'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Netflix has a varied selection of must-watch TV shows and movies to start the year, as viewers embrace 2025. From thrilling series premieres to classic movies, explore re-released masterpieces like Interstellar and Rush Hour this January.
Enjoy seasons of beloved shows like Stranger Things, as well as suspenseful thrillers like Baby Reindeer. Whether one enjoys comedies, exciting mysteries, or fiction, this collection of the best selections will keep viewers occupied throughout the month.
Here is a list of the ten best TV shows and movies to watch on Netflix in January 2025.
Disclaimer: The following list is ranked in no particular order, and the opinions expressed belong solely to the author.
Trending
Interstellar, Rush Hour, and 8 other TV shows and movies to watch on Netflix in January 2025
1) Interstellar
The 2014 science fiction film Interstellar was directed by Christopher Nolan, with the screenplay co-written by him and his brother, Jonathan.
Matthew McConaughey, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine are among the movie's star-studded cast members.
The plot, which is set in a grim future where famine and terrible plagues devastate Earth, centers on a group of astronauts who travel through a wormhole close to Saturn, in a last-ditch effort to discover a planet that can support human life.
The film was met with mostly positive reviews and earned $681 million globally during its original theatrical release, ranking as the tenth-highest-grossing movie of 2014. Its computer-generated portrayal of a black hole, developed with input from physicist Kip Thorne, received praise from both astronomers and scientists.
Interstellar has been added to Netflix to mark its 10th anniversary. After its initial release in 2014, the film returned to theaters in December 2024 to celebrate this milestone and is available for streaming on Netflix starting January 1, 2025.
2) Rush Hour
Rush Hour is a 1998 American action-comedy film directed by Brett Ratner, based on a story by LaManna. The film features Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as an unlikely duo of police officers.
In 1997, Detective Lee retrieves stolen Chinese treasures but misses capturing crime boss, Juntao. Months later, in Los Angeles, Juntao's men abduct Soo Yung, the daughter of Chinese consul Han. Lee partners with LAPD detective Carter to save her.
Debuting on September 18, 1998, the film garnered positive reviews from critics and earned over $244 million globally. Its commercial success at the box office paved the way for two sequels: Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Rush Hour 3 (2007).
Rush Hour has returned to Netflix for its 25th anniversary, allowing fans to revisit the classic. Rush Hour 4 might return in 2025.
3) Inception
Christopher Nolan's 2010 sci-fi film Inception features Leonardo DiCaprio as a thief who infiltrates people's subconscious minds to steal their secrets.
He is offered a chance to erase his criminal past in exchange for implanting an idea in someone's mind. The cast includes Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, and more.
Inception earned over $837 million globally, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2010, per IMDb. Recognized as one of the top films of the 2010s, it won four Academy Awards and received four additional nominations at the 83rd Academy Awards.
Starting January 1, Netflix has included Nolan's Inception in its streaming collection.
4) Back in Action
Back in Action is an upcoming movie directed by Seth Gordon. It features Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, and is scheduled to premiere on the streaming service on January 17, 2025.
In this Netflix action-comedy, Cameron Diaz makes her return to film after stepping away from acting in 2014. She reunites with Foxx, with whom she previously starred in Any Given Sunday (1999) and Annie (2014).
Years after retiring to establish families, Diaz and Foxx play former CIA agents who are dragged back into the world of espionage when their cover is revealed. Jamie Demetriou, Andrew Scott, Glenn Close, and Kyle Chandler all feature in the movie.
5) 13 Going on 30
13 Going on 30 (also known as Suddenly 30 in some regions) is a 2004 romantic fantasy comedy directed by Gary Winick. Starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo, the film follows a 13-year-old girl from 1987 who wakes up to find herself 30 years old in 2004, working as a fashion editor.
The film earned $22 million in its first week and over $96 million overall. And its soundtrack reached the top 50 on the US Billboard 200.
The film is celebrating its 20th anniversary. To honor this milestone, the beloved feel-good movie is arriving on Netflix this January, offering fans the opportunity to relive one of the most nostalgic and charming films of the early 2000s.
6) Arcane
Christian Linke and Alex Yee are the creators of the adult animated action-adventure series Arcane (also known as Arcane: League of Legends on screen).
As tensions rise between the wealthy, idealistic city of Piltover and the struggling, oppressed district of Zaun, sisters Vi and Powder become caught up in a growing conflict driven by conflicting beliefs and powerful arcane technologies.
It set a record as Netflix's highest-rated series within a week of its premiere, topping the charts in 52 countries. In 2022, it became the first streaming series to win a Primetime Emmy.
7) Wednesday
Wednesday is a gothic supernatural mystery-comedy thriller series centered on the character Wednesday Addams, created by Charles Addams. It features Jenna Ortega in the lead role.
After being expelled for bullying, Wednesday is sent to Nevermore Academy, a school for outcasts in Vermont. Her cold, rebellious personality makes it hard for her to fit in, and causes tension with Principal Larissa Weems.
However, she discovers she has inherited her mother's psychic abilities, which aid her in solving a local murder mystery.
Wednesday rose to the second-most-watched English-language series on the streaming service in just three weeks. It won four Primetime Emmys, including nominations for Lead Actress and Outstanding Comedy Series, and received two Golden Globes.
Season 2 is set to premiere in 2025.
8) Bridgerton
Based on Julia Quinn's book series, Chris Van Dusen developed the historical romantic series Bridgerton for Netflix.
Set during the Regency era, the eight siblings of the influential Bridgerton family—Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth—traverse London's high society in their quest for love, surrounded by friends and rivals.
Benedict Bridgerton's story is coming in Season 4, with Halo actress Yerin Ha playing Sophie Baek, his love interest. Harry Potter star Katie Leung also joins the cast, adding to the excitement.
While the season is expected to premiere in 2026, fans can re-watch earlier seasons in 2025 to relive favorite moments and spot clues about Benedict's journey.
9) Baby Reindeer
Based on his personal one-man act, Richard Gadd developed and starred in the Scottish comedy-drama thriller miniseries, Baby Reindeer. The series received positive reviews and a large audience when it debuted on the streaming service on April 11, 2024.
It was nominated for 11 Primetime Emmys and won six of them, including Supporting Actress, and Lead Actor.
Donny Dunn, a bartender and aspiring comedian, befriends a customer, Martha, who becomes obsessed with him, and begins stalking him.
10) Stranger Things
Created by the Duffer Brothers for Netflix, Stranger Things is celebrated for its impressive ensemble cast, plot, and mix of horror, drama, sci-fi, mystery, and coming-of-age themes, all set in the 1980s.
The series follows the people of Hawkins, Indiana, a made-up small town, as they confront the threats of the Upside Down— an ominous parallel dimension brought to life by a nearby secretive research facility.
The streaming service announced that production on the fifth and final season of its hit series has wrapped. While no release date has been set, the show is confirmed to return in 2025.
Viewers can re-watch these classic movies and shows as they wait for upcoming season releases and new arrivals on Netflix.
