Netflix is betting big on star power and fan-favorite genres to kick off 2026, rolling out a January slate that pairs true-crime documentaries with A-list thrillers, anime, and romantic comedies.
**At a Glance
- Ben Affleck and Matt Damon reunite in cop thriller The Rip on Jan. 16
- Emily Henry romance People We Meet on Vacation streams Jan. 9
- Elizabeth Smart tells her own story in documentary Jan. 21
- Why it matters: Netflix’s mix of blockbusters and niche docs aims to keep subscribers hooked after holiday viewing spikes
The streamer’s first month of 2026 leans into four proven crowd-pleasers: high-profile crime dramas, literary adaptations, anime from top-tier creators, and real-life survivor stories. The lineup drops as competitors ramp up content spending, making January a key battleground for viewer retention.
A-List Reunion Heads the Pack
The Rip lands Jan. 16 with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon sharing the screen as Miami cops who stumble on a massive illegal cash seizure. The discovery fractures their squad and tests loyalties across the force. Joe Carnahan-behind The A-Team and Copshop-writes and directs the feature, which also stars Teyana Taylor, Steven Yeun, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Kyle Chandler.
Romance and Page-to-Screen Treats
Book lovers get an early Valentine on Jan. 9 when People We Meet on Vacation adapts Emily Henry’s best-selling novel. Tom Blyth and Emily Bader play Alex and Poppy, polar-opposite best friends whose decade of summer trips pushes them to confront deeper feelings. The ensemble rounds out with Sarah Catherine Hook, Jameela Jamil, Lucien Laviscount, and Lukas Gage.
True Crime, Survivor Stories
Jan. 21 brings Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, a documentary anchored by Smart’s own account of her 2002 abduction at age 14. Shot over multiple interviews, the film revisits the Salt Lake City night she was taken, the nine-month search, and her rescue from captors Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. Smart reflects on the investigation and her healing journey in the years since.
Behind the Scenes of the Upside Down
Fan service continues Jan. 12 with One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things Season 5. The documentary follows cast, creators, and crew through the final shoot of Netflix’s flagship series, offering backstage footage and emotional wrap stories as the show that launched careers comes to a close.
Anime From an Opening-Sequence Legend
Animation fans mark Jan. 22 for Cosmic Princess Kaguya!, the feature-length debut of Shingo Yamashita, whose opening sequences powered Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Urusei Yatsura. The film re-imagines the Japanese folk tale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter with a modern twist: a moon-born baby emerges from a telephone pole, grows into a musician and internet celebrity, and confronts destiny with original music and 3-D camera work.
Daredevils and Olympic Underdogs
Jan. 1 added Free Solo, the Oscar-winning chronicle of Alex Honnold’s rope-free climb of Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Capitan. The documentary sets the stage for Skyscraper Live on Jan. 23, a Netflix special where Honnold attempts a live, no-harness ascent of Taipei 101, the 1,667-foot Taiwanese skyscraper.
Sports nostalgia arrives Jan. 30 via Miracle: The Boys of ’80, a documentary on the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team’s upset victory over the USSR en route to gold at Lake Placid. The release precedes the Winter Games in Milan and revisits the so-called “Miracle on Ice.”
International Crime Capers
Jan. 23 drops The Big Fake, retelling the life of Antonio Chichiarelli, an Italian artist rejected by the establishment who forged old-master paintings and partnered with powerful gangs. The film culminates in the 1984 Brinks robbery in Rome, one of Italy’s largest heists.
Full January Schedule
| Release Date | Title | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 1 | Free Solo | Documentary |
| Jan. 9 | People We Meet on Vacation | Romance |
| Jan. 12 | One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 | Docuseries |
| Jan. 16 | The Rip | Crime thriller |
| Jan. 21 | Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart | Documentary |
| Jan. 22 | Cosmic Princess Kaguya! | Anime |
| Jan. 23 | The Big Fake, Skyscraper Live | Crime doc, Live special |
| Jan. 30 | Miracle: The Boys of ’80 | Sports documentary |
Netflix executives have not disclosed viewership targets for the new slate, but the service’s content chief told News Of Los Angeles the lineup is designed to “super-serve every major taste community” during the traditionally high-engagement winter window.
Subscribers can set notifications for the titles now; all listed originals launch globally at midnight Pacific time on their respective dates.
