The Film Fix: Previews, Reviews of What’s Streaming in January
By JONATHAN W. HICKMAN, Special to The Paper
Below are reviews and capsules of various movies or series streaming this month.
Review rating … A “Fix” is recommended with a rating between 6 and 10. A “No Fix” is not recommended with a rating between 1 to 5.
Streaming Selects
NETFLIX
Bridgerton: Season 4 (Part 1) (January 29) – Season 4 of this popular high-society Regency-era soap opera is split into two parts. Part 2 drops on February 26, 2026. This season focuses on Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), who is the second-oldest Bridgerton sibling. Based on Julia Quinn’s novel “An Offer From a Gentleman,” Benedict will meet his “Lady in Silver” at a masquerade and search for her thereafter. The whole thing sounds like a take on “Cinderella.”
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials (January 15) – From the team that brought us BBC’s “Broadchurch,” this limited, three-part series is an adaptation of Christie’s 1929 novel “The Seven Dials Mystery.” Set in England in 1925, the central mystery centers on a murder arising from a practical joke gone wrong. Martin Freeman (see “Sherlock”) plays a Scotland Yard detective, with Helena Bonham Carter playing the distinguished Lady Caterham. Christie’s sleuth is an inquisitive younger named Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent (Mia McKenna-Bruce, see 2023’s “How to Have Sex”).
APPLE TV+
Hijack: Season 2 (January 14) – Expert negotiator Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) returns in the second season of the real-time thriller “Hijack.” In season one, Sam was trapped aboard a plane with hijackers driven by nefarious puppet masters. Spoiler: his skills enabled him to avoid disaster in that one. This time around, Sam finds himself on a commuter train in Berlin. A hijacking forces Sam into action to once again save hundreds of lives. While the result might be telegraphed, the fun in the first season was watching Elba’s Sam Nelson ingeniously solve problems and manipulate his captors. For those not familiar with this underrated gem, seek it out for a speedy binge.
HBO MAX
The Pitt: Season 2 (now streaming) – Like “Hijack,” the 15-episode second season of “The Pitt” employs the same intense, real-time storytelling approach, but the action is set in a Pittsburgh trauma-center emergency room. This installment picks up around 10 months after the last season. Dr. Robby (Noah Whyle) and his team must cope with the bedlam of their work environment during a chaotic Fourth of July holiday. As patients pile up, a breakdown of modern equipment forces doctors, nurses, and support staff to resort to older analog systems. When “The Pitt” dropped last year, I had to revisit the classic television series “ER” (also starring Whyle) as a comparison. “The Pitt” pays excellent homage to its 1990s and early oughts predecessor.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (January 18) – This prequel series (spanning six episodes) is set 100 years before the events of “Game of Thrones” and around 70-plus years after “House of the Dragon.” Each episode is said to be shorter than typical “Thrones” entries, with some installments running just 30 minutes in length. An adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s “Tales of Dunk and Egg,” “Seven Kingdoms” is set during the height of the Targaryen rule. Dunk (Peter Claffey) and his squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), embark on more minor, personal quests while more weighty political intrigue happens around them.
HULU
The Beauty (now streaming) – Ryan Murphy (see “American Horror Story”) takes a cue from the Oscar-nominated film “The Substance” by focusing on either a virus or a drug that produces extreme beauty. Of course, there are devastating side effects, and when the FBI gets involved to investigate, a sprawling conspiracy is uncovered. This gruesome-looking body-horror thriller features a great cast, including Murphy regular Evan Peters, and newcomers Ashton Kutcher, Rebecca Hall, and Isabella Rossellini.
DISNEY+
Wonder Man (January 27) – This Marvel Cinematic Universe series stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (see “Aquaman”) and Ben Kingsley as actors Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery, who are struggling to get by in Hollywood. Many readers might remember Kingsley’s memorable, comical turn as Slattery in “Iron Man 3,” where he was hired to play the terrorist known as the Mandarin. “Wonder Man” is a meta comedy series set in the Marvel universe, where a famous director mounts a production of, you guessed it: “Wonder Man.” When Simon and Trevor get call-backs for the movie, they are pulled into the strange production that just might change their careers (and their lives) forever. The trailers tease something much different from the Disney/Marvel machine, as superhero offerings have begun to wane in popularity.
PEACOCK
The Traitors: Season 4 (now streaming) – Alan Cumming returns to host the American version of the popular British reality competition series. Set in Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, 23 contestants will take the roles of Traitors and Faithfuls. The identities are kept hidden, as the Traitors use deceitful tactics to keep from being discovered and voted out of the castle. This season features public figures and celebrities from other reality shows and franchises.
THE FILM FIX’S TOP 10 FILMS OF 2025
1. One Battle After Another
2. Marty Supreme
3. Sinners
4. Weapons
5. Hamnet
6. It Was Just an Accident
7. The Secret Agent
8. Warfare
9. 28 Years Later
10. The Smashing Machine
Jonathan W. Hickman is an entertainment attorney, filmmaker, college professor, and novelist. More about Jonathan can be found by visiting: filmproductionlaw.com.
