Having spent the last few weeks watching every festive film in Netflix’s back catalogue, many of us are on the hunt for something new. Whether you’re searching for a film to soothe the stress of heading back to work or looking for a series to see you through the cold winter nights ahead, Netflix has plenty of new titles heading your way this January.
Where last month’s lineup could be categorised as “festive crowd-pleasers” with big titles like Ryan Murphy’s The Prom, this month’s could be summed up as “new year, new you”. With a documentary detailing the transcendent power of decluttering and a short animated series explaining the wonders of meditation, Netflix is clearly trying to promote positivity for 2021.
If you’re searching for more dramatic features, there are plenty of those on offer, too, with a series of star-studded films, movies based on bestselling books and nostalgic TV shows all heading to the platform this month. And if it’s foreign films you’re after, you’re also in luck, with a range of new and exciting projects from Germany, Turkey and India taking centre stage this January.
To take a peek at the new additions to the Netflix catalogue for the month ahead, click through the upcoming slides…
If you are going to release a documentary about decluttering, 1st January is the perfect time to do it. With the excess of Christmas often leaving a sour taste in our mouths come the New Year, a lot of us decide it’s time to get rid of possessions. This documentary aims to show the transformative power of minimalism, following two friends as they go from mass consumers to minimalists. If you liked Marie Kondo, this design documentary is for you.
Available 1st January
Fans of the Headspace app will be happy to know that the guided meditation tech is now getting its shining moment on the big screen. Developed by Headspace’s cofounder, this animated series has eight episodes in total, each of which delves into the benefits and techniques related to mindfulness and meditation. Touching on subjects such as stress and sleep, each 20-minute episode ends with a guided meditation to help bring some calm and relaxation to your day.
Available 1st January
From the looks of it, this Norweigan film is one for the petrolheads. After getting into trouble with his future wife at the wedding, car enthusiast Roy is left at the altar, watching her run off into the night. That is, until he accepts a challenge to win back his fiancée in a car race around one of the world’s longest race tracks in Germany. Running into enemies, dead bodies and the police along the way, this is an off-the-wall comedy made with motorheads in mind.
Available 2nd JanuaryPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
Starring Vanessa Kirby as a woman heading into parenthood, Pieces of a Woman delves into the unimaginable pain of losing a child. Following Martha (Kirby) after her home birth ends in tragedy, the film explores grief and the search for justice for a lost child. Executive produced by Martin Scorsese, Pieces of a Woman looks to be a deeply personal portrait about motherhood, fractious relationships and coming to terms with loss.
Available 7th January Photo Courtesy of Netflix.
If you haven’t started the follow-up series to The Karate Kid by now, what have you been doing? Taking place 30 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, the drama follows Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) as his world collides once again with his old enemy Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) who now runs the famous Cobra Kai karate dojo. After an explosive end to season two, the new season follows Miguel as he embarks on his recovery journey, while Johnny walks away from the dojo.
Available 8th JanuaryPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
Between his sister’s family moving into his house, a job that he hates and an unhappy private life, Aziz is heading for an existential crisis. Missing the freedom of his youth, Aziz decides a change is needed but his decisions soon see him tangled in a big web of lies. Directed by Turkish filmmakers The Taylan Brothers.
Available 8th JanuaryPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
Based on the New York Times bestselling book by the same name, The White Tiger follows Balram on his journey from working class servant to successful entrepreneur in India. After landing a job as a driver for a rich businessman and his wife, Balram goes above and beyond to please his employers. However, after an event shows where their loyalties lie, he decides to rebel against the system and rise up beyond the position that has been forced upon him. Starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Adarsh Gourav and Rajkummar Rao.
Available 22nd January Photo Courtesy of Netflix.
When a hitman decides he wants a second chance at life, he looks to the only photograph he owns from his childhood. Escaping from his boss’ tight grasp, he heads for Güzelce, Istanbul and ends up hiding out in a small, 50-square-metre tailor shop. When the locals assume that he is the son of the recently deceased tailor, he decides to try his luck at a new life.
Available 27th JanuaryPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
Based on a true story, Penguin Bloom follows Samantha (Naomi Watts) and her husband Cameron (Andrew Lincoln) as they embark on a holiday to Thailand with their young sons. There, a freak accident leaves Sam paralysed from the chest down, leaving her without the ability to walk, surf or live life outdoors. Watching their mum battle with depression, Sam’s children bring home a wounded magpie to aid her recovery. Soon becoming kindred spirits, Penguin the magpie helps Sam rediscover her purpose.
Available 27th JanuaryPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
Starring Ralph Fiennes, Carey Mulligan, Lily James and Johnny Flynn, The Dig is perhaps January’s most star-studded film. Based on John Preston’s novel of the same name, the story reimagines the 1939 excavation of an Anglo-Saxon ship at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk. Set just as England prepares for war against Germany, the film sees Edith Pretty (Mulligan) hire an amateur archaeologist (Fiennes) to dig up the burial mounds on her property. Once the historic importance of the discovery is determined, the team must consider its ramifications.
Available 29th JanuaryPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
In his first film since 2014’s Gone Girl, director David Fincher is taking us back in time. Shot entirely in black and white, MANK is a reimagining of real-life events. Set in the 1930s, the film follows alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he desperately tries to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane for Orson Welles. Starring Academy Award winner Gary Oldman, Mamma Mia‘s Amanda Seyfried and Emily In Paris‘ Lily Collins, MANK looks to be one of the biggest movies of the month.
