4 best Netflix shows to watch (and 2 to skip) in January 2024

It's finally a brand new year, and aside from new year's resolutions and all of the other things a fresh start brings, that means it's time for another year of new Netflix shows. The streamer doesn't waste any time to get 2024 going with a bang in January with so many enticing titles ready to hit our watch lists.

Emmy Award-nominated Modern Family star Sofía Vergara returns to TV in the new crime limited series Griselda, which could and likely will be the first big Netflix limited series of the year. Apart from the limited series, Netflix also serves up two reality shows, two new original series, and a chilling true crime docuseries.

Which shows should you prioritize for your watch list, and which shows should you skip for another time... or altogether? We're sharing the four can't-miss new Netflix shows in January 2024 and the two titles that some viewers might not want to rush to binge-watch.

Griselda

Watch! Sofía Vergara might be known for making us laugh, but she will be delivering a whole different kind of performance in the Netflix crime drama. The six-episode limited series stars Vergara as the titular drug cartel leader Griselda Blanco. Griselda follows her rise and fall as the "Godmother." Since Modern Family ended in 2020, Vergara hasn't appeared in front of the camera beyond America's Got Talent, making her starring turn in the Netflix series all the more exciting. Don't miss a second of the year's first big limited series when it premieres on Jan. 25.

The Trust: A Game of Greed

Skip! If there's one type of show Netflix has been keeping in steady rotation these days, it's reality competitions. From Squid Game: The Challenge to Love is Blind and even seasons of Survivor, the streaming service leans into reality, and there's an audience that's eating it up. January brings the premiere of The Trust: A Game of Greed, a series which tests human nature as a group of individuals are tasked with splitting half a million dollars. For those up for another reality competition, stream away when The Trust drops on Jan. 10, but otherwise, feel free to skip.

The Brothers Sun

Watch! Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh comes to Netflix in the new series The Brothers Sun. The action comedy-drama centers on a family in the middle of a deadly situation involving dangerous enemies when the head of their family is killed by an assassin. It's a culture shock for one of the Sun brothers, who had previously been kept out of the family business. As of Jan. 4, the eight-episode series is now streaming and could be the next big hit on Netflix!

Boy Swallows Universe

Watch! Based on the novel of the same name by Trent Dalton, the new Netflix limited series Boy Swallows Universe takes place in Brisbane in the 1980s as a boy comes of age among the much less pleasant realities of real life. In order to help save his mother, the young boy must brave the underworld and take on the dangers awaiting him and his family members. The seven-episode mystery drama makes its premiere on Jan. 11 and looks to be a fun ride of a binge-watch.

Queer Eye season 8

Skip! By now, everyone knows what Queer Eye's all about. The Emmy Award-winning Netflix reality series has been super-popular since its first season and has turned its Fab Five into stars in their own right. The show's eighth season, which will be the last with Bobby Berk, premieres on Jan. 24, but the reality show hasn't really been a must-watch series for a few seasons. Since the series has already been renewed for a ninth season, you don't have to rush to watch season 8. Save it for a nice, long weekend when you need a good pick-me-up!

American Nightmare

Watch! Typically, true crime documentary series get hit with the "skip" since they are difficult to recommend to a wide audience. Not everyone enjoys watching true crime, so that's why "skip" usually translates to "skip if you're not a fan." This time around, Netflix's January entry American Nightmare sounds like it will be the next docuseries to take the world by storm. The three-episode tale of a home invasion and kidnapping regarded as a hoax comes from the minds behind Netflix's hit The Tinder Swindler. Check out the show everyone will be talking about when it premieres on Jan. 17.

What will you be watching and skipping on Netflix in January 2024? Stay tuned for more Netflix news and updates from Netflix Life!