For everything else that went wrong in 2020, there's no denying that it was a great year for Netflix – with the streaming giant welcoming hordes of new subscribers and adding several acclaimed series to its library.

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The good news as we head into 2021 is there's no sign of the platform letting up: the first month of the year sees new films, returning series and even a documentary that follows Nicolas Cage as he explores the history of swear words.

The streamer certainly isn't wasting any time when it comes to new documentary series in 2021, with the aforementioned History of Swear Words joined on the January schedule by two new true-crime series.

The first of those, titled Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy, looks into America's powerful drug trade in the '80s, while the second looks into a notorious serial killer who operated in the same decade – titled Night Stalker: the Hunt for a Serial Killer.

On the film front, the most high-profile new release is the star-studded historical drama The Dig, which dramatises the 1939 excavation of Sutton Hoo and stars Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James and Johnny Flynn.

There's also The White Tiger, an adaptation of the hit novel of the same name, and Pieces of a Woman, a drama starring Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf about a tragedy that strikes during a home birth.

Due in January too is the third season of hit Karate Kid spin-off Cobra Kai, the second run of animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous season and the fourth and final season of French series Call My Agent.

Read on for our pick of the January list – and if you’re after December’s Netflix releases, we have that covered, too.

Friday 1st January 2021

Cobra Kai season 3 Third run for the Karate Kid spin-off (original 8 January release date pulled forward)

Dream Home Makeover season 2 A second run of the reality series that sees families try to create the ideal home

Monarca season 1 Brand-new Mexican drama that tells of a billionaire tequila tycoon and his family, who thrive in a corrupt business environment

The Circle USA season 1 American version of the social media-based game show

The Minimalists: Less Is Now Documentary that explores the minimalist movement from the perspective of two pioneering friends

The Office (US) All nine seasons of the American version of the British sitcom, starring Steve Carell

RuPaul's Drag Race season 13 A brand-new line-up of wannabe drag superstars vie for the title (episodes weekly)

RuPaul's Drag Race (Netflix)
RuPaul's Drag Race (Netflix)

What Happened to Mr. Cha? South Korean comedy series about the eponymous Mr Cha – a superstar actor who is well past his prime and hoping to bring back the glory days

Plus older films arriving on, or returning to, the platform:

All about Nina (2018)

Arizona (2018)

Around the World in 80 Days (2004)

Bathtubs over Broadway (2018)

Dredd (2012)

Here and Now (2018)

My Sister's Keeper (2009)

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Semi-Pro (2008)

Shoot 'Em Up (2007)

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

Valiant (2005)

Wild Target (2010)

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

The Woman in Black (2011)

Saturday 2nd January

Asphalt Burning Norwegian comedy film about a man who accepts a challenge to race for his runaway bride at the iconic Nürburgring track in Germany

Sunday 3rd January

All Is True (2018) Drama film directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh about William Shakespeare's returns to Stratford following a massive fire that destroys the Globe Theatre in 1613

Monday 4th January

Korean Porkbelly Rhapsody A cooking show that is described as a "love letter to pork belly" – a very popular dish in South Korea

Tuesday 5th January

Back to Life season 1 Daisy Haggard's dark BBC comedy about a 30-something ex-convict

Gabby's Dollhouse season 1 New children's show

History of Swear Words season 1 Nicolas Cage fronts this documentary series about the history of obscenities

Nailed It! Mexico season 3 A third run for the Mexican version of the popular baking reality show

Wednesday 6th January

Surviving Death season 1 This docuseries sees people discuss near-death experiences, reincarnation, and paranormal phenomena

Tony Parker: the Final Shot Documentary about the French basketball player

Thursday 7th January

I Am Woman (2019) Biopic of Helen Reddy, the singer and women's rights activist who passed away in 2020

100% Halal Indonesian film

Pieces of a Woman A heartbreaking home birth leaves a woman grappling with the profound emotional fallout, isolated from her partner and family by a chasm of grief.

Tag (2018) A group of five friends, who have been playing the game of tag for 30 years, decide to play one last game before the wedding of their undefeated player

Friday 8th January

The Idhun Chronicles Part 2 A second run for the Spanish-language anime series about a necromancer who takes over the magical world of Idhun

Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons season 5 Another outing for the docuseries that sees a journalist travel to different locations to explore the imprisonment process of various societies

Lupin season 1 Brand-new French fantasy adventure series that is inspired by the adventures of Arsène Lupin, a character created by Maurice Leblanc

Mighty Little Bheem: Kite Festival Indian animated kids' series

Pretend It’s a City Biographical documentary series with Fran Lebwoitz and Martin Scorsese

Stuck Apart (Azizler) Turkish comedy-drama film about a man who is entrenched in a midlife crisis

Sunday 10th January

Gogglebox season 5 The fifth series of the popular reality series – which originally aired on Channel 4 back in 2015 – arrives on Netflix

Instant Family (2018) Comedy film starring Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne as a couple who decide to adopt Lizzy, a teenager, and discover she has another two siblings

