Disney's own streaming service Disney+ is here, and the volume of content available at your fingertips may feel overwhelming. Indeed, Disney Plus launched with hundreds of movies and thousands of hours of TV shows to watch, all from Disney's library of titles—and from Disney's brand new, Disney Plus-exclusive content. The studio dug deep into its archives for this one, making available forgotten live-action films from the 60s, 70s, and 80s alongside a ton of Disney Channel Original movies. And that's not to mention the catalog titles from Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm and the growing library of new original films you can only find on Disney+.
So with a robust lineup of movies available to stream on Disney Plus, we felt it necessary to help whittle down your choices of what to watch on the new streaming service. We've gone through the library and plucked out some of the best movies Disney+ has to offer, from animated classics to Marvel superhero movies to Star Warsfilms to even surprising live-action titles. There's a little something for everyone in this list, further proof that Disney+ is not just programming for kids. They're targeting the entire family. So below, peruse our list of the best movies to watch on Disney Plus.
For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows on Disney+, best comedies on Disney+, and best romantic movies on Disney+.
This article was last updated on February 10th to include Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Turning Red (2022)
Run Time: 1 hr 40 min | Genre: Family Comedy | Director: Domee Shi
Cast: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Hyein Park, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and James Hong
Pixar has shown us time and time again that they know exactly how to push the right buttons to move us, to make us cry, to devastate us. But what Turning Red is doing might be even more impressive, a bright story that doesn’t skimp on the moving sentiments, but provides these emotions in a lovely, fun, and largely optimistic story of self-discovery and the first steps into womanhood. Turning Red can do all this in a film packed with panda transformations, ridiculous boy bands, needy Tamagotchis, and absurd first crushes. Turning Red proves that a Pixar film can be cheery, positive, and light, while also leaving a touching and powerful impression. — Ross Bonaime
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Run Time: 2 hrs 41 min | Genre: Superhero | Director: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, Winston Duke
Serving as the second installment in the Black Panther journey, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever follows the devastating loss of actor Chadwick Boseman, played out canonically for the people of Wakanda to mourn their King T’Challa. In Wakanda Forever, the remaining royal family, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and Shuri (Letitia Wright), find their country in danger from an unrelenting force led by a formidable opponent, Namor (Tenoch Huerta). Uniting with their allies M’Baku (Winston Duke) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman), the Wakandan people are tested, both in strength and resilience, through this heartfelt love letter of a film, wrapped carefully in action, rich character development, and many tender moments. – Yael Tygiel
A Wrinkle in Time (2018)
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Run Time: 2 hr | Genre: Sci-Fi Fantasy | Director: Ava DuVernay
Cast: Storm Reid, Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Levi Miller
While A Wrinkle in Timemay not be the most tightly constructed film ever made, what Ava DuVernay’s big-budget Madeline L’Engle adaptation lacks in cohesiveness it makes up for in heart and theme. The story follows a 13-year-old girl who embarks on an inter-dimensional journey to find her father, who accidentally teleported himself to another world. The story is one of light overcoming darkness and goodness overcoming evil and hatred, which is worthy subject matter for young viewers especially. Young Storm Reid is delightful and compelling in the lead role, and the visuals on display are impressive. – Adam Chitwood
Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium
Run Time: 2 hrs 54 min | Director: Paul Dugdale
Coming full circle, Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium brings the iconic musician back to the stage where, in 1975, he performed two sold-out, career-defining concerts. Capturing Sir Elton John’s final North American show as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, Elton John Live is an unforgettable experience. With special guest appearances and performances, Elton John Live is a historic and emotional moment, cementing the conclusion of a legendary global superstar whose unparalleled hits spanned decades. Director Paul Dugdale spectacularly documents one of the greatest send-offs in music history in a can’t-miss event now available for viewers around the world. – Yael Tygiel
Strange World (2022)
