What’s New to Stream on Netflix for February 2022

Crossing the Streams is a series of columns spotlighting all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month. This time we’re checking out the new Netflix arrivals for February 2022. They include new action and horror originals, some creative new series, and more!

Netflix Pick of the Month for February 2022

One of the hallmarks of sports movies is the conceit of the underdog — the athlete, team, and/or coach who shouldn’t win it but just might be scrappy enough to do it anyway. It gives viewers a side to root for on their way towards a typically uplifting, cheer-worthy finale, and a side to root against. Gavin O’Connor’s Warrior (2011) laughs at easy expectations and instead forces audiences to root for both sides. Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy play estranged brothers, both of them re-entering the world of MMA in pursuit of a much-needed victory, and as fate would have it their paths lead to a face-off for the championship. Contrived? Maybe, but it’s no less beautiful, thrilling, and effective for it. Both leads do great work with characters facing an uphill battle with serious stakes, and when the final fight starts it’s an emotional twister for viewers trying to decide who they want to see win.

New Netflix Movies!

Wu Assassins is a 10-episode series from 2019 blending action and supernatural beats into some mildly entertaining fun. The talents involved know their shit when it comes to fight scenes, but their skills don’t always translate to the finished product thanks to choices made in post-production. Still, it’s hard to argue with the likes of Iko Uwais and Lewis Tan. Fistful of Vengeance (premieres February 17th) is a standalone follow-up to that first season — characters are returning, but it’s a new story not requiring a watch of Wu Assassins. The promise is a stronger focus on the action with less downtime, and if that pans out this might end up one of the year’s best action joints.

Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) has terrified audiences for nearly half a century, but the same can’t be said for the seven sequels/reboots/prequels that have been released in the years since. Part of the problem is the repetitiveness of it all (outside of Hooper’s own direct sequel from 1986) as the character and locale leave little room for fresh spins leaving filmmakers pressured to stand out with gore gore gore! There’s always room for the red stuff, but they’re forgetting that Hooper’s classic is essentially gore-free while still delivering a masterclass on sweaty suspense and tension. Anyway, the latest attempt to recapture that magic is the redundantly titled Texas Chainsaw Massacre (premieres February 18th) from director David Blue Garcia. There are some familiar faces (and voices) involved too including Alice Krige, Elsie Fisher, and John Larroquette who narrates the original film’s opening and returns to do the same here.

When a corrupt cop accidentally kills a man with his car he’s forced into a series of increasingly extreme choices to stay a step ahead of his fellow officers. Worse, someone who claims to have witnessed the accident is taunting him from the shadows. If this setup sounds familiar it’s probably because you saw 2014’s excellent South Korean thriller, A Hard Day. It’s a masterclass in suspense and darkly comedic tension, and if you haven’t seen it you should seek it out immediately. Restless (premieres February 22nd) isn’t credited as a remake, but it most certainly is one. (The film might credit Kim Seong-hun’s movie, but IMDB and Netflix currently don’t.) It’s unclear how this new take could improve on A Hard Day, so here’s hoping it instead simply lives up to the original.

New Netflix Series!

Raising Dion: Season 2 offers viewers a second chance at checking out one of the better superhero shows clogging up streaming services over the last few years. Its first season premiered in 2019, and while fans found a lot to love the show didn’t quite catch on. Hopefully this new season can change that as in addition to being a solid slice of genre storytelling complete with action, sci-fi, and a dash of horror, it’s also a rarity in that the hero in question is a Black boy. The focus is on Dion and his mother as they try to come to grips with his burgeoning powers and face off against rising threats, and that fusion of comic book storylines with real-world dramas makes it something worth checking out.

Murderville (premieres February 3rd) is making its debut, but it’s an American remake of a series from the UK that ran for three seasons. The premise is simple and a little bit genius — a detective (played here by Will Arnett) is tasked with solving a murder on the same day he’s assigned a new partner, and everyone but that newcomer have read the script. The new partner, a different guest star each episode, is forced to go along for the ride improvising their way through the case before finally being asked to solve it. Kumail Nanjiani, Annie Murphy, Ken Jeong, and Conan O’Brien are the four stand-outs on that front as they deliver laughs when not breaking into their own giggles. It’s a fun time.

The story behind Anna Delvey’s rise and fall among the elites of New York City’s financial and social circles is a crazy one as she scammed her way into their homes and wallets with masterful skill. Inventing Anna (premieres February 11th) gives the story a narrative spin with a terrific Julia Garner in the title role and Anna Chlumsky as the journalist hoping to crack the why and how behind the story. Laverne Cox, Arian Moayed, Anders Holm, and more familiar faces join for a story that feels ridiculous on its face — I don’t even let people trick me into not splitting a dinner bill, but Anna has “friends” fronting thousands of dollars thinking she’ll pay them back someday. It’s a world beyond me, but it’s an entertaining watch.

The Oldest New Arrivals to Netflix

One of the complaints against the rise of streaming sites like Netflix is the increasing lack of availability to older titles, and to highlight that each month we like to point out the oldest new arrivals. This month’s winner is William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973), an it’s the only pre-80s film to hit Netflix in February. You’ve probably heard of it and most likely love it, and while I can’t say I belong in the latter camp it would be irresponsible to discount the film’s achievements and standing in pop culture and horror cinema. Two priests, a possessed Linda Blair, and a hard tumble down a long set of stairs combine for one of the genre’s biggest hits, and if you’ve somehow yet to see it you’re officially out of excuses.

The second oldest new arrival is a pretty big change in tone as Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, and more have a wild time on the golf course in Caddyshack (1980). It’s big, dumb, cocaine-fueled entertainment that has “80s comedy” written all over it. Forget sincerity or class, just settle in for silly laughs, a gopher puppet, and an explosive ending. Caddyshack 2 (1988) is also hitting this month, but it’s best left ignored.

The Complete Netflix List for February 2022

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Related Topics: Netflix

Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since before you were born, which is weird seeing as he's so damn young. He's our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and lists 'Broadcast News' as his favorite film of all time. Feel free to say hi if you see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.