Now Streaming – January 2026

Photo Credit: Dreamworks

By Leigh Hewett

January 2026 is starting strong when it comes to streaming family titles. This curated list includes beloved classics like SHREK FOREVER AFTER and DESPICABLE ME or fun 2025 releases like SMURFS. There’s something for everyone to stream as we roll into the new year.

Peacock – 1/1/2026

SHREK FOREVER AFTER – 1/1/2026

Quality:

****

Content:

+2 Moderately questionable elements.

SHREK FOREVER AFTER, the final chapter in the SHREK movies from DreamWorks, is absolutely delightful! In this sequel, the wicked gnome Rumpelstiltskin dupes a frazzled Shrek into signing away his new life with his beloved wife, Fiona, and their three adorable children. SHREK FOREVER AFTER is terrific, hilarious, exciting, heartfelt fun for the whole family, with a wonderful redemptive message affirming marriage and family.

Netflix – 1/1/2026

DESPICABLE ME – 1/1/2026

Quality:

****

Content:

+1 Moderately questionable elements. (Discernment required for young children.)

DESPICABLE ME is a very witty, heartfelt animated movie about an extremely sinful character transformed by the love of three little girls. The ending to DESPICABLE ME is so uplifting and redemptive that it overshadows some of the action violence, slapstick comedy and light scatological references.

Paramount+ – 1/1/2026

JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS – 1/1/2026

Quality:

****

Content:

+3 Some minor questionable elements. (Media-wisdom is suggested to discuss.)

The new G-rated animated movie, JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS, is smart, funny, exciting, entertaining, and full of great moral messages that will have audiences cheering. In the story, the precocious Jimmy and his friends find out they not only need their parents, they actually want them back after their parents are captured by aliens!

Prime – 1/1/2026

SMURFS – 1/1/2026

Quality:

***

Content:

-1 Caution advised for older children, including teenagers, and sensitive adults.

SMURFS follows the Smurfs of Smurf Village who embark on a rescue mission in the real world when evil wizards kidnap Papa Smurf. SMURFS has a strong moral, redemptive worldview extolling kindness, good triumphing over evil, sacrifice, forgiveness, loyalty, and characters supporting each other, but the colorful animation is hampered by lackluster execution. The movie is hampered by a frustrating final product, a predictable plot, use of magic and magical spells, some comic and action violence, and verbal innuendoes.

HBO Max – 1/1/2026

BATKID BEGINS – 1/1/2026

Quality:

****

Content:

+3 Some minor questionable elements. (Media-wisdom is suggested to discuss.)

BATKID BEGINS is a documentary about what happens when a 5-year-old boy with leukemia wishes to become Batman. The movie gives viewers a glimpse behind-the-scenes of this spectacular event that not only changed the lives of one little boy, but of an entire com-munity. BATKID BEGINS is well made and very entertaining, a wonderful movie to watch with the whole family.

Tubi – 1/1/2026

DESPICABLE ME 3 – 1/1/2026

Quality:

****

Content:

+1 Moderately questionable elements. (Discernment required for young children.)

DESPICABLE ME 3 shows Gru losing his job with the Anti-Villain League and then meeting his long-lost twin brother, with whom he plans a heist against another villain so that Gru can get back his job. DESPICABLE ME 3 is a high octane, high energy mélange of several storylines that bring fast and furious jokes, fun, reconciliation, prayer, and family to the big screen.