When you think about a Christopher Nolan movie, the performances probably aren’t the first things that come to mind. That said, when the English filmmaker makes a statement about someone’s acting, people are always going to sit up and listen. 

Speaking at the DGA theatre in Los Angeles earlier this month, at a preview screening of Bennie Safdie’s The Smashing Machine (a movie that’s received lukewarm reviews and has sputtered at the box office), Nolan made headlines for going to bat for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Here’s what the lauded director said about the wrestler-turned-actor, and why it’s significant.

What Christopher Nolan Said About Dwayne Johnson’s Smashing Machine Performance

Nolan said of Dwayne Johnson in The Smachine Machine: “I think it’s an incredible performance. I don’t think you’ll see a better performance this year or most other years.” Two things are worth noting about these comments. Nolan, who lives in LA, was recently voted president of the DGA (you can check the full chat on the DGA’s podcast), making this rare public appearance perhaps less noteworthy than it might seem. He was also there to support a colleague and friend—Safdie had a substantial role playing Edward Teller in Oppenheimer and even met Johnson’s Smashing Machine co-star, Emily Blunt, on set. And yet the weight of Nolan’s statement seems worthy of attention. 

Audiences haven’t worked out what to make of Safdie’s movie yet, a biopic of MMA pioneer Mark Kerr which forgoes most of what we expect from a combat sports flick—especially one about an underdog—in favour of a cosmic approach and a mood of pure introspection. Whatever its eventual legacy, for now it looks like a rare and expensive miss for A24, and an even rarer one for Johnson.

Why Nolan Might Be Right About The Smashing Machine

In that light, Nolan’s praise (he also called the movie “a really remarkable and radical piece of work that will be understood more and more over time”) must have sounded quite comforting to Johnson’s ear. The director has always coveted great actors as much as great actors have coveted the chance to work with him. Nolan can basically get whoever he wants these days, but he’s always had a knack for timing (think Chalamet and McConaughey in Interstellar; Keoghan in Dunkirk) and has shown, on more than one occasion, the strength of his convictions. Two actors have won Oscars after being directed by him: Cillian Murphy last year for Oppenheimer, but most famously, Heath Ledger (awarded posthumously) for The Dark Knight. Some readers might be too young to remember, but Ledger was a wildly unpopular choice for the Joker, and his casting drew no shortage of flak online in 2007—just imagine the kind of heat it would generate on the internet of today.

For a filmmaker of Nolan’s stature and abilities, Johnson’s decision to pivot his career (after the personal and financial disappointments of Black Adam) must surely have pricked up his ears. The director started casting The Odyssey in October last year. Had he begun a little later, is it so wild to think that Safdie would have recommended Johnson for a role? Could Nolan, as he sat there on the DGA theatre stage, have been dreaming up a future project for him? Whatever the case, we’ll have to wait and see where the actor goes from here, and whether an Oscar nomination in January is the end goal to this side quest or the beginning of something new. 

If he were to miss out, I think it would be a genuine snub. Writing about the movie back in Venice, I noted that that the most enduring images in The Smashing Machine come not from the ring or the cage, but from the moments when Johnson is out of his comfort zone—adrift on a Tokyo escalator or, even better, as he struggles to digest some apparent feelings of empathy towards the battered chassis and twisted fenders of a demolition derby. These are the kind of moments that elevate the admittedly flawed movie, at least enough to suggest that it will eventually find its people, perhaps when audiences start to consider the movie it is and less the one they expect it to be.

What The Smashing Machine’s Reception Could Mean For Dwayne Johnson’s Future

As Johnson (who starred in Richard Kelly’s Southland Tales) will know as well as anyone, critical reappraisal can come when you least expect it—and in the age of Letterboxd, it tends to happen a lot quicker than it used to. Rutger Hauer’s immortal performance in Blade Runner was famously misunderstood upon release—“mechanical” according to Variety; “the film gives him little dimension,” said The New York Times. Even the great Roger Ebert initially thought Hauer’s performance was “symbolic” before offering a rebuttal on the film’s tenth anniversary. “In Hauer’s Roy Batty,” Ebert wrote, “the film finds its tragic poetry. His final act is not one of evil but of grace, and his death elevates Blade Runner from a noir mystery to a meditation on existence.” 

I’m not here to suggest that Safdie’s film will ever be considered in the same breath as Scott’s masterpiece, but I do think some people will still be watching it and thinking about it in ten years. Moreover, whatever flaws it has, Johnson’s performance isn’t one of them—and I for one would be more than happy to see him continue to lend his talents, work rate and star power to movies of this scale and filmmakers this adventurous. At the time of writing, the actor has 12 upcoming projects listed on IMDb. These include new additions to The Fast & the Furious, Jumanji and Jungle Cruise franchises as well as the live-action remake of Moana. Look a little closer, however, and you spot Safdie’s next project, Lizard Music, and an in-development, Hawaii-set crime drama directed by none other than Martin Scorsese. When the dust has settled on The Odyssey, it might be Nolan’s turn to pick up the phone. 

Spooky season isn’t just for adults wanting to scare themselves senseless; it’s a time for the whole family to get together, eat lots of sweets and treats, and watch mildly horror-coded movies while pretending you can’t hear trick-or-treaters at the door…

The horror genre can obviously be more difficult than most to introduce to younger viewers. Go too deep into it and you’ll scar the kids for life. There are also plenty of films released around Halloween that are simply cheap and lifeless (great for a zombie, not so much for a movie).

Thankfully, I’m a bona fide expert on this very situation, as my young boys and teenage daughter are obsessed with all things Halloween-related. So, I’ve made them the guinea pigs for this experiment on what works and what doesn’t when it comes to quality, family-friendly horror movies to watch with your kids at this time of year. Read on for my top ten picks, listed in no particular order.

The Addams Family (1991)

They’re creepy. They’re kooky. They’re mysterious and spooky. The Addams Family quite literally does what it says on the tin, and it’s absolutely perfect if you’re looking for some gentle, entry-level horror. With oddball characters like Uncle Fester and Lurch and the general macabre vibes of the titular family, there are more than enough tricks and treats here to serve up the ideal Halloween watch for the whole family.

The recent animated interpretation of these characters lacked the spark and charm of this movie, but the 1991 hit (and its sequel) are brimming with life, somewhat ironically. When you’ve got big names like Anjelica Huston and Christopher Lloyd strutting their stuff on screen, it’s impossible not to enjoy this quirky family flick. The Addams Family is a proper crowdpleaser, and it’s suitable for all ages: my five-year-old son loves it, and so does my 15-year-old daughter, especially after getting into Wednesday lately.

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)

I was incredibly close to including the 2002 live-action Scooby-Doo – written by James Gunn, no less – but then I remembered how brilliant Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is, so putting this animated film on the list became a no-brainer. Not only does it capture the spirit of the original classic kids TV show, but it also has fresh energy, sublime visuals, and a thrilling feature-length story: The gang team up once more and head to Moonscar Island, where, after years of unmasking dastardly villains, they discover horrors like they’ve never seen before. 

It feels odd to say this about a cartoon, but I love the way the camera moves. There’s such a playfulness and verve to the whole production that you can tell those making it really care about the legacy of the character. It’s also surprisingly scary at times, considering it’s animated – but hey, that’s the point of Scooby-Doo, I guess. It’s so unsettling, in fact, that my son, who is not easily shaken, asked me to turn it off. So, I’d advise you to wait until the kids are at least six years old for this one.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Is it possible to put together a list of family-friendly spooky movies without including The Nightmare Before Christmas? I wish I could go against the grain and leave this film off the list, but I simply can’t. It’s the absolute staple of that autumnal period from October through to December, and it’s an obvious choice for a reason. Is it a Halloween movie? Is it a Christmas movie? Honestly, it’s a perfect hybrid: Jack Skellington longs for something a little different to his normal Halloween celebrations and plots to take over Christmas instead.

While the spooky vibes are absolutely immaculate here, I’m pleased to say that The Nightmare Before Christmas is not scary at all. Even my two-year-old son has watched and enjoyed it. (Apologies in advance if your toddler does get traumatised, but I’d be very surprised...) While it’s not directed by Tim Burton (a common misconception), this Henry Selick picture has the legendary filmmaker's fingerprints all over it, so if you love films like The Corpse Bride, Beetlejuice, and even Batman Returns, you’re guaranteed to be enamoured with this one. Plus, it’s only just over an hour and a quarter in length, so it’s a very light commitment.

Monster House (2006)

Much like Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, my son was a bit scared of Monster House. He was younger then, though, and now that he’s five, he’s embraced it as a must-watch around this time of year. It actually took me a couple of watches before I properly appreciated this movie, too. The animation style is a little jarring and rough around the edges at times, but when you really dig into the story at the heart of it, Monster House has a lot to say.

It’s a movie about two kids who essentially just want their basketball back from their creepy neighbour’s yard. The only problem is, Mr Nebbercracker has a living, breathing, demonic house. That may sound more like Poltergeist than a kids' animated adventure, but underneath it all, Monster House is a story about acceptance and the lengths we go to protect the ones we love. 

If you’re quick, you’ll be able to watch this on Netflix, but it leaves the streaming service after Halloween. After that, it’ll cost you a rental fee of at least £3.49, but I’d honestly say it’s worth it.

Coraline (2009)

I hate to typecast filmmakers, but Henry Selick is really, really good at making creepy stop-motion animation, isn’t he? Sixteen years after putting out perhaps the most perfect horror movie to watch with children, Selick did it again by crafting Coraline. It’s a tale of a young girl exploring her new home and discovering a secret door that hides twisted doppelgänger versions of her parents in the ‘Other World’. It’s visually stunning, incredibly clever, and genuinely traumatising. 

The fact that Coraline didn’t win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature is wild, but then again, it was up against the likes of Up and Fantastic Mr Fox. Still, it’s a bold and daring film that takes the audience to dark places, and if you’re willing to go there, it’s an absolute treat. You can catch Coraline on ITVX for free right now, but I would recommend saving this until your kids are at least nine or ten. It’s truly terrifying at times, but once they’re ready, it’s sure to become an annual tradition every Halloween.

The Witches (1990)

Like Coraline, I would suggest you don’t stick The Witches on until your kids are a bit older. Seeing the titular villains ripping off their disguises and hunting down children never gets easier to watch – it still makes me feel uneasy as an adult. But like most Roald Dahl stories, The Witches is still delightfully dark and highly entertaining, with Anjelica Huston once again embracing the spooky vibes as masterfully as she does in The Addams Family.

Don’t be tempted to go for the newer, shinier version of The Witches from 2020. The 1990 adaptation is full of magical, practical effects and that good, old-fashioned creative flair that modern movies so often lack. It’s wild that Nicolas Roeg, the man behind horror cult classic Don’t Look Now, was allowed to make a kids' film. Then again, given this is a story about a secret coven of witches planning to rid the world of children, it kinda makes sense that he was given the gig – and he knocked it out of the park, too.

Ghostbusters (2016)

This is a potentially controversial one. Yes, I know that everyone loves the original Ghostbusters movies, but if you’re really looking to get your kids into this franchise, the 1980s films starring Bill Murray and Co. are not the route to go down. Instead, you should introduce them to the hilarious Paul Feig version of Ghostbusters from 2016. After all, children don’t care about legacy or cult status; they just want a fun film about silly characters catching ghosts, and that’s exactly what you get from Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy’s gang.

Here, four women join forces when supernatural incidents sweep New York City, thanks to a crazed occultist's attempts to rip open an interdimensional vortex and unleash ghastly beasts on the world. I took my daughter to see this at the cinema when she was eight years old, and aside from one or two slightly jumpy scenes, she absolutely loved it. So did I, and I’ll die on the hill that this is actually the best Ghostbusters movie of them all. If you like Bridesmaids and Spy, you should appreciate the fresh direction Feig steered the franchise into. Plus, it features an all-time great comedy performance from Chris Hemsworth, which sounds ridiculous to say, but I really mean it. It’s also an easy find on Prime Video at the moment.

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

I did just say you’re unlikely to get kids these days to care about older films, but Little Shop of Horrors is timeless and universal. At its core, it’s a love story, as the introverted Seymour attempts to get the attention of his beloved Audrey with an unusual plant he discovers. Unfortunately, this plant has a taste for human flesh… 

The practical effects that bring the monstrous Audrey II to life still stand up today, and the film is such a fine balance of comedy, catchy tunes, and what I like to describe as ‘silly horror’. This Frank Oz classic is not at all scary, but I would still say it’s better suited for slightly older audiences – or at least more open-minded audiences – because the musical elements and romantic subplot could deter younger viewers.

Little Shop of Horrors is not available for free on any streaming service, so at the moment, it’ll cost you £3.49 to rent. However, if you’ve exhausted your typical Halloween movie options, this is well worth a gamble to freshen things up. In fact, recommending it now has got me eager to give it a rewatch – mostly for Steve Martin’s amazing turn as the evil dentist, Orin Scrivello; it is truly one of the best comedy cameos around.

Wendell & Wild (2022)

Netflix has produced some cracking animated movies of late, especially those of a darker disposition. I really liked Orion and the Dark, but it’s Wendell & Wild that gets my vote for this list. It’s a story of a young delinquent orphan who develops an unusual connection with a couple of demons from the underworld, unwittingly sparking a zombie uprising in the small town of Rust Bank. Wendell & Wild reminds me a lot of Cartoon Saloon films like Wolfwalkers and My Father’s Dragon – not so much in terms of visual style, but more for the fact that it’s a story of troubled childhood and mystical creatures. 

My inclusion of it makes this a hat-trick for Henry Selick, further cementing his status as the ultimate master in the realm of spooky movies for kids. It’s also produced by modern horror king Jordan Peele, and his involvement is far from superficial — you can really feel his tangible influence on the story and the stylistic choices in the film.

I’d say this is suitable for kids aged four and over; it’s slightly eerie and odd at times, but it’s not scary enough to cause any nightmares. It’s on Netflix, so it couldn’t be easier to find, and it’s a great option if you’re looking for a more modern, underseen gem.

Frankenstein (1931)

I know what you’re thinking… how on Earth could a black and white Universal horror movie that’s almost 100 years old be a suitable pick for kids at Halloween? But I have absolute proof that Frankenstein can be a winner. My daughter and I watched this together when she was nine years old, and she loved it so much that we watched The Bride of Frankenstein the next day. I couldn’t believe it, but with a story this good, James Whale’s outstanding visual flair, and Boris Karloff’s phenomenal turn as the iconic monster, who can blame her for buying into this classic tale?

We all know the story of Frankenstein – an eccentric scientist decides it’s a good idea to forge together human body parts he finds in a graveyard and is surprised when his creation turns out to be a little bit… odd. Frankenstein features some fairly violent and dark scenes that are likely too bleak for younger viewers. Additionally, you’d want the kids to truly appreciate the emotional themes at play, so it’s best not to show this to anyone younger than nine. There aren’t many adults who would invest their time in an old film like this, but it’s truly one of those movies that everyone should watch at least once, so why not start ‘em young? You’ll have to pay for the privilege, but if your experience is anything like mine, you’ll create memories to treasure for years to come.

If you’re anything like me, every Halloween you tentatively decide to join the seasonal fun and watch a scary movie… only to wind up spending the next two sleepless weeks checking under the bed for monsters. Many horror classics like Texas Chainsaw Massacre or The Exorcist are too terrifying for us sensitive souls. Luckily, there are plenty of not-so-scary films for the Halloween period that might raise a few hairs on your neck but won’t send you diving under the covers.

Whether you’re looking for a horror-comedy to laugh off the fear, a spooky historical adventure to send a gentle shiver down your spine, or a timeless classic with a few jump scares, there’s something on this list for everyone after a little thrill over the spookiest season, followed by a deep, sound sleep.

10. Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

Shaun of the Dead is without a doubt one of the best horror comedies of all time. Created by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, the film revolves around the aimless Shaun, in his late 20s, as he tries to get his life back on track and keep his loved ones safe while a full-blown zombie apocalypse unfolds around him.

While Shaun of the Dead has hilarious and handy quotes I have used on rotation for years ("Go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all this to blow over"), it also has the bonus of simply not being that scary. While there are some well-timed jump scares and bloody mayhem when things kick off at the Winchester pub, the film never devolves into pure horror, making it a great salve for those of us still smarting after previous horror-watching attempts.

9. Young Frankenstein (1974)

There is perhaps no master of comedy greater than Mel Brooks, and his iconic Young Frankenstein is an excellent testament to his talents. A parody of author Mary Shelly’s classic horror novel Frankenstein, the film stars the brilliant Gene Wilder as the grandson of the infamous mad scientist. After inheriting his grandfather Victor’s Transylvanian castle and laboratory, the young Frederick Frankenstein continues his predecessor’s experiments, succeeding in creating a new Monster with the help of a bug-eyed Igor and the dour housekeeper, Frau Blücher.

Young Frankenstein is one of the least scary films on this list, and its slapstick routines and rapid-fire innuendo make it a comedy classic that still holds up today. From Wilder’s Frankenstein to Marty Feldman’s Igor, every actor brings their A-game, delivering a combination of great banter (Frankenstein: “You know, I'm a rather brilliant surgeon. Perhaps I can help you with that hump.” Igor: “What hump?”) and surprisingly touching moments (“Love is the only thing that can save this poor creature, and I am going to convince him that he is loved even at the cost of my own life”) making this enduringly funny film.

8. What We Do In The Shadows (2014)

Of all the comedies I have seen in my life, the bar was never set higher than by What We Do in the Shadows. This New Zealand mockumentary follows the everyday lives of vampire roommates navigating the modern world in Wellington. It’s a mishmash of domestic squabbles about whose turn it is to do the dishes, how to handle their devoted familiars, different approaches to feeding hygiene, and dealing with the local werewolf gang.

This film is perfect for the faint of heart because it defangs traditional vampire tropes and makes each character equally well-rounded and ridiculous. From Taika Waititi’s dandy Viago to Jemaine Clement’s sadistic Vladislav, What We Do in the Shadows shows us vampires are just like us—apart from the immortality and nocturnal bloodsucking. 

7. Zombieland (2009)

Combining action, comedy, and a quirky rules-of-survival guide, Zombieland is a fun ride for easily scared adults. In the film, a group of survivors navigate a post-apocalyptic world infested with the undead, enduring harrowing yet absurd situations as they make their way toward a supposed sanctuary at Pacific Playland.

The focus is on the relationships between the characters more than horror elements, and its playful tone and top performances from the great Bill Murray, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, and Jesse Eisenberg make it enjoyable without crossing the line into too-scary territory.

6. Beetlejuice (1988)

Tim Burton is responsible for creating some of the quirkiest family-friendly classics of the last four decades, and Beetlejuice is one of the most iconic of the lot. Set in a small Connecticut town, the film revolves around the Deetz family (Charles, his second wife, Delia, and his moody teenage daughter, Lydia) after they move into a new house. Little do they know, the house is still occupied by the ghosts of the previous inhabitants, the Maitlands, who hire the chaotic self-proclaimed “bio-exorcist” poltergeist, Betelgeuse, to help them drive out the Deetz family.

While Beetlejuice is technically a horror-comedy, there are no properly scary moments. In true Tim Burton fashion, the aesthetics are dark, and there is some creepy imagery (like when Beetlejuice turns into a slit-eyed snake), but overall, the film is more adventure than horror. Between the stacked cast—Michael Keaton’s iconic performance as Beetlejuice remains an enduring highlight—and raunchy jokes that land for adults but go right over most children’s heads, it’s a great Halloween watch for the whole family.

5. A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)

Set in a ghost town in Iran, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a stylish vampire-Western that combines horror and neo-noir aesthetics as a mysterious girl stalks the streets alone…at night. Its cool, monochrome visuals and haunting soundtrack create a richly atmospheric, arthouse experience for those looking for a bit of culture in their Halloween selection.

It’s also ideal for those who want ghostly intrigue without intense violence or scares; A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night leans into mood and visual storytelling rather than blood and guts. Its slow-building and poetic atmosphere keeps the mood eerie without becoming overwhelming. As a bonus, the soundtrack selection is killer, and the scene where the girl puts on a vinyl of “Death” by White Lies is a sound-and-image combo that remains hauntingly imprinted in my memory.

4. Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Tim Burton’s gothic take on the classic Sleepy Hollow tale takes us back to the turn of the 19th century and to the small town of Sleepy Hollow, which is plagued by a murderous headless horseman. New York City police constable Ichabod Crane investigates the murders and finds a way to bring this supernatural entity to justice.

While the film definitely has some scary moments, its fairy tale charm makes it more spooky than terrifying. Between Johnny Depp’s performance as the bright but squeamish Crane, Christina Ricci’s bold heiress Katrina, and Christopher Walken’s antics as the Horseman himself, there’s a good amount of Burton-esque absurdity that diffuses the brunt of the horror. All in all, Sleepy Hollow is perfect for people who enjoy atmospheric horror with a whimsical edge, avoiding the brutal or gruesome in favour of mood, mystique, and fantasy.

3. Gremlins (1984)

If you’re in the mood for a classic 1980s Halloween horror-comedy, Gremlins is exactly what you’re looking for. When suburban father Randall brings home a cute, mysterious creature as a gift for his son, the only rules to follow are not to feed it after midnight, and not get it wet. Of course, the inevitable quickly happens, and the little mogwai turns into a chaotic, mischievous troublemaker before it begins to multiply.

Gremlins is a family-friendly horror, and while I was a bit freaked out the first time I saw it as a little kid, its slapstick tone makes it much more of a fun adventure with some thrilling and gross moments (the blender!) than anything else. There’s also an equally delightful sequel, Gremlins 2, which is perfect for the Christmas season.

2. Hocus Pocus (1993)

No list about non-scary Halloween films would be complete without my all-time favourite, Hocus Pocus. This witchy extravaganza stars the iconic Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, three Salem witches condemned to death in 1863, only to be resurrected by an unsuspecting teen on Halloween night.

While I found Hocus Pocus plenty creepy as a kid (especially when the undead Billy cuts out his mouth stitches, ew), as an adult it’s all about the mix of comedy, adventure, and over-the-top performances for me. From Bette Midler’s theatrical cover of “I Put a Spell On You” to the Sanderson sisters’ delight when meeting a man dressed as Satan, Hocus Pocus is full of iconic moments that elevate it to must-watch status on many Halloween lists. 

1. Ghostbusters (1984)

While Ghostbusters is proudly ‘80s in both aesthetic and vibe, its wit and originality have made it a timeless classic. The film revolves around a team of eccentric scientists who start a ghost-catching business in New York City, leading to fun and/or scary supernatural encounters as they round up the devious dearly departed. With its blend of humour, charm, and spectral encounters, it’s a lighthearted take on the supernatural that keeps things fun while still containing some slightly scarier moments.

Ghostbusters is a great watch for those who want to get a few goosebumps, but not full-on night terrors. Featuring goofy ghosts (the iconic Slimer), witty banter between the Busters, and some truly marvellous performances from Sigourney Weaver as a possessed woman living in a duplex, and Rick Moranis as a similarly possessed schlub doing her bidding, Ghostbusters is the perfect film to watch if you want a little supernatural thrill washed down by plenty of laughs this Halloween.

Here’s my one simple rule for all cinephiles in October: you absolutely must watch horror movies and horror movies only all the way up until Halloween. Often, folks will watch the same classic, frightening films year after year, but some crazy souls out there like to mix it up and try new things.

Whatever way you like to organise your Halloween movie viewing, this list will help you keep your finger on the pulse – and if there is no pulse, perhaps you’re hanging out with zombies! Here are ten of the most popular and most terrifying horror movies that JustWatch users have been watching lately, sending them soaring up our streaming charts.

30 Days of Night (2007)

Finding a vampire movie that breaks the mould can be difficult. Bloodsuckers tend to live by a pretty strict rulebook, so you’ll often be stuck with cliches. 30 Days of Night really offers something fresh and exciting, though. The film is set in a sleepy, snowy Alaskan town where the sun quite literally doesn’t come up for… You guessed it, 30 days. It’s a movie that bursts at the seams with frenetic energy, violence and gore.

Josh Hartnett is the hero of the hour, but it’s villainous turns from Danny Huston and Ben Foster that really stand out here. 30 Days of Night climbed as high as number 18 on the JustWatch streaming chart this month, and yet it still feels like an underseen, underappreciated gem among modern vampire movies. If you’re looking for something sub-two hours and easy to access, this one is on Prime Video now, and I’d say it’s right in the sweet spot of being scary without being traumatising.

Nosferatu (2025)

Nosferatu is one of the best horror movies of 2025. In fact, for me, it’s right up there as one of the best films of the year, period. I was absolutely stoked to see this when I first heard Robert Eggers was putting his own spin on the iconic story, and he did not disappoint at all. Nosferatu is visually stunning, deliciously dark, and crammed with star talent like Nicholas Hoult and Willem Dafoe. But it’s a surprisingly brilliant performance from Lily-Rose Depp and a bone-chilling portrayal of Count Orlock by Bill Skarsgard that steal the show.

If you like what Eggers did with The Witch, or if you’re a fan of films like Crimson Peak and Bones and All, you’ll really relish sinking your teeth into Nosferatu. The film jumped up to number 23 on our charts in the last week, and it’s a great option if you want something new and fairly universal. You’ll either need a Sky Movies package or rent the film elsewhere, but it’s a price worth paying.

It (2017)

It comes as no surprise that this classic Stephen King story just keeps on rising through the JustWatch streaming charts – peaking at the top spot. It was a huge hit when it first hit cinemas in 2017, and the Andy Muschietti flick actually delivered one of my favourite-ever moviegoing experiences. Aside from Avengers: Endgame, I can’t recall a theatre so full of people buzzing about one film; once I was seated, there were screams and jumps aplenty throughout. I’m not usually one for a reactive screening, but it worked a treat for this one.

If you’re tired of waiting for more Stranger Things, I’d say It fills that void perfectly with a brilliant combination of fun adventure and a foreboding undertone; a cracking choice for all audiences of an appropriate age – it’s scary, sure, but in an exciting way. You’ll either need Sky Movies for this one, or you could rent it for the bargain price of £1.99 on Apple TV. You may also want to save some time to watch It: Chapter Two after, although I think that you can just watch the first film and still be satisfied.

Scream (1996)

We all know Wes Craven is a horror master. Between A Nightmare on Elm Street and the Scream franchise, the legendary filmmaker has got Halloween covered, but we’re not here to talk about Freddy right now. No, it’s the original meta horror, Scream, that’s been making waves on our streaming chart in the run-up to October 31st. This is such an iconic movie: not only has it spawned five sequels to date, with another on the way, but it was also the blueprint that the Scary Movie franchise initially riffed off of, too.

The playful nature of Scream and the tantalising mystery at its heart have stood the test of time, with audiences still frantically theorising about Ghostface’s identity (or often, identities) each time a new entry is released. Revisiting the original is at the top of my Halloween movie plans this year, and it’s the ideal kind of film to watch with a group of friends, too. It’s available on Paramount Plus, or you can watch for free on BBC iPlayer.

Halloween (1978)

From one horror master to another, it’s time for John Carpenter to get in on the action here. Just like the Scream franchise, the aptly titled Halloween has become a pillar of the spooky season, and there are now a whopping 13 films in the series. Admittedly, the quality of each instalment varies wildly; the rebooted Halloween of 2018 was fantastic, but its sequels were real misfires, while the less said about Halloween: Resurrection, the better…

Still, the original Halloween is a real classic. From the chilling music to Carpenter’s wonderful use of shadows and jumpscares, down to Jamie Lee Curtis’ kickass turn as the ultimate final girl, this ‘70s flick is brimming with dread and style in equal measure. If you’re into films like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre or Suspiria, you’ll love seeing Michael Myers stalking his prey in Halloween. Catch it on Shudder now.

Barbarian (2022)

If you’re looking for something to really surprise you this Halloween, I’d say Barbarian is your best bet on this list of streaming chart hits. It’s from Zach Cregger, who you may recall blew all our minds with his new movie, Weapons, earlier this year. Frankly, I think Barbarian is more creepy, fun, and altogether better. The film is split into three chapters, which include an unsettling performance from Bill Skarsgard (yes, that guy, again), a hilarious turn from Justin Long, and a balls-to-the-wall finale that’ll knock your socks off.

It’s those kinds of films, where the director takes a massive swing, that I always appreciate the most. If you enjoyed movies like Men, Malignant, or Longlegs, you’ll be firmly on board with what Barbarian is doing. I watched it with my fiancée, and she enjoyed it, which says a lot as she is not normally into any kind of horror films. Plus, it’s only 103 minutes long and is available on Netflix, so it really couldn’t be easier to tick this one off the list.

Bone Tomahawk (2015)

From the absolutely bizarre to the completely brutal: Bone Tomahawk is not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure. Don’t be fooled by the Western setting and Kurt Russell’s exquisite facial hair; this S. Craig Zahler film is far from generic and very, very nasty. I’m not particularly squeamish at all, but there’s at least one moment in this film that had me wincing.

Clearly, I can’t in good conscience recommend this to anyone averse to gore and violence, but if you’re just looking for a horror movie that isn’t going to scare you witless, this could be the one. Bonus points for having a wonderful cast, including Russell, Richard Jenkins, Patrick Wilson, and Matthew Fox. You can easily find Bone Tomahawk on Prime Video.

The Shining (1980)

The Shining is one of my all-time favourites. Arguably the most iconic and famous film on this list, it brings me great pleasure any time I get to rave about any Stanley Kubrick movie. Saying that, I made my teenage daughter watch this recently, and she was not a fan, so bear that in mind if you’re looking for a formative experience with your child this Halloween… For anyone who’s not averse to watching an ‘older’ film, though, The Shining has to be a staple at this time of year.

Jack Nicholson’s performance is right up there as one of the very best anyone has ever given, and every time I watch The Shining (which is abnormally often), I spot something new and exciting in the intricacies of his portrayal of the murderous Jack Torrance. If you’ve seen the film before, just watch it again and revel in the madness of the Overlook Hotel. If you’ve never seen it, and if you enjoy films like The Lighthouse, Get Out, or simply have a penchant for Stephen King stories, this is one you will fall in love with.

The Thing (1982)

The Thing just keeps climbing our charts. Every time I see it creeping higher and higher, I smile with glee at the thought of more people watching this phenomenal John Carpenter body horror for the first time. I saw this one as well with my daughter this year, but I’m delighted to say that, unlike The Shining, it was a winner for her. It was a real treat to see her reactions, discuss her theories, and explain the wonders of practical effects to her.

The Thing is timeless. It may be over 40 years old now, but you just can’t get tired of a genre-bending mystery thriller filled with blood, guts, and aliens. If you’re into films like Annihilation, The Fly, or Alien, I guarantee you’ll be enamoured with The Thing. It’s on Prime Video until later in November, or you can catch it on ITVX.

28 Days Later (2002)

With the release of the long-awaited sequel, 28 Years Later, earlier in 2025, it’s not surprising that JustWatch users have been revisiting 28 Days Later in the run-up to Halloween. The 2002 flick is one of the most disturbing zombie movies of all time, but it’s also so incredibly innovative, gritty, and offers plenty of social commentary, too.

Much like George A. Romero’s highly influential Night of the Living Dead and its sequels, Danny Boyle really changed the game with this one. It was the first zombie film to introduce fast-moving zombies, and its shaky, handheld footage just adds to the immersive and unsettling viewing experience. Cillian Murphy is fantastic in the lead role, while cameos from Christopher Eccleston and Brendan Gleeson really pop. I went to see 28 Days Later at the cinema not so long ago, which was an eerie but thrilling experience. You can watch it on Sky Movies or rent it for as little as £3.49.

The list of best horror movies and best Halloween party movies really don’t overlap as much as you’d think. Put on something too slow-moving, and the vibe will quickly dissipate. Put on something too brutal and you risk alienating half if not most of the room—although, if you happen to be friends with a bunch of sickos, please feel free to press play on the Terrifier franchise, sit back, and enjoy. 

For the list below, I’ve decided to focus on the horror movies that prize shock and entertainment over violence and existential dread—although there are hints of both in some of these titles, too. I’ve arranged the list—at least to the best of my ability—from guaranteed party hits to some slightly more niche offerings. Read on to discover more and hit the guide below to find them on services like AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

Barbarian (2022)

We can start with the closest thing to a surefire party hit that I can imagine. Barbarian is the movie that made Zach Cregger’s name, and if you saw his 2025 smash hit Weapons (another movie that would go down an absolute treat at any horror party), you’ll know what kind of vibe to expect. 

The plot works with triggers that pretty much anyone can relate to—namely, the anxiety of ending up in the wrong Airbnb and the thought of all the terrible things that might be behind that locked door. Cregger is brilliant at building suspense and delivering on it, but he also knows when to release the pressure valve with a laugh, making him basically the ideal director for any group watch scenario. 

Scream & Scream 2 (1996 & 1997)

If you’re planning the kind of watch party that will go long into the night, this classic double bill is sure to keep the homies entertained for at least four hours. Scream and Scream 2 (and feel free to put on 3 if you’re up for it) are basically ideal for this kind of atmosphere: they’re bright, they’re cool, they’re full of attractive people and they’re funny; they have iconic scenes and shout-along lines; and they’re scary in a way that keeps you locked-in without causing you too much trouble on the walk home.

If you’ve not seen either, you’re really in for a treat—especially if you like the kind of horror movies that really know that they’re horror movies, like Wes Craven’s New Nightmare and the next movie on this list… 

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Written by Joss Whedon and directed by Drew Goddard, The Cabin in the Woods is one of the most inventive horror movies of the last 20 years. The plot begins like a million other horror movies—a group of hot young people venturing into the woods in a way that makes you think, “shouldn’t they know better?”—but that familiarity is the whole point. As we soon learn, the characters are merely pawns in an elaborate, horrific game that’s about as scary as it is darkly funny.

This is one for fans of Joss Whedon’s writing style (if not Whedon himself)—for The Avengers fans, sure, but especially for the Buffy heads out there.

Final Destination 3 (2006)

Honestly, you could put on any one of the six Final Destination movies at a party and everyone will probably have a good time. I’m opting for Final Destination 3 here as it has the best ratio of gruesome kills to colourful fun in the franchise. It also has Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Death Proof) in the lead role and boasts a delicious amount of mid-‘00s ephemera, some of which is solidly back in style.

If you’ve never seen an FD movie, imagine a mix of I Know What You Did Last Summer and the board game Mouse Trap, and you’ll have an idea of what to expect.

Smile & Smile 2 (2022 & 2024)

The second double bill on this list comes courtesy of what is, IMO, the best new horror franchise of the last 20 years. Smile and Smile 2 take such delight in being terrifying that you kind of pass through the fear and arrive in a place of pure enjoyment—if that makes any sense. They’re also big, bright and inventive enough to keep a watch party locked in, whether or not you decide to go for the full double bill. 

The setup is so simple—a curse that can be passed on (think Ring, It Follows), during which time the cursed person begins to see rictus-like grins on strangers’ faces—yet it really works like a horrifying charm. Many movies have attempted to convey the ungodly fear of a night terror. Parker Finn’s two debut features come awfully close.

M3GAN (2022)

If you’re throwing a horror watch party and need something a little light to get things going —or even to chill everyone out at the end—Gerard Johnstone’s M3GAN is a great option. This is a horror movie that manages to be consistently chilling and occasionally very dark without having to rely on anything too gratuitous—it might interest you to know that it’s rated 15.

