Image: Universal Pictures
As 2025 comes to a close, hopefully you all found some time over the holidays to watch all the new releases that Netflix has put out this year. Apart from these, we highly recommend taking some time to watch some of the incredible movies that are about to drop as we enter the new year.
In total, there are over 150 movies and series being released on January 1st alone, and there are also plenty of big TV shows you should stick around over the festive period to watch before they move on. However, below we are going to tell you about 8 movies that we think should be on your list for the last remaining week of December.
You can find all the removals planned for Netflix during January 2026 here.
baby driver (2017)
leaving netflix: January 1st
Picture Credit: Big Talk Studios, Working Title Films and MRC
When it comes to which film from director Edgar Wright is the best, I often switch between the two. Hot Fuzz and Baby Driver. I think Hot Fuzz often wins, but baby driver It’s so good that it’s never far away. Showcasing the director’s signature action style with a big Hollywood budget, the film focuses on Baby, a runaway driver who is in debt to his paymaster but ultimately decides enough is enough and gives up his dangerous and exciting role. However it is not that easy.
Ansel Elgort played Baby alongside a cast of high-profile names including Lily James, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx and Eiza Gonzalez, the latter three playing eccentric bank robbers and they did a great job. It’s high-octane from the start and has a great soundtrack.
doctor sleep (2019)
leaving netflix: January 1st
I came late Shininghave only seen This is in the last few years. However, once I did, I became another instant convert, and this will forever be Stephen King’s best adaptation. Then, it didn’t take me long to understand Mike Flanagan’s epic continuity.
Years after the events of The Shining, Danny is now alone and drunk and the burden of what happened during his stay at the Overlook Hotel continues to haunt him. However, she gets a new lease of life when she discovers, or rather discovers, another young girl with extraordinary abilities who is being hunted by a group that feeds on the spark that resides within them.
Despite being very different in tone and story from the original, it is a worthy successor. Flanagan shows that he is one of the best storytellers out there right now, and it’s a shame that Netflix let him go from their overall deal.
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)
leaving netflix: January 1st
On paper, the Lego movies shouldn’t work, but they do. While perhaps not as good as the first movie, the second LEGO movie brought together more shenanigans, incorporating famous LEGO minifigures and multiple IPs from the entertainment landscape, creating a fun and cute fusion.
The sequel’s synopsis reads, “The battle to defeat the invaders and restore harmony to the LEGO universe will take Emmet, Lucy, Batman and their friends to distant, unknown worlds, including a galaxy filled with fantastic planets, strange characters and charming new songs. It will test their courage, creativity and master building skills, and reveal just how special they really are.”
safe house (2012)
leaving netflix: January 1st
Last week, we revealed that Denzel Washington’s upcoming Netflix film, there are floods hereAn exclusive study reveals one of Netflix’s most anticipated titles of 2026. There’s a reason it’s the most anticipated: Washington elevates every movie he stars in to greatness, and that applies to this one too. safe houseIn which he stars alongside Ryan Reynolds.
Released nearly 14 years ago, director Daniel Espinosa’s action thriller tells the story of a dangerous CIA renegade who resurfaces after a decade on the run. When the safe house he was sent to is attacked by mercenaries, a rookie henchman goes on the run with him. Now, unlikely allies must survive long enough to find out who wants them dead.
Captain Phillips (2013)
leaving netflix: January 1st
Based on a true story, we move on to Captain Phillips, which has become a somewhat controversial film over the years, although much of the controversy has come down to what the film is based on rather than any particular decision by the filmmakers. For those unfamiliar, the plot takes a look at the hijacking of the American container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates in 2009. If you haven’t seen the movie, you’ve almost certainly seen the meme “Now I’m the captain of this ship.”
Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdirahman are brilliant in the film and the thriller raises many questions. A quick side note: because this is a Sony Pictures film, you can’t watch it on Netflix if you’re on the ad tier, as it’s one of the 100+ titles currently blocked.
zero Dark Thirty (2012)
leaving netflix: January 1st
Image: Annapurna Pictures
Added earlier this year for Kathryn Bigelow’s big directorial return, courtesy of Netflix a house of dynamite (still my favorite Netflix film of the year), Zero Dark Thirty may be the director’s favorite film, even if it’s not as well-crafted hurt lockerWhich came before this. Directed by Jessica Chastain, the film takes you to the early 2000s, after the tragic 9/11 attacks on New York and other locations in the US. You’ll follow a CIA officer who travels to the ends of the earth to bring those responsible to justice.
Principle (2020)
leaving netflix: January 1st
Although most would agree that Christopher Nolan is one of the best directors of the last two decades, a significant portion would have difficulty making a wholehearted recommendation. PrincipleIncluding me. Despite this, here is my recommendation because even if you come out the other side completely bewildered by what you saw, it is worth a visit.
The film, directed by Robert Pattinson and John David Washington, puts time at the center of the story, as a new technology is invented that allows people to travel back in time. This technology is causing a massive temporal war that threatens the Earth. It is complex, sometimes difficult to the point of incomprehensible, but still worth the experience. I don’t think this would rank very high in your Nolan rankings. However, can you prove me wrong?
way back (2020)
leaving netflix: January 1st
Yes, there’s another Warner Bros. movie coming out on January 1 (hopefully that won’t be a problem eventually if the big deal is in place) but it’s worth your time, especially considering that a big Ben Affleck movie is just around the corner from Netflix US. incision All set to debut in January and fingers crossed for his second film, AnimalWill not be far behind him.
Directed by Gavin O’Connor, the film centers on Jack Cunningham, who faces some tough times as he appears to be at the peak of his life early on, but ultimately misses out on sporting greatness by giving up too early. However, he gets a second chance at redemption when he is drafted to coach a struggling basketball team, which, he discovers, has long been his true calling.
An inspiring story, well acted and directed, it’s a shame we only had a few months to see this game, but don’t miss your chance.
These are our picks for the movies you should see before they’re gone – tell us which movie you’re going to see or rewatch before it’s gone.