Available 4th DecemberPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
If you prefer your festive flicks filled with comedy and action, look no further than Christmas Crossfire. When one man accidentally puts a stop to an attempted murder while driving home for Christmas with his girlfriend, he ends up with a group of angry hitmen on his tail. Putting the strength of their relationship to the test, this German film tells the story of a Christmas trip gone seriously wrong.
Available 4th DecemberPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
Over the years there have been plenty of theatrical interpretations of Selena Quintanilla’s life, including a biopic starring Jennifer Lopez. Now Netflix is taking on the Latin popstar’s life with a brand-new nine-part series. Charting her rapid rise to fame as one of the most prolific Tejano singers of all time, the series delves into her career, family and working relationships, and stars The Walking Dead’s Christian Serratos in the title role.
Available 4th DecemberPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
If you like mind-bending thrillers, look no further than new Taiwanese TV series, Detention. In the 1990s, high school transfer student Yunxiang accidentally visits a forbidden area of campus where he stumbles across a long-kept secret. Yunxiang discovers the hidden story is coming back to haunt him, demanding to be revealed after 30 years in the dark.
Available 5th DecemberPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
Looking for an easy-to-watch comedy this December? Mr Iglesias is the sitcom for you. The series follows a good-natured teacher who works at his old high school, where he gravitates towards the misfit students in order to correct their course. But with a mean assistant principal to handle, helping the kids achieve their full potential isn’t as easy as it might seem.
Available 8th DecemberPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
If you like to watch movies which are based on a true story, then Rose Island is right up your street. After losing his job and his girlfriend, Italian engineer Giorgio decides that he is going to build his own utopian society in the middle of the sea. Helped along by a group of outcasts, he founds the Republic of Rose Island and appoints himself president (because what could go wrong with that?).
Available 9th DecemberPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the world turned into a giant video game? No? Well, the people at Netflix have and they’ve made a series about it. Following a listless young man who is obsessed with gaming, the show flips Tokyo on its head to become a real-life battleground of dangerous missions and tasks. Based on the thriller manga of the same name, Alice In Borderland looks to be Ready Player One meets The Purge.
Available 10th DecemberPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
If you like to indulge in big musical movies at Christmas, The Prom is the perfect present you can give yourself this year. Starring three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep, this Ryan Murphy-directed wonder is all about showbiz. Stage stars Dee Dee Allen (Streep) and Barry Glickman (James Corden) are fighting to keep their careers alive after a Broadway flop and turn to a small town in Indiana to keep them in the public eye. There, a high school student has been banned from attending her prom with her girlfriend and is looking for some celebrities to bring light to the cause. What starts out as self-serving activism soon turns into a heartwarming endeavour for the fading stars. Also featuring Kerry Washington, Nicole Kidman and Keegan-Michael Key.
Available 11th DecemberPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
Not to be confused with Pretty Little Liars or Big Little Lies, this Netflix series is all about the elite world of ballet dancers. Following a group of students living far away from home at a renowned academy, the story charts the highs and lows of training to be a world-class dancer. Based in Chicago, the school is known for uniting people from all backgrounds who share the same goal: to become a prima ballerina. Based on the book by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton, this teen soap is all about big dreams and big drama.
Available 14th DecemberPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
If you’re looking for a good docuseries this Christmas, then look no further than Anitta: Made In Honório. Shining a light on the life of Brazilian pop and funk artist Anitta, the series focuses on her reputation as a controversial celebrity, her preparation for her world tour and her career as a businesswoman and superstar.
Available 16th DecemberPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
After the tragic news of Chadwick Boseman’s death earlier this year, many fans flocked to rewatch some of his best known films, including box office record-breaker Black Panther. This December, Netflix is bringing us Boseman’s final performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The 1920s-set film stars Academy Award winner Viola Davis as Chicago-based blues singer Ma Rainey and Boseman as an ambitious young trumpet player who decides to strike out on his own to show the music industry what he has to offer. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom looks to be a powerful film about the meaning of music.
Available 18th DecemberPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
Why is it that movies set in the future always take place after a natural disaster? The Midnight Sky is the latest film to follow that trajectory, seeing a solitary scientist (George Clooney) race to stop a global catastrophe. With a group of astronauts heading back to Earth imminently, it’s up to Augustine (Clooney) to save the day. Based on the novel by Lily Brooks-Dalton, the film features major Hollywood stars including Selma’s David Oyelowo and The Theory Of Everything’s Felicity Jones.
Available 23rd DecemberPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
Ah, Christmas Day! After you’ve carved the turkey (or nut roast), why not settle on the sofa and treat yourself to the new Shonda Rhimes spectacular? Based on Julia Quinn’s bestselling novels, this period drama tells the story of Daphne, the oldest daughter in a wealthy family. As she journeys towards marriage, Daphne happens upon the rebellious Duke of Hastings, who seems determined to stick to his bachelor lifestyle. Despite their professed lack of interest in one another, their chemistry is undeniable. Starring Julie Andrews and Nicola Coughlan.
Available 25th DecemberPhoto Courtesy of Netflix.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
How Kat Graham’s Outlook Changed After ‘TVD’