Netflix‘s new February movies include some must-see gems to make your work week go a little more smoothly. So let’s get started.

We recently lost a giant in comedy with the passing of Catherine O’Hara. Kudos to Canadian O’Hara. SCTV Although it’s a legend, I’ve included one of my favorites currently streaming on Netflix. To keep things interesting, two more titles will be added including a sci-fi AI thriller with chilling realism and a Wes Anderson classic.

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best of show

When comedy legend Catherine O’Hara sadly passed away on January 30th, she was in the midst of a new renaissance in a career spanning more than 35 years. Schitt’s Creek Moira Rose and recent studio’s Patti Lee is a quietly ferocious executive. O’Hara’s genius will be sorely missed, but fortunately it lives on in her formidable body of work, including some of Christopher Guest’s genre-defining mockumentaries. Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and your consideration.

If I had to pick one thing to throw this week, it would be best of showdefinitely. In it, guests zero in on the hilarious and serious world of competitive dog shows with one of the greatest ensemble casts ever assembled. In the film, five teams of owners and their dogs gather in Philadelphia to compete in the annual Mayflower Dog Show. These include Eugene Levy and O’Hara’s awkwardly adorable Jerry and Cookie Fleck and their Norwich terrier, Meg and Hamilton Swan (Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock) and their depressed Great Dane, and Harlan Pepper (a guest) and his “talking” blood hound.

What makes The Guest movies so great is that much of the dialogue is improvised in the moment, creating some of the film’s most quirky and strangely funny moments. Use that to skewer the seriousness of people in the dog show world – cutthroat politics, status games, empty comments from the press – and you’ve got an uncomfortably realistic comedy that will keep you hooked.

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Ex Machina

New releases on Netflix in February include Alex Garland (the beach, 28 days later) A quiet, haunting AI sci-fi thriller Ex Machina. As relevant as it was in 2014, when we were all beginning to wonder and wonder what human AI could look like, this was a groundbreaking exploration of artificial intelligence. When this came out, I remember thinking, if AI humanoids are going in this direction, let’s put it back in the bottle and bury it.

Ex Machina The film follows Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a talented programmer at search engine giant Blue Book. Young and eager, Caleb is thrilled to win a contest and be sent to a remote, remote jungle facility owned by the company’s brilliant CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). But Caleb soon learns that he has been chosen for a more specific purpose: to meet and evaluate Ava (Alicia Vikander), a highly advanced humanoid robot. Eva is beautiful, intelligent, and surprisingly human, and Caleb finds himself drawn to her.

But what makes it so? Ex Machina What’s so chilling is firstly the claustrophobic setting of the enclosed compound, which starts to feel like a prison. And it’s easy to see why, as Nathan’s (and Eva’s) true motives are revealed in a tense and thrilling climax that makes this thriller a true gem. Ex Machina This film won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects for its stunning visual effects. Fury Road, The Martian, And even more the force awakens. It has a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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moonrise kingdom

Wes Anderson’s wonderfully sweet and quirky seventh film, moonrise kingdom, This demonstrates the writer’s commitment to the highly stylized look of his films, making them feel like self-contained diorama-like sets, which became known as the “dollhouse aesthetic.” The film was a huge success at the box office and earned Anderson his third Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

But it is essentially a story of first love. Set on the fictional New England island of New Panzance in 1965, the film follows Sam Shaksky (Jared Gilman), a young Khaki scout, and Susie Bishop (Cara Hayward), a rebellious bookworm, who become pen pals, fall in love, and decide to escape together to a hidden cove on the island called Moonrise Kingdom. Their disappearance throws the entire island into a chaotic human hunt. Everyone is looking for them, including the local policeman, Inspector Sharp (Bruce Willis), the Khaki Scoutmaster Ward (Edward Norton), and Susie’s bickering parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand). They must find them before the oncoming hurricane hits.

moonrise kingdom Imbued with Anderson’s vibrant pastel flavor, every frame feels like a Norman Rockwell painting brought to life. And the music by legendary composers Alexandre Desplat and Benjamin Britten creates a timely soundtrack that perfectly fits the film’s themes of childhood fantasy and adult overcompensation. One of Anderson’s best works.

Use these three suggestions to help you set up your weekly movie viewing list. Or, if you’re in the mood for binge-watching a TV series, this is also for you.