The Best TV Shows And Movies Coming To Netflix In January 2024
We made it to 2024! Or, rather, we've almost made it at the time of writing. It's been a long year wherein a historical dual strike that was prompted (and then unnecessarily prolonged) by studio greed brought the film and TV industry to a grinding halt for months. But all that's behind us now, and it's time for a fresh start. Even Netflix is turning over a new leaf by making viewership data available for just about every title on the platform. Well, sort of. It's still Netflix, so, of course, its newfound transparency comes with an asterisk or two.
Staying on the positive beat, things aren't slowing down on the Netflix front in January. In fact, after a 12-month period that saw the streamer releasing a veritable treasure trove of notable animated features, international films, and star-studded projects (be sure and peruse through the /Film team's ranking of the 12 best Netflix original movies of 2023), it's kicking off 2024 with a number of promising-sounding exclusives. Those will come with a healthy helping of familiar titles on the side, including the first three "John Wick" movies and even the modern musical classic that is "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again." Let's run through them, along with everything else that's heading to the service at the start of the new year.
The Kitchen
What do you do when you've already won an Oscar for your acting and quickly established yourself as one of the premiere performers of your generation? If you're Daniel Kaluuya, you go and join the longstanding tradition of actors trying their hand at directing with "The Kitchen." A sci-fi story set in a near dystopian future, the film takes place in a world where, "Amid rising injustice and encroaching gentrification, a young boy finds community in the last place left for London's most disadvantaged residents" (as the film's synopsis puts it).
When interviewed by Empire Magazine, Kaluuya — who co-helmed "The Kitchen" with Kibwe Tavares from a screenplay Kaluuya wrote with Rob Hayes and Joe Murtagh — explained, "We wanted to make a seminal London film, so we looked at the seminal city films. 'Do The Right Thing,' 'La Haine', 'The Prophet,' 'This Is England.' We were just inspired by it all, and wanted to build upon the amazing work that the people before us have done, and do our own version of it." He also stressed that "The Kitchen" is a maximalist work, with his goal being to make a "big" film "but still be real about what we are and where we're at." Sounds interesting to me!
The Brothers Sun
A martial arts action-comedy crime series starring Michelle Yeoh is the sort of thing that sells itself, even if Yeoh isn't necessarily doing much (or possibly any) of the martial arts herself. Developed by frequent Ryan Murphy collaborator Brad Falchuk and Byron Wu, "The Brothers Sun" centers on Eileen "Mama" Sun (Yeoh), a woman whose past quickly catches up to her after her estranged husband — the boss of a powerful Taiwanese triad — is killed. Sam Song Li co-stars as Eileen's youngest son Bruce, who's been living a regular life with her in Los Angeles and has no idea about their family's ties to organized crime, right up until his older brother Charles (Justin Chien) shows up to break the news, with a whole lot of deadly assassins on his tail.
Assuming "The Brothers Sun" can balance its fish-out-of-water hijinks with its martial arts spectacle (which was partly helmed by renowned fight choreographer/director Kevin Tancharoen of "Mortal Kombat Legacy" fame), it might just be the breezy blast we need to kick off 2024. Failing that, well, the year's just getting started, innit?
Society of the Snow
Say what you will about "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" (you'll find few members of the /Film team willing to defend that dino-adventure), but it was only J.A. Bayona doing his best to breathe life into that thing that prevented it from being a total wash. The otherwise well-respected Spanish director, who was also behind the heart-wrenching supernatural horror film "The Orphanage" and dark fantasy drama "A Monster Calls," now appears to have found an endeavor more worthy of his talents with "Society of the Snow."
Adapted from Pablo Vierci's book "La Sociedad de la Nieve," the true-story survival thriller dramatizes the infamous Andes flight disaster. Per its synopsis, the film takes place in 1972, when "a Uruguayan flight crashed in the remote heart of the Andes, forcing survivors to become each other's best hope." Reviews have been strong coming out of its tour on the film festival circuit, and with its combination of tear-jerking subject matter and visceral thrills, it feels like the sort of movie that should play to Bayona's strengths as a filmmaker.
Good Grief
I could start to feel a lump forming in my throat just watching the "Good Grief" trailer, which certainly bodes well for the actual film. Another example of a beloved actor making their feature directing debut (in this case, the co-creator/star of "Schitt's Creek" and one of our finest nepo babies, Dan Levy), the movie centers on Marc (Levy), a children's book illustrator who's more than content to live in the shadow of his wildly-popular novelist husband (Luke Evans). When the latter abruptly dies, Marc is only able to cope thanks to the help of his two besties, played by Himesh Patel and Ruth Negga. However, when the trio takes a would-be relaxing weekend trip to Paris, it ends up forcing them to face some hard truths.
