As more and more streaming services opt to put their movies directly online instead of, say, in the movie theaters, the choices for home viewers are becoming very hard. With hundreds of titles across every streaming service, it’s no wonder cable was such a hit all those years ago! They just decided what movie you were going to watch at any given time, and now we have choices. With the power of choice, comes the power of trying to sort through what’s actually worth watching.
When it comes to Disney+, you’ve got a lot of options. There are various original films, animated features, stop-motion animations, Star Wars content, computer animations, Pixar’s animated classics, works from National Geographic, and, of course, the extensive catalog from Marvel Cinematic Universe. But only some of these movies are the best of the best. If you’re looking to settle in with a worthwhile flick, here are the 25 best movies on Disney Plus as of this very moment.
Last updated on October 1, 2023.
1. Avatar
Year: 2009
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
Genre: Action-Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 162 minutes
Director: James Cameron
Trailer: Watch here
You probably saw Avatar in theaters in 2009, because everybody did. But if you didn’t (or just want to dive back into the ever-evolving blue world) it’s definitely worth watching, even if it’s just to keep up with the many conversations surrounding the blockbuster series. The movie brings you to the lush world of Pandora, where everyone is big and blue, and the government wants to ruin it all. It’s the first chapter in the movie series that seemingly will never end, as long as James Cameron has his way, especially after the box office hit that was Avatar: The Way Of Water.
2. The Incredibles
Year: 2004
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson
Genre: Family, Action-Adventure
Rating: PG
Runtime: 116 minutes
Director: Brad Bird
Trailer: Watch here
It’s hard to go wrong with any early-ish entry in the Pixar lexicon, though The Incredibles is still a top-tier film. If you’re tired of all of that Marvel bloat that’s been going around, The Incredibles is a perfect solution for anyone who wants to watch some lowkey-superhero fun. Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter voice Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, a couple of supers who used to dabble in some crime fighting. Now, they are just regular old parents juggling three kids… who also have powers. In order to stop a new threat, they must band together as superheroes AND as a family to protect the city. It probably makes your family get-together look pretty tame.
3. Avengers: Endgame
Year: 2019
Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Tom Holland
Genre: Superhero, Action-Adventure
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 185 minutes
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Trailer: Watch here
Every time The Avengers meet with the most powerful beings in the galaxy, they end up beating them and going out for dinner after because they are just that good. But Endgame proved that sometimes, superheroes don’t survive, and things can get dark before they get better again. After Thanos snaps half of the world from existence, The Avengers have to scramble to try to get the universe back into its place, but not before facing deadly consequences.
4. The Lion King (1994)
Year: 1994
Starring: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones
Genre: Family, Musical, Animated
Rating: G (but it should be PG-13, honestly)
Runtime: 93 minutes
Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Trailer: Watch here
To address the elephant and lion in the room, yes, there is a 2019 live-action rendition of The Lion king and yes, Beyonce is in it. It is also on Disney+ so you are welcome to watch that one, but if you are looking for something with a little more dancing and a little less like a nature documentary, the original is the way to go!
5. Up
Year: 2009
Starring: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer
Genre: Family, Drama, Animated
Rating: PG
Runtime: 96 minutes
Director: Pete Docter
Trailer: Watch here
Up is a Pixar staple because it checks off all of the boxes that make a hit children’s movie: a cute little kid, a lovable animal sidekick, and a dead adult. The opening sequence is not for the faint of heart (or for anyone who has elderly people in their life) but the heartwarming tale of a young boy and his grumpy neighbor really does tug at those emotions. Plus, it has one of the best Pixar soundtracks, so even if you don’t enjoy the movie, you’ll get some great music out of it.
6. Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back
Year: 1980
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Genre: Science Fiction, Action-Adventure
Rating: PG
Runtime: 128 minutes
Director: Irvin Kershner
Trailer: Watch here
You could go with any Star Wars title here, but we all know that this is the one you want to watch, right? The third film in the iconic series, Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back follows the aftermath of the destruction of the Death Star, as the Imperial forces hunt the Rebel Alliance, which includes Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the cuddliest guy in the galaxy, Chewbacca. How will they make it out of this one?