Run Time: 1 hr 42 min | Genre: Animated Adventure Family Comedy | Director: Don Hall, Qui Nguyen
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union, Dennis Quaid
Diving into universal themes of family dynamics, Strange World delicately layers gorgeous visuals and elaborate science-fiction with heartfelt messages about finding one’s place, being yourself, and accepting differing viewpoints. With Jake Gyllenhaal (Spider-man: Far From Home), Jaboukie Young-White (Only Murders in the Building), Gabrielle Union, and Dennis Quaid providing voices in the beautifully animated film from directors Don Hall and Qui Nguyen, Strange World is about the fearless Clade family, explorers who eagerly find themselves in dangerous, uncharted places. Highlighted by action and adventure, as well as stunning, vivid animation, Strange World is a gentle reminder to cherish this world and the people in it. – Yael Tygiel
Zombies 3 (2022)
Run Time: 1 hr 28 min | Genre: Musical Romance | Director: Paul Hoen
Cast: Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Kylee Russell, Trevor Tordjman, Terry Hu
The third film in the Zombies franchise, Zombies 3 sees Paul Hoen returning to direct and continues the story of the students at Seabrook High. Reprising their roles as Zed and Addison are Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly, respectively, wrapping up their stories and preparing to graduate high school. Also returning for the final musical feature are Kylee Russell and Trevor Tordjman. After two films uniting monsters and humans, singing, dancing, and living together in their safe haven, the third installment of the trilogy heads out of this world when aliens invade the already zombie- and werewolf-occupied town. – Yael Tygiel
Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage? (2022)
Run Time: 1 hr 33 min | Genre: Documentary | Director: Anne McCabe, Eric Maldin
Cast: Idina Menzel, Josh Groban, Aaron Lohr
Captured by filmmaker Anne McCabe, Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage? chronicles the journey of making dreams a reality. Even with a Tony award, starring on Broadway, and becoming a Disney princess, Idina Menzel (Frozen) still has one dream to come true: headlining a concert at the iconic Madison Square Garden. Over the course of a national tour consisting of 16 shows, McCabe observes the powerhouse’s fiercely taxing schedule, which included time to be a mom, as they prepared to see Menzel’s goals come to fruition. More than a documentary, Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage? is an inspiring story of passion, ambition, and overcoming obstacles. – Yael Tygiel
Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration (2022)
Run Time: 1 hr 27 min | Genre: Live-Action Special | Director: Hamish Hamilton
Cast: H.E.R., Josh Groban, Rita Moreno, Martin Short, Shania Twain
A live-action rendition of the beloved Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration reimagines the animated tale with never-before-seen musical performances from H.E.R. as Belle and Josh Groban as The Beast. Narrated by the EGOT icon Rita Moreno(One Day at a Time), Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration reveals a stellar cast, like Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building) as Lumiere and Rizwan Manji (Peacemaker) as Le Fou. These actors immerse themselves in sets and costumes inspired directly by the animated film, paying homage to the original story. – Yael Tygiel
Pinocchio (2022)
Run Time: 1 hr 45 min | Genre: Musical Fantasy | Director: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Tom Hanks, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Cynthia Erivo
Director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) reunites with Tom Hanks(Elvis) for the latest live-action adaptation of a beloved Disney animated film, Pinocchio. Hanks stars as Geppetto, the grieving woodcarver whose wish is granted, bringing to life his marionette, Pinocchio (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth). With guidance from a fairy (Cynthia Erivo) and a wise Cricket (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Pinocchio must learn to live an honest and virtuous life to become a real boy. Pinocchio is a charming addition to Disney’s live-action catalog, blending computer animation with mostly practical effects. This musical is overflowing with heart and talent. – Yael Tygiel
Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again (2022)
Run Time: 1 hr 17 min | Genre: Animated Family | Director: Matt Danner, Justin Lovell
Cast: Joshua Bassett, Jamie Demetriou, Thomas Lennon
Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again is an adorable animated movie set in the Night at the Museum universe. Kahmunrah Rises Again tells the story of Nick Daley (Joshua Bassett), who reluctantly accepts a job as the new night watchman of the museum. His hesitations prove reasonable, as the young Daley finds himself trying to thwart Kahmunrah, the adversary from the second film, from returning. Although the original voice cast did not return for this animated sequel, Kahmunrah Rises Again does feature some incredible talent, including Thomas Lennon (17 Again) taking over the role of Teddy Roosevelt from the late Robin Williams and Zachary Levi (Shazam) filling in for Ben Stiller. A delightfully cute addition to the franchise, Kahmunrah Rises Again is a great family watch. – Yael Tygiel
