Here are the hits and blockbusters we enjoyed in February 2025. Some TV highlights that are #CouchWorthy.
February Highlights
Sly Lives! (Aka The Burden Of Black Genius) (Anytime / Hulu & Disney+ Canada)
The documentary examines the life and legacy of Sly & The Family Stone, the groundbreaking band led by the charismatic and enigmatic Sly Stone. In 2021 Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson released Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). He’s slowly been fashioning himself into a director. Then in 2025 NBC broadcast his special Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music and now closer to Summer of Soul’s ‘60s groovy vibes is Sly Lives! Obviously…this documentary explores the life, career, and legacy of Sly and the Family Stone. A band that provided us with massive and soul edifying hits from Family Affair to Everyday People.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: DISCO’S REVENGE (ANYTIME / CRAVE)
A pulsating deep dive into the very soul of disco music and its impact across genres and history. Told by the people who created it, nurtured it, and in turn, discovered themselves on the dancefloor.
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As Nile Rodgers puts in the doc: “Disco was more powerful than the (Black) Panthers.” An epically edited saga of how the counterculture became pop-cultural. Such a fresh soundtrack. Disco’s Revenge has a fantastic soundtrack. I caught this documentary last year at Hot Docs left the cinema beaming like a mirrorball. Disco’s Revenge features interviews and performances by Nile Rodgers and Chic, Billy Porter, Nona Hendryx and LaBelle, Grandmaster Flash, Fab Five Freddy, Nicky Siano, Earl Young and The Trammps, Jellybean Benitez, Kevin Saunderson, Sylvester and Martha Wash and many others. Yo. Now that’s a party. Netflix recently added Morgan Neville’s Saint of Second Chances documentary which references Disco Demolition Night. PBS disco double dipped: back in October 2023 they broadcast American Experience: The War on Disco. And on June 18, 2024 they broadcast a three-part docuseries: Disco: Soundtrack of A Revolution. Collectively this is truly Disco’s Revenge. Disco Stu was always a one-note joke on The Simpsons. Yet he represents how things constantly fall in and out of fashion. Disco Stu was a dumb joke in the ‘90s now…he’s cool again. Because Disco is cool again. This is Disco’s Revenge. Check this out on behalf of Disco Stu because he’s right.
February Highlights
We Live In Time (Anytime / HBO Max)
Almut and Tobias are brought together by a surprise encounter that changes their lives. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of their unconventional love story. Oh, yo! We scored a Girl Dying of Cancer movie. You’re gonna have to do more than tell me it’s A24, that don’t mean nothing. We Live In Time is basically 500 Days of Summer meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And those are classics. This is? Well…this tedious Girl Dying of Cancer movie lacks the soul of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and overlooks the heart of 500 Days of Summer.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BLUE RODEO: LOST TOGETHER (ANYTIME / CBC GEM)
An electrifying journey into the heart and soul of Blue Rodeo, one of Canada’s longest-running and most beloved bands. Guided by the unmistakable voices of Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, this film delivers an unfiltered, often hilarious, and deeply moving account of their 40-year journey. Blue Rodeo is at a creative high, showing no signs of slowing down, and this film takes you right into the thick of their incredible journey.
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For over 40 years Blue Rodeo’s music has been the soundtrack to our lives. And with Dale Heslip’s documentary Blue Rodeo: Lost Together we travel with the band through their inconceivable story. At its core Blue Rodeo was sparked when Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor met in high school. As someone who has worked creatively with high school friends…that intense connection and that formative bond creates an extraordinary dynamic. As you’ll see in this documentary it’s a friendship and a partnership with Jim and Greg as well as the rest of the guys in the band. After 40 years…after all the struggles and setbacks…after all the success and the songs…the boys enjoy each other’s company and making each other laugh. You treasure that because that alchemy is so rare. Towards the end of this My Summer Lair chapter I quote Tegan & Sara from the documentary. They talk about “re-falling in love with Blue Rodeo” which neatly sums up the sentimental space the band occupies. Re-falling in love with Blue Rodeo is a wonderful sentiment that accurately expresses the emotional and often Canadian connection they’ve canonized for over 40 years. As you’ll hear Dale enthusiastically agrees with me as well as Tegan & Sara. Prepare now to re-fall in love with Blue Rodeo.
