The Best Movies and Shows on Disney+ to Stream Right Now

Daredevil: Born Again

Showrunners: Dario Scardapane, Matt Corman, Chris Ord
Cast: Charlie Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio, Margarita Levieva
Genre: Action, Drama
Rating: TV-MA
Number of Seasons: 1
Rotten Tomatoes: 87% (Critics), 80% (Audience)

Not all Marvel shows on Disney+ are created equal—but most of them are pretty darn great. Daredevil: Born Again is definitely in that category, featuring Charlie Cox reprising his role as Matt Murdock/Daredevil. One of the most mature original series Disney+ has put out to date, the show features Vincent D’Onofrio as the terrifyingly compelling Wilson Fisk, who goes head-to-head with Murdock across the show’s engrossing crime saga. For those who’ve grown to doubt the power of the MCU, this new-to-the-service series shows that there are still plenty of tricks up Disney’s sleeves.

The Mandalorian

Showrunner: Jon Favreau
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action
Rating: TV-14
Number of Seasons: 3
Rotten Tomatoes: 90% (Critics), 78% (Audience)

Pedro Pascal. A space western with serious Cowboy Bebop and Firefly vibes. Baby Yoda—AKA Grogu. The first show to kick off original Star Wars programming on Disney’s streaming platform arrived with a bang, delivering exciting characters, locations familiar and new, and plenty of lore. Centered around a lone bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal) and his travels across a galaxy far, far away, this show is the crowd-pleasing, action-packed sci-fi adventure that even the film reboots couldn’t fully pull off. That makes The Mandalorian not just one of the best shows on Disney+; but one of the best shows streaming, period.

X-Men '97

Showrunner: Beau DeMayo
Cast: Ray Chase, Jennifer Hale, Alison Sealy-Smith, Cal Dodd
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Animation
Rating: TV-PG
Number of Seasons: 1
Rotten Tomatoes: 99% (Critics), 91% (Audience)

From the moment the iconic theme song began playing, viewers across the internet were already saying it: “We are so back.” Packed with nostalgia, style, and a helluva lot of daring, X-Men ‘97 meets fans of the original 90s series right where they left off. Blending the original show’s action-packed animation and operatic melodrama with an updated cast of characters, X-Men ‘97 packs plenty of exciting storylines (and equally exciting cliffhangers) into its ten-episode first season. It has a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score for a reason.

Andor

Showrunner: Tony Gilroy
Cast: Diego Luna, Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona, Stellan Skarsgård
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama, Action
Rating: TV-14
Seasons: 2
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% (Critics), 87% (Audience)

Aside from The Mandalorian, no Star Wars TV show has generated as much buzz for Disney+ as Andor. This slow-burning series takes place five years before the events of Star Wars: Rogue One and A New Hope. It follows Rebel Spy Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as he becomes a part of the growing rebel resistance. Much more mature in tone and themes than other Star Wars shows, this series packs the political intrigue of Game of Thrones with an ensemble cast that pushes the Star Wars universe in exciting new directions. It’s must-watch television.

The Acolyte

Showrunner: Leslye Headland
Cast: Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-Jae, Manny Jacinto
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Mystery
Rating: TV-14
Seasons: 1
Rotten Tomatoes: 78% (Critics), 19% (Audience)

In The Acolyte, Amandla Stenberg plays twin Jedi padawans Osha and Mae investigating a series of crimes and discovering an even darker plot afoot. Don’t let the poor Rotten Tomatoes score deceive you. Much like other Star Wars shows that have featured more female-centric storylines and non-binary actors, online trolls have completely cratered The Acolyte due to its perceived “wokeness.” But thanks to Leslye Headland (the creator of Netflix’s Russian Doll), The Acolyte illustrates that the Star Wars universe is ripe for exploring all kinds of genres and stories—including mysteries and thrillers. 

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Director: James Mangold
Cast: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas
Genre: Adventure, Action
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 2h 24m
Rotten Tomatoes: 70% (Critics), 87% (Audience)

Many were skeptical about yet another sequel to the beloved Indiana Jones franchise, but—unlike Kingdom of the Crystal Skull—Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny makes a great case for itself as what is presumably the final film in the series with Harrison Ford. In the film, everyone’s favorite fedora-clad archaeologist must race against time to find a potentially history-changing device. Accompanied by his goddaughter (portrayed by Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge), this action-adventure is a fun ride, and it’s great seeing Harrison Ford in the role again. Whether or not the franchise will continue with Waller-Bridge at the helm remains to be seen, but if this truly is the series' swan song, it’s one done fondly.

