There's no such thing as a down week in Netflix's world. Given how hard it wants to be the best streaming service in the world, it knows that it needs to keep its library stocked with more-or-less constant additions, so there are basically always new shows and movies hitting the platform.
This week is no exception, either, with the early stretches of February proving to be anything but bleak and wintery in terms of content. Netflix is bringing some fascinating new stuff to subscribers, and I've picked out three highlights that I think could provide the perfect opportunity for a good old-fashioned midweek binge watch.
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast
- Streaming from: 12 February
As far as pedigree goes, it's a pretty huge boast when you can say that a new show comes from the creative minds behind a comedy hit like Derry Girls, which blew critics and audiences alike away over the course of three superb seasons. Now, showrunner Lisa McGee is working with Netflix on another very Irish show, but with a more adult focus (in some ways).
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast will come a story of three longtime friends who're brought together by the death of one of their best mates. Her wake proves a somewhat crazy affair, bringing to light some odd circumstances and potentially even hints of a conspiracy. It looks like it goes off the rails in the best way from there, and could be raucous but touching fun.
Motorvalley
- Streaming from: 10 February
Motor racing scenes put on film are almost always thrilling, but I have to say that an Italian racing series holds another, hitherto unknown level of allure – just watch the trailer for Motorvalley and you'll see what I mean. It's telling a story that might not be all that groundbreaking (underdog coming from behind to compete at a huge event), but it looks like it'll do so with real style and panache.
Crucially, the racing looks really tight and realistic, too. There are some crashes just in the trailer that look more realistic than various ones from the Fast & Furious franchise, for one thing. Frankly, for anyone with an Apple TV membership, this might make a really interesting comparison to the glitzier but still fairly traditional F1 movie.
Lead Children
- Streaming from: 11 February
It's a perhaps under-appreciated subgenre – investigative dramas. These don't always have the same gunpoint threat as more traditional thrillers, but they almost always have huge emotional and moral stakes, and hopefully good payoffs. Think Dark Waters from 2019 if you want a comparison to what Lead Children looks like it's trying to accomplish.
The story here is a Silesian one, albeit that central European territory is now a little more complex to define. The point is, it's about the perils of having big industries set up camp next to your homes, and the dangers that exposure to chemicals can bring – despite the best efforts of said industries to lie their way to safety. This looks like a righteous watch.