Look, these sorts of melodramas about grieving are in pretty ready supply right now (see "A Good Person," Zach Braff's own recent directorial effort that, like Levy's film, was inspired by a series of tragic losses that its director endured in their personal life), and there's obviously a risk "Good Grief" will hew on the more contrived side of the weepie equation. But after six splendid seasons of "Schitt's Creek," Levy has earned the benefit of the doubt for the moment.
Lift
If you had told me I'd be interested in a Kevin Hart Netflix movie a few months ago, I would've been politely (but firmly) confused. But here comes "Lift" and I am indeed kind of curious about it, although that's largely due to "The Negotiator," "The Italian Job," and "The Fate of the Furious" director F. Gary Gray calling the shots. That and the movie's plot, which centers on a heist to steal $500 million in gold from a passenger plane mid-flight. Helping the cause, Gray has filled out the ensemble of his newest action-thriller with great actors like Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D'Onofrio, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, and Jean Reno.
Will "Lift" join the ranks of Netflix's many other quickly-forgotten previous action tentpoles (including Hart's own widely derided "The Man From Toronto"), or will it prove to be the rare diamond in the rough? Well, expectations are always lower for new releases in January (streaming or theatrical), so all the film really has to do to clear the bar is be mostly passable. Besides, if the reviews suggest this one's a dud, you can always just go check out one of those terrific Netflix films you missed in 2023 instead. Or maybe "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again." It's right there, I'm just saying.
Movies and TV Shows Coming to Netflix in January 2024
Coming Soon
Detective Forst (PL) – NETFLIX SERIES
When a detective's maverick approach to investigating gets him fired, he teams up with a journalist to solve a series of brutal murders outside the law.
Delicious in Dungeon (JP) – NETFLIX ANIME
Dungeons, dragons ... and delicious monster stew!? Adventurers foray into a cursed buried kingdom to save their friend, cooking up a storm along the way.
Dusty Slay: Workin' Man – NETFLIX COMEDY
Comedian Dusty Slay serves up his distinctive homespun humor on shirt-tucking, hipster coffee shops, and country music mysteries in this stand-up special.
The Kitchen (GB) – NETFLIX FILM
Amid rising injustice and encroaching gentrification, a young boy finds community in the last place left for London's most disadvantaged residents.
Kübra (TR) – NETFLIX SERIES
When a mechanic receives messages that seem to predict the future, he starts to believe he is speaking with God and quickly develops a following.
Avail. 1/1/24
Bitconned – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Ray Trapani had always wanted to be a criminal, even as a young boy. In 2017, amidst the economic frenzy of the Bitcoin boom, there was no better place for scammers than cryptocurrency. So when Ray's friend approached him with the idea of creating a debit card for crypto, Trapani jumped at the chance. There was only one problem: he had no idea how to do that. But thanks to fake LinkedIn profiles, paid celebrity endorsements, and the online community's insatiable desire to "get rich quick," Centra Tech was soon raking in millions of dollars a day. Was it real? No. But did it work? Maybe. In this fast-paced, debaucherous documentary from director Bryan Storkel (Producer of The Legend of Cocaine Island + Director of The Pez Outlaw), Ray himself guides viewers through the ups and downs of his dramatic journey, alongside his family, former friends, and the journalist who exposed Centra Tech as the first high-profile fraud case of the crypto era.
Fool Me Once (GB) – NETFLIX SERIES
When ex-soldier Maya sees her murdered husband on a secret nanny cam, she uncovers a deadly conspiracy that stretches deep into the past.
You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Identical twins change their diets and lifestyles for eight weeks in a unique scientific experiment designed to explore how certain foods impact the body.
Annabelle
Annie (1982)
Antz
Aquaman
Beethoven
Bruce Almighty
The Croods
Dawn of the Dead
The First Purge
Gravity
How to Train Your Dragon
It's Complicated
Jackie Brown
John Wick
John Wick: Chapter 2
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park III
Little Fockers
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Loudermilk: Seasons 1-3
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Meet the Fockers
Meet the Parents
The New Americans: Gaming a Revolution
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
ONE PIECE: Marineford
Peppa Pig: Seasons 3-6
The Purge: Election Year
School of Rock
Survivor: Season 33
Survivor: Season 7
This Is 40
Those Who Wish Me Dead
Training Day
The Wonder Years: Seasons 1-2 (2021)
Avail. 1/4/24
Boy Swallows Universe (AU) – NETFLIX SERIES
A young boy growing up in the suburbs of 1980s Brisbane faces the harsh realities of life — and the looming dangers that threaten his family.