7. Black Panther
Year: 2018
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o
Genre: Superhero, Action-Adventure
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 138 minutes
Director: Ryan Coogler
Trailer: Watch here
In the first installment in the series, Chadwick Boseman plays the honorable T’Challa, a young king who is expected to rule the futuristic world of Wakanda after the death of his father. But when looming threats put their civilization in jeopardy, he has to rise to the occasion and protect his family as Black Panther. Boseman’s portrayal of the superhero is one that should not be missed, and the movie is even credited as a major turning point for Marvel.
8. Avatar: The Way Of Water
Year: 2022
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver
Genre: Action-Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 192 minutes
Director: James Cameron
Trailer: Watch here
This sequel literally took decades to come together, but the end result was worth it, even if no reports surfaced of James Cameron’s prediction that he’d make people “sh*t themselves with their mouths wide open.” You gotta admire Cameron’s commitment to taking us back into the lush realm of Pandora, and Kate Winslet joined the returning cast to set a record that must drive Tom Cruise nuts. Cameron has promised a few more sequels, so we’ll see if Cruise can break Winslet’s record, and she can one-up him by doing it again.
9. Toy Story
Year: 1995
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen
Genre: Family, Comedy, Animated
Rating: PG
Runtime: 84 minutes
Director: John Lasseter
Trailer: Watch here
At one point or another, everyone thought that their toys came to life whenever they left the room, right? Though you probably never expected that they would have the familiar voice of Tom Hanks. Toy Story is the first movie in one of Disney’s most beloved franchises, and it’s always a good watch, whether it’s your first or fortieth view. Andy’s favorite toy, Woody, feels threatened when a shiny new toy joins the gang, and the duo set out on their own adventure after accidentally being given away. It’s also one of those rare Walt Disney stories that get even better with its sequels.
10. Deadpool 2
Year: 2018
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Zazie Beetz
Genre: Superhero, Comedy
Rating: R
Runtime: 121 minutes
Director: Devid Leitch
Trailer: Watch here
This may or may not be the movie that required Disney+ to establish their parental controls, but we’ll never really know. What we do know is that Ryan Reynolds fought pretty hard to get his raunchy superhero movie on the streamer, and it worked! In this second installment, Wade Wilson joins forces with another familiar team of supers, though not too familiar, because they don’t have all of those rights. Isn’t Hollywood amazing?
11. Pirates Of The Caribbean
Year: 2003
Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightly
Genre: Fantasy, Action-Adventure
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 142 minutes
Director: Gore Verbinksi
Trailer: Watch here
While the Pirates movies have a long, complex history, there is one positive thing that came from the franchise, which is that it brought the word “swashbuckling” back into the cultural consciousness. The movie that started it all, based on the iconic Disney ride of the same name, follows the eccentric pirate Jack Sparrow as he sets out to steal his ship back from a gaggle of ghost pirates who took it. Yo-ho! It’s a pirate’s life, after all.
12. Captain Marvel
Year: 2019
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel, L. Jackson
Genre: Superhero, Action-Adventure
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 127 minutes
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Trailer: Watch here
Not every superhero movie can work in a fighting montage set to No Doubt’s “Just A Girl,” but this one sure did. And it worked! After years of minimal female-led Marvel movies, Captain Marvel is a good reminder that superhero movies can be fun and silly, especially if they take place in the ’90s. Brie Larson stars as Carol Danvers as she is recruited by the Avengers to help save the planet… and all of that fun stuff.
13. Hamilton
Year: 2020
Starring: Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Groff, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Genre: Superhero, Action-Adventure
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 160 minutes
Director: Thomas Kail
Trailer: Watch here
It’s been hard to escape the Hamilton frenzy over the last few years, and now that the iconic musical is on Disney+, it is much more accessible for everyone to watch. Plus you can have your own intermissions, which is great because it is nearly three hours long. Filmed in 2016, the smash hit tells the tale of Alexander Hamilton through a more modern lens, complete with great period-specific costumes and, of course, Lin-Manuel Miranda.
14. Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Year: 1981
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman
Genre: Action-Adventure
Rating: PG
Runtime:109 minutes
Director:Steven Spielberg
Trailer: Watch here
Real-life Disney Prince Indiana Jones finally gets his place on Disney+ now that the Indiana Jones collection is available on the streamer. It’s always best to start at the beginning, which began with Raiders of the Lost Arkin 1981. Harrison Ford stars as the titular archeologist/adventure aficionado who races against the Nazis in order to track down a very coveted artifact. Nothing can stop him… except snakes.
