Warrior – Picture: Lionsgate
Thanks to a big dump of movies midway through the week, we’ve got some strong candidates for the list of best new movies and series added to Netflix over the past week.
If you want to see a full list of what’s new on Netflix – you can see an expanded list of all the new releases via our hub page. We also rounded up all the new additions up until January 18th here.
Check out our monthly guide for what’s still to come to Netflix throughout the remainder of January 2024. We’re also tracking all the February 2024 releases here.
Please note: this list is primarily for Netflix US – other regions’ availability will vary.
American Nightmare (Season 1)
Number of episodes: 3
Rating: TV-MA
Language: English
Genre: Documentary, True-crime
Director: Felicity Morris, Bernadette Higgins
Runtime: 46 mins
Hoping to kick off the year strong on the documentary front, Netflix released the three-part true crime docu-series American Nightmare on Wednesday.
Reviews have been very strong thus far, and that shouldn’t come as a huge surprise given that it’s from the same production company as The Tinder Swindler.
Per the streamer, here’s what you can expect:
“After a harrowing home invasion and kidnapping in 2015, a couple is accused of staging the ordeal when the woman reappears in this true-crime docuseries.”
Warrior (2011)
Rating: PG-13
Language: English
Genre: Action, Drama, Sport
Director: Gavin O’Connor
Cast: Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte, Joel Edgerton
Writer: Gavin O’Connor, Anthony Tambakis, Cliff Dorfman
Runtime: 140 min / 2h 20m
As part of the Thursday movie dump, Netflix added the excellent 2011 Tom Hardy boxing movie Warrior.
Nominated for an Oscar, the movie follows an ex-Marine who is getting trained by his father to compete in a cutthroat MMA tournament that’s made even tougher given that he’s having to face off against this estranged brother.
Given we’re still waiting for Hardy’s next step into the ring via Netflix’s upcoming movie Havoc (which we’re praying will hit in 2024), this is a suitable stopgap.
Queenpins (2021)
Rating: R
Language: English
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Director: Aron Gaudet, Gita Pullapilly
Cast: Kristen Bell, Kirby, Paul Walter Hauser
Writer: Aron Gaudet, Gita Pullapilly
Runtime: 110 min / 1h 50m
If you’re looking for a fun film to dive into this weekend, we’d highly recommend Queenpins, which was first released via Paramount+ as an Original title but now comes to Netflix via STX.
With a recognizable cast led by Kristen Bell and Vince Vaughn, the comedy sees a housewife and a vlogger team up to start a new empire based on, wait for it, coupons. Their plan works for a while until a pair of underperformers vow to take them down.
Reviews weren’t particularly strong, but I found myself agreeing with Josh Winning’s review for RadioTimes, who concluded, “Bell and Howell-Baptiste are so likable that they make this a fun ride while it lasts.”
The Guns of Navarone (1961)
Rating: TV-14
Language: English
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Cast: David Niven, Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn
Writer: Alistair MacLean, Carl Foreman
Runtime: 158 min / 2h 38m
Picture: Columbia Pictures
As of late, Netflix has been pushing older movies with a new initiative launched this week celebrating classic movies from the 1970s. Continuing that trend, Netflix picked up the 1961 action movie The Guns of Navarone, which is set during WWII.
Based on the novel, the movie follows a team of allied saboteurs who are assigned the mission of infiltrating a Nazi-held island.
The Hill (2023)
Rating: PG
Language: English
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Director: Jeff Celentano
Cast: Colin Ford, Dennis Quaid, Joelle Carter
Making its SVOD debut on Netflix US this weekend is The Hill, a new sports biopic on the MLB player who fought against a degenerative spinal condition to compete at the highest levels.
The Kitchen (2023)
Rating: R
Language: English
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Director: Daniel Kaluuya, Kibwe Tavares
Cast: Kano, Jedaiah Bannerman, Hope Ikpoku Jnr
Writer: Daniel Kaluuya, Joe Murtagh
Runtime: 107 min / 1h 47m
Finally, rounding out our picks, we had to include the brand new Netflix Original movie The Kitchen from first-time directors Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares. The British sci-fi movie has a bunch of interesting ideas and seems to have gotten praise from most critics thus far.
Per Film4, who co-financed the movie alongside Netflix, here’s what you can expect:
“The gap between rich and poor has reached extreme levels and all social housing has been abolished except for The Kitchen. One community refuses to leave their home, despite the oppressive system.”
As you may have read, we haven’t been too keen on the movie. I first published my review following its debut at the BFI Film Festival, and our main movie critic, Andrew Morgan, provided his thoughts yesterday:
“Impressive visuals & a solid cast can’t entirely overcome its lack of conviction in its purpose & ideas. However, its watchability & urgency make it worth a look.”
What are you watching on Netflix this weekend? Let us know in the comments.
