Each month, Netflix refreshes their library by taking away and adding a whole host of movies for subscribers to choose from. Sometimes it can feel a bit overwhelming to sift through them all as you try to decide what’s worth your precious time, which is why we’ve compiled a list of three movies that are guaranteed winners.
Spanning a wide range of genres, these hand-picked selections boast impressive Rotten Tomatoes scores, and while critics don’t always get it right, you’re sure to find at least one movie from the list below that you can add to your watchlist. From harrowing sci-fi to historical favorites, here are our picks for three of the best movies that were added to Netflix in January 2026.
‘Green Room’ (90%)
Released in 2016, Green Room is the rare horror movie that managed to impress critics rather than repulse them. Set in the Pacific Northwest, the film follows a punk rock band who witness a murder, and then find themselves at the mercy of a group of neo-Nazi skinheads, led by a figure played by Patrick Stewart. Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier (Rebel Ridge), its premise might be simple, but Green Room is anything but your run-of-the-mill survival horror.
Also starring the likes of Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, and Callum Turner, Green Room is an unrelenting and downright mean horror movie that doesn’t let up once things get started. Exploring the fragility of life through the lens of extreme violence, you’ll find no comfort in this one, but rather a film that highlights the banality of evil that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
‘District 9’ (90%)
Hailed as one of the greatest sci-fi movies of the century, District 9 is Neill Blomkamp’s debut feature that explores everything from xenophobia and corporate greed to segregation and identity. Hitting theaters in 2009, the film follows the arrival of a sick and malnourished alien species and their subsequent confinement to an internment camp in South Africa. As years pass, locals look upon them with disdain, viewing the aliens as nothing more than a blight on the planet. When tensions rise, a defense contractor is brought in to squelch the unrest, leading to one man deciding which side of history he wants to be on.
Praised for its emotional impact, mockumentary style, and social commentary, District 9 was nominated for four Academy Awards, including one for Best Picture. Though it failed to take home any trophies, Blomkamp’s sci-fi masterpiece remains just as relevant today as it was more than a decade ago.
’12 Years a Slave’ (95%)
Unlike District 9, 12 Years a Slave managed to take home numerous Academy Awards, including the Oscar for Best Picture. Directed by Steve McQueen, this 2013 historical drama traces the life of Solomon Northup, a New York-born free Black man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. in 1841 and sold into slavery.
Led by Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave is an emotionally powerful and unflinching look at the atrocities of slavery, and how easily evil can become normalized when it’s held up by acceptance. Brutally honest and, at times, extremely painful to watch, the film is bolstered by the performances of its star-studded supporting cast, which includes Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong’o, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt, and Alfre Woodard.
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