I Am Not Okay With This
What it’s about: Teenage girl tries to come to terms with high school, puberty and her sexual orientation. As if that’s not enough, she also has some secret superpowers that are just starting to emerge.
Who’s in it: Our April 2019 cover girl Sophia Lillis plays the lead role of Sydney here, and you’ll no doubt recognise her as Beverly Marsh from the recent It films. Wyatt Olef, also from the cast of It, joins her as well (he played Stanley in It), while the other main female lead is played by The Good Wife‘s Sofia Bryant.
Why watch it: If you’ve loved Stranger Things and The End of the F*cking World, chances are that you’ll take to this retro teenage drama as well – the creators of the two series are behind I Am Not Okay With This, which is based on a graphic novel of the name name by Charles Forsman, who also wrote the base material for The End of the F*cking World.
When it’s available: Feb 26
Castle In The Sky
What it’s about: Essentially, the search for a mythical floating castle by two children – Sheena, princess of the aforementioned castle and Pazu, a miner, all while being chased by pirates and foreign agents.
Why watch it: When news broke that the majority of Studio Ghibli’s works would be globally available on Netflix (except for the United States and ironically enough, Japan), the reaction was massively positive. The much loved Japanese animation studio has been highly influential in changing people’s perception of animated works and founder Hayao Miyazaki has long used beautifully hand-drawn images to subtly advocate for important messages, such as that of environmentalism vs capitalism (Princess Mononoke) and lost (and found) childhood innocence (Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away and many more). So if you’re new to their works, Castle In The Sky is a great way to get acquainted – it was Studio Ghibli’s very first feature and more than 30 years later, it still stands as a wonderful masterpiece.
P.S. if you’re already a Ghibli fan, expect more of their works in coming months!
When it’s available: Already available
Locke and Key
What it’s about: After the death of their father, three siblings are forced to move into their mysterious ancestral home, which is full of magical keys that may or may not be connected with the passing of dear old dad.
Who’s in it: Emilia Jones of Utopia fame, Connor Jessup from American Crime, and yet another It alum Jackson Robert Scott – play the three siblings.
Why watch it: The series is actually based on the best-selling horror comic written by Gabriel Rodriguez and Joe Hill (Hill is the son of horror god Stephen King, FYI), and so far, Locke and Key has garnered mostly positive reviews – though less so from fans of the comic itself. But do you actually need to read the comic before watching? From the sounds of it, no.
When it’s available: Feb 7
