If you’re all caught up on Oscar nominees (or if you just need a break from your preparation), Netflix has you covered with plenty of counter-programming this month. Whether you’re looking for Valentine’s Day rom-coms, documentaries that just premiered at Sundance, or enjoyable genre hits from the past decade that you’ve been meaning to rewatch, the newest slate of archival films offers something for everyone.
Keep reading for our seven favorite movies streaming on Netflix in February 2026.
“Hell or High Water” (Streaming now)
Image Credit: ©CBS Films/Everett Collection / Everett Collection
When “Hell or High Water” took Cannes by storm in 2016 and picked up three Oscar nominations including Best Original Screenplay, it became clear that its new screenwriter, Taylor Sheridan, was going places. The modern western brilliantly incorporates the classic elements of the genre into a contemporary story of brothers who start committing robberies to keep their family’s ranch afloat, all while fending off the aggressive pursuit of two Texas Rangers.
The film provides both genre thrills and real commentary on the precarious financial situations of so many Americans in the 21st century. Regardless of what you think of Sheridan’s later TV work, “Hell or High Water” is a modern American classic.
“You’ve Got Mail” (Streaming now)
Image Credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Sometimes, nothing hits quite like streaming a great rom-com that you’ve seen a million times. And few films embody that spirit of rewatchability better than “You’ve Got Mail,” Nora Ephron’s cozy update of “The Shop Around the Corner.” Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan’s chemistry was at its absolute peak as a small bookshop owner and her corporate nemesis who fell in love over the World Wide Web. The film’s use of technology as a plot device now feels quaint in its simplicity, which only adds to the film’s status as a quintessential comfort watch.
“Mississippi Grind” (Streaming now)
Image Credit: A24
One of the great gambling movies of the past quarter century, “Mississippi Grind” was enticing enough to land Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck the job of directing “Captain Marvel.” Whether that was a blessing or a curse is in the eye of the beholder, but there’s no denying that the writer/director duo made a delightful film.
Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds shine as a pair of gamblers at different stages of life who meet at a casino and bond over all the highs and lows that the vice has to offer. Their trip through southern casinos offers a refreshing break from the Vegas imagery that often dominates the subgenre, and the film’s message about confidence taking you further than technical skills feels more relevant each year.
“Ex Machina” (Streaming now)
Image Credit: A24
Alex Garland’s “Ex Machina” has become such a fixture of pop culture that it can be easy to forget just how fresh it felt upon its 2014 release. The sci-fi drama seemingly anticipated every major development of the past decade, from AI companionship to the isolation of COVID lockdowns. If you’ve been enjoying the multitude of “Frankenstein” adaptations and knockoffs that have come out lately, consider rewatching “Ex Machina,” which offers its own take on the question of how much autonomy we should afford the things that we create.
“Queen of Chess” (Now streaming)
Image Credit: Netflix
If you didn’t make the trek to Sundance this year, you might have missed the unconventional promotional tactics that Netflix rolled out for “Queen of Chess.” The film chronicles the life of Hungarian chess pioneer Judit Polgár, who rose through a sexist chess industry to become the youngest grandmaster of all time.
Naturally, Netflix chose to stage a chess match in Park City, with Polgár playing blindfolded against Alec Baldwin, who used his full vision. While we won’t spoil the result of the thrilling match (those curious can find clips online), “Queen of Chess” is the first 2026 Sundance doc to get a wide release, and should be some of the best nonfiction programming available this month.
“Colossal” (Streaming February 9)
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Nacho Vigalondo’s unique films always suck audiences in with outlandish premises before sticking the seemingly impossible landing with their tonal execution. There’s no better example of this than the hilarious “Colossal,” which stars Anne Hathaway as an alcoholic New York writer who feels inexplicably linked to a kaiju-like monster that’s wreaking havoc on the city of Seoul. It’s a film best enjoyed with as little prior context as possible, but suffice it to say, the sci-fi comedy strikes an incredible balance between genres. If you’re looking for a film to show you something that you’ve absolutely never seen before, “Colossal” is it.
“Free Fire” (Streaming February 10)
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An unapologetic throwback that is more interested in reminding you it’s set in the 1970s than accurately emulating the decade, Ben Wheatley’s “Free Fire” is the kind of entertaining diversion that’s made for lazy Netflix nights. The contained thriller-comedy about a massive gun deal gone massively wrong succeeds by knowing exactly what it is. The title promises an abundance of gunfire, and that’s exactly what the film delivers, as the ensemble of shady characters all turn on each other in rapid succession to deliver a pulpy good time.