by The January Movie Curse
January is notoriously known among movie fans as the month when throwaway movies tend to get dumped into theaters. It’s always entertaining to keep up with movie review channels during this time of year, as week after week they find themselves covering one disaster after another.
It hasn’t always been this way with January, but over the last decade or so, the month has given us infamously bad films like Rings, The Bye Bye Man, The Grudge (2020), Morbius, Night Swim, and the list goes on. January has basically become a dumping ground for studios—films that were delayed or left sitting on the shelf, many of them released with little to no marketing behind them.
In this new segment on the website, I’ll list the films releasing this month in order of release. I won’t mention every single movie hitting streaming or theaters, but rather the ones that catch the eye, show potential, or are simply doomed for disaster. By the end of the segment, I’ll pick out a few that I’ll definitely try to see.
Even though it’s January, there have still been surprise movies and unexpected hits released during this month in the past—films like The Grey, Split, The Gentlemen, and even Plane. So even with a month like this on the horizon, you never really know.
So let’s take a glimpse at the movies awaiting us this January as we kick off the new year.
Friday, January 2, 2026
1. We Bury The Dead
There are usually a lot of horror movies coming out every January. One of the first films to hit theaters this month is a zombie one: We Bury the Dead, a zombie-survival thriller starring Daisy Ridley, written and directed by Zak Hilditch.
The trailer honestly looks pretty alright. It seems like it could be an entertaining zombie flick, even though it does have that digital-streaming quality look to it, just less so than some others. It’s also an Australian production, and the zombies do look pretty brutal. Australia has been producing some good horror movies lately, such as The Babadook, Late Night with the Devil, and Talk to Me.
I don’t think this will be anything groundbreaking or extraordinary in the zombie genre, but if I’m going to the movies with some friends and this is the only showing available, I wouldn’t mind too much.
Thursday, January 8-11, 2026
2. Labyrinth, 40th anniversary
The classic ’80s, Jim Henson–directed, music- and fantasy-filled family adventure Labyrinth, starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, is returning to theaters in a newly remastered 4K release for its 40th anniversary, screening January 8–11.
I personally never watched this film growing up, but I know it’s a classic for a lot of people. Now they can experience it on the big screen in 4K and relive their childhoods, or bring their families and kids along to experience it together for the first time.
I’ve seen some images and clips from this movie over the years, and it’s always looked a little trippy, with hints of Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz.
This feels like something I’d watch with my mom and younger sister, or with my nephew and niece. I don’t know if I’d rush out to see it myself, but I wouldn’t mind if it came to it. It’s also kind of nice that more classic films have been getting 4K theatrical re-releases over the past few years, with even more coming this January.
Friday, January 9, 2026
3. Greenland 2: Migration
I remember watching the first Greenland during the pandemic and, in my mind, kind of mixing it up with Geostorm, another Gerard Butler end-of-the-world disaster movie. I watched both of those movies with my dad when they came out. I wasn’t really a big fan of either, but my dad and I like checking out these natural-disaster movies once in a while.
This movie probably won’t be great, but I went into the first one with no expectations and remember some of the sequences being pretty entertaining. And no matter how these movies turn out, Gerard Butler never phones it in. I also remember going to see Plane with my dad one January because nothing else was really playing, and that movie was surprisingly fun and much better than I expected, with Butler pretty much carrying the whole thing.
I’m not going to go out of my way to see Greenland 2, but if my dad is down, I’d check it out with him in theaters or stream it at home at some point. I don’t know, it’s kind of our unspoken tradition to watch natural-disaster movies together.
4. Primate
Anyone else notice there’s been an uptick in monkey horror lately? Nope, The Monkey, and now the upcoming Primate. You could have yourself a whole monkey-horror triple-feature night if you’re up for it.
I don’t know, this feels like the kind of horror flick a lot of teenagers are probably going to sneak into. The movie is about a bunch of rich teenagers in a big house with a pet monkey that, no pun intended, goes apeshit on them. Maybe if you had to see this movie, it could be fun with a couple of buddies who just want to watch something fast and dumb, with possibly entertaining gore and satisfying kills sprinkled throughout.
If I were a teenager, maybe. But getting older now, and there’s just not enough time for average gory monkey slop anymore. If our schedules with my friends line up one week and we actually have an opening to go see a movie together, it’s going to have to be some good shit, at least decent. But this one? I don’t know bout that.
