Netflix is beginning 2026 the way it’s done in years past — by adding more impossible-to-resist films to its already massive library.
With dozens of new titles this month, it can be almost impossible to decide which ones you should stream.
Watch With Us is here to help.
I’ve compiled a brief list of three movies — the Oscar-winning epic Dune, the cult thriller comedy Wild Things and the underrated sci-fi flick Johnny Mnemonic starring Keanu Reeves — that are ideal to watch in the first weekend of the new year.
‘Dune’ (2021)
Timothée Chalamet is currently starring in the Christmastime hit Marty Supreme, but the actor has been a staple of the holiday season since 2021, when Dune was still playing in theaters after the COVID lockdown was cautiously lifted across the nation. He plays Paul Atreides, the son of a powerful intergalactic politician, Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), who travels to the distant planet Arrakis to negotiate with the native Fremen. Things don’t go according to plan when Leto is assassinated, and soon, Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), are running for their lives. Can Paul fulfill his father’s mission of bringing peace to Arrakis?
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Nominated for 10 Oscars, Dune is a visionary sci-fi epic that introduces a complex mythology that almost makes sense. Dune Part Two largely fills in those gaps, but Dune is good on its own simply because of the way it sets up its engrossing story and far-out worlds. Timmy is good as a reluctant “chosen one” hero not unlike Luke Skywalker, but the supporting cast is just as good, with Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa standing out as Paul’s trusted allies.
‘Wild Things’ (1998)
The Housemaid is currently packing people in theaters, but there’s another twisty thriller that’s older and better than that Sydney Sweeney-led hit — Wild Things. When popular high school student Kelly (Denise Richards) accuses beloved teacher Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) of sexual assault, a scandal erupts that affects everyone from the wealthy elite to swamp trash like senior Suzie (Neve Campbell). When a dead body surfaces, everyone is a suspect, and it’s up to Detective Ray Duquette to solve the mystery.
Wild Things’ plot is so complicated that the movie is still explaining itself even after it’s over. That’s all part of the fun, though, as the movie takes so many zigs and zags, you can barely keep up. Director John McNaughton embraces the luridness of the pulpy material he’s working with, and all the actors — including a scene-stealing Bill Murray as Sam’s slimy lawyer — rise to the occasion by playing it extremely exaggerated. Like all great thrillers, Wild Things is sexy, fun and just a little bit ridiculous.
Wild Things is streaming on Netflix.
‘Johnny Mnemonic’ (1995)
The Matrix wasn’t Keanu Reeves’ first stab at sci-fi greatness. Four years before that sci-fi masterpiece, he starred in a failed adaptation of William Gibson’s influential 1981 short story, Johnny Mnemonic. In the distant future of 2021, information is power, and delivering sensitive secrets is a lucrative — and dangerous — business. Johnny is good at it, having most of his childhood memories wiped so he can store valuable data in his brain to prevent anyone from accessing it. But when his latest job involves delivering evidence that could bring down a major pharmaceutical corporation, Johnny’s life is suddenly in danger. Can he evade death long enough to deliver the incriminating info to the right people?
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A box office flop when it was released in May 1995, Johnny Mnemonic doesn’t quite work. It’s not that faithful to Gibson’s original story, and the changes it makes don’t make the material any better. But it’s still an interesting movie to watch from a historical perspective. Its visions of a future now passed are fascinating, as its portrayal of a society ruled by the internet isn’t that far off from reality. As Johnny, Reeves is miscast, but he brings his usual low-key charisma to the role that made him a star a year earlier in Speed.
Johnny Mnemonic is streaming on Netflix.
