8 Best New Movies on Netflix in January 2026

Picture Credit: Quiver Distribution / Redbox Entertainment

Happy New Year, and welcome back to your monthly look ahead at the movies we’re most excited for over the next few weeks for the first month of 2026. It’s going to be a surprisingly busy month on the new movie front with some bangers from yesteryear and some highly anticipated new Netflix Originals. Here are eight movies to add to your watchlist for January 2026.

As always, we’re going to split up this article into two parts: first, we’ll cover the new Netflix Original movies coming up that we’re most excited for, and then cover the licensed movies that’ll be making their way onto Netflix specifically in the US, with other regions’ availability potentially differing.

For the full guide on what’s coming up on Netflix in January 2026, keep it locked here on What’s on Netflix.

Most Anticipated New Netflix Original Movies in January 2026

People We Meet on Vacation (2026)

Coming to Netflix: January 9th

It’s no secret that Netflix has had a lot of success adapting popular YA romance novels into beloved rom-com franchises, and People We Meet on Vacation will be hoping to follow suit. Headlined by Emily Bader and Tom Blyth, the movie will bring to life Emily Henry’s novel, which tells the story of Poppy and Alex, who, on paper, have nothing in common, but after a chance encounter at college, they agree to vacation together every single Summer. This summer will be a bit different, though, as they decide to see if they can become a couple.

It must be said that Netflix is putting a lot of marketing oomph behind this title, with an outsized campaign, especially compared to other recent rom-coms. Will it deliver? We’ll get to find out midway through the month.

The Rip

Coming to Netflix: January 16th

In what could be one of two films from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artist Equity heading exclusively to Netflix in 2026, The Rip marks the first out of the gate.

Directed by Joe Carnahan, best known for The Grey and The A-Team, the film reunites Damon and Affleck on screen, a pairing that has historically paid off. Based on what we’ve seen so far, the project looks like a high-octane blend of Sons of Anarchy and Bad Boys, which is reason enough to be intrigued. The mid-January release date shouldn’t be a concern either, as Netflix has turned that window into a reliable launchpad for major hits in recent years.

The plot revolves around cops in Miami happening upon millions of undisclosed cash at a stash house, which causes a butterfly effect and sees targets on their backs, not only from enemies who want the money back, but from friendlies too.

Best Licensed Movies Coming to Netflix

Soul on Fire (2025)

Coming to Netflix: January 8th

If you love Netflix because they get brand new movies that have just been in theaters, or you love feel-good biopics with inspirational messages, Soul on Fire may be up your street.

Directed by Sean McNamara (Soul Surfer, Reagan), written by Gregory Poirier, and based on John O’Leary’s bestselling memoir On Fire, the film delivers an emotional, faith-driven story of resilience. It follows O’Leary’s fight not just to survive, but to rediscover what it truly means to live, while highlighting the vital role played by frontline workers, family, and the wider community. At its heart, the film stands as a celebration of everyday heroes.

The film picked up positive reviews across the board since its release, particularly from audiences thus far, with performances from Joel Courtney, John Corbett and Stephanie Szostak.

Bond Movie Collection

Coming to Netflix: January 15th

All James Bond Films

OK, so when we said eight movies, it really was a lot more, given that the entire James Bond collection (not just the newer ones, as some of the trades reported) is headed to Netflix, not only in the United States but also in many other international regions. As we covered first, it’s part of a new MGM licensing pact that’s been in effect since November and will continue through January.

Let’s be honest, not all the Bond movies are on an equal playing field, with many ageing horrifically. While we’ll do a full watch guide at the time of their addition to Netflix midway through the month, we wanted to pick out three that we think should be on everyone’s lists:

Skyfall (2012) – Director Sam Mendes brings out the best of Daniel Craig in this third movie from the actor, which will no doubt be controversial given that Casino Royale is often considered the best of his works. Even so, this is easily the most well-constructed Bond movie of the modern era, serving as a perfect entry point to many with some iconic visuals and locations, gadgets, a great villain played by Javier Bardem, and even a sequence at the end that will feel at home to any Home Alone fans after the Christmas period.
Goldfinger (1964) – When you think of the most famous James Bond films, you’ll probably get consensus that Goldfinger is perhaps the most iconic, with it being the one I had to watch over and over again as a kid. From its theme song from Shirley Bassey to iconic villains, all with a career high performance from Sean Connery, this is an absolutely iconic entry.
GoldenEye (1995) – If you’re a millennial like me, if you ask who your Bond is, you’ll almost certainly land on that person being Pierce Brosnan, and the general consensus is that his best entry was his first in GoldenEye.

Licorice Pizza (2021)

Coming to Netflix: January 16th

Directed and written by Paul Thomas Anderson (who is highly tipped for Oscar glory for One Battle After Another), Licorice Pizza is a warm, freewheeling coming-of-age story set in the San Fernando Valley of the 1970s and is another movie coming from the new pact with MGM.

The film follows the unconventional relationship between teenage actor Gary Valentine and aimless twenty-something Alana Kane as they drift through first love, ambition, and uncertainty. Anchored by a strong sense of time and place, the movie captures the awkward thrill of growing up, the false starts of adulthood, and the fleeting moments that shape who we become, all with Anderson’s trademark blend of humor, nostalgia, and emotional honesty.

Megan 2.0 (2025)

Coming to Netflix: January 26th

As we first covered, an unusual pickup for Netflix in late January will be Megan 2.0, the highly publicized (perhaps for all the wrong reasons) follow-up to the beloved first movie, Megan, from Blumhouse. It’s highly publicized in the sense that it was one of the defining box office disasters of 2025, with the pivot from horror to action being the primary culprit.

Despite that pivot and the amount of sh** this movie got, it’s still an enjoyable time having just watched it for this article. Would I have paid full whack for it in theaters? Absolutely not, but I’m glad I got to see it. The sequel is written and directed by returning filmmaker Gerard Johnstone, with the story focusing on Megan gaining a new purpose after being captured by a military company and used as the foundation of a new weapon.

Here’s where things get interesting, though. We called it an unusual pickup because Universal live-action movies split their first window between Peacock and Prime Video. We speculated that this could be a precursor to Netflix getting Soul8te, the now-dropped spin-off, or that it was just an old marketing stunt window to help promote that movie. We’ll see what happens.

Becky (2020)

Added to Netflix: January 1st

One of the movies you can watch right now is the frankly bizarre but highly watchable action comedy starring Lulu Wilson and Kevin James. You’ll likely know James best for playing goofball characters, but he takes a sharp turn here, portraying an escaped prison inmate who terrorizes a rebellious teen determined to defend her family.

It’s R-rated and received great reviews from critics with the consensus reading, “Becky isn’t quite able to sustain enough intensity to fully take advantage of its premise, though it serves up entertainingly nasty thrills for genre fans.”

We should also note that Netflix US is streaming the follow-up, 2023’s The Wrath of Becky, and you’ve got a while to watch it, with streaming rights through 2027.

Ford v. Ferrari (2019)

Added to Netflix: January 1st

And finally, another movie you can watch right now is Ford v Ferrari, one of the latest movies licensed from 20th Century Fox, which, up until last year, hadn’t given any of its films to Netflix in quite some time. In what could be one of the greatest racing movies of all time, the film centers on the car designer Carroll Shelby, who teams up with misfit Ken Miles to tackle Le Mans for Ford and finally bring Ferrari’s reign to an end.

With fantastic performances from Matt Damon, Christian Bale, and Jon Bernthal (among plenty of others), the movie is a globe-trotting tour de force and an enjoyable watch regardless of whether you’re a car nut or not.