14 of the best things to watch this January.
Stepping into 2022 with a myriad of resolutions and grand plans, we are entering into a new year with the excitement of returning shows and brand spanking new series. As the weather provokes more and more at home activities, Netflix, HBO Max and Amazon have lined up the return of our favourite shows Euphoria, Ozark and Cheer, alongside new cinematic dramas Licorice Pizza and returning Y2K classics like She’s The Man and Marie Antoinette.
This month is filled with new thrillers like The Journalist by Netflix: a Japanese story about abuse of power and a woman’s quest to expose the truth. There are also new form dark comedies such as The House: an animated series exploring the themes of parallel stories, or After Life: a story about the bittersweet aftermath of life after grief.
Euphoria: January 9 (HBO).
The moment we have been awaiting for almost 2 years. The drama show is back with season two following the angsty life of Rue (Zendaya) and Jules (Hunter Schafer) and tackling Rue’s relapse in the previous season.
Ozark: January 21 (Netflix).
The Emmy award-winning show that became everyone’s lockdown obsession is back with the first part of its fourth season, showcasing the Byrde family’s attempt of escaping the Ozarks after an intense season 3.
Cheer: January 12 (Netflix).
In a surprise announcement, Netflix revealed that the Navarro College cheerleaders are back. The new season will deal with the explosive fame (and downfall) of the cast in the likes of Lexi Brumback, La’Darius Marshall, Morgan Simianer and Jerry Harris, following Harris’ arrest in 2020 for sexual assault.
The Tragedy of Macbeth: January 14 (Apple TV).
Starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, this historical thriller focuses on the Shakespearean story of Lady Macbeth through a completely different, stylistic prism of director Joel Coen’s cold portrayal of the story.
Losing Alice: January 1 (Apple TV).
The psychological drama explores the dark obsession of the 48-year-old film director Alice (Ayelet Zurer) with the 25-year-old screenwriter Sophie (Lihi Kornowski), and the slow dark spiral into a fatal end.
The Journalist: January 13 (Netflix).
Following a major political scandal cover-up, the Japanese drama deals with the reporter Anna Matsuda (Ryoko Yonekura) trying to uncover the truth about the government and expose forged documents and operations of the Japanese government.
The Afterparty: January 28 (Apple TV).
After a sudden death at a high school reunion, this murder-mystery comedy takes the perspective of each one of the characters’ recollection of events of the night. Taking turns, the mystery unravels into a complete different spin of a hilariously confusing string of events.
The Gilded Age: January 26 (HBO).
Starring Cynthia Nixon, and created by Downton Abbey producer Julian Fellowes, this period drama follows 19th century New York focusing on the extremely wealthy society at the time and their abuse of power with the clash of family dynamics and greed.
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window: January 28
In a dramatically comical parody of previous thrillers such as The Girl on the Train, this show starring Kristen Bell has a bit of everything (apart from a catchy name). Following the monotonous life of a heartbroken woman, the show explores what happens when she decides to look out the window, witnessing a murder.
The House: January 14 (Netflix).
In an interesting turn of events, the stop-motion dark comedy animation follows three different turns of events in three different periods of time in the same house, all loved by different families.
As We See It: January 21 (Amazon Prime).
The series follows the stories of roommates on the autism spectrum Jack (Rick Glassman), Harrison (Albert Rutecki) and Violet (Sue Ann Pien) as they all try to navigate life and love in a world that avoids them, fighting against stigma.
Four to Dinner: January 5 (Netflix).
Showcasing parallel storylines, this series shows four single friends pair up in different couple combinations and challenges the idea of compatibility and soulmates altogether.
Licorice Pizza: January 1 (out in cinemas).
Paul Thomas Anderson’s newly anticipated movie takes place in the era of the ‘70s with Bradley Cooper playing Barbara Streisand’s ex-husband, Jon Peters and his story.
After Life: 13 January (Netflix).
Ricky Gervais’s dark comedy will be returning on Netflix for its last season, dealing with the emotional rollercoaster of life after grief and the bittersweet note to it.
