Netflix is adding 30 new shows and movies to the streaming service today (Jan. 1). That’s a pretty decent number, and it can be overwhelming to decide which to watch first, especially since that, between new shows and classic movies added to the library, there are a lot of good places to start.
Lucky for you, I’ve taken a look through the entire list, and I know exactly what you should be adding to your watch list today. There’s a new Harlan Coben drama that’s a definite must-watch, as well as a handful of great movies, including one of my favorite comic book adaptations of all time.
Malcolm McMillan
Malcolm has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. Every week, he hunts down the top shows and movies to watch on Netflix.
My top picks
‘Run Away’
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Harlan Coben adaptations have become a staple of Netflix in recent years. Last year alone saw three of his novels adapted into Netflix series, and this year, we look set to get at least two new such shows, the first of which is “Run Away.”
Based on Coben’s 2019 novel of the same name, this mystery drama series stars Ruth Jones as Private Investigator Elena Ravenscroft. She’s investigating the disappearance of Simon Greene’s (James Nesbitt) daughter, Paige (Ellie de Lange), but the case takes a shocking turn when Paige’s boyfriend, Aaron (Thomas Flynn), is found dead by the police.
The police thought that Paige was being kept by Aaron against her will, but with Aaron’s death, she’s now a possible suspect in a murder investigation. She’s not the only suspect, though. Some think it could be Simon who killed Aaron, despite his insistence that he just wants to bring his daughter home.
Stream “Run Away” on Netflix now
‘Dune’ (1984)
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This version of “Dune” — the original version of “Dune” — stars Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atredies, rather than Timothée Chalamet. But this version of Paul is still the heir to the great noble house of Atredies, proclaimed by some to be the possible messiah. Adopted from the 1965 sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert, this epic film follows the power struggle between House Atredies and House Harkonnen on the planet Arrakis, otherwise known as Dune.
Of course, a lot of you already knew that. Many of you, I’m sure, have seen Denis Villeneuve’s adaptations of the same novel with Chalamet as Paul Atredies. But unlike Villeneuve, Lynch chose to adapt the entire book into just one movie, which is a choice that produces interesting results.
Ultimately, the Villeneuve version is objectively better, but this version is worth watching to see Lynch’s version of the story and its dated visual effects. While a mainstream movie, it’s still distinctly Lynchian, and given Lynch never again took on such a mainstream project, that makes this a unique piece of cinema history.
Stream “Dune” (1984) on Netflix now
‘Hellboy’ (2004)
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“Hellboy” is one of my favorite comic book adaptations, and it heavily influenced the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies that would eventually take over Hollywood. Adapted by legendary director Guillermo del Toro from the Dark Horse Comics series of the same name, this movie mostly pulls from the character’s debut comic run, “Hellboy: Seed of Destruction.” It begins in 1944, towards the end of World War II, with Nazis led by the Russian mystic Rasputin opening a portal with the intent of unleashing demons on the world to win the war for Germany.
Before they can fully open the portal, though, a team of Allied soldiers arrives, along with the paranormal scientist Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm. Only one demon makes it through, a baby demon that Broom adopts and names “Hellboy.” In the present, Hellboy is now fully grown, and he and Broom are working with the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense to stop other demons and paranormal occurrences. But they’re about to meet an old friend from 1944, and it’s now their job to stop the apocalypse.
Stream “Hellboy” on Netflix now
‘District 9’
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“District 9” is a must-see movie for science fiction fans. Inspired by real events that occurred in Cape Town’s District Six during apartheid, South African director Neill Blomkamp decided to craft a mockumentary about aliens landing on Earth. The result is a surprisingly grounded movie given its extraterrestrial subjects. While the sci-fi elements of “District 9” aren’t unimportant, it’s clear when watching it that this film is primarily concerned with examining xenophobia and social segregation.
Much like during South Africa’s period of racial apartheid, the humans in charge of the government are not the good guys in “District 9.” Our protagonist, Wikus van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley), even initially treats the aliens of District 9 poorly despite initially seeming to be a good guy. He ultimately has his eyes opened to the horrific treatment of the aliens, but it’s a journey that will have you seriously contemplating the horrors that humans can inflict on each other … while admittedly also featuring some cool gunfights with aliens.
Stream “District 9” on Netflix now
‘Despicable Me’
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After watching some of these darker shows and movies, you’re going to need a palate cleanser. Lucky for you, Netflix just added one of the best animated comedies of the past two decades, giving you a perfect film to relax and have some laughs with.
“Despicable Me” made over half a billion dollars and spawned a seven-film franchise, so you probably already know the plot. But here’s the quick rundown in case you need a refresher. The movie centers around Gru (Steve Carell), a legendary supervillain who has his world rocked when an unknown rival steals the Great Pyramid of Giza. To get back on top, Gru, his assistant Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand) and his Minions decide to steal the Moon.
But to pull off the heist, he’ll need to steal a shrink ray from the aforementioned rival, revealed to be a villain named Vector (Jason Segel). To do that, he adopts three girls: Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Elsie Fisher). He adopts them to steal from Vector’s lair, but ultimately finds that they’ve stolen his heart. This movie may seem like it’s for kids, but trust me, you’ll love it no matter your age.
Stream “Despicable Me” on Netflix now
Everything coming to Netflix today
Here’s the full list of all 30 shows and movies arriving on Netflix today:
- “12 Years a Slave”
- “30 Minutes or Less”
- “Becky”
- “Brüno”
- “Colombiana”
- “Conan the Destroyer”
- “Dawn of the Dead”
- “Despicable Me”
- “Despicable Me 2”
- “District 9”
- “Dr. Seuss’s Red Fish, Blue Fish” season 2
- “Dune” (1984)
- “Erin Brockovich”
- “Falling Skies” seasons 1-5
- “Forever My Girl”
- “Free Solo”
- “Ghostbusters: Answer the Call”
- “Green Room”
- “Harry and the Hendersons”
- “Hellboy” (2004)
- “Johnny Mnemonic”
- “Just Go With It”
- “Lone Survivor”
- “Love from 9 to 5”
- “Man on Fire”
- “Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life”
- “My Girl”
- “My Korean Boyfriend”
- “Only the Brave”
- “Pitch Perfect”
- “Priscilla”
- “Run Away”
- “Time Flies”
- “Twins”
- “Wild Things”
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