Netflix is always full of surprises, and the new year certainly brought its fair share for movie lovers. A new month always means a fresh slate of films to choose from on the streaming platform, but Netflix pulled a fast one right at the end of December 2024 and unexpectedly added some surprise films to our usual bag of goodies. Combined with the treasure trove of new movies already heading to Netflix in January 2025, this month’s selection of films might have been the best ever, giving us great new releases that include: an epic Western with an all-star ensemble cast; a blockbuster that provided an origin story for one of the 21st century’s most iconic characters; and, last but not least, the biggest cinematic event of 2024—a sand-filled epic that was decades in the making. Yeah, make no mistake about it: your movie choices this month are about as exciting as it gets.
But with so many movies to choose from, where do you start? Hopefully, I can help. I’ve put together what I believe to be the ten best films new to Netflix in January 2025 (I’ll include the surprise additions added at the very end of 2024). Below, you’ll find all ten movies recommendations, along with plot descriptions, trailers and reasons you should watch them. Then at the very bottom of the article, there’s a comprehensive list of every single new movie available this month on Netflix. Happy movie watching!
Kevin Costner makes his grand return to the Western genre with the first installment of Horizon: An American Saga, his epic ten-hour exploration of frontier life in the 19th century. The story unfolds over 15 years, following disparate characters whose lives intersect as they navigate the unforgiving situations of the American West. Like the sprawling plot, the cast is massive, including key roles by: Costner himself as Hayes Ellison, a surveyor whose vision of a colony called Horizon sparks hope and confrontation; Sienna Miller as Frances Kittredge, a mother forced to rebuild her life after a devastating raid; and Owen Crow Shoe as Pionsenay, an Apache tribal leader who plays a central role in the film’s exploration of indigenous resilience and resistance. The cast also includes Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Rooker and Jena Malone (and that’s just a sample), all of whom play integral roles in this interrogation of the mythologized American West. Dare I say it, this would be possibly Costner’s most productive functionality to date (and that’s saying a lot).
It goes without saying that if you haven’t caught up with Dune: Part One, then you deserve to do so before watching Dune: Part Two. But make no mistake: the sequel is, in fact, the most wonderful film, as it marks the defining mark of director Denis Villeneuve’s career in science fiction cinema. The second part picks up immediately after the events of the first, following Paul Atréides (Timothée Chalamet) as he dives deeper into his messianic journey. As Paul becomes one with the Fremen people, many of whom see him as the Lisan al Gaib (a prophesied savior), he will also have to confront his hate-filled thirst for revenge against those who attacked his family. Villeneuve’s mastery of scale and spectacle is fully demonstrated in Dune: Part Two: From the vast sand dunes of Arrakis to the impressive sandworms that inhabit its depths, the most talked about film of 2024 juxtaposes its feverish moments and intimate with grandiose moments and grandiose landscapes in an impressive mythological way. Alongside Chalamet (who delivers the toughest role of his career), you can find wonderful roles from actors like (very underrated) Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Stellan Skarsgård, Austin Butler and many more. Get ready to let yourself go.
There are some movies that, no matter how old they are or how much reverence they have, compel me to give a recommendation. And while Erin Brokovich came out way back in 2000, I can’t help but believe many people still haven’t seen this gem from Steven Soderbergh. This comedy/romance/drama follows the true story of Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts in an Oscar-winning performance), a struggling single mother who, despite knowing little about legalese, fronts a lawsuit that would become groundbreaking on the environmental front. After taking a clerical job at a small law, Erin discovers that an area gas giant knowingly poisoned a town’s water supply, causing devastating health problems hundreds of people. Roberts portrays Erin as a complex character—flawed yet determined, brash yet compassionate—and her thespian counterparts, from Albert Finney in a mentor role to Aaron Eckhart in a transformative performance, match her powerful performance. Soderbergh navigates these dark waters to show the power of human resilience, of persistent investigation, of the power for the Davids of the world to rise up against the Goliaths that believe they’re above the law.
Every once in a while, a largely forgotten genre film will discover newfound success on Netflix. Earlier this week, In the Heart of the Sea was one such film, as it enjoyed a four-day run in the #1 position on Netflix’s Top 10 list. This true story of a disastrous 1820 whale expedition that went on to inspire Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick follows Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth), an ambitious first mate eager to captain his own ship, and George Pollard (Benjamin Walker), an inexperienced captain from a privileged family. Their plan to harvest whale oil, their role in fueling the industrial revolution, unfortunately turns into a perilous, life-threatening as they venture journey deep into the Pacific. Little do they know that a colossal sperm whale awaits to destroy their ship, forcing unimaginable hardships—including starvation, exposure, and moral crises—upon the few survivors. Framed through a conversation between a survivor of the tragedy, Thomas (Brendan Gleeson), and a young Melville (Ben Whishaw), the film intertwines historical drama with the mythos of one of literature’s greatest works for a fascinating, meta discussion about storytelling and how we remember important, defining stories.
Mad Max: Fury Road unexpectedly hit Netflix at the end of January, but that isn’t the Mad Max movie that should catch your attention. Instead, I’d encourage you to watch what I believe to be the best blockbuster of 2024: Furiosa. This prequel to Fury Road takes us back into the origins of Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron in Fury Road but inhabited by Anya Taylor-Joy here. Captured as a child and separated from her family, Furiosa becomes embroiled in a battle between two warlords: the brutal rebellion of Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and the rising power of Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme). Furiosa’s arc across the two films is nothing short of mythological. In Fury Road, she is already a hardened survivor, a symbol of defiance and redemption. But Furiosa takes it to a whole new lever, laying the seeds of that transformation as Taylor-Joy brings a raw vulnerability to the role, capturing Furiosa’s early struggles and her eventual embrace of power. Meanwhile, Hemsworth gives a performance of a lifetime through Dementus with a self-aware arrogance, embodying a villain whose insecurities are masked by bluster. During its closing moments, this film left me in absolute awe. I can’t recommend it enough.