It’s also very, very funny, especially whenever M3GAN, a companion robot with a ruthless, sadistic streak, gets to sing. One for fans of playful and thought-provoking horror—imagine Get Out mixed with Companion and you might know what we mean. 

Midsommar (2019)

It was tricky to decide which Ari Aster movie to include here. Hereditary seems like the more obvious choice, but there’s just something about the culty vibes and constant daylight in Midsommar. Like the women who moan in unison with Florence Pugh’s character, this one just feels better with a crowd. 

Midsommar is also batshit—certainly enough that everyone watching will be shouting at the screen or peeking through their fingers at the gnarliest parts. This is one for fans of the best A24 horrors—like Aster’s other movies, of course, but also The Witch and Bodies Bodies Bodies.

Talk to Me (2023)

Talk to Me is an ideal horror watch party movie as it’s basically about a horror watch party. The plot centres on a mysterious, embalmed hand that, when grasped, allows the user to commune with the dead—the only catch is that you have to let go within 90 seconds or risk becoming connected to an evil spirit. 

In the world of the movie, this is given the contemporary twist of becoming a TikTok dare trend, with young people videoing each other as they go in. Like It Follows and the Smile movies, Talk to Me is a creepy, curse-based horror—so if you enjoyed them, you’ll probably like this one!

Us (2019)

Like several movies on this list, Us is a bright, colourful and inventively directed movie that still packs plenty of jump scares and chilling images—which is to say, it’s a great horror to watch with a group.

Boasting an incredible duel lead performance from Lupita Nyong’o, Us is the second movie from horror master Jordan Peele—and if you liked his legendary debut, Get Out, or other horror movies with rich, socio-political subtexts (think The Purge), it’s one you’ll want to check out. 

Pearl (2022)

We’ll end our list with Ti West’s Pearl, a one-of-a-kind movie that splits the difference between classic Hollywood (think Wizard of Oz) and joyous exploitation (think Texas Chain Saw Massacre). This is technically the second part of West’s X trilogy (and if you have the stamina, a triple bill with X and MaXXXine would be plenty of fun), but it works just as well as a standalone movie. 

The story is set in 1918 in rural Texas, where Pearl (a phenomenal Mia Goth) dreams of escaping her parochial life and becoming a movie star. It’s weird, it’s bloody, and it’s very unhinged—an ideal cocktail for any horror party.

Famed for its hand-drawn animation style and legendary co-founder and director, Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli is one of the most successful and beloved animation studios in the world. It all began when Toshio Suzuki hired Miyazaki to direct 1984’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, which Isao Takahata produced. The film’s success led to the three filmmakers to create a new animation studio in 1985—the now-famous Studio Ghibli.

To date, Studio Ghibli has released 23 movies over the last three decades. Many of these animated movies are considered masterpieces, and practically all of them are beloved by Studio Ghibli fans. In this guide, you'll find every Studio Ghibli movie in release order, and the latest information on where you can watch them on streaming services in the U.K.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was released before Ghibli was founded, but it’s still widely considered to be part of the studio’s back catalogue, and one of the company's greatest movies. Miyazaki had already been working in anime for 20 years by the time he directed Nausicaä, but the movie gave him the opportunity to adapt his own manga that debuted in 1982 and would continue its run until 1994.

One of the best things about Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is that it lays the foundations for many other great Studio Ghibli stories. It explores humanity's relationship with the natural world, a recurring theme in Miyazaki's work, and features a strong-willed young girl as the protagonist. This is also one of the director’s most action-packed movies: a true hero’s quest in an unfamiliar world.

If you have any love for expansive sci-fi franchises like Dune or Avatar, this is a Studio Ghibli gem you don't want to miss.

Castle in the Sky (1986) 

Sticklers for details will tell you that Castle in the Sky is technically the first Studio Ghibli movie, which is true—but that's far from the only reason to watch it. It’s also a wonderful example of all the things that Studio Ghibli (and Hayao Miyazaki in particular) do best; It's got steampunk vibes and an endearing child protagonists, flying pirates and magical castles. What's not to love?

Castle in the Sky follows two young protagonists on a quest to enter Laputa, the legendary flying castle, using a magical crystal necklace. This is a great one to watch if you’re a fan of Miyazaki’s more fantastical movies, like Ponyo or Howl’s Moving Castle. It's also perfect for fans of high fantasy animation movies like How to Train Your Dragon and The Sword in the Stone.

My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

There are many reasons why My Neighbour Totoro is considered the quintessential Studio Ghibli movie and why the character went on to symbolise what the studio is all about. The plot is classic Miyazaki, focusing on two young girls who move to the country and meet a group of forest spirits, including the eponymous, cuddly hero. But it’s the way that the director uses these magical elements—first for the characters to escape from a difficult time in their lives and later as a lens through which to process it—that proved to be the most significant and influential aspect for the studio going forward. 

Totoro is a Studio Ghibli movie that viewers of all ages can enjoy—so if you like Ponyo and The Cat Returns, or even non-Ghibli films like The Wild Robot or The Iron Giant, this is one you need to check out. 

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Directed by Isao Takahata, Grave of the Fireflies is one of the most heartbreaking movies ever made. The story is set in the final months of WWII, making it one of the rare Studio Ghibli movies to be fully set in the real world and based, at least partially, on true events.

The movie was adapted from Akiyuki Nosaka’s semi-autobiographical story of his experiences as a boy during that time. It’s also a rare Studio Ghibli movie that wasn’t made by Miyazaki, but if you liked the director’s The Boy and The Heron and The Wind Rises, or even Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun, all of which took war and personal histories as their backdrop, you’ll definitely appreciate this one. 

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

After two masterful, heart-wrenching movies, Studio Ghibli returned to magical, steampunk fun with Kiki’s Delivery Service. This is the kind of Miyazaki-directed movie you can watch with pretty much any member of the family—it’s fun, it’s light, and it’s action-packed from start to finish. 

Focusing on a 13-year-old witch who leaves home for the first time, as a kind of rite of passage, the movie is a classic Studio Ghibli coming-of-age tale that fans of later works, like Spirited Away, or similar female-led movies, like Pixar’s Brave, will adore.  

Only Yesterday (1991)

Only Yesterday is probably one of the least well-known of the studio’s early output, but it’s definitely worth seeking out. The moving and melancholy story follows an office worker who takes a vacation to the countryside; while there, she reminisces about her childhood.

Only Yesterday is Takahata’s followup to Grave of the Fireflies and, unlike most Studio Ghibli movies, it takes place in the real world and the present day—so if you like anime that’s a bit more grounded in reality (think Whisper of the Heart) or are simply a fan of Japanese melodrama (think Kore-eda’s After the Storm and Still Walking), this might be the one for you.

Porco Rosso (1992)

Miyazaki returned in 1992 with Porco Rosso, one of the most fantastical movies in his career. The story follows a fighter pilot and war hero who, due to some kind of curse, also now resembles a pig. 

Like Kiki’s and Nausicaä, Porco Rosso is a movie that showcases the director’s beautiful fascination with flight—so if you are a fan of his gorgeous recent movie, The Wind Rises, or even just need something to watch with the younger members of the family, this is one I can’t recommend enough. 

Ocean Waves (1994)

Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki, Ocean Waves was originally produced as a TV movie in Japan and only later received a theatrical release. As a result, it’s understandably less well known and less ambitious than most other movies on this list, but it’s still a thoughtful and introspective piece of work—and if you liked Only Yesterday, it’s one you’ll probably vibe with.

Adapted from Saeko Himuro’s novel, the story focuses on a college student, Taku, as he reflects on a young romance and a pivotal time in his life. 

Pom Poko (1994)

Pom Poko is Isao Takahata’s third movie for Studio Ghibli and his first work of fantasy for the studio. The story focuses on some real-world themes (namely, how urban development takes its toll on the natural world), but it’s told from the perspective of a community of raccoon dogs.

In some ways, this is a classic Studio Ghibli setup—and if you appreciate Nausicaä or Princess Mononoke, you’ll probably like it—but you might also find it reminiscent of some Western animations, like FernGully and Watership Down. 

Whisper of the Heart (1995)

As we mentioned earlier, Whisper of the Heart is one of the rare Studio Ghiblis that feels rooted in the real world and the present—so if you’re a fan of Ocean Waves and Only Yesterday, make sure to add it to your list. 

That said, where those movies looked at memory with a sense of melancholy and nostalgia, Whisper of the Heart, which is told from the perspective of a 14-year-old girl, is more of a classic coming-of-age tale. If you appreciate the vibe of Kiki’s or Totoro but would prefer something with fewer fantastical elements, this could be the one for you. 

Princess Mononoke (1997)

Just over a decade after co-founding Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki built on the ambitions of Nausicaä with Princess Mononoke, one of the truly great masterpieces of animated cinema as well as one of the studio's and Miyazaki’s crowning achievements.

The movie is a classic adventure tale that plucks its protagonist, Prince Ashitaka, from a small village and drops him into an epic struggle between the spirits of the natural world and the humans of Iron Town. This plot will be familiar to fans of Avatar, FernGully and various other movies—but none boast Mononoke’s beauty and imagination.

My Neighbours the Yamadas (1999)

In 1999, Takahata tried another change of pace with My Neighbours the Yamadas, a watercolour-like animation that looked closer to a comic book than anything the studio had produced before. Seen today, the movie appears like an early experiment in the style that Takahata would fully embrace with The Tale of Princess Kaguya—so naturally, if that’s a favourite of yours, make sure to go back and check this one out.

The story, which is told through a series of vignettes, focuses on the quirky Yamada family and the ups and downs of their daily life. 

Spirited Away (2001)

In 2001, Studio Ghibli produced Spirited Away, which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival before becoming the highest-grossing Japanese film (until recently), and the first non-English-language movie to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Yet those accolades don’t really come close to capturing Spirited Away’s cultural impact—this was the movie that introduced Ghibli to a whole new generation and basically cemented Miyazaki’s place as one of the most significant figures in the history of animated cinema.  

Needless to say, I would recommend it to anyone—it’s the perfect combination of the magical side of Studio Ghibli (think Kiki’s and Laputa) and the more grounded, real-world elements (like Whisper of the Heart, or the family dynamics in Totoro). The story follows a young girl, Chihiru, as she attempts to stop her parents from turning into pigs. To do this, she will have to work in a bathhouse run by a witch. She will also need to befriend a boy who is a dragon. Now that’s what I call an elevator pitch. 

The Cat Returns (2002)

The next Ghibli movie to arrive after Spirited Away’s monumental success was Hiroyuki Morita’s The Cat Returns, a comparatively low-key movie that is probably best suited for slightly younger audiences—think more Porco Rosso and Ponyo than Grave of the Fireflies. 

At one point in that film, the protagonist, Shizuku, dreams up a character named Baron Humbert von Gikkingen: a suave, talking cat from a magical world. The Cat Returns tells its story. Though it takes place in one of Ghibli’s signature fantasy worlds, the story is actually a loose spin-off from one of their most grounded movies, Whisper of the Heart.

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

Miyazaki unexpectedly made his grand return in 2004 with the romantasy-like adventure, Howl’s Moving Castle, after the movie’s original director, Mamoru Hosoda (who went on to make Mirai and Belle), pulled out. This is another story of floating fortresses in a steampunk-adjacent world—imagine a mix of Castle in the Sky and Beauty and the Beast, and you’ll have some idea of what to expect.

The story follows a beautiful milliner who gets turned into an old lady and ends up hitching a ride on the titular palace, meeting its titular, brooding wizard along the way. 

Tales from Earthsea (2006)

It’s safe to say that, for many viewers, Tales from Earthsea was the first disappointment in the history of Studio Ghibli—and not least for Miyazaki himself. The story goes that the great science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin agreed to allow Studio Ghibli to adapt her Earthsea stories after seeing Spirited Away. Unfortunately, and much to Le Guin’s surprise, the Miyazaki that was pencilled to direct them was not Hayao but Gorō, his inexperienced son.

The resulting film (which has elements of other fantasy stories like The Green Knight and House of the Dragon) is probably worth a watch for any Le Guin diehards or Ghibli completists out there, but if you’re new to either one of their works, we recommend putting it aside for now. 

Ponyo (2008)

Ponyo is one of the best all-ages movies that Ghibli has produced—and if you liked Totoro or Kiki’s, you’re gonna love this one, too. It’s a story about a goldfish who wants to become human—like the myth of Undine or The Little Mermaid, but strictly kid-centric and utterly delightful.

After the slightly messy production of Howl’s and the disappointment of Earthsea, this one marked a welcome return to form for Miyazaki and for the Ghibli brand.

Arrietty (2010)

Arrietty is one of the early examples of Miyazaki’s protracted attempts to step back from his position at the studio—a situation that is still ongoing, 15 years after this movie’s release. Whatever the case, Arrietty was written by Miyazaki but directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi—a longtime animator at the studio who was elevated to the role in an attempt (not dissimilar to how Pixar works) at developing talent from within.

The story, which concerns a family of tiny people who live secretly in the walls of a house, is based on Mary Norton’s 1952 novel, The Borrowers—so if you appreciate the live-action version of that story, from 1997, or similarly themed movies, like Ratatouille, you might want to check it out. 

From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)

From Up on Poppy Hill was kind of a feel-good story for the studio. Miyazaki helped to develop it but gave the directorial reins to his son, Goro, and, in a way, gave him a redemption arc after the disappointment of Earthsea. Thankfully, for everyone involved, Poppy Hill was a low-key critical and commercial hit. 

The movie is a subtly romantic story set in Yokohama in the 1960s—and if you’re a fan of the studio’s more historically-inclined works, like Grave of the Fireflies, or appreciate the coming-of-age mood of Whisper of the Heart, you’ll easily warm to it. 

The Wind Rises (2013)

The Wind Rises is the moment when Miyazaki entered his late phase. The movie, which I consider to be a masterpiece, is a fantastical biopic on Jirō Horikoshi, the Japanese aeronautical engineer who helped design the A6M Zero fighter used by Japan in WWII. This is a deeply personal work about an incredibly challenging time in Japanese history. If you’re a fan of Poppy Hill and Grave of the Fireflies, it’s one you’ll not want to miss.

The movie was a critical darling, earning a huge ovation at its premiere at the Venice Film Festival and going on to receive a nomination at the Academy Awards, where it eventually lost out to Frozen.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)

Fourteen years after Yamadas, Isao Takahata fully embraced the hand-drawn style with his second great masterpiece, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. The movie is a delicate wonder and arguably a modern classic of animated cinema—and if you appreciate the handcrafted feel of Yamadas or movies like Song of the Sea, you’ll absolutely adore this one.

The story is based on The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, an ancient Japanese folk tale about a man who finds a tiny girl inside a stalk of bamboo.

Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter (2014)

In 2014, Studio Ghibli released its first animated television series on Amazon Prime, titled Ronja, the Robber's Daughter. The season, which consists of 26 episodes, was directed by Gorō and written by Hiroyuki Kawasaki. If you liked Kawasaki’s work on Beyblade: Metal Saga, or like Ghibli movies that focus on a female heroine, like Arrietty, you might be interested in seeing what he does here with a slower-paced kind of story. 

The plot focuses on the unlikely friendship between a boy and a girl whose fathers are the chiefs of two warring clans.

When Marnie Was There (2014)

When Marnie Was There is Arrietty director Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s second Ghibli feature—so naturally, if you’re a fan of the previous movie, you’ll probably want to check this one out. It’s based on Joan G. Robinson’s 1967 English novel of the same name, with the action moved to Sapporo in Japan.

The story follows a young girl who moves to the countryside, due to illness, and meets and befriends a mysterious girl named Marnie—imagine Ghibli meets The Secret Garden, and you’ll have some idea of the tone to expect.

Earwig and the Witch (2021)

Like Ocean Waves, Earwig and the Witch was produced as a TV movie in Japan and only later received a theatrical release abroad, where it was widely panned for its use of computer animation. The story is adapted from Diana Wynne Jones’ novel about a girl who grows up in an orphanage and later learns she is a witch—a kind of Matilda/Harry Potter hybrid.

If you’re new to Ghibli, I frankly wouldn’t recommend this one, as its use of CGI animation is really not a good representation of what the studio is about. But hey, if you’re a Ghibli completist, don’t let us hold you back! 

The Boy and The Heron (2023)

Despite various attempts at retiring, Hayao Miyazaki has thankfully continued directing films for Ghibli. In 2023, almost 40 years after Nausicaä, he released the wonderful The Boy and The Heron—a project which is rumoured to actually be his final work. 

This is another Ghibli project that takes the Second World War as its backdrop, but it’s also one with plenty of magical and fantastical elements—imagine a combination of The Wind Rises and Spirited Away, and you might have a vague idea. I can’t say that it’s amongst my favourites from the director’s work, but if it really turns out to be his last, it’s a beautiful movie to finish on. 

The How to Train Your Dragon series, based on Cressida Cowell’s book series, has grown into a beloved franchise since the release of the first animated movie in 2010. Known for both its heartwarming relationships between humans and dragons and its beautiful animation, the story’s universe has grown to include everything from animated and live-action films to TV series, video games, a graphic novel and a theatrical play.

This guide includes shows you the wide range of How To Train Your Dragon movies, shorts and TV shows. If you're only interested in watching the franchise's feature length movies, here's the correct order:

• How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
• How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
• How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)
• How To Train Your Dragon (2025)

However, there are plenty of amazing TV shows and shorts to enjoy too. They can either be watched after you've binged the movies, or you can watch them in their release order. If you're interested in the full list of adventures the HTTYD franchise has to order, here's everything release order (and where to stream them).

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

Here’s the movie where it all began. How to Train Your Dragon is a story about a young Viking, named Hiccup, who makes friends with a wounded dragon, named Toothless. It’s a wonderfully exciting story that also contains a message about accepting outsiders, as Hiccup and Toothless’s friendship changes how the other vikings think about dragons and, ultimately, about themselves.

Needless to say, if you’re looking for an animated adventure that viewers of all ages can enjoy (think Kubo & the Two Strings or Raya and the Last Dragon), few do it better than this one.

Legend of the Bonekeeper Dragon (2010)

The first How to Train Your Dragon short is titled Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon and follows Hiccup and Gobber on a quest to face the titular dragon, a skeleton-like creature of mythical lore.  The short is roughly 12 minutes long, but about half of that is told in traditional 2D animation—it might be one for you if you’d like the chance to see a HTTYD story told in that style, and one that shows a bit of Gobber’s past. 

Book of Dragons (2011)

Released a year later, the slightly longer short, Book of Dragons, expands the universe of HTTYD through the titular book, which explores a range of never-before-seen dragons. The 18-minute-long short introduces 14 new species, separated into seven different classes. If learning about all the different varieties sounds interesting, you might want to check this one out.

Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury (2011)

Released in December 2011, Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury is the first holiday special in the Dragons franchise. The story begins with Hiccup and his fellow vikings preparing for their annual winter celebration, which, of course, is called Snoggletog. Toothless becomes sad when the other dragons migrate away, and so Hiccup must try to cheer him up. It’s a typically sentimental holiday tale that younger fans of the series will enjoy.

Dreamworks Dragons (2012-2018)

The first HTTYD series to be released was DreamWorks Dragons, which ran between the end of the first movie and the beginning of the last. The first two seasons can be watched between the first and second movie, with Seasons 3 to 8 between the second and Hidden World.  Most of the voice cast return in a series that explores the challenges and joys of the new cohabitation of Vikings and dragons, following the events of the first movie.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

How to Train Your Dragon 2 follows Hiccup and Toothless on their adventure to discover new lands and wild dragons. Along the way, they encounter Drago Bludvist (voiced by Djimon Hounsou), an evil villain who wants to control all dragons, and Valka Haddock, a dragon rescuer who also happens to be Hiccup’s long-lost mother.  Speaking about the movie, series creator Dean DeBlois cited The Empire Strikes Back and My Neighbour Totoro as influences—so if you’re a fan of those movies, you might spot some similarities here.

Dragons: Dawn of the Dragon Racers (2014)

The longest HTTYD short is Dragons: Dawn of the Dragon Racers, a 26-minute story that originally appeared on the DVD release of How to Train Your Dragon 2. 

Set three years before the second movie, this one follows a race between Hiccup and his friends to become Berk’s first Dragon Racing Champion—younger viewers with a love for all things racing will likely appreciate it more than others.

DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders (2019-2022)

After the events of the original trilogy, Netflix released DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders. The plot follows Dak and Leyla, two young humans who were raised by dragons and, as a result, have acquired the ability to speak with them.

A spin-off show from the HTTYD universe, Rescue Riders might be appealing to much younger viewers.

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

The final movie in the trilogy, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, sees Hiccup and Toothless discover a hidden dragon utopia. Now 21 years old, Hiccup must deal with the responsibilities of being chief, while Toothless finds love with Light Fury. Together, they confront a new dragon hunter called Grimmel (voiced by the great F. Murray Abraham).

Talking about the movie in interviews, Deblois mentioned Avatar as a visual reference for the bioluminescence of The Hidden World and, more interestingly still, cited the cinematography in The Revenant as inspiration for some of the long takes in the action scenes. So, if you’re a HTTYD fan who appreciates either of those movies, you’ll want to check this one out. 

How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming (2019)

How To Train Your Dragon: Homecoming is the second holiday special in the HTTYD universe. Containing most of the cast from The Hidden World, this one is set ten years after the end of the movie, when the dragons left the vikings, and focuses on Hiccup’s attempts to convince his children that the dragons weren’t monsters. To do so, he and Astrid plan to bring back the Snoggletog pageant.

This is another of the series’ holiday offerings and another that younger members of the family will definitely get into. 

Dreamworks Dragons: The Nine Realms (2021-2023)

The most recent spinoff from the HTTYD universe is DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms. Taking place in pretty much the present day, it’s also the biggest diversion from the fantastical Nordic world of the original movies—so if you’re interested in seeing that clash, you might want to check it out. The action is set 1300 years after Hidden World, following a group of teenagers who uncover a dragon world in the crash site of a comet. Soon, they begin to discover something about their own destinies, too. 

How To Train Your Dragon (2025)

2025 has been a great year for Dean DeBlois, with live-action versions of two of his creations making the top five of the highest-grossing movies of the year (at the time of writing). DeBlois acted as producer on Lilo & Stitch (based on the 2002 Disney classic he wrote and directed with Chris Sanders), but the live-action How to Train Your Dragon was both written and directed by him, too. 

This is a super faithful retelling of the 2010 movie, so if you love the original, you’ll probably enjoy seeing it adapted so accurately here—especially as Gerard Butler gets to reprise his role as Stoick the Vast.  And if you loved this version of the story, we have good news—a sequel to the live action adaptation is currently in development and should be available to watch in 2027!

Whether you’re a petrol-head craving the roar of a revving engine, a life-long Brad Pitt fan, or both, you’ve probably already seen F1: a movie that lapped the competition at the summer box office last year before racing its way to an unlikely Best Picture nomination at the 2026 Academy Awards. Like Joseph Kosinski’s previous film, Top Gun: Maverick, this is a movie for anyone who appreciates high-spec filmmaking—especially anything with a tactile, action-forward approach that doesn’t rely too heavily on CGI.

With Pitt at the wheel, Kerry Condon and Javier Bardem in the pit, Kosinski at the controls, and Jerry Bruckheimer and the great Lewis Hamilton rounding out the crew, everything was precisely calibrated for F1 to become a roaring success—and it delivered. If you’re yet to see it and are looking for a warm-up, or if you have and are simply craving another movie that delivers a similar rush, use our guide below to discover ten of the best racing movies ever made, and find out where to watch them on AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere. 

Rush (2013)

If you like Chris Hemsworth, the great German actor Daniel Brühl, and the ‘70s nostalgia of films like American Hustle and The Nice Guys, Ron Howard's Rush should go to the very top of your watchlist. It’s a gripping period movie that covers an infamous moment in the sport's history, but it also marks a highpoint in Brühl's career—the actor was nominated for a Bafta and a Golden Globe for his performance before narrowly missing out with the Oscars.

Set largely during the fateful 1976 Formula 1 season, the story focuses on the rivalry and eventual respect between the spiky Austrian legend, Niki Lauda (Brühl), and the handsome and arrogant Englishman, James Hunt (Hemsworth), a handsome but cocky Englishman, in a movie

Ford v Ferrari (2019)

Ford v Ferrari is one of the best dad-core movies of the last ten years. If you like the kind of story where a scrappy team (played by impossibly charismatic actors) gets to show the lame establishment guys how it’s done—think classics like Cool Runnings and Moneyball—you’re going to love everything about it.

Set in 1966, Ford v Ferrari follows the prickly yet endearing friendship between Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), a retired champ turned designer, and the maverick race car driver, Ken Miles (a brilliant Christian Bale). Ferrari once again play the antagonists in what is a surprisingly moving account of the Ford racing team’s attempt to end a period of Italian dominance at the 24 hours of Le Mans.

Senna (2010)

To put it briefly: Senna is one of the best sports documentaries ever made. Released in 2010 to universal acclaim, it's also proved itself to be one of the most influential—looking back on it now, it's hard to imagine the likes of Rush, F1, or even Drive To Survive existing without it. If you’re a fan of any of those, or sports docs in general, I can't recommend it enough.

The movie is an essay-like documentary from Asif Kapadia, the British director behind the similarly great bio-docs Amy and Diego Maradona. If you've seen either of those, you'll know that Kapadia doesn’t rely on interviews or talking heads to tell the story here—which details the life, brilliance, and tragic death of the Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna, a three-time winner of the F1 championship. It’s a movie that successfully elevates the sport of race car driving into something approaching art.

Speed Racer (2008)

Speed Racer is a dazzling, digital sugar-rush (or headache, depending on your tastes) of images and colour—so, if you're a fan of eye-popping visuals, you should consider taking it for a ride. Based on a Japanese anime from the 1960s, it stars Emile Hirsch as a plucky young driver looking to follow in his brother’s footsteps by racing against the crooked Royalton Industries team—just don’t worry about the narrative too much; it's a movie that's all about the vibes.

On first release, audiences and critics didn't really know what to make of Speed Racer but it has recently acquired low-key cult status. Any work bold enough to do its own thing and loud enough to stick around for a while will always earn that kind of reassessment, sooner or later. The Wachowski sisters’ movie has done just that, and deservedly so. 

Gran Turismo (2023)

Gran Turismo, one of the more recent entries on this list, is far from perfect but it’s a solid, no-nonsense sports movie that's perfect for a lazy Tuesday evening on the couch. It was also a breakout role for Archie Madekwe—so if you've appreciated his recent work in movies like Lurker or Saltburn, this one's well worth a watch.

The story is a loose adaptation of Jann Mardenborough’s unlikely real-life journey from online GT gamer to professional race-car driver. F1 director Joseph Kosinski was initially approached to direct, but the job eventually fell to Neill Blomkamp, director of District 9, who does a perfectly fine job with the race scenes and, thanks to a fine performance from David Harbour, a pretty decent job with everything else.

Ferrari (2023)

It just made all kinds of sense that Michael Mann–the legendary Heat director and a certified lover of all things slick, complex, and dangerous–would eventually make a racing film. Enter Ferrari, a soulful biopic on the legendary designer and car manufacturer, Enzo Ferrari.

The movie, which features a great performance by Adam Driver in the lead role, focuses on the fateful Mille Miglia race in 1957—a pivotal moment for both the man and the company he built. This one will be interesting for fans of Mann’s more recent work (like Blackhat and Miami Vice) but also for any racing fans with an interest in the sport's history.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

If you’re looking for a racing movie that takes itself a lot less seriously than most of the other movies on this list, Talladega Nights will probably be more your speed. This was Adam McKay and Will Ferrell’s second collaboration after Anchorman and it's still one of the funniest things they’ve ever done. 

The movie stars Ferrell as Ricky Bobby, a championship NASCAR driver who suffers a deadly crash and then must overcome his demons to get back in the driving seat. Some of the jokes haven’t aged as well as others, understandably, but two years before re-teaming on Step Brothers, the Ferrell and John C. Reilly double-act is in its prime.

Logan Lucky (2017)

Similar to Talladega, Logan Lucky is probably best described as a comedy set in the race world rather than a pure racing movie, but that doesn’t mean it won't be something that race fans won't love. It’s fitting that the nominatively determined Adam Driver features twice on this list, this time as one half of the Logan brothers in a NASCAR-set movie that's probably closer in tone to a heist movie than F1.

Though sharply written and directed by Steven Soderbergh, it not quite on the same level as the director’s snare-tight Ocean's movies, but with Channing Tatum, Daniel Craig, and Riley Keough rounding out a charismatic cast, it certainly has a real good time trying.

The Final Destination (2009)

David R. Ellis’ The Final Destination is naturally more for the horror fans out there, but the incredible opening bloodbath makes it, IMO, a worthwhile addition to any podium of racing movies. The NASCAR-set sequence has so much fun imaging all the gnarly ways that people can lose their heads at a race track; the only surprise is that it took the franchise's directors this many films before they dreamed it up. 

The Final Destination is confusingly the fourth movie in the series, but I think it’s one of the very best. If you had a good time with Bloodlines last year, make sure to give it a watch.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Perhaps it’s cheating, but anyone with a need for more speed after seeing Joseph Kosinski’s latest film could do far worse than revisiting its predecessor, Top Gun: Maverick. Reprising one of his most famous roles (from 1986's Top Gun), Tom Cruise stars as a Navy pilot who must take to the skies for one last mission—at least, at time of writing. 

So many of the building blocks that made F1 great are all present and accounted for here: the practical effects, the incredible sound design, the sight of a man in his 60s showing all the cocky young guys how it’s done. It's a movie that deserves to be seen as big and as loud as humanly possible.

This article was originally written by Jenni Russell and published on 11 June 2024.

Indiana Jones is the world-famous, globe-hopping professor of archaeology created by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman at Lucasfilm before being captured on film in Steven Spielberg’s 1981 classic, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Included in this streaming guide is everything you need to know about the franchise, including where you can find all the Indiana Jones movies online.

Each movie stars the great Harrison Ford as the titular hero, Dr Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones, Jr. The franchise itself now spans over 40 years, starting with the release of Raiders and going all the way up to Dial of Destiny in 2023. During that time, Indy’s story has gone from 1935 to 1969, with some jumps to the past (and even the distant past) explored at various points. Alongside five movies and a TV series, the franchise has grown to include comics, games, and novels. There are also Indiana Jones amusements at Disney theme parks around the world, including Tokyo, Paris and Orlando.

Here are some details about each Indiana Jones production. We’ve listed them here in chronological order, with Young Indiana Jones up first—but I’d still personally recommend starting with the movies. Read on to find out where to find them on platforms like AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

Indiana Jones TV series (1992-1996)

Running on ABC from 1992 to 1996, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles starred Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier as Indy, exploring the character’s adventures during adolescence and childhood, respectively. Over 28 episodes and four TV films, the series followed Indy around the world, allowing him to meet with famous historical figures including T.E. Lawrence, Ernest Hemingway and Leo Tolstoy.

The show is not exactly considered a classic these days, but Spielberg and Lucas did insist on a level of quality that was unusual for TV at that time. This included shooting on location, all around the world, and using 16mm film—so it still looks incredible. They also used a host of established and up-and-coming directors, including Frank Darabont and Nicolas Roeg—so if you’re a fan of Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption or Roeg’s The Witches, you might be interested in seeking out their episodes. 

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Directed by Steven Spielberg, Raiders of the Lost Ark is Harrison Ford’s first appearance as Indiana Jones. It is also arguably the best action-adventure movie ever made—and if you’re a fan of swashbuckling classics like The Adventures of Robin Hood or more recent globe-hopping capers, like National Treasure, you’ll obviously love it.

The film is set in 1936, as Indy and Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) face Nazi German forces in a race against time to find the infamous Ark of the Covenant. The screenplay was written by Lawrence Kasdan (who also penned The Empire Strikes Back), from George Lucas and Philip Kaufman’s story. 

Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom (1984)

Acting as a prequel to the first movie, The Temple of Doom is set in 1935 and begins with a tuxedo-clad Indy surviving a murder attempt from a Shanghai crime boss—it’s an iconic opening, especially for fans of James Bond in his 1960s pomp. From there, Indy goes on an adventure to the jungles of India, where, it’s fair to say, some aspects of the movie haven’t aged so well. If you’re a bit triggered by white saviour stories, it might be better to give this one a miss. 

However, if you can give Lucas and Spielberg the benefit of the doubt, there’s plenty of fun to be had with it. This is partially thanks to the addition of Everything Everywhere All at Once star Ke Huy Quan as Short Round—and if you loved that more recent movie, you’ll have a blast seeing the actor as a child star here. Harrison Ford, of course, returns along with new characters Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw), Mola Ram (Amrish Puri), Chattar Lal (Roshan Seth) and British Indian Army officer Captain Philip Blumburtt (Philip Stone).

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989)

In The Last Crusade, Indy returned with a highly personal quest: to locate and rescue his father from the Nazis. Set in 1938, this is the movie in which Spielberg fully leaned into the Bond connection, casting Sean Connery as Indiana’s dad—Connery fans from his days in Goldfinger and Diamonds are Forever will probably get a kick out of seeing him and Ford trade dialogue here.

Connery plays Henry Jones Sr, a Holy Grail scholar who was captured while trying to find the storied treasure. The adventure takes them to Nazi Berlin and later to Petra in Jordan. There’s also a fantastic opening sequence that introduces Indiana as a young man (played by the late River Phoenix), jumping and fighting his way across a moving train.

Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

After almost 20 years, Indiana Jones returned in Steven Spielberg’s The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. This is probably most Indy fans’ least favourite of the five, but if you’re a huge fan of Spielberg’s style—especially more recent, CGI-heavy works like Ready Player One and The Adventures of Tintin—you’ll still find much to like. 

Set in 1957, the story follows Indy as he battles Soviet KGB agents in a race to find a telepathic crystal skull. Ford and Allen reprise their roles as Indy and Marion, with Shia LaBeouf as their son Mutt Williams and Cate Blanchett (with a typically awesome performance) as the villainous KGB agent, Irina Spalko.

Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny (2023)

For the most recent Indy caper (supposedly the last to feature Harrison Ford), The Dial of Destiny, Spielberg handed the reins to James Mangold, the director behind recent popcorn classics like Ford v Ferrari, Logan and A Complete Unknown—fans of any of those will probably be interested in seeing what Mangold brings to the franchise. Set in 1969, the story takes place around the moon landing and concerns the quest for an artefact that might allow its user to travel through time.

The movie sees the introduction of Mads Mikkelson’s excellent villain, Jürgen Voller, and of Indy’s goddaughter Helena, who’s played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge—so, if you’re really into Fleabag, this one might also be for you. 

Potential Indiana Jones Disney+ series

Going forward, there is always a chance we’ll see Indiana Jones on screen again. In late 2022, Lucasfilm began developing an Indiana Jones series for Disney+, which was said to be a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled so Disney could focus on growing the Star Wars universe instead. 

Lucasfilm has since expressed further interest in the series, which would help continue the Indiana Jones franchise after Harrison Ford’s retirement.

