Ever since Disney Plus launched, fans of all ages have been able to relive classic films from their childhoods. But since it’s Disney, people can now watch Star Wars and Marvel movies with the click of a button. Disney Plus has films from decades ago, so it may feel a bit overwhelming to decide what you should watch next to become an even more informed Disney fan. But for our money, these are the best Disney Plus movies you can watch tonight.
DISNEY PLUS MOVIE LIST
1. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Behind the Scenes • Star Wars
Thanks to Disney Plus, every Star Wars movie can now be found in one place. You can go back to where it all began in 1977 with Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. The original film is a perfect encapsulation of Joseph Campbell’s Hero's Journey.
Of course, watching the movie is a lot more entertaining than reading Campbell’s book. You’ve likely seen this film plenty of times already, but another rewatch may be precisely what you need when you’re trying to figure out how to crack your own Hero’s Journey.
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
A perfect way to spend the weekend is to rewatch the Star Wars films. While you could go in chronological order, we recommend starting back in 1977 with the movie that sparked a worldwide phenomenon.
MOVIES ON DISNEY PLUS
2. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Making Of • Who Framed Roger Rabbit
One of the most famous scenes in Who Framed Roger Rabbit almost didn’t happen. For the scene where Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny appear together, the studios would only license the characters if they had the same amount of screen time and same amount of dialogue.
It’s just one incredible scene in a movie that’s filled with them, and even all these years later, the animation is unmatched for the insane level of detail you’ll find. If you don’t believe us, just research the idea of “bumping the lamp.”
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
Who Framed Roger Rabbit doesn’t just rely on a bunch of references to other cartoons. It forges its own path, carving out a niche in the world of animated films.
MOVIES FROM DISNEY PLUS
3. Hamilton
Meet the Rising Stars of Broadway • Hamilton
Hamilton brings a 2016 performance with the original Broadway cast to the masses. The show won 11 Tonys and reignited people’s interest in musical theater. And you get a similarly thrilling experience watching a filmed version.
The way they filmed the show was to record two live performances and one where the camera crew could actually be onstage. Seeing the emotion on the actors’ faces makes you feel like you have a front row seat to the best show in town.
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy Hamilton. Even if you don’t normally like Broadway musicals, you’ll find something to latch onto with this one.
WHAT MOVIES ARE ON DISNEY PLUS?
4. The Little Mermaid
The Making Of • The Little Mermaid
It’s no surprise Disney has made some of the best animated movies of all time. So, why should you watch The Little Mermaid over other classics? For starters, the film will be one of the next from the Disney vault to receive a live-action adaptation, so it’s a good time to relive what made the original story so beloved.
Additionally, when the movie came out in 1989, it restored Disney’s status as a place for high-quality, prestigious animated films. All these years later, it will entrance kids and adults alike.
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
If you remember The Little Mermaid from your own childhood, then it’s a great time to relive in its animated magic. Your own kids can fall in love with the story, songs, and characters.
BEST MOVIES ON DISNEY+
5. Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame is One of the Best Marvel Films Ever • Captain Midnight
You won’t find every MCU film on Disney Plus. But you can watch the granddaddy of them all with Avengers: Endgame. There’s never been any other film like this in terms of scope and how it wraps up over 20 films all at once. It’s also the highest grossing movie of all time. If you want a rush of adrenaline, then just skip to the portals scene to feel invincible.
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
There are plenty of ways to relive the MCU on Disney Plus. Just don’t overlook the massive finale.
GOOD MOVIES ON DISNEY PLUS
6. Free Solo
The Making of Free Solo • ESPN
To make sure the documentary crew didn’t get in Alex Honnold’s way, they had to develop a special recording device. Honnold kept this item in his chalk bag, so they could still capture every single sound. It’s an innovative solution and shows how even the most difficult to capture documentary subjects can still end up in gripping detail on camera.
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
Few documentaries will have you on the edge of your seat quite like Free Solo. You need to see for yourself why this film won Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards.
NEW MOVIES ON DISNEY PLUS
7. Onward
Behind the Scenes • Onward
While Onward was initially released in theaters, it quickly fell off people’s radars due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting everything down, Disney knew precisely what to do. You may not have gotten the chance to see it on the big screen, but Onward remains a worthy addition to Pixar’s canon. And just as you would expect, it will make you tear up by the very end.
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
You don’t want to sleep on Onward. Pixar shows they still have what it takes to tell entertaining, original stories with an amazing voice cast.
LIST OF MOVIES ON DISNEY PLUS
8. Queen of Katwe
Lupita Nyong’o Interview • Queen of Katwe
You’ll find plenty of underdog sport stories on Disney Plus. But for one that’s a bit off the beaten path, you need to watch Queen of Katwe. The film tells the story of a young Ugandan girl who has a whole new world opened up to her when she’s introduced to chess.
