By Jason Bailey
The long nights of winter offer Netflix subscribers in the United States the opportunity to binge three solid series before they leave this month, along with two horror chillers, a couple of uproarious comedies and more. (Dates reflect the final day titles are available and are subject to change.)
‘Focus’ (Jan. 9)
Before collaborating in “Suicide Squad” (and before “Barbie,” and before the Slap), Will Smith and Margot Robbie teamed up for this sly, smart, sexy caper from writer-directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (“Crazy, Stupid, Love”). Robbie is a up-and-coming con artist, specializing in quick scams and picking pockets, who wants to learn how to play for higher stakes; Smith is the old pro who teaches her the ropes. The locations and costumes are gorgeous, the stars even more so, while Ficarra and Requa’s script is clever but not too convoluted. Fans of the “Ocean’s” movies and their ilk will find much to like here.
‘The Magicians’ Seasons 1-5 (Jan. 14)
This enjoyable series, which ran on Syfy from 2015 to 2020, isn’t the most original thing on Netflix — the show, based on the novels by Lev Grossman, is unmistakably seeking to scratch the wizarding-school itches of Harry Potter fans. But granting the nakedness of its ambitions, there’s much to admire about this modest charmer: the charisma of the lead, Jason Ralph; the WB soapiness of the conflicts between its college-age characters; and the better-than-average (for basic cable, at least) visual effects and settings. It’s junk food, sure, but undeniably tasty.
‘Monk’ Seasons 1-8 (Jan. 14)
This durable, popular USA mystery series (2002-09) helped give that channel a distinctive identity and helped lift its star, Tony Shalhoub, from a valued cinematic character actor to a marquee name (and even sex symbol) for a certain demographic of television viewers. He stars as Adrian Monk, a consulting detective for the San Francisco Police Department, whose investigative prowess rivals that of Sherlock Holmes and whose obsessive-compulsive disorder rivals Jack Nicholson’s in “As Good as It Gets.” The mysteries are consistently smart and engaging — “Columbo” is a clear inspiration, and a deserved comparison — but the reason to watch is Shalhoub, who turns what could have been a collection of tics and eccentricities into a fully realized, unforgettable television character.
‘Cats’ (Jan. 15)
It’s said that they don’t make really, truly, memorably bad movies anymore; the basic level of technical competence is too high, and IP obsession means studios play it so safe that no one takes the kinds of big swings that can go entertainingly, disastrously awry. But there are occasional exceptions to every rule, and this 2019 adaptation of the long-running Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical is one of them, serving as a vivid illustration of the vast chasm between what we’ll accept onstage and on-screen. The singing and dancing cats at its center might have played in an animated film, but this peculiar mixture of live actors, theatrical makeup and CGI is ill-advised from start to finish — it was roundly rejected by moviegoers even with Taylor Swift in the cast. But it’s much more fun to watch than any number of big-budget studio hits; say what you will about these “Cats,” but they’re never boring.
‘New Amsterdam’ Seasons 1-5 (Jan. 15)
This NBC medical drama accomplishes two things simultaneously: It presents a protagonist whose good intentions and can-do attitude can, for at least an hour, assure viewers that the health care industry is working in their best interests; and it can deploy the tools of the hospital show, a longtime television staple. The central character is Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold), the new director of a New York public hospital who embarks on an idealistic mission: to put patients before profits and to help people no matter what the cost. It occasionally comes off as wish fulfillment fantasy, but the performers are likable, the stories are often moving, and at its best, it is top-notch comfort television.
‘The Babadook’ (Jan. 25)
This debut feature by Australian director Jennifer Kent was an unexpected sleeper hit, thanks to the sheer force of its craft and the genuine terror inspired by the title character, a black-hatted nightmare figure that haunts the dreams and reality of 6-year-old Sam (Noah Wiseman), much to the consternation of his single mother, Amelia (Essie Davis). Kent delivers genuine scares and moody atmosphere in spades, but “The Babadook” works especially because it is first and foremost a character study, grounded in the recognizable reality of parenthood — and all the everyday horrors therein.
‘The Rental’ (Jan. 25)
Not many movies benefited from the theatrical shutdowns prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but this 2020 indie horror picture flourished in its admittedly limited release, mostly at drive-in theaters. Perhaps the claustrophobia that summer made this story of strangers sharing space extra dreadful, as two couples (Alison Brie, Dan Stevens, Sheila Vand and a pre-“The Bear” Jeremy Allen White) take over a seaside villa for a weekend stay. Actor-turned-director Dave Franco (who wrote the script with indie stalwart Joe Swanberg) shows a sure hand for creating the proper creepy mood, and each member of his fine cast carves out a fresh take on what could have been stock characters.
‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ (Jan. 26)
Brad Pitt’s and Angelina Jolie’s first onscreen pairing prompted a flurry of tabloid coverage (and a lengthy, stormy relationship); such gossipy productions rarely yield worthwhile final products, but this jazzy, funny, sexy thriller is a notable exception to the rule. The premise is high concept: Pitt and Jolie star as a seemingly dull married couple who have, for years, kept their double lives as paid assassins a secret from each other. The ensuing complications aren’t hard to predict (guess who each killer’s next target is?), but it is all done in high style by director Doug Liman, who stages his action sequences with wit and ingenuity, and screenwriter Simon Kinberg, who injects the potentially formulaic story with a heavy dose of screwball zing.
‘Not Another Teen Movie’ (Jan. 31)
The 1990s teen comedy boom — as exemplified by such hits as “10 Things I Hate About You,” “Bring It On” and “American Pie” — is savagely satirized in this broad but very funny spoof. The screenplay unapologetically lifts the plot of “She’s All That,” in which a popular jock makes a bet that he can turn a nerdy girl into a prom queen. As with the best parody pictures, it works primarily because of the charisma of the performers (including Chris Evans and Jaime Pressly) and the density of the gags, which send up not only those ’90s favorites but also their ’80s predecessors (with particular affection for the films of John Hughes).
‘We’re the Millers’ (Jan. 31)
Jason Sudeikis stars as a weed dealer who stands to make a ton of cash if he can transport an RV full of product from Mexico to Denver with the help of a pretend family: an exotic dancer (Jennifer Aniston) masquerading as his wife, a street-wise runaway (Emma Roberts) as his daughter and an abandoned teen (Will Poulter) as his son. The thin lines between criminality and normalcy, and the pliable boundaries of family, provide most of the laughs — along with a tiptop supporting cast led by Nick Offerman, Kathryn Hahn and Molly C. Quinn as a family of oddballs who become the Millers’ traveling companions.
‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (Jan. 31)
“Hurt Locker” director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal reunited for this 2012 political thriller, dramatizing the then-recent, yearslong hunt for Osama bin Laden. The film took heat for its uncritical eye toward the CIA’s claims, rejected later by the Senate Intelligence Committee, that it had gathered critical information in that hunt through torture. But this is a first-rate picture, pulsing with urgency and righteous indignation, offering a meticulously detailed peek behind the curtain of American intelligence operations. Jessica Chastain is superb in the central role of a never-say-die CIA analyst. Kyle Chandler, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Ehle, James Gandolfini, Chris Pratt and Mark Strong are among the most memorable members of the sprawling supporting cast.
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