Here are 13 of the best movies on Disney Plus (Image: Disney )
Between the legacy blockbusters and surprise indie gems, Disney+ has quietly built one of the most eclectic libraries out there – especially if you’re after films that balance mainstream pull with serious awards clout or cult status.
Whether you’re in the mood for Jesse Eisenberg’s sharp new drama A Real Pain or just want to watch Al Pacino and Robert De Niro go head-to-head in Heat, there’s something for pretty much every taste and tolerance level.
Here are the 13 best movies to stream on Disney+ right now, as well as the full list of April additions down below.
A Real Pain (2024)
A Real Pain follows two Jewish American cousins, David and Benji, who embark on a trip to Poland to visit their recently deceased grandmother’s childhood home and explore their family’s history, including the Holocaust. As they navigate the tour and confront their shared history, their contrasting personalities and past tensions resurface, highlighting the complexities of family relationships, generational trauma, and the enduring impact of the Holocaust.
It stars Kieran Culkin – who won the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for it – and Jesse Eisenberg – who also wrote and directed it, earning one Best Original Screenplay Academy nomination – as the main characters. The film’s success interestingly also caused Eisenberg to get granted Polish citizenship by President Andrzej Duda.
Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in A Real Pain (Image: AP)
Tombstone (1993)
Tombstone tells the story of Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell), a legendary lawman, as he and his brothers move to the town of Tombstone, hoping to retire and make a living. However, their plans are disrupted by the arrival of a gang of outlaws, forcing Earp and his friend Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) to reclaim their guns and bring justice to the town, leading to the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
It is loosely based on real events that took place in the 1880s in Southeast Arizona, and the real people around it. Tombstone was a financial success, and ranks number 16 in the list of highest-grossing films of the Western genre since 1979. Critical reception was also generally positive, and turned it into a cult classic since its release.
Heat (1995)
Heat is a crime thriller that follows the cat-and-mouse game between a hardened LAPD detective, Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), and a master thief, Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), as they navigate the world of high-stakes heists and personal struggles. Both men, despite being on opposite sides of the law, come to respect and understand each other’s dedication and the complexities of their lives.
The film marks De Niro and Pacino’s first on-screen appearance together, right after a period of acclaimed performances from both actors. It grossed $187 million on a $60 million budget and received positive reviews, being now regarded as one of the most influential films of its genre – not just positive influence, seeing as some real-life robbers and gangsters used it as a guide due to how realistic its plans are. A sequel was announced in 2022.
The Big Short (2015)
The Big Short tells the true story of how a group of outsiders foresaw the global economic collapse of 2007–2008 and made a fortune by betting against the U.S. housing market. They saw through the flawed and corrupt practices of Wall Street, identifying a bubble in the mortgage-backed securities market, and ultimately profited from the ensuing crisis.
The film boasts a star-studded cast with Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt – who also produced it. Cameos by celebrities such as Margot Robbie, chef Anthony Bourdain, Selena Gomez, economist Richard Thaler, and others offer moments of intermission, breaking the fourth wall and explaining concepts like subprime mortgages and synthetic collateralized debt obligations. The film won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and got nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Bale), and Best Film Editing.
Alien: Romulus (2024)
Alien: Romulus is a sci-fi horror-thriller set between the original Alien and Aliens films of the Alien Franchise. In it, a group of young space colonizers, while scavenging a derelict space station, encounters the deadly Xenomorph, returning the franchise to its iconic roots. The focus is now on a group of young colonists, and the film introduces new creatures and characters to the Alien universe.
The film – starring Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux and Isabela Merced – has received several industry nominations, namely for its technical aspects, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects. A new instalment of the series has been announced and is now in development.
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in the film Heat (Image: Wire handout)
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
The Banshees of Inisherin is a darkly comic drama set on a remote Irish island in 1923. It follows the emotional unraveling of two lifelong friends, Pádraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), when one suddenly decides to end the friendship. What begins as a confusing snub escalates into a bizarre and tragic standoff, with increasingly surreal consequences.
