Netflix is coming out swinging in January. Subscribers can look forward to a ton of great classics and new blockbusters, along with some really great Original content. In fact, there’s so much going on this month it was hard for us to settle on just 10 picks. We know, our job is sooooooooo difficult.
Anyway, here are the 10 Best Things Coming to Netflix in January:
30 Days of Night
Jan. 1
A small Alaskan town goes dark for a long wintry month. As if the lack of vitamin D wasn’t terrible enough, the town is also overrun by a murderous group of Vampires, hell-bent on burning the place to the ground. Things happen so quickly the townsfolk don’t know how to handle the onslaught, and the only thing standing between them and certain death is the town’s husband-and-wife sheriff team. 30 Days of Night is probably the perfect vampire horror movie. The ending is a bit soft, but hey, that’s how Josh Hartnett rolls.
The Godfather Movies (I, II, III)
Jan. 1
One of Hollywood’s most massive and iconic theatrical successes also makes its way to Netflix in January. If you’ve never seen any of the Godfather movies, you’re missing out on some of the greatest cinema of the 20th Century—nay, all time. These Academy Award-winning films tell the story of an infamous crime family, what happens when an aging mobster wants to transfer his power to someone else, and what happens when that “someone else” is forced to wage war with rival mobs to obtain and expand his control over the empire. Nothing beats the original, but the entire series is worth watching, if you haven’t already.
Midnight in Paris
Jan. 1
Aspiring writer Gil (Owen Wilson) is in Paris with his fiancé and her parents preparing for their wedding, when something extraordinary happens. While out for a walk one night, Gil is approached by a vehicle, and beckoned to get in, Gil is transported to another dimension—literally. It’s 1920s Paris, and all the greats are in attendance—Salvador Dalí (Adrien Brody), Pablo Picasso (Marcial Di Fonzo Bo), T.S. Eliot (David Lowe), Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates), Zelda Fitzgerald (Alison Pill) and her husband F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston), and even Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) makes an appearance. Gil, enraptured (and confused) by what’s happening, leaves the party and returns to his fiancé, who’s far less enthusiastic about his exploration (and career choices) than he is. Gil returns to the party the next night, meets another woman, and is confronted by a series of problems only he can solve.
Batman Returns
Jan. 1
There are a few additions to the Batman franchise making their way to Netflix in January, but Batman Returns stands out because it’s considered by even the most fierce of Batman fans to be one of the best in the series. Directed by Tim Burton during his peak years, Batman Returns isn’t just a superhero story. At Burton’s hands, it becomes a dark, brooding, tormented, and beautiful picture, starring Michael Keaton as Batman, Danny DeVito as a grotesque Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman, and Christopher Walken as Max Shreck. Whether you’re a Tim Burton fan, a Batman fan, or just love a really, really good movie, definitely be sure to check out Batman Returns when it hits on January 1.
Training Day
Jan. 2
When it comes to LA gang dramas, there are few that rival Training Day. Denzel Washington stars as Alonzo, a crooked detective trying desperately—and illegally—to rectify an issue with the Russian mob, and Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt, a rookie cop trying to work his way up through the ranks of the LAPD and make a name for himself. Jake just wants to do his job well and protect and serve the people of Las Angeles, but those rose-colored glasses are torn from his face after he gets assigned to Alonzo’s unit and is mixed up in all the nefarious goings on. The story itself takes place over a 24-hour period, but it’s a wild and ridiculous ride from start to finish.
Before I Wake
Jan. 5
More and more we’ve been blown away by Netflix’s original content, and it seems like it doesn’t just stop with groundbreaking dramas and comedies. Before I Wake is a supernatural horror film about a small boy named Cody (Jacob Tremblay) who gets taken in by a loving couple, Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane). Things are going well until the couple realizes that Cody seems terrified of going to sleep. And when they find out why, they’re afraid of it, too. The plot is unique, the cinematography is beautiful, and we’re real excited to see where Netflix goes with this one.
Rotten
Jan. 5
We think it’s pretty safe to say that Americans are concerned now more than ever before about our food—what we’re putting into our bodies, where it comes from, and the consequences associated with it. This Netflix Original explores the shocking and upsetting state of things in the massive global food industry, exposing viewers to a business wrought with fraud, corruption, and an utter lack conscience—and the impact it’s having on local farmers and American families. It’s an incredible watch, but make no mistake: You will be furious.
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Jan. 5
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is Jerry Seinfeld’s show about, well, drinking coffee with other comedians while talking about things in cars. Netflix picked up the show for distribution in its 10th season, which premieres January 5, as part of a deal with Seinfeld that also includes two standup specials.
The Polka King
Jan. 12
We have three words for you: Polka Ponzi scheme. Are you interested? No? Not yet? OK, well, The Polka King is a Netflix Original movie airing in January that tells the story of Jan Lewan (Jack Black), a Polish immigrant who came to American and became known as “The King of Pennsylvania Polka”—and subsequently, a convicted Ponzi-scheme felon. It also stars Jenny Slate as Lewan’s wife, and Jason Schwartzman as Mickey, Lewan’s band co-founder and scheme cohort. The reviews look promising for this true-but-totally-ridiculous story of how the American Dream can go bizarrely awry, and we’re excited for it.
Tom Segura: Disgraceful
Jan. 12
Tom Segura is one of the best comics in the country right now, and if you weren’t sold by his first two specials (Tom Segura: Mostly Stories, and Tom Segura: Completely Normal—also available on Netflix), you will be by the end of his third, which drops January 12. Segura explores things like body piercings, the “Area 51” of men’s bodies, and the lie he apparently told Mike Tyson. Does it sound ridiculous? Because it’s going to be ridiculous.
