Each month, new films and TV shows are added to Disney+’s New Zealand library. Here’s Eliza Janssen’s recommendations for the titles most worth watching. Scroll down for the full list of everything arriving on the platform.
Top picks
Win or Lose: Limited Series (February 19)
A kind of Kid Rashomon, or, as it’s more significantly known, Pixar’s first TV series. Across eight episodes and eight different perspectives, this springy show will examine the lead-up to an all-important softball game, witnessing how the young players, their daggy coach, and their helicopter parents deal with performing under pressure. While I’m keen to see how Pixar’s venture into more grounded, laid-back stories a la Turning Red turns out, the show arrives amidst some disappointing controversy, with a trans character being erased from the series well into production—despite being voiced by an actual, existing trans kid, the show and its mega-conglomerate studio seem to think that some viewers aren’t ready to accept the existence of even fictional trans kids. What a bummer.
A Thousand Blows (February 21)
Oi guv! Seekin’ a gnarly new British show from the creator of Peaky Blinders, full of bare-knuckle action and big mouthy accents? Drawing from true accounts of the 1880s East End of London, this period drama is bolstered by a supporting role from the great Steven Graham, as “boxing emperor” Sugar Goodson. Our heroes—whatever that means, in such a cynical underbelly—are a pair of Jamaican migrants who find themselves working with the legendary “Forty Elephants”, an all-female criminal gang who are seeking their own slice of the lucrative underground boxing world’s pie.
Scamanda: Docuseries (February 26)
In the same month as Netflix releases their biting based-on-a-true-story account of cancer scammer Belle Gibson, here comes this eerily similar alternative—albeit in the film of documentary storytelling, relying on cringeworthy and real, revelatory footage rather than dramatisation. Based on a successful podcast, this investigation concerns Californian mum Amanda Riley, who raised around $100k in donations to combat her life-threatening lymphoma/blood cancer. When one journalist begins to peel back the layers of this inspiring story, however, they realise Riley’s survival saga isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Expect a few talking heads from aggrieved donors and followers, infuriating snapshots of Riley’s social media posts, and shocking cliffhangers at the end of each escalating episode.
All new titles arriving on Disney+ New Zealand in February
February 1
Gilmore Girls: Seasons 1-7
February 6
The Kardashians: Season 6
February 7
The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl
February 11
Muslim Matchmaker
February 12
Harlem Ice
Love of my Life
Umami
February 13
Shuffle of Love: A Descendants Short Story
February 14
Encanto Reo Māori
February 16
Young Sheldon: Seasons 1-7
February 19
Spartans: A True Story
UFOs: Investigating the Unknown: Seasons 1-2
Win or Lose: Premiere
February 21
Chris Distefano: It’s Just Unfortunate
A Thousand Blows: Premiere
February 24
No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski: Premiere
February 26
Scamanda
Will Trent: Season 3
