\n<\/p>\n
In the game<\/span> known as the streaming wars, Disney+ came out swinging, bringing with it a massive library of movies and TV shows\u2014with new ones being added all the time. Watched everything on Netflix? Disney+ has a seemingly endless selection of Marvel movies and plenty of Star Wars and Pixar fare too. Problem is, there\u2019s so much stuff that it\u2019s hard to know where to begin. WIRED is here to help. Below are our picks for the best films on Disney+ right now.<\/p>\n For more viewing ideas, try our guides to the best films on Netflix, the best films on Amazon Prime, and the best shows on Apple TV+.<\/p>\n If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism.<\/em> Learn more.<\/em><\/p>\n When a traveling carnival comes to a small Midwestern town, two best friends\u2014Will Halloway (Vidal Peterson) and Jim Nightshade (Shawn Carson)\u2014suspect that something is not quite right. They soon discover that the carnival\u2019s mysterious boss, Mr. Dark (Jonathan Pryce), has nefarious plans for the townspeople and enlist the help of Will\u2019s dad (Jason Robards) to help them stop him. Rad Bradbury wrote the screenplay for Something Wicked This Way Comes<\/em>, based on his own 1962 novel, and the film was a rare foray into dark themes for Disney at the time, but developed a rabid cult following over the years. It\u2019s been incredibly difficult to find for decades, so its arrival on Disney+ has fans rejoicing.<\/p>\n Though it failed to do Avengers<\/em> numbers at the box office, leading many to label it a flop, ticket sales don\u2019t always tell the full story\u2014especially when it comes to the MCU. Florence Pugh reprises her role as Yelena Belova, a Black Widow\u2013trained assassin who gets caught up in a sabotage plan concocted by corrupt CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). When Yelena and her fellow killers-for-hire realize they\u2019ve been duped into killing each other to clean up de Fontaine\u2019s mess, they instead band together\u2014with the help of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Yelena\u2019s dad\/super soldier Red Guardian (David Harbour) to seek revenge. At this point it\u2019s not really a spoiler to note that the asterisk in the title was meant to denote the placeholder title, as the group is rechristened the \u201cNew Avengers.\u201d<\/p>\n In Sacramento<\/em>, cowriter-director Michael Angarano stars as Rickey, an emotionally stunted man-child who is not ready to grow up, even as those around him have moved on to find careers, get married, and start families. Glenn (Michael Cera) is one of those old pals, who finds himself unwittingly agreeing to take a road trip from Los Angeles to Sacramento so that Rickey can scatter his recently deceased dad\u2019s ashes. What follows is the stage of male friendship that happens somewhere between Superbad<\/em> and Sideways<\/em>, with both men learning something about each other\u2014and themselves\u2014whether they want to or not. Though the film was a hit with critics when it screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, it sadly flew largely under the radar in its brief theatrical run.<\/p>\n As the original \u201csummer blockbuster,\u201d one might imagine that there are few behind-the-scenes stories fans have yet to hear from Steven Spielberg and Co. about the making of Jaws<\/em>. But this Nat Geo documentary proves that even the movie\u2019s most diehard fans might still have a thing or two to learn about the film that scared millions of beachgoers away from the water. In celebration of the film\u2019s 50th anniversary, this 90-minute doc features interviews with Spielberg\u2014and many people who have been inspired by the movie over the years\u2014to help you see it in a whole new light.<\/p>\n With all the hoopla surrounding the 50th anniversary of Jaws<\/em>, now seems like the perfect time to show our appreciation for composer John Williams\u2014without whom, that Steven Spielberg classic (and pretty much any<\/em> Spielberg classic) would not feel the same. The second-most-nominated person in Oscar history (his 54 nominations are only bested by Walt Disney, who earned 59 nods), Williams has been producing memorable movie scores for nearly 70 years now and has quietly helped to turn movies into cinema. This original documentary gathers up some of the 93-year-old\u2019s closest collaborators, including Spielberg and George Lucas\u2014who swears that \u201cStar Wars<\/em> would basically not<\/em> be Star Wars<\/em> without Johnny Williams\u2019 music.\u201d It\u2019s a touching, and perhaps long overdue, tribute to a true Hollywood titan.