disney jungle cruise netflix

Where To Stream Jungle Cruise?

‘Jungle Cruise’ is an adventure film based on the Disney theme park attraction of the same name that tells the story of Captain Frank Wolff, Dr. Lily Houghton, and her brother MacGregor, who search for the Tree of Life, which possesses unparalleled healing abilities. It is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and stars Dwayne Johnson , Emily Blunt , and Jack Whitehall in the lead roles.

The movie is an action-packed affair filled with intriguing mystery, elements of fantasy , and family-friendly humor . If you are a fan of all-around entertaining flicks or Disney features , you must be wondering about the movie’s streaming details. In that case, we’ve got you covered! Here’s where you can watch ‘Jungle Cruise’ online.

What is Jungle Cruise About?

‘Jungle Cruise’ is set during the World War I era and follows Captain Frank Wolff, who is hired by British scientist Dr. Lily Houghton to aid her and her brother, MacGregor, in their search for the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life’s petals known as Tears of the Moon are said to have healing abilities and can also break curses. The trio enters the Amazon Jungle in search of the Tree of Life, but they aren’t the only ones looking for it. The trio must get to the Tree before forces of evil get their hands on it and unleash ghastly consequences on the entire world.

Is Jungle Cruise On Netflix?

Netflix currently doesn’t hold ‘Jungle Cruise’ among its esteemed collection of entertainment titles. However, if you are in the mood for some high-stakes fantasy adventure, we recommend.’ Finding ʻOhana ,’ about a family’s quest to connect with their heritage and retrieve a long-lost treasure.

Is Jungle Cruise On Amazon Prime?

‘Jungle Cruise’ isn’t included in Amazon Prime’s entertainment offerings at the moment but might become available as a VOD option at a later date. Meanwhile, as an alternative, you can stream ‘ The Lost City of Z ,’ a similar film set in the depths of Amazon about a British explorer’s journey to locate an advanced civilization that once lived in the region.

Is Jungle Cruise On Hulu?

‘Jungle Cruise’ isn’t available on Hulu. If you are looking for something similar to watch, we recommend ‘ Dora and the Lost City of Gold ,’ a light-hearted adventure comedy.

Is Jungle Cruise On HBO Max?

‘Jungle Cruise’ isn’t a part of the HBO Max catalog. If you are looking for something similar to watch, we recommend Dolittle on the streaming service.

Where to Watch Jungle Cruise Online?

‘Jungle Cruise’ can be watched at a theater near you (from July 30, 2021). To check show timings and book tickets, head here . You can also watch the movie from the comforts of your home on Disney+ with Premier Access from July 30, 2021 (for a period of 30 days). The movie will eventually become available for all subscribers from November 12, 2021. The film will also become available on VOD platforms sometime after its theatrical run, and we’ll update you regarding the same once we have relevant information.

How to Stream Jungle Cruise For Free?

At present, ‘Jungle Cruise’ can only be watched at a theater or streamed on Disney+ with Premier Access at an additional cost of $29.99. Therefore, there is no method to stream the movie online for free. We encourage our readers to use legal streaming methods and highly advocate paying for the entertainment you wish to consume.

Read More:  Best Disney Movies of the Decade

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Jungle Cruise

Based on Disneyland's theme park ride where a small riverboat takes a group of travelers through a jungle filled with dangerous animals and reptiles but with a supernatural element. Based on Disneyland's theme park ride where a small riverboat takes a group of travelers through a jungle filled with dangerous animals and reptiles but with a supernatural element. Based on Disneyland's theme park ride where a small riverboat takes a group of travelers through a jungle filled with dangerous animals and reptiles but with a supernatural element.

• Jaume Collet-Serra
• Michael Green
• Glenn Ficarra
• Dwayne Johnson
• Emily Blunt
• Edgar Ramírez
• 1.2K User reviews
• 298 Critic reviews
• 50 Metascore
• 5 wins & 9 nominations

• Frank Wolff

• Lily Houghton

• MacGregor Houghton

• Prince Joachim

• (as Quim Gutierrez)

• Sir James Hobbs-Coddington

• Chief's Daughter

• Society Guard

• Society Member

• Society Worker
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Dwayne Johnson & Emily Blunt Answer Burning Questions

Did you know

• Trivia Many of the puns Frank uses are taken directly from the Disney Parks attraction on which the movie is based. These "so bad they're good" jokes are one of the reasons why Jungle Cruise skippers are so important to the ride experience.
• Goofs Prince Joachim knows where the trapped Spanish are located. There was no record of this because only Skipper knew where he trapped them.

Frank Wolff : If you're lucky enough to have one person in this life to care about, then that's world enough for me.

• Crazy credits The bay in the Disney logo is seen to have the water glowing purple, and after the Disney logo fully appears the camera dives into the water and leads to the Tree of Life, which opens the film.
• Connections Featured in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: D23 Expo 2019 Extravaganza (2019)
• Soundtracks Nothing Else Matters Reimagined by Metallica and James Newton Howard With featured performances by James Hetfield , Lars Ulrich , Kirk Hammett , Robert Trujillo Written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich Associate Producer and Engineer Greg Fidelman

User reviews 1.2K

• Jul 29, 2021
• How long is Jungle Cruise? Powered by Alexa
• Will 'Weird Al' Yankovic's song 'Skipper Dan' about Disney's Jungle Cruise ride be featured in this movie?
• July 30, 2021 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Thám Hiểm Rừng Xanh
• Kaua'i, Hawaii, USA
• Davis Entertainment
• Flynn Picture Company
• Seven Bucks Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $200,000,000 (estimated)
• $116,987,516
• $35,018,731
• Aug 1, 2021
• $220,889,446

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 7 minutes
• Dolby Atmos
• IMAX 6-Track

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Is Jungle Cruise on Netflix?

By d.j. rivera | jul 31, 2021.

The Jungle Cruise movie starring Fast and Furious alum Dwayne Johnson and A Quiet Place 2’s Emily Blunt is ready to amaze everyone who witnesses what it has to offer, with many Netflix subscribers curious as to its availability on the streamer.

Some rides and attractions at Disney are easily turned into blockbuster franchises like The Pirates of the Caribbean . Others are not so fortunate, like Tomorrowland and The Haunted Mansion. But Disney has high hopes for one of its iconic rides to become the next big hit, and that is Jungle Cruise .

The movie is set during World War I and follows riverboat captain Frank Wolff played by Johnson, who takes British scientist, Dr. Lily Houghton, portrayed by Blunt, and her brother, MacGregor, to locate the mythical Tree of Life, which is supposedly hidden somewhere in the depths of the very dangerous Jungle. But they aren’t the only ones looking for this prize as an Imperial German expedition is also one of the many threats they face along their adventure.

The film looks like it will be an all-out thrill ride from start to finish, packed with plenty of fun-filled moments and stunning visuals. It’s no surprise many subscribers would like to know if Jungle Cruise will be sailing its way onto Netflix.

Fans excited that they won’t have to wait in a long line to experience the cinematic version of the Jungle Cruise should know that its status on the streamer is not ideal by any means. The Disney family-friendly feature starring Johnson and Blunt is not an option on Netflix.

The news of Jungle Cruise being absent from Netflix’s lineup is not great and may cause many subscribers to walk the plank into the depths of the unknown. It’s highly recommended people don’t do that and instead enjoy other titles on the streaming service, including Over the Moon , Enola Holmes, and The Mitchells vs. The Machines , just to name a few.

Where you can stream Jungle Cruise

Jungle Cruise is available to experience in theaters now. It is also available on Disney+ for subscribers with Premier Access.

You can check out the trailer below:

Will you be watching Jungle Cruise? 

Next. 50 best Netflix movies to watch right now. dark

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Jungle Cruise

July 30, 2021

Action, Adventure, Comedy

Join fan favorites Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt for the adventure of a lifetime on Disney’s Jungle Cruise, a rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton. Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila—his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate—and mankind’s—hangs in the balance.

Rated: PG-13 Runtime: 2h 7min Release Date: July 30, 2021

Directed By

Produced by.

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June 30, 2021

News Disney Aug 26

We can't wait to go on an adventure with emily blunt and dwayne johnson in jungle cruise.

August 26, 2019

Join fan favorites Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt for the adventure of a lifetime on Disney’s JUNGLE CRUISE, a rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton.

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We checked for updates on 249 streaming services on June 10, 2024 at 3:35:07 AM. Something wrong? Let us know!

Jungle Cruise streaming: where to watch online?

Currently you are able to watch "Jungle Cruise" streaming on Disney Plus. It is also possible to buy "Jungle Cruise" on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Vudu, Microsoft Store, AMC on Demand, Google Play Movies, YouTube as download or rent it on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store online.

Where does Jungle Cruise rank today? The JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. This includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. This includes data from ~1.3 million movie & TV show fans per day.

Streaming charts last updated: 1:17:19 AM, 06/10/2024

Jungle Cruise is 16110 on the JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts today. The movie has moved up the charts by 11597 places since yesterday. In the United States, it is currently more popular than The Daylight Zone but less popular than Crisis Point.

Dr. Lily Houghton enlists the aid of wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff to take her down the Amazon in his dilapidated boat. Together, they search for an ancient tree that holds the power to heal – a discovery that will change the future of medicine.

Videos: Trailers, Teasers, Featurettes

Streaming Charts The JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. This includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. This includes data from ~1.3 million movie & TV show fans per day.

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In the pantheon of Disney movies based on Disney theme park rides, "Jungle Cruise" is pretty good—leagues better than dreck like "Haunted Mansion," though not quite as satisfying as the original "Pirates of the Caribbean." 

The most pleasant surprise is that director Jaume Collet-Serra (" The Shallows ") and a credited team of five, count 'em, writers have largely jettisoned the ride's mid-century American colonial snarkiness and casual racism (a tradition  only recently eliminated ). Setting the revamp squarely in the wheelhouse of blockbuster franchise-starters like " Raiders of the Lost Ark ," " Romancing the Stone " and "The Mummy," and pushing the fantastical elements to the point where the story barely seems to be taking place in our universe, it's a knowingly goofy romp, anchored to the banter between its leads, an English feminist and adventurer played by Emily Blunt and a riverboat captain/adventurer played by  Dwayne Johnson . 

Notably, however, even though the stars' costumes (and a waterfall sequence) evoke the classic "The African Queen"—John Huston's comic romance/action film starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn ; worth looking up if you've never watched it—the sexual chemistry between the two is nonexistent, save for a few fleeting moments, like when Frank picks up the heroine‘s hand-cranked silent film camera and captures affectionate images of her. At times the leads seem more like a brother and sister needling each other than a will they/won’t they bantering couple. Lack of sexual heat is often (strangely) a bug, or perhaps a feature, in films starring Johnson, the four-quadrant blockbuster king (though not on Johnson’s HBO drama "Ballers"). Blunt keeps putting out more than enough flinty looks of interest to sell a romance, but her leading man rarely reflects it back at her. Fortunately, the film's tight construction and prolific action scenes carry it, and Blunt and Johnson do the irresistible force/immovable object dynamic well enough, swapping energies as the story demands.

Blunt's character, Lily Houghton, is a well-pedigreed adventurer who gathers up maps belonging to her legendary father and travels to the Amazon circa 1916 to find the Tears of the Moon, petals from a "Tree of Life"-type of fauna that can heal all infirmities. She and her snooty, pampered brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall) hire Frank "Skipper" Wolff (Johnson) to bring them to their destination. The only notable concession to the original theme park ride comes here: Wolff's day job is taking tourists upriver and making cheesy jokes in the spirit of "hosts" on Disney Jungle Cruise rides of yore. On the mission, Johnson immediately settles into a cranky but funny old sourpuss vibe, a la John Wayne or Harrison Ford , and inhabits it amiably enough, even though buoyant, almost childlike optimism comes more naturally to him than world-weary gruffness. 

The supporting cast is stacked with overqualified character players. Paul Giamatti plays a gold-toothed, sunburned, cartoonishly “Italian” harbor master who delights at keeping Frank in debt. Edgar Ramirez is creepy and scary as a conquistador whose curse from centuries ago has trapped him in the jungle.  Jesse Plemons plays the main baddie, Prince Joachim, who wants to filch the power of the petals for the Kaiser back in Germany (he's Belloq to the stars' Indy and Marion, trying to swipe the Ark). Unsurprisingly, given his track record, Plemons steals the film right out from under its leads.

