What to watch on streaming in February 2022: Netflix, Binge, Amazon, ABC, SBS, Disney+ and more

It’s one of those rare months when you won’t be overwhelmed by quantity but by the quality of shiny new things.

February is one of those rare months in which while it may not be teeming with a lot of new streaming titles, what’s on offer is a notable collection of goodies with plenty of star power and behind-the-scenes pedigree.

The Girl Before S1 (Binge* and Foxtel*, February 10): Starring British powerhouse talents Gugu Mbatha-Raw and David Oyelowo, The Girl Before is a thriller about a woman who moves into a minimalist house designed by an admired architect, but the house has a history that haunts its present.

Inventing Anna (Netflix, February 11): From uber producer Shonda Rhimes, Inventing Anna is the delicious drama of real-life scam artist Anna Sorokin, a Russian-born German con-artist who convinced the New York City elite that she was a wealthy heiress. It stars Ozark’s Julia Garner, Anna Chlumsky and Laverne Cox.

Severance (Apple TV+, February 18): Trying to find work-life balance is the dream, especially after a couple of years in which it’s seemed impossible. But one office worker (Adam Scott) is finding that an extreme solution – surgically splitting his work and personal memories – may have some drawbacks in this dystopian sci-fi thriller that also stars Patricia Arquette and Christopher Walken.

Hotel Portofino will be on Binge and Foxtel.

Hotel Portofino S1 (Binge and Foxtel, February 8): With the double glamour of its Roaring Twenties setting on the Italian Riviera, the luscious series follows the British daughter of a wealthy industrialist who establishes a hotel in Portofino against the backdrop of sexual liberation and the rise of fascism. Stars Californication’s Natascha McElhone.

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel (Amazon Prime Video, February 18): After a Covid-enforced hiatus, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel is finally back. The wisecracking, whipfast and witty comedienne is ready to put those setbacks behind her and take on the world on her terms.

Pam & Tommy (Disney+, February 2): A pacy, rock ’n’ roll miniseries that delves into the circumstances and fallout from the infamous theft of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s sex tape. Directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Lily James and Sebastian Stan, it recasts a salacious cultural moment into one of betrayal.

Bel-Air (Stan, February 14): Far from the sunny, cheesy optimism of the original Will Smith sitcom, this remake of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air promises to be a gritty and grounded exploration of class and race in America. Smith remains involved as one of the producers.

Troppo stars Nicole Chamoun and Thomas Jane. On ABC iview this month. Picture: ABC TV

Troppo (ABC iview, February 27): Starring American actor Thomas Jane, this Australian series is centred on a quirky private investigator (Nicole Chamoun) who recruits a washed-up ex-cop to help locate a missing Korean tech mogul in the wilds of Far North Queensland.

Space Force S2 (Netflix, February 18): Steve Carell’s out-of-his-depth space general is back for a second season of shenanigans in the inept Space Force department. It’s inching closer to 2024, but are they any closer to getting “boots on the moon”? Also stars Lisa Kudrow, Ben Schwartz and John Malkovich.

Raised by Wolves S2 (Binge and Foxtel, February 3): The high-concept, ambitious sci-fi series returns after its propulsive and compulsive season one cliffhanger ending, ready to explore its rich themes about motherhood, religion and humanity.

Trigger Point (Stan, February 24): From the production company behind Line of Duty, Trigger Point even stars Vicky McClure in this high-octane six-part action series focused on a bomb disposal unit.

Murderville stars Will Arnett. Picture: Netflix

Murderville (Netflix, February 3): Part scripted comedy and part improv, Will Arnett’s detective series features a cop solving crimes. So far so familiar. The twist? Each week there’s a celebrity guest – among them Sharon Stone, Conan O’Brien and Kumail Nanjiani – who isn’t given the script and has to play along and guess the killer.

Reacher (Amazon Prime Video, February 4): Author Lee Childs’ American action hero leaps from the page and onto the small screen. Of course, it is without Tom Cruise, who played the character in film. In his place is Alan Ritchson, an actor who closer resembles the towering muscle of Childs’ books.

The Long Call (SBS On Demand, February 3): Adapted from an Ann Cleeves novel (she also wrote the books that provide the basis for Shetland and Vera), this British crime drama is set in Devon and is centred on a cop who returns to his hometown for his father’s funeral, only to be caught up in a local murder investigation.

Suspicion is on Apple TV+ Picture: Apple

Suspicion (Apple TV+, February 4): Adapted from an Israeli thriller, this drama stars Uma Thurman as an American media honcho whose son is kidnapped, and the subsequent investigation into a British connection after a strange ransom demand.

Hidden Assets (SBS On Demand, February 2): Crime rings, drug money and terrorism intersect in this Irish detective thriller starring Emer Berry and Christian De Jong as a prosecutor and cop who start to unravel an international plot after a seemingly routine drug raid.

Good Grief (ABC iview, February 9): With Fleabag’s Sian Clifford and Starstruck’s Nikesh Patel, this film-play hybrid features two characters both in mourning for someone they loved (his partner, her best friend), a sensitive meditation on the complexity of grief and loss.

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