15 best movies to watch on Netflix, Hulu, and HBO before they leave (Feb 2022)

We have new movies streaming on Netflix next week, so February is nearly over. Until then, you kNow what that means: it’s time to marathon all the best films available to stream right nowBefore they flee to wherever, From Gareth Evans’ Indonesian action film The Raid 2 Michael Mann’s Miami Vice to 2005’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Little Tokyo ShowdownThe movies are starring Dolph Ludgren and Brandon Lee.

These are the 15 best streaming movies available on major streaming sites as of March 1.

21 Jump Street

Image by Scott Garfield/Columbia Pictures

Based on the 1987 TV series of the same name, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s 2012 buddy cop comedy 21 Jump StreetJonah Hill and Channing Turner star as Morton Schmidt (and Greg Jenko) respectively, high school students from completely different social circles. The two become friends later on in their lives as police academy cadets. The pair go undercover as students to disguise themselves and find the source for an illegal synthetic drug. Morton and Greg accidentally mix up their identities and get to see what it was like back in high school. They also engage in all manner of shootouts and shenanigans. Acutely self-aware, and often hilarious. 21 Jump StreetIt’s a well-done comedy reboot. —Toussaint Egan

21 Jump StreetLeaves NetflixOn March 1,

Constantine

Warner Bros. Pictures

Keanu Reeves stars in Francis Lawrence’s 2005 paranormal action horror film as John Constantine, an expert demonologist and exorcist caught in the middle of a proxy war between heaven and hell on Earth. When police officer Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) comes to Constantine to assist her in proving her sister’s mysterious death was not a suicide, the pair become entangled in a century-long conspiracy to unleash Lucifer’s Mammon using the Spear of Destiny. —TE

ConstantineLeaves HBO MaxFebruary 28, 2008.

The Conversation

Paramount Pictures – Photo

Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation is a paranoia-inducing murder thriller starring Gene Hackman as Harry Caul, a surveillance expert — one who does actual spying! — whose professional integrity and personal morality are put in direct opposition when he suspects that he has eavesdropped on a couple who he believe are going to be murdered. Harry is drawn into an unsavory plot by veiled conspirators, and must find the truth while he remains alive. Over the journey, Coppola creates an aura of paranoia with each passing scene, and David Shire’s piano score is a mood. —TE

The ConversationLeaves HuluFebruary 28, 2008.

New York’s Gangs

Miramax

Martin Scorsese’s period epic follows the story of Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio), the son of an Irish Catholic gang leader who returns to the slums of New York as an adult to avenge his father’s death at the hands of Bill “The Butcher” Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis), the ruthless xenophobic leader of a Protestant street gang. It’s more than a tale about revenge. New York’s GangsThe film is a vivid portrayion of New York City in the mid-1800s. There are memorable performances from John C. Reilly, Brendan Gleeson and other colorful characters, as well as street fights that were brutal and a lovely moving score by Howard Shore. —TE

New York’s GangsLeaves HBO MaxFebruary 28, 2008.

Gone Girl

Image by Twentieth Century Fox

Ben Affleck’s Nick Dunne returns home to search for his missing wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) when he finds himself in the midst of true crime media frenzy. What follows is a gripping thriller about gender expectations, the media, and the ways in which our society’s changing relationship to crime as entertainment has a real effect on people’s lives.

Based on the 2012 novel by Gillian Flynn, David Fincher’s psychological thriller is a high-mark in a career filled with hits. Pike and Affleck bring their A-game in rich roles that are full of nuance and depth. Neil Patrick Harris also stands out as Desi, Amy’s wealthy creep of an ex-boyfriend. —Pete Volk

Gone GirlLeaves HuluFebruary 28, 2008.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy

Image: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Garth Jennings’ 2005 adaptation of Douglas Adams’ beloved sci-fi comedy stars Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, SherlockArthur Dent is a boring, everyday man who accidentally becomes one of the few remaining humans after Earth’s destruction by an alien bureaucratic race that wants to construct a hyperspace bridge. As a paranoid android, Yasiin (aka Mos Def), Sam Rockwell and Zooey Deschanel play the role of Dent. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the GalaxyIt is hilariously funny and outlandish. Only the whale scene… —TE

The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The GalaxyLeaves HBO MaxFebruary 28, 2008.

“I Saw the Devil”

South Korean revenge thrillers have a reputation for being brutal and gory, but Kim Jee-woon’s “I Saw the Devil”It is quite another beast. Kim Soohyun (Lee Byunghun) is a special agent with the National Intelligence Service who sets out on a twisted mission for revenge and vengeance after Jooyeon, his fiance, is abducted and killed by Jang Kyungchul (Choi Minsik), a psychopath and serial killer. The movie unravels as a cat and mouse game of sadistic psychological brutality, as Soo-hyun stalks and hunts Kyung-chul’s every step, attacking him until he’s on the brink of death before pulling back in order to prolong his suffering. It is packed with intense chase scenes and bracing violence. The film ends in a shocking climax which brings out the question of revenge. “I Saw the Devil”This is one of the most intense experiences you will ever have. —TE

“I Saw the Devil”Leaves Amazon Prime VideoFebruary 28, 2008.

