Looking back on the first month of the new year, I’ve logged more movies in Letterboxd in January 2025 than any other month before, and that’s probably because I now have an account for almost all of the best streaming services. I always keep a record of everything I watch each month on Letterboxd, but this month I’ve decided to share with you some of my favorite titles from January, which will hopefully give you some recommendations based on what I’m personally enjoying on Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and more.
January 2025 was filled with some show-stopping movies and shows, and some that didn’t quite hit the mark for me. But luckily the majority of them were received positively, and the nine titles below made it into my favorites list for this month. Packing a mixed bag of movies and shows from war dramas, to coming-of-age stories, thrillers, and dramas, my thirst for broad range of genres has successfully been quenched.
Femme (2023)
Directors: Sam H. Freeman & Ng Choon Ping
Age rating: R
Length: 109 minutes
Where to stream: Hulu (US); Netflix (UK)
It’s rare for me to award a movie more than four stars on Letterboxd, unless I’m jokingly giving five stars to a movie that’s objectively bad, but has great camp value. I gave Femme a solid four and a half stars, not because it fit the above brief, but because it’s a powerful and striking depiction of internalised homophobia that’s difficult to watch in parts – but in the best possible way.
Set in London, drag artist Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarett) is one of the most celebrated figures within the city’s queer community. One night after a performance, a group of thugs target Jules resulting in a horrific homophobic attack, causing Jules to mentally withdraw from his group of close friends and his passion for drag. A few months after the attack Jules spots his attacker Preston (George MacKay) at a gay sauna. Jules sparks a secret sexual relationship with Preston, who not only doesn’t recognise Jules out of drag but is closeted from his group of typical lad-like straight friends. The two get to know each other, and Jules plots to carry out the ultimate revenge plan.
Heartbreak High (2022)
Creator: Hannah Carroll Chapman
Age rating: TV-MA
Length: 2 seasons
Where to stream: Netflix (US, UK & AU)
TV shows are a tricky one for me only because they require more dedication than a movie, but this wasn’t the case for Heartbreak High. When I was first introduced to Heartbreak High it was pitched to me as Australia’s answer to Sex Education, one of the best Netflix shows, but tackles even more difficult-to-address stories through hard hitting character studies. From there, I was sold.
A loose reboot of the ’90s series of the same name, Netflix’s 21st-century take follows a group of high school students from intertwining friendship groups who navigate the complicated world of relationships and sex, while facing growing socio-political tensions outside of school.
Kneecap (2024)
Director: Rich Peppiatt
Age rating: R
Length: 102 minutes
Where to stream: Netflix (US); Prime Video (UK)
Kneecap had been on my radar for a while, so I was very excited to see it arrive on Prime Video and it went straight into my watchlist for January. I’m always on the hunt for a good music movie and that’s exactly what my January line-up was missing, so Kneecap was the perfect entry.
A story about national pride and a Civil Rights movement, an Irish-language hip-hop band rises to fame as they fight for the protection of their native tongue. Belfast school teacher JJ has a run-in with Naoise and Liam Og, two so-called ‘low-life scum’ young adults of the ceasefire generation, and the three form an unlikely friendship when they form a band. Becoming the spearheads for a Civil Rights movement that aims to protect the life of the Irish Gaelic language, the band face challenging encounters with the police and government officials as their chaotic and disordered behavior quickly turns to self-sabotage.
My Old Ass (2024)
Director: Megan Park
Age rating: R
Length: 89 minutes
Where to stream: Prime Video (US, UK & AU)
Have you ever asked yourself how a movie can be so heart-warming, yet so heart-breaking at the same time? Well, that’s how I felt about Megan Park’s movie My Old Ass. Not only is this movie perfect because of Aubrey Plaza, but as a modern coming-of-age drama it acts as a life lesson for young adults with how to deal with the toughest aspects of romance, covering all the groundwork and standing in its own lane.
On the night of her 18th birthday while experiencing a mushroom trip with her friends, Elliott (Maisy Stella) comes face-to-face with her older-self (Aubrey Plaza). What starts off as a humorous encounter evolves into a valuable life lesson for young Elliott who’s warned about what she should and, most importantly, shouldn’t do by her older self.
