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?I hope I can help you. I’ve rounded up what I think are Netflix’s top ten most productive new movies in January 2025 (I’ll include wonderful additions added in late 2024). Below, find the ten movie recommendations, along with plot descriptions, trailers, and why you deserve to see them. Then, in the final part of the article, look for a comprehensive list of all the new movies that will be released this month on Netflix. Happy watching the movie!
Kevin Costner makes his grand directorial return to the Western genre with the first chapter of Horizon: An American Saga—his epic, ten-plus hour exploration of frontier life in the 19th century. The story unfolds across 15 years, following disparate characters whose lives intersect as they navigate the unforgiving conditions of the American West. Much like the sprawling plot, the cast is quite large, and includes key performances from: Costner himself as Hayes Ellison, a surveyor whose vision for a settlement named Horizon sparks both hope and conflict; Sienna Miller as Frances Kittredge, a mother forced to rebuild her life after a devastating raid; and Owen Crow Shoe as Pionsenay, a leader of the Apache tribe who is central to the film’s exploration of Indigenous resilience and resistance. The cast also features Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Rooker and Jena Malone (and that only scratches the surface), who all play critical roles in this interrogation of the mythologized American West. Dare I say it: this may be Costner’s finest showing to date (and that’s saying something).
Needless to say: if you haven’t seen Dune: Part One, then you should before watching Dune: Part Two. But make no mistake: the sequel is the truly better film, as it marks director Denis Villeneuve’s career-defining stamp on sci-fi cinema. The second part picks up immediately after the events of the first, following Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he dives deeper into his messianic journey. As Paul becomes one with the Fremen people, many of whom view him as the Lisan al Gaib (a prophesied savior), he must also grapple with his hate-filled thirst for revenge against those who attacked his family. Villeneuve’s mastery of scale and spectacle is on full display in Dune: Part Two–from the sprawling sand dunes of Arrakis to the awe-inspiring sandworms that inhabit its depths, the most-talked-about movie of 2024 juxtaposes its feverish, intimate moments with grand, sweeping landscapes in an awe-inspiring mythological manner. Along with Chalamet (who gives the most powerful performance of his career), you can find great showings from actors like (the greatly underrated) Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Stellan Skarsgård, Austin Butler—and many, many more. Be prepared to be swept away.
There are some movies that, regardless of age or respect, compel me to make a recommendation. And even though Erin Brokovich came out in 2000, I can’t help that many other people still haven’t noticed this Steven Soderbergh gem. This comedy/romance/drama follows the true story of Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts in an Oscar-winning performance), a suffering single mother who, despite knowing little of legal jargon, faces a trial that will be groundbreaking in the environmental front. After accepting a small job at a law office, Erin discovers that a local fuel giant has knowingly poisoned a city’s water supply, causing devastating health problems for many others. Roberts plays Erin as a complex character (flawed but determined, brash but compassionate) and her acting counterparts, from Albert Finney in a mentor role to Aaron Eckhart in a transformative performance, fit her tough performance. Soderbergh navigates those dark waters to show the strength of human resilience, of persistent inquiry, of the strength of the Davids of the world to rise up against the Goliaths who are above the law.
Every once in a while, a largely forgotten genre film discovers newfound good fortune on Netflix. Earlier this week, In the Heart of the Sea was one of the movies, as it spent four days at number 1 in the Netflix Top 10. Follow this true story of a disastrous whaling expedition in 1820 that animated Herman Melville’s Mothrough-Dick. Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth), an ambitious fellow eager to become captain of his own ship, and George Pollard (Benjamin Walker), a rookie captain from a privileged family. Their plan to harvest whale oil, their role in fueling the commercial revolution, unfortunately turns into a dangerous adventure that endangers their lives as they venture deeper into the Pacific. What they don’t know is that a colossal sperm whale is waiting to destroy their ship, imposing hardships, adding hunger, exposure and ethical crises to the few survivors. Inspired through a verbal exchange between a survivor of the tragedy, Thomas (Brendan Gleeson), and a young Melville (Ben Whishaw), the film weaves ancient drama with the myth of one of the most important literary works for a meta- desirable discussion about storytelling and how not to forget vital and defining stories.
Mad Max: Fury Road premiered on Netflix at the end of January, but it’s not the Mad Max movie that deserves your attention. Instead, I inspire you to watch what I believe is the most productive blockbuster of 2024: Furiosa. This Fury Road prequel takes us back to the origins of Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron in Fury Road but inhabited here by Anya Taylor-Joy. Captured as a child and separated from her family, Furiosa finds herself caught up in a war between two warlords: the brutal uprising of Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and the rise of Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme). Furiosa’s arc in both films is nothing short of mythological. In Fury Road, she is already a hardened survivor, a symbol of defiance and redemption. But Furiosa takes a whole new lever, laying the groundwork for this transformation as Taylor-Joy brings raw vulnerability to the role, capturing Furiosa’s early struggles and her eventual acceptance of power. Meanwhile, Hemsworth offers a depiction of his life through Dementus with self-aware arrogance, banking on a villain whose insecurities are masked by bluster. During its final moments, this film left me absolutely amazed. I can’t put it out there 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 to be sure of herself still. 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 one second that I will apologize for loving a movie like 80 for Brady. There’s a special free-flowing quality to these sorts of ensemble comedies with elderly casts (movies like Book Club and Last Vegas) that feels carefree 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 unflinchingly embrace the lightness of life and the humor of the everyday, achieving an aesthetic that is as entertaining as it is revealing. Directed by Kyle Marvin, this football-loving comedy was inspired by four real-life friends who share an unwavering love for the pigskin legend Tom Brady. Determined to see their favorite quarterback play in the Super Bowl, Lou, Trish, Betty and Maura embark upon a wild cross-country adventure, along the way encountering hilarious obstacles and unexpected opportunities that display there’s no age where you have to stop embracing life. The film champions the idea that age is no barrier to new adventures, showcasing how passion and friendship can reignite a sense of 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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