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What’s New on Showtime: February 2016

Meru Expedition, Garwhal, India
Photo: Jimmy Chin

At the beginning of (and during) every month, Showtime adds new movies and TV shows to its streaming library, available through Showtime Anytime and in partnerships with other streaming services. Here is a quick list of several that you might be interested in. For more comprehensive coverage of the best titles available on Showtime and elsewhere, check out Vulture’s What to Stream Now hub, which is updated throughout the month.

Peak K.Stew: Clouds of Sils Maria (2015)

Kristen Stewart won a César (the French equivalent of an Oscar) for her performance as Juliette Binoche’s assistant in Olivier Assayas’s story of seduction, jealousy, and betrayal: Think an alpine All About Eve. Stewart and Binoche shine together, especially in scenes where the pair rehearse scenes for a play about a tortured relationship between an actress and her assistant that Binoche’s character is set to star in, as the lines between art and life blend in the foggy mountain air. Available February 11.

Peak MJ: Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown to Off the Wall (2016)

Spike Lee’s second (after 2012’s Bad 25) documentary on the legendary Michael Jackson targets the singer’s career transition from performing as a member of the Jackson 5 to releasing his first solo album, Off the Wall. Lee has been promoting the film at Sundance, where he talked about the source of his love for Jackson, who was just a year younger than Lee himself. Why make another doc about Jackson? “People need to be reminded of how great Michael was because sometimes all the other stuff clouds it.” Available February 5.

Peak melancholy: In My Father’s House (2015)

Che “Rhymefest” Smith returns to his childhood home in Chicago in an attempt to reunite with his estranged father. In My Father’s House has appeared on the festival circuit and earned accolades for its harrowing depiction of a son trying to repair a relationship that may be too far past the breaking point. Available February 10.

Peak peak: Meru (2015)

Shot by climbers during an attempt to scale one of the most difficult peaks in the Himalayas, Meru puts any fictional climbing movie (and most other documentaries) to shame. As Vulture’s David Edelstein put it: “All the familiar critical adjectives (harrowing, etc.) sound especially lame in this context. The movie is sick.” Available February 12.

TELEVISION
Currently airing
Billions
Shameless
The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth
Dark Net

MOVIES
Clouds of Sils Maria (February 11)
Pride (February 13) 

DOCUMENTARIES AND COMEDY SPECIALS
Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown to Off the Wall (February 5)
In My Father’s House (February 10)
Meru (February 12)
A Murder in the Park (February 17)
Alonzo Bodden: Historically Incorrect (February 19)

For more details on the best film and television available online, consult Vulture’s Streaming Hub.

What’s New on Showtime: February 2016