Netflix is using February 2026 to quietly flex its movie muscle. The month may be short, but if you’re into awards contenders, high-concept sci‑fi, gnarly satire, or big‑screen blockbusters finally landing on streaming, your queue is about to get busy.
Here are 10 of the most essential new movies hitting Netflix in February 2026, and why each one deserves a spot on your watchlist.
1. The Swedish Connection
Coming to Netflix: February 19
If you like historical dramas that feel tense without ever leaving a conference room, The Swedish Connection should jump to the top of your list. Set in 1942, the film follows officials in Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs as they tiptoe through wartime diplomacy, refusing Jewish visa applications in the name of “neutrality” — until one civil servant starts asking the questions everyone else is afraid of.
Instead of front‑line combat, the movie focuses on paper trails, legal language, and quiet acts of defiance that add up to life‑or‑death consequences. It’s the kind of World War II story that trades explosions for ethics, showing how ordinary bureaucrats become unlikely heroes simply by refusing to look away.
2. Firebreak
Coming to Netflix: February 20
Firebreak is the sort of thriller that sounds simple on the surface and then slowly gets under your skin. A family heads to their forest holiday home to heal after a devastating loss; a wildfire erupts, a child goes missing, and what starts as an emotional drama turns into a survival mystery.
Expect an intimate, character‑driven story rather than disaster‑movie spectacle. The tension comes from the clash between unresolved grief, family secrets, and the relentless threat of the fire closing in. If you enjoy European thrillers that focus more on psychology than plot twists, this Spanish film should be a strong bet.
3. Blue Moon (2025)
Coming to Netflix: February 14
Perfectly timed for awards season and Valentine’s Day (in the most bittersweet way possible), Blue Moon is a prestige biopic with serious talent on both sides of the camera. Directed by Richard Linklater and powered by performances from Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, and Andrew Scott, it follows songwriter Lorenz Hart as he battles alcoholism and mental health struggles in the shadow of Broadway success.
Don’t expect a glossy, feel‑good music movie. Blue Moon digs into how brilliance and self‑destruction can live side by side, especially when the show must go on no matter how broken the person behind it is. If you loved character‑focused dramas like Whiplash or Inside Llewyn Davis, this one belongs on your radar.
4. How to Train Your Dragon (2025, Live‑Action)
Coming to Netflix: February 10
Yes, another live‑action remake — but this one actually has a reason to exist. DreamWorks’ new take on How to Train Your Dragon largely follows the original animated classic beat for beat, yet the combination of real performers, updated visual effects, and carefully staged dragon flight sequences gives familiar moments fresh emotional weight.
Gerard Butler reprises his role, joined by a young cast that has the tricky job of selling big fantasy stakes and small‑town Viking awkwardness at the same time. If you grew up with the original movies or you’re introducing the story to younger viewers, this is an easy family‑night win.
5. Colossal (2016)
Coming to Netflix: February 9
Colossal is one of those “wait, how did this get made?” movies — in the best way. Anne Hathaway plays Gloria, a woman whose attempt to restart her life in her hometown collides with a bizarre discovery: she’s somehow connected to a giant monster attacking Seoul.
What sounds like a quirky kaiju comedy quickly turns into something darker and sharper. The film uses its monster metaphor to talk about addiction, self‑destruction, toxic relationships, and the damage we cause when we refuse to own our behavior. Jason Sudeikis gives one of his most unsettling performances, and the tonal shift from offbeat to chilling is exactly why this has become a cult favorite.
6. Archive (2020)
Coming to Netflix: February 6
If you’re craving grounded sci‑fi that’s more about ideas and emotions than CGI overload, Archive is a great mid‑week watch. Set in 2038, it follows George, an AI engineer secretly using his research to build a new synthetic body for his dead wife.
Visually, it punches way above its budget with tactile sets, practical‑feeling tech, and a lonely, remote atmosphere that suits the story. The film explores grief, obsession, and the line between honoring someone’s memory and refusing to let them go. The ending divides opinion, which makes it perfect for post‑movie debates.
7. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (2023)
Coming to Netflix: February 25
Tom Cruise’s seventh outing as Ethan Hunt finally lands on Netflix, and whether or not you caught it in cinemas, it’s absolutely worth a home rewatch. Dead Reckoning (Part One) throws the IMF team at a new kind of enemy — an all‑powerful rogue AI — while still delivering everything people show up for: insane stunts, practical set pieces, and globe‑trotting espionage.
You’re here for train sequences, motorcycle cliff jumps, tight teamwork, and “how did they film that?” moments. Even if you’re not obsessed with the franchise lore, this plays well as a high‑octane spy thriller in its own right.
8. Triangle of Sadness (2022)
Coming to Netflix: February 25
If your idea of a good time is brutally uncomfortable satire that makes you laugh and wince at the same time, Triangle of Sadness is a must. The film follows influencer couple Carl and Yaya on a luxury cruise with the ultra‑rich, led by an unhinged captain and crew. When things (violently) go sideways, the power dynamics rip apart.
This is not a subtle movie — it goes hard on class inequality, influencer culture, and the fragility of status when you strip away wealth and comfort. There’s a now‑infamous sequence on the yacht that you’ll either never forget or wish you could, which is exactly the point.
9. The Black Phone (2021)
Coming to Netflix: February 12
For horror fans, The Black Phone is one of the month’s most reliable picks. A boy is abducted by a serial killer and locked in a basement; a disconnected phone on the wall starts ringing with calls from the killer’s previous victims, each trying to help him escape.
The setup could have felt gimmicky, but the film balances supernatural elements with real, grounded dread. Ethan Hawke is genuinely terrifying, and the story keeps the focus on resilience and quick thinking rather than just cruelty. If you like horror with heart and a clear emotional throughline, this delivers.
10. The Iron Claw (2023)
Coming to Netflix: February 19
Rounding out the list is a wrestling movie that ends up being about much more than the ring. The Iron Claw dramatizes the true story of the Von Erich brothers, whose success as a wrestling dynasty sits on top of staggering personal tragedy and suffocating family expectations.
Zac Efron’s transformation, physically and emotionally, has already been called one of the best performances of his career, and he’s matched by a stacked supporting cast. Even if you don’t care about wrestling, this plays like a family drama about legacy, masculinity, and the cost of chasing glory at all costs.
Between heavy hitters like Dead Reckoning and Iron Claw, oddballs like Colossal, and prestige dramas like Blue Moon and The Swedish Connection, February 2026 gives Netflix subscribers a genuinely varied movie lineup. Whether you want something awards‑ready, deeply weird, or just pure spectacle, there’s at least one title here worth building a movie night around.
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