It’s often difficult to select what movie to watch among Netflix’s extensive catalog, but there are always fantastic options to choose from. Netflix offers a wide variety of films, ranging from original projects, beloved classics, and recent hits. However, it’s consistently changing as many movies leave or are added to the platform.
As the calendar moves to the middle of January, it’s the perfect time to watch some projects before they leave the service. It’s also award season, and the platform has many past award-winners that showcase many engaging stories and top-tier performances. While there are plenty of new films to check out, these 3 films are worthy of a first-time viewing or rewatch.
3 28 Days Later (2003)
28 Days Later stars Cillian Murphy as Jim Murphy, a man who wakes up from a coma to discover that the UK has been ravaged by an infection that turns people into rage-filled zombie-esque monsters. While coming to grips with his new reality, Jim embarks on a journey with other survivors to hopefully find safety.
Directed by Danny Boyle, the film offers many chilling sequences, but also tells a human story about finding hope and new relationships within a dire situation. The franchise had a resurgence with 2025’s 28 Years Later, which is also streaming on Netflix, providing a perfect double-feature before 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, premieres on January 16.
2 Parasite (2019)
Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite remains timely over six years later. The South Korean drama centers on a lower-class family who infiltrate the lives of a wealthy family by being hired for different roles and pretending they don’t know each other. Ho delivered an intriguing story that delivers surprising twists and meaningful commentary on class inequality.
Parasite was a critical darling upon its release, and transformed how international films perform at the Oscars. It became the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture, and also won Best Director, Best International Feature, and Best Original Screenplay at the 2020 Academy Awards. It’s set to leave Netflix on January 31, so make sure to watch this Oscar-winner before then.
1 The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street is a hectic and captivating biopic, depicting the scandalous story of stockbroker Jordan Belfort. Featuring a wonderful cast with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Margot Robbie, the film is an endlessly entertaining ride for its near 3-hour runtime.