It’s Valentine’s Day this week, so whether you’ve got someone to cosy up to or have the whole couch to yourself, check out our guide to the best new TV shows and movies on Netflix this weekend. There are super-powered siblings, professional break-up artists, a first-time comedy special from a familiar face, and a docuseries about making people laugh in some of the world’s most dangerous places.
Last week’s new Netflix releases included a special Valentine’s episode of animated comedy Big Mouth, Steven Soderbergh’s new sports drama High Flying Bird, and a brand new season of sitcom One Day At A Time. Still to come this month is quirky comedy film Paddleton, with Mark Duplass and Ray Romano playing neighbors on a road trip, and French romance Paris Is Us, a love story set against the backdrop of rising tensions in France’s capital city.
Whether you’re looking for a fresh take on the superhero genre, or just looking for some laughs, here’s our guide to the best new Netflix releases for the weekend starting February 15.
The Umbrella Academy
Easily the biggest Netflix Original release this week is the debut season of The Umbrella Academy, an adaptation of the comics by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. The show follows the lives of seven individuals who were born on the same day to mothers who hadn’t even been pregnant that morning, and who were “collected” as babies by an obsessive scientist called Reginald Hargreeves. Each member of the Umbrella Academy has a unique superpower, and their adoptive father molded them into tiny superheroes, complete with uniforms and domino masks. As adults, the estranged members of the Umbrella Academy are brought back together by the death of their father and the sudden return of Five, their brother who disappeared after traveling into the future, and who brings grim tidings of an imminent apocalypse. The Umbrella Academy’s cast includes Tom Hopper, Ellen Page, and Robert Sheehan.
The Breaker Upperers
Netflix Original The Breaker Upperers is a New Zealand comedy executive produced by Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi. The film follows Jen and Mel (played by writer-directors Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami), two friends who formed a company called The Breaker Upperers, which handles break-ups for people who’d rather not deal with the mess themselves. Whether by singing telegram or more underhanded and devious means, Jen and Mel charge a thousand dollars per client to turn couples into singles. All goes awry when they’re hired by teenage rugby player Jordan, who tried to break up with his girlfriend via emojis and was surprised when she didn’t take the hint. Between Mel’s burgeoning love affair with Jordan and the return of a previous mark who is convinced that her husband drowned, The Breaker Upperers may be facing a break-up of their own.
Larry Charles’ Dangerous World of Comedy
In Netflix Original documentary series Larry Charles’ Dangerous World of Comedy, Borat director and Curb Your Enthusiasm writer Larry Charles takes a trip around the world to meet comedians who have learned to laugh and joke in the face of often terrifying circumstances. Visiting Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Iran, Palestine, and Turkey, among other places, Charles endeavors to find out how people who live in warzones or under brutally oppressive regimes end up building a career in comedy. He also speaks to comedians in the United States - including elements of the alt-right - to dig into the nature of fringe comedy at home.
Ken Jeong: You Complete Me, Ho
Sticking with the comedy theme, our final Netflix Original recommendation this weekend is Ken Jeong’s stand-up special, You Complete Me, Ho. Jeong is known for his comedy roles in TV shows like Community and movies like The Hangover and Crazy Rich Asians. This is Jeong’s first ever comedy special, filmed at Pasadena’s Ice House Comedy Club, and sees the physician-turned-actor reflect on the unusual path his career his taken, how his wife’s battle with breast cancer led to him landing his role in The Hangover, and how his parents reacted to him becoming a movie star.
