What’s New On Netflix In January 2026? 11 Best TV Shows And Films To Stream

January basically means you’re duty-bound to do nothing but work on your sofa imprint, and squeeze in as much telly as possible until your social battery (and bank account) are replenished after being drained all festive season long.

Thankfully, Netflix has prepared us for such conditions with a stack of originals, ranging from the return of old favourites to new movies and comedy specials to take the edge off a notoriously miserable month.

Here are the best things to watch that are coming to the platform in January…

Tell me more: The Stranger Things finale has been one of the most-anticipated events in Netflix history, with the streaming service dividing the hit sci-fi drama’s final season into three parts.

In the wee small hours of New Year’s Day, the feature-length finale finally began streaming, meaning that if you’ve still not ventured into the Upside Down to see what all the fuss is about, you’ve now got the entire series to binge your way through.

Netflix says: “The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.”

Tell me more: It’s become a modern New Year’s tradition to get through January with the help of Netflix’s annual Harlan Coben thriller.

Run Away stars James Nesbitt as a frantic dad searching for his missing daughter, while Ruth Jones, Minnie Driver and Alfred Enoch join him. Like all Harlan Coben adaptations, it’s best to lean in and suspend your disbelief across the eight episodes of twists and turns.

Netflix says: “A desperate father searching for his runaway daughter gets caught up in a murder case – and stumbles upon secrets which could destroy his family for good.”

Tell me more: Swedish series Land Of Sin “is not your average crime show” according to creator Peter Grönlund.

Instead, he promises “a place where shame, love and violence share the same pulse” as the five-parter tells the story of a thorny investigator looking into the murder of a teenager, and the family feud that surrounds the whole debacle.

Netflix says: “When teenager Silas is found dead at a farmhouse on the Bjäre peninsula – the perpetually angry, odd but highly intelligent investigator Dani is teamed up with newly graduated police colleague Malik to investigate the case.

“The investigation leads Dani and Malik into a patriarchal rat-hole on the Scanian countryside and they soon find themselves at the center of a dark family feud that has been going on for generations.”

Tell me more: In his first stand-up comedy special, Saturday Night Live favourite Marcello Hernández (perhaps known to most of us on this side of the Atlantic for his breakout character Domingo) shares his experience growing up as a first-generation American.

His special arrives ahead of what’s set to be a huge few years for Marcello, thanks to roles in the likes of Happy Gilmore 2, Shrek 5 the upcoming Kevin Hart comedy film 72 Hours.

Netflix says: “In his debut Netflix special, SNL’s Marcello Hernández shares his Latino roots, from unhinged family dance-offs to his mum’s unforgettable life lessons.”

Tell me more: Is there anything better than a twisty crime drama to keep you gripped on a dark night? We think not.

Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal star as exes who both have a vested interest when a body is discovered in their sleepy town. His & Hers promises to be a sexy thriller packed with twists that will keep you guessing until the very end. In other words, it’s the perfect January sweetener.

Netflix says: “Two estranged spouses – one a detective, the other a news reporter – vie to solve a murder in which each believes the other is a prime suspect.”

Tell me more: Netflix is topping up the classic friends-who-should-be-lovers sub-genre with an adaptation of Emily Henry’s romance novel, starring Hunger Games actor Tom Blyth and Emily Bader as best friends and total opposites who spend every summer holiday together.

However, they risk throwing it all away when they start to ponder if there could be more to their relationship.

Netflix says: “Free-spirited Poppy and routine-loving Alex have been unlikely best friends for a decade, living in different cities but spending every summer vacation together.

“The careful balance of their friendship is put to the test when they begin to question what has been obvious to everyone else – could they actually be the perfect romantic match?”

Tell me more: If you’ve done all the Knives Out films, completed the classics, and you are now in pursuit of a new murder mystery to tide you over, Netflix has just the thing.

Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall has adapted the Queen of Crime’s novel The Seven Dials Mystery into a pacey three-part series starring Mia Mckenna-Bruce, Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman.

Netflix says: “When a playful prank at a country manor leads to murder, an unlikely sleuth Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent must unravel a dangerous web of secrets in this captivating Agatha Christie adaptation.”

Tell me more: Real-life besties Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are back on screen together in an action thriller that promises to jump start your adrenaline. They star as cops who have to count and seize $24 million stashed away in a safehouse before leaving the scene, but outside (and inside) threats mean that it’s no cut and dry task.

Perhaps the plot is best described by Matt’s character’s tattoo, which ponders: “Are we the good guys?”

Netflix says: “Upon discovering millions in cash in a derelict stash house, trust among a team of Miami cops begins to fray. As outside forces learn about the size of the seizure, everything is called into question – including who they can rely on.”

Tell me more: It wouldn’t be a new month on Netflix without a true crime documentary, and this time it’s the story of one of the most intensely covered missing persons cases in America.

In June 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah. This documentary centres Elizabeth’s own account of the nine months she spent being held captive by Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee.

Netflix says: “Told through never-before-seen archival materials, the film will dive into the psychological and emotional toll on Elizabeth and her family, as well as their community’s tireless search for answers.

“Throughout, the documentary is anchored by Elizabeth’s own account of her ordeal that recounts her unrelenting resolve to survive that kept her alive and her spirit strong — even more than 20 years later.”

Tell me more: Netflix continues its foray into live entertainment with the relaunch of what was once billed “the world’s greatest talent competition”. The original Star Search helped to launch stars including Beyoncé, Alanis Morissette, Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake.

Actor and comedian Anthony Anderson will host the revamped Star Search, which will see performers competing live in categories including musicians, dancers, comedians and kids’ acts.

Netflix says: “What hasn’t changed is the emotional undercurrent that defined the show; what’s new is the immediacy.

“Every performance, every reveal, every elimination happens in real time and is powered by audience votes, creating the kind of high-stakes momentum that can shift a performer’s career in seconds.”

Tell me more: Rakish Benedict is the next Bridgerton tasked with finding a spouse in the new series of Netflix’s hit Regency romance. It all gets a bit Cinderella when the second-eldest Bridgerton sibling becomes fixated on finding the “Lady in Silver” who slipped out of her glove when the clock struck at a masquerade ball.

Unbeknownst to him, that lady was Sophie – a resourceful maid who snuck into the ball and doesn’t move in the same Mayfair society as Benedict.

Netflix says: “When fate brings Benedict and Sophie back together, Benedict wrestles between the reality of his affection for this intriguing maid and the fantasy of the Lady in Silver — unaware that they are the same person.

“Will Benedict’s inability to see these women as one in the same derail the undeniable spark between him and Sophie? And can love truly conquer anything?”