The original version of this article was written by Jess Bacon and published on 18 September 2024.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the highest-grossing franchise of all time, with almost 40 films and several interweaving TV shows on its roster to date. The MCU began as an ambitious six-movie project, culminating in the hugely influential crossover movie, The Avengers, in 2012. Since then, it’s grown into an ever-expanding universe, drawing on stories and characters from all corners of the original Marvel comics. 

Want to get started on a Marvel marathon? Here’s how you can stream them in the appropriate order. We’ve arranged this list by order of release date. This might seem a little unimaginative, as some stories take place at earlier times in history, but we feel it’s important to watch them as intended to enjoy each character’s introduction to the saga in the appropriate place in the timeline. Read on to discover more about them and use the guide below to find them on streaming services like Disney+, AppleTV and elsewhere.

PHASE 1

Iron Man (2008)

Back in 2008, Robert Downey Jr. kickstarted the franchise with Iron Man, a hugely influential movie that basically established the comedic tone and colourful aesthetic of the MCU. If you’re a fan of RDJ in general (or have only seen him in later instalments, like his great performance in Avengers: Endgame), we recommend going back to see him put on the suit for the first time.

Co-starring Jeff Bridges as the main antagonist, the movie charts Tony Stark’s journey from being an arms-dealing, playboy billionaire to becoming the eponymous superhero… if also still a playboy billionaire.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

The Incredible Hulk is a bit of an outlier as it’s basically the only blip in the continuity of the early MCU movies. This is one of the only times that Marvel had to recast one of their heroes, so if you’re curious what the world would look like if Mark Ruffalo never took on the role of the big green smashing machine, you might want to check it out. 

The only standalone Hulk movie in the MCU stars Edward Norton as Bruce Banner and Tim Roth as Abomination; you might be keen to see his first appearance in the role if you also enjoyed Roth’s performance in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Downey Jr. really got to sink his teeth into the role with Iron Man 2, a classic follow-up movie in which the hero faces a crisis of confidence in the face of a new and more powerful foe—think Spider-Man 2, Rocky III, Toy Story 2 and so on and so on.

This is the movie that boasted both Scarlet Johansson’s first appearance as Black Widow and Mickey Rourke’s return to big-budget cinema after his comeback success with The Wrestler. If you’re a fan of the actor’s work, seeing him camp it up here as the villainous Ivan Vanko is a blast. 

Thor (2011)

It’s strange to imagine now, but it actually took a few years before the MCU discovered that Thor was inherently funny. Regardless, there’s still plenty of fun to be had with this origin story from 2011, not least for the fact that it’s the film that introduced Tom Hiddleston’s Loki to the world—and if you like how that character has been developed in recent years, it’s really worth going back to remind yourself just how deliciously conniving he used to be in the early years of the MCU. 

Thor was also directed by the prestige-y filmmaker Kenneth Branagh, so if you liked his recent, very personal film, Belfast, you might also be interested in seeing him working on this kind of scale. 

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Steve Rogers’ first appearance in the MCU, Captain America: The First Avenger, is, IMO, the best of the early run of establishing movies. It’s set during the Second World War, focusing on how Rogers got his abilities and became a national hero—so those who appreciate the kind of superhero movies that take place during tumultuous historical events (think Wonder Woman and Days of Future Past), will definitely enjoy it.

While also introducing Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), the movie perfectly established Cap’s earnest, unironic and steadfast heroism—providing the perfect Ying to Stark’s Yang for years to come.

The Avengers (2012)

For all of The Avengers’ incredible ambition, it’s amazing how light on its feet the movie is. Joss Whedon might not be the most popular filmmaker these days, but no one can claim he didn’t absolutely nail the tone of the first MCU team-up movie. If you like the MCU movies for the playful banter between heroes (usually of comically varying abilities), they don’t get much quippier or more finely balanced than this one. 

This is the movie that introduced Ruffalo’s Hulk and Renner’s Hawkeye and gave Hiddleston some of his juiciest scenes. It’s a classic of the genre.

PHASE 2 

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Entering Phase 2, after risking his life in the battle of New York, the MCU simply had to give Tony Stark another crisis of confidence in Iron Man 3. Thankfully, they also brought in RDJ’s old collaborator Shane Black to write and direct—and if you appreciate Black’s work on movies like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys, you’ll easily warm to the cool, Hollywood tone of this one. 

Iron Man 3 also features one of the more controversial antagonists in the MCU—but if you’re willing to get past the diversion Black takes from the comics with him (no spoilers), he’s also one of the most fun.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor: The Dark World is one of the worst-reviewed movies in the MCU, but I think it’s better than you might remember it. Hiddleston’s performance as Loki, in particular, offers the first glimmers of the antihero we’ve come to know, and the brotherly conflict between him and Thor leans interestingly towards its Greek tragedy roots—watching it upon release, I was reminded a bit of Golum’s story arc during the Dead Marshes sequences in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

This is also the first movie that seemed to realise the character’s comedic potential—the images of Thor simply riding the London underground or trying to find somewhere to hang Mjolnir still make me chuckle.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

The Russo brothers' first entry in the MCU, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, remains a high watermark for the franchise—a movie that drew from the paranoia of 1970s classics like The Parallax View and All the President’s Men to tell a story about spies, surveillance and conspiracies.

The final showdown remains one of the most outlandish and bombastic in the whole MCU, but the earlier sequences (including one phenomenal car chase and an incredible close-quarters fight in an elevator) raised the bar for superhero action scenes. 

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

By the time the MCU got to making Guardians of the Galaxy, their tenth movie in just over six years, fans had started to wonder what would happen when they ran out of familiar stories to tell. James Gunn, as we all now know, had all the answers—and if you’re a fan of the energy that he more recently brought to The Suicide Squad and Superman, you’ll want to go back and check this one out. 

Introducing Rocket, Groot, Gomorra and Drax as if we’d known them all our lives, the movie was an enormous, eye-poppingly inventive success and confirmed the deep bench that Marvel had at their disposal—both in front of and behind the camera. 

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

It’s probably safe to say that Avengers: Age of Ultron is nobody's favourite Avengers movie. It’s a little messy and a little incoherent, with a final battle so inconsiderate of collateral damage that it basically changed the entire world of the franchise moving forward. If you’ve ever wondered what the hell a Sokovia Accord is, this isn’t one to skip. 

What it does have, however, is more of Joss Whedon’s snappy dialogue, including one iconic scene around Mjolnir. It also has the great James Spader hamming it up as a recently self-aware AI. You’re sure to get a kick out of it if you enjoyed him in films like Crash and Sex, Lies and Videotape.

Ant-Man (2015)

Given that the movie that went through a tricky production process (with Edgar Wright being replaced by Peyton Reed after disputes over creative differences), it’s impressive that Ant-Man ended up being so funny and light on its feet—imagine a mix between a Paul Rudd comedy (like Anchorman), an MCU adventure, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and you’ll have some idea of what to expect.

Coming after the bombast of Age of Ultron, Reed’s movie also worked as a decompression chamber for the franchise, proving once again that these movies could switch through a wide variety of tones and moods while still feeling like one solid thing. 

PHASE 3

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

The Russos returned with Captain America: Civil War, a fan favourite in the franchise and the movie that triumphantly introduced both Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to the MCU. This was also the movie that confirmed the Russos’ remarkable ability to balance the stories of various heroes over the course of a movie—something that fans of Community immediately recognised from the legendary, Russo-directed Paintball episodes. 

The plot focused on the rift between Cap and Tony after the events of Age of Ultron, perfectly setting up the narrative of Phase 3—still the undisputed best arc in the MCU. 

Doctor Strange (2016)

Doctor Strange’s introduction to the MCU is one of the most visually stunning movies in the franchise, not least the Mirror Dimension, a dazzling world that will be particularly pleasing to fans of Cristopher Nolan’s Inception.

Focusing on Dr. Steven Strange’s journey to becoming the master sorcerer, the movie never quite finds the right balance of charm and arrogance for the character, but in Mads Mikkelson’s Kaecilius, Tilda Swinton’s Ancient One and Benedict Wong’s, well, Wong, it boasts one of the most stacked supporting casts of any standalone MCU movie.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

If you loved the first Guardians of the Galaxy for its colourful production design, slow-motion fight sequences, and dad rock needle drops, you will probably love Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2—and naturally, if those things weren’t to your taste, it might be better to give this one a miss. 

Gunn’s return to the MCU doesn’t quite find the balance of sentimentality and absurdity that made its predecessor such a hit. Still, it definitely does have Kurt Russell—so if you’re a fan of the actor’s more outlandish performances (think Hateful Eight, Big Trouble in Little China), you’ll want to see what he gets up to in this. 

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

After the endearing but slightly underwhelming Andrew Garfield years, and given the effort it took to bring the character into the MCU, the pressure was on John Watts to make Tom Holland’s first standalone Spider-Man movie really pop—and thankfully, it really, really did. 

Drawing inspiration more from John Hughes than Sam Raimi, Watts and Holland’s Spider-Man: Homecoming was the first webslinger movie that really made the character feel like a kid. Fans of ‘80s classics like The Breakfast Club and The Karate Kid will definitely find that this is the MCU movie for you.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

As we hinted at earlier in this list, it wasn’t until Taika Waititi’s excellent Thor: Ragnarok that the MCU fully embraced the character’s hilarious comedic potential. Like all the great standalone sequels, Ragnarok sees Thor face a crisis of confidence when he becomes stranded on a distant planet with The Hulk, Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie and wonderfully evil antagonist played by the great Jeff Goldblum. 

The psychedelic designs of Gunn’s Guardians movies blend with the humour of Waititi’s other work, like What We Do in the Shadows, to create an irreverent package. 

Black Panther (2018)

Though other MCU movies had been recognised by the Academy for their achievements in visual effects, Ryan Coogler achieved the unthinkable in 2019 when his Black Panther was nominated for Best Picture—and if you appreciated Coogler’s recent movie Sinners, or his earlier work, like Creed, this is one you need to see.

Michael B. Jordan has appeared in every Coogler movie to date, but his performance here as the tragic villain, Killmonger, was one of the most compelling in the MCU. The movie itself—a phantasmagoria of African-inspired production design—was nothing short of a cultural phenomenon.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

If you appreciate a blockbuster movie that leaves you with an epic cliffhanger—think Empire Strikes Back, The Dark Knight or Across the Spider-Verse—you’re going to love Avengers: Infinity War. Directed by the Russos, this is the movie that finally brought the Guardians of the Galaxy, Tony Stark and Doctor Strange all onto the screen together while finally revealing Thanos, their greatest-ever foe.

The movie essentially works to provide the villain’s origin story, building to an epic battle in Wakanda and a finger snap that echoed around the universe. More on how it all resolves itself later…

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Given the monumental events of Infinity War, it made sense that the MCU would once again rely on Ant-Man to offer a little breather. The movie was released a few months later, but actually begins before the events of Infinity War—explaining why Scott Lang wasn’t around for the battle of Wakanda. 

Ant-Man and the Wasp was again directed by Peyton Reed and again featured the hilarious Michael Pena. If you ate up the humour of the first one, you’ll lap it up in this one, too. Just be warned, the Quantum Realm sequences are a bit overreliant on CGI. 

Captain Marvel (2019)

Similar to Steve Rogers’ first outing, Captain Marvel took viewers back in time. This one takes place in the 1990s, so it is roughly comparable to the throwback fun of movies like Wonder Woman 1984 or even Stranger Things.

The movie introduces Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers but also features a de-aged Samuel L. Jackson as the young Nick Fury—so if the idea of seeing a slightly uncanny version of the actor in a world where Blockbuster still exists appeals, you might get a nostalgic kick out of this one. 

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Eleven years after the release of Iron Man, the MCU had its crowning achievement with Avengers: Endgame, a nostalgia-laced victory lap for the franchise that also managed to be its most exciting and emotional movie yet. If you’re especially fond of Evans’ Cap or RDJ’s Stark, it’s unmissable.

Directed again by the Russos, Endgame basically achieved the impossible feat of consolidating every storyline and character arc into one satisfying, action-packed whole—and all playing out over a gorgeous, cinematic score from the great Alan Silvestri. Nominated for Best Picture and briefly holding the record for most successful film of all time, it remains the high watermark of the series. 

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

As the first movie post-Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home had every right to feel like a comedown; yet director John Watts managed to craft a wonderful, and even at times romantic, adventure from the movie’s European settings.

The film explores what life will be like for both Peter and Happy without Tony in the picture, building to a rousing shared moment of self-discovery, with Jake Gyllenhaal rounding out the excellent cast. If you like the idea of seeing Peter Parker swinging through the canals of Venice and London’s Tower Bridge, and if you like the humour of movies like EuroTrip, this is a holiday you’ll want to book into. 

PHASE 4

Black Widow (2021)

Phase 4 began with Cate Shortland’s Black Widow, a movie that took viewers back in time to offer a long-overdue origin story for Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanov, while also introducing her sister Yelena, played by the excellent Florence Pugh. 

Like Winter Soldier, this is another MCU movie that took inspiration from Cold War espionage thrillers, as well as more recent spy movies like the Bourne Ultimatum and the Mission: Impossible series. The MCU had a shaky time in Phase 4, but Black Widow is arguably the most solid standalone movie of the bunch.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Another interesting detour came with the Simu Liu-starring Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the first martial arts and Wuxia-inflecting outing for the MCU. Naturally, lovers of movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero will be right at home.

The story follows Shaun, a martial artist living in San Francisco whose family legacy is connected to the mysterious order of the Ten Rings. The legendary Michelle Yeoh and Tony Leung add extra prestige to a strong cast.

Eternals (2021)

As even the most devout Marvel fan will likely admit, Chloe Zhao’s Eternals represented a low point for the MCU. The Oscar-winning director managed to recruit a stellar cast but never quite found the appropriate tone for the movie, or a way of explaining why the group of celestials didn’t help out during the whole, you know, Thanos thing.

Either way, it’s nothing if not a curiosity—and if you’re a fan of Zhao’s best work (like Nomadland or the wonderful The Rider), you might be curious to see what went wrong here. If you do watch, make sure to stick around till the end for a bizarre cameo from one of the world’s biggest pop stars.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

By around the halfway point of Phase 4, the MCU started to tie itself up in some Multiversal narrative knots with series such as Loki and WandaVision. On the big screen, this allowed John Watts to do the unthinkable – bringing both Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield back as Spider-Men in No Way Home, a movie that begins at exactly the point when Far From Home ends: with J. Jonah Jameson revealing the hero’s identity, leaving Peter to deal with the fallout.

Those returning stars are joined here by Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina, among others, so needless to say, if you’re a Sam Raimi or Andrew Garfield diehard, this movie will feel like an absolute sugar rush. 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Speaking of Sam Raimi, the MCU slipped slightly into the world of horror by giving the director the reins for the delightfully madcap Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. You’ll be familiar with some of the creepy little tricks he uses here if you’re a fan of Raimi’s Evil Dead movies. 

The story follows Strange’s attempts to fend off not only an out-of-control Wanda Maximoff (still reeling from the events of WandaVision) but also various versions of himself and a host of surprising cameos from earlier Marvel movies.

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

In 2022, Taiki Waititi made a hotly anticipated return to the MCU with Thor: Love and Thunder, bringing together the Norse God and the Guardians of the Galaxy (as well as Russell Crowe’s Zeus) for a bonkers shared adventure—one that switches up the synthy vibes of Ragnarok for the likes of Led Zeppelin and Guns ‘n’ Roses.

Fair to say, it doesn’t hit quite the same heights as its predecessor, but there’s plenty of fun to be had in the absurdity.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

In 2020, two years after Black Panther’s enormous success, the great Chadwick Boseman died tragically at the age of 42, leaving a gaping hole in not only the hearts of his fans but also the very centre of the MCU. This left director Ryan Coogler an enormously difficult task when he sat down to write Wakanda Forever, a movie that eventually had to split the difference between being both a moving tribute to Boseman and its own standalone action movie. 

Coogler’s movie achieves both; the latter thanks to a fascinating new antagonist (named Namor, from the mythical city of Atlantis) and some of the most kinetic and muscular action sequences (again, I was reminded of Creed) in the entire MCU.

PHASE 5

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

I think most people would agree that 2023 was a difficult year for the MCU. It began with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, a movie shot largely with green screens that also represented the point when most MCU fans began to feel what became known as ‘multiverse fatigue’. That said, if you can’t get enough of Rudd’s insect-sized superhero and don’t mind a world made of CGI images, you might still have some fun with it. 

The movie does have a fine central performance by Jonathan Majors as the antagonist, Kang, but given that the actor would have his contract terminated by Marvel Studios within the next year (after being taken to court by his ex-girlfriend for assault), it might be worth just passing on this one. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

If you’re into James Gunn movies we’ve mentioned above (Superman and The Suicide Squad), you will definitely feel similarly about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the third and final MCU movie he directed before jumping ship to helm the newly fangled DCU for Warner Bros..

The trilogy-capper focuses on Rocket Raccoon’s origin story while continuing the series’s recurring theme of found family and Gunn’s signature blend of sentimentality and gross-out absurdism.

The Marvels (2023)

With The Marvels, Candyman filmmaker Nia DeCosta became the first sole female director of an MCU movie—a long overdue achievement that was sadly a little overshadowed by the movie’s underperformance with both critics and at the box office.

DeCosta can hardly be blamed, as the movie’s subjects (Larsen’s Carol Danvers, Iman Vellani’s lively Ms. Marvel, and Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau) are not exactly the most exciting characters—that said, if you’re a big fan of Captain Marvel and the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel, you’ll probably enjoy this team-up.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

It only took eight years and one $71 billion acquisition, but Deadpool finally entered the MCU in 2024 in Shawn Levy’s Deadpool & Wolverine, a movie that will delight anyone with a nostalgic soft spot for the Fox-branded Marvel movies, such as X-Men, Blade, Fantastic Four, and even one that never existed.

Nobody seemed to know how Reynolds’ fourth-wall-breaking Merc would fit into Disney’s highly-specified world—but in the end, fans couldn’t get enough.

Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

Captain America: Brave New World will hopefully go down as the last “what went wrong?” movie of the Marvel Extended Universe. This was meant to be the standalone story that elevated Anthony Mackie’s Falcon-turned-Cap to the front of the Avengers—however, it seems as if production issues and re-writes left the movie DOA.

Following the death of William Hurt, this is at least the movie that prompted Marvel Studios to finally bring Harrison Ford into the fold, even allowing him to turn into a Red Hulk—so if you are a Ford mega-fan, you might enjoy seeing the 83-year-old do that.

Thunderbolts* (2025)

After a difficult patch, Marvel found a new groove and delivered a movie that felt like a breath of fresh air with Thunderbolts*—the kind of antihero team-up story that fans of movies like The Suicide Squad and Fast Five will easily warm to. 

The tightly-focused story brings together firm fan favourites, like Pugh’s Yelena Belova and Stan’s Bucky Barnes, with David Harbour’s Red Guardian and Lewis Pullman’s Sentry—each of whom give wonderfully thoughtful and vulnerable performances.

PHASE 6

Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

The pressure was really on Matt Shakman to deliver with Fantastic Four: First Steps. Yet, even though the box office was admittedly underwhelming, the movie itself was an absolute delight, especially for fans of retro-futurist capers like Pixar’s The Incredibles—a movie that probably borrowed as much from the original Fantastic Four comics as Shakman’s movie does from it. 

The story takes place in the 1960s on Earth 828, introducing Marvel’s first family, Galactus, and eventually Doctor Doom. Expect much more from him in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.

Spider-Man Brand New Day (July, 2026)

The next Phase Six movie scheduled to hit cinema screens is this summer’s hotly-anticipated Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This will be the first standalone film for Tom Holland’s webslinger not to be directed by John Watts. Instead, Shang-Chi helmer Dustin Daniel Crettin is taking the reins for a movie that will see the now anonymous Peter Parker fighting street-level crime.

This back-to-basics approach should be interesting after everything that’s happened with the character so far, not least the events of No Way Home—which ended with the world forgetting who he is. Holland will be joined on this new adventure by Jon Berenthal’s Punisher and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk as well as a yet-to-be-revealed character played by Stranger Things breakout Sadie Sink.

Avengers: Doomsday (December, 2026)

When Avengers: Doomsday is released this December, it will have been over 7 years since the last MCU-wide teamup movie. Whether that’s enough time to build the same levels of anticipation will have to be seen, especially since Marvel had to go back to the drawing after deciding to part ways with Johnathan Major’s Kang as the story’s central villain. Whatever happens, longterm Marvel fans should be in for a treat given the involvement of both the original X-Men (26 years after their first appearances), including Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier and Ian McKellen’s Magneto, as well as a returning Steve Rogers—each of which were recently confirmed in the first batch of teasers. Will they be brought together by RDJ’s Dr. Doom or some other kind of multiversal shenanigans? We will all have to wait and see. 

Avengers: Secret Wars (December, 2027)

After the release of Avengers: Doomsday this December, the movie world will do something it hasn’t done since 2012: wait a full year for a new MCU movie. This suggests that Doomsday will likely end on an Infinity War level cliffhanger that will not be resolved until Avengers: Secret Wars is released at the end of 2027.

Naturally, outside of the Russos’ and Stephen McFreely’s involvement, we won’t know a great deal about it until at least the first movie is released. That is, aside from the fact that Avengers: Secret Wars will be the 40th movie in the MCU as we know it. Might it also be the last?

When it comes to sports films, especially combat sports films, the best approach is sometimes the grittiest. This goes for both the film’s aesthetic as well as the character’s behaviour—whether that means on the pitch, at the bookies or in the ring. 

One man who knows a thing or two about all that is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, an actor whose performance in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine is easily amongst the best he’s ever given—and if Cristopher Nolan is to be believed, it’s amongst the best of the decade. The film hasn’t quite been to everybody’s taste, but it’s more a problem of pacing than any criticism of its wonderfully gritty style—a convincing recreation of the janky video footage of the original HBO doc that Safdie based his film on.

With Smashing Machine now in theatres, now is the right time to round up some of our other favourites from the sub-genre of gritty sports sagas. I’ve decided to leave out documentaries as we would probably be here all day—but if I had decided to include them, there would certainly be space for Hoop Dreams and Minding the Gap. The ten (plus change) that I’ve selected below have been arranged by some combination of grit and quality—more a gut feeling than anything else, if I’m being honest. Read on to discover more, and use the guide below to find them on services like AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

10. Creed (2015)

Much like the film’s protagonist and director, nobody quite knew what to expect from Creed when it was announced in 2013, but it’s turned into something of a modern classic. Director Ryan Coogler was 27 when he got the job, and Michael B. Jordan was, at the time, probably best known for playing Wallace in The Wire. They’d worked together on Coogler’s breakout, Fruitvale Station, but Creed simply turned out to be a match made in heaven. 

We’ve placed the film a little low here because Coogler’s direction is just too masterfully clear to be considered really gritty. Nevertheless, if you appreciate the films he’s gone on to make with Jordan (like Black Panther and Sinners), this is one you’ll want to stick on fast!

9. Moneyball (2011)

Like Creed, Moneyball is a perfect film that would normally place higher on a similar list. When it comes to grit, however, this one is probably a little more on the nostalgic side—and yet, there are more than enough cluttered back rooms, heartbreaks and hard knocks in here to warrant at least a mention in the top ten.

Moneyball, which tells the story of how the Oakland Athletics used revolutionary data models to compete with financially stronger opponents in the early 00s, was written by Aaron Sorkin—so if you like the fast-talking vibe of films like The Social Network and Steve Jobs, I highly recommend checking this one out. 

8. The Fighter (2010)

There’s a reason why combat sports dominate this list, and it’s not just because they’re the place where people are most likely to lose blood. The Fighter is a boxing film, but it’s also about the kind of lives that a lot of boxers come from—predominantly working-class families and neighbourhoods where a tough outer shell is often needed to survive.

Case in point is David O. Russell’s The Fighter, the story of a boxer who hopes that success in the ring might be the glue to hold his family together. This is a great watch for fans of Russell’s actor-first approach—think films like American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook. Indeed, both Christian Bale and Melissa Leo won Oscars for their performances. 

7. Warrior (2011)

A year after The Fighter, Gavin O’Connor (who executive-produced the original Smashing Machine doc) delivered the first great film about mixed martial arts. Warrior stars Joel Egerton and Tom Hardy as two brothers on a collision course: they’ve both entered a UFC tournament and, as the chips have fallen, might meet in the final.

This is a gripping sports film—especially for fans of Tom Hardy’s muscular performances in films like The Dark Knight Rises and Mad Max: Fury Road.

6. Foxcatcher (2014)

In 2014, Moneyball director Bennett Miller followed up that terrific film with another that deserves a shout in the pantheon of gritty sports sagas. Foxcatcher tells the true and tragic story of the Foxcatcher wrestling team, a vanity project paid for by the heir of a wealthy American family. As you might have guessed, it doesn’t go to plan.

If you’re a fan of Miller’s work, you’ll easily get into this one. But even if you’re not familiar, there’s plenty to enjoy—certainly for anyone who appreciates Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum, who are both excellent, but especially for fans of Steve Carell. The actor has simply never been creepier on screen, before or since. 

5. The Wrestler (2008)

It’s kind of simple: no Wrestler, no Smashing Machine. Mickey Rourke’s comeback story with this film feels so symbiotic to Johnson’s; it’s almost no surprise that both premiered in the same theatre in Venice, 17 years apart, nor that both actors were treated to a thunderous standing ovation.

The film, in which Rourke plays a washed-up fighter attempting to reconnect with his daughter, might be Darren Aronofsky's masterpiece—so if you like the director’s more recent films (Noah, mother! and Caught Stealing), you’re in for a good time.

4. Rocky (1976)

It was difficult to choose from the Rocky films, as most of them have at least a touch of Philadelphia grit about them. I’ve decided to punt for the original, however, because the film’s $1 million budget and New Hollywood aesthetic are pretty much adjacent to what directors like Martin Scorsese (think Taxi Driver) and William Friedkin (think The French Connection) were up to at that time.

The film is a sports classic for many reasons, so if you enjoy any of the underdog stories on this list or are a fan of the recent Creed trilogy, you must go back and watch it. 

3. Uncut Gems (2019)

While we’re talking about Safdie’s film, we of course have to acknowledge his last time out as director. Uncut Gems, which Safdie wrote and directed with his brother Josh, is the story of a gambler whose addiction to the rush of a long-shot parlays (what most bookies call accumulators over here) tends to get him into all sorts of trouble—much to the detriment of the nerves of anyone who chooses to watch this film.

This is honestly one of the best films of the last decade, and as an exploration of the grittiest side of the genre, it’s a tough one to beat—especially if you liked Safdie’s new one or are a fan of the brothers’ work together, like Heaven Knows What or Good Time.

2. The Hustler (1961) & The Colour of Money (1986)

For the second spot on this list, I’ve decided to go for two films that were released a quarter century apart: The Hustler and The Colour of Money. Both star Paul Newman as Fast Eddie Felson, a role for which he was twice nominated for an Oscar and, somewhat similar to his character in the film, even dared to win the second time. Both also focus on the game of pool but specifically pool sharks—a fact that gives these sports films the gritty edge of a con or a heist (think Matchstick Men or The Sting, another Newman classic).

I’m adding bonus points as Newman actually takes many of the shots, giving the action an electric charge and his monologue about being in the zone, the unmistakable glimmer of reality. Much the same can be said for Tom Cruise, who plays Eddie’s protege in the Martin Scorsese-directed sequel. Just wait till you see the actor prowl around the table here, spinning the cue like a samurai sword as he sinks pocket after pocket. Has an actor, or anyone else, ever looked more confident?

1. Raging Bull (1980)

It’s fitting that Martin Scorsese would be mentioned so frequently on this list. His 1980 boxing film Raging Bull, which won De Niro his only Oscar for a lead performance, is widely considered one of the best films ever made. The most famous image—the one of De Niro’s Jake LaMotta leaning bloody and battered on the ropes—is not exactly what you’d call gritty, but it’s the operatic quality of those moments that makes the stark, gritty world around him feel so weirdly sublime. 

This is the kind of film that probably needs no introduction, but on the off chance you’ve yet to see it, imagine a mix of Rocky and On the Waterfront—a movie that easily would’ve made the cut here if it featured a little more boxing.

Horror films are typically old from the perspective of their victims. This is partly so you can sympathise with them, and partly to amp up the terror of the unknown – the thing that’s the object of their fear. Not knowing where the killer is – human or inhuman – or what they’re planning, are the building blocks of the genre, allowing creators to build suspense in an audience who are as in the dark as the terrorised protagonists are about when and where danger is going to spring from next.  

But where there are conventions, there are films that tear them apart. Good Boy, for instance, is a new horror film told entirely from the perspective of a dog brought by its owner to an isolated home where things start going bump in the night. It’s a point of view that certainly puts a new spin on the creakingly old haunted house set-up, but the film isn’t the only time the horror genre has shifted the focus to an unusual place. If you’re interested in other movies that are either consistently or partly told through the (sometimes literal) eyes of the villain or a non-human entity, take a look at Good Boy and these other trend-buckers we’ve rounded up.

1. Good Boy (2025)

If you’ve seen a good amount of horror, you’ll know that when a dog starts barking at seemingly nothing at all, you need to start worrying. Often, this results in these furry alarm bells sadly being the first to get bumped off as a warning sign of what’s to come, but in Good Boy, the horror movie dog finally gets to be the hero.

In the film, retriever Indy is moved to his owner, Todd’s deceased grandfather’s house in the woods. Todd is suffering from a chronic health disease, and things get worse when Indy notices a dark, muddy figure watching them from the shadows. It’s a hook that could quickly lose its impact, but a lean runtime of 72 minutes and a re-bark-able (sorry) performance from director Ben Leonberg’s actual dog as a loyal-to-the-end companion in the face of abject dread is one of the best on-screen assurances of who Man’s Best Friend truly is.

2. Presence (2024)

It’s near-impossible to discuss Presence in this context without spoiling it, so if you’re really keen on watching it without knowing much going in, I’d recommend skipping to the next entry, or to where you can stream the film further below; I promise, it’s worth it!

… For those still reading, the gimmick here is that it’s told from the POV of a ghost, and unlike Good Boy, knowing that at the top could significantly lessen the film’s impact rather than creating a selling point for it. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Presence is that there’s sort of a double-twist at play: not only do you see everything through the eyes of someone already dead, but it’s also revealed that they’re a victim/protagonist, not a villain. The film is also eerily crafted, drifting in and out of scenes to mimic the sensation of a spirit drifting in and out of existence, and directed with uncharacteristic restraint by Steven Soderbergh to capture realistic performances in a fly-on-the-wall way.

3. Halloween (1978)

While the sequences are fleeting, it’s hard not to talk about unusual perspectives in horror films without mentioning the original Halloween. John Carpenter’s foundational slasher movie is at the height of its lurid power right from the get-go, thanks to the director’s decision to force the audience to watch through the eyes of future serial killer Michael Myers while he butchers his older sister. The feeling of ‘floating’ through the scene was achieved thanks to new camera technology at the time – a masterful blending of the technical and creative.

The real stinger, however, is the reveal at the end of the sequence, leaving Michael’s POV to show that he’s just a small child – the seeds of evil he was seemingly born with already sprouting. Trapping us in this perspective makes us feel complicit in his actions, and though we stay with Final Girl Laurie Strode for the rest of the film, that strange connection formed with her stalker at the start never leaves the back of your mind.  

4. In A Violent Nature (2024)

In A Violent Nature plays essentially like an unofficial Friday the 13th sequel, but one where you follow Jason Vorhees around instead of a group of not-so-innocent teens. Part of the ‘slow’ or ‘ambient’ horror niche, the film is one of the most unexpectedly relaxing slashers you’ll ever see, with long stretches of simply wandering through woods with the silent killer. These are, of course, punctuated by unflinchingly brutal kills, made all the more shocking in contrast.

This is definitely a Marmite one – if you go in knowing what to expect, you’ll be able to appreciate its experimentalism, but those seeking a more traditional, slice ‘n’ dice thrill ride may be left bored. The gore is certainly not for the faint of heart, though.

5.  Peeping Tom (1960)

No list of films told from a unique or unusual perspective would be complete without the once-derided and now-lauded British classic Peeping Tom. The film emphasises the voyeuristic nature of the camera by telling its story through the point of view of a deranged murderer who is using one to make a snuff film: stalking and killing women, and filming their final moments.

Unfortunately for director/producer Michael Powell, Peeping Tom did its job a bit too well for critics at the time, who widely panned it as perverse and exploitative. As is often the case, it only took a decade or so for Powell’s film to be reevaluated as a fevered commentary on the nature of cinema as spectatorship rather than a realistic endorsement of its villain’s actions. It makes for a disturbing double-bill with Psycho, both proto-slashers about disturbed young men.

6. Maniac (2012)

Fusing the houses of ‘grind’ and ‘art’, Maniac is an experimental splatterfest that’s part Hardcore Henry and part Terrifier. Like he did in Sin City, Elijah Wood plays against type as a killer whose mummy issues manifest in a violent desire to collect women’s scalps and hair for his mannequin collection. 

Shot almost entirely from Wood’s character’s first-person viewpoint, the making of Maniac is as interesting to read about as the film is to watch, with Wood unusually needing to be on set throughout the four-week shoot while director of photography Maxime Alexandre hovered almost constantly at his shoulder. Director Franck Khalfoun said he wanted to go one step further than films like Peeping Tom: “I wanted the audience to feel trapped in his body. [...] You are therefore at the same time complicit and repulsed. Therein lies the horror."

7. The Evil Dead (1981)

Sam Raimi’s debut feature is famous for a lot of things: it helped popularise the cabin in the woods setting for horror films, had a torturous, run-and-gun production, kicked off a long-running media franchise, and launched Raimi and Bruce Campbell’s careers as cult figures. For this list, however, we’re mainly interested in its innovative POV shots.

These shots mimic the weightless feeling of some sinister, bodiless force rushing through the woods, which were achieved – without the cash-strapped crew having access to a dolly – by mounting the camera to a bike, a piece of wood, or sometimes held by a sprinting, jumping Raimi himself. One scene involving a woman and a demonic tree still raises eyebrows, but The Evil Dead remains a standout in an era when horror films were getting more creatively gnarly.

8. Rubber (2010)

Much like In A Violent Nature, a film told from the POV of a killer tyre is either something you’ll love or hate. Defined by Wikipedia as an “absurdist French horror comedy”, which I think says it all, Rubber follows Robert, a tyre (yes, tyre) who rolls around the Californian deserts using his psychic powers to explode people who cross him. There’s a strong whiff of Stephen King at play, specifically things like Christine and Cujo, but don’t expect any Kingsian lore or hints at a wider universe: Rubber is more metaphorical than mystical.

The film also doesn’t quite sustain its gimmick over a feature-length runtime as well as Good Boy does, and you may find its tone more grating – “intellectual wankery”, as one critic more unkindly put it. However, anyone intrigued by obscure foreign-language cinema that has to be seen to be believed should get a kick out of it.

