A new year is here and January is bringing us a slate of new movies this week on Netflix, Max, Prime Video and other major streaming services.
There aren't any blockbusters coming to streaming this week, but there are quite a few highly rated movies. Eileen, Society of the Snow and Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project all scored fairly high with critics. We also get a few big-name performances from Anne Hathaway in Eileen and Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal in Foe. We even get a Golden Globe nominee in the form of Society of the Snow, which is up for Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language.
Some of these titles are newly available via digital release, so you can purchase them for a premium price, but for others, all you need is the right streaming subscription. And while you're here, make sure to check out the new TV shows to watch from streamers this week and the best of what's new on Netflix.
Here are the top new movies streaming this week.
Eileen (PVOD)
Based on the hit 2015 novel, Eileen stars Thomasin McKenzie as Eileen Dunlop, a young woman working at a correctional facility. She leads an ordinary, if not outright dismal life with her abusive, alcoholic father (Shea Whigham). But that all changes when the new psychologist Rebecca (Anne Hathaway) arrives at the facility. What follows is a gripping psychological thriller with incredible performances from McKenzie and Hathaway. You won't want to miss Eileen.
Buy or rent on Amazon now
Society of the Snow (Netflix)
One of six movies nominated for Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language at this year's Golden Globes, Society of the Snow is based on the true story of the 1972 Andes flight disaster. While initially 33 of the 45 passengers and crew survived, only 16 ended up being rescued alive after 72 days. This movie is not for the faint of heart, but if you can stomach what this group of mostly young men did to survive, you're rewarded with what may be one of the best films of 2023.
Stream on Netflix starting Jan. 4
Foe (Prime Video)
Starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal as husband-and-wife Hen and Junior, Foe is a sci-fi thriller set in 2065. In Foe, a stranger (Aaron Pierre) comes to Hen and Junior's farm and offers them a chance to live in space — but there's a catch. Only Junior will be living in space, while he's replaced by a robot to serve as Hen's companion. While critics were largely negative about Foe, audiences were much kinder and Ronan and Mescal are still great in the movie despite its flaws. Watch it now while it's included in your Prime Video subscription.
Stream on Prime Video starting Jan. 5
Good Grief (Netflix)
Good Grief marks the directorial debut for Dan Levy, who also wrote Good Grief and stars in this Netflix film. In it, he plays Marc, a content husband whose world is shattered when his husband Oliver (Luke Evans) unexpectedly dies. After watching the trailer all I can say is that only watch Good Grief if you're willing to feel things. This journey of discovery also stars Ruth Negga and Himesh Patel as Marc's friends Sophie and Thomas, and it looks sure to pull on your heartstrings more than once.
Stream on Netflix starting Jan. 5
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (Max)
Look, not everyone loves a documentary, but if you're going to watch one, you should start out the year watching a really good one. Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project covers the life of Black American poet Nikki Giovanni and her experiences in the civil rights movement, the Black Arts movement and ultimately Black Lives Matter. This award-winning documentary won a Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and currently has a 96% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so it's safe to say that critics are on board with Going to Mars.
Stream on Max starting Jan. 8
Mayhem! (PVOD)
Sam (Nassim Lyes) is a professional boxer and martial artist attempting to get his life back on track after being released early from prison. But when his past life catches up with him, he's faced with no choice but to flee with his wife and daughter. Five years later he's living in anonymity in Thailand but is blackmailed into completing a dangerous drug smuggling mission by a local gangster. This ultimately results in an unthinkable tragedy, and now Sam has only one objective: revenge. — RM
Buy or rent on Amazon from Jan. 5
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
The feature film debut from award-winning poet, photographer and filmmaker Raven Jackson, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt is described as "a lyrical, decades-spanning exploration across a woman's life in Mississippi." It also serves as a layered ode to the people and places that shape us with memorizing visuals and a beautifully crafted score. It's no surprise that it's received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. — RM
Buy on Amazon now
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