February Highlights
Yellowjackets: Season 3 (Anytime / Paramount+ US & Crave)
Wildly talented high school girls’ soccer players descend into savage clans after their plane crashes in the remote northern wilderness. Twenty-five years later, they discover that what began in the wild is far from over. This TV series is still “Alive” offering viewers a lot to “chew on.”
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BOOKWORM (ANYTIME / CRAVE)
11-year-old Mildred’s world is turned upside down when her estranged father, the washed-up magician Strawn Wise, comes to look after her and agrees to take her camping to find a mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther.
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Gather around the campfire, oh children of the ‘80s. Have I got a movie for you! Here’s the TV Guide description of Bookworm…I’ll put my flashlight under my chin to share this: “11-year-old Mildred’s (Nell Fisher) world is turned upside down when her estranged father, the washed-up magician Strawn Wise (Elijah Wood), comes to look after her and agrees to take her camping to find a mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther.” You know Elijah Wood aka Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. That production was shot entirely in Jackson’s native New Zealand. Good things usually happen when Elijah Wood is shooting a movie in New Zealand. Add Bookworm to that list. You probably don’t know Nell Fisher. Oh, but you will. IMDb says she was born on November 2, 2011 in London, UK. Wee Lass; Big Talent. You’ll soon see Nell Fisher in Stranger Things 5 streaming on Netflix in 2025. Based on her freshtastic Bookworm performance? Demogorgons should be nervous. You’ll want to keep an eye out for her. Meet her in Bookworm and you’ll know exactly what I mean. As for the Canterbury Panther? Unlike Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher it’s not real. Or is it? A real Bookworm would know… For fun here is the MSL conversation I had with Bookworm’s director Ant Timpson.
February Highlights
The Gorge (Anytime / Apple TV+)
Two highly-trained operatives are appointed to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a vast and highly classified gorge, protecting the world from an undisclosed, mysterious evil that lurks within. They bond from a distance while trying to stay vigilant in defending against an unseen enemy. Here’s a horror a meet cute: a boy and a girl…are separated by The deep and impenetrable Gorge which happens to be the door to Hell. Once again…long distance relationships suck. As snipers they are tasked with taking out whatever comes out of Gorge. Ah, so it’s a workplace romance as well? Not good. The latest Scott Derrickson movie who you know as the guy behind Dr. Strange, Sinister and The Black Phone. (Which means C. Robert Cargill is back as a Producer.) So on this day of Hallmark romance put the rom-com aside and settle in with a science fiction horror action movie. Lots to love with all of those genres.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE ORDER (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO-CANADA)
A string of violent robberies in the Pacific Northwest leads veteran FBI agent Terry Husk to a white supremacist group; the group plans to overthrow the federal government.
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Bah, I was so annoyed covering TIFF 2024 that I missed The Order. It’s a bank robbing movie. I’m always down like I’m brown for those. Although, turns out it’s a bit more than just about robbing banks. This ain’t Point Break or Heat. Based on true events, The Order is set in 1983 Idaho. Jude Law is an FBI agent tasked with following a series of violent bank robberies. Dude comes to realize that they’re the work of a gang of domestic neo-Nazi white supremacist terrorists. Inspired by the real-life radical leader Robert Jay Mathews (played by Nicholas Hoult), The Order are plotting a war against the U.S. government. The heists are their way to fund The Order’s activities. Oh. I was only expecting bank heists. I didn’t expect to also overthrow the American government. Though that explains why The Order was buried in America. Vertical (the film distributor) gave The Order a U.S. release on 600-700 screens starting December 6. Well, that’s dumb. Not sure when it’ll stream in America but in Canada it’s all in good Order here.
February Highlights
Invincible: Season 3 (Anytime / Prime Video)
Saturday Morning Cartoons: Invincible based on the groundbreaking comic book by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley recently celebrated its 21st anniversary of the comic book’s inception (January 22, 2024). And with this adult animated superhero series it continues to connect and find new audiences. As you may know 18-year-old Mark Grayson is your standard teenager…except his father is (or was?) the most powerful superhero on the planet.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: PIECE BY PIECE (ANYTIME / PEACOCK & PRIME VIDEO-CANADA)
Piece by Piece is an unparalleled motion picture experience that captures the magic and brilliance of Pharrell Williams’ creative genius, one LEGO brick at a time. Uninterested in making a traditional film about his life, Pharrell set out to tell his story in a way that would set audience’s imaginations free. Developed from his singular vision, Piece by Piece defies genres and expectations to transport audiences into a LEGO world where anything is possible.