15. Return Of The Jedi
Year: 1983
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Genre: Action-Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rating: PG
Runtime: 136 minutes
Director: Richard Marquand
Trailer: Watch here
Every Star Wars movie is culturally significant in one way or another, and Return Of The Jedi is known for a few things, like being the last movie in the original saga, and tying up some of those loose ends regarding who is related to who. But the best part about episode six isn’t the monumental action scenes or the climactic conclusion — it’s the movie that brought Ewoks into the world. And that, alone, makes it work watching, in addition to all that galactic war.
16. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Year: 2017
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Downey Jr.
Genre: Superhero, Action
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 133 minutes
Director: Jon Watts
Trailer: Watch here
If Tobey Maguire isn’t your preferred spidey (no shame!), you might as well give Tom Holland a shot. Spider-Man: Homecomingis the third spidey reboot, though this time his story nicely ties in with those other Marvel guys for some cross-movie storytelling. Iron Man shows up to help Parker learn the ropes, but, as always, there’s a new bad guy in town looking to stir up some drama. And his name is Michael Keaton!
17. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Year: 1988
Starring: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 104 minutes
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Trailer: Watch here
Before Space Jambecame the leading name in hybrid animation films, Roger Rabbit was it. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is an innovative comedy from 1988 that combined the two most popular themes of the time: mysteries and annoyingly loud children’s cartoons. The movie follows a private investigator as he tries to figure out who frames Roger Rabbit, a three-foot-tall rabbit with red suspenders who is looking to clear his name after a gruesome murder.
18. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Year: 2023
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista
Genre: Action-Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 150 minutes
Director: James Gunn
Trailer: Watch here
Your favorite group of ragtag space thieves is back for their final (?!) ride, though things are a bit different here. Star-lord is still reeling after the death of Gamora, but as with most Marvel movies, things are not always what they seem, and an alternate version of Gamora eventually teams up with the group in order to save Rocket. Just don’t question it too much and you’ll have fun!
19. Black Is King
Year: 2020
Starring: Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
Genre: Music, Dance
Rating: TV-14
Runtime: 85 minutes
Director: Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
Trailer: Watch here
Black Is King is a mesmerizing visual and musical reimagining of The Lion King that centers on Black families and self-identity by using the themes and lessons from the classic 1994 Disney-animated film (and the 2019 remake, for that matter). Beyoncé uses stunning visuals and extravagant sets along with some special guests in order to create a powerful piece of art focused on family and community.
20. Monsters Inc
Year: 2001
Starring: John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi
Genre: Comedy, Animated, Family
Rating: G
Runtime: 92 minutes
Director: Pete Docter
Trailer: Watch here
Mike and Sully are just a couple of well-meaning monsters who are trying to make an honest living by scaring children by jumping out from the inside of their closets. Who can’t relate? But after one of the kids gets lost in the monster world, the duo has to find a way to get her back safely before the other monsters want to use her for her screams. It might seem evil, but it’s very eco-friendly to use vocals to power a city!
21. Logan
Year: 2017
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart
Genre: Drama, Superhero
Rating: R
Runtime: 139 minutes
Director: James Marigold
Trailer: Watch here
There was a time not too long ago when we all thought that 2017’s Logan would be the last time we would see Hugh Jackman don those piercing claws and grow out his unruly sideburns, though that’s not the case anymore. Still, the final chapter in Wolverine/Logan’s life is an unexpectedly dark drama that acts less like a superhero movie and more like a heartbreaking character study of an ailing man with a conflicting past.
22. Thor: Love And Thunder
Year: 2022
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson
Genre: Action/Superhero
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 118 minutes
Director: Taika Waititi
Trailer: Watch here
Mighty Thor made her entrance here with the return of Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster. She’s somehow weilding Mjolnir despite its formerly shattered state and Thor’s own lack of worthiness to pick up his most famous magical weapon. Taika Waititi is having a ball here again, although this outing is quite as rollicking as Thor: Ragnarok, which partially landed the way it did through the element of surprise. In other words, a Hulk Butt goes a long way, but this followup remains a worthy one.