<\/p>\n In 2018, when Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse<\/em> hit theaters, it changed perceptions of what Spider-Man movies, and animated films, could be. No longer led by Peter Parker, a kid from Queens who gets bit by a radioactive spider, it was fronted by Miles Morales, a kid from Brooklyn who met a similar fate in another part of the multiverse. Across the Spider-Verse<\/em> continues Miles\u2019 story and his quest to save the multiverse, and his timeline, from a terrible fate. Fun, heartbreaking, and a thrill to watch, it\u2019s one of the best Spider-Man movies ever.<\/p>\n In many ways, The Abyss<\/em> is the ultimate James Cameron movie. The idea for it first came to the filmmaker as a teenager, and it features all the storytelling and visual hallmarks of Cameron\u2019s more famous movies. In a way, it\u2019s essentially an underwater version of Aliens<\/em>: A US submarine has been ambushed and sunk to the bottom of the ocean in the Caribbean. A Navy SEAL (Michael Biehn) and two petroleum engineers with a sticky romantic past (Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) are sent on a rescue mission, but are racing against the clock as a storm is gathering above the water and Soviet ships attempt to the reach the sunken sub before their American counterparts arrive. As one might expect in a Cameron flick, all is not as straightforward as it seems, and the rescuers encounter what is deemed \u201cnon-terrestrial intelligence.\u201d Though originally released in 1989, this new 4K restoration gives new life to Cameron\u2019s underwater sci-fi classic.<\/p>\n Slowly but surely, filmmaker R. J. Cutler is becoming America’s foremost chronicler of celebrity. After covering Billie Eilish, Martha Stewart, and James Belushi, the documentarian has now trained his lens on Elton John. Following the hitmaker as he prepares for his final North American show at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium in 2022, which livestreamed on Disney+, Elton John: Never Too Late<\/em> jumps back and forth in time, using archival interviews and previously unseen footage to unearth a full picture of the musician’s decades-long career. If nothing else, think of it as a companion piece to the 2019 biopic Rocketman<\/em>.<\/p>\n The Deadpool<\/em> movies have always stood out for being proudly anti\u2013superhero movie and boldly R-rated. Even though Deadpool & Wolverine<\/em> is the first film in the series that\u2019s officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (it only took several years of production delays and one massive studio acquisition to make that happen), it’s just as raunchy as the installments that came before. Six years after Ryan Reynolds last graced screens as the Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool has hit what might be his rock bottom. When he\u2019s given the opportunity to regain the lives and loves he lost in another timeline, he must enlist the help of an extremely disinterested Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to make it happen. Reynolds and Jackman\u2019s onscreen chemistry is electric, making this one (foul-mouthed) team-up you don\u2019t want to miss.<\/p>\n Bruce Springsteen came out of the Covid-19 lockdowns revved up and ready to put on one hell of a show. For Road Diary,<\/em> The Boss gave director Thom Zimny an all-access pass to the creation of the tour he and and the E Street Band have been on since 2024, including archival footage and interviews with the band and Springsteen himself. Zimny has been documenting the rocker\u2019s life on the road for more than two decades now\u2014and won two Emmy Awards for his efforts (for 2001\u2019s Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Live in New York City<\/em> and 2018\u2019s Springsteen on Broadway<\/em>)\u2014making this documentary essential viewing for any fan.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t cry. But also cry. A lot. Inside Out<\/em> is the perfect realization of what every Pixar film strives to achieve. On the surface, it\u2019s a comedic look at human emotion, the complexity of a child growing up, and the delicate balance of family life. But by literally getting inside the head of 11-year-old Riley, the film finds a way to bring emotion to life in a way that is at once comedic, profound, and often ingenious.<\/p>\n Though it\u2019s been 10 years since the release of Pixar\u2019s Oscar-winning Inside Out<\/em>, this sequel picks up just two years after the original film’s ending. Riley, now 13 years old, is officially a teenager\u2014and not quite ready to contend with the various new emotions that come with that phase. Among them: Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Ad\u00e8le Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). Fortunately for all of them, not to mention Riley\u2019s parents, Joy (Amy Poehler) is still there to help balance these emotions out. Yet again, Pixar triumphs in making a movie with a message that is also fun for the whole family.