy or gal as they embark on a series of five first dates. Their objective is simple: to find a partner whom they match up well enough to go out with a second time. The first original dating series to hit the streamer promises "an honest and compelling look at the real world of dating," so if you end up with those V-Day blues — or, alternatively, if you and your significant other want to gain a new appreciation for just how good you have it — then check out Dating Around when it releases on February 14.

The Breaker Upperers is a comedy film from New Zealand, so let's just get this out of the way: yes, Taiki Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) is involved as an executive producer, and directors Sami and Jackie van Beek came into his orbit when they appeared as actors in his features What We Do in the Shadows and Eagle vs. Shark. The pair also star as cynical friends who go into business breaking up couples for profit, only for tension to arise when one of them suddenly discovers her moral compass. The film scored with critics when it made the festival rounds, and it'll likely score with you when it hits the small screen on February 15.

Based on a Dark Horse comic book series created by Gerard Way, the original series The Umbrella Academy follows a group of children with otherworldly powers who were all born simultaneously on the same day in 1989, to mothers whose pregnancies were, shall we say, unexpected. Brought together in their teen years by a mysterious billionaire, the group is forced apart by circumstance, but their survivors must regroup upon their benefactor's death in an attempt to get to the bottom of the events surrounding his passing, as well as their own unlikely existence. The show counts Ellen Page, Mary J. Blige, and Colm Feore among its cast; you can check out the trailer here, and get yourself ready for superpowered intrigue when the first season drops on February 15.

This violent period piece from Korea explores the rise of a petty crook from Busan who ups his dirty game by diving into the Asian narcotics trade of the 1970's. Eventually, he becomes — you guessed it — a drug king of sorts, struggling to hold his place atop his organization while pouring a steady stream of contraband into Japan and keeping up a front as a benevolent community leader. Song Kang-ho (The Host) and Bae Doona (Sense8) star; the gritty feature will be available for viewing on February 21.

Firebrand is a Bollywood piece from executive producer Priyanka Chopra and award-winning director Aruna Raje, the story of a lawyer and an architect whose relationship is fraught with drama. Raje describes it as "a contemporary story about relationships and the highs and lows people deal with in their lives," which really doesn't tell us much, but the talent on board — including leads Usha Jadhav and Girish Kulkarni, both well-regarded Bollywood actors — make this one worth a look. You can add it to your queue on February 22.

There's a little more than meets the eye to the French drama Paris is Us, the story of a young Parisian who returns to her home city to reflect on her life after narrowly escaping death in a plane crash. The trailer promises a blurring of the lines between fantasy and reality, as our heroine begins to draw parallels between her traumatic recent past and events in the world at large, which registers to her as a "sinking ship." The Kickstarter-funded project was shot between 2014 and 2017 before being picked up by Netflix, and its location filming took place amidst the backdrop of such events as the Charlie Hedbo shooting. Paris has not been resting easy as of late, and this incorporates some real-world tension into its rather trippy narrative; you can check it out on February 22.

Suburra is a gritty Italian crime series centered on a seaside town near Rome, which various interested parties have designs on turning into a gambling resort. Coming into conflict with each other over these plans are a prominent Roman family, a slew of corrupt politicians, the Catholic church, and the Mafia; the series' first season drew favorable comparisons with The Wire, and was widely praised for its stark tone and thriller-esque pacing. Profane, sexy, and violent, it's been called "the kind of show that grabs your attention and doesn't let go" — perfect for binge-watching, if you ask us. Season 2 premieres on February 22.

The Spanish release The Photographer of Mauthausen is inspired by the true story of Francesc Boix, a photographer who not only survived the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps, but used his camera to document their conditions, managing to conceal his negatives over the course of his captivity. Director Mar Taragona described his film to Variety as a picture with the act of documentation at its heart, a meditation on how simply bearing witness to tragedy and brutality can bring justice. "What the Nazis did was all documented, despite all that they burned. And it's chilling to see," he said. "Most of all, seeing how naturally the Nazis themselves assumed their role." It's a topic that unfortunately has never stopped having contemporary relevance through all the decades following World War II, making The Photographer of Mauthausen an art film that should be required viewing. It drops on Netflix on February 22.

We'll have to wait until the end of the month for this special treat, but Netflix will be giving us a second collection of choice episodes of game show institution Jeopardy! in February. For decades now, endlessly genial and witty host Alex Trebek has presided over the famous game board, gently needled contestants, and served up Daily Doubles galore, and you can now get your fix via streaming rather than waiting for new episodes to air in syndication. The answer is "February 28." The question: "When does Jeopardy! Collection 2 stream on Netflix?"

Only a pair of new drama offerings are making their way to Netflix this month, but they're both well worth a watch. 2016's The Edge of Seventeen features burgeoning stars Hailee Steinfeld (Bumblebee) and Haley Lu Richardson (Split) in a thoughtful coming-of-age drama; 2009's The Soloist stars Tony St- er, Robert Downey, Jr. as a newspaper columnist who becomes unlikely friends with a prodigally talented violinist portrayed by Jamie Foxx.

• February 1
• The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
• February 6
• The Soloist (2009)

The lone true documentary offering on tap this month is Studio 54, an insider's look at the infamous New York dance club which gave birth to a million celebrity-based legends of wanton debauchery (of which the vast majority are probably true) and gave us at least one kickass disco tune (Chic's "Le Freak," the original version of which was written as a dis to an obstinate bouncer at the club). Also included here is the docudrama series Unsolved: Tupac & Biggie, which stars Marcc Rose and Wavyy Jonez, respectively, as the late rap icons; while it's technically a scripted series with documentary elements, we just didn't want Studio 54 to feel lonely.

• February 16
• Studio 54 (2018)
• February 27
• Unsolved: Tupac & Biggie (2019)

Finally, Netflix is premiering three new original comedy specials in February. Ray Romano returns to New York's famed Comedy Cellar (where he got his start) after 23 years to deliver a new standup set in Right Here, Around the Corner; Kevin Hart examines the contributions of African Americans through his uniquely cracked lens in Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History; and the hilarious Ken Jeong delivers a Valentine's Day set of silliness in the awesomely titled You Complete Me, Ho. Release dates are below.

• February 5
• Ray Romano: Right Here, Around the Corner
• February 8
• Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History
• February 14
• Ken Jeong: You Complete Me, Ho