February is officially here, while much of the United States is feeling the icy chill of winter in the season’s penultimate month. As audiences keep inside to stay warm, Netflix has unveiled a fresh wave of film and television to kick off the month, from Peter Jackson’s Academy Award-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy to Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s enormously popular buddy-cop series Bad Boys. And as Netflix adds new programming to its extensive streaming library, this weekend also marks the last chance to catch certain shows and movies, including the first four seasons of One Piece.
Here are all the best films and television to stream on Netflix during the first weekend of February 2023, from Stephen King adaptations to British cooking shows that have become bonafide global phenomena.
It Brings the Stephen King Classic to Life
As a new Stephen King adaptation of The Boogeyman is prepared to scare audiences later this year, another cinematic adaptation of the influential author’s classic novels has come to Netflix. The 2017 version of It, adapting the first half of King’s 1986 horror novel, was added to the platform at the beginning of February. Mixing ’80s nostalgia with nightmarish thrills, It captures the terrifying tone from King’s work while giving it its own horrific twist.
Set in the small town of Derry, Maine, during the summer of 1989, a monster known as Pennywise has resurfaced to prey on the town’s children as part of a longstanding cycle. After losing his little brother to the creature, adolescent Bill Denborough assembles his friends to confront the monster to break the cycle once and for all before Pennywise’s rampage can continue. Showcasing King’s common themes of a childhood loss of innocence, the evil lurking in small towns and the inexplicable supernatural, It is one of the finest realizations of King’s work on-screen.
The Lord of the Rings Resumes Its Quest on Netflix
Though Prime Video may have The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the classic movie trilogy helmed by Peter Jackson, has found a new home on Netflix this month. Adapting J.R.R. Tolkien’s universally acclaimed novels, the films depict a desperate alliance coming together against the forces of darkness in the fantasy realm of Middle-earth. As humanity, Elves and Dwarves battle against Orcs and trolls, the unlikeliest heroes of all set out to destroy the One Ring of Power, tied to the life force of the sinister Sauron.
The trilogy kicks off with 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring, with the Hobbit Frodo Baggins volunteering to transport the One Ring to the fires of Mount Doom, accompanied by a small coalition of heroes. 2002’s The Two Towers has Frodo and his best friend Samwise Gamgee continue their quest alone as humanity and Sauron’s forces collide in earnest. The saga concludes with 2003’s The Return of the King, with humanity on the defensive while Frodo and Sam finally near Mount Doom with their cursed cargo to destroy it once and for all.
Bad Boys Partner Up for a Double Feature
Fresh off the news that Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are reuniting to star in a fourth Bad Boys movie, the first two films in the popular buddy-cop franchise have come to Netflix. Released nearly a full decade apart, the movies encapsulate their respective eras while powered by the comedic chemistry shared by Smith and Lawrence, with Smith bringing the cool and Lawrence bringing the laughs. Perfect for a double feature blast from the past to remember why Bad Boys stands among Smith’s most enduring franchises, both movies certainly hold up 20 years later.
1995’s Bad Boys introduces Miami police detectives Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Bennett (Lawrence), with the two protecting a key witness against a powerful drug kingpin. 2003’s Bad Boys II has Mike and Marcus back in action, with the two detectives taking on another drug lord who targets Marcus’ family in retaliation. Packed with slick gunfights and high-octane car chases, the Bad Boys movies are a triumph in cinematic excess that Smith and Lawrence take full advantage of.
One Piece Movies Sail Away for Now
Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece is coming later this year, offering a fresh take on the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as created by Eiichiro Oda. However, a number of classic One Piece anime episodes are set to leave Netflix next week, making this the last full weekend for a massive binge. More specifically, Netflix will be removing the first four seasons of One Piece from its North American library, totaling the series’ first 130 episodes in all.
One Piece tells the tale of the seafaring Straw Hat Pirates as they search for the mythical One Piece treasure, with the recipient crowned the King of the Pirates. However, Luffy and his friends must not only face rival pirates as they scour the world but elude the navy for their illicit activities. For those with a lot of free time this weekend, who are looking to experience classic One Piece before it departs from Netflix for the foreseeable future, this is the last chance.
The Great British Baking Show Brings in the Professionals
One of the most successful reality cooking competition shows worldwide is The Great British Baking Show, which has spawned an entire global baking franchise. The latest iteration brings established pastry chefs into the mix to see who among them is the greatest baker in Britain. Premiering on Netflix this month, all 10 episodes of the spinoff are available for audiences to binge as they eagerly witness a wave of masterclass confectionery being prepared for the discerning judges.
Part of the joy with the main Great British Baking Show series is watching amateur bakers get to indulge in their culinary passions while receiving advice and encouragement from the hosts. The Great British Baking Show: The Professionals brings a relatively harder edge to the proceedings, eschewing the hand-holding as seasoned bakers vie for the top spot under the tent. For those waiting for the next season of the main series or something a bit more cutthroat than its counterpart, The Professionals is ready to deliver.
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