The start of a new year means the return of our favorite shows and the premiere of new ones along with major films hitting theaters.
This month promises to be full of adventure and drama with the return of shows like Love & Hip Hop: Miami and Grown-ish and the premiere of films like Bad Boys for Life and Jezebel.
While you’ll have to head to the theater for a few of the titles, many will be available to watch from the comfort of your couch (honestly, the best way to view anything). Here are 11 new films and television shows premiering in January.
01
Jezebel – January 16
Recently acquired by Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY, Numa Perrier’s Jezebel explores themes of womanhood and the ownership of our bodies as 19-year-old Tiffany (Tiffany Tenille) begins working as a cam girl as she navigates her family’s financial struggles. The film will debut on Netflix.
02
Like A Boss – January 10
Tiffany Haddish stars alongside Rose Byrne and Salma Hayek in this comedy about two very different friends who start a beauty company and later realize how cutthroat the beauty world can be when their benefactor starts stealing from them.
03
Just Mercy – January 10
Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx are already receiving tons of awards buzz for Just Mercy, which stars Jordan as Bryan Stevenson, an attorney who takes the case of Walter McMillian (Foxx), a man wrongfully imprisoned for the 1986 murder of a white woman and sentenced to death. The film, which is based on a true story, received a limited release on Christmas Day but hits more theaters this month.
04
Bad Boys For Life – January 17
Guess who’s back?! Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprise their roles as Mike Lowery (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) as they take on a fierce cartel boss looking for revenge.
05
The Outsider – January 12
Cynthia Erivo joins a cast that includes Ben Mendelsohn and Jason Batemen in this Stephen King adaptation that follows the investigation of a grisly crime that leads to more questions than answers.
06
Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning – January 2
Part one of the three-part follow-up to Surviving R. Kelly has already premiered and it is gutwrenching. The limited series follows the aftermath of Surviving R. Kelly and the R&B singer’s arrest as survivors and members of Kelly’s team come forward with more shocking details of his sexual abuse.
07
Grown-ish – January 16
Grown-ish returns for season three with Zoey (Yara Shahidi) heading into her junior year of college. The upcoming season teases a possible pregnancy and sees Ryan Destiny joining the cast as a student transfer from an HBCU.
08
AJ and the Queen – January 10
Netflix and RuPaul team up for a new series that sees RuPaul staring as Ruby Red, a down-on-her-luck drag queen who takes her show on the road and finds a surprising companion.
09
A Fall From Grace – January 17
Tyler Perry makes his Netflix debut with A Fall From Grace, a new film starring Crystal Fox as a woman who falls for a mysterious stranger who ends up shattering her world.
10
Sex, Explained: Limited Series – January 2
Already streaming on Netflix, Sex, Explained examines everything you’ve ever wanted to know about sex. From birth control to fertility and fetishes to fantasies, this limited series narrated by Janelle Monáe digs into it all.
11
Love & Hip Hop: Miami – January 6
Love & Hip Hop: Miami returns for season three and the drama continues, this time with some new faces joining the cast and an infamous familiar one. The new season sees Joseline Hernandez joining the cast, rapper Trina grappling with the loss of her mother and Amara La Negra hitting a slight snag with her career.