Collet-Serra keeps the action moving along, pursuing a more classical style than is commonplace in recent live-action Disney product (by which I mean, the blocking and editing have a bit of elegance, and you always know where characters are in relation to each other). The editing errs on the side of briskness to such an extent that affecting, beautiful, or spectacular images never get to linger long enough to become iconic. The CGI is dicey, particularly on the larger jungle animals—was the production rushed, or were the artists just overworked?—and there are moments when everything seems so rubbery/plasticky that you seem to be watching the first film that was actually shot on location at Disney World.

But the staging and execution of the chases and fights compensates. Derivative of films that were themselves highly derivative, "Jungle Cruise" has the look and feel of a paycheck gig for all involved, but everyone seems to be having a great time, including the filmmakers.

In theaters and on Disney+ for a premium charge starting Friday, July 30th. 

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor at Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

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Jungle Cruise (2021)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of adventure violence.

127 minutes

Dwayne Johnson as Frank Wolff

Emily Blunt as Dr. Lily Houghton

Jack Whitehall as McGregor Houghton

Edgar Ramírez as Aguirre

Jesse Plemons as Prince Joachim

Paul Giamatti as Nilo

• Jaume Collet-Serra

Writer (story)

• Glenn Ficarra
• Josh Goldstein
• John Norville

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• Flavio Martínez Labiano
• Joel Negron
• James Newton Howard

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Jungle Cruise

06 August 2021

Action, Adventure, Comedy

Join fan favorites Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt for the adventure of a lifetime on Disney’s Jungle Cruise, a rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton. Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila—his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate—and mankind’s—hangs in the balance.

Runtime: 2h 7min Release Date: 06 August 2021

Directed By

Produced by.

Jungle Cruise - Teaser Trailer 1

Jungle Cruise - Trailer 2

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Jungle Cruise

Where to watch.

Watch Jungle Cruise with a subscription on Disney+, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy on Fandango at Home.

What to Know

Its craft isn't quite as sturdy as some of the classic adventures it's indebted to, but Jungle Cruise remains a fun, family-friendly voyage.

Funny, full of action, and an all-around good time, Jungle Cruise is a ride well worth taking.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Jaume Collet-Serra

Dwayne Johnson

Frank Wolff

Emily Blunt

Lily Houghton

Edgar Ramírez

Jack Whitehall

McGregor Houghton

Jesse Plemons

Prince Joachim

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Where can you stream Jungle Cruise? Is it on Netflix or HBO Max?

By sabrina reed | jul 28, 2021.

A wild action adventure starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt is coming to theaters and Disney+  on Friday, July 30, 2021. The long anticipated Jungle Cruise will take viewers to the Amazon on a quest to find a legendary tree which is believed to have unparalleled healing properties.

Whoever finds the tree will change the world, however, just like magic, its powers are indifferent to intention. Whether used for good or for evil, this mythical plant has wondrous and awing abilities. That is, of course, if it’s real and can be found.

Frank Wolff (Johnson) has been in search of the tree for years. He’s scoured every possible place it could be and has come up empty handed. Now he’s convinced it doesn’t exist. While he’ll help Dr. Lily Houghton (Blunt) in her quest to find this storied tree, he does so firm in his belief that she’s chasing a lost cause.

The two, however, aren’t the only people looking, and they’ll soon find there are those who will do anything to come into possession of the tree’s powers including kill to have it in their grasp.

Is Jungle Cruise on Netflix or HBO Max?

No.  Jungle Cruise will not be streaming on Netflix or HBO Max. Moviegoers can watch it in theaters as early as Thursday, June 29, and stream it on Disney+ on July 30.

How to stream Jungle Cruise on Disney+

While Jungle Cruise is a film that fits perfectly on the big screen with the full movie theater experience awaiting those eager to return to public viewings, it will also be available to stream on Disney+. Though, unlike Pixar’s Luca , it won’t be available to all subscribers to the platform.

In line with Black Widow (premiering Friday, July 9) and other movies under the Disney banner slated for theatrical release, Jungle Cruise will be available as a Premier Access offer. Disney+ subscribers can stream the movie as many times as they want after paying $29.99 to unlock the film on the platform.

For families, Premier Access may be the better option considering the price of tickets and refreshments across the country. But, whether a movie theater visit or a get-together around the flat screen is in your future, Jungle Cruise is sure to be an adventure you won’t want to miss out on!

Next. Jungle Cruise age rating: Is the movie for kids?. dark

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How to watch ‘Jungle Cruise’

The adventure film starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt is available on digital and in theaters.

It’s time to hop aboard and take off with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt in Jungle Cruise , the latest Disney adventure, based on the classic amusement park ride. A highly anticipated summer blockbuster, Jungle Cruise will be available to movie fans in more ways than one, playing both in theaters and streaming simultaneously.

Jungle Cruise , which was originally slated for a July 2020 release date, is now out. The film sees a riverboat captain (Johnson) take a pair of explorers (Blunt and Jack Whitehall) up the Amazon river in the hopes of finding an ancient tree with legendary medicinal powers. However, on top of the natural dangers of the Amazon, the trio aren’t the only ones looking for the tree. Find out what What to Watch reviewer Leigh Manson thought about Jungle Cruise here .

If that catches your interest, here’s how to watch Jungle Cruise .

How to watch ‘Jungle Cruise’ in theaters

Jungle Cruise is playing in theaters and is the big, fun ride that movie theaters are made for. If you’re planning on heading out to the theater to see it, please be sure to check your local guidelines on mask mandates; the CDC has recently updated its position , recommending in certain situations and areas that masks be worn, even by vaccinated individuals.

With Jungle Cruise and other films slated to be released on the big screen again, movie theater subscriptions are handy ways to make multiplex visits more affordable. What to Watch has a review of the best movie theater subscription deals available.

How to watch ‘Jungle Cruise’ on Disney Plus

If you’re not up for a trip to the theaters, Jungle Cruise will also be available on Disney Plus via Disney Plus Premier Access . This allows Disney Plus subscribers to watch the movie from the comfort of their own home, or anywhere they can access Disney Plus, for a one-time fee of $30.

A few things you need to know about this deal. First, it is only available to Disney Plus subscribers. In addition, the $30 charge is separate from your monthly Disney Plus subscription. However, once you pay to watch the film via Premier Access, you will be able to watch it as many times as you like.

Disney has used this strategy with a handful of other films in the last year, including most recently with Black Widow . The Marvel superhero film drew in $60 million via Disney Plus Premier Access in its opening weekend, but it hasn’t been without controvers y.

Jungle Cruise is the last movie as of now that will be available in theaters and on Disney Plus Premier Access at the same time, as upcoming Disney and Marvel movies will be getting exclusive theater releases. TBD if the company reverts back to this strategy in the future.

When will ‘Jungle Cruise’ be free on Disney Plus?

For the patient among you, Jungle Cruise will eventually be available for free on Disney Plus. Disney has set Nov. 12 as the day that Jungle Cruise can be watched for free on its streaming service. 

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Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca , Moulin Rouge! , Silence of the Lambs , Children of Men , One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars . On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd .

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Jungle Cruise review: Fun Saturday afternoon adventure hits Disney Plus

Emily Blunt and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson make this boat trip worth the ride as it comes to the streaming service at no extra cost on Friday.

The Rock and Emily Blunt are joy to watch in Jungle Cruise.

A creaky old Disneyland ride littered with creaky old dad jokes isn't the most obvious inspiration for a big-budget cinematic journey, but Jungle Cruise hits on most of the classic summer adventure notes. It does so by reveling in the silliness of its source material, riffing on the ride's original source of inspiration.

Jungle Cruise stars  Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson  and  Emily Blunt  as a riverboat captain and his scientist passenger. Their old-timey riverboat quest mirrors the dynamic between Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn in  The African Queen , a rousing 1951 adventure that won Bogart  his only Oscar  and gave Disney Imagineers an idea for a ride that's endured for more than 60 years.

Like Marvel's Black Widow , this adventure hit Disney Plus over the summer, but you had to pay an extra fee on top of your subscription. It joined  Shang-Chi and Home Sweet Home Alone in the streaming service's regular library Friday, so subscribers can watch it at no extra cost .

This 1916-set adventure -- directed by Jaume Collet-Serra  (who will rejoin Johnson for 2022 DC movie Black Adam ) -- oozes charm right from its opening minutes, thanks to sharp writing and the charisma of Johnson, Blunt and Jack Whitehall as her hilariously ill-prepared brother. That appeal only grows once they're together on the boat and traveling down a jungle river, sparking off one another brilliantly.

Johnson has an endless supply of groan-worthy puns (echoing the silly skippers of Disney's ride) and a capacity for deception, putting him at odds with the assertive, direct Blunt. The love-hate relationship that develops is a delight to watch, with Whitehall's dry comments adding another layer of levity.

Their journey is punctuated by sharply edited action sequences reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean and The Mummy . The colorful, varied environments give each a distinct visual flair, with the world's lived-in quality and colorful cast of characters making it all feel tangible and relatable. ( Paul Giamatti 's red-faced harbormaster badly needs a dab of sunscreen, though.)

The baddies aren't quite as well developed or memorable as our heroes because the movie doesn't devote enough time to them. Jesse Plemons ' German prince is elevated by a flamboyant performance and exquisite costume, but his character's motivation ultimately feels cliche.

Jack Whitehall (right) joins Blunt and Johnson on the journey.

He also shares the villainous limelight with a band of malefactors led by Edgar Ramírez , who does the best he can to bring some humanity to this group. The introduction of a supernatural menace spices up the second hour, but some slightly unconvincing shiny CGI leaves the villains feeling more slippery than threatening.

All of the groups clash in a finale that riffs hard on the first Pirates of the Caribbean. But by that point you'll care enough about our heroes' fates to forgive those similarities and some forgettable villains.

New Movies Coming in 2023 From Marvel, Netflix, DC and More

James Newton Howard 's score adds to the grandiosity of the adventure, with one orchestrated version of an iconic power ballad adding dramatic weight to a pivotal moment.

Jungle Cruise is a worthy addition to Disney's live-action adventure library, with Johnson, Blunt and Whitehall bringing suitable emotional depth and plenty of laughs. Whether we'll still be talking about it decades in the future is debatable, but it'll go down as a memorable summer romp that families can watch on a Saturday afternoon for years to come.

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F9, Jungle Cruise, and every other new movie you can stream at home this weekend

The 9th installment in the Fast Saga drifts onto VOD this weekend

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This weekend sees the release of The Green Knight , the latest Arthurian fantasy drama from A Ghost Story director David Lowery, starring Dev Patel as Sir Gawain. So far, the majority of reviews — including our own — are touting it as a masterpiece.

But don’t worry, even if you aren’t feeling up to venturing out to theaters this weekend, there are still plenty of exciting new releases to watch on VOD and streaming, including more than a few movies that are also currently in theaters, such as F9: The Fast Saga and Disney’s Jungle Cruise . We’ve got Twist , Martin Owen’s modern-day adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, the conspiracy documentary Enemies of the State , Trent O’Donnell’s comedy Ride the Eagle starring Jake Johnson, and much more!

To help you get a handle on what’s new and available, here are the movies you can watch on video on demand and streaming this weekend.

F9: The Fast Saga

Where to watch: In theaters and available to rent for $19.99 on Amazon Prime Video , Apple , and Vudu

F is for family that does stuff together! In F9: The Fast Saga , the (supposedly) penultimate chapter in the long-running Fast and Furious franchise, that “stuff” involves Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his ride-or-die crew of civilian stunt drivers turned clandestine super-spies being pitted in a race (pun intended) against time to stop a devastating super-weapon from falling into the wrong hands. Things get even more complicated when Dom’s estranged brother Jakob (John Cena) shows up to throw a wrench in the works, pitting the two Toretto siblings in a deadly battle of wills as they hash out their baggage. Oh yeah, Tej (Ludacris) and Roman (Tyrese Gibson) go to space in this one. From our review ,

F9 counteracts any character development by devoting a grating amount of time to meta-commentary on its own ridiculousness. On this lap of the franchise, Roman confronts the existential nature of the family’s inability to be harmed. How do they never get shot? How do they survive every car crash? Have they been chosen? If these were the incoherent mutterings of a man in constant action, it might be the perfect seriousness-deflating banter to cap any given action set-piece. But there are entire dialogue-driven scenes unpacking the possible supernatural forces at work in the Fast franchise. If the asides are setup for the series’ eventual crossover with Diesel’s Last Witch Hunter universe (c’mon, it’s good!), then the film isn’t taking the magical element seriously enough. If it’s just comic relief, it’s padding that falls flat — but not as flat as the five-minute gag about which Star Wars character Charlize Theron’s villain Cipher would be, the moment F9 goes full cringe.

