Netflix January 2026: From "The Rip" to "Bridgerton," Your Watchlist is Full

With Netflix’s original Stranger Things ending after its 10-year-long run, 2026 is an exciting year for all cinephiles, as Netflix is set to diversify and release new originals to build its own holdings. The month of January is a refreshing mix of romance, thrillers, and some old classics making their way back to our screens.

Here’s a list of all MUST-WATCH shows/movies you should for sure check on Netflix

People we meet on vacation

Adapted from Emily Henry's best-selling book with the same name, People We Meet on Vacation is Netflix's first step into the romance genre in 2026.

Poppy and Alex are polar opposites who, for a decade, shared one week of summer bliss - a promise that stayed between them until two years ago when a single mistake ruined everything. Poppy, convinced of rekindling the friendship, uses the one chance they would be forced to be in the same place. Amidst comedic travel mishaps and buried tensions, they must decide if their connection is just friendship or love that would last a lifetime.

His & Hers

Adapted from Alice Feeney’s book of the same name, His & Hers is an American mystery thriller limited series starring Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson.

When a woman is murdered in a sleepy British village, Anna, a former news anchor living alone after withdrawing from her career and personal life, feels a connection to the case, jolting her back into action. Anna returns to her old town and begins digging into the killing, convinced that the truth has been buried beneath layers of silence. As the investigation deepens, she clashes with estranged husband Jack Harper, who turns out to be her prime suspect.

The Rip

The Rip is a 2026 American action thriller film written and directed by Joe Carnahan, who developed the story with Michael McGrale.The film has a star-studded cast including  Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Scott Adkins, and Kyle Chandler.

The film starts off with the suspicious murder of a team captain. Damon and Affleck lead an elite narcotics team on a routine raid. Guided by a tip, they discover a staggering $20 million in cartel cash hidden behind an attic wall. The finding instantly causes fractures amongst the team. 

They are forced to count the massive haul on-site. Surrounded by suspected corruption and a silent neighbourhood under cartel control, the detectives start doubting one another. Is Dumars planning to steal the money? Or is the betrayal coming from someone they trust even more?

Bridgeton season 4

With another romantic and shockingly hot season, Netflix has returned with season 4 of Bridgeton, focusing on the second eldest son, Benedict, and his infatuation with a secret lady he met.

Fresh from season 3,Benedict is still refusing his mother's wishes to settle down, but at the season's first ball, a masquerade held by none other than Lady Violet Bridgerton changes it all. Benedict is taken aback by his encounter with the Lady in Silver, a mysterious attendee who quickly catches the attention of the town. As quickly as she comes into his life, though, she vanishes. And in her place is a plucky young maid named Sophie Baek, who is stuck under the employ of the formidable Lady Araminta Gun.

Can This Love Be Translated?

Kim Seon-ho's fresh return to the small screen and Go Youn Jung’s third Netflix original project, Can This Love Be Translated, is a fresh romantic comedy by popular writers Hong sisters, known for Hotel del Luna and Alchemy of Souls.

Joo Hojin, a polyglot interpreter fluent in Korean, English, Japanese, and Italian, encountered Cha Muhee in Japan when she was an unknown actress. Following her sudden rise in popularity, they reunite during a high-profile interview where Hojin serves as her interpreter. 

As she enjoys her fame, Muhee joins the dating reality show Romantic Trip, where she travels to various international destinations with Japanese actor Hiro Kurosawa, and Hojin is hired as an interpreter. Their personalities clash, leading to various misunderstandings. Hojin finds himself unexpectedly emotionally invested in Muhee, navigating feelings that cannot be translated.

Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web

Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web is a 2026 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller television series created by Neeraj Pandey for Netflix under the banner of Friday Storytellers. The series stars Emraan Hashmi, Sharad Kelkar, Amruta Khanvilkar, Zoya Afroz, Nandish Sandhu, and Anurag Sinha.

The Netflix crime epic follows the rise of a brilliant smuggler navigating a landscape of shifting loyalties. As digital surveillance tightens, he builds an invisible web using ancient trade routes and modern encryption to smuggle.

However, the web begins to tangle when a relentless intelligence officer discovers a personal link to the smuggler’s past. Caught between a violent cartel takeover and a federal manhunt, he must decide if his empire is worth the lives of those he once swore to protect.

Conclusion

So the next time you feel like you want to watch something fun and easy to lift up your mood refer to this list to find the newest and most exciting projects now available just a click away on Netflix. The new phase of Netflix will surely blow your mind and make sure to be ready for even more.