Monday 11th January

Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy Docuseries that looks into America's powerful drug trade in the 1980s

Wednesday 13th January

Broken Law (2020) Irish crime drama in which a dedicated police officer is put in a compromising position by his recently imprisoned brother

Night Stalker: the Hunt for a Serial Killer True-crime drama that chronicles the attempts of two detectives to track down a serial killer in mid-80s LA

https://twitter.com/streaming/tv/entertainment/entertainment-2/netflix-16-million-subscribers-during-lockdown//status/1338906787538321408?lang=en-gb

Thursday 14th January

The Heartbreak Club Indian comedy film about the owner of a floundering cafe who finds solace in the Javanese love songs

Friday 15th January

Bling Empire season 1 Reality series that follows LA's wildly wealthy Asian and Asian American fun seekers as they go all out to fabulous parties

Carmen Sandiego season 4 Fourth run for the animated series featuring the voices of Gina Rodriguez and Finn Wolfhard

Disenchantment Part 3 Third run for the animated sitcom from Matt Groening

Double Dad Brazilian film about a teen who sneaks out of the hippie commune where she lives and embarks on a life-changing adventure to find her father

Kuruko’s Basketball season 1 Anime series about basketball adapted from the manga of the same name

Outside the Wire Sci-fi film starring Anthony Mackie as an android officer who works with a drone pilot to stop a global catastrophe

Partners for Justice seasons 1-2 Korean crime drama series

Pinkfong & Baby Shark’s Space Adventure Animated children's movie

Rambo (2007) The bandana-wearing one-man army played by Sylvester Stallone has turned his back on violence to live a quiet life in Thailand

Superstore seasons 1-5 US sitcom starring Ugly Betty's America Ferrara

Tribhanga - Tedhi Medhi Crazy Bollywood drama

Wish You Korean movie

Sunday 17th January

Boy Erased (2018) Drama based on the book by Garrard Conley, starring Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, and Joel Edgerton, who also wrote the screenplay and directed

Monday 18th January

Damsel (2018) Western comedy film, starring Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, and David Zellner, who also co-directed

Tuesday 19th January

Hello Ninja season 4 Fourth series for the animated show about two best friends who transform into ninjas and enter a magical world

Wednesday 20th January

Daughter from Another Mother season 1 Mexican comedy drama about two women whose babies were exchanged at birth

Sightless (2020) Psychological thriller starring Madelaine Petsch about a violinist recovering from an attack than left her blind

Spycraft season 1 Science documentary about the tools and technologies that aid espionage

Thursday 21st January

Call My Agent! season 4 The final series of the hit French comedy about the employees at a Paris talent firm as they juggle their private and professional lives

Riverdale season 5 While the upcoming series opens with Archie and friends attending prom, we’re then expecting to jump seven years into the future to see where the Riverdale High students ended up

Friday 22nd January

Blown Away series 2 More from the glass-blowing contest

Busted season 3 Return of the Korean drama

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba season 1 Japanese anime

Fate: the Winx Saga season 1 Fantasy series following the coming-of-age journey of five fairies attending Alfea, a magical boarding school in the Otherworld

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous season 2 The animated spin-off from the mega film franchise gets a second outing as the adventures continue for the central group of friends

So My Grandma’s a Lesbian! Spanish romantic comedy

The White Tiger Film adaptation of Aravind Adiga's 2008 novel about an ambitious Indian driver who uses his wit and cunning to escape from poverty and rise to the top

Sunday 24th January

Booksmart (2019) Acclaimed teen film and the directorial debut of Olivia Wilde, following two bookish teens as they try to make their prom a night to forget

Happy Death Day 2U (2019) Comedy horror sequel

What They Had (2018) Siblings face up to the infirmity of their parents in this film starring Hilary Swank

Tuesday 26th January

Snowpiercer season 2 Second run of the post-apocalyptic sci-fi series (episodes weekly)

Snowpiercer - Netflix
The cast of Snowpiercer (Netflix)

Wednesday 27th January

Bonding season 2 Second run for the dark US comedy

50M2 season 1 Turkish drama series about a former hitman who takes refuge in a neighbourhood tailor shop

Penguin Bloom Naomi Watts stars as a woman recovering from a traumatic accident who cares for an injured magpie

Thursday 28th January

Hotel Artemis (2018) An underworld hospital for criminals in need of no-questions-asked medical treatment becomes the flashpoint for the settling of old scores in this thriller set in the near future

Friday 29th January

Below Zero Spanish action thriller

The Dig A film dramatisation of the real excavation that took place in Suffolk’s Sutton Hoo, which led to the ground-breaking discovery of an Anglo-Saxon burial ship

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Finding 'OHana American family comedyWe Are: the Brooklyn Saints season 1 Sport documentary seriesCheck out our lists of the best series on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix, or see what else is on with our TV Guide.

Authors

Patrick Cremona, RadioTimes.com's senior film writer looking at the camera and smiling
Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.

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