Crossing the Streams is our monthly look at all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month, and this time we’re checking out the new Netflix arrivals for January 2021. This month’s titles include the latest season of the Karate Kid sequel series, Anthony Mackie as an android, and more!
Netflix Pick of the Month for January 2021
If you’re watching Netflix this month, odds are you’re watching Cobra Kai Season 3. That’s understandable as the little show — still little despite its move from YouTube Red to Netflix — continues to mine gold from The Karate Kid film franchise. Daniel and Johnny are still feuding on and off, and their kids are still brawling, but the highlight this time out sees the return of two women from the films. The former love interests are given more to do and say this time out, and both add more than a little heart and class to the season. The less said about the attempt to humanize and redeem Kreese, though, the better…
New Netflix Films of Note
What Happened to Mr. Cha? is a new comedy from South Korea, and it’s the directorial debut from the writer of 2012’s brilliant Confession of Murder. That alone makes it worth a watch in my humble opinion, and I plan on doing that shortly. Pieces of a Woman arrives on January 7th, and it does so on a wave of good buzz for lead Vanessa Kirby. Her co-star Shia LaBeouf is riding considerably less favorable buzz, but don’t let that distract you from checking out the film.
Outside the Wire (pictured) premieres on January 15th and brings Anthony Mackie back into the Netflix fold after 2019’s Point Blank. It’s another action tale, but this time director Mikael Håfstöm brings a sci-fi element as Mackie plays an android. Last year showed that Netflix is an increasingly solid home for international action, and one I’m looking forward to this month is Below Zero out of Spain. It premieres on January 29th and involves a cop facing off against bad guys on a cold, isolated road.
The Oldest New Arrival
Netflix is rightfully criticized for a catalog that’s ridiculously light on older films, and by “older” I mean pre-1980s. To that end, I like to highlight the oldest film they add each month, and for January there are two arrivals that both premiered over fifty-three years ago.
Bonnie and Clyde (1967) is an Arthur Penn classic that takes a pseudo biographical look at a pair of history’s most memorable villains. Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty play the crime-loving couple, and while the bloody finale is its best-remembered scene, the film as a whole is an engaging ride.
Cool Hand Luke (1967, pictured) also presents a title character prone to criminal antics, but Paul Newman’s Luke is an undeniably charismatic guy. He becomes an underdog facing off against cruel and corrupt prison officials, and he becomes the epitome of cool along the way.
New Netflix Series That Might Be Worth a Binge
I’m more of a movie guy, but Netflix has delivered more than a few series gems over the years — the trick is finding them amid the dozens of new shows that premiere each month. A couple of this month’s new arrivals look like contenders, starting with Lupin (pictured), which arrives on January 8th. The show stars Omar Sy (The Intouchables) as a master thief looking for revenge in the streets of Paris, and it’s an adaptation of Maurice Leblanc’s classic character and tales.
Bling Empire premieres on January 15th and looks to be a Dynasty-like show focused on Asian Americans centered in Los Angeles. Their stories are all about the glitz and glamor, and big business and bigger secrets, and while it might end up being slight fun, it’s still a big step in the right direction with its cast and characters.
Last up, Fate: The Winx Saga flies in starting January 22nd on the wings of fairies with its tale of a magical boarding school filled with intrigue, monsters, and teen shenanigans. It’s the latest from the creator of The Vampire Diaries, so proceed accordingly.
