January is Hollywood’s “dump month,” when studios release misfit movies that aren’t worthy of Summer blockbuster season and aren’t good enough for December’s award-eligibility season—movies that seemed like a good idea at the time, which, once finished, they’d rather forget.
January is where they drop off these mis-fires and unwanted cinematic stepchildren. But like actual unwanted children, sometimes these films are still freaking great. The following 14 movies were dumped and expected to die, but they’re awesome anyway.
Cloverfield (2008)
Cloverfield has become such a well-known and well-loved film, it’s easy to forget it was originally released in January. J.J. Abram’s found-footage monster movie was a big commercial risk: It had a no-name cast, it was not part of an established franchise, and it was shot in a non-traditional style. In other words, it’s the perfect movie for January. Despite its dump-month release (or because of the freedom from competition it offered) Cloverfield proved a huge hit.
Where to stream: HBO Max
3 / 16
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
January was the perfect month to releasee From Dusk Till Dawn. Even though it was written by Quentin Tarantino, directed by Robert Rodriguez, and starred George Clooney, From Dusk Till Dawn is essentially a cult movie. Any movie with a plot as loopy as this one—a gang of criminals fighting vampires in a topless bar—and such uncompromising violence and action was never going to appeal to huge middle of the movie-going public. Weirdoes, though, would have sought it out anywhere, even at a multiplex in January.
Where to stream: HBO Max
Before Sunrise (1995)
It’s strange that the suits who schedule movies didn’t tee Richard Linklater’s third film up for Oscar nominations by dropping it in December. At the time, Linklater had directed two nearly universally lauded features (Slacker and Dazed and Confused), and a postmodern romantic drama set on a train to Vienna is a perfect encapsulation of the mid-’90s, artsy-but-commercial zeitgeist. Before Sunrise was pure Oscar-bait, but someone seems to have missed the memo.
Where to stream: Digital rental
Mama (2013)
I love that they release so many horror movies in January; we all need an antidote to the wholesomeness of the holidays. In 2013, that medicine came in the form of Mama, a twisted story of feral children and their monstrous parent. Like the twins at its center, Mama is loud, weird, and creepy, like January horror movies should be.
Where to stream: HBO Max
6 / 16
Waiting for Guffman (1997)
Waiting for Guffman (1997)
Since its inauspicious mid-’90s release, Waiting for Guffman has grown into a comedy cult classic. Christopher Guest’s mockumentary about a community theater company trying to stage an overly ambitious musical isn’t geared toward the masses in the least, but it has neverhteless quietly shaped the entire world of filmed comedy ever since.
Where to stream: Digital rental
27 Dresses (2008)
I’m not a romantic-comedy guy, but even I like 27 Dresses. Katherine Heigl is totally charming as Jane, who is literally always a bridesmaid, never a bride, and even though the movie is a distillation of romantic comedy tropes—the gay best friend; the blandly handsome, charming lead; the third-act crisis before the tear-jerking ending—it serves as a reminder of why those things are tropes to begin with: When done right, they really work.
Where to stream: HBO Max
Matinee (1993)
It’s puzzling that Matinee was released in January instead of during the summer. It features a recognizable star turning in an amazing performance (John Goodman as schlock auteur Lawrence Woolsey). It’s likable, charming, hilarious, and manages to comment on historical and cultural events without being preachy or boring. Matinee is a straight-up crowd pleaser that should have found a wider audience upon its release, even if it is a rather offbeat homage to ‘50s disaster flicks.
Where to stream: Starz, digital rental
Taken (2009)
Now that there have been three Taken movies, it’s easy to forget the first one came out of nowhere. Taken being dumped in January ended up being a stroke of good fortune, though. It’s a mid-budget movie that would have likely been lost in shuffle at a different time of year, but going up against Diary of Wimpy Kid allowed this revenge movie to find an audience it might have lost at another time of year.
Where to stream: IMDb TV
10 / 16
Some Kind of Heaven (2020)
Some Kind of Heaven (2020)
I love when quirky documentaries manage to get some kind of theatrical release. Some Kind of Heaven chronicles the lives of residents of The Villages retirement community in Florida. The don’t-worry-about-a-thing vibe of the community and the bright, perfectly composed shots contrast the subjects’ often tragic inner lives. Time is running out for these folks, and fulfillment and happiness remain elusive, even in a sun-soaked “utopia.”
Where to stream: Hulu
Hidden Figures (2017)
Given the subject of Hidden Figures—NASA pioneers whose contribution to the space program was overlooked because of their gender and race—it’s ironic that it wasn’t released widely until January. Technically, Hidden Figure was released very narrowly in December to snag those Oscar nomination, but could have come out across the country then too. Hidden Figures got the last laugh though: It found an audience anyway and ended up making $236.2 million.
Where to stream: Disney+
Hostel (2006)
I like Hostel, and I’m not afraid to admit it. It disturbed a lot of people with its unapologetic violence and gore, but it was only able to rile people up so much is because it’s so effective—no one bothers getting upset at brutal films that are terrible. I hope director Eli Roth reveled in reviews calling Hostel “unpleasant,” “stomach-turning,” and dismissing it as “torture porn.” That means it got to them. I hope he was happy with January release too.
Where to stream: Netflix, Redbox
13 / 16
Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)
Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)
If you’re too refined and intelligent to laugh at Paul Blart: Mall Cop, you don’t have a heart. Everyone needs a big, stupid comedy sometimes, and Paul Blart is one of the biggest and stupidest. A January release is perfect for this movie: Paul Blart was never going to get awarded with anything (except money: it made $183 million) and after a December filled with serious art movies like Anti-Christ and bloated, over-blown special effects tech-demos like Avatar, this big stupid movie was perfect.
Where to stream: DirecTV
14 / 16
Beaver Trilogy Part IV (2015)
Beaver Trilogy Part IV (2015)
This strange, dreamlike documentary tells the story of Trent Harris’ lifelong obsession with a guy he happened to meet outside of the local TV station where he worked. Harris shot a documentary profile of “Groovin’ Gary” for local TV, then dramatized the story for a couple of short films: once casting Sean Penn in the lead role and then casting Crispin Glover. It hard to say exactly why he did all this, but this documentary, like the movies it’s based on, is no less fascinating for trying to get to the bottom of it.
Where to stream: Tubi, Plex
15 / 16
Brotherhood of the Wolf (2002)
Brotherhood of the Wolf (2002)
Brotherhood of the Wolf tells the tale of a couple of monster-hunters in 1700s France on the trail of The Beast of Gevaudan, a werewolf tearing up locals. It touches on The French Revolution, secret societies, Native American mysticism, with a ton of martial arts action. It’s batshit, is what I’m saying, and if you haven’t seen it, please, I beg you, watch it.
Where to stream: AMC+, Shudder
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