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s definitely been ups and downs,\u201d says singer\/songwriter Mike Love in The Beach Boys<\/em>. \u201cWe\u2019ve probably been counted out half a dozen times.\u201d Yet more than 60 years after the band\u2019s founding, these California Dreamers have managed to defy audience expectations just as many times\u2014and redefine what pop music can be in the process. Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny codirect this insightful documentary, which features brand-new interviews with Love, the late Brian Wilson, and Al Jardine\u2014not to mention the many artists they have inspired (Lindsey Buckingham, Janelle Monae, Don Was, and Ryan Tedder among them).<\/p>\n Wes Anderson assembled an all-star cast and crew for this gorgeous stop-motion animation adaptation of Roald Dahl\u2019s children\u2019s novel. Mr. Fox (George Clooney) makes a promise to his wife (Meryl Streep) that he\u2019ll stop his farm-raiding ways when she reveals that she is pregnant. Years later, the crafty canine is feeling angsty and tempted to return to his criminal pastimes when temptation comes knocking right next door. But Mrs. Fox starts to suspect something is amiss when a bounty of fresh food starts finding its way into their home. Even worse, the local farmers are none too happy about being raided by a pesky fox\u2014and band together to do something about it. Noah Baumbach cowrote the script with Anderson, and the cast includes many of Anderson\u2019s most frequent collaborators, including Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Owen Wilson.<\/p>\n Watching the trailer for Jim Henson: Idea Man<\/em>, it strikes you: How has there not been an exhaustive documentary about Jim Henson before now? Muppets, The Dark Crystal<\/em>, Sesame Street<\/em>\u2014the puppeteer had a hand in all of them. In this documentary, Ron Howard looks at Henson’s (tireless) work, his incredible impact, and the legacy he left behind.<\/p>\n If Peter Jackson\u2019s three-part 2021 docuseries Get Back<\/em> (which is also on Disney+) left you wanting even more unfiltered access to the Beatles, we\u2019ve got both good news and bad news: Let It Be<\/em> is the 1970 documentary from which much of the footage seen within that series was taken. On the plus side, the original 16-mm print of the film\u2014which has gone mostly unseen for the past 50 years\u2014has undergone a painstaking restoration, courtesy of Jackson (yet again). While it lacks some of the emotional nuance of the series, as we see less of the sometimes-uncomfortable interactions of a band on the verge of their breaking point, it serves as a wonderful time capsule in which it was created. Feel free to pair the two together for one long binge (and throw in Abbey Road: If These Walls Could Sing<\/em> for good measure).<\/p>\n Ahmir \u201cQuestlove\u201d Thompson made his directorial debut with this feature documentary, which recounts the groundbreaking Harlem Cultural Festival\u2014a six-week-long celebration of Black culture, including music, history, fashion, and beyond. The film features rarely-seen clips of performers such as Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and Sly & the Family Stone. Why have you never heard of the event? Possibly because it was overshadowed by Woodstock, which took place during the same time in the summer of 1969. Ironically, when the film won the Oscar for Best Documentary at the 2022 Academy Awards, it was overshadowed yet again: It\u2019s the award that was being handed out when Will Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock on the stage. (Here\u2019s your chance to rectify missing that<\/em> acceptance speech.)<\/p>\n Were you one of the lucky ones who saw Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in person? Did you see Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour<\/em> in theaters? Well guess what? You can now also watch it on Disney+! Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)<\/em> is kind of like the one that played at AMC cinemas, but it’s also got four new acoustic songs: \u201cYou Are in Love,\u201d \u201cDeath by a Thousand Cuts,\u201d \u201cI Can See You,\u201d and \u201cMaroon.\u201d It also features the folklore<\/em> track \u201cCardigan.\u201d So, whether you saw the tour, the movie theater experience\u2014or neither\u2014there’s now yet another way to take in Taylor. Are you ready for it?