Like every October, scary season is back. That means last-minute costumes, spooky decorations, and reminders of some things we would rather forget. It’s that time of year when the dark corner of the bedroom starts to feel a little suspect and that pile of clothes on your chair suddenly looks a little different than before…

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The following scenes and moments—which I have masochistically ranked in order of fear and longevity—are the bits and pieces of horror movies that have lived rent-free in my mind ever since I first saw them. Some will be on many similar lists, and some will probably not—this is entirely personal—yet each one still haunts me to my core, in one way or another. Read on if you dare, mwuahahahaha, and use the guide below to find them on services like AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

10. All Of The Smiles - Smile (2022)

I always find that a good measure for how scary a horror movie is is how afraid I am to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Do I check behind the door? Do I try not to think about what’s behind the shower curtain? Do I hum a little tune to distract myself? How swiftly do I make my way back to my room? You know: just totally normal, grown-up behaviour.

The most recent movies that’ve had a lasting impression on my late-night bathroom trips are Parker Finn’s Smile and Smile 2—especially the memory of all those horrifying, unmoving, beaming faces that appear throughout Finn’s excellent directorial debut, and his equally good sequel. These are the kinds of movies that fans of sharp, cleanly directed horror will love—more in line with the likes of Midsommar and Get Out than the crueller side of the genre. They’re the first I’ll mention here, as three years is a short amount of time in the horror world—though I don’t doubt that they’ll be lodged in my brain for a few more, at least. 

9. “Take Off Your Wigs” - The Witches (1990)

I had to put at least one childhood trauma on this list, and while Tim Curry’s Pennywise looking up from a sewer drain in It definitely scared the living hell out of me when I was way too young to have seen it, Angelica Huston’s transformation in The Witches (a horror, like Hocus Pocus or Beetlejuice, that younger members of the family might enjoy) has for some reason lingered in the memory more. 

These days, it’s nice to be able to appreciate the movie for its cinematic qualities. The scene and the wider movie were directed by the legendary filmmaker Nicolas Roeg, who used wide-angle lenses to warp the witches' already terrifying faces—all of which were designed by Jim Henson’s legendary ‘Creature Shop’. 

But good luck explaining that to a child who’s just seen it for the first time. Indeed, ask anyone who grew up in the 1990s and they’ll likely tell you that these images were burned onto their retinas.

8. The Birthday Party - Signs (2002)

As someone who resolutely goes to the theatre for any new release from M. Night Shyamalan, the director’s early run of movies has come to feel like sacred texts. This definitely goes for The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable (both of which I’d also highly recommend), but my favourite will always be his 2002 movie Signs—a story about a family, a farm, and a rather under-researched alien invasion. 

The movie itself is not the kind to make you lose sleep, but nobody who’s seen Signs will ever forget the movie’s jaw-dropping reveal. In true M. Night fashion, this is a story that toys with its characters’ beliefs and uncertainties, building to a shock moment of found footage from a child’s birthday party—it won’t be the last one on this list. 

7. The Roof Scuttle - Hereditary (2018)

Ari Aster’s Hereditary is a notoriously terrifying movie for many reasons. There is the main character’s ever-approaching work deadline—a classic Aster anxiety-inducer. There is the suggestion of a cabal of freaky old people. There’s the fateful meeting of a child’s head and a telephone pole. But the absolute worst, of course, is the moment when a character lingers on the roof, in a decidedly inhuman position, before scuttling away into some unseen corner.

There are plenty of factors that made Hereditary a sensation, a movie that announced both Aster as a visionary director (and if you like Midsommar and Eddington, definitely check it out) and A24 as an indie powerhouse in one foul scuttle. However, that moment is the one that has lingered with me the longest. 

6. Damien’s Birthday Party - The Omen (1976)

As promised, another joyful gathering of children to witness a scene more suited to our nightmares. This time, it's little Damien's birthday in Richard Donner’s The Omen, which naturally was the last movie Donner made before moving on to joyful things like Superman, The Goonies, and the Lethal Weapon franchise. 

That’s a rather peculiar career path, but Donner’s direction probably helps to explain (alongside the presence of the great Gregory Peck) why The Omen is still viewed as a classy horror—not quite on the same level as The Exorcist or Carrie, but certainly playing in a similar ballpark. And this sequence, which ends rather badly for Damien’s nanny (not that you can tell from the horrifying delight in her face), definitely deserves some credit for that legacy. 

5. The Bathroom Scene - The Shining (1980)

If, like me, you watched The Shining at a relatively young age, you can probably list off quite a few moments that stuck with you: the twins in the hallway, Danny’s shocked expression, the “you’ve always been here” guy, and so on, so forth. If somehow you’ve yet to see it, this is a Kubrick movie on par with Eyes Wide Shut and A Clockwork Orange—you know, the spookier end of the director’s canon.

The award for most f-ed up sequence will, of course (yes, the blowjob bear is close second) always go to the women in the bathtub. The scene may not have aged the best—it’s definitely on the creepy side from Jack’s POV, not to mention a little ageist—but as one of cinema’s freakiest moments, it certainly deserves its infamy. 

4. The Tall Man - It Follows (2015)

Speaking of f-ed up sequences, there are more than a few that linger with you in David Robert Mitchell’s exceptional It Follows. This is a movie from the early days of A24, but it’s also one of the studio’s most surreal movies—think less Hereditary and more I Saw the TV Glow, and you’ll have some idea of what to expect.

The movie is historically significant for Mitchel’s inventive trick of allowing the camera to pan around a 360-degree pivot, allowing the viewer to start to worry about which of the various people we see is actually the one following. However, the most terrifying moment comes when Maika Monroe’s Jay is first caught up with, in a house with friends, late at night, when a figure emerges out of nowhere and fills the hallway. That he’s now referred to as “The Tall Man” is enough to send a shiver down my spine. 

3. The Ending - The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Given the hype and the proto-viral marketing campaign that made The Blair Witch Project such a phenomenal success, it’s amazing that its horrors are still so potent today. Maybe it’s because the actors never really appeared in anything else—a quirk that has helped to maintain the movie’s haunting mood for over a quarter of a century now.

This was the first found footage horror movie to really make a mark, so if you liked Paranormal Activity or [Rec], it’s one you’ll want to see. Just be ready for the final seconds, when all those hopeful uncertainties slip away, and you’re left glued to your seat with nothing but the terror. 

2. The Mirror Scene - Ringu 2 (1999)

Rewatching this scene from Ringu 2 just now, probably for the first time in ten years, I’m still not sure which part scares me the most. There’s the connection to the video in the first Ringu, of course, which lets you know you’re not in a safe place. There’s the arrival of Sadako, shuffling up just out of the main character’s eyeline. Of course, there’s the awful stillness in the woman’s expression as she brushes her hair again, and again, and again.

All decidedly creepy, but nothing has stuck with me in quite the same way as what the woman does next—suddenly gliding behind the door, getting too close to the camera for comfort, and then a steady, nightmarish shift around the corner so that she’s suddenly, horrifyingly, right in front of you. 

I think it’s worth noting that this movie was released before an infamous moment in David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive—I had thought about including that one in this list, but if Ringu 2 got there first, then credit where credit’s due. 

1. The Phone Call - Audition (2000)

It seems like the turn of the millennium was a brilliant time for horror in Japan. A few months after Ringu 2, Takeshi Miike’s Audition was released in theatres. The movie gives its anti-heroine a vengeful, feminist twist, arguably offering a link between the woman-as-force-of-nature vibe of movies like Carrie and Possession and the trauma-coded horror of today. 

Of course, Miike probably didn’t have all that in mind when he made it. What the great director did have, however, was the patience of a saint: almost nothing scary happens in the film’s opening hour, so all the grizzliest bits are saved for the very end, which makes them all the more potent. That slow, worrying buildup means that the first taste of terror we get, a scene focused on a simple phone call, is literally unforgettable—one of the greatest shocks in the history of cinema. 

UK residents looking to find their next favourite series could do worse than a quick rummage in the vaults of the BBC iPlayer. The national broadcaster has been producing shows forever, simultaneously discovering and promoting some of the best talent in British television in the process, while more recently collaborating on several widely acclaimed co-productions from around the world.

Feeling the squeeze of all those streaming fees? Wondering where all that license money is being spent? These ten acclaimed TV shows hiding in plain sight on the platform might provide the answers.

Industry (2020-)

It might be stretching the concept of the ‘hidden gem’ to include Industry on this list. The show, which recently wrapped filming on its upcoming fourth season, was one of the most talked about last year—and yet, there are still reasons to believe it might be flying under the radar, not least given its shutout at the Emmys. 

Created by Mikey Down and Konrad Kay (who met in Oxford before briefly working together in finance), the show delves into the depraved, drug-addled, and dog-eat-dog world of young traders attempting to climb the ranks in London’s financial district. Imagine if Succession and Skins had a baby, and you’ll have some idea of what to expect.

Ludwig (2024)

If you want an idea of the protagonist of Ludwig, just imagine what Sherlock Holmes would have been like if Arthur Conan Doyle spent all his free time on the New York Times’ games app. 

Played by David Mitchell in full Boomer-luddite mode, the eponymous character is a well-known crossword designer who steps into the shoes of his identical twin brother—a hotshot detective seemingly at the centre of a conspiracy—when the man goes missing, only to discover that his mercurial talents are as applicable to solving crimes as solving Wordle.

It’s a show that works as both a fish-out-of-water comedy (a perfect fit for Mitchell’s unique skills) and a cleverly written case-per-episode procedural where trying to solve the puzzle is all part of the fun. 

Fleabag (2016-2019)

Sharp, funny and painfully relatable, Fleabag is the show that made Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s name and ensured that the great Andrew Scott would forever be known as the “Sexy Priest.” It’s also so wildly influential around the world that you could almost forget that the whole thing is available for free on the BBC. 

Thanks to its fourth-wall breaking, tell-all approach, the first season arrived like a breath of fresh air, but the second—which reached another level, creatively—now feels like a modern classic, and while Waller-Bridge has since appeared in Star Wars and Indiana Jones, in terms of her cultural impact, Fleabag is yet to be topped. 

Small Axe (2020)

It was difficult to know what to expect when Steve McQueen announced that he would take a break from theatrical filmmaking to make a five-part anthology show for the BBC. 

The resulting series, Small Axe, notably his first commercial project set in England, is a richly textured exploration of London’s West Indian communities set during McQueen’s time growing up there and has some of the most deeply felt moments of the famously austere director’s career. 

Each standalone story is worth seeing, of course, but if you can only see one, it should be Lover’s Rock, an ecstatic tribute to the communal power of music. 

The Narrow Road to the Deep North (2025)

Since breaking out in The Kissing Booth and Euphoria, Jacob Elordi has become one of the most interesting and sought-after young actors around—working with the likes of Paul Schrader and Sofia Coppola while still finding time to blow up the internet with movies like Saltburn. 

He reunites with that movie’s director in 2026’s Wuthering Heights, but fans eager for a taste of him in period swooning mode should try this sumptuous series from celebrated director (and fellow Aussie) Justin Kurzel. 

Based on Richard Flanagan’s 2014 Booker-winning novel, The Narrow Road to the Deep North takes place over three time periods—before, during and after the Second World War—following a young medical student (Elordi) who gets captured and imprisoned in a Japanese labour camp.

Such Brave Girls (2023-)

I was recently put on to Kat Sadler’s dangerously unhinged Such Brave Girls after reading a recommendation from the great Lena Dunham, who accurately described it as “charming, joyful and gross.” 

Over two seasons, Sadler and her real-life sister play—at least as far as I can gather—depraved versions of their younger selves. It’s set in an English housing estate and pokes fun at some of the most delicate topics imaginable. To say which ones would kind of ruin the provocative jolt you get from first hearing them. Needless to say, it’s not for the faint of heart, but it is viciously funny. 

Wolf Hall (2015-2024)

In 2019, The Guardian ranked Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall the best book of the 21st Century. The novel is the first of a trilogy that tells the story of the rise and fall of Oliver Cromwell, one of the most disputed characters in English history. Combined, the three books amount to roughly 2,000 pages, but the 2015 series (which covers the first two) and its 2024 follow-up are a mere 12 episodes long. 

They also feature the mighty Mark Rylance and an excellent supporting cast, including Damien Lewis and Claire Foy, all of which can be found free to watch (with a TV licence, of course) on the BBC streamer if, like me, you haven’t yet found the time to tackle Mantel’s epic tome just yet.

Dopesick (2021)

Dopesick is one of the most topical, harrowing and compelling shows in recent years, and it will absolutely tear your heart out. Based on the 2018 novel of the same name, it tracks the rise of the opioid epidemic in the United States through both the story of the Sackler family and their company, Purdue Pharma, and the eyes of some of their victims. 

These include a local doctor in a small mining town (Michael Keaton, who won an Emmy for his incredible performance) and one of his patients (Kaitlyn Dever, who was also nominated). It’s a tough watch at times, but a gripping and possibly essential one. 

I May Destroy You (2020)

It’s not difficult to understand why Michaela Cole has taken so long to follow up, I May Destroy You—one of the best shows of the decade. 

The story of a woman trying to get her life back to some kind of normality in the aftermath of sexual assault is so raw and so personal, it’s no surprise that its creator (who became the first Black woman to win the Emmy for writing) and star have gone a bit under the radar ever since. 

Sure, she entered the MCU in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but I May Destroy You remains her most influential work. If you haven’t already, it’s a must-watch. 

Normal People (2020)

Seeing as we’re stretching the definition, can an Emmy-nominated, Bafta-winning, wildly popular sensation be classed as a hidden gem? Perhaps not, but it is easy to forget that Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie McDonald’s celebrated adaptation of Normal People, Sally Rooney’s generational best-seller, was once a mid-sized BBC co-production with a relatively unknown cast – and is still readily available on iPlayer anytime.

Whatever the case, it’s also never a bad time to rewatch it. I probably don’t need to mention the two careers that it helped to launch, but I will say that the novel’s time-hopping chapters lend themselves beautifully to the format of a miniseries—the last episode of which never fails to make me cry.

With spooky season now fully upon us, what better time to look back over the greatest ‘Final Girls’ in cinema? The term is used in horror cinema to describe the trope of a young (at least at first) woman, and generally innocent character who, through hook or crook, makes it out of the movie alive. The term was coined by Carol J. Clover in her 1992 book, Men, Women and Chain Saws and has since made its way into the horror lexicon. 

After much soul searching and consternation, I’ve decided to rank them here by a mix of cultural impact and longevity—both on and off the screen. Read on to discover more about each one (there are naturally some spoilers ahead) and use the guide below to find out which ones to watch from each of their various catalogues—and, of course, to find them on services like AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

Honourable Mention: Carrie - Carrie (1976)

We’ll start with a slight cheat: of course, there’s a suggestion that Carrie rises from the grave at the end of Brian DePalma’s eerie 1976 masterpiece, but the dreamlike nature of that coda (which the director shot night for day, and in reverse, just to make it look weird) leaves it a little unclear if Sissy Spacek’s heroine actually survives.

Regardless, Carrie certainly outlives most of the other characters in the movie, so she more than deserves a mention here. The film is for fans of DePalma’s early stuff or other stylish horror from that era—think Body Double or Dressed to Kill, but with a bit of Suspiria on top.

9. Sam & Tara Carpenter - Scream (2022-2023)

After two successful legacy sequels, Scream and Scream VI, it seemed like Sam and Tara Carpenter (played by Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, respectively) were in it for the long haul. Sadly, due to some questionable decisions by the studio, the actresses won’t be returning for next year’s Scream 7. Our loss.

Whatever happens in the future, however, Ortega and Barrera certainly left their mark on the franchise—surviving two rounds of Ghostfaces and uncovering some uncomfortable family secrets along the way. Scream (or Scream 5, if you prefer) is the best of the two—naturally for fans of Ortega – but also for anyone who enjoyed Mikey Madison’s Oscar-winning turn in Anora and wants to see the performance that landed her that role.

8. Sienna Shaw & Victoria Heyes  - Terrifier (2016-2024)

When Terrifier was released, shocking audiences on the horror festival circuit before becoming a genuine cult sensation and crossover hit, it wasn’t exactly clear if Damien Leone’s sadistic series would be capable of letting anyone survive. As it turned out, Terrifier now has two final girls… sort of.

Victoria Heyes only just survives Art’s rampage in the first movie, but the experience leaves her so disfigured and psychologically deranged that she ends up returning in the second and third movies as a killer as well—the Harley Quinn to his Joker, or something like that. Sienna Shaw, on the other hand, has now survived the last two movies and looks more likely to be the standard Final Girl of the series going forward.

If you’ve yet to see the Terrifier movies, be warned: they are not for the faint of heart. But if you like your gore a little on the extreme side (think Martyrs, Bone Tomahawk), you might be just the kind of sicko who’ll enjoy it.

7. Julie Hames - I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997-2025)

Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Julie Hames probably wouldn’t have made it this high on the list without her reappearance in the (IMO quite underrated) I Know What You Did Last Summer legacy sequel last year—but we are in the longevity business here, and 28 years is nothing to be sniffed at.

The movie, like its predecessors, didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, but if you appreciated the first two movies (hot young people, seaside locations, surprisingly decent camera work, a weirdly unimaginative killer), it kinda ticked all the boxes. Think of a less creative Scream and you’ll know where to set your expectation levels. 

6. Maxine Minx - X (2022-2024)

Mia Goth’s iconic performances in Ty West’s X trilogy feel so interconnected, you almost forget that Maxine Minx doesn’t appear in the second instalment. Without question, though, the character remains the stylish horror franchise’s Final Girl and, alongside Art, has been one of the greatest additions to the horror canon in recent years.

I’d highly recommend all three of these movies. X if you like classic exploitation like Texas Chain Saw Massacre; MaXXXine, if you like the Hollywood vibes of Scream 3. However, if you can only see one, it’s just gotta be Pearl—a dazzling combination of modern horror and classic Hollywood that kinda looks like what would happen if Carrie and The Wizard of Oz had a baby.

5. Nancy Thomson - A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984-1994)

The original A Nightmare on Elm Street was such an enormous success that you can hardly blame New Line Cinema for wanting to cash in on the franchise—and fast. Unfortunately for fans, that also meant a steep drop in quality in later instalments. That said, if you want to know which ones to check out, there’s a simple way to do so: just look for Wes Craven’s name in the credits.

Those titles also happen to be the only movies in the franchise to feature the series’ true Final Girl, Nancy Thompson: you can find her in the original, of course, and in Craven’s remarkable 1994, proto-Scream experiment, New Nightmare, but the real ones know that the series peaked with 1987’s Dream Warriors—an ideal recommendation for fans of ‘80s aesthetics (think Joe Dante) and inventive kills (think Cabin in the Woods).

4. Sally Hardesty - The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

The best thing a Final Girl can do is reappear. That said, we must make an exception for Sally Hardesty in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. This is a character that basically helped invent the idea. No visual lexicon of the Final Girl would be complete without the immortal image of her soaked in blood at the film’s close, laughing maniacally in the back of a pickup truck as it pulls away, just in time to save her from the swing of Leatherface’s chainsaw (as it is famously not spelt in the title). 

Needless to say, Tobe Hooper’s movie is a masterpiece that I can’t recommend highly enough, especially for fans of exploitation movies like Last House on the Left, but also fans of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. The legendary director is said to have considered it one of his favourite movies of all time. 

3. Sydney Prescott & Gale Weathers - Scream (1996-2026)

Like the more recent Carpenter sisters (a nod to John that I’ve only just noticed), Scream has always been the franchise that gave you two Final Girls instead of one. Scream 7’s release in early 2026 marks 30 years since Neve Campbell’s Sydney and Courtney Cox’s Gale Weathers first appeared on screen, ducking and diving their way around Ghostface’s hunting knife and somehow always living to tell the tale.

Since then, the duo have appeared together in all but one of the franchise’s instalments, with Gale being the only character to have appeared in all. Choosing which to watch from the series is tricky: you really can’t go wrong with 1 and 2, the genius meta horror and its own meta sequel, but make sure not to sleep on 3—its Hollywood studio setting is a total blast, especially for fans of Craven’s New Nightmare.

2. Ellen Ripley - Alien (1979-1997)

As the kind of true story famously goes, the character of Ripley was originally intended to be a man. Lucky for us, a then-unknown Sigourney Weaver tried out for the part, and the rest is history. The character made it through Ridley Scott’s original Alien by the skin of her teeth but became a fully fledged action heroine in the mother v mother showdown at the climax of James Cameron’s sequel.

Ripley would eventually appear in various ways over four Alien movies (and are we really ruling out a return at some point?), but if I had to choose one to take to the grave, it would have to be Cameron’s—a perfect movie if ever there was one, especially for anyone who likes the director’s first two Terminator movies.  

1. Laurie Strode - Halloween (1978-2022)

This was a tough, tough call. There frankly aren’t as many great movies in the Halloween franchise as some other series on this list, but seven appearances and 44 years are the kind of numbers we just can’t ignore. Laurie also gets bonus points for being played by Jamie Lee Curtis, the daughter of Janet Leigh, an actress whose performance in Psycho helped to coin the term “scream queen”.

If you can only see one, it’s gotta be the John Carpenter original, a movie that basically invented the slasher genre. However, if you’re feeling a bit adventurous, why not give Tommy Lee Wallace’s absolutely bonkers Halloween III: Season of the Witch a try? The movie features neither Curtis nor Michael Myers, but it does have androids and haunted masks and some batshit connection to Stonehenge. Writing for the New York Times in 1982, the late Vincent Canby noted, “Halloween III manages the not easy feat of being anti-children, anti-capitalism, anti-television and anti-Irish all at the same time.” As an Irish person, I politely disagree.

Few manga and anime properties in the 2000s had the impact that Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s Death Note did. A supernatural psychological thriller, the series follows teen genius Light Yagami, whose discovery of a shinigami’s (death god) ‘Death Note’, an artefact that kills anyone whose name is written in it, inspires him to rid the world of criminals.

Hyped up on god-like power, Light assumes the moniker ‘Kira’ to protect his identity and feed into his mystique. His judge, jury, and executioner arc soon catches the attention of teen detective ‘L,’ developing the plot into a gripping cat-and-mouse game between the pair. Tense and philosophical, it’s no wonder the manga has been adapted many times into TV and film. 

Though old enough to be considered a modern classic now, it’s never too late to get acquainted with Death Note, whether you’re new to anime or well-versed in it. For those in the latter camp, good tonal comparison points are the darkly mysterious Monster, The Promised Neverland, and Erased, while Light and L’s dynamic is mirrored in the Sherlockian Moriarty the Patriot, which also puts the spotlight on the villain. Those in the former who are into neo-noir crime tales like Dexter and Hannibal, especially with a supernatural bent, will find strong crossover appeal. 

The best way to watch the franchise is in release order; use the guide below to find out more about each entry, and whether they’re worth seeking out.      

Death Note (2006-2007)

The first adaptation of Death Note was a TV anime series. Spanning 37 episodes, the show was split into two parts that aired in both Japanese and English without a break; a division that makes sense for the source material, which contains a dramatic mid-story twist that effectively resets all the pieces on the board.

Except for the original manga, Death Note remains the strongest piece of franchise media to date, bringing Light and L’s inner monologues and tense exchanges to life with melodramatic animation and voice acting that are iconic beyond manga and anime fandom. It’s also the most widely available iteration online, making it easy to jump into right away. 

The series was popular enough to garner two subsequent TV films, Death Note Relight - Visions of a God and Death Note Relight 2 - L's Successors, which are director’s cuts summarising the series, plus some added scenes. Only those needing to scratch that completionist itch need bother with them, however.     

Death Note (2006)

The first of a series of Japanese live-action films, Death Note (2006) stars Battle Royale’s Tatsuya Fujiwara as Light and character actor Kenichi Matsuyama as L. It introduces the premise and sets the two up as adversaries, ending with a cameo from Light’s unrequited love interest, the doting model Misa Amane. 

While well-plotted, acted, and mostly faithful to the source material, the film makes a few changes that become more pronounced over its runtime. These include making Light a bit older (university-aged rather than a high school student), adding new Death Note rules, new characters, and an original climactic scene. Despite this, the film still captures the tone and characters of the original story well enough that if you only watch one live-action version of Death Note, this is the one I’d recommend the most, particularly if you enjoy J-horror more generally.

Death Note 2: The Last Name (2006)

The sequel to the 2006 live-action Death Note film was released just a few months later and picks up where the first left off. Misa Amane takes a central role as a co-conspirator of Light/Kira, equipped with her own Death Note. As Light joins the very task force formed to stop him, he uses Misa to throw suspicion from L off of him.

Like the first film, Death Note 2: The Last Name is plotted tightly and darkly enough to build suspense and intrigue, carried by a strong cast. However, further story departures from the manga’s ending may rankle fans who prize faithfulness over originality.

L: Change the World (2008)

As indicated by the title, this spinoff of Death Note 2: The Last Name focuses entirely on L and his final case before the end of that film. That case involves thwarting a terrorist organisation in possession of an engineered virus, the deadliest known to man.

L: Change the World doesn’t add anything new to the Death Note franchise, but if you’re a fan of L, in particular, it’s a nice opportunity to spend time with him outside of the Kira case. It also brings one of his young proteges, Near, into the Japanese film universe, and received a highly popular light novel adaptation. The latter is a great collector’s item alone for its gorgeous illustrations from the original manga artist.

Death Note (2015)

While a live-action Death Note TV series has been in the works in the US for years, Japan beat Hollywood to the punch with 2015’s Death Note. Compacting the entire story into a lean 11-episode run without sacrificing its key plot points, characterisation, or impact, this more concise storytelling earned it higher praise than the anime iteration on this front. 

For this reason, the series may be the best and most bingeable way to familiarise yourself with the story, particularly if you’re not that keen on cracking into the anime iteration because of its medium, age, or length. It’s also the first live-action adaptation to feature the troubled Mello, another L successor, alongside Near, who is a hell of a lot of fun in any medium.

Death Note: New Generation (2016)

The first of two sequel projects to Death Note 2: The Last Name, Death Note: New Generation was streamed as a three-part miniseries in Japan. Each episode revolves around a different original character: a new Death Note investigator, a new Death Note user, and a new L—Ryuzaki, the detective’s ‘true’ successor.

Taking place a decade after the events of Death Note, it includes cameos from Light and L’s original film actors and deals with those characters’ legacy—a generation still inspired by and scared of Kira’s extreme prejudicial measures to create a ‘new world.’ The series functions primarily as a prequel to the next film, and so is probably only worth the effort to find if you’re particularly engaged with what comes next.

Death Note: Light Up the New World (2016)

A follow-up film to New Generation, Death Note: Light Up the New World teams a reluctant Ryuzaki up with the current Death Note task force, who have to find not one but six of the deadly books loose in Japan, as well as identify and stop the person who has taken on Light’s mantle as ‘Neo Kira.’

With 10 years in real-time having passed between this film’s release and the manga’s conclusion, Light Up the New World attempts to update Death Note for a new fanbase. Simply adding more books and killers ups the stakes, but its themes and ideas will still feel very familiar to existing fans. Flawed but ambitious, it does just enough to satisfy curiosity about how this universe could continue to develop before that question was (somewhat) answered in the 2020 Trump-skewering manga one-shot.     

Death Note (2017)

Netflix’s 2017 Death Note film is the most dramatically different and therefore, controversial live-action adaptation to date. Director Adam Wingard’s film does what many Hollywood anime remakes do: Americanise the setting and characters, with much greater focus on Light in high school and a more romantic relationship with Misa (aka Mia).

While most of the cast perform well, the film was largely panned due to these changes, which many felt detracted from rather than enhanced or contributed anything new to the murky, moral quandary at the heart of Death Note. It’s worth noting that the manga authors didn’t mind this divergence, adding that the film could still appeal to a wider audience unfamiliar with its basis. This more generous take is the best way to approach the film: if you’ve seen everything on this list already, treat Wingard’s take as a ‘what if?’ rather than a definitive text. In addition, if you like the Godzilla and King Kong kaiju epics that Wingard went on to make, the film is retroactively more interesting as a ‘monster movie’ springboard for his career.   

Feeding into a now well-established hunger for Korean-made or inspired media around the world, KPop Demon Hunters is a slickly animated package of music, drama, and action. Released by Netflix, the film is set in a world where musically gifted warriors have historically used their bardic talents to fight off a demon incursion.

In the present day, these warriors are K-pop sensations HUNTR/X. But their superstar status, which is key to warding off evil, comes under threat when the underworld fights viral fire with fire—a demon boy band. With humour, heart, and a killer soundtrack, KPop Demon Hunters is a celebration and send-up of the genres that inspired it. If you can’t get enough, here are ten similar movies to watch.

Spider-Verse Saga (2018-)

From the same studio as KPop Demon Hunters, Sony Animation, the Spider-Verse films might have been born from the IP scraps of the shared Sony-Marvel Spider-Man custody, but they stand entirely on their own. Set in a comics-based alternate universe to the mainline Spidey, the film stars Miles Morales as the web-slinger, with a dimensional rift roping in a multiverse of other Spider-People.

The humour and energy of the Spider-Verse series is a strong match with KPop Demon Hunters, even if their breathtaking animation is more experimental. Additionally, though they’re not musicals, the series also boasts fantastic soundtracks with similar Gen-Z appeal to KPop Demon Hunters. Two films, Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Across the Spider-Verse (2023), have been released so far, with the trilogy-capper Beyond the Spider-Verse expected in 2027.

New Gods: Nezha Reborn (2021)

If you like the anime-influenced, 3D CG style of KPop Demon Hunters, this 2021 film offers more of the same. Based on a work of Chinese folklore about gods and demons, which has had countless other adaptations, New Gods: Nezha Reborn follows a scrappy young hero in a retro-future city who is the reincarnation of the titular god.

Not only is it stylistically similar, but Nezha’s dual identity and inherited responsibilities battling otherworldly threats parallel the HUNTR/X girls’ mission. For those who don’t know the mythology, it’s an engaging way to get to know a Chinese classic from its geographical source; for those who do, it’s a refreshing update. A prequel movie, New Gods: Yang Jian, followed in 2023. 

White Snake (2019)

Another Chinese animated film based on the country’s folklore, White Snake is historically set and more romance-heavy than Nezhua. In the film, an amnesiac female demon who can take the shape of a giant white snake develops feelings for a human man, but the rediscovery of her true nature creates seemingly insurmountable obstacles to their relationship.

Once again, the 3D CG animation and character designs are very close to KPop Demon Hunters, as is the focus on Eastern demonology and female-fronted action. A more distinctive comparison point to other films on this list, however, is the ‘forbidden romance’ subplot between human and demon. Those who wanted more from the romance teased in KPop Demon Hunters might prefer the more explicit one here. Two sequels are also available: White Snake 2: The Tribulation of the Green Snake (2020) and White Snake: Afloat (2024).

Blackfox (2019)

Set on the outskirts of a technologically-advanced city, Blackfox features a young heroine not too dissimilar from KPop Demon Hunters’ lead vocalist, whose ancestry from a legendary ninja clan dictates her future as the clan’s next leader. Her interests, however, lie in science and crime-solving, and following a deadly attack on her family, she vows vengeance using her collective talents.

Blackfox’s more traditional animation style is distinct from KPop Demon Hunters, but its young female fighters, friendships, urban setting, and anime action make it similarly empowering and exciting. A live-action spin-off, Age of the Ninja, came out around the same time, based on a ninja predecessor of the main character. It’s also a Crunchyroll exclusive, so if you’ve been on the fence about membership, this is as good a sign as any to finally take the plunge!

Totally Spies! The Movie (2009)

An oldie compared to others on this list, but still a goodie: the costumes, butt-kicking, secret identities, and close-knit female friendship of KPop Demon Hunters have loads in common with this ’00s anime-inspired French series, which also revolves around a trio of girls moonlighting as costumed heroines.

Totally Spies! The Movie is an origin story for the cartoon, showing how the teen spies first met and went up against an evil but fashionable mastermind. Aimed at a younger audience and without any supernatural elements, it still captures the same bubbly energy and tongue-in-cheek humour as KPop Demon Hunters. Millennials like myself will get tonnes of nostalgia from revisiting the world and characters, too. 

Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie (2023)

Another French production with strong anime flavour, partly thanks to collaboration with a Japanese studio, Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie is doubly similar to Totally Spies! The Movie in that it serves as an origin point for Ladybug and Cat Noir. Originating in an animated series, the teen superhero duo derive their powers from mystic relics to fight a villain who uses a corresponding relic, turning Parisians into monstrous minions.

While capturing the same romanticism of the series, picturesque French cityscapes, and sweet flirtation between Ladybug and Cat Noir, the film experimentally adds musical elements to the mix. While the success of this is mixed, it certainly makes it an even stronger pairing with KPop Demon Hunters. Think you’re too old for it? I’m a full-on grown-up and earnestly love Miraculous; you’re never too old for Saturday morning cartoon vibes. 

Sailor Moon Eternal (2021)

As a continuation of the revival series, Sailor Moon Crystal, the two-part film, Sailor Moon Eternal, may require some prior knowledge to appreciate fully; however, the ubiquity of the classic magical girl franchise it comes from means newcomers won’t be completely lost. The story pits the Sailor Moon fighters against the mysterious Dark Moon Circus, who threaten to cloud Earth in darkness fueled by people’s nightmares.

As with everything Sailor Moon-related, friendship, love, and empathy overpowering evil are at the films’ heart, and the enduring legacy of this landmark property is clear in works like KPop Demon Hunters that put their own spin on the empowering magical girl formula. Kids and adults alike who like some unapologetically feminine energy in their superheroes will be right at home here.

Belle (2021)

An Internet-based reworking of Beauty and the Beast, Mamoru Hosoda’s Belle is both a celebratory and cautionary tale about the impact of social media on young people. Its ‘Beauty’ is the titular Belle, whose singing talents make her online persona a virtual celebrity, while its ‘Beast’ is the outcast known as The Dragon. As the two grow close, Belle realises the grim truth of The Dragon’s real life.

Though much of it is set within a slightly convoluted world of digital fantasy, Belle’s grounded portrayal of heroism and connection is its main strength, bolstered by a gorgeous soundtrack that those who’ve had KPop Demon Hunters’ on repeat will love. If you’re familiar with Hosoda’s previous films, like Summer Wars and The Boy And The Beast, or simply love incredibly well-made anime, queue this one up right away.  

Lupin III: The First (2019)

Possibly the biggest outlier on this list, but if you’re after more of the same stunningly fluid 3D CG animation, you won’t be disappointed by Lupin III: The First. One of the latest in a long line of adaptations of Japan’s favourite gentleman thief, the movie is a globetrotting caper worthy of an Indiana Jones plot, wherein the ‘60s-era Lupin races against Nazi agents to find a legendary treasure.

The film’s visual depth enhances the delightful cartoonishness of its action and gags, something present in KPop Demon Hunters; neither takes itself too seriously, while at the right times, delivering surprisingly touching moments demonstrating a real love for their characters and canon. The best part is, if you’re intrigued by the titular character, there’s a whole raft of other Lupin movies and shows to discover afterwards.

Sing a Bit of Harmony (2021)

Currently, AI is unable to produce original art comparable to that of any human. This isn’t the case in Sing a Bit of Harmony, in which a tech company plants an AI-powered robot with an incredible singing voice in a local school to see if it can successfully blend in. There, disguised as a female student, the robot befriends some human kids and endeavours to make them happy through song.

Aside from a dramatic third-act rescue, the film is much more slice-of-life than the action-oriented KPop Demon Hunters, but its musical elements, exploration of the ups and downs of female friendship, and themes of ‘otherness’ and isolation are good comparison points. Imagine Terminator meets High School Musical, and you’re kind of on the right track.

Even at nearly 90 years old, Superman remains a pop cultural powerhouse. The character’s origin story— sent to Earth to escape a dying homeworld by alien parents; nurtured under our yellow sun to gain godlike powers that he uses to fight for truth, justice, and the American way—has become the blueprint for an entire genre for decades to come, and a lucrative one at that.

Nowhere is this more evident than in film. Numerous Superman movies have been produced from the late 1940s onwards, and, with a ‘rebirth’ of the DC Cinematic Universe beginning in the summer of 2025, they aren’t slowing down anytime soon. Whether his new cinematic adventures are your jumping-on point, or you’re looking to fill gaps in your existing knowledge of the character, here’s your guide to every live-action Superman movie released so far, in order of release.     

Early Superman Films (1948-51)

Created and first published by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel in 1938, it didn’t take long for Superman to fly onto cinema screens. Following a radio show and animated shorts, the first live-action Superman serial was released in 1948 with Kirk Alyn in the title role, albeit uncredited. 

Two more followed during this period: Atom Man vs. Superman (1950) and Superman and the Mole Men (1951), swapping Alyn for George Reeves, who went on to play the character in a spinoff TV series. While serialised, these black-and-white shorts add up to feature-length ‘films.’ They were incredibly popular, eventually receiving home releases on VHS and DVD. Today, they may only be ‘must-watches’ for completionists or those interested in obscure media from this period. For modern superhero fans, they also have value in contextualising Reeves’ CGI inclusion in 2023’s multiverse-bending The Flash.    

Superman (1978)

Aside from a couple of TV specials and cameos, it took 20 years for the man in red and blue to grace screens again after the conclusion of George Reeves’ TV show. The hero made his comeback in a big way: Richard Donner’s Superman had the largest price tag of any film at the time, and luckily, the gamble paid off.

Much like the character did for superhero comics, the 1978 film became the mold from which all superhero movies, particularly origin ones, are cast. It made a star out of lead Christopher Reeve, who masters the on-screen transition between the meek Clark Kent and knightly Superman, and includes A-lister Marlon Brando, groundbreaking visual effects, and iconic theme music from John Williams. Superman or no, it remains a standout example of a fantastical blockbuster that everyone should see at least once in their lives. 

Superman II (1981)

Following up a smash blockbuster hit is never easy, and sadly, director Richard Donner never fully got the chance to: He was replaced by Richard Lester late into production on the Superman sequel due to friction with producers. In the first film, Supes foiled wealthy criminal ‘mastermind’ Lex Luthor’s earthquake plot; in the second, he’s pitted against the egomaniacal Kryptonian General Zod.  

Leaning more on comedy, Superman II is a worthy follow-up that recaptures the awe of its predecessor, bolstered by a stirring turn by Terence Stamp as Zod. Of note to Zack Snyder fans (more on him later) is the fact that extra footage shot by Donner was eventually reclaimed for a new version, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, released in 2006. Unless you’re a hardcore Donner head, however, you’re fine to stick with the original version.

Superman III (1983)

Richard Lester retained the director’s chair for the third instalment of the series, which is where fans first started to notice a drop in quality. Superman III adds comedian Richard Pryor to the mix, playing a brilliant scientist coerced into creating an offshoot of Superman’s main weakness, Kryptonite, setting up a struggle between Clark Kent and his caped alter ego.

Not even a multifaceted performance from Reeve prevents Superman III from cheapening the franchise with silly gags and an incomprehensible plot, straining the goodwill built up by the previous films. As someone who enjoys ‘bad’ films, I wouldn’t even say it’s a ‘so bad it’s good’ one for your list, though if you’re keen to have a complete picture of Superman on the big screen, it’s still perfectly watchable. Unfortunately, though, things only get worse from here…

Supergirl (1984)

Superman’s younger cousin Kara Zor-El was supposed to be introduced in Superman III; instead, she lucked out with an entire spinoff of her own. Well, maybe it was more of a monkey’s paw version of luck, as Supergirl did very poorly both critically and commercially. 

Co-starring Faye Dunaway as the villainous Kryptonian mystic, Selena, and Helen Slater in the title role, the film is interestingly more reliant on magic and fantasy than the more sci-fi heavy main series, with a love triangle causing Selena to banish Supergirl to the Phantom Zone, where she battles a demon to escape. Full of surreal and oddly charming flights of fancy, Supergirl has since become a cult classic–and rightly so, in my opinion– with Slater brought back into the wider DCU from the 2000s onwards, thus lending the film some retrospective ‘legacy’ weight.     

Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987)

After declining to make an appearance in Supergirl, Reeve was persuaded to return to the film series with a bigger salary and the chance to shape the plot. The Quest For Peace subtitle references an end-of-Cold War message about nuclear disarmament. In this case, Superman’s efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons accidentally create the living embodiment of them: Nuclear Man.

Reeve’s passion for the cause is commendable, but it couldn’t save a movie challenged by cheap effects and a hollow narrative, leaving the series dead in the water for almost 20 years. This gives it a trainwreck appeal that those fascinated in the rise and fall of franchises, especially topical in today’s IP-saturated landscape, can get a rubbernecking kick out of. 

Following an accident that left him paralysed in 1995, Reeve’s final contribution to the franchise was in the TV show Smallville, and later, a posthumous CGI cameo in 2023’s The Flash, alongside George Reeves.

Superman Returns (2006)

Attempts to resurrect the Superman film series, including a Death of Superman-inspired sequel with Reeve, finally got off the ground with X-Men director Bryan Singer. Superman Returns follows the hero, played by Brandon Routh, returning to Earth after five years, having left at the end of Superman II to find rumoured Kryptonian survivors. In that time, his long-time love interest, Lois Lane, had a son, and Lex Luthor is co-opting Kryptonian technology to make his own island.

Until 2025’s Superman was released, this one always topped my list. Though the film is very reverent, arguably to a fault, to the Donner ones, which had a formative impact on Singer, it has a grounded family drama at its heart rather than outlandish action, making it feel very different from most superhero stories told then, or, I think, since. If you found the Zack Snyder era (discussed next) too dreary and not kid-friendly enough, I highly recommend rediscovering the warm, family-centred Returns.

Man of Steel (2013)

Despite Superman Returns’ critical and commercial success, the series was rebooted again seven years later. Kickstarting the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) to compete with Marvel, Henry Cavill and Zack Snyder replace Routh and Singer in a deeply contrasting cinematic entry, trading bright colours and character drama for large-scale destruction and ethically murky decision-making.

A controversial battle with Michael Shannon’s General Zod didn’t stop Man of Steel from becoming the highest-earning solo Superman film of the series, catapulting Cavill to stardom and setting the stage for Snyder’s darker take on the DC Universe as a whole. If you like your superheroes to be brooding and brutal, or like Snyder’s other films from this time, like Watchmen and Sucker Punch, it’ll be right up your street.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

A precursor to the long-awaited Justice League movie, Batman v Superman turns the ‘Super Friends’ into super enemies. In a stroke of meta, comic book IP rivalry, it was also released in the same year as the MCU’s own ‘vs’ movie, Captain America: Civil War. 

Predicated on Batman’s mistrust of Superman’s power and Superman’s distaste for Batman’s brutality, the pair’s conflict is stoked to a violent climax by Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor and eventually cooled by Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, the character’s first live-action appearance on film. This is certainly one worth watching to form your own opinion on, and that opinion will be heavily informed by your buy-in to how the central conflict is both instigated and resolved. The film’s divisiveness is evident in its box office performance, with a historically high opening weekend and a drop off in its second.

Justice League (2017)

The mixed reception and performance of Batman v Superman didn’t deter Warner Bros. or Snyder from creating a sequel. Justice League adds Aquaman, The Flash, and Cyborg to Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman’s titular team, joining forces to prevent the otherworldly Steppenwolf from activating an apocalyptic device.

Post-production was hampered, however, by the tragic loss of Snyder’s daughter. As a result, Avengers director Joss Whedon completed the film. Backlash to this, as well as mixed reactions from critics and the audience to the ambitious but uneven end product, prevented it from recouping a ballooned budget. Fan demand for Snyder’s vision to be fully realised led to a longer, recut version being released on streaming in 2021, Zack Snyder’s Justice League. If you have three or so hours to kill, the latter is the best version of the film, with the longer runtime allowing for a more coherent storyline and characterisation. Though, like all his work, your appreciation of Snyder as a filmmaker will likely impact your enjoyment of it. 

Superman (2025)

In 2025, the Superman film series and the DC Universe get rebooted again; this time, under Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad’s James Gunn’s stewardship. With relative unknown David Corenswet donning the spandex and cape, this new movie reckons with a clash between the character’s biological and adoptive heritages.

After the inconsistent world-building and tone of the DCEU, Superman (2025) is the first instalment of a chaptered, cinematic rebuild that ended with The Flash and starts anew with Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, which Superman is a part of. This makes it vital viewing for those wanting to invest in the new universe, but aside from this, the latest film is a zippy ensemble adventure that balances heartfelt character moments with sci-fi action that works just as well by itself. If you liked what Gunn did on Guardians, you’ll love the magic he works here.    

Based on the novel series by Goosebumps author R. L. Stine, Netflix’s Fear Street film trilogy recently became a quadrilogy with the release of Fear Street: Prom Queen—and the streaming platform is already planning a fifth instalment. Set in the fictional town of Shadyside, the franchise encompasses multigenerational tales of conspiracies, the occult, serial killers, and other grisly ways to terrorise its teen residents, mostly in or around the titular Fear Street. Fans of any of Stine’s work, time-spanning slasher franchises like Scream, or throwback kid horror like Stranger Things, are well served here.

Plans to adapt the books date back to the late 1990s, but didn’t take off properly until Stine returned to them in 2014, and Netflix’s three-part film series launched across three weeks in July 2021. With the first spinoff out and more on the way, here’s how you can get caught up on all the Fear Street movies, in order of release, before the next ones become available.

Fear Street Part One: 1994 (2021)

Each film in the Fear Street trilogy spans three different periods, with the first serving as the key ‘anchor’ point for the overarching story. As well as its ‘present-day’ setting, Fear Street Part One: 1994 also establishes the mystery from Shadyside’s past to be solved across the three films: A malevolent force is turning people into mindless, savage killers, rumoured to be the vengeful spirit of Sarah Fier, a woman executed for witchcraft centuries ago. The main protagonist, Deena Johnson, is sceptical until her friend Sam becomes a target.

With undead killers from the murder capital’s past also on the loose, Fear Street Part One: 1994 quickly establishes a rich and murky lore that not only makes the following two films essential viewing, but also gives horror fans a new world to get immersed in. Those who feast on grisly murder mysteries with a YA slant will enjoy the pulpy thrill ride, but anyone looking for something more in the Goosebumps age bracket should stick to other Stine adaptations.

Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (2021)

Deepening its story and lifting the lid a little on its core mystery, Fear Street jumps back 16 years for this direct sequel, Fear Street Part Two: 1978. Using an extended flashback, Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink stars as a younger version of C. Berman, played by Gillian Jacobs in the present day of 1994, who survived the infamous Camp Nightwing Massacre of 1978.

In my personal favourite of the trilogy, Fear Street goes full-on Friday the 13th with its slasher summer camp setting, filled with teen rebellion, bullying, and eerily similar murderous circumstances to what Deena and her friends experienced in Part One. Berman’s tragic tale of survival against the odds is one of Fear Street’s emotional high points, also providing vital pieces of the puzzle for Deena and the audience to fit together for the finale.

Fear Street Part Three: 1666 (2021)

The third and final part of the first three Fear Street films finally brings the disparate eras and scattered story fragments together. Fear Street Part Three: 1666’s Puritan setting will be familiar to those who know their witchcraft history. Some mystical out-of-body shenanigans put Deena and the viewers right at the centre of accused witch Sarah Fier’s origin point. It also provides an origin point for the dark shadow cast over Shadyside for hundreds of years. 

While half the film is set in 1666, the remaining portion comes full circle, returning Deena to 1994 armed with the information she needs to try and end the curse. The gruesomely creative kills and neon-soaked colour palette are the Fear Street trilogy’s initial draw, but its staying power is rooted in its unique time-displaced structure, crafting an absorbing mythology that every entry satisfyingly builds on to feel cohesive rather than perfunctory. This makes for an especially strong payoff in Part Three, which grapples not only with the terror inflicted by individual murderers but also the societal rot that has elevated one community while poisoning another for decades. If you like what longer-established horror franchises like Halloween have been doing with ‘requels’ (as popularised by Scream 5), this in-built sense of legacy will appeal to you.

Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)

The first sequel to the Fear Street film trilogy is a standalone adaptation of a single Stine book rather than a direct continuation. While you could watch it before the first three, or just on its own, you’re better off sticking to release order, as Fear Street: Prom Queen benefits from viewers already being familiar with Shadyside and its residents’ almost inherent predilection for violence.

Prom Queen mostly takes place on senior prom night in 1988, where the vying candidates for the title are being murdered, one by one. As such, it’s heavily in slasher territory, with the Scream franchise being the clearest comparison point for the school setting, costume, and red herrings. Also leaned on heavily are genre tropes and character archetypes, which I have to admit, as an avid horror watcher, make it schlockier and less engaging than the trilogy. I was also a little disappointed that the film doesn’t add much to existing Fear Street lore, the depth of which is one of the trilogy’s main draws. That wild end twist, however, makes up for it all somewhat. While not essential viewing in the series, it’s entertaining enough to tick off your general horror movie watch list. 

One of the best-selling manga series of all time, Haruichi Furudate’s Haikyu!! (or Haikyuu! as it’s also variably spelt) began its life on the pages of shōnen magazines before eventually moving from the page to the screen. Furudate’s story, concerning a short king’s quest to become a volleyball great, has thus far produced four seasons of anime TV, various additional online episodes and one feature-length movie—with another, Haikyu!! vs. The Little Giant, on the way.

As we await news on what is said to be the series’ grand finale, here’s a helpful list of how to watch every episode and movie in order. Use the guide below to find out where to watch them.

Detailed Watch Order

• Haikyuu!! Season 1 (2014)
• Beginnings and Endings (2015)
• Winners and Losers (2015)
• The Arrival of Haiba Lev! (2015)
• Haikyuu! Season 2 (2015-2016)
• Vs. "Failing Grades" (2016)
• Talent and Sense (2017)
• Haikyuu! Season 3 (2016)
• Battle of Concepts (2017)
• Special Feature! Betting on the Spring High Volleyball (2017)
• Haikyuu! Season 4 (2020)
• Land vs. Sky (2020)
• The “Path” of the Ball (2020)
• Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle (2022)
• Haikyuu! vs. The Little Giant (2026)

Haikyuu!! Season 1 (2014)

Season 1 of Haikyuu!! introduces the viewer to Karasuno High, where our hero, Shōyō Hinata, has decided to pursue his dream of emulating the Little Giant—a legendary volleyball player who refused to let his modest height get in the way of his abilities. 

Over 25 episodes, the series follows the kind of classic underdog arc that fans of the show love, with the team competing in the Interhigh tournament. Meanwhile, Hinata fights a personal battle against his teammate, Tobio Kageyama—a rival who eventually becomes an unlikely friend.

The events of Season 1 were compiled into two feature-length movies: Beginnings and Endings, and Winners and Losers. An additional OVA, The Arrival of Haiba Lev!, can be watched after the final episode.

Haikyuu!! Season 2 (2015-2016)

In Season 2, Hinata and Kageyama’s partnership develops as the team takes on a new manager, Hitoka Yachi. Across the series’ 25-episode run, the boys are forced to balance academic responsibilities with the pressures of a higher-intensity training regime. 

The season covers the manga’s ‘Tokyo Expedition’ arc, following the team as they travel to a training camp in the capital, where they are put to the test against stronger opposition. Fans of the show have praised the creators of Season 2 for allowing the spotlight to be shared with other members of the team, as well as some fan favourite opponents.

The events of Season 2 were compiled into the feature-length movie, Talent and Sense. An additional OVA, Vs. “Failing Grades” can be watched after Episode 11.

Haikyuu!! Season 3 (2016)

In Season 3, a new rival surfaces in the form of Shiratorizawa—an elite academy led by Ushijima, a formidable player and a brooding captain. With a coveted place at the National Tournament at stake, this shortened 10-episode run focuses primarily on a best-of-five match between the two teams in the final round of the Miyagi prefecture preliminaries. The drama builds up to a gripping cliffhanger and a fan favourite moment for Tsukishima, the team’s middle blocker.

The events of Season 3 were compiled into the feature-length movie, Battle of Concepts. An additional OVA, Special Feature! Betting on the Spring High Volleyball can be watched after the final episode.

Haikyuu!! Season 4 (2020)

Season 4 was originally split into two halves, released at the beginning and end of 2020. The 25-episode arc follows Karasuno to the Spring Nationals in Tokyo, where Hinata is forced to go undercover to attend an exclusive training camp. The season builds to a showdown with Inarizaki High, coming to an exciting climax just as the tournament enters the final rounds. 

Season 4 has been widely praised for the emotional depth it brought to Hinata and Kageyama’s character arcs, securing its place as a high point in the franchise. Two additional OVAs, Land vs. Sky and The “Path” of the Ball, can be watched before the first episode.

Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle (2022)

The first standalone, non-compilation movie in the Haikyuu!! universe provides the satisfying showdown that fans of the series had been waiting for. 

The story picks up where Season 4 left off, covering the ‘Battle of the Garbage Dump’ arc from the manga, focusing on Karasuno’s epic third-round showdown with their local rivals, Nekoma High—together at last in their first official match—and their brilliant strategist, Kenma Kozume. 

Condensing 31 chapters of the original manga into its running time, The Dumpster Battle is a breakneck anime sports movie in which the unstoppable attacking force of Karasuno meets Nekoma’s unmovable object.

Haikyuu!! vs. The Little Giant (2026)

At the time of writing, not a huge amount is known about the series’s second standalone feature aside from the fact that it will once again pick up where its predecessor left off. The story is said to follow the manga up to at least Episode 365, focusing on Karasuno’s quarter-final matchup with Kamomedai High and Hinata’s long-awaited meeting with his sporting hero, The Little Giant.

Look out for more information on the film’s JustWatch page here, including when it’ll be available to stream.

This article has been updated by Rory O'Connor.

It doesn’t have to be Halloween to acquaint yourself with some of the best and most disturbing zombie movies, but now is the time of year to really dive into the realm of the undead. People expect this subgenre to be very scary, and the best zombie movies are indeed pretty terrifying. But within this specific arena, there is still room for comedy (Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland), political and sociological satire (George A Romero's Living Dead movies), hard-hitting action (World War Z), and even the odd musical number (Anna and the Apocalypse).

It's true, this is a genre that continues to inspire filmmakers to find new ways to approach it. In the last few years alone, we've seen some wonderful and innovative additions to the canon—like MadS, an immersive chiller from France, and Handling the Undead, a Norwegian exploration of grief starring the recent Oscar nominee Renate Reinsve. When it comes to the most disturbing zombie movies ever made, however, it will take something very special to get amongst the ten titles we've listed below. These films are a bit different to your usual horror movie fare, be it due to their emotional kickers, bleak themes, or visceral imagery—the kind that stays with you long after the credits roll.

Come on in and take a bite, and use the guide below to find where to stream them on services like AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere. 

Train to Busan (2016)

It is not often that a horror film makes someone cry, let alone a zombie thriller, but Train to Busan manages that feat. Not only is this Korean movie full of unsettling zombie attacks, it also delivers brutal fight scenes, harrowing imagery, and one of the most upsetting conclusions to any film of the last decade. I remember watching this as part of a 24-hour movie marathon with a friend of mine a few years ago, which also included Grave of the Fireflies; suffice it to say, that was an emotionally exhausting experience, but such a rewarding one.

The basic concept of zombies on a train sounds a lot like a B-movie idea, but Train to Busan is an A-star picture that’ll leave you reeling emotionally. And not only is the film a crowd-pleaser for even the more zombie-averse viewer, but it’s also one of the most accessible foreign language movies. When you’re done, there’s the animated prequel Seoul Station, and the sequel, Peninsula, too; so, sign up to the Studio Canal channel and book your ticket for this thrilling train ride immediately.

Cargo (2017)

Martin Freeman isn’t an actor who screams horror movie vibes, and yet, when he’s thrown into the zombie movie Cargo, he excels. The film is a tragic take on the genre, with Andy (Freeman) racing against time to save his wife from succumbing to a dangerous virus that turns people into rabid, flesh-eaters. The kicker is, he’s got a baby to think about, too. With young Rosie in tow, this is essentially a poignant family drama at its core while still bearing all the trappings of a rather grim survival story full of gruesome gore and fearsome foes.

I’d suggest this as a great option for anyone looking to turn Halloween into a bit of a dark date night. Cargo is only just over 100 minutes long, and it’s of a similar ilk to films like A Quiet Place and The Road, but far more graphic and in-your-face grotesque. As it’s available on Netflix, it’s also easy to get stuck into. 

Handling the Undead (2024)

One of the most unsettling thoughts everyone has surely considered when watching a zombie movie is, What would you do in this situation? More specifically, how would you react if a loved one turned into a zombie? This Norwegian horror flick from Thea Hvistendahl addresses those questions head-on in devastating fashion. 

Handling the Undead features scenes that will make you well up, scenes that could very well make you throw up, and one, in particular, that will make you wince and squirm. Please be warned, if you’re sensitive to watching animal cruelty on screen, it’s probably best you don’t go for this film. 

It’s also worth noting that Handling the Undead is difficult to track down. I got lucky around the time of release that I was sent a screener, but I urge you to try and get hold of this movie if you enjoy bleak horror movies like The Mist or Threads. It’s not for everyone – it really is uncomfortable, but it’s astounding on a technical and thematic level.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

The original zombie movie from the zombie movie master, George A. Romero, there’s a reason Night of the Living Dead is heralded as one of the greats. Even with its black and white palette, the horror jumps off the screen: Romero fills the frame with some of the most hauntingly bleak yet beautiful shots you’re likely to find in the genre. The single-location story and powerful ending produce a real feeling of desolation and despair that will get under your skin. It’s human horror at its finest.

It took me far too long to get around to watching Night of the Living Dead. Don’t be like me and get to 30 years old without having seen the very best zombie movie ever made. There’s no excuse either, as it’s on Prime Video, which gives you the perfect reason to watch the sequels, too. Many prefer Dawn of the Dead, but I have a real soft spot for Day of the Dead, which introduces some really interesting themes around the morality of how humans treat zombies.

28 Days Later (2002)

With 28 Years Later roundly considered to be one of the best movies of 2025 and The Bone Temple already looking like one of the best of 2026, it's difficult to know which of Danny Boyle’s enormously influential zombie series to choose from here—so we may as well go back to 28 Days Later, the place where it all started. From those opening moments of Cillian Murphy roaming the empty streets of London in his hospital gown to the climactic scene with Christopher Eccleston and his rogue soldiers, this early 2000s cult classic still boasts some of the most disturbing footage you’ll find in a zombie movie.

Few films can match 28 Days Later when it comes to the depressing feeling of being all alone in the middle of an apocalypse, where everyone and everything feels like it's out to get you. Some of the visuals may be a little rough and ready, largely down to the low-budget nature of the film, but for anyone who can overcome that, you’ll be treated to a groundbreaking slice of early-2000s cinema.

Maggie (2015)

There’s a common theme among many of these disturbing zombie movies, and that is the conflict between familial ties and survival in an apocalypse. While Maggie is not the best film on this list, it certainly taps into that idea of protecting your loved ones at whatever the cost, more effectively than most. It’s actually very similar to another film on this list, Cargo. I’d argue Cargo is better, but Maggie is ever so slightly less emotionally draining, so if you fancy something marginally lighter, this is the way to go.

Arnold Schwarzenegger goes against type with this highly dramatic and sensitive performance, while Abigail Breslin is impressive opposite him as the daughter society tells him he should abandon, but whom he will not leave behind. Maggie is a powerful film that is not afraid to test the moral compass of its characters and its audience. You’ll have to pay £3.49 to rent it as it’s not available on any streaming services, but with a runtime of just 95 minutes, it’s a fair trade for some easily digestible entertainment.

The Wailing (2016)

The South Korean picture to make it onto this list, but The Wailing is very different from Train to Busan. For a start, it’s not a tearjerker, but this Na Hong-jin movie is still immensely brutal and unsettling with its no-holds-barred approach to gore and violence. While films like Handling the Undead hone in on the dilemma of protecting family in a zombie apocalypse, The Wailing offers a far more nihilistic approach to those problems. After all, a zombie outbreak is nothing a good knife can’t handle, right?

I’m not going to lie, this is not the most accessible film on this list. The Wailing is pretty long, clocking in at just over two-and-a-half hours; it’s very grim and gory, and there’s also the foreign language element to consider. On the plus side, you can find on Prime Video right now. If you’re into films like Tigers Are Not Afraid or I Saw The Devil, you’ll be in your element here.

REC (2007)

I said from the outset that we were here to discuss zombie movies that veer away from the standard scare factor and offer something different. REC does that, while still being absolutely terrifying; possibly the scariest film on this list. It’s amazing, really, that a found footage zombie movie hadn’t really been done before REC came along, and that there haven’t been more since. This framing device is what really hammers home those disturbing vibes, throwing the viewer right into the beating, bleeding heart of the outbreak event and offering no hope of escape.

While there have been multiple sequels to this movie since, I’d say the original is the only one truly worth your time. And, given it’s only 78 minutes long, you won’t have to give up much time to it. Think Host meets The Descent, and you’re on the right lines with REC. It’s short, snappy, and incredibly immersive. I genuinely had nightmares after watching this – don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Pontypool (2009)

Perhaps the most obscure film on this list, Pontypool is unique and fascinating. There’s just something about small-town horror that hits extra hard, and Pontypool is underpinned by that unsettling feeling. Call it disturbing, call it eerie, call it foreboding, whatever it is, this film just does not let up, but it never becomes gratuitous thanks to an intriguing story. Using language as a means to deal with the outbreak of a deadly virus, and containing the action in the single setting of a radio station, there is something wonderfully simple about Bruce McDonald’s movie. It’s sure to stick with you for days afterwards, whether you like it or not.

A friend of mine recommended this movie to me every Halloween for about three years until I finally relented. I should have listened to him sooner. If you liked the setting and vibe of Vast of Night but want something scarier, you can do far worse than either watching Pontypool on Prime Video or paying the measly sum of £1.99 to rent it via Apple TV+.

I Am Legend (2007)

If you thought Cillian Murphy’s predicament in 28 Days Later was rough, spare a thought for Will Smith’s character in I Am Legend, Robert Neville, who only has his dog for companionship. Granted, it’s a very good dog, but when the world is filled with vampiric, cannibal mutants (we’re going to call them zombies for the sake of argument), a canine friend isn’t quite enough to get you through.

While the novel by Richard Matheson may be far richer and more nuanced, there is something about this 2007 film that really cuts to the core of what makes zombie movies so disturbing. The demise of civilisation in these scenarios just feels inevitable, and survival, no matter how hard you try, can only ever be temporary. I Am Legend is probably the most well-known film on this list, and it’s certainly the one that most comprehensively ticks the blockbuster box. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s filled with smaller and genuinely heartbreaking moments. 

Created in 1987, Final Fantasy has been a mainstay on the computer game landscape for almost four decades. In that time, Hironobu Sakaguchi’s creation has spawned 16 standalone games, endless side quests, and whole galaxies of other media, including big-screen adaptations and various multi-episode anime TV shows. 

Unfortunately, Sony’s first attempt at a live-action show—which had been rumoured to take place in the expansive MMORPG world of FFXIV—isn’t going forward, but we’ve rounded up every movie and TV show that Square Enix has produced to date to assess which are worth your time. As there is little interconnecting tissue, we’ve arranged them in chronological order. Use our guide below to track them all down for streaming online. 

Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals (1994)

Though released the same year as Final Fantasy VI, and just before the games migrated from Nintendo to PlayStation, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals strangely exists in the world of the fifth instalment. That gives the show a nostalgic quality today that any longtime FF devotee will surely appreciate.

Taking place 200 years after the events of the game, the story introduces two new heroes, Linally and Prettz. Together, they must face the evil Deathgyunos, a dark wizard looking to use the crystals to gain power over the Void. 

The original four-episode run was released direct-to-television in Japan before coming to DVD in the U.S. a few years later. While some reviewers at the time weren’t too plussed, many embraced the show, with GameFan magazine even rating it higher than the mighty Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)

I’m old enough to remember going to see the first Final Fantasy adaptation on the big screen. The movie was an event, no doubt, but it has gained something of a mixed reputation, to say the least. Developed over four years, The Spirits Within will always be the first photorealistic feature ever made; yet despite its landmark visuals, star-studded voice cast, and some notable praise from the likes of Roger Ebert, it failed spectacularly at the box office. 

Set in 2065, the movie concerns a more earthly dystopia than fans of the games are used to, following a group of soldiers and scientists as they attempt to fend off an invasion of alien lifeforms known as Phantoms. Like it or loathe it, it remains a significant movie and, for fans of the game, is certainly worth seeing.

Final Fantasy: Unlimited (2001)

Released just a few months after the financial disaster of The Spirits Within, Final Fantasy: Unlimited had to face the cruelly ironic fate of having its originally planned run of 52 episodes reduced (or limited) to 25. Regardless, the show is still warmly remembered by most fans, with many noting the softer, more family-oriented energy.

The story follows Ai and Yu, 12-year-old twins attempting to find their parents in a parallel dimension known as Wonderland, where the evil Earl Tyrant rules. The bifurcated show, which combined 2D animation and 3D graphics, would eventually be completed in a series of graphic novels that were released online and in print. 

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005)

After the chastening experience with The Spirits Within, Square Enix wisely opted for a more fan-service approach with their next big-screen outing. The resulting movie, titled Advent Children, was a direct-to-DVD release but is probably still the most widely beloved Final Fantasy film to date. 

Centring on a guilt-ridden Cloud Strife, and set just two years after the events of FFVII, it follows the arrival of a sinister group who plan to resurrect Sephiroth by abducting children who have been infected with a new disease called Geostigma. 

A remastered version was eventually released in 2009, and the movie was even given a theatrical run in 2023 to coincide with the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. For fans of that game and the original, it’s an essential watch.

Last Order: Final Fantasy VII (2005)

Released as a standalone 25-minute anime as part of The Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, a series of sequel and prequel projects that dropped simultaneously with Advent Children, Last Order: Final Fantasy VII revisits some famous flashbacks from the original game. 

In the story, Sephiroth murders the villagers of Nibelheim en route to entering the Mako Reactor, where he reunites with Jenova. When Cloud attempts to intervene, Sephiroth impales him, leaving Cloud with mako poisoning and both he and Zack as prisoners of the Shinra military. Together, they attempt an escape. 

Similar to Advent, it’s a rewarding watch for anyone with fond memories of those games and anyone looking to briefly re-enter that world.

Kingslaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016)

For the franchise’s first outing on the PlayStation 4, Square Enix was looking to make a splash. Months before the game’s hotly anticipated release, Kingslaive: Final Fantasy XV was given a theatrical run in Japan and the U.S. before eventually being offered in a bundle with the game.

The feature-length story takes place at the same time as the beginning of the game, focusing on Regis, the father of the game’s protagonist, Noctis, and his attempts to broker an armistice with the invading empire of Nilfheim.

It’s a wonderfully animated piece of work with a stellar voice cast of TV royalty, including Sean Bean, Lena Headley and Aaron Paul.  

Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV (2016)

Dropped on YouTube during the months leading up to Final Fantasy XV’s release on the Xbox One and PS4, Brotherhood is a nice addition to the FFXV universe. The five-episode web series follows Noctis’s ill-fated journey to marry Lunafreya Nox Flueret. As anyone who’s played the game will know, Nilfheim will betray his father while Noctis is en route, invading Lucis and setting the events of the game in motion. Through flashbacks and character development, the show establishes Noctis’s backstory as well as those of Prompto, Galdiolus and Ignis—his loyal team.

The show is not exactly an essential watch, but completists will love to see this added layer of character development, as it focuses on the catalyst for Noctis’s quest to regain the throne.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light (2017)

The only live-action Final Fantasy production to date is also the goofiest thing to come out of the long-running franchise. Released Stateside on Netflix in 2017, a full seven years after the game, Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light follows a father (played by veteran actor Ren Ôsugi—who appeared in classic movies like Cure and Audition) and son whose real-world distance is eased by the bond they discover while playing the titular MMORPG. 

The eight-episode mini-series remains unlike anything else released by Square Enix; a singular curiosity with an undeniably earnest charm.

Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn - Prologue (2019)

As a 15-minute YouTube short, Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn – Prologue, the most recent animated project from the FF world, is also the shortest. 

It functions solely to flesh out the character of Ardyn Izunia—the 15th game’s chief antagonist. Taking place 35 years before the events of FFXV, it details his turn from healer to chancellor of Nilfheim, including his introduction to the Empire and the roots of his hatred for the Lucian bloodline. A nice bit of added character development, and one which can be watched over a morning coffee before or after diving into the game.

Time flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it? 2025 has been an absolute blast, with some truly epic cinema offerings on the big screen, and a whole host of gripping TV shows gracing the small screen, too.

As we hurtle towards the end of the year, we’ve taken some time to reflect on what we’ve seen so far. In fact, we’re getting really granular – not just thinking about our favourite things to watch, but looking at the very best film and TV characters of 2025.

From maniacal witches to demon-fighting popstars, revolutionaries to strange aliens, this might just be the most diverse list JustWatch has ever put together. You’ll find our top ten characters of the year, ranked below in ascending order. Did your favourite make the cut?

10. Aunt Gladys - Weapons

Following up on his monster hit Barbarian was always going to be a tricky task for Zach Cregger, but from the very first moment I saw a trailer for Weapons, I was obsessed. When the film finally dropped in August, I ran gleefully out of the cinema like one of those creepy kids. This brilliant horror-thriller movie is split into six chapters, five of which perfectly balance intrigue, moments of terror, and splashes of levity. But by the time the final chapter rolls around and we are shown the true machinations and methods of Aunt Gladys, the whole story comes to a sickening and satisfying conclusion.

From her garish red wig and heavy-set make-up to her deceptively frail frame and unsettling demeanour, Aunt Gladys is the kind of woman who leaves a lasting impression. In fact, she may well end this year as the horror icon of 2025. She’s a cruel and calculated menace, but boy, oh boy, is she fun to watch as she executes her demonic plan in such a calm fashion. My one complaint about Weapons is that it doesn’t really leave much room for interpretation by the end, but when the answers are this interesting, does it really matter?

9. Glordon - Elio

We go from one of the nastiest characters of the year to arguably the sweetest now. When the titular hero of Elio heads into space, he’s confronted by the mean intergalactic conqueror Lord Grigon. Thankfully, he also makes a new friend: Grigon’s adorable son, Glordon. The bond the pair shares is utterly charming, as they learn each other’s way of life and help one another with their respective problems. Glordon may look like a giant tardigrade, but he has all the childlike wonder and innocence you’d expect from a loveable human character.

My wife and I took our five-year-old son to watch this at the cinema, and we all had a great time for different reasons: Adults will appreciate the themes of familial bonds and the endearing qualities of the younger characters, while kids will revel in the glorious visual elements and space exploration concepts. I immediately felt like this would be what you’d get if you asked Steven Spielberg to make a cute animated alien movie, and I mean that as a compliment of the highest order. It’s on Disney+ now, so get the whole family together and have a lovely night in.

8. Agnes Ward - Sorry, Baby

While I liked the look of Sorry, Baby from the trailer, I simply wasn’t prepared for how brilliant and emotional it would be. I expected a quirky comedy, and while writer-director-star Eva Victor does bring her wonderful humour to the project, she also delivers a devastating and important story of abuse and trauma. Simply put, her work as Agnes Ward here is remarkable, and one of my absolute favourite performances of 2025.

Agnes is such a rich and multi-layered character. She’s not afraid to say what she thinks, and she often acts on impulse – like adopting a stray cat – but her easy-going manner is stunted almost irreparably by one moment of exploitation by someone she thought she could trust. From that moment on, we see Agnes wrestle with guilt, anguish, and a real emptiness that feels incredibly authentic and raw. If you like films like Shiva Baby, Sometimes I Think About Dying, and My Old Ass, you’ll get on board with this one.

7. Eddie Miller - Adolescence

There’s a good chance that Adolescence is the best, most thought-provoking and crucial piece of television Netflix has ever produced. The show took the world by storm earlier this year thanks to its hard-hitting messages on toxic masculinity, bullying, and knife crime. As the father of a teenage daughter and two young sons, Adolescence really struck a chord with me. It made me fearful of the world our children are growing up in, but determined to ensure that my kids will be raised to understand right from wrong. Quite literally, for some people, this is a life-changing show.

At the heart of it all is young Jamie Miller, played astoundingly by young breakthrough star, Owen Cooper. But while Cooper has rightfully lapped up plaudits and awards for his performance, it’s the depiction of his heartbroken father, Eddie, by the legendary Stephen Graham that has stuck with me all year. I may be a little biased as he’s one of my favourite actors, but I was mesmerised watching this seemingly strong man fall apart at the seams across these four episodes as he struggles to align his moral compass with his very natural parental instinct to protect his son at all costs. This is not an easy watch at all, but I urge everyone to give it a go.

6. Delta Slim - Sinners

For my money, Sinners is the best film of 2025, and it’ll take something pretty special to topple it. Genuinely, I think my soul left my body at least three times during my IMAX screening; it’s the kind of film that really reminds us why going to the cinema and watching cool stuff on a massive screen is one of the most exciting things we can do as humans. I could have picked several characters from this stunning vampire movie for this list. Jack O’Connell’s devilish villain, Remmick, comes close, but I’ve opted for Delta Slim, played sublimely by Delroy Lindo.

In a movie which thrives in its most bombastic and bold moments, it’s the understated, unerring Lindo who cuts through the noise with his inimitable screen presence and perfect line delivery. Delta Slim offers up words of wisdom and evocative tales with an air of cool, but it’s in his more frantic, fearful moments that this character excels, making the audience hang on his every word. Lindo was robbed of an Oscar nomination for Da 5 Bloods back in 2021, and he’ll be robbed again if he’s not recognised for his work in Sinners. Anyone who likes From Dusk Till Dawn or 30 Days of Night should tuck in to Sinners as soon as possible, even if it means paying £4.99 for a rental.

5. Rumi - KPop Demon Hunters

I’ll admit, when I first heard the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack dominating the radio, I rolled my eyes and changed the station. Now, they’re my most played songs on Spotify, and our whole family sings along to them in the car. Not only is this Netflix hit beautifully animated, but it’s also got a really entertaining storyline to match those incredible songs. And, at the heart of it all, is Rumi.

Rumi is the lead singer of HUNTR/X, and on the surface, she seems like the perfect popstar; a girl who has it all. But she’s harbouring a dark secret that even her best friends don’t know about, and that’s what makes her such an intriguing character. The journey Rumi goes on in the film is painfully relatable, from feeling like she has to hide who she really is to treading down a dark path. Eventually she realises she can be accepted by those who love her, regardless of her flaws. At just over an hour and a half, you’ll struggle to find an easier watch than KPop Demon Hunters, and it’s got so much rewatchability, too.

4. Kleya Marki - Andor

I’ve been obsessively raving about Andor ever since its first season was released in 2022. It’s not just the best Star Wars project Disney has produced, it might just be the most perfect thing to come out of the galaxy far, far away… ever. 

Given the current global political climate right now, I’d argue Andor is one of the most important pieces of television you could watch. Widespread oppression, ruthless dictatorships crushing the masses, media and news coverage ignoring the issues, and a passionate rebellion swelling in numbers among the shadows. It’s almost like Tony Gilroy held up a mirror to our world with this series, while still giving us a tiny bit of hope.

While Cassian Andor is obviously the main man here, I have to give a special shoutout to Kleya Marki, who goes from being a bit-part character to being a fully-formed firecracker of a revolutionary in Season 2. The way she rises to challenge and push Luthen Rael is genuinely goosebump-inducing stuff at times, leading to a highly emotional climax for the pair of them. Elizabeth Dulau, who plays Kleya, is a revelation; one of the brightest elements of an already phenomenal ensemble cast. She also sports iconic looks in the show, from elaborate hair and make-up to striking attire. Kleya really does have it all. 

As for Andor itself, you don’t even need to really know or like Star Wars to get on board – just jump in and enjoy some high-stakes espionage thrills!

3. Charles Heath - The Ballad of Wallis Island

I only watched The Ballad of Wallis Island on a whim, having seen Tim Key in a few other things before and liking his vibe. Much like Sorry, Baby, this is another film that really took me by surprise. Not only is it delightfully funny, but it feels so effortless and authentic, too, and let me warn you, this comedy movie packs an emotional punch. I won’t spoil how or when or why, but all I’ll say is, if you thought Tim Key was just a comedian, think again.

As Charles Heath, Key delivers his usual bumbling, irreverent humour, but takes his acting to new levels with a most sincere and heartbreaking dimension to his character. I still can’t get one particular scene and facial expression from Key out of my head – I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone look so convincingly upset in a film before. If you like quaint and quirky British comedies like Withnail & I, Sightseers, and Submarine, you’ll love The Ballad of Wallis Island. It’s well worth the £4.99 to rent. And, as a bonus, the music from fictional duo McGwyer and Mortimer in the film is lovely, too.

2. Seth Milchick - Severance

In a similar way to Kleya from Andor, Seth Milchick stepped up from being a side character in Severance Season 1 to truly stealing the show in Season 2. Tramell Tillman’s line delivery in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning was celebrated for being so emphatic and passive-aggressive, but fans of Severance will know he’s been doing this for years now.

In the sophomore season of the hit Apple TV+ show, Milchick was promoted to fill the void left behind by Harmony Cobel, but he finds it just as difficult to control the Macrodata Refinement team as Mark and Helly continue their rebellious activity in the workplace. The way Milchick loses his cool and tries to regain some authority, all while questioning his own place in the Lumon Industries mess, is absolutely captivating television. In a show that has A-list talent putting in career-defining work, it’s really something that Tillman can emerge as the standout performer.

1. Sensei Sergio St. Carlos - One Battle After Another

I can easily sum up why Sensei Sergio is the best character in film and TV in 2025 with just four simple words: “A few small beers.” If you’ve been on social media at all around the release of One Battle After Another, you’ll no doubt have seen this amazing little quote bandied around, and you know what? It absolutely deserves to go as viral as it has. Benicio del Toro probably had no idea what he had started when he delivered it in such an odd yet endearing way, but it’s the icing on the cake of a wonderful performance from a true master of his trade. 

From the moment he first appears on screen as Willa’s martial arts instructor, Sensei Sergio oozes cool and calm. In a film about political revolution filled with chaos and conflict, he’s the perfect remedy – a true hero for the way he so selflessly helps Bob evade the evil forces tracking him down. Sensei Sergio proves that you don’t always need passwords and plans to be a rebel; you just have to have heart and courage. He’s got those in abundance, and that’s why there’s simply no way any other character comes close to taking his crown this year. 

You’ll have to go out and watch One Battle After Another at the cinema for now, which I should say, is a treat! I went with a couple of friends to see it on release weekend, and we’ve still not stopped talking about this Paul Thomas Anderson masterclass. If you’re into films like Good Time, Django Unchained, or even, weirdly, The Grand Budapest Hotel, you’ll find a new favourite with this one. It’s funny, frenetic from start to finish, and I feel like it’s very accessible for almost any audience (of an appropriate age, of course).

You might recognise the Moomins as the smooth, white-coloured, large-snouted creatures from beloved older children's books. From 1945 to 1993, Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson published nine novels, several picture books, and a comic strip following the family-friendly adventures of the young Moomintroll, his parents Moominpappa and Moominmamma, his friends Little My, Sniff, Snorkmaiden, and others in their home, Moominvalley.

Beyond Jansson’s work, the Moomins’ adventures have been adapted into films and TV series around the world, from 1950s West Germany to 1990s Japan. Most recently, the CGI animated series Moominvalley has brought the Moomin family to a new generation of viewers, meaning you might have a renewed curiosity in discovering which adaptation is worth checking out.

Jansson’s Moomin books and comic strips are episodic, meaning there is mostly no continuous storyline to follow across the various productions, but book-ended adventures instead. This, in addition to the fact that most of the Moomin adaptations were made during different decades, in different countries, and by different companies, means there is no in-world chronological order to follow. 

Therefore, we recommend either watching the Moomin movies and TV series in order of release (as listed below) or simply starting at one of the more comprehensive and modern Moomin series, namely the 1990s anime Moomin or the 2019 series Moominvalley, for which you’ll find more details on further down.

The Moomin Family (TV series, 1959–1960)

The first series created from the Moomin books was the West German The Moomin Family, from the original German name Die Muminfamilie. The series is a black-and-white production by the Augsburger Puppenkiste, a renowned puppet theatre from Augsburg, Germany. 

The Moomin Family ran for a total of two seasons, with six episodes each, and brought different stories from the Moomin books to life for the first time. While the production is clearly quite old-school, it’s very wholesome and largely sticks to the plot of the two books it covers (Season 1: Finn Family Moomintroll, and Season 2: Moominsummer Madness). However, if you’re looking for a more modern introduction to the Moomins, it’s okay to skip this one. 

Moomintroll (TV series, 1969)

The 1969 Swedish series Moomintroll (from the original Swedish title Mumintrollet) was written by original author Tove Jansson and her brother Lars. The series had a total of 13 episodes and featured live actors in Moomin costumes portraying some of the classic stories. 

Unfortunately, it also became known as “The Decapitated Moomins” because the live actors infamously removed the heads of their costumes in the second episode in a misguided attempt to display the characters’ emotions. Instead, it terrified the young children watching, and it is probably not the best starting point for younger viewers today, either.

The Moomins (TV series, 1977)

Between 1977 and 1982, the Polish production company Se-ma-for produced a stop-motion series featuring felt puppets called The Moomins (from the original Polish Opowiadania Muminków). 

The series is one of the more well-known Moomin productions, and was so well received in Poland, Germany, and Austria (where it originally aired) that it was adapted into English and aired in the UK and the US in 1983. While The Moomins is one of the most faithful adaptations of Jansson’s work—indeed, the author herself approved the episode scripts before they were filmed—be warned that the tone gets rather dark and is scarier than your average children’s production.

Years later, bits of the series were recompiled into several films, including 2008’s Moomin and the Midsummer Madness, in which the peaceful Moominvalley endures a volcanic eruption. Other films featuring repurposed material from the felt puppet series include 2010’s Moomins and the Comet Chase, and 2017’s Moomins and the Winter Wonderland. Seeking those out could make for a more streamlined viewing experience.

Moomin (TV series, 1990–1992)

The 1990s Moomin anime series is perhaps the most famous of all the Moomin productions.

The beautifully animated Finnish-Japanese production is distinctly lighter in tone and more child-friendly than the 1970s Polish series. While the series does not stick as faithfully to Jansson’s original stories, it has become widely recognised as one of the best Moomin series to date, and therefore worthy of attention for its cultural footprint alone.

Running for two seasons that total 104 episodes, it’ll also keep you busy for a while; younger, non-Japanese-speaking viewers will also find it accessible as it was dubbed into several languages, including English. A prequel film for the series called Comet in Moominland was also released in 1992, if you want further material.

Moomins on the Riviera (2014)

In celebration of Tove Jannsson’s 100th birthday anniversary in 2014, a French-Finnish co-production released this hand-drawn animated film based on a storyline from the Moomin comic strip. 

Moomins on the Riviera follows the adventures of the Moomin family and their friends Snorkmaiden and Little My as they sail to the French Riviera. The film was well received when it debuted at the BFI London Film Festival, with reviewers praising it for its humour, artistic animation style, and ability to keep both kids and parents entertained.

Moominvalley (TV series, 2019–)

In 2019, a new British-Finnish CGI animated series was added to the Moomin roster, Moominvalley. It's since become one of the most successful Moomin productions to date, with its engaging, contemplative storytelling bringing Jansson’s classic stories into today’s era without discarding the original tone and magic. For the most modern and acclaimed introduction (or introduction) to Moomins, this is an ideal entry point.

Fittingly, the series has won several accolades, including Best Children's Series at the British Animation Awards in 2020, and is directed by Steve Box, who previously won an Oscar in 2005 for his work co-directing Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit; if you like the stop-motion charms of Aardman, this is a natural accompaniment. Adding to its prestige, it also features voice work from beloved actors like Taron Egerton, Rosamund Pike, Kate Winslet, and more.

Somewhere around the release of Suicide Squad, the idea of method acting jumped the shark. As it turned out, the world could only take so many stories about Jared Leto sending rats to his co-stars before the whole idea started to sound a little silly. 

It’s a shame, as the basic idea of method acting has always been rather simple: dig up a traumatic memory, push it down again, annnnd action! Perhaps the only star who can still get away with it these days is Daniel Day-Lewis—an actor whose name has basically become synonymous with the idea of total dedication to the craft. Despite announcing his retirement after Lincoln, the actor will soon be back on screens in Anemone, a film directed by Ronan Day-Lewis—who, as you may have guessed, is his son. 

In the list below, which is arranged in chronological order, we’ve looked back at the actor’s most famous (and infamous) techniques; how they amazed and enraged his co-workers; and how they ultimately enraptured everyone else. Read on to discover more about the actor’s best method moments, and use the guide below to find some of his greatest movies on services like AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

My Beautiful Launderette (1985)

The story goes that Stephen Frears was unsure about casting Day-Lewis (the son of a renowned poet) to play a working-class punk in My Beautiful Laundrette, but the actor managed to soothe his nerves—in a way—by writing him a letter explaining that if he didn’t get the role, he’d break his legs. Subtle.

The film itself is a classic of queer British cinema, and if you’re a fan of Andrew Haigh’s Weekend or James Ivory’s Maurice, it’s one you’ll want to seek out. 

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)

All things considered, the Frears story is a little low-key in the Day-Lewis canon. The first truly legendary prep that the actor did for a role came with Philip Kaufman’s adaptation of Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being, a gorgeous romance set against the backdrop of the Prague Spring—and a movie that will delight fans of swoony historical epics like The Age of Innocence and The English Patient. 

For the role of Tomas, a medical student whose heart becomes split between two women (played by Juliette Binoche and Lena Olin), Day-Lewis learned how to speak Czech, despite the fact that the movie was in English. In a later interview, the actor explained that he wanted his Czech accent to have a “kernel of truth.” Fair enough!

My Left Foot (1989)

Of all the stories surrounding Day-Lewis’ performances, his behaviour on the set of Jim Sheridan’s My Left Foot might be the most notorious. This is a film based on the memoir of Christy Brown, an Irish writer and artist who was born with cerebral palsy, so he learned to produce art using his lower extremity instead. Despite the subject matter, it’s actually kind of a blast—a film closer in tone to something like The Snapper than The Theory of Everything.

Naturally, Day-Lewis went all-in for the role, travelling exclusively by wheelchair—to the point that many crew members later complained about having to carry the actor to and from the set—and having his food fed to him. He also won Best Actor at the Academy Awards.

Hamlet (1989)

This version of Hamlet is, sadly, not available for streaming—but the story of Day-Lewis’ final performance as the Prince of Denmark is too good to leave out. This one came a little after some of the other stories on this list, but it has served as a kind of origin myth for the actor’s dedication.

The story goes that during a performance at the National Theatre in 1989, under director Richard Eyre and during the scene when Hamlet sees a ghost of his father, Day-Lewis was so wrapped up in his performance that he saw the ghost of his own father on stage. He immediately walked off and, 36 years later, hasn’t been on a stage since. Now that’s commitment to the bit. 

The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

Another classic in the Day-Lewis method canon was the actor’s meticulous preparation for his role in Michael Mann’s 1992 classic, The Last of the Mohicans. This is a brilliant historical epic, a movie that splits the difference between the detail and sentimentality of Dances With Wolves and the thrilling spectacle of Braveheart. 

For the role of Hawkeye, a white man raised by a Mohican tribe, the actor spent months in the wilderness, built his own canoe, learned how to skin and cook animals, and became skilled at firing and reloading a flintlock rifle while running. 

In the Name of the Father (1993)

In 1993, Day-Lewis reunited with his My Left Foot director, Jim Sheridan, to bring 

Gerry Conlon’s memoir to the big screen. In the Name of the Father tells the story of four men who were wrongfully imprisoned for the IRA bombings in Guilford in 1974—and if you’re interested in that period of history (think Hunger, Say Nothing), I highly recommend it. 

In preparation for the role of Conlon, who spent 15 years in prison before being cleared of the charges, Day-Lewis lost 50 pounds and spent almost 48 hours in solitary confinement without food or water. The performance earned him his second nomination at the Oscars, where he lost to Tom Hanks for Philadelphia. 

The Boxer (1997)

Some say the reason why Day-Lewis makes so few movies is simply due to the time it takes him to prepare—any director who calls him up knows they may have to play the long game. This was certainly the case with The Boxer, the actor’s third collaboration with Sheridan and another story rooted in that period of Irish history. This one follows a man’s attempts to put his life back together after doing 14 years in prison—if you’re familiar with Cutty’s story arc in Season 3 of The Wire, you’ll know what to expect.

In preparation for this one, the actor trained for three years to get into the boxer’s mindset. When it eventually became time to roll cameras, his coach claimed that the actor could’ve competed professionally. 

Gangs of New York (2002)

Having worked together on The Age of Innocence in 1993, Day-Lewis and Martin Scorsese reunited almost a decade later for Gangs of New York. The movie follows the early days of Irish immigration in America, and even though it’s not the director’s best, if you appreciate the period setting and mood of Scorsese’s Boardwalk Empire, or even the recent Netflix series House of Guinness, you’ll probably get into it! 

The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz, but there’s no doubt that Day-Lewis’ iconic Bill “The Butcher” steals the show. To prepare for the role, the actor apprenticed with a real butcher, studied 19th century New York dialects, and refused to take modern medicine when he caught pneumonia (having also refused to wear a modern winter coat.) Scorsese says that between takes, he would stalk the set while sharpening knives. 

Of course, he got another nomination.

The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)

Anemone isn’t the first time that Day-Lewis has collaborated on a loved one’s film. In 2005, he starred in director Rebecca Miller’s (aka his wife’s) The Ballad of Jack and Rose. This is a tonally dark film about an ex-hippie raising his daughter on a secluded island off the coast of New England, where a commune once thrived—imagine a murky combination of Leave no Trace and Dogtooth and you might have some idea of what to expect.

This might be the most low-key film of Day-Lewis’ career, and yet, to no one’s surprise, it didn’t stop him from living alone in a shack without electricity or running water for the entirety of the shoot.

Lincoln (2012)

The level of accuracy that Steven Spielberg brought to his 2012 biopic, Lincoln, is already the stuff of legend—and if you appreciate the director’s historical work, like Saving Private Ryan or Empire of the Sun, this is one you’ll want to see. 

The great sound designer Ben Burtt once told me that he travelled to the Smithsonian in Washington just to record the ticking of one of the late President’s actual wristwatches. It seems that by 2012, the actor had cooled it a bit with his on-set antics, but Day-Lewis still rose to the occasion: he worked meticulously on Lincoln’s voice and mannerisms, producing a more introverted version than anyone expected; he also allegedly signed off his text messages with “Abe” and asked the cast and crew to refer to him as “Mr. President”. 

The role also won him a record-breaking third Academy Award. Say what you want, the guy gets results. 

He’s the master of neatness, building perfectly symmetrical, intricate worlds and then populating them with the most absurd yet charming characters you’re ever likely to meet. Wes Anderson’s quirky stories may not be for everyone, but there is no denying that he is one of the most sublimely stylish filmmakers working today.

From his early indie work and stop-motion animation to Oscar-winning triumphs, we’ve ranked every Wes Anderson movie (not including his collection of short films) to determine which is the best.

12. Asteroid City (2023)

At the bottom of the pile, Asteroid City commits the ultimate cinema sin. There’s no two ways about it, I just find it plain boring. A story about UFO sightings, a quarantined city, and meteorite crash sites sounds like a fascinating tale. Yet it’s let down by overly stilted dialogue and sluggish pacing – the film is only just over 100 minutes long, but feels far longer. In addition, Anderson unfortunately fails to get the best out of his incredible ensemble cast and struggles to handle the ambitious story he’s crafted. 

What I do admire, though, is the film tackling heavy themes of grief and the ways humans deal with chaos and tragedy. For me, he only scratches the surface with this, but it’s still something tangible and meaningful compared to his more whimsical tone. I will also admit the production design is perhaps Anderson’s greatest, with stunning blues and yellows that bring the American deserts of the 1950s to life.

Sure, it’s not for me personally, but if you enjoyed recent movies like White Noise from Noah Baumbach or Ari Aster’s Beau Is Afraid, I think you’ll be able to tap into Asteroid City and appreciate what Anderson is striving for. Plus, it’s on Netflix, so if you are looking to watch all of his work, you’ll at least find it very easily.

11. Rushmore (1998)

While Bottle Rocket was a riveting and spectacular debut (more on that later), Anderson’s follow-up, Rushmore, lacks its energy and intrigue. In many ways, this film sows the early seeds of that gratuitous quirkiness that has come to tarnish Anderson’s work in recent years.

Though I find Rushmore to be tedious, pretentious, and sadly, none of its humour quite works for me, one of my friends has this as his favourite Wes Anderson movie, so you shouldn’t write it off without watching it at least once. I do think it’s a real shame that I couldn’t get on board with the film. What could have been an interesting idea seems to lose its way, muddied by the urge to be outlandish for the sake of it. Still, it’s only an hour and a half long, and it’s on Disney+, too, so maybe I should give it another go. If you enjoy the likes of Dead Poets Society, Lady Bird, and The Social Network, you’ll probably get on board with Rushmore.

10. The Phoenician Scheme (2025)

The latest Wes Anderson movie has plenty of positives. Benicio del Toro is as superb as ever, the film looks breathtakingly beautiful (possibly the most visually pleasing of Anderson’s career), and there are some truly hilarious moments. But these positives are too few and far between in The Phoenician Scheme as Anderson fails to give us a story we can actually care about, leaving audiences wanting so much more on all fronts. When I saw this at the cinema, the first half an hour had me feeling like I could be watching a real return to form, but things sadly fall apart at the gorgeous, delicate seams in the second and third acts.

Those style-over-substance accusations are getting harder and harder to deny. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with The Phoenician Scheme, aside from the aforementioned story issues and the fact that it doesn’t quite utilise both Michael Cera and Benedict Cumberbatch as effectively as it could and should. Still, if you like the way Anderson plays around with various cameos, you’ll love spotting all the famous faces. At times, The Phoenician Scheme feels like Burn After Reading or Kinds of Kindness; it’s even got shades of Megalopolis about it, for better or worse. 

All in all, it’s a very ambitious picture, and one that will raise a few laughs. Remember, even watching a weaker Wes Anderson film is still usually a very good way to spend a couple of hours.

9. The French Dispatch (2021)

Anthology films are always hard to judge. Had Anderson opted to simply make a feature film expanding on the first segment, The Concrete Masterpiece, we would potentially be looking at one of his best-ever films. Benicio del Toro is outstanding as the enigmatic and unhinged artist at the heart of the tale, but Moses’s story is over far too soon. I’d give anything to see more of the gruff and grisly character and his oddly sweet chemistry with Lea Seydoux’s Simone; theirs is a truly intriguing tale, and it is the main reason I’ll be revisiting The French Dispatch in the near future.

The French Dispatch then moves on to Timothée Chalamet and Frances McDormand, who combine for a perfectly fine if unremarkable story of political rebellion. This chapter is by far the most typical of Anderson’s methodical and elaborate style, with an air of slapstick comedy juxtaposed with poetic dialogue. There’s no denying that Chalamet is captivating to watch (as always), providing us with the kind of character in Zeffirelli that we are eager to get to know better, and whose arrogant front belies a genuinely fascinating and impactful set of political ideologies. 

Sadly, The French Dispatch wraps up with a very stylish but underwhelming storytelling session from Jeffrey Wright. In short, this anthology ends up being less than the sum of its parts, but there’s enough in the first two stories to make it worthwhile, especially if you like it when Anderson takes on a more serious tone.

8. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

In this ranking of Wes Anderson movies, Moonrise Kingdom is the final divider between the very good and the very disappointing. There’s a lot to love about Anderson’s offbeat camping adventure, including heavily relying on child actors that pays off and then some, bringing a cute romantic tale to life. Ed Norton and Bruce Willis are fantastic as the more senior members of the cast, and the fact that this film helped make Jared Gilman – one of the funniest cinephiles on X – famous is worthy of celebration in itself.

In truth, there’s very little stopping Moonrise Kingdom from being higher up this list. Perhaps it merely lacks that splash of dynamism and energy that Anderson’s more effective work possesses, but that’s nitpicking a perfectly charming film. The only downside is that you’ll have to pay to rent it, as it’s currently not on any streaming services. But Moonrise Kingdom is totally worth the few pounds you’ll have to part with. Watch this one if you like films like Sing Street, The Florida Project, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

7. Isle of Dogs (2018)

While not as strong as his previous stop-motion work on Fantastic Mr Fox (more on that one later, too), Isle of Dogs is still a masterful animated effort. What it lacks in warmth and whimsy, Isle of Dogs more than makes up for in its provocative messaging and slick technical elements. Almost ten years on from his first foray into the medium, it’s clear to see Anderson had evolved as an animated storyteller by this point, with cleaner visuals and a desire to spin a more mature tale.

There’s incredible worldbuilding on display here, too, as Anderson drops us into the vast and diverse fictional city of Megasaki. But it is the ensemble of voice actors that is the real triumph, with Bryan Cranston proving he’s more than just the one who knocks; he’s also the one who barks. I remember seeing this at the cinema with my brother and daughter when it first came out, and we’ve since rewatched it together and loved it all the same.

6. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

You can pinpoint The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou as the start of Anderson’s affinity for the grandiose and extravagant. It’s a film rich with verve and visual flair, and it also introduced that off-kilter comedy he’s now renowned for. Obviously, having a cast that includes the likes of Willem Dafoe, Bill Murray, and Jeff Goldblum is always going to give you that magical balance of humour and charm.

It’s an absurd film, really, taking a mockumentary approach to riff on the life of famed French oceanographer, Jacques Cousteau (speaking of whom, you should totally watch the documentary Becoming Cousteau if you enjoy this film), and yet it all works so brilliantly. In many ways, this experimental effort could be the most important Wes Anderson movie of all, for what it stirred inside the filmmaker creatively. Give this one a go if you are into films like Captain Fantastic, Swiss Army Man, and The Peanut Butter Falcon.

5. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

If you enjoy the light and warm feeling Wes Anderson films give you, then prepare to be shocked by how cold and cynical The Royal Tenenbaums is. This is an incredibly raw and bleak story at times, with some truly harrowing moments that feel out of place in Anderson’s oeuvre now, and yet it all still works phenomenally well. When it’s funny, it’s laugh-out-loud hilarious, but when it veers towards the more emotional elements, it offers up a gutpunch or two.

Gene Hackman carries the film on his shoulders, which should come as no surprise, but the likes of Ben Stiller and Luke Wilson are outstanding in support. What’s interesting about this picture is that it’s the last time Anderson worked without the shackles of symmetry. That precision in his work is so often the source of success, but with The Royal Tenenbaums, he is firmly focused on story alone, and the film flourishes because of this. 

I was lucky enough to see this in the cinema recently, and it was predictably fantastic. But you can watch it on Disney+ at home. In fact, if you like Wes Anderson, having a subscription to the House of Mouse service is essential, as three-quarters of his work is on there.

4. The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

As I’ve discussed, the biggest criticism sent Wes Anderson’s way is that his work is more style over substance. With The Darjeeling Limited, that’s certainly not the case. Of all Anderson’s work, this is his most powerful and poignant – you can feel how personal this story is to him. In fact, in an interview with Empire, Anderson explained how his fascination with India led him to travel the country with his collaborators, Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola, to research and write this movie. And, it has to be said, that authenticity really shines through.

Of course, there’s still that trademark eccentricity we know and love, but it all feeds into the highly cathartic conclusion. Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, and Owen Wilson have exceptional chemistry together, and it’s because of them that everything collides in such a satisfying way by the end. At just over 90 minutes long, The Darjeeling Limited is one of those rare movies that makes good use of every single second of screen time.

3. Bottle Rocket (1996)

Anderson’s debut came almost 30 years ago now, but it still stands the test of time as one of his finest works. Bottle Rocket is a film brimming with confidence and swagger, and while it still leans into the comedic side of things, there’s also a real grit to this accomplished indie feature. It’s fascinating to think that Quentin Tarantino was making a name for himself around this time, as there are certainly shades of Pulp Fiction present in the way the story twists and turns while balancing humour and crime.

It’s so rare to see someone come out of the blocks firing on all cylinders in this way, but Anderson and his cohort deliver something truly special here. The Wilson brothers are in fine form, while Robert Musgrave offers up one of those lightning-in-a-bottle performances alongside them to steal the show. You’ll either have to rent this from Apple TV+ or sign up to BFI Player, but either way, it’s worth it. You simply cannot miss this early Wes Anderson movie.

2. Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)

As it turns out, the irreverent humour and quaint charm usually found in Anderson’s work translate wonderfully into stop-motion animation. His take on this Roald Dahl classic is full of warmth and playfulness, and the kind of film that leaves you marvelling at how anyone is capable of pulling off such a technical feat. What’s also great about it is that Anderson embellishes the source material with so many quirky details, turning a brilliant book into an even better movie.

Fantastic Mr Fox works for young viewers thanks to its silly, slapstick comedy, but it also has a deeper, more mature edge that’ll give older viewers a slice of the fun, too. By far his most universal and accessible film, this is also Wes Anderson at his most creative, and it’s a real treat to behold. This movie will always hold a special place in my heart, as it’s one of my daughter’s all-time favourites; we watch it together every year, and it never loses its magic.

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

The truth is, Wes Anderson peaked just over a decade ago, with his sumptuous concierge caper, The Grand Budapest Hotel. Not only is it one of the most stunning pieces of art of the 21st century, but it’s also incredibly funny and surprisingly heartfelt at times. Just be warned, it’s also a little bit violent and rude, so it’s not one to share with younger audiences.

Unsurprisingly, this beautiful picture won the Oscar for Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Production Design. The attention to detail in bringing this film to life is astounding – from those lavish costumes and large-scale set pieces, to unfathomably meticulous miniatures and camera work. Throw in a career-best performance from Ralph Fiennes and a razor-sharp script, and you have a truly perfect movie. This is right in the Goldilocks zone for Anderson, who strikes the ideal balance between his oddball energy, high-brow humour, and visual flair without it ever seeming ostentatious. 

If you’ve enjoyed films like Poor Things, Babylon, and The Banshees of Inisherin, you’ll be enraptured by your cinematic trip to The Grand Budapest Hotel.

While their reception among film critics and horror aficionados alike is mixed, there’s no denying the cultural and financial footprint of The Conjuring Universe. Based, with the widest creative license imaginable, on the infamous and controversial careers of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, the film series began in 2013 with creator James Wan’s take on the Warren case that inspired The Amityville Horror, the story of a family being driven out of their Long Island home by incessant paranormal activity.

The film was a box office smash and a critical hit, leading to three direct sequels and six spin-offs to date, collectively propelling the extended universe to be one of the most successful in cinema history. It’s repeatedly been hailed as the only real competition to the MCU’s dominance, which is no mean feat for any franchise, let alone horror.

The secret sauce that pulls audiences in their droves to a Conjuring film isn’t just the signature flair that Wan, who is artistically underrated in my book, baked into their foundation, nor the haunted toy box of monsters powering the spinoffs. Without the chemistry and conviction that Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga bring to Ed and Lorraine, the main series simply wouldn’t work as well. I’d go so far as to say these movies, which are unabashedly mainstream, transcend horror in the way that their ‘elevated’ competitors do. At their heart, they’re simply classic tales of good vs evil, without irony or metaphor. For that reason, anyone after something truly unsettling should instead invest their time in modern horror series like Terrifier. Everyone else happy with Ghost Train-levels of thrill, meanwhile, can continue reading for my ranking of every Conjuring movie, from the least good to the very best.    

10. The Curse of La Llorona (2019)

There’s some debate as to whether The Curse of La Llorona counts as part of The Conjuring Universe. Series director Michael Chaves views it as an unofficial outlier, as, despite it taking place within the same world and featuring Annabelle’s Father Perez, it has the least connection to the Warrens. This might be why the film sits at the bottom of the pile for me – it feels far too inconsequential.

Inspired by a vengeful, weeping spirit from Latin American mythology and taking place in the 1970s, La Llorona is a standard (to a fault) haunted house tale starring the always excellent Linda Cardellini. It’s refreshing to spotlight folklore that isn’t Biblical or Eurocentric in origin, but La Llorona is neither the scariest nor the most lore-enriching Conjuring film. However, if you’re interested in learning more about Hispanic supernaturalism, or enjoyed low-key domestic horror like The Woman In The Yard or Night Swim, it’s a perfectly fine night in.   

9. The Nun 2 (2023)

Here’s where I begin my campaign to convince you that Valak, aka the ‘Demon Nun’ that plagues Lorraine in The Conjuring II, deserves to be the series mascot more than Annabelle. Unfortunately, that effort begins with the inferior sequel to the demon’s spinoff movie, but it speaks volumes about the character’s power that a disappointing series entry can still be worth recommending.

Actual nun Sister Irene is back in the habit in the 1950s French-set film, having supposedly exorcised Valek in mocking sisterly garb in the previous instalment. The film falls into the classic pitfall of retroactively fleshing out a hero’s backstory to explain their ‘specialness’ in order to justify continuing the story. Really, Sister Irene was compelling in The Nun because she was so ordinary – and because Taissa Farmiga (Vera’s younger sister) is an absolute trooper. The Nun II also doesn’t live up to the dark fantasy terror of the first one, though one especially inventive sequence involving Valak appearing on the covers at a magazine stand is one of The Conjuring’s most iconic.  

8. Anabelle Comes Home (2019)

Proving that Conjuring spinoffs really do have diminishing returns the longer they continue, the (so far) final chapter in the Annabelle trilogy just beats The Nun for this lowly place on the list. Based on a real-life ‘haunted’ Raggedy Ann doll, the possessed toy is whatever the opposite of being pride of place is in the Warren’s infamous home collection of confiscated occult items. 

Anabelle Comes Home completes a journey for the pigtailed menace we’ll get into later on, and the premise is really fun: the Warren’s daughter Judy, along with her babysitter and friends, breaks into the collection room and chaos ensues. Ghostbusters’ Grace McKenna (as Judy) doubles down on her horror kid credentials, and there’s a Ferryman-themed monster who really gives me the heebie-jeebies. However, a climactic projector-powered cameo from Patrick Wilson in full exorcism mode only serves to remind you how hollow most Conjuring films are without horror’s most wholesome couple.     

7. Annabelle (2014)

After debuting in the first Conjuring movie as a shadow villain to the central antagonistic force, Annabelle cuts loose in this first spinoff, set a few years before the first film. Annabelle reveals how the demon possessing the doll was summoned and ended up attached to it, as well as its link to the Warrens via Father Perez, who is called to the aid of the family Annabelle terrorises.

The late ‘60s setting and a demonic plot revolving around a newborn might strike a chord with anyone who likes Rosemary’s Baby, or the more modern Servant. As a foundational lore-dropper, Annabelle is also essential viewing for franchise fans; for everyone else, there are more exciting and scarier films to come on this list.

6. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

The third Conjuring film in the main series is the least well-liked for a reason: based on another real-life event, in which the defence during a murder trial in 1981 rested on the claim that the 11-year-old defendant had been possessed during the crime, The Devil Made Me Do It transports the Warrens from their familiar haunted house territory to courtroom drama.

It’s an interesting twist on paper that, unfortunately, drains the undead life out of the film for much of its middle portion. However, that rather baggy, lax middle is bookended by some brilliant moments of tension, including Ed having an exorcism-fuelled brush with death and the Warrens uncovering the cavernous lair of Devil-worshippers – a nod to the satanic panic of the 1980s.

5. The Nun (2018)

Cue the baritone occult chanting… What makes The Nun a particularly strong spinoff movie is that it can stand alone from the rest of the Conjuring films. Taking place in a crumbling Romanian convent in the early 1950s, the film is the first chronological appearance of Valak, explaining how the demon came to take its titular guise and how it latched itself onto Sister Irene.

In the ‘Nunsploitation’ canon, it’s closer to the paranormal wildness of Immaculate than the subdued psycho-drama of Black Narcissus, making great use of its setting’s shadowy, gothic aesthetic to dial up the strange sense of both isolation and claustrophobia. The finale veers into the fantastical – The Pope’s Exorcist, but somehow more believable – but Taissa Farmiga grounds everything with a resolute, inner strength. It’s Bonnie Aarons’ Nun, however, that’s the driving force for me: floating through corridors with that dead-eyed, green stare, cementing Valak as one of modern horror’s most terrifying concoctions.

4. Annabelle: Creation (2017)

This middle instalment of the Annabelle spinoff trilogy takes us back even further than its predecessor, delving into the backstory of Annabelle’s protagonist and what motivates her to carry out a ritualistic slaying as an adult. The impetus for the horror is a grief-stricken couple praying for the resurrection of their young daughter, and the hell they unwittingly unleash on their foster children from the being who answers.

Creation is Annabelle at her fiendish best – hiding in barns, pushing kids down stairs, and in one sequence that still makes me shudder, simply lying in wait on a bottom bunk bed all night; masterful tension-building with pure paranoia. Obviously, it’s an important origin point for the character and a key Conjuring universe film, which is why it just pips The Nun to this position in the ranking. It’s also a must-watch for those drawn to creepy doll horror, like Child’s Play and M3GAN. 

3. The Conjuring (2013)

The film that started it all was a surprise runaway hit in the early 2010s, raking in over $300 million against a $20 million budget. Over a decade later, The Conjuring remains a satisfyingly disturbing haunted house classic for the modern age: a likeable, normal family tortured by volatile supernatural forces, and the dedicated couple (the Warrens) who valiantly come to their aid against these forces.

Lili Taylor is fantastic as the mother targeted by a vengeful, ghoulish entity, with memorable scenes involving mouth-to-mouth black gunk and a viscerally harrowing exorcism in the Rhode Island estate’s basement. Despite its subject matter, this is the most grounded of the series, with a strong focus on practical effects and character-driven storytelling that elevate the film above mere shock value. It helped usher in a new era of thoughtful, high-end horror, like the It remakes and Mike Flanagan’s Hill House anthology.

2. The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)

Last Rites looks to be the concluding chapter of Ed and Lorraine’s cinematic journey, and it’s a suitably eerie but affectionate note to end on. Taking place in the late ‘80s, the film promises there’s “a reason this was [the Warren’s] last case”, dragging their adult daughter Judy, the inheritor of Lorraine’s medium ability, into the home of another poor family with a demon problem.

Though it’s a bit of a slowburn, this is a return to form following the slight disappointment of The Devil Made Me Do It: the opening flashback should not be viewed by anyone about to give birth, and that wedding dress changing room scene – inexplicably built like a fairground hall of mirrors – rivals that car scene in Weapons for the audience gasps it induces. Scares aside, Last Rites is Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s triumphant swan song, and their commitment to these characters is as unwavering as the Warren’s devotion to fighting evil.   

1. The Conjuring 2 (2016)

The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2 are as close to perfect as blockbuster horror filmmaking can be, but for me, this first sequel is just that bit more special. All of the ingredients that go on to define the extended universe are formalised here: an array of entities with unique schticks (including our good friend Valak as the Final Boss), deeply sympathetic victims in a working-class British family beset by evil, and, in their second outing, Ed and Lorraine feel fully realised as a united force keeping hell at bay with nothing but a bible and a guitar.

Having some unusually robust source material helps, as well as some of the series’s most haunting imagery: Lorraine’s painting of the Demon Nun suddenly becoming real, the ghostly old man appearing in his armchair, the Crooked Man luring a child into a tent, and the climactic confrontation with Valak playing out with Old Testament grandeur. If you want to know what makes The Conjuring Universe tick, The Conjuring 2 has all bases covered.    

He may be cute and charming when he’s talking about movies, but when making them, Director Bong goes to some pretty dark places. Whether it’s strange aquatic monsters, brutal and bloody murder cases, or dystopian train rides, the Korean filmmaker has given us ample opportunity over the years to dissect and decipher our place in society through his work.

As far as foreign language directors go, there are few as popular – or indeed as talented – as Bong Joon-ho. After dominating the Oscars with Parasite in 2020, he returned in 2025 with the long-awaited Mickey 17. So, as his career goes from strength to strength, it’s time to crown the best Bong Joon-ho movie of them all.

For this list, we decided not to include two films, Tokyo and Digital Short Films by Three Filmmakers 2004, as even though they’re technically included in his filmography, Director Bong merely directed segments of these two anthology films, and as such, we’re not going to count them in this collection of feature-length projects. You’ll find eight of those below, ranked in ascending order.

8. Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000)

Debut feature films are hard. Very few filmmakers get them right, and sadly, not even the great Bong Joon-ho could do much with his first effort. The most interesting thing about Barking Dogs Never Bite is its creative title, which says all you need to know about the quality of this one. Maybe that was harsh – it’s not necessarily a bad film, but it is painfully raw and rough around the edges. 

It’s also guilty of the worst crime you can commit in film, which is that it’s immediately forgettable and not all that engaging. While Bong’s later work is imbued with a comical and clever cynicism, Barking Dogs Never Bite feels cold and cruel for the sake of it. Completionists can tick it off their list pretty easily, though: it’s fairly short and available on BFI Player. But be warned, if you’re sensitive to animal cruelty, don’t watch this one.

7. Mickey 17 (2025)

There were such high hopes for Bong Joon-ho’s follow-up to Parasite, especially when it was announced that Robert Pattinson would lead the cast, playing multiple versions of himself. That combo sounds like a dream, but sadly, Mickey 17 struggles tonally and lacks the flair of Bong’s earlier work. It’s not funny enough to be a comedy and it’s not exciting enough to be a thriller, so it ends up being little more than a fairly run-of-the-mill sci-fi. That a Bong Joon-ho picture could ever feel generic is crazy to imagine, but here we are.

While Mickey 17 does look great (the CGI work, in particular, is top drawer) and everyone seems to be having fun on screen (especially Mark Ruffalo), there’s a predictability to the story that drains the excitement out of the experience. At the time of writing, you’ll have to pay to rent this, and I wouldn’t recommend doing so other than to make your own mind up.

6. The Host (2006)

If you think a monster movie from Bong Joon-ho sounds like fun, you’d be absolutely right. The Host is an ambitious, bombastic, brilliant take on a tried-and-tested subgenre. It’s by no means perfect, but you have to admire the absurdity and technical creativity on show to bring this semi-horror sci-fi to life.

In many ways, this is Bong at his playful best. The film itself has its weaknesses – severely dated CGI, for one – but diving into this disaster movie is guaranteed to put a smile on your face in its delivery of razor-sharp social commentary around how we as a people may or may not selfishly act in times of crisis. It does have its dark, fairly gruesome moments, too, but that grey area between glee and gloom is where Bong has always thrived. Do yourself a favour: subscribe to Studio Canal and make this your first watch there.

5. Mother (2009)

Right, this is where this list steps up a notch from films you may or may not want or need to watch, to films like Mother, that you simply cannot ignore. In the early to mid-2000s, Bong Joon-ho was crafting far bleaker and more brutal work in his native tongue, and Mother is a fine example of this. Bong puts his audience in detective mode to unravel a deliciously dark mystery, and there’s a real no-holds-barred approach to the depictions of violence he puts on screen here.

It says a lot that this isn’t even his most sadistic and disturbing picture, but there’s something about Bong’s level of attention to every grimy, horrible little detail that gets under your skin. Watch this if you like movies like Psycho, We Need to Talk About Kevin, or The Game. Whether you sign up for Sundance Now and watch it there or pay to rent it, Mother is absolutely worth seeking out at all costs.

4. Okja (2017)

If you prefer Bong’s more fun side, Okja is the perfect hit of that. This Netflix-produced dark comedy is everything Mickey 17 wanted to be, but ended up being far less intriguing than. Between Jake Gyllenhaal hamming it up and the adorable titular creature at the heart of the story, you’ve got a bit of everything in this one, combining chaos and cuteness in a treat for all sensibilities.

Okja is also incredibly emotional – it made me cry, and I never cry! It’s a poignant inspection of mankind’s role in the world and the way we treat other living beings. Think Pete’s Dragon, but with more swearing and harrowing moments, or Princess Mononoke with a little less subtlety. It couldn’t be easier to watch Okja, either; just turn Netflix on and get on with it already!

3. Snowpiercer (2013)

Remember when we said Mother wasn’t the most bleak Bong movie? Well, here it is. Snowpiercer is grim, but it’s absolutely fascinating, and certainly Bong’s finest work in the English language. From the stunning snowy backdrops outside to the shadowy, grimy train carriages within, every inch of Snowpiercer is designed to make you feel claustrophobic and uneasy, fueling its harrowing central story of class hierarchy and a fight for survival.

It’s a very Orwellian tale: Animal Farm, essentially, but with people on a train. And if that doesn’t get you immediately scrambling to sign up to Paramount Plus and pressing play on Snowpiercer, then something is very wrong. Just be warned, if you love Chris Evans as Captain America, get ready for that poster boy image to be tarnished forever with one staggering line delivery – but it’s so worth it.

2. Memories of Murder (2003)

Not many filmmakers could claim that their sophomore feature film is near-perfect, but Bong Joon-ho definitely can. Memories of Murder is a captivating detective thriller story steeped in gruesome, grisly crimes and a cat-and-mouse chase for the ages. All the best aspects of classics like Seven, The Silence of the Lambs, and pretty much anything by Alfred Hitchcock are present here. While it’s not quite as violent or harrowing as I Saw the Devil, it’s pretty damn close.

It’s incredible to think that this effort came just three years after his subpar debut in Barking Dogs Never Bite. In that short space of time, Bong refined every aspect of his filmmaking, expertly guiding the lens, drawing mesmerising performances out of his cast, and threading a narrative so complex and compelling you’ll be absolutely hooked from the first minute to the last.

1. Parasite (2019)

It can be annoying to go for the obvious answer sometimes. But then again, if something is so obvious, it’s for a good reason, and the love that Parasite gets is more than justified. Simply put, there is no way anything else could have taken top spot in this ranking of Bong Joon-ho’s movies. Parasite is rip-roaringly funny, beautifully dark, and so unpredictable that the first time you watch this movie, your jaw will be on the floor by the end. This film deserved every award it won, and then some – it’s genuinely one of the best movies of the modern era. 

What’s also brilliant about Parasite is that it’s one of the most easily accessible foreign language movies. If you like the irreverence of Wes Anderson movies, the surrealism of Yorgos Lanthimos, or even the way Quentin Tarantino movies twist and turn and collide, you’ll have a blast with Parasite. It’s so easy to get over that “one-inch barrier” of words on the screen, as Bong put it himself, and it’s so worth it, too. When a story is this universal and wonderfully crafted, you’ll soon forget you’re even reading subtitles. Plus, it’s on Netflix, so it quite literally couldn’t be simpler. Stop making excuses and watch this life-changing movie tonight.

When Sinners was released at the start of summer 2025, audiences were treated to a double dose of Michael B. Jordan. The actor oozed charisma with his star turn as twin brothers Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler’s epic vampire movie—a performance that only further confirmed him as one of the coolest and most accomplished actors working today. In more recent months, that dual role has seen the 39-year-old become a serious contender for many of the industry's biggest awards—and after pipping both Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio to the Actor Award (formerly SAG) at the beginning of March, Jordan appears to now have an outside chance at the Oscars.

The truth, though, is that we’ve known about Jordan's star quality for quite some time now. Whether you’re just getting to know him or you’ve been following his career for years, there’s never a bad time to dive into the best Michael B. Jordan movies. Below, you’ll find ten of his best so far, ranked in ascending order, as well as where to watch them on services like AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere. 

10. Fantastic Four (2015)

Is it messy? Absolutely. Is it for the best that this version of Marvel’s ‘First Family’ was never seen again? Probably. But deep down, are we ready to admit that Fantastic Four is secretly a little bit fun? Yes. Yes, we are. First of all, I don’t want to live in a world that doesn’t have the ‘Say that again’ meme. Secondly, it’s very hard to completely hate on a film with a cast that includes Toby Kebbell and Miles Teller alongside Jordan. 

There’s actually a lot to appreciate about the direction Josh Trank’s vision for these characters was heading in. It had plenty of energy, some cool visuals, and it’s definitely nowhere near the worst superhero movie with Marvel’s name attached to it. With a runtime of 100 minutes, it’s not like you’re wasting your time, either. Hell, even just talking about this movie right now has got me craving a rewatch – I wonder if I’ll still be a staunch defender of Fantastic Four after that.

9. That Awkward Moment (2014)

Here’s something we haven’t seen often from Michael B. Jordan: a romantic comedy. Given he’s one of the most charismatic and good looking actors on the planet, you’d think studios would be throwing these projects at him. Judging by his work in That Awkward Moment, he would knock every single one of them out of the park! Still, this rare light spot in his otherwise fairly heavy filmography is a real treat and an underrated gem in the genre overall.

That Awkward Moment sees him star alongside Miles Teller and Zac Efron, who help to lift what could have been a fairly average flick into a very entertaining and easy watch. It’s filled with lots of genuinely funny moments, and also offers some – but not too much – commentary on the idea of toxic masculinity. You’ll have to pay to rent this movie on Apple TV+, but if you’re looking for a light watch for date night, it’s honestly worth a couple of quid.

8. Creed II (2018)

It’s really hard to separate all three Creed movies. When forced to pick, however, I have to admit Creed II is marginally weaker (it goes down to a split decision, but there has to be a loser in every fight). This sequel has a solid storyline at its core, but it just doesn’t quite have the spark of Coogler’s first instalment and lacks the creativity from Jordan in Creed III. Still, Steven Caple Jr. gets some of Stallone’s best work here, and Jordan really starts to make the franchise his own by this point. 

Love it or hate it, the decision to bring back Ivan Drago and have Adonis fight his son is a really interesting move, helping bring closure for both families and bring the franchise to a wonderful full-circle moment. It may be marginally the weakest of the trilogy, but Creed II is still one of the best sports movies of the last decade. It leaves Prime Video at the end of September 2025, but you could always give Film Box+ a trial run and watch it there instead.

7. Chronicle (2012)

You may think Black Panther was Michael B. Jordan’s first dalliance with the superhero genre, but he actually gained special abilities long before that in 2012’s Chronicle. The Josh Trank movie has grown as a cult favourite over the years, garnering praise for its gritty approach to the superhero craze and the creative technical elements behind the indie flick. Rightly so, too. This is a film with enough visual flair and smart use of CGI to make its world immersive without overkill.

Despite the supernatural elements at play, this dark, thought-provoking sci-fi film is surprisingly human and grounded, exploring the mental and moral complications that would arise from gaining superpowers. Honestly, if it weren’t for the rise of the MCU around the same time, I think Chronicle would have absolutely blown audiences away. Next time you boot up Disney+, try this 83-minute movie rather than rewatching The Avengers for the umpteenth time.

6. Creed (2015)

The idea of resurrecting the Rocky franchise at all was a risky one, never mind the fact that, with Creed, the focus went away from Sylvester Stallone’s iconic title character and introduced us to a brand new hero to root for. But it damn sure worked, as the combination of Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler produced magic once more in 2015.

Stallone becomes the reluctant mentor here, helping Adonis Creed step out of the shadow of his father, Apollo, and earn champion status in his own right. Creed is a rousing, riveting study of the power of perseverance and mental fortitude, and is worth a watch whether you care for boxing or not. I have no interest in combat sports at all, but I still think these movies are incredible. 

While I believe Creed III is the most exciting film in the trilogy (more on that one later), I’ll always be in awe of the way Coogler was able to put his own stamp on such a prominent IP, putting a modern twist on the world of Rocky. 

5. Just Mercy (2019)

While Jordan is great value in his blockbuster roles, he is usually at his most impressive when he’s given more serious, real-world themes to chew on, like in the 2019 film, Just Mercy. Playing human rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, Jordan excels with this more dramatic, heartfelt material, generating excellent chemistry opposite Jamie Foxx.

This is not even Jordan’s best work in the social justice drama subgenre, but it’s still a movie that’ll make you enraged, empowered, and most importantly, educated. It’s a tragedy that this kind of story exists and still needs to be told even to this day, but, just like Fruitvale Station, this is a film that demands attention no matter how uncomfortable it may make us feel. 

I remember a friend of mine telling me time and time again to watch this movie a few years ago, and I’m so happy I listened to her. Just Mercy is, quite simply, essential viewing. Watch this if you’re a fan of films like Selma, If Beale Street Could Talk, and the documentary 13th.

4. Black Panther (2018)

An actor of Michael B. Jordan’s status was always going to pop up in the MCU at some point, and he bagged the ideal role in Black Panther as the forgotten heir to the Wakandan throne, Erik Killmonger. When he returns from his banishment, Killmonger tears his ancestral home apart, and his formidable tyranny is arguably the best part of the whole film. I’d say Killmonger is one of the top three villains in the entire MCU (Thanos and Loki might have him beat, but it’s close), and a lot of that is down to the work that Jordan does.

It takes a lot to steal the show away from the late, great Chadwick Boseman, but Jordan manages it here with a rage-filled, cocksure performance. Black Panther isn’t just a brilliant superhero movie; it was a complete cultural moment, with Black people around the world finally feeling like they had a movie superhero to call their own (after Blade). The music, costumes, and production design won Oscars, and deservedly so. In particular, the score from Ludwig Goransson (my favourite modern composer) is off the charts.

As a side note, Jordan’s cameo in the sequel to this film is solid, but far too brief for us to really recognise Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on this list.

3. Sinners (2025)

When people say ‘They don’t make films like this anymore’, Sinners is exactly what they’re talking about. Coogler’s first foray into horror is a spectacular feat, one that has gone on to a record 16 nominations at the Oscars (including Jordan in Best Actor), and evokes memories of the big, bombastic genre pieces we used to get in the ‘90s. It’s gory, thrilling, and very, very sexy, and Jordan is at the heart of all of that.

Sinners may be a little bit chaotic, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Its first act is methodical and demands patience as we get to know the characters of this macabre play. The second act pivots to total carnage at breakneck speed, before a final act that’ll well and truly knock your socks off. What this film lacks in nuance at times (with vampires, there’s only so far subtlety can go before it has to step aside), it more than makes up for on the technical front, with some truly mind-blowing shots utilising the full scope of IMAX cameras, and that thumping score – put together by Goransson, again – providing the cherry on top of this deliciously dark cake. 

If you didn’t see Sinners on a massive cinema screen, I really do feel sorry for you. But watching it at home is still an absolute treat. It was my favourite film of 2025.

2. Creed III (2023)

The whole Creed trilogy is brilliant, as I’ve already made abundantly clear with this list, but it’s the third movie in the series that ranks the highest for me. This is also Jordan’s directorial debut, and he absolutely knocks it out of the park: Creed III takes Adonis’ story in a fresh and exciting direction, with the introduction of his estranged friend, Damian, but it’s also a highly stylised, impeccably choreographed sports movie. 

I love the way Jordan leans heavily on his anime inspirations – with the influences of Akira and Dragon Ball Z clear to see – and expertly utilises sound design and slow-motion to ensure you feel every single punch from this threequel. Watching this in a packed theatre with my brother (a massive anime fan) was a rip-roaring experience that I’ll never forget. I’d never seen a sports movie on this level, and probably never will again.

1. Fruitvale Station (2013)

One of Jordan’s earlier movies happens to be his very best, and it was his first link-up with Coogler, too. Fruitvale Station is a brutal sub-90-minute drama retelling the true story of the tragic death of Oscar Grant, a young man who was killed on New Year’s Day back in 2009 – a case of police brutality.

Jordan is immense in the lead role, giving us ample reasons to feel absolutely broken by Grant's untimely death. He balances the lighter, more charming moments early in the film as he spends time with friends and family, before taking us down a dark and uncomfortable path for the absolutely harrowing conclusion. This is the kind of film you simply have to watch, even if you never want to see it again. 

You can catch Fruitvale Station on MGM+, and to be honest, it’s worth a subscription for this film alone. I’ll watch it again someday, but I still don’t think I’m ready for that pain yet…

Before March 2025, Sean Baker was just a really good filmmaker. Now, he’s a four-time Oscar winner who has entered the record books as one of only two people ever to win four Academy Awards in one night (alongside Walt Disney).

Thanks to Anora, Baker has become a household name over the last few months, but his thrilling, unorthodox love story is actually the eighth feature film he’s made. Most of Baker’s work carries themes of a sexual nature, with problematic relationships and a healthy dose of chaos at their core.

Naturally, given his recent success, you may now want to dive into everything Baker has ever touched, and you’d be right to do so. He’s a fascinating filmmaker, but for those who are more picky with their film-viewing habits, we’ve separated the best from the rest with every Sean Baker movie, ranked in ascending order.

8. Four Letter Words (2000)

Directorial debuts are always tricky, and Four Letter Words is very obviously the sign of a filmmaker with lots of promise, big ideas, and raw ability, but someone with lots to work out and refine, too. It’s a film which struggles with pacing and character development, but you can’t deny that it does its best on a low budget. Plus, it’s only just over 80 minutes long, which makes it all the more palatable.

Four Letter Words is reminiscent of Kevin Smith’s slacker comedies of the 1990s like Clerks and Mallrats, but it lacks the charm and endearing qualities of its influences. But even from this early work, you can clearly see what interests Baker, and that’s fascinating in itself. If you’re still keen to watch this one, however, we have bad news: It’s only available for streaming in Spain at the moment – but keep an eye out here for a future UK re-release.

7. Prince of Broadway (2010)

While Prince of Broadway still bears the same gritty, low-budget vibes of its predecessors, there’s a certain flair and panache about the visual side of things here, and Baker really manages to delve into the kinetic energy of the streets of New York with his camerawork – Baker is in charge of cinematography for this one, too.

It’s a film which is certainly not lacking in style, and there’s a lot of creativity and heart flowing through this picture. Unfortunately, the story just isn’t quite engaging enough to boost Prince of Broadway higher up this list, but it’s still a solid piece of filmmaking. If you like Taika Waititi’s Boy, but want something a little more serious, this might be up your street. The only snag is you’ll have to pay for the privilege at the time of writing, as the film is only available on Apple TV+.

6. Take Out (2008)

Baker teamed up with Taiwanese director, producer, and actor Shih-Ching Tsou for his sophomore effort, and his collaborator definitely brought out a more adventurous side to his work. Take Out is far from perfect, though, containing all the flaws you’re likely to see in this level of indie filmmaking. 

Still, we have to give credit to Baker here for stepping out of his comfort zone and taking on a far more challenging narrative than his debut. There’s just something about the aesthetic here that’s oddly captivating, and once again, Baker’s penchant for realism shines through, elevating Take Out beyond its means. The highest compliment I can pay to this film is that it reminded me a little bit of La Haine – the best French movie ever made, IMO – largely due to its gritty tone and the fact that its story is contained within such a short period of time.

5. Starlet (2012)

By 2012, Baker had a lot more experience under his belt, and that is abundantly clear within the first minutes of Starlet. Simply put, this is just a far better experience than his previous three movies in terms of the narrative and the acting on display, and it’s far superior on a technical level, too. The camera work is sharper, the editing is slicker, and the whole thing just feels more nuanced and refined.

The talents of Dree Hemingway in the lead role carry Starlet, while Besedka Johnson is fantastic in support. There’s a lot to be said for the fact that Baker clearly had a bigger budget here, and while some filmmakers might lose control of things given that much freedom, it definitely had the opposite effect here, letting Baker’s craft shine. That he relinquished control of the camera to focus on directing duties is a decision that absolutely paid off, too. Again, you’ll have to pay to watch this one on Apple TV, but it’s the first in this list that I would say is absolutely worth the time and money.

4. Red Rocket (2021)

There’s a really big divide between Baker’s first four movies and his more recent efforts. Indeed, we could have put the next few films in any order and would have been pretty happy with the ranking, but fine margins split the pack, and the highly entertaining Red Rocket just ends up on the outside here. It’s a very good movie, it’s just not quite as gripping as the top three.

Yes, the concept of the film is a bit uncomfortable (think Lolita but less subtle), but that’s the point, and Simon Rex does a stellar job of making the eccentric, at times reprehensible Mikey, a character that just toes the line perfectly between being unlikable and oddly endearing. His chemistry with Suzanna Son is, frankly, mesmerising at times, and the pair deserve credit for turning a potentially problematic film into something unusually sweet and very, very funny. Best of all, it seems to have universal appeal – I watched Red Rocket with my rather picky partner, and she was a fan.

3. Anora (2024)

Anora is Baker’s critical darling, but it’s not even his best film. That says a lot about the quality of his work, though, as Anora is still a superbly crafted cat-and-mouse story full of mayhem, slapstick violence, and some truly emotional moments. The film relies so heavily on Mikey Madison’s Oscar-winning turn as the titular character; she’s so good here that you forget you’re watching an actor for the most part. Still, if you’re looking for the MVP, it’s actually Yura Borisov, who plays the tragically sweet Igor – where was his Oscar, huh?

We love movies like Anora, as anxiety-inducing and disorderly as they are. Baker does a fine job of capturing a sense of surrealism and taking things to the extreme before crashing back down to Earth with a sobering bite of reality and genuine sincerity. It’s impossible to shake comparisons to something like Uncut Gems, with so much chaos packed into the runtime, but an undercurrent of humour makes it all bearable. That said, there are very few films that have left me feeling quite as crushed by the time the credits roll (Aftersun is another example) that I can’t even bear to move – get ready to be caught totally off guard by the final moments of this movie. 

Fair warning: please don’t watch this movie with your parents, as there is A LOT of sex and it’ll just be awkward!

2. Tangerine (2015)

Tangerine bears plenty of similarities with its latest sibling, Anora. Yet while the latter leans into Baker’s more absurd and outlandish tendencies, his 2015 film is much more grounded and thought-provoking, which, as a result, leads to a far more impactful climax as the story of transgender sex workers, Sin-Dee Rella and Alexandra, comes to a head.

While plenty of filmmakers have shot on an iPhone since, Baker’s effort on Tangerine is far from a gimmick; instead, it lends a richness and realism to his work. I remember when this movie came out and I heard about the way it was made – it blew my mind, to be honest, and made me want to get out there and make films myself. Sadly, I was nowhere near as good as Baker, so I quit and decided to just watch films like Tangerine instead. It’s a complete package, really: Tangerine is beautiful to look at, has a gripping narrative, and showcases creative filmmaking at its finest. Plus, it’s sub-90 minutes and on Prime Video, so what are you waiting for?

1. The Florida Project (2017)

The last three films in this list are excellent, but there’s something truly special about The Florida Project. While the life and limitations of a sex worker are once again a focus for Baker here, it is the impact of parenthood, both on mother and child, that really forms the beating heart of this stunning picture. Amateur actor Bria Viante is sensational as troubled mother Halley, while Willem Dafoe is typically fantastic in a significant supporting role. But it is the young Brooklynn Prince who shines the brightest as our playful protagonist, Moonee. 

As her spirited defiance gives way to a softer, more vulnerable nature, our heart breaks for this child who so desperately wants to dive headfirst into all the things children love to do, yet is severely inhibited by the life she was born into. It’s crazy to think that only Dafoe earned an Oscar nomination for his role here. The Florida Project, in general, was massively overlooked in 2018, but it’s garnered quite the cult following since. This is one of those films that I rewatch every couple of years, and it just gets better and better every time.

This article has been updated by Rory O'Connor.

He’s Indiana Jones. He’s Han Solo. He’s Rick Deckard. He was even a big, red, angry Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World—but we’re not here to talk about that. Harrison Ford is clearly one of the most beloved actors of his generation and has taken on some of the most iconic roles in the history of cinema, but there’s much more to this living legend than the enormous franchises he's worked in; and even though his work has often been overlooked by the industry's awards bodies (his nomination for Best Actor for Witness in 1986 remains his only brush with the Oscars) he's finally starting to receive some late-career recognition, most recently with a lifetime achievement award from SAG—or The Actor Awards, as they're now called. Introducing his friend and colleague to the stage, were Ford went on to give a wonderfully touching speech, Woody Harrelson dubbed him a "timeless American treasure". We are inclined to agree.

But whatever about all that, in case you’ve forgotten how incredibly versatile he is, we’ve compiled a list of his top ten movies over the decades—which I've ranked in ascending order—plus five honourable mentions that we simply couldn’t ignore. Read on to discover more about each title and use the guide below to find out where to stream them on services like AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere. 

Honourable mentions

• Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

• Clear and Present Danger (1994)

• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)

• 42 (2013)

• American Graffiti (1973)

10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Of the original trilogy, you’re likely to see the general critical and audience consensus swing away from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, making it criminally underrated (I’d even go as far as to say it’s my personal favourite of them all). 

The highlight of this threequel is Sean Connery’s scene-stealing turn as Indy’s dad, Henry Jones Sr.. The James Bond actor brings all his natural charm and is clearly having so much fun with the role that it rubs off on Harrison Ford, too. While the first two movies in the franchise are pure adventure-thrillers, Last Crusade is almost more of a buddy comedy, and the playful tone works perfectly. But there’s still a strong emotional undercurrent as father and son reconnect. 

Best of all, if you are looking to dive into the Indiana Jones franchise, this movie is on Netflix, Prime Video, Sky Cinema, and even free on Channel 4 Plus, so there’s really no excuse!

9. Patriot Games (1992)

Harrison Ford took on another high-profile role when he stepped into Alec Baldwin’s shoes to become Jack Ryan (and did a far better job than his predecessor, I should add). Patriot Games is a taut thriller filled with epic action, shocking twists and turns, and some killer one-liners from Ford – all packaged into a neat sub-two-hour story; always a bonus.

As Ryan intervenes in an IRA assassination plot, he and his family become the target of a deadly revenge mission. Does he take it lying down? No, of course he doesn’t! With Ford’s effortless gravitas and the gritty determination of Tom Clancy’s character, Patriot Games is yet another classic display of heroism to add to the actor’s catalogue. 

If you’ve already watched all the Bond movies and want a new espionage thriller franchise to sink your teeth into, Jack Ryan is the man for the mission.

8. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)

Has there ever been a more exciting time than that brief period of unbridled joy leading up to the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens? After a decade of no Star Wars movies at all, and a huge 32 years since the last outing for the original trio of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo, their teased return in this new trilogy opener was immense. I remember watching the trailer pretty much every day until the film came out, and then I proceeded to watch the movie in cinemas four times.

Harrison Ford could easily have phoned in his reprisal as Han Solo, but instead, he gave it his all to deliver one of his most nuanced and poignant performances of all time. The whole film is a brilliant balance of nostalgic vibes and fresh energy for the franchise, but that moment between Han and Kylo Ren on the bridge (you know the one) might just be one of the most emotionally intense scenes Star Wars has ever produced.

7. Blade Runner (1982)

Many would proclaim Blade Runner to be the ultimate sci-fi movie, or at the very least, a genre-defining film of its time. And they’d be correct: From the neon-soaked visuals to the cerebral themes – man’s place in the future, the threat of technological advancements, and simply what it means to be human – in Ridley Scott’s epic ‘80s noir thriller, it’s hard not to be in awe of this iconic picture.

Ford once again bagged a timeless role as Rick Deckard, a suave, ruthless replicant hunter. But as the mystery at the heart of this story unravels, so too do Deckard’s machinations, and it’s fascinating to watch him question everything he believed to be true. 

If you’re able to, you should specifically watch the Final Cut version of Blade Runner (from 2007), which Scott views as the definitive, interference-free version of his work. Not only is it vastly improved on a technical level thanks to the visual effects upgrades, but it also delves deeper into those challenging themes mentioned earlier.

6. The Fugitive (1993)

Harrison Ford’s trademark running – second only to Tom Cruise’s impressive sprints – is at its very best in The Fugitive. When Richard Kimble (Ford) is wrongly accused of murdering his wife, he must flee the authorities hunting him and find a way to prove his innocence before the relentless Samuel Gerard (played superbly by Tommy Lee Jones) puts him away for life.

The Fugitive harks back to a more ambitious and adventurous period of filmmaking where stunts and huge set-pieces were done entirely for real rather than relying on green screens and digital effects. Fun fact: the chaotic St. Patrick’s Day parade scene was filmed during actual celebrations taking place in Chicago. 

If you’re looking for a raw, rugged thrill ride, this is Ford’s finest work as a leading man away from the big franchises. You can easily catch him (and the film) on Netflix or Prime Video.

5. The Conversation (1974)

Harrison Ford can’t always be the main man in every film he does, and it just so happens that in The Conversation, Gene Hackman does a rather good job of leading the line. But Ford is still there, and his role in the film is a pretty significant one. In fact, and I’ll say it quietly, but I believe he stole the show a little bit in this Francis Ford Coppola flick.