(January 14, 2026 EDIT: Saw the movie last night with my buddies. Well, that was better than I expected. Lots of practical effects, good tension throughout, and brutal gore. Was a fun time.)
5. Dead Man’s Wire
From director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk) comes a true story about a nationally televised 1977 hostage situation, centered on a man who held mortgage company president Richard Hall hostage, attached a shotgun pointed at his head, and wired a trigger as part of a protest over the ownership of his property.
The film stars Bill Skarsgard as the kidnapper, delivering yet another performance as a crazy-ass mofo, which I’m not complaining about. Al Pacino also appears in the trailer, indicating he’ll have a small role, but it’s still cool to see Pacino doing his thing.
I think this movie will be decent. Nothing too crazy, but a retelling of a true story that seems to have solid cinematography, production design accurate to the time period and setting, and some good performances. I don’t think I’ll rush out to see it in theaters, but I wouldn’t mind checking it out on streaming one day. This also feels like something I’d probably watch with my dad.
There’s also a 2018 documentary, Dead Man’s Line, that revisits this case and is streaming on Prime for like two bucks if you’re interested.
6. OBEX
Obex is an independent indie movie that I came across that would have likely flown under my radar if I weren’t compiling this list. It did catch my attention, though, and the trailer looks pretty cool and creative. The film follows a man living a secluded life who enjoys nature and playing video games, who then enters a video game to rescue his dog, Sandy, after she goes missing.
Obex is written and directed by up-and-coming independent filmmaker Albert Birney, and the film first premiered at Cannes in 2025. It now has a limited theatrical release in the U.S. on January 9 and will likely play in independent cinemas in bigger cities, or at some of those massive town-center AMC or Regal theaters. It should also be available to stream or rent sometime after its release.
I don’t think I’ll rush out to see this, but if I’m heading down to Manhattan to run some errands and I’m near an arthouse theater like Film Forum or the IFC Center, I wouldn’t mind checking this film out. It seems like a fun, creative, trippy movie. It’s also nice to see low-budget independent filmmakers still making offbeat movies like this that actually get some attention. Who knows, it could have the potential to become a cult classic or inspire someone else to make a low-budget flick.
7. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
I remember seeing the trailer for this movie in theaters for the first time and being confused, thinking they had accidentally played a trailer for a movie that had already been released a few months earlier. Then, as I kept watching, I realized it was actually a sequel and continuation of the story, with the title appearing on screen: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
A couple of my buddies and I, who usually go to the movies on Tuesday discount day, looked at each other thinking, holy shit, we just saw the last one what feels like a month or two ago, and now the sequel is already right around the corner.
I remember having a pretty fun time watching 28 Years Later. It wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it had some tense moments and a unique style. You don’t often get a psychedelic, post-apocalyptic zombie movie like that. I do remember the story losing me a bit in the middle after the boy leaves the fortress. Still, the practical effects, setting, and aggressive zombies made a lot of the scenarios pretty entertaining throughout. It was something different and unique. Sure, there were some stupid moments here and there, but it was an imaginative film nonetheless.
We had some laughs and plenty of “oh shit” moments during the runtime, so my buddies and I probably will go see this one as well. The previous movie is still pretty fresh in our minds, and it would be interesting to explore the world a bit more and see what that gang of zombie hunters is all about.
The two movies were filmed back-to-back, which is pretty rare for sequels, with only about a 7-month gap between releases. The one thing that has me a bit concerned is that Danny Boyle didn’t direct this sequel. This time it’s directed by Nia DaCosta, the director of Candyman (2021) and The Marvels (2023).
Who knows, we’ll see. I’m interested to see how the whole thing plays out. On a side note, this January, you could even have yourself a We Bury the Dead and The Bone Temple double-feature zombie night at the theater if you’re up for it.
8. The Rip
The Matt Damon and Ben Affleck duo are back in this upcoming Netflix original action movie, scheduled to release on January 16, 2026. The film follows a squad of Miami police officers whose trust begins to erode after they discover $20 million in cash in a stash house, drawing in outside forces and kicking off a deadly cat-and-mouse game.
The film is directed by Joe Carnahan, and he’s got a few solid flicks under his belt, including Narc (2002), The Grey (a January 2011 hit), Boss Level (2020), and Copshop (2021).
Overall, I wouldn’t mind checking this movie out and seeing the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck duo back in action, especially since it’ll be easily accessible from the comfort of my home on release day. That said, some of these expensive Netflix action movies often turn out pretty generic in both their plot and visuals.
