The price of standard and premium Netflix subscriptions went up by $1 and $2 respectively in late October. A standard subscription is now $13 a month and premium subscription is $18. The major streaming service raised these prices with the promise of releasing a variety of new content, and it is on its way to keeping that promise. New releases range from old blockbusters to original love stories to childhood throwbacks. Here are some of the major releases included in the line-up for February. The full list can be found online.
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Inception
A 2010 action-packed blockbuster starring Leonardo DiCaprio, “Inception” is an iconic mind-bender that was released to Netflix Feb. 1. The movie follows Dominic Cobb, an expert in the futuristic art of extraction, the process of retrieving secret information from deep within a person’s subconsciousness while they sleep. Cobb uses this unique expertise to become notoriously skilled at corporate espionage, a career path that makes him a lot of enemies. Having learned the trade from his late wife’s father, Dr. Stephen Miles, Cobb teams up with some of Miles’ former students as he attempts to achieve something that has never been done before: inception.
Where extraction involves retrieving information from someone’s subconsciousness, inception involves inserting information instead, a difficult and highly dangerous process. Cobb is hired by one of his former targets to insert an idea into the mind of a rich and powerful CEO. As he carries out his mission, he is forced to grapple with his past as well as an unseen enemy who seems to be able to predict his every move.
Malcolm and Marie
Written and directed by Sam Levinson, “Malcolm and Marie” is a black-and-white Netflix original film starring Zendaya and John David Washington released to Netflix Feb. 5. This intense romantic drama follows a director (Washington) and his girlfriend (Zendaya) as they return home from his film premiere and put their relationship to the test with conversations about their lives and the film industry.
The movie explores the trauma and insecurities of the two co-dependent main characters as well as the trying conditions of the film industry. Ending on an ambiguous note, “Malcolm and Marie” was met with mixed reviews, having been criticized by some for its pretentiousness and celebrated by others for its poeticism. Anyone interested in making their own judgement can log onto Netflix and give the movie a watch.
iCarly
Disney+ is a great streaming service for anyone nostalgic for old Disney shows and movies, but when it comes to old Nickelodeon TV shows, Netflix holds the laurels. After adding shows like “Victorious” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender” to its repertoire, Netflix did us all a favor and released the first two seasons of “iCarly” to its platform Feb. 8.
The first episode of “iCarly” aired in 2007, kicking off the story of Carly Shay, a middle schooler living with her eccentric artist brother, Spencer. The show follows Carly as she starts a webcast called iCarly with her two best friends, Sam Puckett and Freddie Benson. Together, the three of them grapple with the everyday trials of adolescence, as well as the not-so-everyday trials of budding internet stars, such as the occasional kidnapping. Anyone feeling nostalgic for the early 2000s may want to give “iCarly” a re-watch on Netflix. But before you become too invested, bear in mind there have been no announcements about when the other four seasons will, if ever, be released to the streaming service.
To All the Boys: Always and Forever
The third and final installation of Netflix’s hit movie franchise “To All the Boys” was released Feb. 12. The series follows Lara Jean Covey, a desperate romantic, as her love life takes flight after the accidental delivery of the secret love letters she wrote to her various crushes over the years. Upon their delivery, she is forced to grapple with the trials of high school romance, one love triangle at a time. Already, “To All the Boys: Always and Forever” has been met with mixed reviews. Some consider it a let-down compared to the first film. Other critics, however, have celebrated it as the cherry on top of a sweet and satisfying movie franchise.
It tells the story of Lara Jean (Lana Condor) as she braves her senior year of high school and all that it brings, including college applications. Desperate to avoid a long-distance relationship after graduation, she and her boyfriend, Peter (Noah Centineo), both agree to enroll at Stanford University. But when her application is rejected, she must choose between her individual growth and her relationship. A feel-good movie released just in time for Valentine’s Day, “To All the Boys: Always and Forever” could be the perfect romantic comedy to enjoy with a special someone.
The Conjuring
Yet to be released to Netflix this month is “The Conjuring,” which will be available to subscribers Feb. 21. “The Conjuring” is an iconic 2013 horror movie based on the professional lives of Ed and Lorraine Warren, two paranormal investigators from the 1970s.
The movie follows Carolyn and Roger Perron and their five daughters as they move to a secluded farm house in Rhode Island. Not long after, they begin noticing supernatural behavior in their new home and enlist the help of the Warrens. What follows is a horrifying escalation of events that leaves viewers with little hope for a happy ending.
If you give the “The Conjuring” a go and find that you cannot sleep the night after, you may as well make things worse and watch “The Conjuring 2,” which is also released to Netflix Feb 21.
If February’s list of Netflix releases does not pique your interest, stay tuned for March. The streaming service has an impressive list of new releases in store for next month. The line-up includes older hits like “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” as well as new Netflix originals such as “Waffles + Mochi”, a children’s show hosted by former first lady Michelle Obama.
This story was written by Charlotte Ives. She can be reached at [email protected].