<\/p>\n Any property as beloved as X-Men is bound to have more than a few detractors when it makes the leap from page to screen. But the first X-Men<\/em> movie managed to impress skeptical comic book fans and<\/em> newcomers to the mutant war with its compelling storyline and stellar cast, which included Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, and then-newcomer Hugh Jackman. The film kicked off the first in an ever-growing franchise of the battle between mutants and humans, which now totals 13 films and more than $6 billion in box office receipts. With X-Men now officially part of Marvel Studios, expect to see lots more of this expanded cast of characters (beginning with the aforementioned Deadpool & Wolverine<\/em> and 2026\u2019s highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday<\/em>). Until then, though, go back and watch this 2000 classic, and prepare for the future.<\/p>\n It may be impossible to reach the heights achieved by timeless classics like Temple of Doom<\/em> or Raiders of the Lost Ark<\/em>, but this latest installment in the Indiana. Jones franchise puts the whip back in Harrison Ford\u2019s hands, letting him fight Nazis and finally get (maybe) some closure to his artifact-hunting life. The movie, directed by James Mangold, also gets some fantastic humor and verve from Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who plays Helena, the daughter of an old ally of Indy\u2019s who has perhaps less-than-pure interest in the Dial of Destiny, an ancient time-travel device that Dr. Jones, of course, thinks belongs in a museum.<\/p>\n Far From Home<\/em>, which stars Tom Holland as the Spandex-wearing superhero, is notable for being the first film in Phase Four of the MCU\u2014and the first time we see an Avenger attempting to pick up the pieces following the events of Avengers: Endgame<\/em>. For Peter Parker, that means taking a boring old class trip to Europe, which turns into anything but when Earth is attacked by a villainous group of Elementals, which Spidey can only fight with the help of the mysterious\u2014and appropriately named\u2014Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal).<\/p>\n Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) is a lightly employed voice actor and devoted dad of three who has just been dumped by his wife and is only allowed to see his children one day per week. So he does what any rational person would do: asks his brother, who just happens to be a makeup artist, to dress him up as an older woman and applies to become a nanny working for his ex-wife Miranda (Sally Field). That Miranda doesn\u2019t realize the person she has entrusted her children with is the man she was married to for more than a decade might speak more about her character. Ignore the ridiculous setup and instead enjoy more than two hours of Robin Williams going full<\/em> Robin Williams. Bon app\u00e9tit!<\/p>\n Teenager Josh Baskin (David Moscow) wishes on a Zoltar machine that he could grow up overnight\u2014and comes to find his older self (Tom Hanks) staring him back in the mirror the next morning. In an effort to hide his fast-forwarded body, Baskin hides out in New York City, where he falls backward into his dream job at a toy company and meets the woman of his dreams (Elizabeth Perkins). Big<\/em> is the movie that made Tom Hanks, well, Tom Hanks (it also marked his first Oscar nomination). But it\u2019s Robert De Niro who was originally set to star; when he was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, Hanks stepped in.<\/p>\n Nemo (Alexander Gould) is a young clown fish with an imperfect fin and a dad (Albert Brooks) who worries endlessly about his son\u2019s safety. Which is forgivable, given that Nemo\u2019s mom\u2014and all his siblings\u2014were victims of a barracuda shortly before their eggs hatched. So when Nemo is captured while the duo are swimming in the Great Barrier Reef, it\u2019s up to Marlin to find and save his only son. With an all-star cast of voice actors\u2014led by the always-perfect Brooks, and Ellen DeGeneres as a forgetful blue tang named Dory (who would go on to star in her own adventure)\u2014Finding Nemo<\/em> is part of the heyday of Pixar filmmaking where each film seemed to surpass the absolutely perfect one that preceded it.<\/p>\n Rob Reiner directs this adventure-comedy-fairytale, written by William Goldman (the legendary screenwriter who once famously said of Hollywood that \u201cnobody knows anything\u201d) from his own novel. The ever-quotable tale tells the story of a young woman named Buttercup (Robin Wright) who is engaged to marry a prince (Chris Sarandon) but is really in love with former farmhand Westley (Carey Elwes), who she believes was killed in a pirate attack. When Buttercup is kidnapped just days ahead of her wedding, a chain of events proceed to possibly reunite the in-love couple, or spell death for one (or both) of them. Goldman was famously critical of his own work, but didn\u2019t mind taking credit for two of his movies. The Princess Bride<\/em> was one of them (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid<\/em> was the other).