January has historically been a dumping ground for bad movies or movies that the studios didn’t really believe in.
That’s why it’s so strange that a film released in January turned out to be one of the best of the year. Or at least a movie that lasts.
Watch with us has scoured the past five decades of film history to find the five best films released in January.
One of these films even won Best Picture at the Oscars, while another is an influential genre film starring George Clooney.
The 2026 awards season will begin soon, and it won’t be long before we know which 2025 films are the first at the Oscars. But it takes more than an Academy Award for a film to secure its place in film history. A true masterpiece can be recognized even without these accolades. The (…)
5. ‘Cloverfield’ (2008)
Release date: January 18, 2008
If you have lived Cloverfield-mania in 2007, you might remember that the movie teasers were actually more exciting than the movie itself. The secrecy and brief glimpses of the film captured the collective imagination of fans, some of whom believed it to be a Godzilla flick.
It turned out to be a found footage monster movie that was shot by one of the main characters, Hud Platt (TJ Miller). As Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) spends his last night in New York, the city is attacked by a huge creature. Rob, Hud, Jason (Mike Vogel), Marlena (Lizzy Caplan) and Lily (Jessica Lucas) narrowly survive the first strike. But across town, Rob’s girlfriend, Beth McIntyre (Odette Yustman), is trapped. And the group must save it before the army bombards the city to kill the creature.
Cloverfield is available for rent and purchase Prime Video.
4. ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ (1996)
Release date: January 19, 1996
Younger moviegoers may not remember this, but there was a time when Quentin Tarantino he had more acting aspirations than just cameos. Tarantino wrote the screenplay From dusk to dawnwhich fuses a crime thriller with a horror story. George Clooney leads the cast as bank robber Seth Gecko, with Tarantino as his mentally ill brother, Richie Gecko.
After their latest heist, the Gecko brothers are forced to flee the United States by taking Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel) and their two children, Kate (Juliette Lewis) and Scott (Ernest Liu), as their hostages. Once they arrive in Mexico, all hell breaks loose when they enter a vampire lair led by the irresistible Santanico Pandemonium (salma hayek). To get out alive, the Geckos and the Fullers will have to work together.
From dusk to dawn it’s streaming Paramount+.
3. ‘The Gentlemen’ (2020)
Release date: January 24, 2020
Guy Ritchie‘s The Lords was lucky enough to hit theaters two months before the pandemic closed them for more than a year. This crime comedy features Matthew McConaughey like Mickey Pearson, an American living in London who made his fortune selling weed. Mickey and his wife, Rosalind (Michelle Dockery), want to leave the drug business behind and sell it to an entrepreneur, Matthew Berger (Jeremy Strong).
Berger turns out to be a greedy jerk who sabotages Mickey’s business in an attempt to cut the price. At the same time, a reporter named Fletcher (Hugh Grant) threatens to expose Mickey’s entire empire. Mickey is a civilized man, but these are uncivilized times and he reacts accordingly.
The Lords is available for rent or purchase Prime Video.
This December, the Netflix movie library has a great mix of new additions and timeless classics for audiences to enjoy during the holiday season. And between originals like Jay Kelly and older hits like Cast Away, its drama genre is especially stocked with good stuff. Watch With Us put together a list of our picks for the top five (…)
2. Before Sunrise (1995)
Release date: January 19, 1995
February may have been a better release date Before sunrisebecause this romantic movie is for lovers. Richard Linklater directed and co-wrote Jesse’s story (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy), who meet on a train and impulsively decide to spend an evening together just walking around Vienna and slowly falling in love.
Most of the film is driven by the frank and emotionally open conversations that flow between Jesse and Céline. The tension that can keep them from consummating their connection is that they know they may never see each other again. Without spoiling the ending of this film, we will now tell you that Hawk and Delpy re-teamed with Linklater for two sequels. But you’ll have to watch these movies to find out what became of these young lovers.
Before sunrise is available for rent or purchase Prime Video.
1. “Nomadland” (2021)
Release date: January 29, 2021
Nomadland had a limited run in IMAX theaters in late January 2021, before debuting Hulu the following month. This was enough to qualify her for the Academy Awards, where she won Best Picture and Best Actress Frances McDormand and Best Director for Chloe Zhao. That makes a pretty strong case for this as the best January release of all time.
The story follows Fern (McDormand), a woman who lives out of a van while looking for work. Fern is also dealing with her grief over her late husband, as well as the loss of her longtime job. Life on the road may sound appealing to some, but it’s a tough way to live, and Fern isn’t the only one struggling to survive. This is a character-driven film that has enough power to stay with viewers long after they’ve seen it.
Nomadland is available for rent or purchase Prime Video.