Lady in Water

Warner Home Video

M. Night Shyamalan’s critically maligned fairy tale deserves reconsideration, and now’s the time to do it. Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti), the superintendent of a Philadelphia apartment complex who doubles as the caretaker for many of its quirky residents, discovers Story (Bryce Dallas Howard), a magical being found swimming in the complex’s pool. Story comes to the rescue of the Writer. He is expected to experience a miraculous awakening and create a book to save mankind. The following is a touching tale of community members working together to overcome a crisis. Christopher Doyle, Wong Kar Wai’s frequent collaborator in cinematography, has captured this film with stunning beauty. Lady in Water It was based on a story Shyamalan had told his children at bedtime. —PV

Lady in Water Leaf HBO MaxFebruary 28, 2008.

Miami Vice

Universal Pictures

Michael Mann has returned to the old TV world. Miami ViceIn this film adaptation from 2006, Crockett/Tubbs is reimagined as a buddy cop team. This Crockett version (Colin Farrell), and Tubbs (Jamie Foxx), go undercover in an investigation of a major drug operation. Things get intimate as their personal lives intersect with their professional lives.

One of the many examples of Mann’s experimentation with and mastering of digital cinematography, Miami Vice It is beautiful to behold and its reputation has grown after receiving mixed reviews upon release. —PV

Miami Vice Leaf PeacockFebruary 28, 2008.

Steve Zissou: The Life Aquatic

Image: Buenavista Pictures

Wes Anderson’s eccentric 2004 ensemble comedy is dedicated to Jacques Cousteau, and is a loving (and hilarious) homage to the legendary French oceanographer. Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) is an oceanographer/documentarian who loses his best friend to a shark attack while working on his project. Zissou embarks on his next project to kill and capture the entire thing.

The hilarious ensemble cast includes Anjelica Houston (Zissou’s estranged wife who finances his projects), Willem Dafoe (an emotionally insecure German first mate), Owen Wilson (a Zissou super-fan who believes he is Zissou’s son), and Jeff Goldblum (playing Zissou’s rival, a more successful oceanographer). With an excellent soundtrack of Portuguese David Bowie covers by Brazilian singer/songwriter Seu Jorge and Anderson’s typical attention to detail in composition, Zissou This is cinematic entertainment for the senses. —PV

Steve Zissou: The Life AquaticLeaves Amazon Prime VideoFebruary 28, 2008.

Long Goodbye

Image by M Home Entertainment

Robert Altman’s 1973 neo-noir thriller stars Elliot Gould as Phillip Marlowe, a private detective who finds himself implicated in the death of his friend’s wife after driving him to the Mexican border and drawn into a seedy web of deception rife with money, murder, and sin. Adapted from Raymond Chandler’s novel of the same name, Long Goodbye is championed as a masterpiece of form and genre; a morality tale charged with the paranoia and suspicion endemic to the culture of the ’70s. —TE

Long Goodbye Leaf Criterion ChannelFebruary 28, 2008.

The Raid 2

Image: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Follow-up to smash, and we mean smash. 2011hit Raid, Gareth Evans’ 2014 This sequel also packs a powerful punch (and some hammers). Set just after the events of the first movie, Rama (Iko Uwais, reprising his lead role) is sent undercover to expose corruption in Jakarta’s police. The process involves Rama being sent to prison and then surviving a riot in prison. He also has to gain favorability with members of Jakarta’s underworld. Fans of this film will enjoy high-octane action scenes, lots of blood and stunning displays of Indonesian martial arts pencak silat. Raid Also, be sure to check out the second one. —PV

The Raid 2 Leaf HuluFebruary 28, 2008.

Little Tokyo Showdown

Warner Home Video

It’s Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee doing a buddy cop action movie — what more is there to say?

Okay, I’ll give you a little more. Lundgren is Chris Kenner (an American cop) who was brought up in Japan. He has a deep connection to Japanese culture. Lee, in his third film role three years ago CrowJohnny Murata is an American mixed Japanese descent who doesn’t really care that much about Japanese culture. They work together to end a Yakuza ring that has been operating in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles.

Kickass fight scenes and a villain who hamming it up (Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa) are just a few of the many highlights. Little Tokyo Showdown This is an evocative 79 minute film of the best early 90s action movie genre. For those not familiar with the movie, it contains a short scene of violence sexually explicit. —PV

Little Tokyo Showdown Leaf HBO MaxFebruary 28, 2008.

Tangerine

Magnolia Pictures

This film was entirely shot with an iPhone camera. Red Rocket director Sean Baker’s 2015 comedy-drama Tangerine follows Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor), two trans sex workers who set out to find Chester (James Ransone), Sin-Dee’s boyfriend/pimp and get to the bottom of a salacious rumor that he cheated on her while she was serving a 28-day stint in prison. The film was filmed on Los Angeles’ streets during Christmas Eve. TangerineIt is raw, shocking, heartbreaking and deeply engrossing. —TE

TangerineLeaves Amazon Prime VideoFebruary 28, 2008.

Terminator 2: Judgment day

Image: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

James Cameron’s follow-up to The Terminator It is more action-oriented and scary-tinted than the sci-fi version. Skynet, 11 years later than the original movie, has sent a Terminator back to the past in order to murder Connor. John Connor is the target, and this time the Terminator is a new model with shapeshifting (Robert Patrick). For an additional twist on the original film’s premise, the T-800 that served as the antagonist in TerminatorArnold Schwarzenegger has been sent to the Connors in an effort to stop the threat.

CGI still amazes today thanks to its innovative use. T2 is a landmark in the history of big action cinema and of the industry’s relationship with digital effects work. The visual effects for Robert Patrick’s liquid metal Terminator are outstanding, involving one of the first recorded uses of motion capture for visual effects. —PV

Terminator 2: Judgment dayLeaves NetflixFebruary 28, 2008.