The period between January and the end of March is usually a fallow one for movies. Let’s face it, it’s always been a period for studios to dump their bloated superhero pics or terrible horror films.
That’s not true with Netflix. The streamer has lined up an impressive slate of high-quality films that are worth your attention.
The Matt Damon and Ben Affleck-led action flick The Rip, the intriguing documentary Queen of Chess and the mysterious sci-fi picture War Machine are all at the top of my most anticipated new 2026 Netflix movies list, and they should be on yours, too.
‘The Rip’ (Now Streaming)
It’s been a while since Damon and Affleck starred in a movie together, and they couldn’t have picked a better film to reunite in than The Rip. The Good Will Hunting stars play Dane Dumar (Damon) and JD Byrne, two Miami police officers who have grown weary of their line of work. After a routine stop at a rundown house, their lives are changed forever when they stumble upon several million dollars hidden in a closet. Since no one knows about the money, surely no one will mind if Dane and JD take it for themselves, right?
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They’re wrong, of course, and part of the thrill of The Rip is watching both cops wiggle their way out of their predicament — only to find themselves in an even more dangerous situation. Through it all, a question pops up again and again — can longtime friends Dane and JD trust each other when so much money is at stake? Costarring Kyle Chandler and Golden Globe-winning actress Teyana Taylor, The Rip is an intriguing action-thriller that will leave your knuckles white and brow wet with sweat.
‘Queen of Chess’ (February 6)
Remember The Queen’s Gambit, that critically acclaimed Netflix limited series starring Anya Taylor-Joy as a chess prodigy in 1960s America? You probably do, since it was one of the defining hits of the Peak TV COVID era. If you’re like me and are still waiting for a second season, I have some good news for you. While that show isn’t returning (yet), a new documentary, Queen of Chess, is set to debut on Netflix next month and should help satiate your chess-watching hunger.
Queen of Chess documents Hungarian 12-year-old Judit Polgár’s unexpected rise as a chess prodigy in the late ‘80s, when she took on some of the game’s best players like Garry Kasparov. By 15, she became the youngest chessmaster ever and continued to play well into the 1990s. But the pressures of continuing to succeed in a cutthroat sport took its toll on Polgár, and she retired to raise a family. Using archival interviews as well as new conversations with Polgár, Kasparov and her chess peers, director Rory Kennedy tells a real-life Queen’s Gambit story about how one player changed the sport forever and paved the way for more female contenders in a largely male-dominated sport.
‘War Machine’ (March 6)
Even if you’ve never seen an episode of Reacher, Amazon Prime Video’s massively popular action series, you probably know who the show’s star, Alan Ritchson. It’s tough to miss him — standing 6’3” tall and weighing around 240 pounds, the actor is built like a real-life action hero ready to save anyone in peril.
That’s why it’s not a surprise he’s headlining Netflix’s big action spectacle of the season, War Machine. As of press time, little is known about the movie except for this intriguing logline: “During the final stage of U.S. Army Ranger selection, an elite team’s training exercise turns into a fight for survival against an unimaginable threat.”
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Because Netflix categorizes War Machine as a sci-fi film, the “unimaginable threat” is probably some kind of alien, monster or rogue machine threatening mankind. Whatever it is, Ritchson will be there to punch it, kick it, shoot at it and stop it from taking over the world. Helping him out is a testosterone-heavy supporting cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Stephan James, Esai Morales and Jai Courtney. I’m already seated and ready to watch Ritchson kick some sci-fi butt.
