If you’re anything like me, your "To Watch" list is already a disaster. But honestly, the new on Hulu slate for January 2026 isn't making it any easier to manage. We aren’t just talking about a couple of random movies here. It’s a full-on avalanche of prestige dramas, reality TV chaos, and some heavy-hitter licensed films that finally made the jump to streaming.
Between the toxic relationship spirals of Tell Me Lies and Ryan Murphy’s latest horror experiment, The Beauty, there’s a lot of noise. Let’s actually cut through it.
The Heavy Hitters You Can't Miss
January is basically the month of the "Addictive Drama" on Hulu.
First up, Tell Me Lies Season 3. If you haven't been keeping up with the mess that is Lucy and Stephen, you’ve got some catching up to do. The show dropped a three-episode premiere on January 13, and the buzz is already pretty wild. It’s covering the spring semester at Baird, and let’s just say things aren't getting any healthier for them.
Then we have A Thousand Blows Season 2. Steven Knight (the genius behind Peaky Blinders) is taking us back to 1880s London. It’s gritty. It’s brutal. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a show about Victorian-era bare-knuckle boxing. It premiered on January 9, and Malachi Kirby is still absolutely killing it as Hezekiah Moscow.
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FX's The Beauty (January 21)
This one is weird in the best way possible. It’s a Ryan Murphy production, so you know it’s going to be stylish and probably a little bit disturbing. The premise? A sexually transmitted virus that makes people physically "perfect" on the outside while rotting them on the inside. It stars Evan Peters and even has a guest spot from Bella Hadid. Honestly, it sounds like a classic Murphy fever dream.
New Movies and Licensed Gems
Hulu didn’t just focus on originals this month. They backed up the truck and dumped a massive collection of movies on January 1.
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Jan 22) - If you missed this in theaters, it’s finally hitting the small screen.
- Twinless (Jan 16) - This is a psychological dark comedy starring Dylan O’Brien. It was a huge hit at Sundance and explores the bond (and secrets) between two guys who lost their twin brothers.
- Wicked Little Letters (Jan 27) - Olivia Colman. Jessie Buckley. Obscene letters in a quiet 1920s town. It’s a riot.
You’ve also got the classics. We're talking Heat (which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, feel old yet?), O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and the entire Predator franchise. If you need a mindless action weekend, The Equalizer 1 and 2 also joined the library.
The Reality TV and Procedural Grind
For those of us who just want to turn our brains off after work, the January schedule is packed with the "comfort food" of television.
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The Rookie Season 8 and Will Trent Season 4 both kicked off on January 7. These are the shows that keep Hulu’s daily numbers high—nothing beats a solid procedural when you’re folding laundry.
On the reality side, Fear Factor: House of Fear (Jan 15) is a reboot that everyone is curious about. Will it be as gross as the original? Probably. But they’re leaning more into the psychological "house" aspect this time around.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Hulu/Disney+ Merger
There’s still a lot of confusion about where to watch what. While Hulu on Disney+ is a thing, not every piece of licensed content moves over instantly. For example, some of the R-rated 20th Century Studios films might show up on your Disney+ home screen if you have the bundle, but the niche ID Discovery murder mysteries (like Who Killed the Co-ed?) are often still easier to find within the dedicated Hulu app.
A Quick Peek at the January 2026 Schedule
- January 13: Tell Me Lies Season 3 (3-episode premiere)
- January 15: Fear Factor: House of Fear Series Premiere
- January 16: Twinless (Streaming Premiere)
- January 21: FX's The Beauty (3-episode premiere)
- January 22: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
- January 27: American Idol Season 9 and Wicked Little Letters
- January 30: Next Level Chef Season 5
How to Actually Navigate This Mess
If you're feeling overwhelmed, here’s my advice. Start with Twinless on the 16th. It’s short, punchy, and Dylan O’Brien’s performance is actually being talked about for awards season.
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If you want a long-term binge, A Thousand Blows is the most "prestige" thing on the platform right now. It feels like a high-budget HBO show but with that specific London grit.
Avoid the temptation to just scroll the "Recently Added" tab for 45 minutes. It’s a trap. The algorithm usually hides the best stuff (like Fremont or The Luckiest Man in America) under a mountain of House Hunters episodes.
Pro-tip: Check your "Expiring" tab too. While Hulu added a ton this month, they also cleared out a lot of those 2022 holiday movies on January 3 to make room for the 2026 slate.
To stay ahead of the curve, you should set a reminder for January 21. That’s when The Beauty drops. Given Ryan Murphy's track record, everyone is going to be talking about it the next morning, and you don’t want to be the only one who hasn't seen the "perfection virus" in action. Go into your Hulu settings now and add it to "My Stuff" so you don't forget when the three-episode premiere hits.