Netflix has something for every movie lover to start the new year right.

The best movies coming to Netflix in January 2026 (plus a heart-pounding documentary)

Netflix has something for every movie lover to start the new year right.

By Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at **. She has been working at * *since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify.

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December 30, 2025 9:00 a.m. ET

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'Pitch Perfect'; 'District 9'; '12 Years a Slave'. Credit:

Peter Iovino/Universal; Pluto; Jaap Buitendijk/Fox Searchlight Pictures

The new year is just around the corner, and Netflix is ringing in 2026 with a lineup designed to please every kind of cinephile.

Whether you're in the mood for powerful, award-winning dramas like *12 Years a Slave *and *Erin Brockovich*, or fun, crowd-pleasing hits like *Pitch Perfect *and *Hellboy*, the streamer is adding a mix of tear-jerking stories, laugh-out-loud moments, and a few surprises to its January catalog.

Ready your watchlist: we have your guide to the best movies coming to Netflix this January.

12 Years a Slave (2013)

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup in '12 Years a Slave'.

Jaap Buitendijk/Fox Searchlight Pictures

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

Steve McQueen's *12 Years a Slave *is an unflinching portrait of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free man who was kidnapped and forced into slavery for over a decade. The film spares nothing in showing the cruelty he and others, including Lupita Nyong'o's Patsey, endured.

Despite the brutality, McQueen also finds moments of strength and humanity that linger long after the credits. The film went on to win three Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

**Director: **Steve McQueen

**Cast: **Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Garret Dillahunt, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard, Bill Camp

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

(L to R) Jake Weber as Michael, Sarah Polley as Ana, Michael Kelly as C.J., Ving Rhames as Kenneth, Mekhi Phifer as Andre, Kevin Zegers as Terry, and Inna Korobkina as Luda in 'Dawn of the Dead'.

Universal/courtesy Everett Collection

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

Before he became a big name in the DC universe, Zack Snyder got his start with 2004's *Dawn of the Dead*, a sleek remake of George A. Romero's zombie classic. The script came from James Gunn (now a *major *figure in DC filmmaking), who loaded the story with intense action and gory thrills.

**Director: **Zack Snyder

**Cast:** Sarah Polley, Mekhi Phifer, Jake Weber, Ving Rhames, Ty Burrell, Michael Barry, Jayne Eastwood, Michael Kelly, Lindy Booth, Kevin Zegers, Inna Korobkina

District 9 (2009)

Jason Cope as Christopher Johnson in 'District 9'.

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

When it came out, *District 9 *was hailed by * *as the "must-see movie of the summer." Made on a relatively light budget of $30 million (that's practically unheard of for a blockbuster these days), the sci-fi flick is set in an alternate 1980s, where an alien spaceship is spotted over Johannesburg, South Africa. Inside, authorities find a colony of sick, starving aliens (dubbed Prawns), and force them into a government-controlled camp known as District 9.

Part of what makes the movie so unique is its faux-documentary approach, mixing fictional interviews, news clips, and surveillance footage to make the story feel strikingly real.

**Director: **Neill Blomkamp

**Cast:** Sharlto Copley, Louis Minnaar, Vanessa Haywood, Mandla Gaduka, Nathalie Boltt, Eugene Khumbanyiwa, Jason Cope, William Allen Young, Kenneth Nkosi, David James

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Erin Brockovich (2000)

Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich in 'Erin Brockovich'. Bob Marshak/Universal

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

Steven Soderbergh's *Erin Brockovich* tells the true story of a tenacious woman who uncovers a major environmental scandal. Julia Roberts stars as the real-life activist, a single mother who exposes Pacific Gas & Electric for contaminating a small town's water supply and drives a major legal case against the company.

The film received five Academy Award nominations, with Roberts winning Best Actress for what EW's critic called her "most forceful dramatic performance."

**Director: **Steven Soderbergh

**Cast:** Julia Roberts, Aaron Eckhart, Cherry Jones, Jamie Harrold, Albert Finney, Veanne Cox, Scotty Leavenworth, Peter Coyote, Conchata Ferrell, Tracey Walter, Marg Helgenberger, Gemmenne de la Peña

Free Solo (2018)

Alex Honnold in 'Free Solo'. Jimmy Chin/National Geographic

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

Ahead of his Jan. 23 *Skyscraper Live *stunt (where he plans to scale all 101 floors of Taipei 101 without any ropes), fans can explore Alex Honnold's story through the Oscar-winning documentary *Free Solo*.

Released in 2018, the film follows Honnold as he prepares for (and ultimately achieves) the first free solo climb of El Capitan in Yosemite, one of the most challenging rock faces in the world.

**Director: **Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

**Cast:** Alex Honnold, Jimmy Chin, Tommy Caldwell, Sanni McCandless

Green Room (2015)

Anton Yelchin as Pat in 'Green Room'.