Jungle Cruise

Where to watch: In theaters and available to stream on Disney Plus Premier

Choo choo, all aboard the Jungle Cruise! The latest effort in Disney’s ongoing effort to spin every one of its notable theme-park rides into a sustainable theatrical franchise, Jungle Cruise stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Frank “Skipper” Wolff, a riverboat captain hired to transport Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) into the heart of the exotic jungle in search of the Tree of Life. It’s not exactly Fitzcarraldo or The Lost City of Z , but it does have zombie snake-men and CG-animated leopards, plus Jesse Plemons as a German aristocrat in a submarine. From our review ,

Jungle Cruise is beholden not just to the antiquated tropes of archaeological adventure movies , but also the ride’s own problematic legacy. To their credit, the filmmakers do their best to subvert that legacy. The choice to have the coveted treasure be part of the natural world, instead of the ruins of an ancient civilization already helps. But the best adaptation is that the indigenous people of the jungle are civilized, and they’re Frank’s buddies — they only attack the tourists because they have an agreement where he pays them to scare the travelers for extra thrills. The leader of the tribe — the infamous Trader Sam, originally an outdated park character — is a woman in the movie. She doesn’t get a lot of screen time, and is more of an Easter Egg than a woman of color with a story of her own, but at least the filmmakers are acknowledging the ride’s past and considering how to modernize their thinking.

Jungle Cruise on Disney Premier Access

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Jungle Cruise hits theaters this summer, but you can also grab it on Disney Plus

• $30 at Disney Plus

Where to watch: Available to rent for $5.99 on Amazon Prime Video ; $6.99 on Apple , Vudu

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. An action-packed crime-thriller remake of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist that reimagines the rosy-cheeked orphan with a heart of gold as a wayward teenage graffiti artist with a gift for parkour. No? Well, that’s what Martin Owen’s Twist is, in a nutshell. Rafferty Law ( Repo Men ) stars as Oliver Twist opposite Michael Caine ( The Dark Knight ) as his criminal mentor Fagin, with Lena Headey ( Game of Thrones ) rounding out the principal cast as Twist’s nemesis Sikes. Admittedly, this whole premise sounds odd and seems more than likely to fall flat, but at least it’s unique.

Enemies of the State

Matt DeHart, an Air National Guard veteran turned whistleblower, working with the online hacktivist group Anonymous, fled to Canada in 2013, alleging that he had inadvertently stumbled across information so sensitive that the FBI wanted him detained … or worse. The FBI paints a different story, alleging that DeHart was an online child predator and that he sought asylum to evade the consequences. Sonia Kennebeck’s documentary Enemies of the State delves into the labyrinthine drama implicating DeHart and his family, poring through reams of legal documents and interviewing agents and suspects connected to the case in order to unravel the truth and its possible implications.

Ride the Eagle

Where to watch: Available to rent for $6.99 on Amazon Prime Video , Apple , Vudu

Jake Johnson ( New Girl, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse ) stars in Trent O’Donnell’s Ride the Eagle as Leif, a pot-smoking conga-band drummer who leaves his life in the city to move out to a picturesque cabin in Northern California bequeathed to him by his estranged mother Honey (Susan Sarandon). Before he can actually move in, however, he’ll have to complete a to-do list left behind by his mom as a part of his conditional inheritance. So it’s like the 12 labors of Hercules, only instead of a quest to become a god, it’s about transferring real estate and growing into an emotionally mature, self-sufficient adult. Also, it’s a comedy!

And here’s what dropped last Friday:

The Forever Purge

Where to watch: Available to rent for $19.99 on Amazon Prime Video , Apple , and Vudu

The fifth installment in the dystopian action horror series, The Forever Purge is set eight years after the events of 2016’s The Purge: Election Year , with the New Founding Fathers of America having regained control of the US government and re-instituted the annual Purge. Following the Purge’s resolution, a band of lawless marauders decide to prolong the Purge indefinitely, wrecking a wave of havoc as survivors attempt to protect themselves. From our review :

While the Purge franchise’s lack of subtlety is a big part of its charm, The Forever Purge is probably the biggest test of these movies’ unsubtle methods. There’s the delicious irony of a scenario where Americans desperately want to get into Mexico, but it’s burdened with a condescending execution. While Adela and Juan are ostensibly the protagonists, the Tucker family get all the actual character arcs. An overwhelming chunk of The Forever Purge ’s brisk 103 minutes is devoted to the film’s Mexican immigrants saving the Tuckers’ lives, helping them survive, and furthering their moral development. It is, frankly, an insulting running thread that sours an otherwise deft horror-thriller.

Blood Red Sky

Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix

Blood Red Sky , an action horror film directed by Peter Thorwarth, stars Peri Baumeister as Nadja, a woman with a mysterious illness who boards an overnight flight from Germany with her 10-year-old son. When a group of terrorists hijacks the plane and threatens the passengers, Nadja must make an impossible decision: leave them to their fate, or become the monster she’s worked so hard to hide, in order to save them all?

Adapted from a 2015 viral Twitter thread by Aziah “Zola” Wells, Zola follows the story of a stripper who embarks on a wild road trip to Florida and gets ensnared in a bizarre, deadly scheme involving sex work, murder, and profoundly odd characters. From our review :

... [L]ike Uncut Gems and The Farewell , Zola is the product of a new generation of filmmakers, late-age millennial auteurs who don’t need to bow down to the past and settle for pastiche. For Bravo, that means conveying the stress of our current moment, whether it’s a rap track devolving into Mica Levi-composed ambience, or letting the dialogue rip in loud, near-unintelligible ways. Zola is a confident film with a confident protagonist, and the agency on display is infectious.

Where to watch: Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video

Underworld star Kate Beckinsale stars in Tanya Wexler’s action comedy Jolt as Lindy, a beautiful and funny young woman who experiences periods of intense hyper-violent rage due to a mysterious neurological disorder she’s had since her youth. Relying on the help of a special electrode-lined vest invented by her trust physician Dr. Munchin (Stanley Tucci) to control her impulses, Lindy begins to feel as though she can pursue a normal life when she starts dating Justin (Jai Courtney), an unassuming accountant with a trustworthy disposition. However, when Lindy discovers that Justin has been murdered, she chooses to hone her long-simmering lifelong rage into a weapon in search of revenge and answers. From our review:

Jolt initially seems like a gender-switched version of Crank . That 2006 cult film and its 2009 sequel Crank: High Voltage both star Jason Statham as a hitman who, for various convoluted reasons, needs to keep his adrenaline high and his heart pumping, via fistfights, street races, public sex, and eventually by strapping himself to a car battery. Jolt isn’t as wonderfully ludicrous as those films, and it wastes a little too much time setting up a staid “All women want to be loved” narrative throughline. But when the film lets action-mode Beckinsale do what she does best, which is charm guys with her face, then punch their faces, Jolt clicks together.

Where to watch: Available to rent for $5.99 on Amazon Prime Video , $6.99 on Apple , Vudu

Starring Jonny Lee Miller ( Elementary ) and Sofia Boutella ( Kingsman: The Secret Service ), Wyatt Rockefeller’s sci-fi thriller Settlers follows a family of explorers who, following a devastating ecological disaster, abandon Earth in hopes of eking out a new life on a nascent Martian colony. When the family takes in a mysterious stranger amid ongoing attacks by a group of marauding bandits, they’ll have to find a way to survive the planet’s harsh and barren terrain — along with each other. From our review:

Films could do worse than mimicking some of the narrative overlaps between Aliens and High Life , but Rockefeller only repeats other science fiction, rather than inventing big ideas of his own. The result is that the film’s most interesting ideas — Ilsa mournfully saying of Earth, “We don’t know where we’re from”; terraforming as a kind of genocide — go unexplored in favor of a story that scrapes low enough to propose sexual assault as character development. When Reza tells Remmy that someday, Mars is “gonna be just like Earth,” a braver sci-fi offering would spin that line as a warning.

Midnight In The Switchgrass

Where to watch: Available to rent for $5.99 on Amazon Prime Video , Apple , and Vudu

Bruce Willis and Megan Fox star in Randall Emmett’s Midnight in the Switchgrass as Karl Helter and Rebecca Lombardi, two FBI agents who cross paths in Florida when they’re brought in to help stop a serial killer. When their undercover sting collaboration with state officer Byron Crawford (Emile Hirsch) is blown, the three will have to work together in order to stay alive and catch the culprit.

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‘Jungle Cruise’ Review: The Rock’s Disney Ride Film Is Ridiculous, Nonsense Fun

Where to stream:.

• Jungle Cruise
• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

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Dwayne Johnson makes no less than twenty terrible puns in Jungle Cruise , a movie that understands the assignment. This is a movie where The Rock both fights a leopard with his bare hands and also cuddles a leopard with his bare hands. (Can anything beat The Rock’s chemistry with CGI animals?) It’s unfortunate that the incomprehensible plot drags down the overall quality—the next Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, this is not—but if you’re looking for a fun, ridiculous romp, then Jungle Cruise is the adventure flick you want it to be.

Things get off to a strong start with the introductions of Emily Blunt and The Rock’s characters, Dr. Lily Houghton and “Skipper” Frank Wolff. Lily is a combative, Indiana Jones-type scientist on a mission, and her first meticulously choreographed fight scene—in which she bests a German aristocrat played with zeal by Jesse Plemons —is pure entertainment, like watching an acrobatic show in Vegas.

Frank, meanwhile, is perfectly happy scamming early 20th century tourists in the Amazon. His jungle cruise is the cheapest around, and, much like a tour guide on a certain Disney theme park ride, he cracks groan-worthy word-play jokes, like, “The rocks you see on the river are sandstone, but some people just take them for granite.” Also like a Disney park ride, almost everything on the tour is fake—fake hippo, fake skeletons, and a fake waterfall, whose pitiful stream of water Frank calls “the eighth wonder of the world.” Frank is perhaps the perfect role for Johnson’s brand of charisma. If the whole wrestling and acting thing hadn’t worked out, The Rock would have made an excellent Disneyland tour guide.

Lily lures Frank into transporting her and her brother ( Jack Whitehall , in a performance that might have been homophobic, had his character not actually come out as gay in a touching scene) downriver on a dangerous mission to retrieve a petal from the tree of life, which, legend has it, will cure all diseases everywhere. The good news is that she has already stolen the arrowhead key needed to open the tree (sure); the bad news is that Plemons is hot on her tail to get that arrowhead back. Jungle Cruis e wastes no time getting to the chase scenes and explosions, at times feeling more like a Fast and Furious movie than Indiana Jones .

For the first half of the story, it clicks. Blunt, Johnson, and Whitehall are a lovable trio, and the jokes are legitimately laugh-out-loud funny. Plemons doesn’t have quite as much to do as the trailer suggests, but he certainly makes his limited screen-time count. (Paul Giamatti also gets to have fun with accents, perhaps even more so than Plemons.) The hijinks are amusing and the action is exciting. Jungle Cruise is a throwback to the types of adventure films that used to be popular— Indiana Jones, The Mummy, National Treasure, and of course, Pirates of the Caribbean —and sure, it’s probably trying to be a few too many of those titles, but it’s nonetheless enjoyable… Up until the point when it isn’t.

Between the “story by” and the “screenplay by” credits—Michael Green, Glenn Ficarra, and John Requa on the screenplay; John Norville, Josh Goldstein, Ficarra, and Requa on the story; and Jaume Collet-Serra as the director—no less than five people are credited with writing this film. And perhaps because of that, there’s simply too much going on: too many villains, too many ghost stories, and too many MacGuffins. Is it the arrowhead key or the magical petal that Jesse Plemons is after? What exactly is the motivation for the ghost that looks vaguely like Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean 2 ? Who are those conquistadors from the opening scene again? And what the heck does Paul Giamatti and his exaggerated Italian accent have to do with any of it?

It’s impossible to keep track. You want to give up and enjoy the cruise, but the last hour of the film is entangled in the confusing mythos, leaving little room for a half-hearted romance. And then there’s a plot twist that feels completely untethered from reality. Jungle Cruise tries too hard to be Pirates of the Caribbean when it should have tried harder to be Jumanji . Too bad. Perhaps with a little more finesse, this could have been the next great adventure franchise. As is, it’s an enjoyable but messy action flick, and it’s one of The Rock’s better movies—or as Frank would say, one of The Rock’s boulder movies. Like the ride it’s named after, Jungle Cruise offers less than is advertised, and you’ll notice the peeling paint. But go in with the right attitude, and you’ll still have a good time.

Jungle Cruise will open in theaters and stream on Disney+ with Premier Access on Friday, July 30.

Watch Jungle Cruise on Disney+

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The 12 Best Jungle Adventure Movies, Ranked

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Movies in the adventure and suspense genre tend to get our hearts racing with the fast-paced action and the mysterious wilderness setting. No one knows what will pop up on the screen from which direction to startle their senses. Whether it’s a quest to unearth lost treasures, or a journey to find the center of the earth, the best jungle movies always have loads of entertainment for the audiences in store.

Some might think this genre is a little over-explored with various movies finding their own jungle to get lost in, but the charm of having an unknown wild adventure never ceases to amuse. It’s always fun to see filmmakers come up with an engaging backstory and hilarious characters to make the jungle adventure movie one heck of a ride. Fans of this genre find comfort in such forest movies and strive to live vicariously through them. There's no shortage of the best adventure movies that heavily use the jungle setting to tell their fun and exciting stories. Which are the ones worth seeing at least once?

12 'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island' (2012)

Directed by brad peyton.

An ambitious sequel to the 2008 blockbuster Journey to the Center of the Earth , this feature film stars wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson , Josh Hutcherson , and Vanessa Hudgens , who set out in response to a cryptic signal received from deep within the forest. They venture in pursuit of Sean’s lost grandfather.

Both movies are adapted from epic stories written by Jules Verne . Watch Journey 2: The Mysterious Island for golden comedy, amusing sequences, and obviously the awesome Dwayne Johnson . Its cheesy comedy and formulaic plot aren't for cinephiles, but it's likely one of the guilty pleasure movies that some viewers watch for an uplifted mood.

journey 2: the mysterious island

Watch on USA Network

11 'Uncharted' (2022)

Directed by ruben fleischer.

Starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg , Uncharted follows the undiscovered ventures of Ferdinand Magellan with a desire to find the lost treasure. Existing fans of the game were very excited to see a feature film explore the world of the beloved game, but Uncharted 's adaptation turned out to be nothing like the source material.

While Holland managed to capture Nate's charm, wit, humor, and heart in a way that was uniquely his own, it couldn't make up for the boring plot, missed opportunities, and questionable deviations from the game's story that the creators decided to include. Still, for fans looking for a mindless flick on a boring night, Uncharted offers its fair share of fun action sequences, but not much else .

Rent on Apple TV

10 'The Lost City' (2022)

Directed by adam nee, aaron nee.

Nestled in the plot of the adventure movie The Lost City is a romantic arc that brings together an author and her cover model who goes overlooked otherwise. This modern take on the genre finds Sandra Bollock and Channing Tatum in the wild with an evil Daniel Radcliffe hampering their every move. The unlikely pair must learn to work together if they hope to survive long enough to find the treasure.

The wild plot certainly managed to capture the attention of the viewers, even though most of the jokes didn't land. The Lost City reels you in with the mystic fonts and the legend of a hidden treasure that delighted the kings and queens for centuries, even if many of these hooks are unfortunately predictable clichés. If for nothing else, the movie is a perfect watch just for the unexpected Brad Pitt cameo .

The Lost City

Watch on Amazon Prime

9 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' (2008)

Directed by steven spielberg.

The fourth installment in the beloved adventure franchise, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull follows the exhilarating journey of the titular archaeologist ( Harrison Ford ), who pursues an artifact with immense power. Alongside an old flame, Marion Ravenwood ( Karen Allen ), Indy travels to the depths of the forests of Peru before being captured and taken to the Amazon.

Although not the best in the massive Indiana Jones franchise , The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull still offers exciting action and gut-busting humor for fans who love the character . It’s also just nostalgic to revisit the legendary films now that its final installment had its disappointing premiere. If anything, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is worth watching just for that one epic motorcycle scene.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Indiana Jones becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.

Watch on Disney+

8 'Jungle Cruise' (2021)

Directed by jaume collet-serra.

Jungle Cruise was highly anticipated as it brought two very talented and amazing actors together on screen – Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson . In this adventurous escapade, fans see a doctor and her brother embark on a trip to the lush Amazon forests to find a lost tree with supposed magical powers.

Of course, their journey has hindrances caused by evil villains who want to use the tree for their malicious purposes and spread their villainous agenda. Jungle Cruise is a fun way to enjoy the marvelous setting and get lost in the world of the Amazon. Don't expect any innovative twists or brilliant writing, though, as it's a basic jungle adventure movie that doesn't try to be anything else. For those looking for a family-friendly flick, this is the perfect one – enjoy it enough and there's a sequel available to watch, too!

Jungle Cruise

7 'jumanji: welcome to the jungle' (2017), directed by jake kasdan.

Even with a simple plot, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is so hilarious that it's impossible not to laugh. The film embraces the ridiculous concept of being sucked into a video game – which the original Jumanji game transformed into to fit modern times – but never insults the intelligence of the audience. Adult avatars from the present play alongside other players stuck in the game since the '90s, and they all desperately try to escape.

Featuring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart , Jack Black , Karen Gillan , and a sweet cameo by Nick Jonas , this film is an action extravaganza made to entertain. It does take inspiration from the vintage classic Jumanji game but comes out with a clearer direction and plot. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle may not live up to its predecessors, but there's no denying it's at least decently entertaining.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Four teenagers are sucked into a magical video game, and the only way they can escape is to work together to finish the game.

Watch on Hulu

6 'Tropic Thunder' (2008)

Directed by ben stiller.

Tropic Thunder has failings, but at its core, it is an absurd and deliciously wicked satire movie that exposes everything that is wrong with Hollywood. Parodying many classic films based on the Vietnam War, Tropic Thunder follows a group of obnoxious actors shooting their own war movie. When their director accidentally dies in an accident after leaving them in a jungle, the actors have to use what little skills they have to make it out alive.

Tropic Thunder is packed with hilarious and endlessly quotable lines , as well as two scene-stealing performances by Matthew McConaughey and Tom Cruise . Some of the best comedians and actors of the twenty-first century kicked off the century with a bang in this massive ensemble production that lived up to the hype at the time of its release and is still beloved by fans today.

Tropic Thunder

5 'king kong' (2005), directed by peter jackson.

King Kong has been remade multiple times by different filmmakers with more diverse perspectives on the portrayal of the magnificent Gorilla aka King Kong. The movie follows Carl Denham and his crew as they come across a giant ape on Skull Island and imprison it in order to bring it to New York. They run into trouble when the giant ape is released into the city.

A fantastic and exciting film on the whole, King Kong 's plot is epic, with more action and new astounding creatures. This remake contains more action than the original, and obviously maximizes CGI (even though it hasn't aged entirely well). While definitely not director Peter Jackson 's best work (an honor that remains with the Lord of the Rings trilogy), it's a decent enough modern adaptation of the classic story.

4 'Tarzan' (1999)

Directed by kevin lima, chris buck.

A beloved Disney classic, Tarzan is an animated film that needs no introduction. The movie tells the tale of the titular protagonist (voiced by Tony Goldwyn ), a human orphan left in the jungle who is adopted by his gorilla family. He struggles with his identity and place in the world growing up, which becomes even more prominent with the arrival of a group of humans – including the vibrant Jane Porter ( Minnie Driver ).

The rewatchable animated Disney film has everything, from groundbreaking animation to catchy musical numbers to an inspiring heartfelt story. Its story about identity and the meaning of family is wonderfully told against the backdrop of a gorgeous (and sometimes unforgiving) jungle. While some of its aspects haven't aged well, the classic is still worth revisiting with family members today.

3 'The Jungle Book' (1967)

The Jungle Book is an evergreen classic that has been one of the most widely read and watched movies in the history of cinema. The adventures of Mowgli, the hunger of the iconic animated villain Shere Khan, and a pack of wild animals come together to create this masterpiece of a story.

Heartwarming soundtracks and lessons about bravery, friendship, and life, in general, are some of the inspiring takeaways from The Jungle Book . With various animated and live-action iterations, this movie has been made and remade a lot of times over the years, but still manages to maintain the old-school charm of a Disney movie. The 1967 version is undoubtedly still the best, with as much heart and humor as it did when it first premiered.

2 'Jurassic Park' Movies (1993 - 2001)

Spanning seven thrilling movies over almost two decades, the Jurassic Park franchise has nothing but the best in store. A first-of-its-kind plot that explored the comeback of dinosaurs to disrupt the modern world was loved by all and immediately became a huge part of cinematic history.

Along with rampaging monsters and scientific experiments gone wrong, the movies have continuously featured a strong star cast that managed to attract audiences from across the world. The most recent movie, Jurassic Park: Dominion , seemed to be the end of the franchise, which has seen a steady decline in quality. That said, those looking for a nail-biting jungle survival movie may want to check out the first three entries in this award-winning film series.

Jurassic Park

1 'predator' (1987), directed by john mctiernan.

Predator was part of Arnold Schwarzenegger 's string of 1980s hits : half testosterone-drenched shootout movie, half sci-fi horror that dismantles (limb by limb) the action genre and the men who feature in them, who find all their guns and unified body mass completely pointless against a superior warrior who hunts humans for sport.

Predator became an instant action classic thanks to the dreaded creature, one-liners, sweltering jungle setting , and John McTiernan 's directorial style. It's the ultimate jungle movie that birthed a legendary franchise that's still going strong today, with Prey marking a great move forward for the classic film series.

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NEXT: The Best Adventure Movies of All Time, Ranked According to IMDb

The 51 best Netflix movies to watch right now

These are the best Netflix movies available now

It's no easy task to narrow down the best Netflix movies, with new releases hitting the streamer every day. We're spoilt for choice, really, with so many new originals hitting our screens from directors like Guillermo del Toro to David Fincher to Spike Lee. There's no shortage of Oscar winners and nominees here, but it's not all highbrow fare – if you're looking for some family-friendly fun, there's plenty of that, too.

Fresh from the big screen, new additions include hard-hitting real-life story Society of the Snow, Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro , and Chicken Run sequel Dawn of the Nugget . In short, we've got your complete guide to the 51 best Netflix movies streaming right now, from war epics to joyful animation and everything in between. 

The best Netflix movies to watch right now

Society of the snow.

Year released: 2023 Director: J.A. Bayona

In 1972, a plane flying from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Santiago, Chile, crashed in the South American mountain range. There were 45 passengers on board: 19 members of a Uruguayan rugby club and a group of their families, friends, and supporters. The survivors spent 72 days stranded in the Andes, facing avalanches and exposure, and resorted to cannibalism to stay alive. The Impossible director J.A. Bayona retells this story in Society of the Snow, a brutal, harrowing movie about the lengths we go to in order to survive.

Maestro 

Year released: 2023 Director: Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper's second round in the director's chair after 2018's A Star is Born sees him take on the real life of the late, great composer Leonard Bernstein. As well as focusing on Bernstein's long and successful career, the movie also centers his relationship with his wife, the Costa Rican actor Felicia Montealegre, played by Carey Mulligan, while Maya Hawke is their daughter Jamie. Maestro also counts Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese as two of its producers.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

Year released: 2023 Director: Sam Fell

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Over two decades after the original movie introduced us to Ginger and Rocky, the rebellious chickens are back for a new escapade. Just like in real life, plenty of time has passed in the world of Chicken Run, and Ginger and Rocky (now voiced by Thandiwe Newton and Zachary Levi) have a chick of their own, Molly (Bella Ramsey). However, like parents, like daughter, and Molly's thirst for adventure soon finds herself in a sticky situation, which means the whole roost must band together for a new mission – and this time, they're breaking into the farm. 

Year released: 2022 Directors: Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson

Guillermo del Toro and co-director Mark Gustafson's take on the classic tale Pinocchio is no Disney movie – this film is set in fascist, inter-war Italy and is based on Carlo Collodi's original novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio. 

"When I pitched this story, I said it is of a piece with The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth. I said it is not made for children," del Toro told Total Film . "But children can watch it if their parents speak to them. I would not fool myself on say Pan's Labyrinth is a kid's movie, but this one can be watched by kids. It's not pasteurized, it's not homogenized, and it's not immune to dialogue in the family." The cast includes the voice talent of Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Tilda Swinton, and Cate Blanchett. 

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Year released: 2022 

Director: Rian Johnson

Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc is back in this follow-up to 2019's Knives Out . Glass Onion picks up with an all new cast of characters, with the impressive ensemble including Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Jessica Henwick, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Janelle Monáe, and Leslie Odom Jr. We won't spoil any secrets here, but it's safe to say Blanc is once again investigating a murder mystery – this time in Greece. 

Year released: 2022 Director: Sebastián Lelio

Florence Pugh stars in this psychological drama as Elizabeth Wright, an English nurse in the 1800s who travels to Ireland to investigate a young girl who her family claims hasn't eaten in four months – but is miraculously unaffected. Tom Burke, Toby Jones, Ciaran Hinds, and Kíla Lord Cassidy co-star. The period drama examines themes of trauma and religious fervor, and Pugh received widespread critical acclaim for her performance. 

All Quiet On The Western Front

Year released: 2022 Director: Edward Berger

Germany’s entry for the 2023 Academy Awards, All Quiet on the Western Front, is an epic anti-war movie based on the 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque. It follows German teenager Paul (Felix Kammerer) as he enlists in the German army near the end of the First World War. Caught up in the patriotic spirit, he joins up with his friends, expecting adventure and victory. In reality, what he finds is unimaginable bloodshed and horror on the frontline. Parallel to Paul’s story, Inglorious Basterds star Daniel Brühl plays German official Matthias Erzberger who is attempting to begin armistice negotiations with Allied forces. 

This isn’t the first time that the novel has been adapted for the screen, with Hollywood versions from 1930 and 1979. However, the latest version has been praised for staying true to the source material’s powerful anti-war message . The movie has also been lauded for its brutal battle scenes and emotionally raw performances, cementing it as a classic of the war film genre.

The Good Nurse

Year released: 2022 Director: Tobias Lindholm 

Serial killer biopics are nothing new for Netflix, but The Good Nurse stands apart as a sensitively handled, chilling take on one of the worst true crime cases in recent history. Directed by Tobias Lindholm, the film follows the case of Charles Cullen , a nurse convicted of killing dozens – with hundreds more suspected – of patients.

The film begins long before his conviction with the focus on hard-working nurse Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain). She struggles between maintaining a difficult job, navigating a worsening heart condition, and the demands of childcare. So when new nurse Charles (Eddie Redmayne) joins her team, it’s a lifesaver. Not only does he help her hide her medical condition at work, but he also becomes a close friend and confidant to her. However, everything is thrown into flux when an investigation begins into a suspicious patient death: Charles is brought into the spotlight and Amy discovers he’s been hiding a huge secret.

The movie is anchored by powerful performances from Chastain and Redmayne in the lead roles as the chilling case slowly unfolds. Keeping the killing off-screen, the movie focuses instead on the psychological impact of Cullen’s crimes on his victims' families and Amy. 

The Stranger

Year released: 2022 Director: Thomas M. Wright

A film that operates on a need-to-know basis, Thomas M. Wright’s elliptical but gripping The Stranger circles one of Australia’s most horrifying crimes: the kidnap and murder of 13-year-old Queensland boy Daniel Morcombe. Thankfully, the film avoids any depiction of this 2003 atrocity. Instead, the focus is on the ensuing police operation – the sting to end them all – that took eight years to reach its conclusion.

From the off, The Stranger feels worthy of comparison with such notable Aussie crime yarns as Animal Kingdom (with which it shares star Joel Edgerton) or Chopper. Henry (Sean Harris) is a nefarious drifter who is gradually, carefully, recruited into a criminal organisation. Inducting him is Mark (Joel Edgerton) who, as we come to learn, is an undercover cop. In fact, the entire gang is a fake, designed to win Henry’s trust and ultimately elicit a confession.

Light on real-life detail, Wright’s film is less procedural and more psychological portrait, especially of Edgerton’s character – a single father who finds it near-impossible to shake off the case when he’s at home. Aided by Sam Chiplin’s brooding cinematography, resonant sound design and deep-in-character turns by Edgerton and Harris, Wright crafts a fascinating (and respectful) look at what it takes to bring a murderer to justice – and the human cost involved.

They Cloned Tyrone

Year released: 2023 Director: Juel Taylor

Directed by Juel Taylor ( Creed 2 ) from a screenplay by Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier ( Space Jam: A New Legacy ), They Cloned Tyrone follows an unlikely trio on a mission to uncover a nefarious government conspiracy. Fontaine (John Boyega), Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris), and Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx) band together to uncover some creepy happenings in their neighborhood – and stumble upon a cloning operation. The pulpy sci-fi comedy pays tribute to '70s Blaxploitation films and is a laugh-out-loud good time.

The film also stars Kiefer Sutherland, J. Alphonse Nicholson, David Alan Grier, Tamberla Perry, and Eric Robinson Jr.

Year released: 2022 Director: Romain Gavras

Set in suburban France, Athena – which debuted at Venice Film Festival – centers on a community dealing with the aftermath of the brutal, racist murder of an Algerian man, Idir. The focus of Athena is Idir's three brothers, Karim, Moktar, and Abdel – a French soldier, a drug dealer, and a community leader, respectively. As they try to process their brother's death in their own way, chaos threatens to erupt in their neighborhood. It's a gripping watch that rightfully won rave reviews.

Year released: 2022 Director: Babak Anvari

Netflix's first major British thriller, I Came By stars George MacKay ( 1917 ) and Percelle Ascott as two graffiti artists who break into the homes of wealthy elites a plaster graffiti all over the walls. However, Ascott's character wants out after having a child, while MacKay's young man, still living with his mother, played by Kelly Macdonald, decides to go after another target alone. However, after invading the home of a retired judge, portrayed by a delightfully evil Hugh Bonneville, he discovers a deep, dark secret that changes everything.

Now, before you go into this one, it's worth noting that while some of the dialogue's a little ropey, the story structure's ingenious and will delight anyone who loves a good Hitchcockian thriller. Babak Anvari does a brilliant job bringing you into the world, and there are plenty of surprises throughout. Just don't get too attached to anyone in particular... 

Year released: 2022 Director: S. S. Rajamouli

There's a reason RRR has been called one of the greatest action movies of all time . First released in cinemas, RRR has found a new life on Netflix, with Western audiences discovering this Indian epic. Directed by S. S. Rajamouli, the Telugu-language movie takes place in the 1920s and centers on two revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.), in their explosive challenge of the British Raj. 

It's lengthy at 182 minutes, but RRR doesn't waste a second, cramming in everything from fiery bow and arrow battles and motorcycle chases to men fighting alongside bloodied tigers. If none of that tickles your fancy, firstly, what more do you want? Secondly, fear not, it also features a romantic subplot, a sweet bromance, and a couple of musical numbers, too. All of which culminates in making this one of the best Netflix movies you can watch right now.

Year released: 2022 Director: Jeremiah Zagar

You don't necessarily think of Adam Sandler when you picture the best Netflix movies. And yet, here Hustle stands as one of the best Netflix originals available to watch. And this one's more uplifting than Uncut Gems (removed from this list after leaving the streaming service).

Hustle's a sports drama that follows a former basketball recruiter, played by Sandler, who tries to revive his career by bringing a player from Spain, Juancho Hernangomez, a member of the real-life NBA team the Memphis Grizzlies, to play in the NBA. Queen Latifah, Ben Foster, and Robert Duvall, as well as several cameos from NBA players and coaches, appear in the movie. Prepare to get a bit weepy.

Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood

Year released: 2022 Director: Richard Linklater

Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood is the latest collaborative effort from the Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater and actor Jack Black. The pair have worked together on numerous occasions, perhaps most famously on  School of Rock , and their new movie is an equally joyful release, telling the story of a fourth-grader, Stanley, who's sent to space after a pair of NASA scientists – played by Zachary Levi and Glen Powell – realize that they have accidentally built modules that are too small for an adult. 

Though about a youngster, Apollo 10½ is very much set in the past, the fictional events taking place in 1969, the year the very real Apollo 11 first took humans to the moon. Plus, the non-fantastical elements are deeply rooted in Linklater's own past, with the film acting as partly autobiographical. Meanwhile, Black plays an older version of Stanley. The story's not the only notable thing about Apollo 10½ – while the movie was shot in live-action, the whole thing is animated, the actors rotoscoped over, leading to some fantastically inventive sequences. 

The Hand of God

Year released: 2021 Director: Paolo Sorrentino

Set in mid-’80s Naples, where the world’s greatest footballer, Diego Maradona, has sensationally signed to play for the city’s top-flight team, The Hand of God is a bittersweet coming-of-age tale, telling the story of a sensitive teenager and Sorrentino surrogate Fabietto (the up-and-coming Filippo Scotti). The title refers to the controversial goal scored by Maradona against England in the ’86 World Cup, but it’s also a nod to the twist of fate which shapes the protagonist’s future life. 

Within its loose, episodic structure, The Hand of God offers some brash laughs; there’s fun to be had spending time with Fabietto’s larger-than-life relatives, friends, neighbors, plus a diverting drop-in on an extras-casting session for a Fellini film. Not one to miss.

Tick, Tick... Boom!

Year released: 2021 Director: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Hamilton whiz Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his directorial debut with Tick, Tick... Boom!, an energetic adaptation of a lesser-known work by Rent creator Jonathan Larson. The largely autobiographical story follows wannabe theatre composer Jon (Andrew Garfield) as his post-college dream collides with reality: working in a New York diner in 1990, he’s burdened with a desperate urge to stage his musical ambition before he turns 30. An effusive Garfield is superb in his first singing role, while Miranda directs with verve, avoiding the usual stage-to-screen pitfalls while nailing the varied musical numbers.

The Harder They Fall

Year released: 2021 Director: Jeymes Samuel

It’s estimated that a quarter of cowboys were Black, but you’d never know it from Hollywood westerns, which so whitewashed American history that Mel Brooks found provocative humor in having a Black man holding the reins in 1974’s Blazing Saddles. Like Mario Van Peebles’ 1993 oater Posse, The Harder They Fall by Jeymes Samuel (aka London singer/songwriter The Bullits) looks to change things up and have a blast doing it, with its starry Black cast trading shots in thrilling sequences of stylized violence set to quality music.

Many of the larger-than-life characters in The Harder They Fall are historical figures. But Samuel and his co-writer Boaz Yakin (Now You See Me, 2012’s Safe) aren’t past playing fast and loose with history themselves, albeit in less harmful ways. So what we have here is a fictional revenge tale that entangles lives that, in some cases, never did cross, as Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) – aka Deadwood Dick – reconvenes his old gang, including former flame Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz), to take down fearsome outlaw Rufus Buck (Idris Elba). Only Buck has reteamed with his own posse – ‘Treacherous’ Trudy Smith (Regina King), Cherokee Bill (LaKeith Stanfield), and more. Also in the volatile mix is legendary US Marshal Bass Reeves (Delroy Lindo). An almighty gunfight is on the blood-rimmed horizon...

Year released: 2021 Director: Bo Burnham

Bo Burnham's Inside isn't your normal comedy special. Made and released during the Coronavirus pandemic, Inside is unlike anything else during the same period. It starts off laugh-out-loud funny, with some great songs about white women's Instagram profiles and Facetiming with your parents. However, it soon looks inward, with Burnham addressing depression, turning 30, Jeff Bezos, and a growing discontent with the internet. We won't spoil anything more, but the overall experience is a thought-provoking film that will have you rethinking your relationship with being inside for months on end...

Fear Street Trilogy

Year released: 2021 Director: Leigh Janiak

A popcorn-friendly horror romp, Fear Street Part 1: 1994 is a colorful addition to Netflix’s catalog. Kiana Madeira leads the cast as Deena, a high schooler who lives in Shadyside (AKA "Shittyside"), a village afflicted by a severe case of serial killers. Every few years, a Shadysider goes on a murderous rampage, and Deena and her ex girlfriend, Alex, get caught in the mystery of why the village is seemingly cursed.

Fear Street will delight anyone wanting to sink into some ‘90s nostalgia or simply enjoy a Saturday night slasher. An R-Rated adaptation of R. L. Stine’s novels, it has been made with teenage sleepovers, squeamish first dates, and every other popcorn-friendly situation in mind. Not one to miss – and the two sequels are just as good as the first, so well worth watching, too.

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Year released: 2021 Directors:  Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are credited as producers here, but as with  Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse , their fingerprints are all over this extremely enjoyable Netflix animation. As well as sharing a visual DNA with their madcap CG toon Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, The Mitchells Vs. The Machines is as irreverently funny as 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie. And, like Spider-Verse, it has a unique visual style that rewards close inspection.

It follows the titular family of four (plus pug), as teenage daughter Katie (Broad City’s Abbi Jacobson) prepares to leave home for film school. She’s content to fly, but dad Rick (Danny McBride) spies a chance to mend their ailing relationship by driving her, cross-country, to her dorm room, along with mum Linda (Maya Rudolph) and brother Aaron (voiced by Rianda).

The White Tiger

Year released: 2021 Director:  Ramin Bahrani

A vibrant rags-to-riches tale set in metropolitan India it may be, but Ramin Bahrani’s darkly comic drama shares more in common with Parasite than it ever does with Slumdog Millionaire. Adapted from Aravind Adiga’s 2008 Booker-winning bestseller of the same name, The White Tiger stars Adarsh Gourav as lowly chauffeur Balram, whose eyes are opened to the metaphorical ‘chicken coop’ that keeps the have-nots in their place, while the wealthy thrive. The novel’s rich social commentary still resonates in this cinematic adaptation. This one easily earns a place among the best Netflix movies going.

Year released: 2023 Director:  Nick Bruno and Troy Quane

When Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight in a futuristic medieval world, is framed for a crime he didn't commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a mischievous teen with a taste for mayhem — who also happens to be a shapeshifting creature Ballister has been trained to destroy. But with the entire kingdom out to get him, Nimona’s the best (or technically the only) sidekick Ballister can hope for. And as the lines between heroes, villains, and monsters start to blur, the two of them set out to wreak serious havoc.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom 

Year released: 2020 Director:  George C. Wolfe

Containing Chadwick Boseman’s final performance, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom stars Viola Davis as the eponymous Ma Rainey, a singer known as the "Mother of the Blues." Set across the course of one afternoon in 1927, tensions rise as Ma Rainey challenges her manager and producer – while Boseman’s Levee, a trumpeter, has ambitious plans of his own. The film is adapted from the August Wilson play of the same name, and Denzel Washington produces. 

The film is swept along by its two potent central performances, Davis generating hefty diva-power with her proud, obstinate, blues-preaching Ma, determined not to be reduced to a ripped-off voice. Boseman’s wiry, angry Levee brings the film’s real charge, however, giving every rippling horn improv, fierce God-taunting rant, and soft-shoe shuffle the urgency of a man racing to make his mark with his art. The desperate, eloquent force of his performance gives this muscular film added punch and poignancy.

Year released: 2020 Director:  David Fincher

David Fincher’s long-awaited biographical drama about screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, Mank, has been a long time coming. Fincher’s father Jack wrote the script for the movie back in the '90s, but the project didn’t come to fruition until last year. It follows Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) as he writes Citizen Kane , as well as his relationships with newspaper tycoon WIlliam Randolph Hearst (Charles Dance) and Hearst’s mistress Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried). 

Oldman and Seyfried are both excellent, careers highs that should be showered in awards glory. Plus, this is Fincher’s first movie since 2014’s Gone Girl – the director brings everything to Mank, edited to perfection and becoming one of Hollywood's finest love-letters to itself.

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Year released: 2019 Director: Vince Gilligan

"Only you can decide what’s best for you, Jesse." Those words, said during the opening moments of El Camino , epitomize the character’s journey through Breaking Bad – the show-stopping series that charted the rise and fall of Walter White. El Camino continues Jesse's journey beyond the finale, offering a sendoff for the beloved former meth cook.

El Camino could have fallen apart quite easily, yet Aaron Paul’s intense portrayal of a man suffering PTSD holds everything together. He perfectly slips back into Jesse’s shoes, making the time spent between the series ending and El Camino’s release fade away. Thanks to Paul’s gravitas, the movie feels like a satisfying closure for the character. El Camino, then, offers a final farewell to some of the greatest characters ever to appear on television screens. And Jesse, poor Jesse, finally gets the closing chapter he deserves. 

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Year released: 2020 Director:  Aaron Sorkin

In September 1969, seven members of the radical left were lumped together and charged with conspiracy and inciting to riot; the charges related to anti-Vietnam War and countercultural protests held in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. An eighth defendant, Bobby Seale (played here by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), was also bundled into this "all-star team" of revolutionaries by Richard Nixon’s Attorney General John Mitchell.

Aaron Sorkin could have directed this as a straightforward courtroom drama. However, thanks to a heavy-weight cast (Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, Joseph Gordon-Levitt) this is as gripping as they come. Trial of the Chicago 7 makes for an emotionally tough watch – though an exhilarating one too, given the torque of Sorkin’s talk. What really resonates are the shocking parallels to the current political landscape, the death of George Floyd, and the ensuing protests that were met this summer with tear gas.

Enola Holmes

Year released: 2020 Director:  Harry Bradbeer

Meet the little sister of Sherlock and Mycroft; charming, witty, and in a whole lot of trouble. Join the rambunctious Enola Holmes as she journeys across London in an attempt to solve, not one, but two mysteries. Stranger Things actor Millie Bobby Brown is delightful as the eponymous heroine, and the fourth-wall-breaking movie is the perfect light-hearted escape for anyone stuck at home. 

The movie also unites Brown with another Netflix star, The Witcher 's Henry Cavill, who offers a new take on Sherlock that rivals Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch's versions, even though his screen time is minimal. It's all surprisingly charming – and well worth a watch on Netflix.

The Devil All the Time

Year released: 2020 Director:  Antonio Campos

It’s not hard to imagine the scorchingly hot cast of Netflix’s The Devil All The Time attracting, then traumatizing, an unsuspecting young audience. Part-time superheroes Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, and Sebastian Stan lead this stacked ensemble – yet director Antonio Campos’ (Afterschool, Simon Killer) adaptation of Donald Ray Pollock’s novel couldn’t be further removed from the breezy, mainstream comic-book fare. 

A sprawling Southern Gothic drama set in post-war Ohio, around the epicenter of a town called Knockemstiff, TDATT’s time-hopping story begins with Willard Russell (Skarsgård) returning from World War 2 and starting a family with Charlotte (Haley Bennett). This movie's a harrowing experience – but a worthwhile one, if you can stomach it. Plus, once you've watched this one, be sure to read our ending explained piece with the director.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Year released: 2020 Director:  Charlie Kaufman

Based on Iain Reid's acclaimed novel of the same name, Charlie Kaufman's latest movie I'm Thinking of Ending Things follows a young woman (Jessie Buckley) who – despite having second thoughts about her current relationship – travels with her boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) to meet his parents (Toni Collette and David Thewlis) on their secluded farm. However, this is no normal family visit: proceedings soon to sinister as the woman becomes self-reflective and they turn nasty.

From the creative mind of the man behind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a psychological thriller that will fry your nerves and leave you questioning what is real and what isn’t. Top tip: don’t believe everything you see... Certainly one of the best Netflix movies streaming right now.

Year released: 2019 Director:  Mati Diop

A spooky love story set in Senegal. A 17-year-old named Ada has fallen in love with a young construction worker, Souleiman, who one day disappears at sea and ides. Those who were missing on the boat return to their old neighborhood to haunt those left behind, with some hoping to wreak revenge for being underpaid. Souleiman, though, has other plans.

There's something magical about Atlantics. A ghost story that's not scary, but earnestly romantic and political comment on poor working and living conditions in Senegal. The cinematography is beautiful, and Mati Diop's direction is superb. Critics have found it hard to categorize, and you can see why.

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)

Year released: 2017 Director:  Noah Baumbach

Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller star in Noah Baumbach's remarkable intergenerational comedy-drama about three siblings (Sandler, Stiller, and Elizabeth Marvel) trying to navigate life in the shadow of their father (Dustin Hoffman). As they contend with him, each other, and their families, they find their lives taking unexpected turns. 

If you’ve seen Baumbach’s previous movies, such as The Squid and the Whale or Greenberg, you’ll know what you’re getting here: a quirky comedy with emotional, dramatic elements, and some darn good performances too. He’s also co-written several of Wes Anderson’s movie scripts, including The Life Aquatic and Fantastic Mr. Fox. And yes, you better believe it, Adam Sandler can act, when he’s given a half-decent script (see Punch-Drunk Love for further proof). 

Year released: 2017 Director:  Bong Joon Ho

Bong Joon-ho directs a sci-fi adventure movie with overt references to the modern food industry. Starring Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, and a cast of insanely talented actors, Okja caused a lot of discussion and debate at the time of its release, especially around the ethics of meat production. It also showed that companies like Netflix could make a success – and a thumping one – of left-field creative choices, as long as they do it with confidence. And Bong Joon-ho and co have that in plentiful supply. 

Its bold and inventive storyline, great action, and eye-popping visuals make this a delightful movie. Also, who needs an excuse to watch anything with Tilda Swinton in it? Plus, its Bong Joon-ho... you know you're in good hands when this Oscar-winning director's on board.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Year released: 2018 Directors:  Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

In one of Netflix’s largest coups, the streaming service produced a Coen brothers project. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – which was initially going to be a television show – consists of six short films, each detailing a story from the American West. Which makes this not one Coen movie, but technically Coen movies all wrapped up into one. And Coen movies are, as cinema aficionados know, quality (well, most of them). 

While you might not take a night to go watch a series of shorts at the cinema, firing it up at home and making yourself cozy on the sofa is easy. Also, if you get interrupted, tired, or otherwise distracted, each movie won’t last longer than an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, so you can divvy it up if needed. 

Da 5 Bloods

Year released: 2020 Director:  Spike Lee

Spike Lee has been reminding us that Black Lives Matter since the mid-’80s, but his cries have unsurprisingly taken on a renewed urgency in recent years: Chi-Raq and BlacKkKlansman are among his most potent works. Da 5 Bloods matches those films for righteous anger, telling the story of four US veterans (played by Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Isiah Whitlock Jr, Norm Lewis) returning to Vietnam to locate and repatriate the remains of their squad leader (played by Chadwick Boseman). 

There’s also the little matter of finding a trunk of gold bullion they buried during the war – it was intended to pay locals for their help against the Viet Cong, but when it went down with a CIA plane, our heroes took it for themselves. This is a frequently fierce, fascinating picture. The world needs it right now.

Marriage Story

Year released: 2019 Director:  Noah Baumbach

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson play a couple looking to get a divorce. He's a controlling theatre director; she's an actress looking to break out into the movies. Together, they are a mess whose only real bind remains their son. 

Marriage Story really is a warts-and-all piece of filmmaking, with all the horrible details of divorce – having to look for lawyers, questioning who gets to keep the child, parents who seemingly go out of their way to worsen the situation – being portrayed on screen. That realness comes from director Noah Baumbach's impeccable screenplay, which he wrote after completing his own divorce. Not one to watch if your relationship isn't emotionally stable. 

The Irishman

Year released: 2019 Director:  Martin Scorsese

Scorsese’s adaptation of I Heard You Paint Houses – Charles Brandt’s book chronicling the life of mob underling Frank Sheeran – took its time getting here, and takes a fair amount of time to watch. Packed with a show-stopping cast, Robert DeNiro leads the show as the former truck driver who falls in with a Pennsylvania crime family led by Joe Pesci’s Russell Bufalino. 

The Irishman is a classic Scorsese pic that’s all the better for its three-and-a-half-hour runtime, which delves deep into a previously-unexplored territory: the loneliness of a lifelong crook. Alongside Al Pacino as Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa, Pesci and De Niro receive two of their meatiest parts to date. The movie’s CGI de-aging techniques will wow you.

Year released: 2018 Director: Alfonso Cuarón

All filmmakers put themselves in their work. It’s unavoidable. Alfonso Cuaron brings his past to the fore in his opus, Roma, using his upbringing on the Mexico City streets as inspiration. An entirely no-name cast makes this exhilarating movie shine, with a story that follows live-in housekeepers for a middle-class family. Set during the '70s, Roma spins on ideas of class and culture and places them inside some of the most breathtaking shots you’ll likely ever watch on Netflix. 

After the likes of 2013’s Gravity – a complex space-set thriller hung together by cutting-edge CGI – Roma is a breath of fresh air. A simplistic dive that’s already being heralded as a masterpiece, and one of the best movies ever made, why wouldn’t you want to see that?

I Lost My Body

Year released: 2019 Director: Jérémy Clapin

A   French animation about a severed hand trying to reconnect with its owner is a darkly funny adventure drama that’s packed with pathos. After escaping a Parisian hospital, the independent hand traverses the city – fending off oncoming traffic, erratic pigeons, and feral rats along the way – in an impossible quest to rejoin the body it once belonged to, that of clumsy loner Naoufel.

I Lost My Body is a study of scaled-down, ground-level danger, with great comedy found in the detail. It’s also a meditation on fractured identity, heightened by the hand’s poignant hope for reconciliation. Director/co-writer Jeremy Clapin sensitively combines melancholy with an ultimately life-affirming message.

Dolemite Is My Name

Year released: 2019 Director:  Craig Brewer

Eddie Murphy plays Rudy Ray Moore, the iconic actor who created the phenomenon that was Dolemite, a kung-fu fighting pimp who released comedy albums and movies. Dolemite Is My Name tells of Moore's struggles to get famous, and then, even when being famous among the black community, the trials that he had to overcome to get his movie made.

Murphy has rarely been better than in Dolemite Is My Name. This is his movie, with the comic actor carrying every scene – and it's a tragedy that he was not showered with gold at the Oscars. Wesley Snipes as director D'Urville Martin is also excellent.

Beasts of No Nation

Year released: 2015 Director:  Cary Joji Fukunaga

One of Netflix’s very first productions was a bold proposition indeed; a war movie in a fictional African country, performed for long stretches in Twi (a dialect of the Akan language spoken in Ghana), about a child soldier groomed for violence by a simultaneously terrifying and magnetic commandant. Beasts of No Nation plays out in just as bleak a manner as the premise suggests, leaving the viewer morally conflicted and emotionally exhausted.

In a movie that’s equal parts thrilling and harrowing, Idris Elba delivers an absolute masterclass in his role as the commandant. You watch him groom a child for war and perform several war crimes, and yet, somehow, you still find yourself wanting to root for him. And no less of a revelation is the young Abraham Attah as Agu. It’s all directed, written, and shot by Cary Joji Fukunaga, who’s gone on to direct No Time to Die , and you can see why Bond’s producers liked him. 

Private Life

Year released: 2018 Director:  Tamara Jenkins

Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn play a married couple who are desperately trying to have a baby. As time is running out for them, they try to go for various methods of assisted reproduction, but when college dropout Sadie suddenly enters their life, everything changes. It’s a mix of comedy and drama, with that typical sort of existentialism that only seems to exist in New York-set movies.

In many ways, Private Life's a combination of your archetypal New York indie movie and your archetypal middle-aged conflict indie movie, but director Tamara Jenkins (2007’s The Savages) infuses it with her special brand of charm. Also, Giamatti is in vintage form with Hahn delivering a great performance, too. Like with so many of Netflix’s successes, the strength of this movie lies in the script’s understated authenticity rather than reliance on the sensational.

Year released: 2017 Director:  Dee Rees

Set in the post-WWII Southern US, Mudbound is a dramatic thriller about the racial tensions and cultural segregation that still thrived at that time, almost a century after the abolition of slavery. It follows a cast of characters both white and black, as they navigate the often volatile society of the South, while at the same time dealing with the traumatic aftermath of World War II. 

Mudbound is a war drama akin to a progressive rock song, adding layers and elements throughout, culminating in a true epic as all its strands converge dramatically. Aside from its cultural relevance today with increased racial tensions in recent years, it’s a damn good movie in its own right and marks both Jason Mitchell and Garrett Hedlund’s finest performances to date. This one’s a mammoth. 

The Other Side of the Wind

Year released: 2018 Director:  Orson Welles

A previously-lost Orson Welles film, The Other Side of the Wind features Jake Hannaford, an elderly Hollywood director, hosting a screening for his new movie, also titled The Other Side of the Wind. The movie-within-a-movie spoofs both the Golden Age of Hollywood and the experimental cinema that punctured much of the late-1960s. The kicker, too, is that the audience is told straight away that this is Hannaford’s final day on Earth. Not a bad way to start a movie, that’s for sure.

Not only is this a piece of movie history (having previously remained incomplete after Welles’ death), The Other Side of the Wind is unmissable for several reasons besides that. It’s a fantastic pastiche of modern and classic cinema, and is Orson Welles giving something new to the medium he dedicated his life towards. It also comes coupled with a documentary, They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead, which is just as endlessly fascinating and re-watchable as the source material.

The Little Prince

Year released: 2015 Director:  Mark Osborne

Netflix doesn’t only focus on mature-themed movies, even though the freedom from R-ratings gives it plenty of scope for swearing, violence, and sex. Here you’ll find a precious little animated movie based on a French novella from 1943, about a young lonely girl whose imagination is transported to another world through magical stories told by her eccentric neighbor. As she embarks on this journey, she discovers a world of wonder invisible to the naked eye, changing both her, him, and the girl’s mother in the process.

In an age where cynicism almost seems like a default emotion, be it in daily life, politics, or even cinema, The Little Prince is refreshingly heartfelt. It’s not a perfect movie in terms of pacing, but by golly is it pretty. It’s clean, wholesome fun for the family, and we can never have too much of that.

Gerald’s Game

Year released: 2017 Director:  Mike Flanagan

Directed by Mike Flanagan ( The Haunting of Hill House and Doctor Sleep ), Gerald’s Game is a thriller with a twist: the protagonist is handcuffed to a bed for almost the entire movie. Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood play a couple who rent a secluded cabin to spice up their marriage. Shortly after handcuffing Gugino’s Jessie to the bed as part of a sex game, Gerald suddenly dies. Tied to the very sturdy bed, and with no one else close enough to hear her cries for help, Jessie faces a fight to survive.

Claustrophobic thrillers like this can often be hit-and-miss, but this one’s in the former category. It’s led almost entirely by Gugino’s intense performance, with the ever-classy Greenwood pretty much the only other cast member. The quality of acting elevates a well-executed genre movie. 

Shéhérazade

Year released: 2018 Director:  Jean-Bernard Marlin

A 17-year-old offender, Zachary, gets out of jail in his home city of Marseilles and immediately gets back into cahoots with his old gang to continue his life of crime, which includes pimping out sex workers. One day, though, he meets Shéhérazade, a young sex worker. He falls for her, and gradually becomes increasingly involved with her, which causes all sorts of conflict as his life escalates out of control.

Yes, this movie navigates a well-trodden narrative path, but Shéhérazade more than earns your two free evening hours. There’s French grit, simmering tension, and echoes of other French dramas involving outcast youths involved in crime (La Haine springs to mind). Plus a gorgeous neon-tinged visual palette mixes with the squalor the characters find themselves desperately trying to escape, with a strong soundtrack and confident performances from the young cast. 

Year released: 2016 Director:  Ava DuVernay

Ava DuVernay turned heads with Selma, the director's brilliant look at Martin Luther King's march on Selma. Two years later, DuVernay returned with the documentary 13th, named after the Thirteen Amendment of the United States Constitution, banning slavery throughout the country. However, the filmmaker argues that slavery has taken on another form: the incarceration of freedmen into prisons.

What follows is one of Netflix's most powerful documentaries, with 13th showing just how people of color have continued to suffer under unfair and unjust laws and policing. Duvernay's unflinching look at the prison system – which highlights just how much some companies are making from keeping people locked up – was nominated for an Oscar, and rightly so.

I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore

Year released: 2017 Director:  Macon Blair

From the producer of Green Room, and starring the criminally-underrated Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood – who has mastered the art of the offbeat outcast character in recent years (just watch Dirk Gently, Maniac, or Wilfred for proof) – you might assume I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore will a be a left-field movie. And you’d be correct. It follows the increasingly violent misadventures of Ruth and her martial-arts-obsessed neighbor Tony as they track down a burglar who stole Ruth’s grandmother’s silver spoon. 

Equally humorous and cynical, I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore is one of the best Netflix Original movies because it echoes many people’s disaffection with the world. It is an often-hilarious take on someone who decides to stand up against an increasingly self-centered society… albeit with surprisingly bloody results.

The Two Popes

Year released: 2019 Director:  Fernando Meirelles

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, later Pope Francis, and Pope Benedict XVI have an interesting relationship. There were disagreements in the way the Church should be run, with Pope Benedict having more classical beliefs. And yet, Benedict also became the first Pope to renounce his position since 1415, with Pope Francis taking over. 

What happened? That's the question this wholesome movie about faith attempts to answer, painting a pleasant portrait of two men at odds coming to an understanding. Even if you're not religious, The Two Popes makes for a light watch that's enhanced drastically by two incredible central performances: Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis and Anthony Hopkins as Pope Benedict. They were both rightly nominated for Oscars.

Got a different streaming service? Then check out the best movies on Disney Plus and the best movies on Amazon Prime .

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.

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Love Outdoor Adventure? Try a Real-Life Amazon Jungle Cruise

By Bethanie Hestermann

I stood on the top deck of the Jacaré-Açu, a charming river boat, as we sailed along the Rio Negro, one of largest tributaries of the Amazon River , and everything was perfect. The blackwater river was like glass, tropical birds sailed overhead, and the occasional monkey in the treetops had me and my companions in a tizzy trying to spot them through our binoculars. 

The monkeys were just the tip of the iceberg. Amazon River dolphins, aka pink river dolphins, were our near-constant companions. Brilliantly colored macaws and other parrots put on a daily show. At night, we spotted caimans and even the jungle’s apex predator, an elusive jaguar. We saw a couple of adorable sloths, too. 

The Amazon is something you read about and watch on the movie screen, but to see it—to swim in the river and trek through the rainforest—is something else entirely. Last fall, I got the crazy idea that it’d be fun to bring the family on a real-life jungle cruise to experience the Amazon in a way most people don’t. We did it, and it was absolutely incredible. 

For people who love the outdoors, wildlife, and unique travel experiences, the Brazilian Amazon is an adventure that’s hard to beat. My husband and I even braved the trip with two young kids.

Outdoor Activities in the Amazon

On our Brazilian Amazon adventure, we went boating, hiking, swimming, and kayaking. Besides spending time on the “big boat” (as my three year old called it), we spent a lot of time on small boats and canoes, meandering through the flooded rainforest. This was one of my favorite things to do. 

On one excursion, we were in search of a waterfall. Our guide took us up a narrow section of the river toward the falls. He skillfully swerved to dodge logs and branches, and we had to duck down into the boat multiple times to clear low tree branches extending across the water. To the kids’ everlasting delight, we also jetted through some thick river foam formed by the churning water as we approached the falls. After some bushwhacking to find a good spot, we swam in an area atop the waterfall. 

Another small-boat day involved exploring the “meeting of the waters,” where the Amazon River meets the Rio Negro. We spent time on both rivers, culminating the day at the spot where the white water of the Amazon meets but doesn’t mix with the black water of the Rio Negro.

Several excursions involved hiking in the rainforest. On one hike, we explored a ghost town from Brazil’s rubber boom. On another, we hiked deep into the primary forest and through a series of cave systems. Our guide taught us jungle survival skills along the way. Yet another hike took us to a samaúma tree, the Mother of the Forest, a species many people in the region consider to be sacred.

Swimming in the River

Nothing felt better after a sweaty hike in the jungle than a refreshing swim. In fact, swimming off the Jacaré-Açu was a highlight for our six year old, who loved jumping from the side of the boat into the river. The older kids and adults jumped from the third deck for a fun thrill. 

Just about every time we had the opportunity to swim in the river, we did. During one leg of our journey, we also had access to kayaks, which we took across the river to a sandy beach. There, our kids hung out with some young locals as their parents played a spirited game of soccer.

Wildlife Viewing

The Amazon is filled to the brim with wildlife, and seeing so many different species was a highlight of our time there. Seeing pink river dolphins—one of the few freshwater dolphin species in the world—was an incredible experience. These animals are playful, intelligent, and seem to enjoy being around humans. We also saw tucuxi, tiny gray freshwater dolphins that leapt from the river but never came close like the pink dolphins did.

Meanwhile, non-birders who visit the Amazon turn into birders, because how can they not? The tropical birds that inhabit the rainforest’s emergent layer are simply breathtaking. We saw blue and gold macaws, toucans, kingfishers, parakeets, egrets, caracaras, jacamars, a variety of Amazon parrots, and a bizarre bird called a hoatzin, among many others.

While hiking and boating, we also managed to spot two sloths, which are quite hard to find. Of course, we were always on the lookout for monkeys, too. We saw spider monkeys, capuchins, and a couple of howler monkeys. From tarantulas, bullet ants, and glasswing butterflies to bats, caimans, and an Amazon tree boa, we spotted just about everything on our Amazon-animal bucket list (except an oropendola).

A few members of our group even caught the briefest glimpse of a jaguar during a night excursion in a small boat. That was a first even for the guides.

Cultural Experiences

You can’t have a complete experience in the Brazilian Amazon without learning about the history of the land and experiencing the cultures of the Indigenous people who live off the river and the rainforest. We were fortunate to visit several local communities along the river, many without roads connecting them to other villages or cities. 

The communities we visited partner with the organization we toured with, Katerre , which is one of the main sponsors of the Almerinda Malaquias Foundation, to provide visitor education and services (like canoeing visitors to local landmarks). Visitors can then support the communities by spending their Brazilian Reais on villagers’ handmade items like beaded bracelets, wooden earrings, and carved figures.

The Almerinda Malaquias Foundation also supports local communities by building and renovating schools, which the Brazilian government staffs with a teacher or teachers. Our Katerre guide, Noah Brito, told me that one way to change the reality of deforestation in the Amazon is to help local people earn money by working for an ecological company. 

“It’s more profitable to keep nature in tact,” Brito said. “Cutting down a tree will make money once, but if you leave it, there are more animals, and that brings visitors, so [locals] can make money [from the same tree] many times.”

Brito says Katerre means “all good” in Yanomami, and the company strives to do good for the land and its people, its employees, and its patrons.

The Jungle Cruise

We partnered with Our Whole Village , a travel agency that designs adventurous family vacations, for our five-day Amazon River cruise with Katerre. We flew into Manaus, Brazil and spent a couple of days there. This is where we experienced the Meeting of the Waters tour. A Katerre transport then brought us to Novo Airão, where we boarded the Jacaré-Açu. 

The Jacaré-Açu was the river boat of my jungle-cruise dreams. The accommodations were appropriately rugged (e.g., small cabins and cold showers) but also offered comforts like air conditioning and Starlink connectivity. (We purposefully remained unplugged, though.) My family of four traveled with another American family of six and a British couple. We all became fast friends. 

All meals aboard the Jacaré-Açu were prepared by an exquisitely talented chef and assistant chef. We dined on plenty of fish (lots of arapaima), but there was also a wide variety of choices at each meal for the kids, vegetarians, and lactose-sensitive among us. Dessert accompanied every fine meal. 

Our itinerary included the perfect balance of excursions and down time as we cruised the Rio Negro to the stunning Jaú National Park and then back to Novo Airão. Brito offered bonus excursions early in the morning and late at night, providing extra opportunities to spot wildlife. Every member of the Jacaré-Açu crew was kind. The captain let the kids drive the boat, and the sailors even cleaned our shoes after each muddy hike. 

Back on Land

After five days aboard the Jacaré-Açu, we enjoyed two nights at the luxurious Mirante do Gavião Lodge . The kids loved the eco-lodge’s swimming pool and game room; I loved getting a massage and soaking in the wooden bathtub in our suite. 

Once again, the food was great, and we spent most of our time outdoors, playing in the pool and kayaking or swimming in the river. After our adventurous river cruise, it felt nice to kick back and enjoy some comforts at the lodge before heading home.

Honestly, as soon as I realized I could go on a real-life jungle cruise, I knew I’d love it. Outdoor adventure, tons of animals, and warm weather? Sign me up. I loved it even more than I thought I would, though. 

While we never got to see the backside of water (as guests famously see on Disney’s Jungle Cruise ride), we did get to see where white water meets black water, where trees bleed rubber, where birds sing and monkeys howl, where a river looks endless like an ocean, and where dolphins are truly, inexplicably pink.

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One day to visit disney world here’s how to do it..

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ORLANDO, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - 2019/07/17: Crowd of people at the Cinderella Castle in Walt ... [+] Disney World. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images)

It might be a single destination, but Walt Disney World is essentially an entire city—one the size of San Francisco, in fact. You could easily spend an entire week (or more) exploring the resort’s four parks, two water parks, dozens of hotels and Disney Springs shopping and dining district. But if you’ve only got one day, you can definitely get a taste of everything Walt Disney World has to offer. It’s just going to take some strategizing.

If Money Is No Object: Hire a VIP Guide

The simplest solution is, of course, to spend a lot to get the best experience. Walt Disney World offers VIP tours , where the sky is the limit as to how much you can get done. A VIP tour guide will walk you through the parks, escorting you to the front of every line, and even transporting your group to other parks via private car. There are no lines, no waiting, no shuttles, and the shortest possible routes between attractions, sometimes taking your group “backstage” in the employees-only sections of the park. The downside? VIP tours cost $450-$900 per hour for groups of up to 10 people, tours must be booked for a minimum of seven hours, and guests must purchase park admission separately.

Orange County, Florida - MAY 31: The tree of life overlooks a river way at Animal Kingdom Park at ... [+] Walt Disney World in Orange County, Florida on May 30, 2022. Walt Disney World is celebrating its 50th anniversary all of 2022. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

If You Want to See and Do as Much as Possible

Simple. Buy a single day Park Hopper ticket, which allows you to move between all four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Skip the more expensive Park Hopper Plus, which also gets you into the resort’s water parks—you won’t have time—but definitely add Genie+, the paid line-skipping service, to your ticket.

Your park day will begin a rope drop (Disney parlance for park opening) and end long after the nightly fireworks at Magic Kingdom—so wear your most comfortable shoes and get ready for a lot of steps. Animal Kingdom opens earliest, so start your day there. Opening times vary, but if the park opens at 8 a.m., in-the-know Disneyers will line up at least half an hour early. Once you’re in the gates, beeline to Kilimanjaro Safaris; many animals on the tour are more active in the morning and evening than in the heat of the day. Unless the wait is short, use the single rider line on Expedition Everest—Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, the park’s big roller coaster.

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Using Genie+, book Lightning Lane entry for a ride at Hollywood Studios, which will be your next park. Grab Slinky Dog Dash if you can, but that goes quickly, so you might want to choose Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (the only ride starring the mouse at Disney) or Toy Story Mania.

Genie+ is tricky at first, but the rule is that you can book one Lightning Lane every two hours, or as soon as you’ve scanned into the attraction. If you book a Lightning Lane for a ride that you can immediately get on, book another one right after scanning in, and then set a timer for two hours, when you can book another. If you book a Lightning Lane for much later in the day, you can still book another at the two hour mark, even if you haven’t ridden yet. (Seriously, set a timer, it’s a huge help.) A great strategy is to start stacking evening Lightning Lanes early in the day so you can have a whole night of essentially no waits.

Plan to spend your late afternoon and early evening in EPCOT, where you can eat your way around the park while you take in rides. The park has the best array of walk-up kiosks with excellent food, which changes depending on which festival is currently happening at the park, like the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival in the spring or EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival in the fall.

Hit up Soarin’ Around the World, Journey into Imagination with Figment to see EPCOT’s mascot Figment , Frozen Ever After and Test Track (using the single rider lane). If you can pay extra to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, definitely do it, but if you opt for the free virtual queue you might be waiting up to an hour to ride. Choose wisely: your time is precious on a one-day jaunt.

In the evening, head to Magic Kingdom. There’s nothing quite like Main Street at night, especially during the nightly fireworks spectacular, Happily Ever After. Don’t miss classic rides like Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion, plus the newly rethemed Tiana’s Bayou Adventure which replaced Splash Mountain. If you’re still going when the park closes, here’s a pro tip: as long as you’re in a ride queue when the clock strikes, you can still ride your last ride.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - AUGUST 27: General view of the Millennium Falcon at the Black Spire Outpost at ... [+] the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Walt Disney World Resort Opening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on August 27, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)

If Big Ticket Rides are the Highest Priority

The progression will be the same—start with Animal Kingdom, end at Magic Kingdom—but this time, you’re going to rope drop Avatar Flight of Passage. Once inside the park, buy Individual Lightning Lanes for the parks’ biggest rides as soon as you scan in. (If you’re staying at a Disney hotel, you can do this as early as 7 a.m., or 9 a.m. for other guests unless you’re already in a park.) These are an additional cost on top of Genie+, but can be purchased without buying the service, too.

Buy an early afternoon Individual Lightning Lane for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Hollywood Studios, and a late afternoon one for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT. You can only purchase two Individual Lightning Lanes per day, so you’ll have to make some tough choices between these and an evening ride on TRON Lightcycle / Run in Magic Kingdom, Disney’s newest roller coaster. Once you’ve got your biggest rides lined up, grab Genie+ for either the Slinky Dog Dash in Hollywood Studios or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Magic Kingdom. Those hugely popular mid-level coasters have consistently long waits. You’ll likely get a return time for much later in the day.

While EPCOT generally opens at 9 a.m., much of the World Showcase doesn’t open until 11 a.m., and the park tends to be quieter in the morning. It’s a good strategy if you’re focused on rides, but since you’ll only have a few hours in the park, you’ll likely miss a lot of delicious food if you opt for EPCOT as your second park. Ride Guardians of the Galaxy and the always-charming Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, one of the park’s newest rides, which is based on Disney’s Ratatouille.

Whether you’ve chosen EPCOT or Hollywood Studios as your second park, take the Skyliner to the other when you’re ready to park hop. The aerial gondola is a new classic when it comes to Disney experiences. At Hollywood Studios, definitely don’t miss the two rides in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, and take a trip to another dimension on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

Whichever you choose, opt for Magic Kingdom as your final stop (from EPCOT, take the Monorail, or a shuttle from the others). Not only will you see the quintessential fireworks show at the park, you’ll benefit from lighter crowds and shorter lines. If you’ve nabbed a virtual queue spot for TRON Lightcycle/Run at night, consider yourself lucky, because the lightning-quick coaster is even more thrilling at night.

Orange County, Florida - MAY 30: A monorail zips past flower displays during the Flower and Garden ... [+] Festival at Epcot at Walt Disney World in Orange County, Florida on May 30, 2022. Walt Disney World is celebrating its 50th anniversary all of 2022. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

If You Want the Classic Disney Experience

If we’re being honest, the best way to spend any one single day at Walt Disney World is to spend the whole day at Magic Kingdom. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to see every park and ride every ride, and that can absolutely be a fun adventure, but the essence of Disney is best experienced when you take it slow and really absorb the immersive atmosphere.

For the most classic experience, buy a single day, single park ticket to Magic Kingdom and just give yourself time and space to explore the park at your leisure. (Definitely still buy Genie+, though, because lines can get long.) This way, you can sit down to a character breakfast at Crystal Palace, where Winnie the Pooh and friends come to your table to say hello while you eat, then stroll through Fantasyland, Liberty Square, Frontierland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland at your leisure.

On a relaxing day like this, you’ll have time to visit some of the park’s sometimes-overlooked early attractions, like Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, which dates back to the 1964 World’s Fair, and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, a slow-moving ride above Tomorrowland which Walt Disney personally oversaw for Disneyland. On it, you’ll see an early model for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, Disney’s first vision for EPCOT, decades before it was built.

Another bonus to focusing on Magic Kingdom is that you can take a break from the park for dinner, and head back at night. The Monorail resort loop goes to Disney’s Contemporary Resort (the Monorail goes right through the building), Disney’s Polynesian Resort, and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. Restaurants like Citricos, Narcoosee’s and California Grill are always winners for fine dining—but for a huge splurge, go for Victoria & Albert’s, which just earned Walt Disney World its first Michelin star. Whatever you do, make sure you watch those nighttime fireworks. It’s a part of the experience you don’t want to miss.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL - OCTOBER 10: Fireworks explode over Cinderella Castle during the Happily Ever ... [+] After fireworks show at the Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom entertainment park on October 10, 2018 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

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