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Note: This feature was first published on 31 Dec 2020.
Welcome to 2021!
We’ve finally bid farewell to 2020 - a historic year in many unfortunate ways. Whether or not 2021 is any better remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: every streaming service is intent on kicking things off with a bang. Tons of new movies and TV shows will become available throughout the year, and that all starts right here and now - in January.
Hopefully ‘watch less TV’ isn’t one of your new year’s resolutions.
After being moved from YouTube Red from Netflix, this is the first season of Cobra Kai to actually be a proper Netflix Original. The Karate Kid spin-off/sequel has Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso team up to put an end to the endless fighting between two karate dojos - a rivalry that might outmatch their own. Cobra Kai as a whole has ended up being a whole lot better than it should be, building upon the legacy of the Karate Kid movies in a really wholesome way. Season 3 already looks fantastic, and what a way to kick off 2021 too!
We originally thought this special episode of Doctor Who would premiere in December, but it’s been pushed to January instead. The last time we saw the Doctor, she’d just learned an absolutely world-shattering secret about her origins before being imprisoned by the Judoon. Her companions are now separated from their friend, and resolve to get her back. Throw in redesigned Daleks, a prison breakout and the long-awaited return of Torchwood’s Jack Harkness, and you’ve got quite an eventful episode!
Watch the first 10 seconds of that trailer and tell me you’re not interested, I dare you. This six-episode comedy/docuseries delves into the origins, pop culture-usage, science and cultural impact of swear words in human history. It’s also hosted by none other than Nicolas Cage, who puts his eccentric acting skills to very good use. That is, by cursing a whole lot.
Vanessa Kirby stars in this film about a Boston couple, whose lives change drastically during a home birth at the hands of a midwife. The midwife faces charges of criminal negligence afterwards, and Martha Carson (Kirby) struggles to navigate her grief and fractured relationships with her husband and family. This looks like a heartbreaking watch, if you’re in the mood for a good drama.
Future Hawkeye Hailee Steinfeld returns as Emily Dickinson in the second season of Apple's dramedy. This season, Emily finds herself thrown into the public eye after previously keeping her work private. The poet might have to learn the hard way that the pursuit of fame is a dangerous game for her to play.