Hamilton

Director: Thomas Kail
Cast: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Philippa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr.
Genre: Musical, History
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 2hr 40m
Rotten Tomatoes: 98% (Critics), 89% (Audience)

Recorded concerts and recorded stage shows can never quite capture the energy of live performance, but the original Broadway production of Hamilton gets really damn close. The hit hip-hop historical musical is exhilarating to listen to on its own, and having visuals to complete the story makes it well worth watching. Even if you’re not a huge fan of musicals, if you appreciate rap/hip-hop greats like DMX, Snoop Dogg, Beastie Boys, Biggie Smalls, and Eminem, their influence on this show makes it even more fun to watch.

Agatha All Along

Showrunner: Jac Schaeffer
Cast: Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Aubrey Plaza
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Rating: TV-14
Seasons: 1
Rotten Tomatoes: 84% (Critics), 83% (Audience)

In this mini-series sequel to the super popular WandaVision, Kathryn Hahn reprises her role as Agatha Harkness on a quest to get back her powers. Full of witchy covens, spells, and glamours, Agatha All Along’s nine episodes move briskly thanks to smart writing and great characters. From Patti LuPone’s portrayal of 450-year-old witch Lilia Calderu to Aubrey Plaza’s turn as Rio Vidal, this miniseries shows that Phase 5 of the MCU is thriving on the streaming platform—even if some of the theatrical releases have been a little muted.

Elemental

Director: Peter Sohn
Cast: Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie Del Carmen
Genre: Animated, Comedy, Fantasy
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1hr 41m
Rotten Tomatoes: 73% (Critics), 93% (Audience)

Disney and Pixar have a way with creating original stories from familiar ideas, and nothing’s more familiar than the elements of fire, water, land, and air. In Elemental, these elements form the residents of Element City, the setting for a story about a woman named Emeber and a man named Wade who befriend each other and challenge each other’s preconceptions about who the elements are. Reading that out, it sounds a bit like an after-school special, but thanks to clever writing and a lot of heart, Elemental is a real joy to watch — with some serious Zootopia and Inside Out vibes to boot.

Inside Out 2

Director: Kelsey Mann
Cast: Amy Poehler, Kensington Tallman, Maya Hawke
Genre: Animation, Comedy
Rating: R
Runtime: 1hr 29m
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% (Critics), 95% (Audience)

Inside Out 2 may be marketed as a kids’ movie, but make no mistake: adults will get plenty out of it, too. This is largely thanks to the storyline’s portrayal of a new emotion/character: Anxiety (Maya Hawke). You wouldn’t think that adding hormones and angst would make an already great premise like Inside Out sing as much as it does, but thanks to great vocal performances and a creative storyline, this Pixar sequel totally sticks the landing. 

Avatar: The Way of Water

Director: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 3hr 12m
Rotten Tomatoes: 76% (Critics), 92% (Audience)

Set ten years after the global hit, Avatar: The Way of Water follows the Sully family as they search for home and work to integrate themselves in a new community. The plot may be straightforward, but James Cameron knows how to make a blockbuster. Visually immersive and gorgeously realized, Avatar: The Way of Water is just as impressive a technological achievement on smaller screens as it was on the big screen.

One of the biggest benefits to watching the colossal sequel to Avatar at home? Getting to pause it so you don’t miss a second of the action to head to the bathroom during its three-hour runtime.

Encanto

Director: Jared Bush, Byron Howard
Cast: Stephanie Beatriz, Maria Cecilia Botero, Diane Guerrero
Genre: Animated, Musical, Comedy
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1hr 39m
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% (Critics), 93% (Audience)

There are a few animated movies on this list, but every single one of them appeals to all ages. Perhaps none of the ones on Disney+ were as big of a hit as Encanto. In it, the Madrigal family all have gifts—except for Mirabel, whose gift hasn’t revealed itself just quite yet. From memes about “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” to thinkpieces and Tik-Toks about trauma, it’s clear that this story packs a punch with audiences of all ages. Plus, those songs slap.

American Born Chinese

Showrunner: Kelvin Yu
Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Ben Wang, Yeo Yann Yann, Chin Han
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Comedy, Drama
Rating: PG
Seasons: 1
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% (Critics), 81% (Audience)

Based on Gene Luen Yang’s acclaimed graphic novel of the same name, American Born Chinese tells the story of teenager Jin Wang (Ben Wang) who is thrust into a magical adventure featuring gods from Chinese mythology. Full of action, creativity, and great performances, the show takes its source material and runs with it, crafting a compelling show that adults and kids will appreciate. The series was unfortunately canceled after just one season—but that makes it easy to binge! 

