Netflix kicks away those winter blues with 17 titles this week (Feb 1, 2025)

The new month kicks off with over a dozen hit titles on the world's biggest streaming platform. From Oscar-winning dramas to rom-coms, horrorshows, and heartfelt dramas, Netflix has it all on day one.

I can't imagine anyone firing up their video-watching machine of choice this month and being disappointed in the new selections on Netflix this month. We've given you three of the best of day one, but there's so much more here. You can watch everything from an Academy Award winner for Best Picture to the seventh film of a long-running horror franchise.

Add a pair of family-favorite animated hits, some beloved rom-coms, some intense dramas, and - oh, heck, let's just get to the list. Trust me, there's a lot going on this month, and this is all on the first day of the month. There is literally something for everyone here. And I haven't even mentioned the team-up of two of the biggest stars ever or one of the most popular sitcoms ever.

February takes flight on Netflix with the iconic Space Jam

You gotta start somewhere. I think it's hard to pass on that marvelous team-up I mentioned before. I defy anyone to say that Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan aren't two of the greatest stars of their respective arenas. Warner Brothers scored a gigantic hit with this movie in - checks the calendar - 1996. Holy cow - it's been nearly 30 years since Bugs brought MJ out of retirement to save the world. There's a very good chance you saw this as a kid. Share it with your kids tonight!

For those of you looking for something - oh, a bit less family-friendly - there's 2017's It. Stephen King's story of a group of kids taking on a recurring evil is the all-time box office champ for horror films. I don't equate box-office success with quality, but in this case, the movie deserved its success. You'll have to go elsewhere for the sequel, as licensing deals are their own nightmare. But that's okay; the first film is much more scary anyway.

Need an antidote after having your heart up in your throat? Try Happy Feet, the story of Mumble, a penguin who can't sing but can dance like Gregory Hines. Just google him, okay? Unlike the story of the scary clown, Netflix does have the sequel, Happy Feet Two. Will Mumble's son find his true calling? Will the two manage to work together just enough to solve the mystery?

Oh, sorry, that's the plot of my next highlight, The Nice Guys. It stars Ryan Gosling as a private eye and Russell Crowe as a tough-guy enforcer who join forces to find a missing actress in the seamy side of 1970s Los Angeles. It scored a ripe 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and is easily one of director Shane Black's (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3) best movies.

There's so much more here. Let me just say that if you can't find something you like between the brilliant Oscar-winning Parasite or an actually thoughtful film starring Adam Sandler - Spanglish - you might as well break out the board games. There's also the double treat of Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality and Two Weeks Notice.

For those craving a bit of beefcake, there's the Channing Tatum starrer, Magic Mike XXL. Speaking of sequels, that seventh franchise flick I mentioned is one of the best in the series: Cult of Chucky. There's also the eighteen-millionth update of a Jane Austen novel, From Prada to Nada, a Spanish take on Sense and Sensibility.

For those of you who need more to fill your binge budget, tune in for all eight seasons of Home Improvement. Or go anime, with the new series Sakamoto Days, the story of a former hitman whose past catches up to him. Story of my life, man. Catch the trailer here. New episodes premiere every Saturday.

I won't end with the somber note of the exceptional drama Queen and Slim, so maybe catch the goofy but fun Richie Rich, or the equally fun but decidedly more adult-focused The Wedding Planner. Get some coffee, you've got a lot of viewing ahead of you. My must-watch choices from this first group of Netflix offerings: Parasite, The Nice Guys, and Space Jam. You do you, player.

New on Netflix: February 1

• Cult of Chucky
• From Prada to Nada
• Happy Feet
• Happy Feet Two
• Home Improvement seasons 1-8
• It
• Magic Mike XXL
• Miss Congeniality
• The Nice Guys
• Parasite
• Queen and Slim
• Richie Rich
• Space Jam
• Spanglish
• Two Weeks Notice
• The Wedding Planner
• Sakamoto Days

More Netflix news and reviews: