The offerings on Disney+ this February are like a box of Valentine’s chocolates: stuffed full of treats for audiences with diverse tastes. Here are our top picks for the month, backtracking to also include some welcome and surprise additions to the streaming service in January.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Film)
Missed it on the big screen? As of 1 February, you can watch the emotionally powerful experience that is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at home. Sequel Wakanda Forever centres on the struggles of Queen Ramonda (Oscar-nominated Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and various old and new allies as they fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. This includes the new threat of Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía), the super-powered king of Talokan, a centuries-old underwater civilization. Is Wakanda Forever worth watching? Read our full review here.
Extraordinary (Series)
If you missed its arrival in late January, there’s adult superhero comedy Extraordinary out of the UK. With involvement of the makers of Killing Eve and Derry Girls star Siobhán McSweeney, Extraordinary is set in a world where everyone develops a power on their 18th birthday… everyone, that is, except for Jen (Máiréad Tyers). She’s turning 25 and is still frustratingly waiting to get hers. If you want a sense of the tone of this one, there’s a main character called Jizzlord, and a man who’s superpower is to 3D print with his bum. Watch the 8-episode first season now, and know that a second season is already on the way.
The Menu (Film)
Like a surprise Uber Eats drop-off, The Menu debuted on Disney+ in January. In this blend of sharp satire and horror, a couple (Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) travels to a coastal island to eat at an ultra-exclusive restaurant where the celebrity chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu. With some shocking surprises. Also in the cast are John Leguizamo, Judith Light, and Hong Chau. It’s not subtle but The Menu is entertaining throughout, especially as it takes aim at pretentious foodie culture. Read our full review of The Menu here.
Alaska Daily (Series)
If you have a soft spot for murder mysteries set in remote locations, you should definitely mark 8 February in your calendar. This is the day that Alaska Daily comes to Disney+ in South Africa, with weekly episode drops of the 10-part series. Award-winning New York City investigative journalist Eileen (Hilary Swank) moves to Alaska, looking for redemption as she joins a daily metro newspaper in Anchorage. There she works with another driven colleague Roz Friendly (Grace Dove) to uncover the truth behind a spate of missing and murdered Indigenous women across the state.
Fleishman Is in Trouble (Miniseries)
For something Valentine’s Day appropriate but spikier than the usual romantic fare, there’s miniseries Fleishman Is in Trouble, which has been nominated for several awards and features top-notch performances from its stars Jesse Eisenberg, Claire Danes, Lizzy Caplan and Adam Brody. What’s it all about? Recently divorced Toby Fleishman (Eisenberg) is just starting to find successes he never enjoyed earlier in life, but then his ex-wife Rachel (Danes) disappears, leaving him with their kids. As he balances childcare, work commitments, friendships, and dating, he realizes that he’ll never be able to figure out what happened to his wife until he can be more honest about what happened to their marriage. All eight episodes of Fleishman Is in Trouble are available from 22 February.