<\/p>\n Does the live-action version of The Little Mermaid<\/em> improve upon the beloved 1989 animated classic? Of course not. But Disney is on a tear when it comes to reimagining the movies you loved as a kid, and this is one of the Mouse House\u2019s better efforts. Oscar nominee Rob Marshall (Chicago<\/em>, Mary Poppins Returns<\/em>, Into the Woods<\/em>) is behind the camera for this tale of a young mermaid who longs to be (sing it with us) \u201cpart of your world.\u201d Yet it\u2019s Halle Bailey, delivering a powerhouse performance as Ariel, who truly makes The Little Mermaid<\/em> worth watching.<\/p>\n Whether you think of Henry Selick\u2019s imaginative stop-motion adventure as a Halloween film or a Christmas movie doesn\u2019t really matter, as there\u2019s never a bad time to add The Nightmare Before Christmas<\/em> to your watch (or watch-again) list. When the mischief-makers in Halloweentown, including pumpkin king Jack Skellington, discover the magic of Christmas, they decide to kidnap Santa Claus and claim both holidays for themselves. Even in today\u2019s CGI-soaked world, the artistry behind The Nightmare Before Christmas<\/em> remains painfully impressive\u2014and the macabre yet kid-friendly tone makes it a fun watch for the entire family. There\u2019s also a sing-along version if you\u2019re in the mood.<\/p>\n In case you don\u2019t know the story: After Cinderella loses her beloved mother, her father marries a nasty woman with two equally nasty daughters. While they spend their days tormenting the kind-hearted Cinderella, Prince Charming, the most eligible bachelor in all the land, only has eyes for her. Seventy-five years after its original release, Cinderella<\/em> remains a Disney classic for a reason. Now it\u2019s back with an impressive 4K restoration that has been several years in the making.<\/p>\n To Marvel fans, Mark Ruffalo is the only Bruce Banner. But that\u2019s only after Eric Bana tried on the supersized superhero\u2019s tiny purple pants in 2003\u2019s Hulk<\/em>\u2014and then passed them on to Edward Norton for this 2008 flick, which had the misfortune of hitting theaters just one month after Iron Man<\/em>. The MCU has always had a messy timeline, but audiences shouldn\u2019t be too quick to write this movie off, particularly those looking to kick back with a solid summer popcorn flick. Norton may lack Ruffalo\u2019s effortless charm, but he\u2019s got the Doc Green part of the character down. While the movie has been largely (and wrongly) forgotten, it did get a bump in February when Liv Tyler found her way into (the new) Bruce’s arms when she reprised her roles as love interest Betty Ross in Captain America: Brave New World<\/em>.<\/p>\n Fans of classic animation will love every second of the more than two dozen freshly restored old shorts that are part of the Disney+ library. One of the most exciting titles among them is The Skeleton Dance<\/em>, which revolutionized cartoon culture in 1929. Walt Disney himself wrote, directed, and produced this macabre comedy in which a group of resurrected skeletons rise from their graves and, yep, dance. This is actually much funnier and\/or more impressive than it sounds.<\/p>\n Easily the most recognizable name in comics, Stan Lee has had an impact on the medium\u2014and on pop culture broadly\u2014that simply can\u2019t be overstated. Director David Gelb\u2019s documentary about \u201cThe Man\u201d delves into not only his legacy, but also his history. Tracing the comics maestro\u2019s life from his early years in New York City to his work cocreating iconic characters like Spider-Man and Black Panther to his time as everyone\u2019s favorite Marvel movie cameo, Stan Lee<\/em> is essential viewing for any fan.<\/p>\n While Sam Raimi\u2019s Tobey Maguire-starring Spider-Man movies predate the official MCU, the famed director really set the stage for what that future universe would look like, with its mix of solid storytelling, genuine laughs, and impressive visuals. Maguire is perfectly cast as the awkwardly charming Peter Parker, who\u2014having just discovered his superhero powers\u2014is learning to harness them.<\/p>\n Venom<\/em>\u00a0may not have been a hit with critics, but WIRED senior editor Angela Watercutter nailed exactly what the movie was when\u00a0she called it \u201ca bad movie with great cult-movie potential.