Logan (2017)
Run Time: 2 hr 17 min | Genre: Action Sci-Fi | Director: James Mangold
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, and Stephen Merchant
There's a case to be made that Logan is the best X-Men movie. While its hard-R rating allows it to get more violent than other films in the franchise, that's not why it's good. It's good because it's basically a neo-Western where Logan has to see if his life is more than the violence he's doled out and if he's able to be a caretaker and protector rather than an enforcer as he, a sundowning Professor X (Patrick Stewart), and a young girl (Dafne Keen) go on the run from nefarious forces. Hugh Jackman is able to send the character out a high note and James Mangold's soulful direction gives the movie a heft that belies its comic book origins. Logan is a somber affair, but all the stronger for it. - Matt Goldberg
Lightyear (2022)
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Run Time: 1 hr 45 min | Genre: Sci-Fi Adventure | Director: Angus MacLane
Cast: Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, James Brolin, and Uzo Aduba
To be honest, the world didn't need the origin story of what inspired Andy's favorite new toy, Buzz Lightyear, in the Toy Story franchise, and yet once again, Pixar proves that even a questionable concept can turn into magic. Buzz (voiced by Chris Evans) is a cocky space ranger, trying to find his way back home after being stuck on a strange planet. Lightyear has fun with an abundance of references to the Toy Story franchise, and watching Pixar tell a sci-fi story in this way does have its charms. But Lightyear's strength is in the journey of Buzz learning that he doesn't always have to be the hero, and that he shouldn't let his life pass him by. Lightyear might be an unnecessarily convoluted idea, but there's plenty of Pixar magic that makes Lightyear worthwhile to infinity and beyond. — Ross Bonaime
Free Guy (2021)
Run Time: 1 hr 55 min | Genre: Action Sci-Fi | Director: Shawn Levy
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Taika Waititi
As years of attempts have shown, it's hard to make a video game movie that works. But Free Guy might be one of the few successful video game films simply because Shawn Levy's film is creating its own world, full of references and homages to games we know, while also telling an effective story about the non-player character Guy (Ryan Reynolds) realizing he's part of a video game. While Free Guy nails the logic and physics of this type of game, the film is equally effective at showing the real world, as arguably the best relationship in the film takes place between two programmers (Jodie Comer and Joe Keery), who have given up their video game creation to a much larger company, run by Taika Waititi's Antwan. As always, Reynolds is charming, while Comer and Keery shine in this action film with heart. Free Guy's blend of video game craziness and real-world relationships certainly makes it one of the best video game movies so far. — Ross Bonaime
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Run Time: 1 hr 15 min | Genre: Fantasy Musical | Directors: Clyde Geronimi, Eric Larson, Wolfgang Reitherman, and Les Clark
Cast: Mary Costa, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Luddy
Sleeping Beauty easily remains one of the best animated movies Disney has ever made. Yes, there are films more important to Disney’s history like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Dumbo and there are films that revitalized Disney like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. But arguably the greatest animated film Walt Disney ever produced was his 1959 fairy tale about Princess Aurora, who was cursed to sleep by the wicked Maleficent and rescued by Prince Phillip. The animation on display is absolutely stunning with Disney taking full advantage of the Super Technirama 70 widescreen process. When you consider that Disney didn’t have the advantage of computers like they would in the 90s, the 2D animation here is even more impressive and helps to sell the romanticism of the story. This would also be the last gasp of this kind of animation as Disney moved into xerography with its features across the 60s and 70s. – Matt Goldberg
A Goofy Movie (1995)
Run Time: 1 hr 18 min | Genre: Animated Musical Comedy Adventure | Director: Kevin Lima
Cast: Bill Farmer, Jason Marsden, Jim Cummings, Kellie Martin, Rob Paulsen, Wallace Shawn, and Pauly Shore
When A Goofy Movie was released in 1995, the film received a lukewarm response from audiences and critics. Jump forward a few decades and A Goofy Movie has earned a cult following greater than most Disney animated movies. Following Goofy and his son Max on a road trip across the country, A Goofy Movie is full of charm, heart, self-aware references, and arguably one of the Disney’s best soundtracks. It took quite some time for A Goofy Movie to get the attention it deserves, but at this point, A Goofy Movie stands out above the crowd. — Ross Bonaime
