There are 36 new Netflix movies coming in January – catch these 3 blockbusters with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes first
SOURCE:TechRadar|BY: Rowan Davies
Stream 12 Years a Slave and Dune this January and start 2026 with back-to-back blockbusters.
(Image credit: Fox Searchlight / Chiabella James / Warner Bros)
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.
12 Years a Slave (2013)
12 YEARS A SLAVE - Official Trailer (HD) - YouTube
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.
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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.
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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Rowan is an Editorial Associate and Apprentice Writer for TechRadar. A recent addition to the news team, he is involved in generating stories for topics that spread across TechRadar's categories. His interests in audio tech and knowledge in entertainment culture help bring the latest updates in tech news to our readers.
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