Netflix had a packed premiere schedule throughout 2022. In addition to featuring Hollywood blockbuster films, the streaming giant created science fiction movies like The Adam Project, innovative "biopics" like Blonde, and award-winning dramas like Hustle, and imaginative fantasies like Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio. These creations demonstrate a marked investment in original content; the streaming service offers a broad selection of genres, foreign films, indie content, and creations that include more and more groundbreaking artists.
After a seventeen billion-dollar budget, twenty-six Emmy wins, and countless award nominations in 2022, this year is slated to be even bigger for Netflix. It will be a year of revivals, reunions, and breaking new ground in cinema. Here's a look at the original movies coming to Netflix in February 2023.
True Spirit (Feb. 3)
True Spirit adapts the real-life story of Jessica Watson for the big screen. Watson, a sixteen-year-old Australian sailor, is a skilled wayfinder and record-achieving explorer. The film follows her efforts to become the youngest person to sail around the world--in other words, 23,000 nautical miles in eight months, entirely unassisted. During her thrilling journey, Watson sailed an estimated 18,585 nautical miles through the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans.
However, the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) ruled that Watson fell short of the required distance by 21,600 nautical miles. Despite the highly-criticized WSSRC decision, Watson chronicled her efforts and is regarded as one of the most legendary sailors in modern history. From the preparation to Watson's time on treacherous high seas, True Spirit shows the grit, determination, and bravery it takes to achieve one's dreams.
True Spirit stars Teagan Croft (Titans), Anna Paquin (True Blood, The Irishman), Cliff Curtis (Avatar: The Way of Water, Risen), and Josh Lawson (Mortal Kombat).
Your Place Or Mine (Feb. 10)
This romantic comedy follows the story of Debbie (Reese Witherspoon) and Peter (Ashton Kutcher), two best friends who lead opposite lives. Debbie is a single mother and accountant in Los Angeles, California. She loves the life she established for herself and her son, and she thrives on their stable, comfortable routine. Peter, on the other hand, loves the thrill, unpredictability, and hustle of his New York life. As he endeavors to become a writer in the city that never sleeps, he feeds off of constant change and excitement. In a maneuver that mimics the rom-com classic The Holiday, Debbie and Peter exchange residences for a week. During their swap, they realize what — or more accurately, who — they really need.
Alongside Witherspoon and Kutcher, Your Place or Mine stars Jesse Williams (Grey's Anatomy, Station 19), Wesley Kimmel (Wandavision, Book of Boba Fett), Zoë Chao (Senior Year, The High Note), Griffin Matthews (The Flight Attendant, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law), and Rachel Bloom (Reboot, The School for Good and Evil).
Unlocked (Feb. 17)
Unlocked is an upcoming South Korean thriller directed by Kim Tae Joon, making the second Korean-original movie to be released on Netflix in 2023. The official synopsis is as follows.
"On her way home from work, Na-mi (Chun Woo-hee) loses her smartphone, containing everything about her. Jun-yeong (Yim Si-wan) finds Na-mi's phone and returns it to her, but after installing spyware. By tracking her everyday life, he learns all he can about Na-mi--her whereabouts, hobbies, tastes, work life, finances, and social network--and approaches her by concealing his true identity.
In the meantime, police detective Ji-man (Kim Hie-won) finds traces of his son at a murder-crime scene and secretly investigates Jun-yeong, suspecting the worst. Na-mi is relieved to have found her phone, but not too long, her ordinary life turns upside down and spirals out of control. All because she only lost her phone, her entire life is imperiled."
This film is rooted in reality for many audience members. Unlocked shows the worst-case scenario of a very real possibility: what happens when you lose your phone — your lifeline that contains banking information, personal details, social security information, and more? Is it endearing or horrifying if someone knows so much about you? How safe can one really be when their phones contain so much of themselves?
Call Me Chihiro (Feb. 23)
Call Me Chihiro tells the story of Chihiro, a former sex worker. By pure chance, she found a seaside bento shop. Captivated by the shop and its food, Chihiro works for the store and begins a new chapter of her life. She engages the seaside residents in interesting, comforting, and at times, counseling conversation. In it, she refuses to hide both her true personality and her past as a sex worker. As Chihiro labors to start anew by the sea, she becomes connected with the world around her in new and powerful ways. The official synopsis is below.
"I'm sure you'll want to meet her. Chihiro is a former sex worker who works at a bento shop in a small seaside town. She has a foul mouth and goes at her own pace. And she is free. Such a girl is floating in the city. She is a strange "adult." But for some reason, I want to meet her. An elementary school student waiting for her mother to come home, a high school girl who can't say what she really thinks, and a homeless man who doesn't talk much. Let's go meet Chihiro to experience this wonder."
Call Me Chihiro is an upcoming Japanese drama by director Rikiya Imaizumi. It is based on the titular 2017 manga series Chihiro-san. The movie stars Arimura Kasumi, Toyoshima Hana, Shimata Tetta, Fubuki Jun, Hirata Mitsuru, Negishi Toshie, Wakaba Ryuya, Sakuma Yui, and Lily Franky.
We Have A Ghost (Feb. 24)
We Have A Ghost follows the story of Kevin (Anthony Mackie) and his family as they move into a new home. There, they discover a poltergeist, Ernest (David Harbour) within the new residence. Kevin capitalizes on the ghost's existence by turning it into an overnight social media celebrity. He uses Ernest to establish a successful side hustle by booking dinners in their home for a chance to meet the ghost-turned-celebrity. When Kevin's son and Ernest delve into the spirit's muddled story, they become targets for the CIA.
We Have A Ghost features a stacked cast of Hollywood starlets, including Anthony Mackie (The Falcon and The Winter Soldier), David Harbour (Stranger Things, Black Widow), Tig Notaro (Army of The Dead), Jennifer Coolidge (White Lotus), Erica Rash (Uncle Drew), Isabella Russo (Crashing), Niles Fitch (This Is Us), Steve Coulter (Shotgun Wedding), and Faith Ford (Hope & Faith).