Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
With the second month of 2024 finally upon us, a bunch of new Netflix movies – first- and third-party – have joined the streaming giant’s film library. That includes Netflix original Orion and the Dark, which is the latest addition to this guide. We’ve also removed the John Wick film series’ entry from this article as we don’t consider it to be new anymore.
The start of a new month means a batch of new Netflix movies have hit the service. Indeed, with February finally replacing January (at long last), the streaming titan has added plenty of new movies to its film-based back catalog.
So, what’s new on Netflix today (February 2)? A number of third-party titles, including 2017’s It, 2022’s X, and 2013’s Pacific Rim, landed on the platform on the first day of the month, and they’ve now been joined by Orion and the Dark, a Netflix-DreamWorks family-friendly flick that’ll surely entertain the kids this weekend.
There are plenty of other options in our best Netflix movies article if you’re looking for a wider selection of films on the world’s best streaming service, too. But, if you’re only interested in watching the newest films on the platform, stick with this guide. Here, then, are all of the new Netflix movies that have arrived since January 4.
New Netflix movies: February 2024
Orion and the Dark
Release date: February 2
Director: Sean Charmatz
Cast: Jacob Tremblay, Paul Walter Hauser, Werner Herzog, Angela Basset, and Colin Hanks
What would you get if you crossed Pixar and DreamWorks with writer/filmmaker Charlie Kaufman’s (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Anomalisa) creative mind? You’d get Orion and the Dark, an endearing kid-friendly flick that’s based on the same novel by Emma Yarlett. Tremblay (Luca, The Little Mermaid) voices the titular kid Orion, who is taken on a dreamy adventure to overcome his fear of the dark by, well, Dark, aka the physical manifestation of shadows and the night.
With a runtime just shy of 90 minutes, Orion and the Dark is the kind of film that’ll keep the kids quiet if you need something to distract them. They’re likely to enjoy what’s on offer, though, with the film currently holding an 87% positive score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Stick it on and *ahem* enlighten the lives of your children (and yourself!) with this fun-filled animated adventure.
New Netflix movies: January 2024
Badland Hunters
Release date: January 26
Director: Heo Myung-haeng
Cast: Don Lee, Lee Hee-joon, Lee Jun-young, Roh Jeong-eui, and An Ji-hye
A sequel to 2023 South Korean disaster-thriller Concrete Utopia, Badland Hunters stars Don Lee (Eternals) as Nam-san, a fearless huntsman who embarks on a mission to rescue a teenager from maniacal doctor Yang Gi-su (Hee-joon) and a camp full of menacing cultists.
Badland Hunters‘ first trailer, which you can watch above, is a heady mix of earthquakes, zombies and an evil doctor. Based on the few reviews we could find on it pre-release, it seems there might be enough gun-fuelled action and horror-laced drama to save it from being labeled a dud. We’ll leave it up to you to decide whether it’s any good or not, though.
The Kitchen
Release date: January 19
Directors: Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya
Cast: Kane Robinson, Jebediah Bannerman, Ian Wright, Hope Ipoku, Teija Kabs, and Demmy Ladipo among others
Top Boy meets Blade Runner in this neofuturistic sci-fi British thriller. Co-directed by Tavares (Robots of Brixton) and Kaluuya (Get Out, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), The Kitchen follows two individuals – world-weary adult Izi, and idealistic but naive kid Benji – who form an unlikely bond in the titular dystopian London district.
With its sharp and intelligent commentary on socio-political issues, tense crime-based drama, and quintessential British-ness, The Kitchen is one of those new Netflix movies that’s must-see. Critics agree with that view, too, with the flick holding an 88% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Its 42% audience score means it’s fared much worse among general viewers, however.
Lift
Release date: January 12
Director: F. Gary Gray
Cast: Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ursula Corbero, Billy Magnussen, Sam Worthington, Jean Reno, and Jacob Batalon
Hart’s latest cinematic endeavor has been given the all-clear to take off on Netflix but, based on its extremely poor 28% critics and 31% audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, maybe it should’ve stayed grounded.
Lift sees Hart play Cyrus Whitaker, a charismatic criminal hired to carry out a daring robbery 40,000 feet in the air. That’s right, Whitaker and his assembled crew plan to steal $500 million from a secure vault on an airliner. What could possibly go wrong?
Arguably the most starry of 2024’s early new Netflix movies, Lift doesn’t have the propulsion necessary to be worth streaming. Sure, its 84% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes might make you think otherwise but, trust us, this is a film designed to steal your most precious commodity: time. Stick something else on.
Good Grief
Release date: January 5
Director: Dan Levy
Cast: Dan Levy, Ruth Negga, Luke Evans, and Himesh Patel
Schitt’s Creek alumnus Dan Levy makes his feature film directorial debut with this tear-jerking romantic dramady that puts an unusual spin on the grief-laden film formula.
Levy plays Marc, whose whole world comes tumbling down when his husband Oliver (Evans) suddenly dies. Embarking on a trip to Paris with best friends Sophie (Negga) and Thomas (Patel) to try and heal, Marc and his pals’ European excursion winds up revealing some hard truths that none of them were ready to hear.
Critics reacted positively to Good Grief pre-release, with the film landing a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Judging by its 70% audience score, viewers seem to have enjoyed what’s on offer, too, though some have criticized its schlocky narrative and character development aspects.
Society of the Snow
Release date: January 4
Director: J. A. Bayona
Cast: Enzo Vogrincic, Agustin Pardella, Esteban Bigliardi, Simon Hempe, and Rafael Federman among others
Bayona’s latest filmmaking effort tells the harrowing, real-life tale of the passengers of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571. The plane, which was charted to take a rugby team to compete in a Chile-based tournament, crash lands in the Andes, forcing the 29 survivors (of 45 people on board) to resort to extreme measures to stay alive and pray for rescue.
With its 91% and 86% critics and audience-based Rotten Tomatoes scores, Society of the Snow is a devastatingly great return to form for Bayona, whose most recent films – and critical flops – include Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Marrowbone. A difficult but necessary watch, Society of the Snow is one of four Netflix movies with great Rotten Tomatoes ratings we recommend you watch this month.
New Netflix movies: what’s coming in 2024?
With the Next on Netflix 2024 montage trailer revealing a stacked line-up of new films that’ll hit the platform throughout this year, there are tons of new Netflix movies to keep an eye out for. Check out the five Netflix films that we think you won’t want to miss, and then read on to see what other flicks are coming soon (well, the ones with confirmed release dates, anyway).
- Ashes (February 9)
- Kill Me If You Dare (February 13)
- Players (February 14)
- Soweto Love Story (February 14)
- The Heartbreak Agency (February 14)
- Mea Culpa (February 23)
- Through My Window: Looking at You (February 23)
- Code 8: Part II (February 28)
- Spaceman (March 1)
- Damsel (March 8)
- 24 Hours With Gaspar (March 14)
- Irish Wish (March 15)
- Shirley (March 22)
- The Beautiful Game (March 29)
- The Wages of Fear (March 29)
- Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp (April 12)
- Rebel Moon – Part 2: The Scargiver (April 19)
- Beautiful Rebel (May 2)
- Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story (May 3)
- Mother of the Bride (May 9)
- Thelma the Unicorn (May 17)
- Heart of the Hunter (Q1 2024)
- Hit Man (June 17)
- Ultraman: Rising (June 14)
- Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (July 3)
- The Union (August 16)
For more Netflix-based coverage, read our best Netflix shows and best Netflix documentaries guides. Alternatively, find out how to sign up to Netflix or get the lowdown on whether it’s worth cancelling your Netflix subscription.