(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

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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 140 minutes R January 1