\u201d While it rivals\u00a0Doctor Strange<\/em>\u00a0for its stacked cast of serious talent\u2014Tom Hardy in the lead, with Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed costarring, plus\u00a0Zombieland<\/em>\u2019s Reuben Fleischer as director\u2014the end result was, well, a bit of a jumbled mess. Nonetheless, it somehow manages to be compelling, even if you just turn it on to watch Hardy mumble, eat Tater Tots, and almost literally chew scenery for 112 minutes.<\/p>\n Naturally,\u00a0Star Wars<\/em> is one of the big attractions on Disney+. And it goes without saying, or at least it should, that the films that comprise the original trilogy are the best of the bunch\u2014and the only\u00a0Star Wars movies you should watch if you\u2019re opting not to binge all dozen or so features. The caveat for pickier fans is that these are the versions that have been messed with by George Lucas post-release. Some things, like the improved visuals in and around Cloud City, are thoughtful additions, but others are more controversial.<\/p>\n More than 20 years after\u00a0Star Wars: Episode IV\u2014A New Hope<\/em> (aka simply\u00a0Star Wars<\/em>) helped to define the Hollywood blockbuster, George Lucas returned to the space opera well with an all-new trilogy for an all-new generation of moviegoers. It went about as well as you\u2019d expect. We won\u2019t pretend that\u00a0The Phantom Menace<\/em> (1999),\u00a0Attack of the Clones<\/em> (2002), and\/or\u00a0Revenge of the Sith<\/em> (2005) have even an ounce of the heart, humor, or heroism of the original films. But they\u2019ve become essential pop culture viewing, and a rite of passage for sci-fi fans, if only to get what all the Jar Jar Binks hate is about.<\/p>\n When Disney purchased Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012, it was essentially George Lucas handing over the keys to\u00a0the Millennium Falcon. While fans were rightly skeptical about whether the Mouse House would be able\u2014or even want\u2014to recapture the slightly countercultural environment in which the series was originally created, one hopeful thought united them all: Whatever Disney concocted could\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0be worse than the Prequel Trilogy. And they were right. By giving the reins to J.J. Abrams (The Force Awakens<\/em>), Rian Johnson (The Last Jedi<\/em>), then Abrams once again (The Rise of Skywalker<\/em>), the series became more of a love letter to the original films and the generations of filmmakers\u2014and fans\u2014they inspired. Happily, actors Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver proved worthy successors to the smugglers, scavengers, Jedi masters, and Sith Lords who preceded them.<\/p>\n Mei Lee is a 13-year-old with a problem: Whenever she\u2019s overcome with any sort of overwhelming emotion, which is just about every emotion at that age, she transforms into a giant red panda. Eventually, Mei comes to learn that it\u2019s an inherited family trait. And while there are people who would like to exploit her supernatural powers, she slowly learns that only she has the power to control them. Think of this as a spiritual sequel to 2015\u2019s Inside Out<\/em>, which explored the complex inner workings of an 11-year-old\u2019s constantly changing emotions.<\/p>\n Abbey Road Studios is best known as the place where the Beatles recorded some of their most iconic albums, including 1969\u2019s\u00a0Abbey Road<\/em>. But the hallowed halls of this legendary music studio have played a much bigger role in the music industry, as it has hosted the likes of everyone from Elton John, Pink Floyd, and Aretha Franklin to Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, Radiohead, Adele, Oasis, Kate Bush, and Frank Ocean. This documentary, which arrived on the heels of Peter Jackson\u2019s docuseries\u00a0The Beatles: Get Back<\/em> (which is\u00a0also streaming on Disney+ and is highly recommended), is directed by Mary McCartney\u2014daughter of Sir Paul\u2014who practically grew up in the studio and, as such, is able to treat her subject with the reverence it deserves.<\/p>\n James Cameron\u2019s\u00a0Avatar<\/em>\u00a0was all anyone could talk about when it was released in theaters in 2009 and promptly went on to make more than $1 billion, becoming the cinematic iceberg that sank another Cameron epic, 1997\u2019s\u00a0Titanic<\/em>, from its place as the highest-grossing movie of all time. For a movie that made so much bank, however, it never occupied a huge space in the cultural conversation about movies. Like so many of Cameron\u2019s works, much of its innovation came from the technology that essentially had to be invented to make it possible.