The Zone of Interest
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Age rating: PG-13
Length: 106 minutes
Where to stream: Max (US); Prime Video (UK); Stan (AU)
To say that The Zone of Interest was a departure from the rest of the titles I watched in January would be a major downplay. Sinister in its setting yet appealing in its aesthetic, Jonathan Glazer’s historical drama is a truly eye-opening account the of extremist levels of the Nazi party during the Second World War – and has restored my expectations of war dramas.
Titled after the area surrounding the Auschwitz concentration camp, the movie is loosely based on the novel by Martin Amis following the commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel). Living with his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller), the two plan to build and maintain a peaceful family life outside the camp despite the horror and barbaric events they contribute to within.
Submarine (2010)
Director: Richard Ayoade
Age rating: R
Length: 97 minutes
Where to stream: Prime Video, Hoopla, Plex, Pluto TV, Freevee (US)
As a Welsh person, I’m a sucker for movies such as Pride (2014). Therefore, I felt obliged to watch Richard Ayoade’s directorial debut, which is set in a rural Welsh town focussing on the maturation of a teen school boy.
Oliver (Craig Roberts) has a lot of his plate. Apart from his mission to lose his virginity before he turns 16, his family life isn’t as happy and functional as he’d hoped. Living with his parents whose marriage is on the brink of oblivion, his father (Noah Taylor) accepts the fact that his wife (Sally Hawkins) could be having an affair with new neighbour and ex-lover who has just re-entered their lives.
Shiva Baby (2020)
Director: Emma Seligman
Age rating: R
Length: 77 minutes
Where to stream: Netflix, Hoopla (US); Mubi, All 4 (UK)
I added Shiva Baby to my watchlist when I downloaded Mubi for the first time, and since I’ve checked it off I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a must-watch for fans of Fleabag. After falling in love with Emma Seligman’s writing and filmmaking style in her black comedy Bottoms (2023), I just had to see what else she had up her sleeve.
Starring comedian Rachel Sennott as the young, directionless Jewish girl Danielle, Shiva Baby is set in real-time over the course of a single day highlighting the annoyances of intrusive family members. When she arrives at a family Shiva, Danielle must deal with family encounters while being reunited with her highly-praised ex-girlfriend. Not only that, but Danielle must deal with the unexpected appearance of her sugar daddy, his wife, and their young child.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Director: Michel Gondry
Age rating: R
Length: 108 minutes
Where to stream: MGM Plus (US); Netflix (UK); Netflix, Paramount Plus (AU)
When Ariana Grande released her 2024 album Eternal Sunshine, it was clear where its inspiration came from and although I had always been aware of Michel Gondry’s sci-fi romance, never has it crossed me on streaming – until now. While I didn’t find it as poignant as critics and fellow movie lovers make it out to be, it’s a rather interesting take on a heartbreak story.
Following a messy breakup, Joel (Jim Carrey) learns that his now ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) is undergoing a procedure that will erase all memories of him. Joel decides to undergo the same procedure, but they’re not the only couple that have sought out this technological advancement.
The Imitation Game (2014)
Director: Mortem Tyldum
Age rating: PG-13
Length: 113 minutes
Where to stream: Max (US); Netflix (UK)
Before I watched The Imitation Game this month, I wouldn’t say that I had never seen it before but more that I had only caught it on TV at certain points in the story. Thanks to Netflix, I sat down and watched it from start to finish, and it was just as powerful as I had thought it would be. Not only is The Imitation Game a war drama, but it tells the untold story of a queer man who committed one of the greatest acts of the 20th century.
At the start of the Second World War, English mathematician Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) is recruited by MI6 to help crack the seemingly unbreakable Enigma Nazi code. With a team that includes Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode) and Joan Clarke (Kiera Knightley), Turing builds a machine to help break down the messages. Years after the war at the turn of the 1950s, Turing’s personal life is unveiled to the public and, as a result, is submitted to prison for his sexuality.
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rowan.davies@futurenet.com (Rowan Davies)