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

Back when A24 was still flying under the radar, *Green Room *exploded onto the scene as a merciless thriller that wastes no time putting viewers on the edge of their seats.

The film tracks the punk band the Ain't Rights, whose night takes a horrific turn after a show at a remote neo-Nazi bar, where they witness something they were never meant to see. Trapped, the band is forced into a fight for survival, made even more disturbing by Patrick Stewart's terrifying performance as the group's mastermind.

**Director: **Jeremy Saulnier

**Cast:** Patrick Stewart, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Kai Lennox, Callum Turner, Mark Webber, Eric Edelstein, Joe Cole, David W. Thompson, Macon Blair

Hellboy (2004)

Ron Perlman as Hellboy and Selma Blair as Liz Sherman in 'Hellboy'.

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

Guillermo del Toro's *Hellboy *isn't your typical superhero movie, packing in plenty of monsters and del Toro's signature love for the grotesque. Ron Perlman stars as the gruff, cigar-chomping titular anti-hero juggling his job as a paranormal agent with a dark destiny that's finally catching up to him.

**Director: **Guillermo del Toro

**Cast:** Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans, John Hurt, Karel Roden, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor, Ladislav Beran, Brian Steele, Biddy Hodson, Kevin Trainor, Corey Johnson

Man on Fire (2004)

Denzel Washington as John W. Creasy in 'Man on Fire'.

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

Denzel Washington always had a way of elevating any movie, and *Man on Fire *is no exception. He plays John Creasy, a bodyguard who lets his actions speak louder than words. Even though the movie got mixed reviews, most people can agree that the standout is the sweet bond Creasy forms with young Dakota Fanning's character.

**Director: **Tony Scott

**Cast:** Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Giancarlo Giannini, Radha Mitchell, Christopher Walken, Marc Anthony, Mickey Rourke, Rachel Ticotin

* Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life* (1983)

John Cleese in 'Monty Python's The Meaning of Life'. Everett Collection

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

*Monty Python's The Meaning of Life *is a hilarious and, at times, disgusting ride through life's biggest questions.* *Returning to the sketch comedy style of the troupe's TV series and debut film, the movie fully embraced their fearless approach to humor — yes, we're talking about the outrageous Mr. Creosote vomiting gag.

This audacious comedy earned critical acclaim, culminating in the group taking home the Grand Prix at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival.

**Director: **Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam

**Cast:** Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Carol Cleveland, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Simon Jones, Judy Loe, Patricia Quinn, Andrew MacLachlan

My Girl (1991)

Macaulay Culkin as Thomas and Anna Chlumsky as Vada in 'My Girl'.

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

In *My Girl*, Vada (Anna Chlumsky) is an 11-year-old hypochondriac with a big heart and a morbid curiosity about death — not too surprising, since her widowed dad (played by Dan Aykroyd) runs the local funeral home.

At the center of the movie is Vada's friendship with Thomas J. Sennett (Macaulay Culkin), a young boy who changes her life in ways she never expected. Without giving too much away, the film perfectly hits all the messy, funny, and heartbreaking moments of growing up.

**Director: **Howard Zieff

**Cast:** Anna Chlumsky, Macaulay Culkin, Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Griffin Dunne, Richard Masur, Ann Nelson, Jane Hallaren, Anthony R. Jones, Peter Michael Goetz

Pitch Perfect (2012)

Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy in 'Pitch Perfect'. Peter Iovino/Universal

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

A cappella has been around forever, but *Pitch Perfect* catapulted it back into mainstream media in 2012. Between the incredibly fun soundtrack (the Riff Off might be the single greatest musical battle ever) and Rebel Wilson and Adam Devine's hilarious performances, this movie is the perfect excuse to grab your friends, belt out those high notes, and fully embrace your aca-awesome side.

**Director: **Jason Moore

**Cast:** Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Rebel Wilson, Adam Devine, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins, Ester Dean, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Alexis Knapp, Hana Mae Lee

Priscilla (2023)

Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla Presley in 'Priscilla'.

Sabrina Lantos/A24

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

A year after Baz Luhrmann's *Elvis *biopic launched Austin Butler into superstardom, Sofia Coppola turned the camera to the other side of the King of Rock & Roll's story with *Priscilla*. Based on Priscilla Presley's 1985 memoir *Elvis and Me*, the film explores what life was like for her growing up and falling in love with one of the world's biggest icons.

Cailee Spaeny shines as Priscilla, earning a Golden Globe nomination for her stunning performance. EW praised the actress as "preternatural in her ability to believably move from naive teen to self-possessed woman," adding that she "sells that gradual arc — represented so precisely through Priscilla's physical trappings of hair, fashion, and make-up — with graceful subtlety."

**Director: **Sofia Coppola

**Cast:** Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Daniel Beirne, Dagmara Dominczyk, Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll, Lynne Griffin, Matthew Shaw, Tim-Dowler-Coltman, Dan Abramovici

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