Cover The top shows to watch on Netflix this January 2021 (Photo: Netflix)

Watched everything new on Netflix? We're letting you know the latest TV shows and movies coming to the platform this January

2021 is here, and with the new year, comes plenty of new Netflix releases. If you're sick of cheesy Christmas movies, January's offerings promise a little more depth, with everything on offer from crime documentaries, moving cinema and even a look into the afterlife. In true new year fashion, the new releases also include an animated series focused on the practice of meditation, along with a film exploring how to live a more minimalist lifestyle.

Plus, if you've missed the latest releases, be sure to catch up on January's new shows and movies

See also: 14 Great Hong Kong Movies to Add to Your Netflix Watch List

1. Headspace Guide to Meditation

Start 2021 as you mean to go on with Headspace Guide to Meditation. Coming on New Year's Day, the animated series takes viewers through the benefits and science behind meditation.

Each of the eight 20 minute episodes showcases a different mindfulness technique that aids in the practice of meditation––focusing on subjects such as stress, anger, and letting go––and ends with a guided meditation at the finale of every chapter, with the aim to make practicing meditation easy and accessible for everyone.

Release date: January 1

2. The Minimalists: Less Is Now

Also set to be released on January 1, The Minimalists: Less Is Now is a docu-film by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, as they share how our lives can be better with less.

A fitting watch for the new year, the film puts a spotlight on what is important in life––with the trailer offering the quote "Our memories are not in our things…"––as it follows various individuals who are trying to cut back on possessions and step away from modern consumerism.

Release date: January 1

3. Surviving Death

Based on best-selling author and journalist Leslie Kean’s book, Surviving Death is an in-depth investigative series exploring the possibility of an afterlife.

Tackling the age-old question: "what happens after we die?", over six episodes, the docuseries explores personal stories and research on near-death experiences, reincarnation and paranormal phenomena.

Release date: January 6

4. Pieces of a Woman

Pieces of a Woman is a new drama film set to be released on Netflix on January 7. The film follows the story of a couple as they deal with life, relationships, grief and other issues after their home birth ends in unimaginable tragedy. 

After its world premier in September at the 2020 Venice International Film Festival, lead actress Vanessa Kirby won the festival's Best Actress Award, with the rest of the cast and film receiving widely positive reviews.

Release date: January 7

5. Crack: Cocaine, Corruption and Conspiracy

From award-winning director Stanley Nelson, Crack: Cocaine, Corruption and Conspiracy explores the complex history of the drug, as it delves into the story of how the crack epidemic tore through America in the early 1980s. 

The film not only examines the personal devastation caused by the drug, but also the shadowy origins of the crisis and the resultant, ongoing marginalisation of the Black community.

Release date: January 11

6. Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer tells the true story of how one of the most notorious serial killers in American history was hunted down and brought to justice.

In the summer of 1985 a series of murders and sexual assaults hit Los Angeles––with the crimes originally believed to be disconnected due to the difference in race, age, gander and background between victims. Told through first-person interviews, archival footage and original photography, this four-part depicts this real-life horror story, as the police race against time to track down Richard Ramirez, The Night Stalker

Release date: January 13

7. The White Tiger

Based on the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Aravind Adig, The White Tiger tells the story of Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav) as he narrates his epic and darkly humorous rise from poor villager to successful entrepreneur in modern India. 

Cunning and ambitious, Balram jockeys his way into becoming a driver for Ashok (Rajkummar Rao) and Pinky (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), a young and wealthy couple that have just returned from America. Though trained to be one thing––a servant––after a night of betrayal Balram rebels against the rigged and unequal system to rise up and become a new kind of master.

Release date: January 22

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