<\/p>\n One week before Avatar<\/em> hit theaters (for the first time) in late 2009, James Cameron announced his intention to turn the movie into a full-on franchise. But the director took his sweet time in following through. Avatar: The Way of Water<\/em>\u2014which checks in on blue lovebirds Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Salda\u00f1a), now married with children\u2014was released in late 2022, a full 13 years after the original made its debut. But Cameron smartly bought himself some time by setting the film 16 years after the events of Avatar.<\/em> And while the critical reviews were mixed, it still ended up becoming the third-highest-grossing movie of all time, proving yet again that Cameron has some sort of Midas touch at the box office. We\u2019ll see if that still holds true when the franchise\u2019s third film, Avatar: Fire and Ash<\/em>, arrives in December.<\/p>\n The MCU has released nearly three dozen films since 2008, yet the very first of them\u2014Iron Man<\/em>\u2014remains one of the best. It\u2019s almost impossible to believe how hard director Jon Favreau had to fight to get Robert Downey Jr. the leading role, as he\u2019s arguably one of the MCU\u2019s most beloved figures. Before there was a whole franchise plus a shared TV universe, Downey, as Tony Stark\/Iron Man, was just allowed to do his thing. It was a gamble that paid off for all involved.<\/p>\n Sure, you can watch the live-action\/CGI version that Disney+ released shortly after it launched, but why bother when the 1955 original is here too? Put aside the rather vulgar stereotypes that were common at the time (the movie now comes with a warning, though it was recently reworded) and Lady and the Tramp<\/em> remains one of the most iconic Disney animations, and a love story for the ages. When a spoiled cocker spaniel named Lady finds herself competing with a new baby for the attention of her parents, she ends up getting loose and befriending a mangy but charming mutt named Tramp. Ultimately, Lady needs to choose between the pampered life she\u2019s always known with Jim Dear and Darling, or a life of spaghetti dinner discards with the hopelessly romantic Tramp\u2014unless there\u2019s another way.<\/p>\n Between The Muppet Show<\/em> and The Muppet Movie<\/em>, Jim Henson and the Muppets were everywhere in 1979. Their first big-screen outing serves as more of a prequel, as it follows Kermit the Frog\u2019s journey from a swamp in Florida to Hollywood, where he\u2019s headed to pursue his dreams of becoming a movie star. Along the way, we get to witness where and how he meets the fellow members of his felt-made crew, from Fozzie Bear to Miss Piggy. Hijinks ensue when a restaurateur named Doc Hopper doesn\u2019t take too kindly to Kermit turning down his offer to serve as the official legs of his chain\u2019s famous fried frog legs, and follows the frog in order to seek revenge.<\/p>\n Enrico Casarosa\u2019s Luca<\/em> earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature in 2022 for its sweet and soulful story about a young boy named Luca who is hiding a dark secret: He’s a sea monster living in a town on the Italian Riviera that absolutely despises his kind. Ultimately, Luca<\/em> is a moving coming-of-age film about friendship, family, and overcoming our own prejudices\u2014and truly one of Pixar\u2019s best features.<\/p>\n Marvel’s biggest mistake in the entire MCU canon (so far) was not commissioning Captain Marvel<\/em> sooner. The film, set in the past, sees the rise of Marvel (Brie Larson) as she discovers her origin story and develops her powers. The film, the first entry in the Marvel universe with a female lead, channels the spirit of the 1990s both in its setting and in style, with heaping spoonfuls of Samuel L. Jackson and all the plot and subtlety of a blockbuster action movie. Larson adds a healthy dose of sarcasm to undercut her character\u2019s immense power, and Jackson is eerily brilliant, making for a super fun 123 minutes.<\/p>\n Who doesn\u2019t love a heist movie? Paul Rudd\u2019s MCU debut acted as something of a palate cleanser after the heavy, literally Earth-shattering events of Age of Ultron<\/em>. Rudd plays Scott Lang, a reformed criminal who teams up with Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter (Evangeline Lily) to keep Pym\u2019s shrinking technology from falling into the wrong hands. The film\u2019s depiction of quantum physics wouldn\u2019t hold much water at CERN, but it\u2019s terrific fun\u2014thanks in part to Michael Pe\u00f1a\u2019s star turn as Lang\u2019s former cellmate Luis and, of course, Rudd\u2019s legendary likability. If you want to make it a Rudd-athon, both\u00a0Ant-Man and the Wasp<\/em> and\u00a0Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania<\/em> are streaming, too.