There are 36 new Netflix movies coming in January – catch these 3 blockbusters with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes first

Now that Christmas is over, it's time to forget about festive movies for another year and look forward to the first wave of new Netflix movies coming in January – I know I'm ready for it. It's very 'bah humbug' of me, but once you see the stack of new movies this month, you'll know what I mean.

As for Netflix originals, we're of course beyond excited for the return of one of its best shows – Bridgerton season 4 – which lands January 29. Saying that, the Italian crime drama The Big Fake looks just as exciting and thrilling, and you know I love a good drama.

In addition to its usual slew of original movies and shows, Netflix is bulking its schedule out with a handful of gripping dramas and action-packed blockbusters, most of which you'll be able to stream as of January 1. One of the new Netflix movies that's topped my list is Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave (2013) which, despite being an upsetting watch, is still one of my favorite dramas to revisit.

12 Years a Slave (2013)

12 YEARS A SLAVE - Official Trailer (HD) - YouTube

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RT score: 95%
Director: Steve McQueen
Runtime: 134 minutes
Age rating: R
Arriving on: January 1

If you're looking for a hard-hitting drama packed with raw emotion to kick-start your 2026, look no further than Steve McQueen's multi Oscar-winning drama 12 Years a Slave – which is based on the inspiring true story of abolitionist Solomon Northup, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Set in 1841, Solomon Northup lives as a free African-American man in New York with his wife and two kids. Things take a turn for the worse when he's kidnapped and sold into slavery, landing himself on a cotton plantation in the deep south. Over the course of 12 years, he faces barbaric treatment and is forced to work tirelessly under the watchful eyes of the plantation owners, but remains optimistic that the opportunity to escape will come, so he can return to the life he once lived.

Dune: Part One (2021)

Dune Official Trailer - YouTube

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RT score: 90% (audience rating)
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Runtime: 140 minutes
Age rating: R
Arriving on: January 1

The first of Villeneuve's epic revival of Frank Herbert's books lands on Netflix soon, and it comes just in time for the third installment Dune: Part Three, which is set for a December 2026 theatrical release - meaning it's the perfect opportunity for you to refresh yourself on the story so far.

When the emperor orders the respected House Atreides to take control of the desert planet Arrakis, leader Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) relocates his family. In the meantime, his gifted son Paul (Timothée Chalamet) is plagued by visions of an impending danger of the planet, its natives, and the thought-enhancing substance named 'the spice' that grows there – the most vital drug in the universe.

However as House Atreides gains power over Arrakis its brutal rival, House Harkonnen, devises an evil plot of its own, swearing revenge on its long-time rivals.

District 9 (2009)

District 9 - Official Trailer (HD) - YouTube

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RT score: 90%
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Runtime: 112 minutes
Age rating: R
Arriving on: January 1

Fancy another sci-fi flick? Blomkamp's extra-terrestrial blockbuster is another one of the new Netflix movies that's caught my eye – and not just because it was nominated for four Academy Awards.

30 years after malnourished aliens landed on Earth in search for refuge, the once welcomed species have now been confined to a South African refugee camp named District 9. Run by Multi-National United, the wellbeing of the aliens is the least of the organization's concerns, and it's more interested in mastering the aliens' advanced spaceship technology.

Things go left when one of its field agents, Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), is accidentally sprayed with an alien fluid, resulting in a slow genetic mutation. As he turns into one of the alien beings, his body becomes the key to mastering their weaponry, and he's hunted down for experimentation as a result.

Everything new on Netflix in January 2026

Arriving on January 1

12 Years a Slave
30 Minutes or Less
Becky
Brüno
Colombiana
Conan the Destroyer
Dawn of the Dead
Despicable Me
Despicable Me 2
District 9
Dr. Seuss’s Red Fish, Blue Fish season 2 (Netflix original series)
Dune
Erin Brockovich
Falling Skies seasons 1-5
Forever My Girl
Free Solo
Ghostbusters: Answer the Call
Green Room
Harry and the Hendersons
Hellboy
Johnny Mnemonic
Just Go With It
Lone Survivor
Love from 9 to 5 (Netflix original series)
Man on Fire
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
My Girl
My Korean Boyfriend (Netflix original series)
Only the Brave
Pitch Perfect
Priscilla
Run Away (Netflix original series)
Time Flies (Netflix original series)
Twins
Wild Things

Arriving on January 2

Found seasons 1-2
Land of Sin (Netflix original series)

Arriving on January 3

The Following seasons 1-3

Arriving on January 5

Monday Night Raw: 2026 (Netflix live event)

Arriving on January 6

Pokémon Horizons Season 3 – Rising Hope Part 1 (Netflix original series)

Arriving on January 7

11.22.63 season 1
Marcello Hernández: American Boy (Netflix comedy special)
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment season 2 (Netflix original series)

Arriving on January 8

HIS & HERS (Netflix original series)
Love Is Blind: Germany season 2 (Netflix original series)

Arriving on January 9

Alpha Males season 4 (Netflix original series)
People We Meet on Vacation (Netflix original movie)
Prodigal Son seasons 1-2
Stone Cold Fox
The Threesome

Arriving on January 13

The Boyfriend season 2 (Netflix original series)

Arriving on January 14

The Queen of Flow season 3
Veronica Mars seasons 1-3

Arriving on January 15

Agatha Christie's Seven Dials (Netflix original series)
Bone Lake
Love Through a Prism (Netflix original series)
The Upshaws part 7 (Netflix original series)
To Love, To Lose (Netflix original series)

Arriving on January 16

Can This Love Be Translated? (Netflix original series)
No Tail to Tell (Netflix original series)
Southland seasons 1-5
The Rip (Netflix original series)

Arriving on January 19

Sandokan season 1

Arriving on January 20

Just a Dash seasons 1-3
Rizzoli & Isles seasons 1-7
Star Search (Netflix live event)
WWE: Unreal season 2 (Netflix original series)

Arriving on January 21

Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart (Netflix original documentary)

Arriving on January 22

Cosmic Princess Kaguya! (Netflix original movie)
Finding Her Edge (Netflix original series)

Arriving on January 23

Skyscraper Live (Netflix live event)
The Big Fake (Netflix original movie)

Arriving on January 26

My Sesame Street Friends: My Sesame Music

Arriving on January 27

Mike Epps: Delusional (Netflix comedy special)

Arriving on January 29

Bridgerton season 4 part 1 (Netflix original series)

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