New year, new Netflix movies. 2025 is here, and with comes a whole new slate of Netflix original movies. In the years immediately after the 2020 pandemic, Netflix was releasing upwards of 80 new original English-language movies a year.

With the holidays firmly in the rearview mirror, the start of the spring movie season still months away, and much of the entertainment industry laser-focused on the Oscar race, January is often a barren time for new film releases.

The first weekend of the new year brings a fresh slate of new movies and shows to Netflix, Prime Video and more of the best streaming services. Leading my weekend watch list are two of my favorite movies of 2024 that are hitting premium video-on-demand: the musical blockbuster "Wicked" and the family dramedy "A Real Pain.

Though exact plot details remain a mystery, the teaser trailer for Happy Gilmore 2 offers intriguing glimpses of what’s to come. It shows Happy returning to the golf course, encountering new characters, and engaging in a dramatic showdown with Shooter McGavin in a graveyard—suggesting lingering animosity between the longtime rivals.