<\/p>\n There’s a moment in the event-movie-to-endgame-all-event-movies when you realize that writers Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus have gone full Harry Potter and the Cursed Child<\/em> all over the MCU. Once you get past the rather glum beginning, you can settle in for what you have come to expect from any Avengers movie: Tony Stark cracking wise; Doctor Strange doing weird things with his hands; Professor Hulk explaining the science of what\u2019s going on; and Black Widow and Captain Marvel kicking ass, both emotionally and physically. It’s a messy but epic baton-pass in the form of an angsty portal-powered mega-battle. And we’re not going to lie: We’ve watched those audience reaction videos, and they too are a thing of joy.<\/p>\n If you only know Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical from the obscenely high ticket prices and snippets of the soundtrack, here\u2019s your chance to find out what all the fuss is about. A version of the production, recorded via a six-camera setup over two performances by the original Broadway cast, was put on Disney+ after plans to release it in cinemas were scrapped. Aside from a couple of censored swear words and the fact that it’s directed (by Thomas Kail), it’s essentially the same show\u2014an energetic, empathetic, witty, quippy hip-hop musical about US founding father Alexander Hamilton.<\/p>\n One of the potential answers to \u201cWhat, oh, what to put on after Frozen<\/em> and Frozen 2<\/em>?\u201d Moana<\/em> is in fact better than Frozen<\/em>. By that we simply mean better soundtrack, better heroine, better visuals, and better side quests. There’s also 100 percent more Dwayne Johnson as a tattooed demigod and Jemaine Clement as a giant crab doing a Bowie impression. Set thousands of years ago on the fictional, Polynesia-inspired island of Motunui, Moana’s hero’s journey is fairly classic, but the sumptuous animation and Lin-Manuel Miranda tunes are top-tier Disney. (Sure, we’d love to see Taika Waititi’s original script, but we can live without it.) Moana 2<\/em>, last year\u2019s less well-received sequel, is now also streaming on Disney+ (as are sing-along versions for both films).<\/p>\n If your friend told you they’d decided to solo-climb up the sheer 3,000-foot granite El Capitan wall in Yosemite, California, with no rope, you\u2019d think they had gone mad. But that\u2019s exactly what Alex Honnold set out to do back in 2017. Honnold\u2019s quest to climb the vertical wall was documented by his two director friends, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, as he took on the ascent to become the world\u2019s first person to free-climb El Capitan. But it\u2019s not just about the ascent, it\u2019s also about Honnold\u2019s complicated life, his emotional issues, and all the things that have driven him to pursue one of the most dangerous missions ever attempted by any free climber. The cinematography in Free Solo<\/em> is also dizzyingly beautiful, and the entire thing will have you gripping the arm of your chair in terror.<\/p>\nSomething Wicked This Way Comes<\/em><\/h2>\n
Thunderbolts*<\/em><\/h2>\n
Sacramento<\/em><\/h2>\n
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story<\/em><\/h2>\n
Music by John Williams<\/em><\/h2>\n
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse<\/em><\/h2>\n
The Abyss<\/em><\/h2>\n
Elton John: Never Too Late<\/em><\/h2>\n
Deadpool & Wolverine<\/em><\/h2>\n
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band<\/em><\/h2>\n
Inside Out<\/em><\/h2>\n
Inside Out 2<\/em><\/h2>\n
The Beach Boys<\/em><\/h2>\n
Fantastic Mr. Fox<\/em><\/h2>\n
Jim Henson: Idea Man<\/em><\/h2>\n
Let It Be<\/em><\/h2>\n
Summer of Soul<\/em><\/h2>\n
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)<\/em><\/h2>\n
X-Men<\/em><\/h2>\n
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny<\/em><\/h2>\n
Spider-Man: Far From Home<\/em><\/h2>\n
Mrs. Doubtfire<\/em><\/h2>\n
Big<\/em><\/h2>\n
Finding Nemo<\/em><\/h2>\n
The Princess Bride<\/em><\/h2>\n
The Little Mermaid<\/em><\/h2>\n
The Nightmare Before Christmas<\/em><\/h2>\n
Cinderella<\/em><\/h2>\n
The Incredible Hulk<\/em><\/h2>\n
The Skeleton Dance<\/em><\/h2>\n
Stan Lee<\/em><\/h2>\n
Spider-Man<\/em><\/h2>\n
Venom<\/em><\/h2>\n
The Original Star Wars<\/em> Trilogy<\/h2>\n
The\u00a0Star Wars<\/em> Prequel Trilogy<\/h2>\n
The\u00a0Star Wars<\/em>\u00a0Sequel Trilogy<\/h2>\n
Turning Red<\/em><\/h2>\n
Abbey Road: If These Walls Could Sing<\/em><\/h2>\n
Avatar<\/em><\/h2>\n
Avatar: The Way of Water<\/em><\/h2>\n
Iron Man<\/em><\/h2>\n
Lady and the Tramp<\/em><\/h2>\n
The Muppet Movie<\/em><\/h2>\n
Luca<\/em><\/h2>\n
Captain Marvel<\/em><\/h2>\n
Ant-Man<\/em><\/h2>\n
Avengers: Endgame<\/em><\/h2>\n
Hamilton<\/em><\/h2>\n
Moana<\/em><\/h2>\n
Free Solo<\/em><\/h2>\n
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids<\/em><\/h2>\n