Best new movies and series arriving on NOW in February 2023

Every month, a new slate of titles is added to NOW’s library of films and TV shows—and Lillian Crawford picks the very best among them to watch. For the full list of everything arriving on the platform, scroll down.

Top Picks: TV

Funny Woman (February 9)

Based on the 2014 bestseller Funny Girl by Nick Hornby, this comedy series stars Gemma Arterton as an up-and-coming star of 1960s London. Changing her name from the unglamorous Barbara Parker to Sophie Shaw, she is determined to make people laugh with her razor-sharp wit in a period when women were the subject of jokes rather than the ones making them.

Joining Arterton on her rise to comic stardom are a host of British stalwarts, not least Rupert Everett as her rather unsightly agent. The series also features David Threlfall, Olivia Williams, and Rosie Cavaliero in supporting roles. Broadcast on Sky Max from February 9 and simultaneously available on NOW, the six-part series is bound to be a riot at the cusp of the sexual revolution.

Django (February 17)

The character of Django first appeared in the 1966 film of that name directed by Sergio Corbucci, starring Franco Nero, and has since appeared in a number of incarnations, including Jamie Foxx in Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 movie Django Unchained. This time Matthias Schoenarts steps into the fabled cowboy boots as Django searches for his daughter Sarah who went missing while he was fighting in the American Civil War.

With a supporting cast including Lisa Vicari, Nicholas Pinnock, and Noomi Rapace, the series capitalizes on the recent revival of the Western in TV after Westworld and The English. Consisting of ten episodes, the series will begin broadcasting on Sky Atlantic on February 17 coinciding with its release on NOW. With such a lengthy runtime, it’s bound to flesh out the character in new directions, capably handled by Schoenaerts in the lead.

The Man Who Stole The Scream (Date TBC)

Arriving on Sky Documentaries at some point in February is the remarkable story of how one of the most famous paintings in the world, ‘The Scream’ by Edvard Munch, was stolen during the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway. With former professional footballer Pål Enger convicted of the heist, there are many parts of the mystery left unsolved which this documentary weaves out in gripping fashion.

Given the setting, you’d be forgiven for mistaking The Man Who Stole The Scream for a Scandi-noir TV series, and the documentary plays out with similar plotlines and twists at every turn. While a release date hasn’t been confirmed, it’s one worth keeping an eye out for.

Movies

Top Gun: Maverick (February 5)

One of the biggest movie events of 2022 was the release of Top Gun: Maverick, the highly anticipated sequel to the original 1986 movie Top Gun. So significant was its success that the film has been rewarded with a smattering of Academy Award nominations, including in the Best Picture category. If you’re yet to see it, it’s landing on NOW just in time to catch up before the main Oscars ceremony next month.

The film sees Tom Cruise revive his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, this time joined by a stellar supporting cast including Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, and Bashir Salahuddin. Set at the end of Maverick’s career, it’s time to join to the Top Gun squad for one last mission, available to stream on NOW from February 5.

The Railway Children Return (February 10)

Another legacy sequel worth your time is this delightful follow-up to the classic 1970 British film The Railway Children based on the beloved novel by E. Nesbit. Set during the Second World War, the film follows a new generation of children as they are evacuated out of Manchester to the Yorkshire village of Oakworth. Once there, they are assigned to live with Bobbie Waterbury, with Jenny Agutter reviving her role from the original film.

As is to be expected, there’s a dramatic plot line about an American deserter which naturally demands use of Yorkshire’s steam rail network to fix. Co-starring Sheridan Smith, Tom Courtenay, and John Bradley, it is a delightful British Sunday afternoon film due to arrive on NOW from February 10.

Where Is Anne Frank (February 26)

This animated film received a rather muted release, but is definitely worth catching as it arrives on NOW at the end of February. It’s directed by Ari Folman, best-known for the animated documentary Waltz With Bashir about the 1982 Lebanon War. Here Folman returns to a wartorn setting to depict the childhood of Anne Frank, whose diary has been an essential source in understanding the Holocaust.

The film is a different take on the historical events than previous films made about Anne Frank. Folman casts her imaginary friend, Kitty, to whom the diary is addressed, in the centre of the film as she goes searching for Anne, not knowing that she died in a concentration camp. It’s a powerful film worth watching when it becomes available to stream on February 26.