Fire of Love (2022)
Run Time: 1 hr 34 min | Genre: Documentary | Director: Sara Dosa
One of the best documentaries of 2022, Fire of Love follows the career and love of volcanologists Katie Krafft and Maurice Krafft. Narrated by Miranda July, Fire of Love explores the harrowing danger this couple frequently and joyously put themselves into, as they tried to learn more about how volcanoes actually work. While their story is remarkable, Fire of Love is at its best when director Sara Dosa allows the footage that the Krafft's captured to speak for itself, as we see stunning footage of close-up volcanic eruptions that almost seem like they're from a different world. — Ross Bonaime
Enchanted (2007)
Run Time: 1 hr 47 min | Genre: Musical Fantasy Romantic Comedy | Director: Kevin Lima
Cast: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Idina Menzel, and Susan Sarandon
Considering Enchanted came out before the latest wave of Disney Princess films like Tangled, Frozen, and The Princess and the Frog, it's fair to say that Giselle (Amy Adams) paved the way for the last decade and a half of princesses. And how could she not, since Disney's first real dissection of their own films is ridiculously charming, thanks in no small part to an endlessly delightful performance by Adams, who is somehow always gleeful, but never irritating. As an animated princess who comes to New York City, Adams' Giselle is in awe of this new world she's fallen into, one where happily ever after isn't as easy as it seems. With an equally great supporting cast that includes an over-the-top James Marsden and a pre-FrozenIdina Menzel, Enchanted isn't just the catalyst for Disney princess films, it's also one of Disney's best live-action films in recent memory. — Ross Bonaime
Up (2009)
Run Time: 1 hr 36 min | Genre: Animated Adventure Family | Director: Pete Docter
Cast: Ed Asner, Jordan Nagai, and Christopher Plummer
Look past the first ten minutes. While the first ten minutes get all the attention of Pixar's 2009 film Up, look past that rollercoaster of a prologue and look at the film as a whole and you'll see one of the best adventure movies of the 21st century. The story of a curmudgeonly old man who decides to fly his house to South America using balloons only to get a young "wilderness explorer" along for the trip is a terrific yarn about finding new adventures and learning to let go of the past to find new relationships. It's a beautiful story from start to finish packed with thrilling action, terrific humor, and lovely visuals. The first ten minutes are the best and worst thing that ever happened to Up, but look at the whole film and you'll see why it's among Pixar's best. — Matt Goldberg
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Run Time: 1 hr 31 min | Genre: Musical Family | Directors: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise
Cast: Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Tony Jay, Kevin Kline, Paul Kandel, Jason Alexander
It's not the best film of the Disney Renaissance, but it's arguably the most interesting of the bunch. The film adapts the incredibly dark source material of the same name, but then tries to make Quasimoto beautiful on the inside as opposed to a monster whose ugliness is a reflection of his character. But that simple message of "You're beautiful on the inside," is wrapped in a film that's not only visually sumptuous, but also has one of the most memorable Disney villains in Frollo, a character who's wrestling with his lust for the female lead, Esmerelda. The film doesn't entirely come together as it tries to blend more mature elements like this with kiddie jokes provided by characters like the talking gargoyles, but it still makes for a fascinating watch, and a necessary one for anyone interested in this period of Disney Animation's history. — Matt Goldberg
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Run Time: 2 hr 4 min | Genre: Action Adventure | Directors: Joe Johnston
Cast: Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan
While many Marvel fans will swear by Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I'd counter that The First Avenger is not only the superior Captain America movie, but also the best Marvel movie. If you're looking to make a movie about superheroes, then maybe it's a good idea to understand heroism and in no Marvel movie is that better encapsulated than The First Avenger. While other Marvel movies have heroes who learn to be better people, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) leads by example, and the film makes a meal not of his action scenes, but of his smaller, more human moments like diving on what he thinks is an active grenade or his inability to talk to women. Anyone who says a good-hearted character can't be interesting has never given this film a fair shake, and see why the MCU has never done heroism better than this movie. — Matt Goldberg