It turns out that Lars von Trier despises his characters, the other people who watch his film, and himself, a mix that, at first glance, actually puts many off. But, through this aesthetic, I would say that what he achieves is something deeper, more hopeful, more revealing about the human condition; He takes his characters to places no other filmmaker is willing to go. Melancholy is a wonderful example of this. The film splits in two to focus on two sisters, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), as the world comes to an end. One, Justine, suffers from crippling depression (it’s actually an illness called melancholy) and is unable to enjoy life even on her wedding night, while the other, Claire, is in an emotional mess and pretends a façade of security in itself. However, he frantically tries each and every moving part of his life. We watch as these two personalities collide as a planet-destroying meteorite heads toward Earth, capable of ending everything. The clash between cosmic indifference and existentialism awakens the most terrifying aspects of this wonderful adventure we call life, resulting in a deeply introspective film like no other.
There are plenty of videos that get a hundred percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, but I’m not sure there are as many with as many reviews (110 reviews, to be exact, right now) as Wallace and Gromit: Revenge Most Fowl. Directed by Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, this glorious little animated film brings our favorite claymation heroes back to the screen, propelling Wallace and Gromit on another crazy adventure that’s as heartwarming as it is hilarious. The story unfolds through a familiar franchise motif: Wallace’s (voiced by Ben Whitehead) obsession with inventions. His latest beloved invention, Norbot, a hyper-efficient “smart gnome,” is designed to streamline gardening tasks. But he never expects Feathers McGraw, the scheming penguin from The Wrong Pants, to hack the robot’s programming and turn the cheerful gnome into a malevolent force. Once Feathers infiltrates their lives, Wallace and his faithful dog companion, along with some friends, including Chief Inspector Mackintosh (Peter Kay), will have to band together to thwart the villain’s menacing plans. Whether you’re visiting old friends or meeting them for the first time, Vengeance Most Fowl is a reminder of why Wallace and Gromit remain beloved figures of animated cinema.
Don’t think for a moment that I’m going to apologize for liking a movie like the 80’s Brady. There’s a specific fluid quality to those kinds of ensemble comedies with older actors (movies like Book Club and Last Vegas) that feel freewheeling and digestible without ever sacrificing authenticity. Usually filled with fantastic Oscar-winning actors – as is the case here with Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Lily Tomlin and Rita Moreno – films like 80 for Brady resolutely embrace the lightness of life and the humor of the everyday, achieving a aesthetic that is as entertaining as it is revealing. Directed by Kyle Marvin, this football-loving comedy is animated by four real-life friends who share an unwavering love for pigskin legend Tom Brady. Determined to see their favorite quarterback play in the Super Bowl, Lou, Trish, Betty and Maura embark on a wild adventure across the country, encountering hilarious obstacles and unforeseen opportunities along the way that prove there is no age. when it has to be done. prevent embracing life. The film champions the concept that age is no barrier to new adventures and shows how hobby and friendship can rekindle purpose.
M. Night Shyamalan has been very active as of late, with movies like Old and Knock at the Cabin. He even released in Trap in 2024—but he wasn’t the only Shyamalan active last year. His daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan, made her directorial debut with The Watchers, a critically maligned film that, nonetheless, offers great material to offer in the suspense arena, and in many ways displayed aspects of some of her father’s best work. Dakota Fanning takes the lead as Mina, who becomes stranded in an Irish forest where the supernatural and psychological collide. While trapped in the mess of foreboding trees, she stumbles into a bunker ominously called “The Coop,” where she meets three other captives: Clara (Georgina Campbell), Daniel (Oliver Finnegan) and Madeline (Olwen Fouéré), who are all trapped by mysterious entities known as the Watchers. The movie’s eerie cinematography and unnerving sound design, especially the bone-chilling roars of the Watchers, immerse you in a setting that permeates the sort of danger found in folk horror classics, blending modern supernatural sensibilities with the archetypal fight for survival.
Christopher Nolan certainly needs no introduction. At this point, he feels like the most beloved director in both the audience and critical arena, recently cemented by his long overdue win for Best Director at the Academy Awards for Oppenheimer (the movie won Best Picture as well). But I can’t help but feel that Interstellar, despite being beloved by many for its visual grandeur, for its uncompromising realism, for its sheer embracement of humanity, has never quite achieved the same immortalized status as films like The Dark Knight or Inception. Maybe it’s because its story and aspirations shoot too high: Interstellar follows Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former NASA pilot turned farmer recruited for a daring mission to find a new habitable planet. Earth is on the brink of collapse due to environmental degradation, and a mysterious wormhole near Saturn offers humanity a chance to escape. Cooper and his team (a cast that includes Anne Hathaway and Wes Bentley) explore the intergalactic phenomenon while his children (played, as time passes, interchangeably by Mackenzie Foy, Jessica Chastain, Timothée Chalamet and Casey Affleck) stay behind, and their collective journeys amalgamate to become a meditation on humanity’s capacity for survival.
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