The Complete Netflix List for January 2021
| Release Date | Title | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1/1 | 17 Again (2009) | |
| 30 Minutes or Less (2011) | ||
| Abby Hatcher: Season 1 | ||
| Blue Streak (1999) | ||
| Bonnie and Clyde (1967) | ||
| Can't Hardly Wait (1998) | ||
| Catch Me If You Can (2002) | ||
| Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) | ||
| Cobra Kai: Season 3 | Netflix Original | |
| Cool Hand Luke (1967) | ||
| The Creative Brain (2019) | ||
| The Departed (2006) | ||
| Dream Home Makeover: Season 2 | Netflix Original | |
| Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987) | ||
| Enter the Dragon (1973) | ||
| Gimme Shelter (2013) | ||
| Good Hair (2010) | ||
| Goodfellas (1990) | ||
| Gothika (2003) | ||
| The Haunted Hathaways: Seasons 1-2 | ||
| Headspace Guide to Meditation | Netflix Original | |
| Into the Wild (2007) | ||
| Julie & Julia (2009) | ||
| The Minimalists: Less Is Now | Netflix Documentary | |
| Monarca: Season 2 | Netflix Original | |
| Mud (2012) | ||
| Mystic Pizza (1988) | ||
| The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) | ||
| The Netflix Afterparty | Netflix Original | |
| Sex and the City: The Movie (2008) | ||
| Sex and the City 2 (2010) | ||
| Sherlock Holmes (2009) | ||
| Striptease (1996) | ||
| Superbad (2007) | ||
| What Happened to Mr. Cha? | Netflix Film | |
| What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) | ||
| 1/2 | Asphalt Burning (Børning 3) | Netflix Film |
| 1/5 | Gabby's Dollhouse | Netflix Family |
| The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) | ||
| History of Swear Words | Netflix Original | |
| LA's Finest: Season 1 | ||
| ¡Nailed It! México: Season 3 | Netflix Original | |
| 1/6 | Ratones Paranoicos: The Band that Rocked Argentina | Netflix Film |
| Surviving Death | Netflix Documentary | |
| Tony Parker: The Final Shot | Netflix Documentary | |
| 1/7 | Pieces of a Woman | Netflix Film |
| 1/8 | Charming | Netflix Film |
| The Idhun Chronicles: Part 2 | Netflix Anime | |
| Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons: Season 5 | Netflix Original | |
| Lupin | Netflix Original | |
| Mighty Little Bheem: Kite Festival | Netflix Family | |
| Pretend It’s a City | Netflix Documentary | |
| Stuck Apart (Azizler) | Netflix Film | |
| 1/10 | Spring Breakers (2012) | |
| 1/11 | CRACK: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy | Netflix Documentary |
| The Intouchables (2011) | ||
| 1/12 | Last Tango in Halifax: Season 4 | |
| 1/13 | An Imperfect Murder | |
| Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer | Netflix Documentary | |
| 1/15 | Bling Empire | Netflix Original |
| Carmen Sandiego: Season 4 | Netflix Family | |
| Disenchantment: Part 3 | Netflix Original | |
| Double Dad (Pai Em Dobro) | Netflix Film | |
| Henry Danger: Seasons 1-3 | ||
| Hook (1991) | ||
| Kuroko's Basketball: Season 1 | ||
| The Magicians: Season 5 | ||
| Outside the Wire | Netflix Film | |
| Penguins of Madagascar: The Movie (2014) | ||
| Pinkfong & Baby Shark's Space Adventure (2019) | ||
| 1/16 | A Monster Calls (2016) | |
| Radium Girls (2020) | ||
| 1/18 | Homefront (2013) | |
| 1/19 | Hello Ninja: Season 4 | Netflix Family |
| 1/20 | Daughter From Another Mother (Madre solo hay dos) | Netflix Original |
| Sightless (2020) | ||
| Spycraft | Netflix Original | |
| 1/21 | Call My Agent!: Season 4 | Netflix Original |
| 1/22 | Blown Away: Season 2 | Netflix Original |
| Busted!: Season 3 | Netflix Original | |
| Fate: The Winx Saga | Netflix Original | |
| Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous Season 2 | Netflix Family | |
| So My Grandma’s a Lesbian! (Salir del ropero) | Netflix Film | |
| The White Tiger | Netflix Film | |
| 1/23 | Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) | Netflix Original |
| 1/26 | Go Dog Go | Netflix Family |
| 1/27 | 50M2 | Netflix Original |
| Accomplice | ||
| Bonding: Season 2 | Netflix Original | |
| Penguin Bloom | Netflix Film | |
| 1/29 | Below Zero (Bajocero) | Netflix Film |
| The Dig | Netflix Film | |
| Finding 'Ohana | Netflix Film | |
| We Are: The Brooklyn Saints | Netflix Documentary | |
| 1/31 | Fatima (2020) |
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