Written and directed by Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), the film earned nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Farrell), and both Supporting Actor and Actress (Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, and Kerry Condon). It also picked up three Golden Globe wins, including Best Actor for Farrell.
The French Connection (1971)
The French Connection is a gritty crime thriller based on the true story of two New York City narcotics detectives who uncover a major heroin smuggling operation from France. Gene Hackman stars as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, whose obsessive pursuit of the criminals leads to one of the most famous car chases in film history.
Directed by William Friedkin, the film won five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Hackman. It’s widely considered one of the greatest crime films ever made, and in 2005 it was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
The Martian (2015)
The Martian is a sci-fi survival story with a surprisingly upbeat twist. When astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead and left behind on Mars, he must use ingenuity, botany, and an upbeat disco playlist to stay alive until NASA can figure out how to bring him home.
Directed by Ridley Scott and adapted from Andy Weir’s bestselling novel, the film was both a critical and commercial success. It grossed over $630 million worldwide and earned seven Academy Award nominations. Damon won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical, which raised a few eyebrows, considering the setting.
Starship Troopers (1997)
Starship Troopers is a satirical military sci-fi film set in a future where Earth is at war with a race of giant alien bugs. It follows Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) and his friends as they enlist in the Mobile Infantry, unaware that they’re becoming pawns in a fascist propaganda machine.
Directed by Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop, Total Recall), the film was initially misunderstood as a straight action movie but has since become a cult classic, praised for its subversive humour, bold special effects, and razor-sharp critique of authoritarianism. It remains a favourite among sci-fi fans who know to read between the lines.
Scene from Starship Troopers (Image: Channel 5)
The Menu (2022)
The Menu is a darkly comic thriller that blends foodie culture, class obsession, and artistic pretension. It stars Ralph Fiennes as an eccentric celebrity chef who invites an elite group of diners – including Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult – to a remote island for a mysterious, multi-course experience. But the evening’s real surprise is that they may not all make it to the end of the meal.
Directed by Mark Mylod and produced by Adam McKay (The Big Short), the film received widespread acclaim for its sharp writing, biting satire, and unpredictable twists. Fiennes’s chilling performance and Taylor-Joy’s grounded presence anchor the chaos, making it a must-watch for fans of stylish horror-comedy.
28 Weeks Later (2007)
28 Weeks Later is the sequel to Danny Boyle’s 2002 horror hit 28 Days Later, picking up six months after the rage virus has decimated Britain. The U.S. military steps in to repopulate and rebuild London, but when the virus resurfaces, a new wave of chaos unfolds.
Starring Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, and Idris Elba, the film ups the scale and intensity of its predecessor while maintaining its bleak tone and fast-paced horror. Though not as groundbreaking as the original, it has its own loyal fanbase and remains one of the best zombie-adjacent films of the 2000s.
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Kingdom of Heaven is a historical epic set during the Crusades of the 12th century. It stars Orlando Bloom as Balian, a French blacksmith who finds himself defending Jerusalem against the invading forces of Saladin.
Directed by Ridley Scott, the film was originally released in a heavily cut theatrical version, but the later Director’s Cut – now available to stream – earned significantly more praise, especially for its more coherent story and deeper character development. The film also stars Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, and Liam Neeson, and features some of Scott’s most visually stunning battle sequences.
Gone Girl (2014)
Gone Girl is a psychological thriller that unpacks the media circus, manipulation, and marital dysfunction behind a missing person case. When Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) disappears, her husband Nick (Ben Affleck) becomes the prime suspect. But things are far from what they seem.
Directed by David Fincher and based on the bestselling novel by Gillian Flynn (who also wrote the screenplay), the film was a critical and box-office success. Pike earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her icy, layered performance, and the film remains a masterclass in tension, twisty plotting, and passive-aggressive gift-giving.