January 16–19 & January 23–25
9. The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition 25th Anniversary Re-Release
Now this is definitely something I’d love to experience on the big screen in 4K. Some of my favorite adventure and fantasy movies of all time, and easily one of my favorite trilogies. It’s been a couple of years since I last watched The Lord of the Rings, and this feels like a perfect time to revisit the trilogy now that they’re coming back to theaters this January.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring, Warner Bros. and Fathom Events are re-releasing the extended editions of all three films. The Fellowship of the Ring will play on Fridays (January 16 and 23), The Two Towers on Saturdays (January 17 and 24), and The Return of the King on Sundays (January 18 and 25).
Ideally, I’d love to see all three on the big screen if I had the time. But what I’ll definitely do is catch Fellowship on that first Friday, then try to see The Two Towers the following Saturday, and probably finish off the trilogy at home with Return of the King on Blu-ray.
Friday, January 23, 2026
10. Mercy
The poster for this film kind of looks like something Arnold Schwarzenegger would’ve made in the ’80s, only those movies usually turned out way better than this digital menu–screen looking movie. Judging by the trailer, this feels like a straight-to–Prime Video action movie, generic-looking and directed like most of them. It stars Chris Pratt and is directed by Timur Bekmambetov, whose previous films include Night Watch, Day Watch, Wanted, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
The movie will be playing in theaters on January 23 and will also be available in IMAX.
I don’t know, man. If I watch this in IMAX, I’ll probably get dizzy and a little nauseous from all the digital graphics and GoPro-style action sequences. The style just really isn’t appealing to my eyes, so I’ll be skipping this one. I’ll still be interested in reading and watching the reviews, though.
11. Return to Silent Hill
I’ll start by saying that I’ve always really admired and been intrigued by the world of Silent Hill. It’s such a cool concept and one of the pioneering games in the survival horror genre. When I was a kid, I played through the first Silent Hill on my PSP and remember beating the game during a heavy snow blizzard, when the power in my neighborhood went out for two or three days. During the day, I’d go to a local library or Dunkin’ Donuts to charge my PSP, and at night I’d be surrounded by candles, covered in blankets, and completely immersed in the game
I also had a copy of the fourth game on my PS2 when I was even younger, Silent Hill: The Room. I was around eight years old at the time, and even the cover alone scared the shit out of me, with that bald man screaming on it. I never finished the game back then. It took a lot of courage just to boot it up and get through even a little bit. And more recently, I purchased Silent Hill 2 Remastered on my PS5 and am enjoying it a lot so far.
I also remember watching the 2007 Silent Hill movie a couple of times when I was younger and having a lot of fun with it. A lot of people consider it pretty underrated, especially for a video game adaptation, and it has since developed a solid cult following. I never personally got around to seeing 2012’s Silent Hill: Revelations. I didn’t hear the best things about it, but it does have Jon Snow and Ned Stark in it.
So I’m honestly rooting for Silent Hill to do well. It has such a creative horror aesthetic and excellent, layered characters, especially from what I know of the first and second games. And with the franchise getting a steady revival in the gaming space, it feels like the right time for a kick-ass Silent Hill movie to hit the big screen once again. Right? Well… I don’t know.
After watching the trailer a few times, I’m a bit underwhelmed. The poster looks cool, but the film itself just comes off like a generic, digitally heavy, studio-produced throwaway January horror film. Silent Hill has so much more potential than that. The budget for this film is reportedly around $23 million. You could do so many interesting things in that world with $23 million, maybe on a smaller scale, but all you’d really need is an abandoned town or a town set, some fog, a bit of film grain, interesting main characters with meaningful trauma, and some creepy-ass nurses, crawlers, and other creatures.
But with $23 million, they instead went ahead and, from the looks of it, made a movie based on the full scale of the second game, resulting in it looking like a cheap flick. This new installment aims for a faithful take on the psychological horror and themes of guilt, grief, and trauma from the second game, but when you watch the trailer, it honestly looks worse visually than the game it’s based on. The main character also looks and comes across as nothing like James from the game.
The one hopeful aspect is that it’s directed by the same guy who directed the 2006 Silent Hill movie, and he clearly knows the lore and still has all the research from the first film to build on. After 2008, his next film was Disney’s 2017 live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, and nearly two decades later, he finally made his Return to Silent Hill. Maybe he didn’t fully agree with the studio’s direction for this movie, but I’d like to believe that he still took up the mantle and tried to make it the best he could with whatever resources he had at his disposal.
