Halfway through the enhanced community quarantine in light of the unprecedented COVID-19 global pandemic, streaming powerhouse, Netflix unveils a long, exciting list of original films and series, and favorites coming to the platform as we are all compelled to stay at home and try to seek normalcy in this time of uncertainty.
The following are some of the biggest titles you can stream with your family, friends, or alone.
Extraction (film)
The plot as we know it: Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) is a fearless black market mercenary with nothing to lose. His skills are then solicited to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord. But in the murky underworld of weapons dealers and drug traffickers, an already deadly mission approaches the impossible, forever altering the lives of Rake and the boy. An action-packed, edge-of-your-seat thriller directed by Sam Hargrave, EXTRACTION is an AGBO Films and TGIM Films, Inc. production, produced by Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Mike Larocca, Chris Hemsworth, Eric Gitter, and Peter Schwerin.
Launch Date: April 24
Money Heist (La Casa De Papel): Part 4 (series)
The plot as we know it: Lives are on the line as the Professor’s plan begins to unravel and the thieves must fend off enemies from both inside and outside the Bank of Spain.
Launch Date: April 3
Never Have I Ever (series)
The plot as we know it: In this coming-of-age comedy series, we see the life of a modern first-generation Indian American teenage girl, inspired by known creator and actress, Mindy Kaling’s own childhood.
Launch Date: April 27
Extracurricular (series)
The plot as we know it: Extracurricular follows a story of high school students who become tangled in a series of conflicts and events that challenge human values and morality. Jisoo ends up committing a serious crime because of his determination to make college tuition money on his own, by any means. Minhee gets caught up in Jisoo’s crime while Jisoo’s schoolmate Gyuri becomes involved in the same crime.
Launch Date: April 29
The King: Eternal Monarch (series)
The plot as we know it: The King: Eternal Monarch is a romantic fantasy drama that takes the genre to a whole new level, revolving around the relationships of people from two parallel universes. King Lee Gon seeks to seal the gateway between dimensions, while Jung Tae-eul, a police inspector, simply wants to protect other’s lives and their loves. The King: Eternal Monarch is written by Kim Eun-suk (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Mr. Sunshine, Descendants of the Sun), and directed by Baek Sang-hoon (Secret, Who Are You: School 2015 and Descendants of the Sun) and Jeong Jee-hyun (Search: WWW).
Launch Date: Coming Soon
Time to Hunt (film)
The plot as we know it: In a hopeless dystopic city, Jun-seok is released from prison and plans his next step in life in order to start anew with his friends Jang-ho, Ki-hoon and Sang-soo. But their excitement for the plan is short-lived as an unknown man chases after them. Can these best friends get away from the hunt?
Launch Date: Coming Soon
ORIGINAL SERIES
Outer Banks
The plot as we know it: A tight-knit group of teens unearths a long-buried secret by setting off a chain of illicit events that takes them on an adventure they’ll never forget.
Launch Date: April 15
The Midnight Gospel
The plot as we know it: Drawing from interviews lifted from the “Duncan Trussell Family Hour” podcast, this animated series follows a space-caster who travels the galaxy searching for the meaning of life.
Launch Date: April 20
Absurd Planet
The plot as we know it: A cast of quirky critters and Mother Nature herself narrate this funny science series, which peeks into the lives of Earth’s most incredible animals.
Launch Date: April 22
After Life: Season 2
The plot as we know it: Set in the small fictitious town of Tambury, the comedy-drama series follows the plight of Tony (Ricky Gervais), a writer for the local newspaper whose life is upended after his wife dies from cancer. In its followup season, whilst still struggling with immense grief for his wife, we see Tony try to become a better friend to those around him. Each grappling with their own problems and only to be intensified by the looming threat of the local newspaper being shut down. Will the town’s local Am-Dram show lift everyone’s spirits?
Launch Date: April 24
The Last Kingdom: Season 4
The plot as we know it: As Edward and Aethelflaed spar over the future of Mercia and their father’s dream of a united England, Uhtred tries to recover his lost birthright.
Launch Date: April 26
NETFLIX FILMS YOU CAN’T MISS
Coffee & Kareem
The plot as we know it: While police officer James Coffee (Ed Helms) enjoys his new relationship with Vanessa Manning (Taraji P. Henson), her beloved 12-year-old son Kareem (Terrence Little Gardenhigh) plots their break-up. Attempting to scare away his mom’s boyfriend for good, Kareem tries to hire criminal fugitives to take him out but accidentally exposes a secret network of criminal activity, making his family its latest target. To protect Vanessa, Kareem teams up with Coffee — the partner he never wanted — for a dangerous chase across Detroit. From director Michael Dowse, the film is an action-comedy about forging unexpected bonds, one four-letter insult at a time. Co-starring Betty Gilpin, RonReaco Lee, Andrew Bachelor and David Alan Grier.
Launch Date: April 3
Money Heist: The Phenomenon
The plot as we know it: This film takes a look at why and how Money Heist sparked a wave of enthusiasm around the world for a lovable group of thieves and their professor.
Launch Date: April 3
Tigertail
The plot as we know it: In New York, Pin-Jui (Tzi Ma) reflects on the love of his past and his departure from Taiwan, which he revisits years later with his daughter Angela.
Launch Date: April 10
Love Wedding Repeat
The plot as we know it: In this innovative romantic comedy about the power of chance, alternate versions of the same wedding unfold as Jack (Sam Claflin) tries to make sure his little sister has the perfect wedding day. But he’ll have to juggle an angry ex-girlfriend, an uninvited guest with a secret, a misplaced sleep sedative, and unexpectedly reuniting with the girl of his dreams who got away, Dina (Olivia Munn). If he succeeds, Jack might find a happy ending of his own. The film is written and directed by Dean Craig and stars Sam Claflin, Olivia Munn, Eleanor Tomlinson, Joel Fry, Tim Key, Aisling Bea, Jack Farthing, Allan Mustafa, and Freida Pinto.
Launch Date: April 10
Sergio
The plot as we know it: Charismatic and complex, Sergio Vieira de Mello (Wagner Moura) has spent the majority of his storied career as a top UN diplomat working in the world’s most unstable regions, deftly navigating deals with presidents, revolutionaries, and war criminals for the sake of protecting the lives of ordinary people. But just as he readies himself for a simpler life with the woman he loves (Ana de Armas), Sergio takes one last assignment — in Baghdad, newly plunged into chaos following the US invasion. The assignment is meant to be brief, until a bomb blast causes the walls of the UN headquarters to come literally crashing down upon him, setting into motion a gripping life-or-death struggle. Inspired by a true story, the film is a sweeping drama focused on a man pushed to his physical and emotional limits as he’s forced to confront his own divisive choices about ambition, family, and his capacity to love.
Launch Date: April 17
The Willoughbys
The plot as we know it: Convinced that they’d be better off raising themselves, the Willoughby children hatch a sneaky plan to send their selfish parents on vacation. The siblings then embark on their own high-flying adventure to find the true meaning of family.
Launch Date: April 22
STUDIO GHIBLI MAGIC
Howl’s Moving Castle
The plot as we know it: Sophie, an average teenage girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. After this chance meeting she is turned into a 90-year old woman by the vain and conniving Witch of the Waste. Embarking on an incredible adventure to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl’s magical moving castle where she becomes acquainted with Markl, Howl’s apprentice, and a hot-headed fire demon named Calcifer.
Launch Date: April 1
Ponyo
The plot as we know it: One morning near his seaside home, five year old Sosuke discovers a goldfish he names Ponyo, her head stuck in a jam jar. He rescues her, and fascinated with each other, they promise to stay firm friends. When Ponyo’s father, a powerful underwater sorcerer, forces her to return to the ocean depths, Ponyo is determined to join Sosuke on the surface and become human. What follows is an amazing underwater adventure for all ages.
Launch Date: April 1
The Wind Rises
The plot as we know it: Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted and unable to be a pilot, he becomes one of the world’s most accomplished airplane designers, experiencing key historical events in an epic tale of love, perseverance and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world.
Launch Date: April 1
When Marnie Was There
The plot as we know it: Twelve-year-old Anna believes she sits outside the invisible magic circle to which most people belong, and shuts herself off from everyone around her. Concerned for her health, Anna’s foster mother decides to send her to rural Hokkaido to stay in a sleepy town by the sea. As she dreams her days away amongst the marshes, Anna finds herself strangely drawn to the enigmatic house which sits upon the edge there. This is where she meets Marnie, an energetic young girl who seems to appear from nowhere. The pair quickly become inseparable.
Launch Date: April 1
Pom Poko
The plot as we know it: The Raccoons of the Tama Hills are being forced from their homes by the rapid development of houses and shopping malls. As it becomes harder to find food and shelter, they decide to band together and fight back. The Raccoons practice and perfect the ancient art of transformation until they are even able to appear as humans. In often hilarious ways, the Raccoons use their powers to try to scare off the advancement of civilization.
Launch Date: April 1
From Up on Poppy Hill
The plot as we know it: Set in Yokohama, From Up On Poppy Hill is a high school love story that takes place in the year before the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. As the country begins to pick itself up from the devastation of the Second World War, the new generation struggles to move towards a prosperous future whilst trying not to lose the essence of their past. The film’s rich and vibrant animation captures the entrancing beauty of Yokohama’s harbor and lush surrounding hillsides and, with a soundtrack that draws inspiration from the finest music of the time, perfectly captures the thrills of young romance and the hope of a new dawn.
Launch Date: April 1
FUN FARE FOR THE FAMILY
The Big Show Show
The plot as we know it: Former WWE wrestler The Big Show is out of the ring and ready for an even tougher challenge: raising three daughters with his wife in Florida.
Launch Date: April 6
The Main Event
The plot as we know it: When 11-year-old Leo Thompson (Seth Carr) discovers a magical wrestling mask that grants him super strength, he uses it to enter a WWE competition. With the support of his grandmother (Tichina Arnold), Leo will do whatever it takes to achieve his dream of becoming a WWE Superstar. Can one kid win it all, in the face of epic challengers in the ring? Directed by Jay Karas, it co-stars Adam Pally, Ken Marino, and features WWE superstars Kofi Kingston, Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, Sheamus, and Babatunde Aiyegbusi as Leo’s ultimate opponent, a gigantic wrestler named Samson.
Launch Date: April 10
The Last Kids on Earth: Book 2
The plot as we know it: Jack, June, Quint and Dirk set out to find missing zombies, reclaim their town and maybe — just maybe — finally score a seat at the cool table.
Launch Date: April 17
ALL-TIME FAVORITES
Community: Season 1 – 6
The plot as we know it: This ensemble comedy centers on a tight-knit group of friends who all met at what is possibly the world’s worst educational institution – Greendale Community College. Stars Joel McHale, Gilian Jacobs, Alison Brie, Donald Glover, Dani Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jim Rash, and Ken Jeong.
Launch Date: April 1
The Flash: Season 5
The plot as we know it: From the Arrow creative team of executive producers Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg and director David Nutter, the series is a fast-paced super hero drama that follows the high-speed adventures of the Fastest Man Alive. Stars Grant Gustin as the titular hero.
Launch Date: April 10
Supergirl: Season 4
The plot as we know it: A college crew encounters a series of complex situations from academic to romantic while trying to dodge expulsion and having each other’s backs.
Launch Date: April 15
All images courtesy of Netflix.