The idea of redefining what an underdog sports movie could be guided the film throughout its production. Screenwriter William Wheeler stated as much saying, “Disney was very open to wanting to tell an aspirational story about someone from someplace that is not at all familiar to Western audiences.”
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
The Mighty Ducks and Remember the Titans are other great sports movies. But don’t overlook Queen of Katwe, which should have received a lot more attention when it was released in 2016.
BEST MOVIES TO WATCH ON DISNEY PLUS
9. X-Men: Days of Future Past
X-Men: Days of Future Past - What’s the Difference? • CineFix
It’s probably going to be a while until we see the X-Men in the MCU proper. But due to Disney’s acquisition of Fox Studios, Disney Plus is able to showcase the old X-Men films on the streaming service, most notably X-Men: Days of Future Past.
There may not be a lot of continuity across the X-Men franchise, but this film does an admirable job of joining the casts from the original trilogy and new characters who were introduced in X-Men: First Class.
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
One of the most interesting things the newest X-Men films have tried to do is incorporate the mutants into real-world events like the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Kennedy assassination. Days of Future Past takes some big leaps, but they land.
GOOD MOVIES TO WATCH ON DISNEY PLUS
10. The Princess Bride
Behind the Scenes Casting • The Princess Bride
Even with the success of This is Spinal Tap and Stand by Me, Rob Reiner still had a hard time getting The Princess Bride made. The result is one of the most wonderful fantasy films ever made. It’s arguably one of the most perfectly cast films ever with instantly quotable dialogue. There’s a reason you still see memes made from The Princess Bride.
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
When you want a cinematic throwback, you can’t do much better than The Princess Bride. Watch the film again and again until you can repeat it word for word.
TOP MOVIES ON DISNEY PLUS
11. Treasure Planet
Disney’s Animation Magic • Treasure Planet
There are plenty of animated classics to watch on Disney Plus. You’ve likely already seen a lot of them, but one that may have flown under your radar is Treasure Planet. The film puts a science-fiction twist on the classic novel Treasure Island.
The movie flopped at the box office, but over the years, the film has found a new audience. It’s a prime example of how you should never write off a movie just because it didn’t initially do well.
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
Treasure Planet is everything you could possibly want out of a Disney animated film. Now that it’s on a streaming platform, a new audience can indulge in all its 2D animated glory.
TOP DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
12. James and the Giant Peach
Making of the Film • James and the Giant Peach
Stop motion animation is one of the most difficult cinematic art forms to master. And yet, James and the Giant Peach makes it look easy. It’s one of the most unique, imaginative animated films to come out of the '90s. All these years later, the puppets still hold up and may just inspire your youngster to pursue stop motion in greater earnest.
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
The sheer artistry that went into crafting all of the puppets and models is astounding. Your jaw will be on the floor.
MOVIES TO WATCH ON DISNEY+
13. The Simpsons Movie
Behind the Scenes • The Simpsons Movie
One of the biggest selling points for Disney Plus was how all 30+ seasons of The Simpsons would be on it. For our money, you really just need to watch seasons three through nine and cap it off with The Simpsons Movie. Plans for a movie for the eponymous sitcom family have been around since the '90s, and the script went through over 100 revisions before it finally went into production. Revising your own script five or six times seems a lot more manageable by comparison.
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
The Simpsons Movie provides a stellar template for how TV shows should go about with cinematic adaptations. Plus, there’s a great Disney joke in there the Mouse House probably wasn’t too happy about acquiring.
BEST MOVIES ON DISNEY PLUS
14. Moana
Behind the Scenes With the Voice Cast • Moana
Directors John Musker and Ron Clements did research on the Polynesian demigod Māui and traveled to Tahiti, Samoa, and Fiji to brush up on Pacific Islander culture. The result is numerous accurate details to make Moana feel like it exists in a lived-in world, such as the scene where one islander receives a tattoo in the traditional manner in that part of the world. With songs from Hamilton scribe, Lin-Manuel Miranda, there’s something for everyone.
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
Moana is a great next step in Disney’s animated evolution. It’s a princess story, but one that breaks away from common tropes.
CLASSIC MOVIES ON DISNEY PLUS
15. Fantasia
Making Of • Fantasia
Fantasia may seem quaint by today’s standards. But it was revolutionary at the time of its release in 1940. Over 500 animated characters had to be created, which resulted in over 1,000 artists and technicians coming onboard to work on the massive project. The combination of animation with classical music is still incredible to watch to this day. It’s essential viewing for any budding animator.
BEST DISNEY PLUS MOVIES
Conclusion
Fantasia is one of Disney’s earliest feature-length efforts. See where the iconic studio got its start by watching it any time you like on the streaming platform.
UP NEXT
Best Movies on Netflix
All you need is a few streaming services, and you can pretty much watch anything from the history of cinema. Once you’ve had your fill of superhero movies and animated films, check out what’s new on Netflix. From old classics to new icons, Netflix should be an integral tool in any filmmakers’ arsenal.
Up Next: Best Movies on Netflix →
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