My hopes aren’t very high for this film, but I am interested to see how it turns out. If I hear it getting trashed everywhere, I might hold off on watching it, since I don’t want it to tarnish the story of the second game for me.
11. Mother of Flies
Again, I don’t know when I would have found out about this movie if I weren’t making this list. The trailer caught my attention. At first it looks like a very low-budget movie, which it is, but there are snippets of some really cool editing and practical effects throughout that automatically make it feel more like a real film.
Another cool aspect is that it’s directed by a group of new, up-and-coming indie filmmakers, four of whom come from the same family—the Adams family. A real-life Adams family making horror movies? That’s pretty cool. This is only their second film, and if they keep going down this path, maybe they’ll turn into a household name in horror one day.
The family self-funded the movie, so the exact budget figures haven’t been fully disclosed. Still, it’s kind of inspiring that they pooled their money together and made a creative-looking horror film with full creative freedom.
This is another Shudder original, and I’ve been hearing more about the platform lately. It kind of makes me want to check it out and see what other hidden indie horror gems might be on there.
12. Send Help
It’s been a while since we’ve gotten a good island thriller. Sam Raimi is back in the director’s chair for a horror/thriller, which is good news, considering it’s been a while since the director of the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy, the Evil Dead films, and Drag Me to Hell has made a horror movie. What worries me, though, is that it’s releasing in January.
From the trailer, it looks pretty alright. Nothing too crazy, but it seems like a fun popcorn movie with sprinkles of Sam Raimi’s visuals and editing. This is the kind of January release that can go either way. It’s either going to be mediocre and unoriginal, or it could end up being a big surprise hit like Split.
I’m not too eager to go out and see it, but I wouldn’t be opposed to catching it on the big screen for a date night or with a coworker. And for some people who really hate their bosses or managers, this could end up being a pretty therapeutic and cathartic experience, especially since the film centers on an underestimated office worker who turns the tables on her overbearing boss after they become the sole survivors of a plane crash on a deserted island.
13. Iron Lung
Iron Lung is originally a 2022 psychological horror game in which players navigate a small, windowless submarine—the “Iron Lung”—through a deep ocean of blood on a desolate moon, after all stars and planets in the universe have vanished. The upcoming live-action adaptation is written, directed by, and starring Markiplier (Mark Fischbach).
In 2025, we got Chris Stuckmann’s Shelby Oaks, and in 2026, we’re getting Markiplier’s Iron Lung. Both directors are famous YouTubers, and both made their directorial debuts with horror movies. There isn’t much footage revealed in the Iron Lung trailers, but from what they do show, it looks like a pretty cool, atmospheric, and even psychedelic sci-fi horror film.
It’ll be interesting to see how the movie turns out, and it’s pretty cool that the production used over 80,000 gallons (approximately 300,000 liters) of fake blood, officially setting a new industry record for the most fake blood used in a single film production. This surpasses the long-held record of 50,000 gallons used in the 2013 remake of Evil Dead.
14. Shelter
And to close out January, we have another Jason Statham action movie, which, to be honest, doesn’t look all that different from his past few films. But hey, Jason Statham is cool, and it’s kind of nice that we still have a few old-school action heroes in the modern age running around and kicking some ass. When you go see one of their movies, you’re pretty much guaranteed that they’re going to kick some ass, no matter how generic the plot or the directing and writing might be.
I also came across some funny YouTube comments under the trailer for this film that pretty much sum it all up.
And there are plenty more comments like this if you scroll through the trailer page.
So if you’re itching for a classic Statham action movie with a Home Alone–style twist, this will probably be right up your alley.
Final Thoughts & Picks
This upcoming January, I’ll definitely catch a screening of the 25th anniversary re-release of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. If time allows, I’d also love to see The Two Towers on the big screen during the second weekend.
And out of the newer releases, I’ll most likely go see 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple with a couple of my buddies, who I watched the previous installment with.
This year, I also want to give more attention to smaller independent films, especially those that lean more into practical effects and original storytelling. Because of that, Mother of Flies and Iron Lung have both made it onto my January watchlist as well. I’d love to see them in an arthouse theater, but I’ll most likely end up saving these two for streaming.
If nothing from January is piquing your interest enough to go out to the theaters and spend the money, there will still be showtimes for films released in late December that you can catch up on, such as:
–Avatar: Fire and Ash
–Marty Supreme
–The Housemaid
–The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants
