Disney Plus: Best Movies on Disney+ To Watch Right Now

With a robust catalog dating back to 1928, Disney’s move to create a streaming platform was a no-brainer. The much anticipated Disney+ is finally here— and with over 7,000 titles, there’s an endless amount of content to binge-watch. From classic fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, to original Disney TV shows like Lizzie Maguire and That’s So Raven, the platform is packed with enough oldies to satiate your nostalgia. But if you’re looking for something new, check out Disney+ originals like the latest iteration of Lady and the Tramp or catch baby Yoda on Star Wars: The Mandalorian.

Choosing from the legion of movies films available on Disney+ can be overwhelming. Don’t worry— Complex has you covered. Here are the best movies streaming on Disney+ right now. 

Bambi (1942) 

Director: David Hand
Starring: John Sutherland, Sam Edwards, Sterling Holloway

One of Disney’s earliest and most famous animated films, Bambi is now considered one of the best animated films of all time. Based on the 1923 book Bambi, a Life in the Woods, Bambi follows the titular young deer as he grows up in the forest alongside his friends Flower, a skunk, and Thumper, a rabbit. Bambi’s animation is so stunning and evocative that you’d be excused if you thought parts of the film were footage of an actual forest. The story itself is beautifully cyclical, showing the cycle of life and death that echoes throughout the forest in which the characters live. Famously, the death of Bambi’s mother supposedly “traumatized” many young viewers, yet the acknowledgement of both life and death makes the story feel even more elemental and meaningful. Bambi is a remarkable feat of both animation and storytelling.

The Lion King (1994)

Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Starring: Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons

One of the first movies many ‘90s kids remember watching, The Lion King is arguably the crown jewel of Disney’s ‘90s renaissance. Loosely based on Hamlet, The Lion King centers on Simba (Matthew Broderick) as he journeys to succeed his father Mufasa (James Earl Jones) as “King of the Pride Lands”, despite the sinister machinations of his sinister uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons). The movie boasts some of the best and unique animation they’d ever achieved at the time, with gorgeous landscapes and majestic animals. The soundtrack has also received much critical acclaim, especially because of Elton John’s involvement in writing several of the original songs featured in the movie, including “Hakuna Matata” and “Can You Feel The Love Tonight?”, which continue to be staples at many Disney karaoke nights. The Lion King remains one of the most stunning animated Disney movies of all time, more than two decades after its release. The less said about the supposedly “live action” remake released earlier this year, the better. 

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Director: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
Starring: Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White

The first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, Beauty and the Beast helped cement Disney as a major power player in the film industry with adults as well as children. Based on the French fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast follows Belle (Paige O’Hara), a woman who finds herself trapped in a castle by Beast (Robby Benson), a prince who’s been transformed into a monster. If Beast falls in love with Belle and his love is reciprocated, the curse will be broken. One of Disney’s darker movies, it also has some of the most beautiful animation in their movies, the highlight being a stunning ballroom dance set to the Academy Award winning title song. Beauty and the Beast remains among Disney’s best and most respected films.

Toy Story (1995)

Director: John Lasseter
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles

Before Pixar became the worldwide animation juggernaut they are today, they had to start somewhere. That start just happens to be with 1995’s Toy Story, which revolutionized the industry. The first entirely computer-animated film, Toy Story follows toys that come to life when their owner isn’t around: Woody (Tom Hanks), a cowboy doll, becomes jealous of the attention that new spaceman figure Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) receives, leading to them both becoming lost and journeying back home to their owner Andy. Toy Story was a smash hit at the box office and established Pixar as major players in the industry. The success of Toy Story famously led to other beloved films released by the studio, including Finding Nemo and The Incredibles, and of course three successful sequels, the most recent of which was released this year. To this day, Toy Story still feels revolutionary and remains one of the best animated films ever made.

Pete’s Dragon (2016)

Director: David Lowery
Starring: Oakes Fegley, Bryce Dallas Howard, Wes Bentley

1977’s Pete’s Dragon isn’t the most well known Disney film, but has its fans thanks to its buoyant energy and Academy Award-nominated song “Candle on the Water”. The last thing fans expected was a remake in 2016. Even more surprisingly, independent film director David Lowery (A Ghost Story, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) was chosen to helm the remake. The result is a movie that’s decidedly more serious than the original, but manages to be just as charming. The film follows young orphan Pete (Oakes Fegley) as he befriends a dragon in the Pacific Northwest in the early ‘80s, a discovery that brings the attention of park ranger Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), and other townspeople. Like the rest of Lowery’s work, Pete’s Dragon is visually stunning and heartfelt, and is easily one of the best live action remakes Disney has produced in recent years.

Fantasia (1940)

Directors: Samuel Armstrong, James Algar, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen, David H. Hand, Hamilton Luske, Jim Handley, Ford Beebe, T. Hee, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson
Starring: Leopold Stokowski, Deems Taylor

Only the third animated film Disney ever produced, Fantasia is one of their best and most iconic films. Fantasia is an anthology of eight animated segments, all set to famous pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, one of the leading conductors of the early 20th century. These pieces of music include The Nutcracker Suite, Rite of Spring, and most famously, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Fantasia’s most famous segment depicts Mickey as the titular apprentice as he attempts to get his chores done quicker with magic, only to make them even worse. Another more popular (and more infamous) segment is Night on Bald Mountain, an intense segment that shows a demonic figure named Chernabog letting lose an army of skeletal figures from a mountain as the titular orchestral piece plays. To this day, both the segment and Chernabog are considered amongst the scariest things ever created by Disney. Both exhilarating and educational, Fantasia remains one of the best things Disney’s ever produced.

Ratatouille (2007)

Director: Brad Bird
Starring: Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano, Janeane Garofalo

There’s much debate as to which is the best Pixar movie. So many of them are beloved, from Toy Story to Finding Nemo to Wall-E, to pretty much any of the films they’ve ever released that don’t have “Cars” in the title. Their best film may just be Ratatouille. Set in modern day France, Ratatouille follows rat Remy (Patton Oswalt), an aspiring chef, as he works together with hapless garbage worker Linguini (Lou Romano) to become a star chef at one of the best restaurants in Paris. Easily one of the strangest films Pixar has ever produced, Ratatouille is nevertheless surprisingly emotional, especially to anyone who works in the arts. Remy’s need to create experiences and move people with his food resonates with anyone who’s ever has an artistic impulse, and his parents’ disapproval is unfortunately all too real as well. With a ludicrous premise done incredibly well and a story that’s tantalizing not just because of all of the food on display, Ratatouille might just be Pixar’s masterpiece.

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Director: Brian Henson
Starring: Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire

A sorely underrated part of Disney’s catalogue, The Muppets are always a delight, and their movies are some of the best children’s movies ever made. The best Muppets movie may just be one of the few that’s also an adaptation: The Muppet Christmas Carol. Like the book it’s based on, The Muppet Christmas Carol tells the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge (Michael Caine), an unrepentant miser, who finds his worldview changed when he’s visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future on Christmas Eve. The Muppet Christmas Carol is one of the very best adaptations of the novel, thanks to a great lead performance by Michael Caine, faithfulness to the source material, and great original songs that add to the story. If The Muppet Christmas Carol doesn’t warm your heart this holiday season, you might be a Scrooge yourself. 

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1998)

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Bob Hoskins, Charles Fleischer, Christopher Lloyd

A stunning mix of live action and animation, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is one of the most inventive films Disney has ever released. Based on the (much more adult) novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? depicts a version of Hollywood in 1947 where “toons” and humans live side by side. Private detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) helps exonerate toon Roger Rabbit, who’s been accused of murdering a millionaire, discovering an insidious conspiracy along the way. A bizarre mix of both noir and comedy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? manages to be appropriate for both adults and children: children will appreciate the cartoon antics and jokes, adults will appreciate the surprisingly complex noir homage and acting from Bob Hoskins. The effects work in Roger Rabbit is top notch as well, seamlessly blending live action and animation in a way that was unheard of at the time. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is one of Disney’s best and most singular achievements.

Free Solo (2018)

Directors: Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi 

The most recent Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Feature, Free Solo isn’t for the faint of heart. It follows climber Alex Honnold as he tries to become the first person to “free solo climb”, i.e. a climb where the climber performs alone with no harnesses or other protective equipment done at great heights, El Capitan, a rock formation in Yosemite National Park. If you have a fear of heights, this is decidedly not the documentary for you. While it’s never exactly clear why Honnold wants to achieve this dangerous record, the documentary makes up for it in showing how awe-inspiring the rock formation can be, and how truly dangerous this climb is. Free Solo is a heart-stopping, fascinating look at an impressively dangerous feat.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Director: Anthony & Joe Russo
Starring: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie

Captain America: The First Avenger was an early success for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, effortlessly adapting the iconic character to film with a star-making turn from Chris Evans. A sequel was inevitable, but few guessed it would rank among the best Marvel movies ever made. Captain America: The Winter Soldier adapts one of the most celebrated Captain America comic stories of all time, centering on Cap (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie) as they uncover a conspiracy within counter-terrorism agency S.H.I.E.L.D. while evading the mysterious assassin known as the Winter Soldier. Loosely inspired by old school political thrillers, Winter Soldier matches spy espionage with typical superhero action, making it much more twistier than other Marvel movies. Evans continues to be great, and without giving away too much, the reveal of the Winter Soldier’s identity is great for Cap’s character development. Captain America: The Winter Soldier proved that Marvel wasn’t afraid to experiment with different genres and that they have a great grasp on Captain America as a character.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Director: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista

Marvel found themselves taking a huge risk when they decided to adapt the Guardians of the Galaxy comic series: while they’re relatively popular to comic enthusiasts, the general populace had no idea who the Guardians were. Smartly, director James Gunn tied the previously unknown team of superheroes to something general audiences can connect to: classic rock. Earthling Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), kidnapped as a child by aliens, now an intrepid and selfish smuggler, forms an uneasy alliance with a group of aliens on the run after stealing a rare artifact. Quill’s Walkman, filled with music he loved listening to as a child, is a major component of the film, grounding the more bizarre science fiction action in a recognizable pop culture setting. Guardians of the Galaxy rightfully made Chris Pratt a star, with his charming turn as Quill, and the movie was so well received that the Guardians are now a household name and a regular fixture in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Guardians of the Galaxy is a unique gamble that is one of the strangest and most fun Marvel films. 

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Director: Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow,  Guy Pearce

The first Iron Man film was a huge critical and commercial success that kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Iron Man 2, while a huge commercial success, was a bit less well-received to say the least. Iron Man 3 brought the series to a respectable close with the distinctive style of writer/director Shane Black. Black, best known for writing the first two Lethal Weapon movies and directing the underrated Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, brings his stylistic tics to the series, including adding elements of buddy cop films and having the film take place during Christmas. Iron Man 3 directly follows the events of The Avengers, as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) comes to terms with his PTSD from the events of that film and deals with a vengeful millionaire from his past (Guy Pearce) and the mysterious terrorist the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). Perfectly balancing comedy, drama, and action, Iron Man 3 does great work with its characters, has a surprising amount of laughs, and has great action sequences. It’s one of the most unexpectedly great Marvel movies.

Moana (2016)

Director: Ron Clements, John Musker
Starring: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House

Disney has had a long history of making princess movies, and a great many of them have unfortunately been white. Disney made a big step forward with 2009’s The Princess and The Frog with the company’s first black princess, and then moved into even more diverse territory with 2016’s Moana. The company’s first Pacific Islander princess, Moana centers on the titular strong-willed daughter (Auli’i Cravalho) of a Polynesian village chief, who sets out on a journey to return an ancient relic to the goddess Te Fiti with the help of arrogant demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson). The film is beautifully animated and lovingly evocative of Pacific Islander culture down to the casting of newcomer Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson. Moana notably also does not have a love interest, a rarity for Disney princesses, and instead sets out to help her people and the environment.  The film also boasts some of the best music in recent Disney history thanks to the input of Lin-Manuel Miranda. Moana is a huge step forward both in diversity and storytelling for Disney.

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

Director: Ron Clements, John Musker
Starring: Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David

One of the most recent Disney films to bring to mind the heights of the Disney Renaissance, The Princess and the Frog is one of the last Disney movies to use traditional hand drawn animation. The Princess and the Frog is a throwback to the princess focused musical films of the 90’s, such as The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. It centers on hard-working waitress Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), who hopes to own a restaurant of her own, as she journeys to help a frog prince (Bruno Campos) transform back into a human and finds herself turned into a frog as well. The Princess and the Frog is richly animated, with an accurate and loving depiction of New Orleans in the 1920’s. The performances are heartfelt as well, and the jazz and gospel inspired music brings to mind the rich culture of New Orleans. The Princess and the Frog proves that Disney is still more than capable of capturing the magic of some of their best years.