Honestly, January used to be the "dump month." Studios would take the movies they didn't know how to sell—the weird ones, the broken ones, the ones that felt like homework—and toss them into the cold winter air to wither. But 2026 is feeling different. The sheer volume of new movies streaming online right now suggests the old rules have basically been set on fire.
Whether it’s a big-budget sci-fi sequel that struggled in theaters or a gritty crime thriller starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the streamers are playing for keeps this month. You don't have to settle for reruns of The Office for the ninth time.
There's actually a lot to unpack here, from the resurrection of the Tron franchise to some surprisingly heavy hitters on Netflix. Let’s get into what’s actually worth your bandwidth this week.
The Big Ones: Tron, Ben Affleck, and Rom-Com Revivals
If you missed Tron: Ares when it hit theaters last fall, you aren’t alone. It had a rough go at the box office. But it just landed on Disney+ on January 7, and it’s a perfect example of a "second life" movie. Jared Leto plays Ares, an AI program that manages to cross over into our world. Is it a masterpiece? Well, the critics were mixed, but it’s visually stunning. If you have a 4K setup, the Nine Inch Nails soundtrack alone makes it worth the sit.
Then we have Netflix. They aren't messing around.
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On January 16, they dropped The Rip. It’s directed by Joe Carnahan, and it brings Matt Damon and Ben Affleck back together. It’s a heat-soaked, gritty crime thriller that feels like a throwback to the 90s. No capes, no multiverses—just a solid, dirty story about bad people doing worse things.
Netflix's Rom-Com Power Play
If you want something that won't give you high blood pressure, People We Meet on Vacation hit the service on January 9. It’s the adaptation of the Emily Henry bestseller. Emily Bader and Tom Blyth have that "will-they-won't-they" chemistry that usually feels forced in these things, but here, it actually works. It's the kind of movie you watch with a blanket and zero expectations, only to realize halfway through that you're actually invested in whether or not these two idiots end up together.
The Weird and the Wonderful on Max and Peacock
Max (formerly HBO Max, though we all still just call it HBO, let's be real) is leaning into the prestige stuff.
- The Smashing Machine (Jan 23): This is the one everyone is talking about. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is actually acting. Like, really acting. It’s a Benny Safdie-directed biopic about MMA legend Mark Kerr. It’s gritty, it’s painful, and it’s probably the most vulnerable Johnson has ever been on screen.
- If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (Jan 30): This is for the indie heads. Rose Byrne gives a performance that already has some Oscar buzz from its festival run. It’s a psychological drama that’s pretty intense, so maybe don’t make it a "casual Friday night" pick unless you’re in the mood to feel things.
Peacock is doing something very Yorgos Lanthimos. If you liked Poor Things or The Favourite, you need to check out Bugonia. It’s an English-language remake of the cult Korean film Save the Green Planet!. It involves a man who kidnaps a CEO because he’s convinced the executive is an alien preparing for an invasion. It is weird. It is uncomfortable. It is exactly what you expect from Lanthimos.
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Why "New" Doesn't Always Mean Brand New
Streaming is weird because "new" can be subjective.
A lot of the best new movies streaming online this month are actually older hits finally making their way to a specific platform. Netflix just dropped a massive chunk of the James Bond catalog on January 15. If you haven't seen No Time to Die yet, or if you just want to see Daniel Craig look grumpy in a tuxedo for six hours, now’s your chance.
Hulu is also playing the nostalgia card. They added James Cameron’s The Abyss on New Year's Day. If you’ve only ever seen the grainy old DVD version, the 4K restoration is a revelation.
The Shudder Corner
For the horror fans, Shudder is currently the place to be. They’ve added Bone Tomahawk and the original 1974 Texas Chain Saw Massacre. It’s not "new" in the chronological sense, but for a new generation of fans finding these through the algorithm, it’s a fresh nightmare.
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How to Actually Choose What to Watch
With so many options, the paradox of choice is real. You spend forty minutes scrolling and end up watching a YouTube video about a guy cleaning a rug. Don't do that.
- Check the "Leaving Soon" lists first. Services like Hulu and Max are aggressive about rotating content. If something like 10 Cloverfield Lane (which hit Paramount+ on Jan 1) is on your list, watch it now before it vanishes in February.
- Look for the "Theatrical to Streaming" pipeline. Movies like Twisters (Peacock, Jan 15) and Venom: Let There Be Carnage (Disney+, Jan 22) are finally hitting the "free" tier of their respective apps. You’ve already paid for the subscription; don't pay $5.99 to rent them elsewhere.
- Trust the "Boutique" streamers. If you’re tired of the Netflix algorithm, MUBI or Criterion Channel often have the stuff that actually makes you think.
The reality is that new movies streaming online in 2026 are better than they’ve been in years. The "theatrical window" has shrunk so much that high-quality cinema is hitting your living room faster than ever.
If you’re looking for a starting point, go with The Rip on Netflix for action, or wait a few days for The Smashing Machine on Max for something that’ll actually stick with you. Just make sure your internet connection is solid, because there's nothing worse than a 4K emotional breakdown buffering at the climax.
Next Steps:
- Audit your subscriptions; if you're only paying for Disney+ for Tron, see if there's a bundle with Hulu to catch The Abyss.
- Set a "Watchlist" on an app like Letterboxd to track these release dates so you don't miss the 30-day windows.
- Check your TV settings to ensure "Motion Smoothing" is off before watching The Smashing Machine—Benny Safdie’s cinematography deserves to be seen without that "soap opera" effect.