The Brothers Sun – NETFLIX SERIES
When a mysterious enemy targets his family, a Taipei triad member heads to Los Angeles to protect his strong-willed mother and oblivious younger brother.
Society of the Snow (ES) – NETFLIX FILM
In 1972, a Uruguayan flight crashed in the remote heart of the Andes, forcing survivors to become each other's best hope. A film by J.A. Bayona.
Avail. 1/5/24
Good Grief – NETFLIX FILM
Marc (Daniel Levy) was content living in the shadow of his larger-than-life husband, Oliver (Luke Evans). But when Oliver unexpectedly dies, Marc's world shatters, sending him and his two best friends, Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas (Himesh Patel), on a soul-searching trip to Paris that reveals some hard truths they each needed to face. Good Grief marks Levy's debut as a feature film writer and director. He also produced as part of Not a Real Production Company, alongside Sister Pictures.
Gyeongseong Creature Part 2 (KR) – NETFLIX SERIES
Gyeongseong, 1945. In Seoul's grim era under colonial rule, an entrepreneur and a sleuth fight for survival and face a monster born out of human greed.
Avail. 1/6/24
The Florida Project
Avail. 1/8/24
This is Us Seasons 1-6
Avail. 1/10/24
Break Point: Season 2 (GB) – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
The world's top tennis players return to the courts and set their sights on glory once again during another grueling Grand Slam season.
The Trust: A Game of Greed – NETFLIX SERIES
In this reality series, strangers living in a luxurious mansion compete for $250,000. Will they split it — or cut each other out to raise their share?
Avail. 1/11/24
Champion (GB) – NETFLIX SERIES
Rapper Bosco is free from prison and ready for a comeback — until his sister Vita steps into the spotlight and puts their family bond to the test.
Sonic Prime Chapter 3 – NETFLIX FAMILY
After Nine steals the Paradox Prism to create a world all for himself, Sonic must team up with unlikely allies to protect the universe as he knows it.
Avail. 1/12/24
Lift – NETFLIX FILM
An international heist crew, led by Cyrus Whitaker (Kevin Hart), races to lift $500 million in gold from a passenger plane at 40,000 feet.
Love is Blind: Sweden – NETFLIX SERIES
The unique dating experiment lands in Sweden as local singles seek true love and propose marriage — all before seeing each other in person.
Avail. 1/15/24
CoComelon: Season 9
Holey Moley: Seasons 3-4
maboroshi (JP) – NETFLIX ANIME
A factory explosion plunges a small town into a timeless freeze, leaving 14-year-old Masamune and his pals to grapple with a quickly collapsing reality.
MTV Floribama Shore: Season 2
Avail. 1/16/24
Cats (2019)
Avail. 1/17/24
End of the Line (BR) – NETFLIX SERIES
Ivan, a clandestine van driver, navigates the end of his marriage and daily challenges with humor in this quirky comedy series featuring a live audience.
Freaks
Avail. 1/18/24
Rachid Badouri: Les fleurs du tapis (CA) – NETFLIX COMEDY
The charismatic Quebecois comedian gets real on everything from meeting a racist fan to letting success go to his head in this candid stand-up special.
Avail. 1/19/24
Love is Blind: Sweden – NETFLIX SERIES (new episodes)
The unique dating experiment lands in Sweden as local singles seek true love and propose marriage — all before seeing each other in person.
Love on the Spectrum U.S.: Season 2 – NETFLIX SERIES
Single people with autism — including new romantic hopefuls and familiar faces — search for the perfect partner in this dating docuseries.
Mi soledad tiene alas (ES) – NETFLIX FILM
With his estranged father's return, Dan's inner demons resurface, triggering a downward spiral. Can love save him from a tragic destiny?
Sixty Minutes (DE) – NETFLIX FILM
Desperate not to lose custody, a mixed martial arts fighter makes dangerous enemies when he ditches a matchup to race to his daughter's birthday party.
Avail. 1/20/24
Captivating the King (KR) – NETFLIX SERIES
Captivating the King draws the cruel love story between King Lee In, who is in danger of both royal and political power struggles, and Kang Hee Soo, who tries to seduce the King and get revenge, but gets seduced instead.
The Real World: Season 16
Avail. 1/22/24
Not Quite Narwhal: Season 2 – NETFLIX FAMILY
From the ocean to the land, curious Kelp learns more about himself by going on fun-filled adventures with his unicorn friends and narwhal family.
Avail. 1/23/24
Jacqueline Novak: Get on Your Knees – NETFLIX COMEDY
Comedian Jacqueline Novak's GET ON YOUR KNEES, her break-out hit stand-up show about the blowjob, is coming to Netflix. A word-of-mouth sensation off-Broadway, directed for the stage by John Early, the show first took off in 2019, where audience members showed for repeat viewings across multiple sold-out runs. A Time's Critic's Pick, the show earned Jacqueline a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance. Over the last few years, Novak has toured the show nationally and abroad, and enjoyed sell-out stints at Largo Los Angeles. This year, Novak teamed up with director Natasha Lyonne and cinematographer Sam Levy (Rothaniel, Lady Bird) to film the show's final performance as a concert film-meets-comedy special at historic Town Hall in New York City. Ostensibly a 90-minute stand-up set about the blowjob, GET ON YOUR KNEES is both raunchy and poignant, an unexpectedly philosophical, coming-of-age tale of triumph that pushes the boundaries of stand-up. John Mulaney said: "Ladies and Gentlemen, I have seen the Muhammad Ali of comedy."
Train to Busan
Avail. 1/24/24
Six Nations: Full Contact (GB) – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Round by round, match by match, the best teams in Europe battle it out to take home the trophy in the 2023 Six Nations Championship.
American Girl: Corinne Tan
Queer Eye: Season 8 – NETFLIX SERIES
The Fab Five return to the city of New Orleans to jazz up the lives of their heroes — one emotional makeover at a time.
Avail. 1/25/24
The UnXplained with William Shatner: Season 4
Griselda – NETFLIX SERIES
GRISELDA is inspired by the life of the savvy and ambitious Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. In 1970s-80s Miami, Blanco's lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family, leading her to become widely known as "the Godmother."
Starring and executive produced by Sofia Vergara, the dramatic limited series GRISELDA is created by NARCOS and NARCOS: MEXICO showrunner Eric Newman, who comes to the title alongside NARCOS director Andrés Baiz, who directs all six episodes. The series is co-created by Doug Miro, Ingrid Escajeda & Carlo Bernard and Executive Produced by Newman, Baiz, Miro, Escajeda, Bernard, along with Vergara and Luis Balaguer with Latin World Entertainment. In addition to Vergara, the series stars Alberto Guerra, Christian Tappan, Martín Rodríguez, Juliana Aidén Martinez, Vanessa Ferlito and, making her on screen debut, Carolina Giraldo (a.k.a Karol G).
Masters of the Universe: Revolution – NETFLIX SERIES
The final installment of Kevin Smith's animated adult version of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
Avail. 1/26/24
Love is Blind: Sweden – NETFLIX SERIES (new episodes)
The unique dating experiment lands in Sweden as local singles seek true love and propose marriage — all before seeing each other in person.
Avail. 1/27/24
Doctor Slump (KR) – NETFLIX SERIES
Avail. 1/28/24
Love is Blind: Sweden – NETFLIX SERIES (new episodes)
The unique dating experiment lands in Sweden as local singles seek true love and propose marriage — all before seeing each other in person.
Avail. 1/29/24
Mighty Bheem's Playtime (IN) – NETFLIX FAMILY
When Mumma Bheem gets a new job as the palace Chef, it's time for Bheem to start school.
Avail. 1/30/24
Jack Whitehall: Settle Down (GB) – NETFLIX COMEDY
A new special from Jack Whitehall.
Avail. 1/31/24
Alexander the Great (GB) – NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Combining expert interviews with gripping reenactments, this docudrama explores the life of Alexander the Great through his conquest of the Persian Empire.
Baby Bandito (CL) – NETFLIX SERIES
After Kevin and his gang pull off Chile's biggest heist, reckless love — and social media — threatens to ruin everyone's fortunes. Inspired by real events.
The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse: Part 1 (JP) – NETFLIX ANIME
As a prophesy of doom unfolds upon the peaceful land of Britannia, a pure-hearted boy sets out on a journey of discovery — and revenge.
WIL (BE) – NETFLIX FILM
Two young police officers find themselves torn between collaboration and resistance as they navigate the Nazi-occupied Antwerp during World War II.