23. Soul
Year: 2020
Starring: Jamie Foxx
Genre: Animation/Adventure
Rating: PG
Runtime: 100 minutes
Director: Pete Docter, Kemp Powers
Trailer: Watch here
Although Pixar’s status as an always-home-run-producing powerhouse has waned, this remains one of their better recent outings. Jamie Foxx voices a piano teacher, Joe, and jazz devotee who goes for his big break and almost gets there, but then he nearly dies and finds himself to be a disembodied soul who must fight his way back to his own ailing body. As usual, this film tackles the larger life questions that Pixar knows how to do with flair, so while emotions do run high at times, the journey ultimately a life-affirming one.
24. The Little Mermaid
Year: 1989
Starring: Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes
Genre: Family, Animated, Musical
Rating: G
Runtime: 87 minutes
Director: John Muscker, Ron Clements
Trailer: Watch here
Mermaid Ariel dreams of a life above the sea, but that’s hard when you don’t have human legs and instead are half-fish. But it’s not impossible! The Little Mermaid is the classic cautionary tale of what can happen if you trade a part of yourself in order to date the handsome sailor with the cute dog. But, as it is a Disney movie, of course, it all works out in the end for Ariel and her various sea pals. The upcoming live-action remake will hit theaters next year.
25. Avengers: Infinity War
Year: 2023
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans
Genre: Action-Adventure, Superhero
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 149 minutes
Director: James Gunn
Trailer: Watch here
The most expensive movie ever made! Join all your favorite superheroes for one last fun little adventure in which the powerful Thanos is trying to eliminate half of the population. Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, and the rest of the super gang team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to battle to death over the universe. Again.
26. Spider-Man 2
Year: 2004
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco
Genre: Action, Superhero
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 127 minutes
Director: Sam Raimi
Trailer: Watch here
Before there was an Andrew Garfield spidey or a Tom Holland spidey, there was a Tobey Maguire spidey and his tentacled friend Doc Oc. Spider-Man 2 is a fun ride no matter which iteration of Peter Parker you prefer, all because of Alfred Molina’s take on Dr. Octavius. Plus, you get to see a young James Franco try to avenge his father (Willem Dafoe from the first installment).
27. Flamin’ Hot
Year: 2023
Starring: Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, Emilio Rivera, Tony Shalhoub
Genre: Drama, Biographical
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 98 minutes
Director: Eva Longoria
Trailer: Watch here
Eva Longoria presents her directorial debut, which follows the “true” story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), a Frito Lay janitor who rose up through his Mexican-American heritage to transform Flamin’ Hot Cheetos in the eye of the American snack-craving public. Actually, this was no mere snack but a full-on sensation. After this film quickly became Searchlight Pictures’ most streamed movie ever, Longoria is apparently buried under a deluge of additional scripts from which to pick her next project.
28. Cruella
Year: 2021
Starring: Emma Stone
Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Crime Drama
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 134 minutes
Director: Craig Gillespie
Trailer: Watch here
Cruella de Vil received an origin story that no one knew that she ever needed. Emma Stone relishes this role with wild cackling, and you will fear those moments whenever puppies come into view, but nonetheless, this movie gives us a telling glimpse into the rebellious early days of this classic Disney villainess. I Tonya director Craig Gillespie is just the helmer for this gig, which dives into the fashion world as set against the punk-rock revolution of 1970s London. Estella gets down to grifting, and then it is on when she crosses paths with Emma Thompson’s Baroness von Hellman.
29. Fire Of Love
Year: 2022
Genre: Documentary
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 93 minutes
Director: Sara Dosa
Trailer: Watch here
This beautifully haunting documentary follows the careers of couple Katia and Maurice Krafft, volcanologists who traveled the world together investigating eruptions of the world’s most dangerous volcanos. The duo ultimately died in an eruption in 1991, but their vibrant love story went on to become nominated at the 95th annual Academy Awards.
30. Jungle Cruise
Year: 2021
Starring: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Emily Blunt, Edgar Ramirez, Jack Whitehall, Paul Giamatti, Jesse Plemons
Genre: Action/Adventure, Romance, Family, Comedy
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 149 minutes
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Trailer: Watch here
Emily Blunt totally punches The Rock in the face in this movie, and I think he loved it? He took it like a champ. She portrays intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton, and The Rock plays a shipper, Frank, who takes her on a hell ride down the river where dangers include Jesse Plemons firing a torpedo at the duo after brandishing a German accent and shouting, “Hallöchen!” It’s truly fun for the whole household.
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