Compared to jam-packed January, we head into February with a slightly quieter streaming release schedule, but still headlined by two big VOD debuts in Gladiator II and Moana 2, along with the return of Invincible.
SERIES
Golden Kamuy – The Hunt for Prisoners in Hokkaido
6 February 2025 – Netflix
Back in May last year, Netflix dropped the live-action feature film adaptation of Satoru Noda’s fan-favourite manga series about a Meiji Era Japanese soldier, trying to track down a great treasure using fragments of a map tattooed onto various people’s bodies (Yes, you read that right!). As I mentioned at the time, the Golden Kamuy film was just the start of this story, with the conclusion being adapted into a series. Well, that series is now here in Golden Kamuy – The Hunt for Prisoners in Hokkaido! The nine-episode series picks up again with “Immortal” Sugimoto and his partners as they try to track down the final pieces of the map, said to be captured on the bodies of 22 dangerous convicts!
Invincible S3
6 February 2025 – Prime Video
Pro tip: Don’t be like me. Despite loving the violent crap out of writer Robert Kirkman artists Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley’s Invincible comics and really digging the first season of its star-studded animated adaptation, I’m still yet to watch season two. And now Invincible season three is here! The latest season of the R-rated superhero show debuts next Thursday with its first three episodes, followed by weekly releases thereafter, so I have some time to catch up.
The Åre Murders S1
6 February 2025 – Netflix
Maybe it’s the harsh frozen climates and lengthy nights, but there’s something about the Nordic countries that just make them perfect settings for brooding crime drama. Enter The Åre Murders, Netflix’s new series adaptation of two books by best-selling Swedish author Viveca Sten, “Hidden in Snow” and “Hidden in the Shadows. Set in the ski resort town of Åre in Sweden, the show follows Police officer Hanna Ahlander who decides to break away to her sister’s vacation home after being suspended from her job in Stockholm. When a young woman goes missing though, Hanna can’t help but start investigating the case. Understaffed and out of their depth, the local police reluctantly accept her assistance. But when they can barely trust each other, how can they solve a crime?
Clean Slate
6 February 2025 – Prime Video
If you’re looking for something that could not be more different to a moody murder mystery, check out new comedy drama series Clean Slate. This Prime Video original follows Harry Slate (George Wallace), an old-school and outspoken Alabama car wash owner who has a lot of soul searching to do when the estranged child he thought was a son returns home as a proud, trans woman, Desiree (Laverne Cox).
MOVIES
Kinda Pregnant
5 February 2025 – Netflix
For whatever reason, comedian Amy Schumer has proven to be very divisive with audiences, but I guess any publicity is good publicity as several streaming servers have continuously done business with her. And her latest project, Kinda Pregnant, lands on Netflix next week and sees Schumer playing Lainy, a lady jealous of her best friend’s pregnancy and the attention it brings, so she decides to wear a fake baby bump to warrant the same. Except, the ruse gets way out of her hand, which is especially awkward when she accidentally meets the man of her dreams, who fully believes that she’s actually expecting a baby soon.
Night Swim
6 February 2025 – Showmax
Adapted from his own acclaimed 2014 short film, Night Swim is written and directed by Bryce McGuire. Of course, the real big names on this horror-thriller are producers James Wan and Jason Blum, the undisputed maestros of modern Hollywood horror films. Unfortunately, this collaboration hasn’t earned the best reviews but could still be worth a thrill. Night Swim stars Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon as Ray and Eve Waller, a young couple who move into a new home with their teenage daughter and young son. Ray sees the house’s eye-catching pool as a great spot for their kids and a way to help him with the physical therapy required for a shoulder injury that forced him into early retirement from major league baseball. Unfortunately for the Wallers, the blue waters of their new pool hides a dark secret from the home’s past that will try to drag them all under, into the depths of inescapable horror.
VOD RENTALS/PURCHASES
The following movies have recently become available for digital purchase/rental:
Gladiator II
Purchase: Apple TV – R200 / Google Play Movies – R221
Rental: Apple TV – R45 / Google Play Movies – R221
When it comes to Gladiator II, veteran director Ridley Scott’s long-in-development sequel to his Best Picture Oscar-winning 2000 classic starring Russell Crowe, the iconic question of “Are you not entertained?!” is going to have very different answers from different people. Maybe you’re like me and find the movie nothing more than just fine as Scott basically just copies himself from 25 years ago, but with a less charismatic lead in Paul Mescal (playing a grown-up Lucius) and more cartoonish villains. Or maybe you’re more like Noelle, who found more fun to be had in the film’s lavish battle sequences, and more appreciation for the addition of Pedro Pascal and, in particular, Denzel Washinton, offering some freshness from this all too familiar formula. Either way, you can decide for yourself at home as Gladiator II is now available for VOD rental and purchase.
Moana 2
Purchase: Apple TV – R200 / Google Play Movies – R211
Rental: Apple TV – R170
With a current global box office take of $1.027 billion, earning it the title of third-highest-grossing film of 2024, Moana 2 has obviously been seen by a lot of people already. It’s still playing in theatres locally, so if you missed it, you can still catch it. Or, even better, watch it in the comfort of your own with your whole family for just a little bit more than the cost of a single cinema ticket. The Disney sequel (which recently earned a Best Animated Film nomination at the Golden Globes) has received an unexpectedly quick VOD release and is now available for both rental and purchase. Just R170 will let you catch up with Auliʻi Cravalho’s titular heroine and Dwayne Johnson’s demigod Maui, as “Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced”, after receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors.