Sample: Upcoming originals to watch out for on Netflix in 2021

The journey across the dreaded ‘COVID-19 year’ would not have been easy if we were oblivious to the existence of global streaming platforms like Netflix. They proved to be no less than a saviour for many. With cinema halls closed for almost an entire year, Netflix catered to the cinema-going audience and broadcasted many films and television shows in 2020. The platform has some great content lined up for 2021 too. From true-crime series to fascinating movies, you have abundant binge-worthy gems to add to your watchlist now. 

Let’s find out what Netflix has in store for you this year:

History of Swear Words

Hosted by the unrivalled Nicolas Cage, the new docuseries investigates the origins of bad words and their usage. Cage is joined by a number of expletive-loving comedians who are also considered ‘experts’. 

Disenchantment, Season: 3

The latest instalment of the medieval animated comedy series will take your valiant steed and head back into dreamland. In Matt Groening’s Disenchantment Season: 3, Princess Bean (Abbi Jacobson) will be gearing up to take over the throne only if her own kingdom refrains from conspiring against her.

The White Tiger 

The Priyanka Chopra-Jonas starrer, The White Tiger, is an adaptation of The New York Times bestselling novel of the same name. It talks about  India’s rigid class system. The auth-r of the novel, Aravind Adiga, is a close friend of the director, Ramin Bahrani. Adiga dedicated the book to Bahrani upon its release in 2008. 

Malcolm & Marie

A ‘secret’ film shot during the lockdown period, Malcolm & Marie is a two-hander directed by Sam Levison and shot in black and white. The movie stars John David Washington and Zendaya, describing their lives after returning home from a movie premiere. Washington plays a filmmaker along with Zendaya, his girlfriend, and both talk about their past love affairs. 

Sex Education, Season:3

One of Netflix’s biggest shows, the third edition of Sex Education may answer whether Maeve (Emma Mackey) and Otis (Asa Butterfield) would ever get together. This season, the show will introduce some new cast members including Jason Isaacs and Jemima Kirke.

Fate: The Winx Saga

Based on a cartoon series of the same name, this teen fantasy drama series is considered darker and edgier. With Abigail Cowen, Danny Griffin, and Hanna van der Westhuizen, the series majorly features a younger cast.

Blonde

An adaptation of the 1999 book — Fourth Estate — Blonde is a fictionalised biopic of Marilyn Monroe, featuring the fabled star of Knives Out, Ana de Armas. The author of the book, Joyce Carol Oates, already lauded the adaptation and opined that it is startling, brilliant and utterly feminist. 

Red Notice

The action-packed thriller with a comic twist starring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds, Red Notice will surely be a crowd-pleaser. The world’s greatest INTERPOL agent, Johnson, chases after the world’s greatest art thief, Gadot. And Reynolds as the world’s greatest con artist complicates matters. The leading trio of the film makes Netflix’s best sizzle reel for 2021.

Don’t Look Up

The irresistible casting line-up is enough for you to add this film to your bucket list. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Chris Evans, Jonah Hill, Matthew Perry, Tyler Perry and Ariana Grande among others. A story in which two low-level astronomers handle a media tour about a world-threatening comet, Don’t Look Up will show you the difference between hilarity and prestige.

The Woman In The Window

An adaptation of a popular 2018 novel, The Woman In the Window is a psychological thriller starring Amy Adams as Dr Anna Fox, an agoraphobic obsessed with her friend’s disappearance from across the street.  

Tick, Tick…Boom!

This autobiographical film follows a 30-year-old Jon, played by Andrew Garfield, who is chasing his dream of building a successful career in theatre, but fears losing it as time passes. This musical drama with broad themes and lively music will interest Netflix subscribers, irrespective of their interest in musical theatre.

Last Letter from Your Lover

Among many other book adaptations, Last Letter from Your Lover is adapted from Jojo Moyes’ romantic novel. The film, set in the 1960s, follows a journalist from London who becomes obsessed with finding out the sender and receiver of a series of letters she encounters.

Pinocchio

This film is a modern and darker retelling of Pinnochio, filmed entirely in stop-motion. Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of the children’s classic fairytale has a huge cast that includes Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Christopher Waltz and Ron Perlman as voice actors.