UPDATE: We've added a few new titles to our January streaming highlights calendar, including All of Us Are Dead, The Tourist and Wolf Like Me. Read on to find out more about them!
With so many movies and TV shows to stream across a variety of Australian streaming services, which includes the likes of Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Binge, Apple TV Plus and more, it can be tough to cut through all the noise to find the best stuff to watch each month.
It's with this in mind that we've cobbled together this January Aussie streaming calendar, which helpfully highlights the best movies and TV worth watching this month.
As we move forward in the coming months, we'll expand upon this format to identify a wider selection of films and TV series to stream, and include some of the top new rental releases on services like iTunes, Google Play and more.
For now though, here are our top five movie highlight for January 2022, followed by our picks for the top five TV shows to stream this month.
January 2022 movie highlights
All of Us Are Dead (TV series – available 28/1/2022 on Netflix)
South Korea's Squid Game proved that Netflix's content truly has a global reach, and that subtitles and cultural differences are no obstacle when it comes to telling a good story. Now, the country has delivered another Netflix show in All of Us Are Dead, a humour-tinged zombie series that sees an outbreak take place in a high school, pitting friends and teachers against each other in a battle for survival. You can check out All of Us Are Dead's wild trailer below.
The Tourist (TV series – available now on Stan)
Aussie streaming service Stan is on fire when it comes to new original series and films as of late, and The Tourist is just one of this month's quality offerings. Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades of Grey) stars as a man who wakes up in the Australian outback with no memory and some unsavoury types out for his blood. Now, he must piece together the only clues he has in order to figure out who he is before it's too late.
Wolf Like Me (TV series – available now on Stan)
Australia's own Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers) stars alongside Josh Gad (Beauty and the Beast) in this Stan Original story about two people, Mary and Gary, who form a connection following a car crash. As they grow closer, a secret long held by Mary threatens to tear their new relationship apart.
F9: The Fast Saga (Movie – available 1/1/2022 on Amazon Prime)
F9 may very well be the dumbest instalment in the Fast and Furious saga to date, in that its signature stunts and family-driven story manage to reach ridiculous new heights, and not necessarily in a good way. That said, there's still plenty of fun to be had here for those who can accept F9's 'jump the shark' moments of idiocy.
The Tender Bar (Movie – available 7/1/2022 on Amazon Prime)
A coming-of-age story set in the '70s and '80s, The Tender Bar follows a fatherless boy who keeps coming back to his neighbourhood bar to receive guidance about how to be a man from its bartender, who also happens to be his uncle Charlie (Ben Affleck). Directed by George Clooney, The Tender Bar is a warm film with a wonderful central performance from Affleck.
Eternals (Movie – available 12/1/2022 on Disney Plus)
Given it released in theatres during an ongoing pandemic, chances are there are many people who haven't had a chance to see Marvel's most unusual superhero epic to date, Eternals. Well, Disney Plus subscribers won't have to wait much longer to see it, as the film is set to land (in a superhero hero pose, no doubt) on the service on January 12.
The Tragedy of Macbeth (Movie – available 14/1/2022 on Apple TV Plus)
Writer-director Joel Coen (of the famous Coen Bros. duo) goes at it alone with The Tragedy of Macbeth, based on the famous play by William Shakespeare. Produced by A24, the fantastic arthouse company behind the likes of The Green Knight and Hereditary, expect The Tragedy of Macbeth to really lean into the darker, scarier aspects of the story, which sees Macbeth (Denzel Washington) convinced by a trio of witches that he will be the next King of Scotland. Also stars Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth.
Gold (Movie – available 26/1/2022 on Stan)
Arguably the most high-profile Stan Original film to date, Gold stars Hollywood heartthrob Zac Efron as a man who comes to the Australian outback for a job only to discover an enormous nugget of gold buried in the middle of the desert. Too big to dig out with the tools on hand, Efron must stay back and stand guard while his partner (Anthony Hayes, who also directs the film) sets out to go find excavation equipment. Releasing on Australia Day, you can check out the tense trailer for Gold below.
January 2022 TV highlights
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return To Hogwarts (TV special – available 1/1/2022 on Binge)
Can you believe it's been 20 freakin' years since the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in theatres? Those kids are all in their 30s now! Join stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and a host of others as they take a nostalgic look back the films that changed their lives in this 20th anniversary special.
Euphoria: Season 2 (TV series – available 10/1/2022 on Binge)
The first season of Euphoria proved to be a smash hit, making its second season one of the most highly anticipated TV shows of the year. The show offers an unflinching look at the lives of a group of high-school students as they experience the highs and lows of teen life, including identity, love, sex, drugs and more.
Peacemaker: Season 1 (TV series – available 13/1/2022 on Binge)
Writer-director James Gunn apparently enjoyed his time working on this year's The Suicide Squad so much that he decided to write a spin-off series for John Cena's character, Peacemaker. If you've seen the film, you'll know that Peacemaker loves peace more than anything, and he'll gladly murder hundreds of people in order to maintain it. As per Gunn's signature style, expect Peacemaker to be another violent, funny affair.
Ozark: Season 4, Part 1 (TV series – available 21/1/2022 on Netflix)
Netflix's award-winning series Ozark is back for its fourth and final season in 2022, with the first half dropping in January. Picking up where season 3 left off, the Byrd family (led by Jason Bateman and Laura Linney) are in a precarious situation, in that their fate rests in the hands of cartel boss Omar Navarro (Felix Solis), who has been given the option of killing the couple and handing the operation over to Helen (Janet McTeer).
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock (TV series – available 21/1/2022 on Apple TV Plus)
Those of us who remember the 1980s will be happy to hear that Fraggle Rock is back, with a brand new reboot series arriving on Apple TV Plus! Fans should also be chuffed that The Jim Henson Company is back in charge of this beloved property, and we can't wait to see how these characters inspire a whole new generation of kids.
