Looking for something new to watch on Netflix? You’ve come to the right place. Here are the best new shows and movies releasing on Netflix the week of Jan. 8-14, 2021 (we start it on Fridays since that’s when Netflix releases its biggest shows).
Wow, glad 2020 is over eh? *Elbows you in the ribs* We’re in the clear now, right? Sigh. At least we have Netflix to distract us. Except in accordance with how things are going, this is what I’d call a pretty light week for good, new releases. Still, there’s a fun French thriller, a few docuseries about horrible things, and an intimate look at one of the world’s best complainers.
All titles debut on Friday, Jan. 8 unless otherwise noted. Here’s what came out on Netflix last week.
If you’re looking for even more hand-picked recommendations, we have plenty. If you’d like to see what’s coming out on Netflix in January, here’s everything that’s coming to the service in the month.
The Biggest Releases
Lupin, Season 1
Omar Sy stars as Assans Diop, a man who is essentially a French Bruce Wayne if Batman was more of a cat burglar than dark knight. Inspired by the classic French character Arsène Lupin, known as the “gentleman burglar,” Diop starts the series off trying to steal a valuable necklace from the Louvre with a grand heist as part of a revenge plot against the wealthy family responsible for the death of father several years prior. Sy is a charming dude, and the heists and trickery are fun, complicated acts, performed under the guise of being the good guy. It isn’t the greatest show Netflix ever put out, but it is a very entertaining distraction that’s easy to get through. Five episodes air in this run, with more to come later.
Pretend It’s a City
Heyyyyy New Yawkers, your queen, essayist and grumpy humorist Fran Lebowitz, gets chased around the Big Apple by fellow New Yawker Martin Scorsese, who captures every grousy opinion Lebowitz can fire off on just about every subject out there. It’s a limited docuseries. [Trailer]
Everything Else
Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy, Season 1
Drugs are bad, but they’re great for documentaries. This film recounts the crack cocaine epidemic that hit Southern California (and the rest of the country) and the ’80s which decimated the poor and people of color, as well as the authorities’ role in letting it rage on. [Monday, Jan. 11]
Charming
Netflix’s latest original kids movie is basically the ’80s film Just One of the Guys but set in a fantasy world in which a young prince must go through a physical trial in order to marry a princess, so he gets help from a young woman who pretends to be a guy and you can figure out the rest. Also, Wilmer Valderrama voices the prince, which, based on the trailer, was a very bad idea. Anyway, it’s animated and new, so you know it’s going to be No. 1 on Netflix’s Top 10 list. [Trailer]
The Idhun Articles, Part 2
In this anime about young adults saving the world from evil forces, all the main characters have the same shoulder-length hair. [Trailer]
Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons, Season 5
If you’ve been dying to get inside the world’s toughest prisons, but are having trouble because you are a white male, just watch this show instead. [Trailer]
The Best New TV Shows of 2020 to Binge-Watch
Mighty Little Bheem: Kite Festival
The little troublemaking Indian baby flies a kite, and he does it in space, which is impossible yet this show has no problem sending the wrong messages to little ones. [Trailer]
Stuck Apart (Azizier)
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: A middle-aged man bored with existence has a mid-life crisis. Welcome to the club, pal! [Trailer]
Chris Rock: Total Blackout, The Tamborine Extended Cut
Comedian Chris Rock remixes his 2018 comedy special. How do you remix a stand-up special? I do not know. [Trailer / Tuesday, Jan. 12]
Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer
If watching a documentary about the crack epidemic wasn’t enough of 1980s Los Angeles at its worst for you, check out this true crime docuseries following the pursuit of Richard “Night Stalker” Ramirez, who terrorized the southland in the middle of the decade. Fair warning: It’s not as good as Netflix’s other true crime series. [Trailer / Thursday, Jan. 14]
Looking for more? Check out our picks for the best Netflix shows and movies to watch in January.
Lucifer, The Baby-Sitters Club, Love Is Blind