Behind the Attraction

Showrunner: Brian Volk-Weiss
Cast: Paget Brewster
Genre: Documentary
Rating: TV-PG
Seasons: 2
Rotten Tomatoes: 75% (Critics), 93% (Audience)

Disney+ is home to a variety of docuseries, and one major hit from its catalog is Behind the Attraction. As the title suggests, this series (narrated by Paget Brewster) takes viewers behind the scenes into the planning, design, and construction of some of the most iconic rides and attractions from Disney’s theme parks. Episodes cover everything from the Haunted Mansion to Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and more.

You’re treated to an exploration of engineering challenges alongside old-school Disney lore, so therethis series has plenty of appeal’s plenty of appeal to this series even if you’ve never set foot in a Disney theme park. Of course, watching the show, you may be tempted to book your ticket!

Doctor Who

Showrunner: Russell T. Davies
Cast: Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson, Michelle Greenidge
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Drama
Rating: TV-PG
Seasons: 5
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% (Critics), 34% (Audience)

Since the 1960s, the time-traveling adventures of The Doctor in his trusty Police Box, the Tardis, have been capturing the imaginations and eyeballs of viewers around the world. Now on Disney+, this latest update of Doctor Who offers just as much adventure, action, and creativity. As the titular Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa offers a winning take on the character, and the writing is fresh and fun.

Much like The Acolyte, pay no attention to the low audience score from Rotten Tomatoes with this one—it’s just another example of astroturfing due to long-time fandoms finding controversy with sci-fi IP heading in new directions. Do yourself a favor and watch the show before bowing to the internet trolls.

Moana 2

Director(s): David G. Derrick, Jr., Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller
Cast: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Tudyk
Genre: Animation, Musical, Family
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1hr 40m
Rotten Tomatoes: 61% (Critics), 86% (Audience)

Moana 2 began as a limited original series for Disney+—until studio execs realized they could combine the show’s episodes and form a sequel to one of their biggest hits in recent years. Even though it was conceived for smaller screens, the movie was a hit in theaters (grossing over $1 billion worldwide), and is just as fun to watch at home. Moana 2 is a great follow-up to an already-great movie, featuring returning favorite characters and colorful, eye-popping visuals. Here’s hoping the live-action Moana is just as good.

Beatles '64

Director: David Tedeschi
Cast: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr
Genre: Documentary, Music
Rating: N/A
Runtime: 1hr 46m
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% (Critics), 80% (Audience)

In this music documentary about The Beatles, director David Tedeschi drops viewers right into the height of Beatlemania as John, Paul, George, and Ringo arrive in the United States for the very first time. Over the course of the documentary’s runtime, the bandmates’ interpersonal dynamics are explored as the weight of their cultural impact begins to dawn on the quartet. Produced by Martin Scorsese, this is the kind of documentary that transports you back to a very specific point in time. Whether or not you’re a fan of The Beatles, it’s totally engrossing.

Loki

Showrunner: Michael Waldron
Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime
Rating: TV-14
Seasons: 2
Rotten Tomatoes: 87% (Critics), 86% (Audience)

Back when the MCU was in its infancy (it’s hard to remember that time, but we were once at Phase 1!), Tom Hiddleston’s performance as villain Loki in 2011’s Thor and 2012’s The Avengers really stood out. Based on that alone, it’s not surprising that Disney decided to greenlight a series centered around the mischievous character, which takes place following the events of Avengers: Endgame. In it, Loki is tasked by the Time Variance Authority (TVA) to travel through time in a crime thriller of sorts in order to fix the alternate timeline he created. Across its two seasons, Loki proves that everyone’s favorite Asgardian god has some serious main character potential. It’s a blast.

Limitless: With Chris Hemsworth

Showrunners: Ari Handel, Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Chris Hemsworth
Genre: Documentary, Adventure
Rating: TV-14
Seasons: 1
Rotten Tomatoes: 88% (Critics), 88% (Audience)

Across Limitless’ six episodes, actor Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Star Trek) explores the limits of the human body. From fasting to arctic plunges, Hemsworth explores a variety of ways humans have looked to increase their lifespan and health, pushing himself to the limit in the process. In the hands of director Darren Aronofsky (who himself is used to pushing actors to their limit in films like Black Swan, The Wrestler, and Mother!), what could be a simple science experiment becomes incredibly compelling to watch. Equal parts inspirational and informative, this is one of the more unique docuseries available on streaming. Period.

Looking for more streaming recommendations? Check out our guides to the best TV shows available on Netflix, AppleTV, Hulu, Peacock, and HBO Max, plus the best movies on Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, AppleTV, and Tubi.