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Piece by Piece is a beautiful ode to creativity and the potency of imagination. And yes: Rump Shaker has been Lego-ed. Basically? It’s Pharrell. The Get Lucky into Happy segment left me verklempt. Yo. There are profound moments though most of the darkness is kept at bay as this as…after all a Lego movie. At my Q & Eh? following a TIFF screening Pharrell freely offered this insight: “Lego gave me the texture to be seen as a Black man.” It’s so odd yet he’s 100% right: Pharrell’s humanity, Pharrell’s Blackness, Pharrell’s soul and Pharrell’s essence…all that make him Pharrell shine bright through the Lego. You need to see this movie. Show the kids.
February Highlights
Memes & Nightmares (Anytime / Hulu)
The true currency of our digital age isn’t rooted in crypto but instead a person’s ability to fire off a meme funny enough to take the world by storm. For NBA Twitter king Josiah Johnson, his ability to capture a moment from a live game and contextualize it within online shenanigans has garnered him reverence from fans to members of the league itself. But when one of the most popular memes goes missing without a trace, it’s up to Josiah to solve a mystery that goes to the highest levels of the Association and the darkest trenches of Twitter — or X, whatever we’re calling it these days. “NBA Twitter king’s quest unravels the fleeting nature of online content and human bonds in the digital era, shaping our ephemeral connections.” What now?
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: WE BEAT THE DREAM TEAM (ANYTIME / HBO MAX)
We Beat the Dream Team reveals the little-known story of a group of college basketball players who were tasked with preparing Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and the rest of the legendary Dream Team for their Olympic debut in 1992.
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“We in here talking about practice. I mean, listen: We talking about practice. Not a game. Not a game. Not a game. We talking about practice. Not a game. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it’s my last. Not the game. We talking about practice, man.” The 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain marked the first time professional basketball players were allowed to compete, giving rise to the legendary team. However…in an unexpected outcome, the college team, which featured Grant Hill, Chris Webber, Penny Hardaway, Bobby Hurley, Jamal Mashburn, Allan Houston, Rodney Rogers, and Eric Montross, shocked the NBA legends by defeating them in a scrimmage. I’ve been waiting for this documentary for decades. This is the story of how the punk kids beat The Dream Team.
February Highlights
Zero Day: Limited Series (Anytime / Netflix)
After a cyberattack sabotages transportation and power infrastructure across the U.S., former President George Mullen is asked to find the culprit. Robert De Niro plays respected former President George Mullen, who, as head of the Zero Day Commission, is charged with finding the perpetrators of a devastating cyberattack that caused chaos and thousands of fatalities across the country. Disinformation runs rampant and the personal ambitions of power brokers in technology, Wall Street, and government collide. Mullen’s unwavering search for the truth forces him to confront his own dark secrets while risking all he holds dear. Netflix described Zero Day as a political conspiracy thriller. Should pair well, if you’re watching Paradise on Hulu.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: REACHER: SEASON 3 (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)
In the third season Reacher hurtles into the dark heart of a vast criminal enterprise when trying to rescue an undercover DEA informant whose time is running out. There he finds a world of secrecy and violence – and confronts some unfinished business from his own past.
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A valid question from the trailer: “How often do you do shit like this?” Reacher: “Every so often.” Welcome back to Season 3…let’s see how often “every so often” happens. (Reacher’s Season 2 was based on Bad Luck and Trouble: the 11th book in Lee Child’s series. Season 3 is an adaptation of the 7th book: Persuader. I’ve never Reacher-ed for any of these books or any Lee Child really. 11 books is deep; that might be too late for me to start.) Anyways. Team Ruckus Reporting For Duty. This is Season 3…you know the drill by now. Programming Note: The eight-episode season will roll out weekly, with the first three episodes premiering on Thursday, February 20 and subsequent episodes dropping every Thursday through March 27, 2025.
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Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