Whether you agree with me or not, there’s no denying that The Conversation is an understated masterpiece of the thriller genre. It’s not overly violent, loud, or bombastic, but drips with tension throughout. It’ll have you on the edge of your seat, listening just as intently as Harry Caul himself. 

The Conversation is so good, in fact, that the Academy nominated it for the Best Picture Oscar even though Coppola already got the nod for The Godfather Part II. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, it’s not as widely streamable as others on this list – you’ll have to be signed up to the Studio Canal channel to watch it.

4. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

While The Last Crusade is uber-fun and plucky, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom carries a far greater sense of dread. It may actually be a pretty heavy experience for younger viewers following Indy’s adventures. In particular, the scenes of a melting face and Mola Ram ripping out a guy’s heart scarred an entire generation (in a good way). Still, if you’re thinking of showing it to your kids now, I will say my rather boisterous nephews are obsessed with this film, and they don’t mind the gore at all (they are 11 and eight, if that helps).

In one of the finest movie trilogies of all time, The Temple of Doom stands out as the strongest of the trio for me, thanks to its delightfully dark story, and the fact that Ford had well and truly embraced the titular role by this point: he serves up so much swagger here, it’s practically oozing out of the screen.

3. Apocalypse Now (1979)

This one almost feels like cheating, but we couldn’t ignore the fact that Apocalypse Now is one of the greatest movies ever made, and Harrison Ford is technically a part of it. Yes, it may be a fleeting appearance at the start of the epic war movie, but Ford’s role as Colonel Lucas is an important one, as he is the man to assign Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) his daunting mission.

As a brutal, visceral depiction of the horrors of war, Apocalypse Now is one of the most important, impactful, and impressive films of its kind. For that reason, it’s not for the faint of heart, with some pretty gnarly moments throughout, but if you can stomach that, you’re going to have a truly life-changing cinematic experience here. 

Like Blade Runner, there are also multiple cuts of this film. Of them all, we’d advise avoiding the Redux Cut and sticking with either the theatrical or final cuts – those two are far more accessible and coherent, while the Redux muddies the waters a little with unnecessary extra scenes.

2. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Controversial, perhaps, but Blade Runner 2049 might actually be superior to its predecessor. While Ridley Scott’s original movie deserves to be acknowledged and respected for what it achieved, especially in how it paved the way for so many others to follow, Denis Villeneuve’s legacy sequel deserves something far greater: reverence.

The follow-up improves on the original in just about every single way. 2049 not only looks impeccable, it’s also got a far more coherent narrative, without sacrificing any of the complexities and ambiguities of Scott’s effort. It’s mightily impressive that this film is not only spectacular in its own right, but actually manages to elevate the original, too. 

2049 may have been a box-office flop, but don’t let that put you off. For my money, this is one of the very best films of the 21st century, excelling on both a technical and thematic level. It’s also available as part of a Netflix subscription, so subscribers can quickly and easily judge for themselves.

1. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

It had to be, didn’t it? When Star Wars is at its best – as it is with The Empire Strikes Back – there is simply nothing more exhilarating and awe-inspiring than this franchise. The core characters may be separated for most of this sequel, but that only serves to showcase just how big George Lucas’ galaxy is, and it allows each of our heroes to prove their individual merit, too. From the snowy battleground of Hoth to the murky swamps of Dagobah and the decadent city in the sky, Bespin, this film is pure moviemaking magic from start to finish with immersive set designs, iconic set-pieces, and truly impeccable storytelling. While The Empire Strikes Back will forever be known for delivering one of the greatest plot twists of all time, there’s a special place in my heart for another legendary moment in this film, spotlighting Harrison Ford: We all love Han Solo. And guess what? He knows. 

There’s never a bad time to watch the Original Trilogy, whether it be your 100th rewatch or your first foray into the galaxy far, far away (and the best part is, you’ll have to watch A New Hope and Return of the Jedi if you’re going to hit play on The Empire Strikes Back, so it’s a three-for-one deal). I wouldn’t be the sci-fi-obsessed geek I am today without this incredibly special movie, and I can’t wait to show it to my kids when they’re old enough.

Paddington Bear is a British institution. He’s been entertaining audiences since 1958, starting life in children’s books before moving to the small screen. In the past decade, we’ve been treated to feature-length Paddington media, and rather surprisingly, his current three-film run is one of the best movie trilogies of the modern era in cinema.

From his first outing under Paul King’s directorship, featuring Nicole Kidman’s villainous turn as Millicent, to Hugh Grant’s scene-stealing arrival in Paddington 2, and the third entry, Paddington In Peru, this series of films has given audiences so much joy. These movies are the ultimate comfort watches; the kinds of films that bring the whole family together with their playful humour, madcap adventures, and warm, fuzzy visuals.

There can be no doubt that he’s everybody’s favourite cuddly little bear, but there are simply not enough Paddington films to satisfy our need for anthropomorphic cuteness. So, what do you do when the marmalade sandwiches run out and you need more of those sweet vibes? You come to JustWatch and find a bunch of other movies just like Paddington, of course.

Wonka (2023)

You could watch Wonka and immediately know it’s a Paul King film without having to be told as much. The director carries over all the charm, whimsy, and vibrancy that we’ve come to expect from the man responsible for Paddington and its sequel–it’s clear to see why he got the gig for Wonka. 

There are so many familiar faces here, including Paddington stars Sally Hawkins, Hugh Grant, and Olivia Colman, but it’s Timothee Chalamet’s performance as the titular character that elevates this musical beyond a bit of family movie fluff to one of the most impressive Roald Dahl adaptations ever made. Wonka combines the worldbuilding and energy of something akin to Barbie with the showmanship and delightful cheesiness of the Mamma Mia! movies, and gives it all a good, old British twist. 

If you’re tired of watching the same Disney movies with the kids again and again, Wonka is a brilliant change of pace.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Remember in Paddington 2 when our half-pint hero is incarcerated and turns everyone’s prison gear pink? Well, imagine that, but with a Wes Anderson spin, and you’ve got a perfect match in The Grand Budapest Hotel. It’s not only one of the most aesthetically pleasing films of the 21st Century, but also an oddly sweet film; for all its madcap antics and tomfoolery, Anderson’s Oscar-winning tale is, at its core, a story of friendship and camaraderie.

Be warned, though, The Grand Budapest is not suitable for young children. It comes with a healthy dose of profanity and even a bit of violence, albeit of a slapstick variety. I even tried to get my teenage daughter to give it a go, given she loves Fantastic Mr. Fox, and she wasn’t into the irreverent humour. I’d mark this one as a recommendation for adults who love Paddington.

My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

What is Paddington, if not the story of a fluffy animal going on wild adventures with his human friends? In that respect, you’ll get the same kicks out of this Studio Ghibli movie, and then some. The prolific anime house has produced some of the best animated movies of all time, but My Neighbour Totoro might just be the finest of them all. It’s endearing, funny, imaginative, and has an emotional undercurrent that elevates it beyond mere kids’ entertainment into something truly beautiful.

If you’re looking to get the kids into the world of anime, there can be no better choice for your introductory screening. My Neighbour Totoro is not even 90 minutes long, so they’re not going to lose focus; plus, it’s easily available on Netflix right now, so there’s really no excuse not to watch it!

Wolfwalkers (2020)

Speaking of beautiful animated movies, Cartoon Saloon is one of the most exciting new studios on the block – they’re yet to miss with their relatively small but superb catalogue of films. One could argue that My Father’s Dragon has more in common with Paddington, given the playful nature of the eponymous creature, but it’s Wolfwalkers that is most deserving of your attention. 

With an unflinching approach to death, grief, and xenophobia, there’s a real profundity to Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart’s mythical tale, which makes it a far more serious viewing experience than Paddington. Yet it still evokes that same childlike wonder that we cherish so much in the latter, largely thanks to the stunning 2D animation style and the more playful moments littered throughout. 

If you have an Apple TV+ subscription, Wolfwalkers is a must (and if you don’t have one, it’s genuinely worth a trial for this film alone).

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On (2021)

Paddington may be adorable, but Marcel has him beat paws down. This unique and delightful A24 flick combines clever stop-motion animation with real-world settings to tell the simple story of a little shell trying to find his place and purpose in life. Much of the credit for this brilliant film has to go to Jenny Slate, who does a wonderful job bringing the titular character to life with her voice work.

While the mockumentary framing device here is very different to Paddington – and probably puts Marcel the Shell with Shoes On out of reach for younger viewers – there’s no denying that, tonally, these two films share a kinship rooted in heart and humour. If you enjoy films like My Life as a Courgette or Memoir of a Snail, which use animated characters to tell a weighty story, you’ll definitely connect with Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.

Okja (2017)

You wouldn’t ordinarily expect to see a Bong Joon-ho picture on a list making comparisons with Paddington, but here we are. Thankfully, Okja doesn’t align with the blood-soaked chaos one would normally get from the acclaimed director. Instead, the Netflix movie goes hard on emotional weight and childish innocence. Not only is it an intriguing and imaginative story, but Okja also boasts some superb technical work, particularly in the CGI crafting of the central creature.

Okja is humorous – in that dark manner in which Bong excels – but it carries a strong environmentalist message, too, and one that Paddington Bear himself would be proud to endorse, we’re sure. 

Just a warning, though: If you’re sensitive to depictions of animal cruelty, Okja might be an uncomfortable watch at times. I don’t often cry when watching movies, but this one even managed to get me weeping.

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024)

From one British institution to another, it would be foolish of us to neglect the work of Aardman Animation on this list. The only difficult part is picking which Wallace and Gromit film to focus on. However, in selecting their most recent effort, Vengeance Most Fowl, we can also sneakily persuade you to watch The Wrong Trousers, too, as the newer movie relies on you having seen the iconic 1993 film first. Given Paddington’s propensity for dealing with nefarious characters, it wouldn’t be out of place to see him battling returning villain Feathers McGraw in Gromit’s place. 

What’s great about this new entry is that it captures everything that makes these characters so special and entertaining, while also offering a fresh, modern story laced with technological anxieties about the rise of AI for them to exist within. 

I remember when this movie came out just before Christmas 2024, my young son wanted to watch it over and over again, which I had zero complaints about!

Ratatouille (2007)

A quick game of word association can connect the dots between Paddington and Ratatouille quite easily: Animal, hat, food, mischief… You get the picture. 

The Disney-Pixar movie is a bona fide classic and a deserving winner of the 2008 Oscar for Best Animated Feature. And yet, it does feel like one of the lesser-known Disney movies among younger audiences today. My kids hadn’t seen it until very recently, but their first watch went down a treat (giving me a newfound appreciation for the movie, too).

At its core, Ratatouille is a story about finding a passion in life underpinned by the universal feeling of leaving a past life behind to pursue a new one: In this case, Remy the rat leaves behind the garbage cans of the Parisian streets to ingratiate himself in the grandeur of fine dining restaurants. It’s something Paddington knows all too well, having upped sticks and taken on a big adventure in London after leaving Peru. 

Another big plus is that this is an easy one to find online for streaming – it’s permanently housed on Disney+.

The Wild Robot (2024)

With a classic fish-out-of-water story and found-family elements, The Wild Robot has the same themes you find in the Paddington trilogy. There’s actually an argument to be made that The Wild Robot could be even more wholesome than Paddington. If that’s what you’re in the mood to watch, you could certainly do far worse.

One of the best recent animated movies, The Wild Robot has such a sweet story and stylish animation style, you cannot help but fall in love with Roz and her animal companions. I particularly love the landscapes in the film and the way they transition through the seasons – from bright, luscious summer through to the cold, desolate winter. 

Despite The Wild Robot being a pretty upsetting movie, it didn’t seem to affect my four-year-old when he watched it, so I’d say it’s still very child-friendly.

Where The Wild Things Are (2009)

Spike Jonze’s adaptation of the classic children’s book is a spectacularly imaginative and nuanced interpretation of a source material that is actually incredibly short. Jonze imbues his version of Where The Wild Things Are with such a surprising degree of humanity and realism that you’ll soon forget you’re watching a bunch of giant monsters on a fantasy island.

This is not one that younger children are likely to engage with, truth be told. However, for slightly older kids who are perhaps beginning to get to grips with their emotions (or indeed, any adults who are doing the same), Where The Wild Things Are is a poignant experience. It’s very much along the lines of films like A Monster Calls and Pan’s Labyrinth. 

The only issue is you can’t watch this for free anywhere at the time of writing, but it’s not too expensive to rent or buy, and certainly worth 100 minutes of your time.

The devil works hard, but Steven Soderbergh works harder. The acclaimed filmmaker put out not one, but two projects in 2025, with POV ghost movie Presence up first, before the tense espionage thriller Black Bag to mix things up.

Black Bag perfectly scratches the itch for anyone craving original, intriguing movies, and as an added bonus, it comes in at a cool 93 minutes, too. With slick directing, a captivating story, and brilliant performances from Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, it’s a surefire win for any film fan.

But what happens when the credits roll and you want more? Well, dive into our list of the best movies to stream next if you love Black Bag, and get even more of those cat-and-mouse thrills.

Sicario (2015)

If it’s edge-of-your-seat thrillers you’re into, look no further than Denis Villeneuve’s breakout hit, Sicario. Between the blistering story crafted by Taylor Sheridan, the camerawork of the legendary Sir Roger Deakins, and the roaring score from the late, great composer, Jóhann Jóhannsson, this 2015 flick is a treat for all the senses.

It’s hard to pick an MVP from this one, with Emily Blunt doing some of her best work in the lead role, while the double act of Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro is formidable in support. Sicario is gripping stuff, and honestly, it is the kind of film you’ll want to watch again and again. I’ve watched it once a year, every year, since it came out, and I’m champing at the bit for my next appointment with this Villeneuve masterpiece.

Skyfall (2012)

You can’t discuss spy movies without mentioning 007. But, if you’re new to the James Bond series and just want to dip your toes into his world without watching 20-odd films first, Skyfall is perfectly serviceable on its own merits without being burdened by its predecessors. Think about how The Dark Knight can almost be viewed as a standalone Batman movie, and you’re on the right track with this Bond film.

The action sequences here are out of this world; Nikki Berwick and the stunt team knock every single death-defying moment out of the park, and Daniel Craig’s weary Bond throws himself into the carnage with an unnerving relish. Meanwhile, Javier Bardem puts up one of the great villainous performances of the modern era opposite him – Anton Chigur, eat your heart out!

The Killer (2023)

Michael Fassbender is one of the finest actors of his generation. While his more nuanced work comes in powerful dramas like Shame and Hunger, if you’re after his more hard-hitting side, look no further than David Fincher’s The Killer.

In this Netflix original, Fassbender takes on the role of a contract killer who finds himself in a tangled web of murder plots, backstabbing, and betrayal. It’s as close to Black Bag as you’re likely to get among Fassbender’s filmography to date, and it’s another example of a filmmaker looking to put out fun, flashy movies that don’t take themselves too seriously. 

As you may have expected, this one’s available exclusively on Netflix, and I’m happy to report that watching it at home doesn’t diminish any of the film’s bombastic and brutal qualities.

Thief (1981)

You know when people say, ‘They don’t make movies like this anymore’? Well, Thief is exactly the kind of movie they’re talking about. Every inch of every frame in this Michael Mann classic is oozing with flair and panache, and not a second is wasted as every moment is filled with compelling character work or searing action.

It’s almost impossible to believe that this was Mann’s feature debut. Thief feels more like the work of a seasoned pro; something Mann has, of course, proven himself to be over the years. Just like Black Bag, you’ll be hooked from the get-go with this ‘80s classic. I watched Thief for the first time only last year, and my only regret is that I hadn’t watched it a hell of a lot sooner!

Blow Out (1981)

More ‘80s thrills from another master of his trade, Brian De Palma, with Blow Out offering up a healthy dose of mystery and twists and turns, just like Black Bag. John Travolta has arguably never been better (yes, he’s even better here than in Pulp Fiction), as his character Jack Terry is embroiled in a criminal conspiracy that is not at all what it seems.

The technical elements of Blow Out are simply superb, with exceptional sound design and editing bringing this enthralling, tight thriller to life. It’s all shot with a raw, rough-around-the-edges lens that gives the film an eerie, almost documentarian feel. And, with a runtime of just 108 minutes, you’ll find the wild ride flies by and knocks you for six by the end. 

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

Cate Blanchett has had quite the career, and a diverse one at that. If you like her work in Black Bag and want to find something remotely similar in her eclectic body of work, The Talented Mr. Ripley will deliver deliciously dark, dramatic moments, a hint of violence, and lots of twists, too.

While Blanchett is not on screen as much as some might like, the performances of Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow as the central trio will more than make up for it, while the late Philip Seymour Hoffman is, as always, a real scene-stealer in his supporting role. 

If you want to watch this one for free, be quick, because (as of this writing) it’s leaving Prime Video in early September 2025.

North by Northwest (1959)

We’re heading back in time here for one of the genuine classics of a bygone era. Alfred Hitchcock would have loved Black Bag, evidenced by the Master of Suspense having put together one of the most flawless spy movies of all time, North by Northwest. 

This is the ultimate cat-and-mouse tale, and for its time, a film that features some truly special action set-pieces. We’ve all seen that incredible scene of a plane descending on Cary Grant, but there’s so much more to North by Northwest outside of its iconic moments. Ask any filmmaker worth their salt what their inspirations are, especially those who craft thrillers and spy flicks, and North by Northwest will undoubtedly be on the list. It’s smart, scintillating, and simply perfect in every single way. 

The only downside is that it’s not available for free on any streaming service at the time of writing, but it’s so worth paying for.

Double Indemnity (1944)

If we’re talking about cinematic greats, we can’t leave out Billy Wilder. While his comedies, such as The Apartment and Some Like it Hot, steal the spotlight, his noir detective thriller, Double Indemnity, is arguably his most impressive work; if not, certainly his most tense. A quiet and brooding black and white picture, it brims with energy and hits like a hammer blow at every twist and turn.

This film is only just over 100 minutes long (it’s actually ideal if you don’t quite have time for North by Northwest), but it packs so much into that short runtime. Its tricky tale is filled with complex characters that will put the viewer’s moral compass to the test, leading you one way and then another as the mystery unfolds before your eyes. 

This is another that you’ll have to pay for to stream at the moment, but once again, it’s worth every penny.

Insomnia (2002)

Before Batman, sprawling science fiction, and Oscar-winning biopics, Christopher Nolan dabbled in gritty detective thrillers like Insomnia. While the film has a decidedly darker edge to it than Black Bag and slightly less action, it’s still an intense and intriguing study of deception, considering what to take at face value, and when to dig deeper.

With Robin Williams taking on one of his more dramatic roles, and the legendary Al Pacino flexing his immense screen presence as always, you’ll not want to take your eyes off this one. It’s wild to think this is low-tier Nolan, but that says a lot more about the filmmaker than the film, trust us. 

The recent Nolan season in UK cinemas left Insomnia off its re-release roster, which is a crying shame. You can check this one out through the BFI Player, though.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)

Alright, we’ve got all the serious stuff out of the way. Let’s be honest, one of the most appealing facets of Black Bag is the fact that it puts beautiful people into very entertaining, explosive scenarios. So, if you want to go even further into that playful side of the spy genre, Mr. and Mrs. Smith is the ideal light watch to cater to your tastes.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie bring so much charm to proceedings, and you can totally tell they were having a lot of fun working together on this one. The Doug Liman flick even ticks the box when it comes to the whole, ‘Should I trust my spouse?’ plot point that is the beating heart of Black Bag. In many ways, there is no film on this list more similar to Black Bag, actually. 

Unlike everything else I’ve mentioned, Mr. and Mrs. Smith is the ideal date night movie, too, which is always a big bonus!

Anora was the latest in a long line of Best Picture winners when it took home the top prize at the 97th Academy Awards. If you’ve recovered from the stress and chaos of the brilliant Sean Baker movie, it might be time to dive into others that are in a similar vein.

Whether you’re looking for another frenetic thrill ride or want to dabble in themes of romance, eroticism, hedonism, and extravagant lifestyles, JustWatch has assembled a list of ten movies that capture the same spirit as Anora. We’ve got something for everyone here – from cult classics to modern masterpieces, and international exports to Hollywood-backed comedies.

Uncut Gems (2019)

If you thought Anora was hectic, the Safdie Brothers’ monster hit Uncut Gems will leave you curled up in a ball, craving a nice warm hug; in a good way, of course! The Adam Sandler vehicle is one of those films where you find yourself screaming at the screen, begging characters not to do the foolish things they’re about to do, and it’s so much fun.

Like Anora, this is a story of wild adventure in a dark, seedy, crime-ridden world. The difference is, while we root for poor Ani, Sandler’s Howard Ratner pretty much deserves everything he gets. It’s by far the best Sandler movie of all time, and if you’ve got a Netflix subscription, it’s an absolute must-watch – grab some drinks, kick back with friends, and embrace the chaos.

Tangerine (2015)

While The Florida Project is the more high-profile flick in Sean Baker’s back catalogue, Tangerine is his most impressive and creative. Shot entirely on an iPhone, with acting novices Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez in the lead roles, this 2015 indie movie is what filmmaking is all about: getting out there, shooting something, and producing raw magic. This film genuinely made me go out and start trying to make my own films… I struggled, of course, but Baker absolutely flourished with this effort.

Like most of Baker’s work, Tangerine leans on themes of problematic relationships, the treatment of sex workers, and absolute mayhem on the streets of America. If Anora and The Florida Project are a little too polished and refined for your tastes, Tangerine offers all the grit and grime you’re looking for.

After Hours (1985)

Long before Sean Baker and the Safdie Brothers sparked a new wave of disruptive and distressing narratives, the master filmmaker, Martin Scorsese, had the subgenre locked down. His dark, twisted 1985 comedy, After Hours, has without a doubt influenced so many since. If you want to go back and see the blueprint for films like Anora, this is it.

After Hours is a severely underrated Scorsese effort, overshadowed by its glitzier, more star-studded siblings. However, if you ever wanted to see the revered filmmaker embrace his weird side, this is where he really lets loose. Be warned, though, catching this sharp 90-minute flick on a streaming service is going to cost you, but it’s totally worth it.

Mommy (2014)

Xavier Dolan captures all the misery and messiness of Anora and ramps it up to 11 with his 2014 coming-of-age story, Mommy. The French-Canadian film depicts the troubled life of teenage tearaway, Steve, and his widowed mother, Diane, as they navigate the ups and downs of their tumultuous relationship, with a little help from their benevolent neighbour, Kyla.

It’s a blistering and brutal rollercoaster ride filled with violence and anger, but a painful amount of love, too. If you don’t end up heartbroken and teary-eyed by the end of Mommy, then something has gone horribly wrong; don’t go into this expecting any kind of a happy ending. On a more positive note, you can watch this film for free on a couple of streaming services right now, such as Plex and Wedo TV.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)

Perhaps you want something a little less stressful now? The Last Black Man in San Francisco has similar themes to Anora, like wanting to find a better life or purpose, and there’s even a more literal, physical journey to be found at the core of the story, too. Thankfully, this one is a much calmer and poetic adventure than Anora. Instead of having you pulling your hair out, The Last Black Man in San Francisco is more likely to pull on your heartstrings and get you contemplating life.

Jimmie Fails shines in the lead role as a man desperate to reclaim his familial home from the gentrification of San Francisco. Along the way, he confronts class struggles, racial profiling, gang violence, and an identity crisis, but we promise it’s not too stressful. The Last Black Man in San Francisco is one of those rare movies that left me open-mouthed, stunned at the sheer beauty of what I’d just watched.

Ema (2019)

Pablo Larrain may be better known for crafting sublime period piece biopics about powerful women through history, like Jackie and Maria, but when he reverted to his native tongue in 2019 for Ema, he created something monumental and truly electric.

It’s a film that simply isn’t spoken about enough, and one of the greatest in a foreign language of the last decade. Ema tells the story of a severely broken relationship that erupts with tremendous ferocity through a shared trauma; you essentially get all the chaos of Anora, with ten times as much pain, but at least all that hurt has a gorgeous backdrop. If you’ve never given MUBI a try, now is the time to get a trial and make Ema your first watch on there.

The Nice Guys (2016)

Okay, we hear you, too much pain, suffering, and stress. Got it. So why not kick back and relax to some pure, unadulterated slapstick fun with Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe in Shane Black’s The Nice Guys? Truth be told, I will never miss a chance to talk about this movie, but I’m totally justified to do so on this occasion.

It’s the movie everyone on the Internet wants a sequel for, and we’re afraid we will never get that wish fulfilled. But the 2016 comedy is perfect just the way it is, and might just be the funniest film of the last ten years. The missing persons search at the heart of it all is just as much a wild goose chase as Ani’s search for Ivan in Anora, but it’s also hilarious watching Holland March and Jackson Healy stumble their way through the case. If you want a side-splitting comedy that’s under two hours, there are few better options than The Nice Guys.

Mandy (2018)

Chances are, we could hook you in with just one sentence when it comes to Mandy. How about this: Nicolas Cage goes on a wild, neon-soaked, LSD-fuelled rampage in search of his wife’s killers and their demonic cult leader. If you’re still here and need more persuading, Mandy features a rip-roaring score from the late, great Jóhann Jóhannsson, the violence is gruesome and gnarly, and Nic Cage is at his untethered best in this absolutely savage yet oddly stunning revenge tale.

It’s safe to say Anora is a pretty lighthearted movie, aside from a few darker moments here and there. If you like that kind of balance, don’t let that promise of graphic violence put you off. Like any Nic Cage movie, there’s an undeniable wackiness and tongue-in-cheek, black comedy to this Panos Cosmatos picture.

Boogie Nights (1997)

Did someone say graphic nudity and sex scenes? Anora pulls no punches in its depiction of sex workers, and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights is much the same in its handling of the amateur porn scene. And, just like Anora, this ‘90s classic has the perfect blend of humour and harrowing moments.

This is by far Mark Wahlberg’s best performance of all time, while the likes of Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, and Heather Graham all shine alongside him. It’s a long and sprawling epic (coming in roughly 15 minutes longer than Anora) that, at times, feels almost Tarantino-esque in the way the plot weaves and winds into one big messy web. So, make sure you’ve got plenty of time on your hands before you dive into this cult classic.

Burn After Reading (2008)

We couldn’t talk about amusing yet disorderly comedy-drama-thrillers without including a movie by the Coen Brothers, and it’s Burn After Reading that perhaps best embraces that genre mash-up. To be honest, you’d be hard-pressed to find many comedies as funny as this, and equally, there are not many crime capers as sharp or intriguing, either.

The stakes may be sky high in this story – with CIA secrets on the line – but the sheer silliness of the ensemble cast undercuts all the tension in such a brilliant way, and provides so many laugh-out-loud moments. Brad Pitt and John Malkovich are simply exceptional here as they let their comedic chops loose, and the haphazard plot they find themselves in is an ideal companion piece to the slightly more serious Anora. Plus, as an extra bonus, it’s just 96 minutes long, which is always a treat!

It feels like an eternity (or perhaps, an infinity) since the last Avengers team-up. By the time we get to Avengers: Doomsday in 2026, it will have, in actuality, been seven years since we saw all of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes on the same battlefield.

The MCU has been through a tough time lately with a few critical misses, but things are now back on track thanks to the positive reaction to Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic 4: First Steps last year and, this January just gone, the critical acclaim for Wonder Man—a new limited series starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. This new optimism around the MCU has been bolstered by a recent run of tantalising Doomsday teasers—which have so far confirmed that Steve Rogers, Thor, Namor and Letitia Wright’s Black Panther , and the original X Men will “return” in the upcoming movie.

If you’re invested in the MCU, then you’ll already know that the Avengers: Doomsday cast is absolutely huge, which is very exciting. With so many names in there, it’s important to understand where all the key characters are as we close in on the release of this massive event movie. Before you watch Avengers: Doomsday, here are all the other MCU films that are essential to revisit, and where you can watch them.

Avengers: Infinity War & Avengers: Endgame (2018; 2019)

Let’s go back to that last team-up for all the Avengers, new and old. Watching Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame back-to-back is one of the all-time great double bills in cinema. 

Rewatching it will not only refresh your memory as to the sheer strength in numbers the super team possesses, but it’s also just a great way to remind yourself how amazing the MCU can be at its peak as it embraces the scale and stakes of potentially universe-ending threats. Far too often, comic book movies wrap things up in a neat, happy ending; Avengers: Infinity War didn’t do that, and Avengers: Endgame certainly didn’t, given the sacrifices made by the heroes by the end.

Plus, with Robert Downey Jr. back in the MCU, albeit as a very different character in Doomsday, it’s worth a look to see how his time as Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, came to a close back in 2019. Of all the older films in this list, these two are by far the most important and enjoyable.

Thor: Love and Thunder

Chris Hemsworth is still going strong as our favourite Asgardian, and with four solo movies to his name, Thor is arguably the most prolific of the original Avengers team. His most recent MCU outing on the big screen, in Thor: Love and Thunder, saw the God of Thunder team up with his ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), to take on Gorr the God Butcher. By the end, he had a new, far younger teammate by his side—who, if the trailers are anything to go by, may play a role in the upcoming film.

If we’re being honest, Thor: Love and Thunder is down near the bottom of our MCU ranking. This movie falls considerably short in replicating the comedic tone Taika Waititi imbued in Thor: Ragnarok; the visuals are rough in places, and the narrative is incredibly messy. Thankfully, Christian Bale’s incredible performance as Gorr is one of the finest villainous turns in the MCU to date, so it’s not all bad. While it has its ups and downs, Love and Thunder is still essential viewing if you want to know what the mighty Mjolnir-wielder is up to ahead of his return.

Captain America: Brave New World

With Steve Rogers now back in the fold (according to the teasers), it’s unclear whether or not Sam Wilson will get to fully take on the mantle of Captain America in Doomsday—especially given that the former Falcon hasn't had an easy time of it in the early days of his tenure in the stars and stripes.

In Captain America: Brave New World, he not only ramped up his reputation as the new Cap by taking on President Ross’ Red Hulk, the movie also laid the foundations for a new Avengers team that he’s putting together ahead of Avengers: Doomsday. Make no mistake, Sam will be a leading figure by the time Doom arrives next year, but how that will look is still uncertain.

Unfortunately, Brave New World was another disappointing effort from the MCU. Much like Thor: Love and Thunder, this movie feels like it was rushed, chopped and changed behind the scenes, resulting in an odd aesthetic and some confusing character choices. But, despite all its flaws, you simply cannot ignore Harrison Ford ‘Hulking out’ as one of the most fun and satisfying moments in the MCU; seriously, getting him on board was a masterstroke!

Thunderbolts*

Before the release of this film, we all imagined the likes of Red Guardian, Ghost, and US Agent would be very expendable. Yet, they’ll all be joining Yelena (Florence Pugh) for Avengers: Doomsday, meaning the team in Thunderbolts* have become far more important than we (or indeed, they) ever expected.

Before it came out, many had written the film off as something of a pointless venture that would barely make an impact on the main MCU timeline, giving attention to characters who perhaps didn’t deserve more screentime. However, Thunderbolts* delivers surprisingly genuine emotional weight and cataclysmic stakes, while also managing to have fun at the same time.

Not only do you need to know what’s going on with Sentry (Lewis Pullman) ahead of the next Avengers movie, but judging by the post-credit scene in Thunderbolts*, this band of misfits might just be the first team that Earth turns to when the next big threat bears down on the planet.

The Fantastic 4: First Steps

Even more crucial than the Thunderbolts will be the likes of Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), who, alongside Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), comprise the cast for The Fantastic 4: First Steps. And, as any comic book aficionado will tell you, you can’t have Doctor Doom without Marvel’s first family.

Thankfully, like Thunderbolts*, this is a top-tier effort from Marvel. Getting the Fantastic Four right on-screen has arguably not been fully done before, and this version is a perfect introduction. There’s no time wasted on origins; the characters are given flaws and put in intriguing moral dilemmas, and there’s a genuine sense that they could lose it all when Galactus makes his move. How refreshing it is to see Marvel making movies that look good again, along with fully fleshed-out characters that we care about instantly.  

This is also the most important of the new wave of MCU movies to tick off your list ahead of the release of Avengers: Doomsday, especially on the back of the post-credit scene in The Fantastic 4: First Steps.

The X-Men trilogy

By the time Avengers: Doomsday comes around, it will have been 20 years since many of the players from the original X-Men trilogy were last seen on screen. Some, like Patrick Stewart’s Professor Xavier, have popped up more recently, but with the likes of Mystique (Rebecca Romijn), Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming), and Cyclops (James Marsden, who appears in the teaser) all set to reprise their roles for the new Avengers movie, you’d better refresh your memory on how things went down all those years ago – especially X-Men, X2, and X-Men: The Last Stand, and given the ovbious friendliness between Xavier and Magneto in the teaser, perhaps X-Men: Days of Future Past as well.

While the first two entries listed are absolutely brilliant, especially in terms of the action sequences and visual elements for the time they were released, the trilogy-closer is a bit of a rough ride. In simple terms, X-Men: The Last Stand rushes its plot, and there’s simply too much going on and not enough control of its various storylines. Still, with that top-tier cast of Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and Hugh Jackman, it’s hard not to revel in the chaos.

The Marvels

Speaking of random mutants, you’ll have to watch The Marvels, too, ahead of Avengers: Doomsday. That’s not a chore by any means, though, as the team-up of Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Ms Marvel (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) is actually a lot of fun. 

It’s really nice to see a filmmaker (28 Years Later: The Bone Temple director Nia DaCosta helmed this one) being given the freedom to play around with tone and style – The Marvels even has a musical number in the middle of it; a rare treat in a comic book movie! My teenage daughter may not have appreciated the cheesiness of that particular scene, but while it might not hit the spot for all viewers, it’s exactly the kind of bold swing we should be celebrating and seeing more often in these movies.

While it’s a largely self-contained story, we know the young Ms Marvel will be back for Avengers Doomsday at the very least, as will Kelsey Grammer’s X-Men character, Beast, who pops up in the end-credits scene here. His presence in an alternative timeline alongside Rambeau, who is very much lost in space, could well be the key to bringing the various universes together in Avengers: Doomsday. We can’t wait to see Earth-616 and the X-Men collide!

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

With Chadwick Boseman sadly gone, it’s now up to Letitia Wright’s Shuri to don the Black Panther costume in the fight against Doctor Doom. She will be joined by Tenoch Huerta, who plays Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. That movie's production clearly suffered from losing Boseman, which is understandable. Passing on the mantle to Shuri, at least this soon, was obviously not the plan, and it does take some adjustment for audiences to connect with his replacement. But once the dust settles and she locks into the heroic role, the film ultimately becomes a very emotional and important entry in the MCU.

Namor, meanwhile, imbued Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with a real sense of moral conflict while also showing glimpses of his incredible power. When the first Black Panther movie showed us Wakanda, it was a mind-blowing expansion of the MCU’s world. Exploring Namor’s spectacular home of Talokan made its sequel feel just as fresh and innovative.

Comic book fans will know just how powerful Namor is. He’s a key player in the Secret Wars arc, too, so don’t be surprised to see him have a big role to play in Avengers: Doomsday if Marvel is gearing up for a similar trajectory to the one he takes in the source material—and if his appearance in the teaser is anything to go by, his role could be quite central to the narrative arc of both Doomsday and Secret Wars.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

In many ways, we wouldn’t blame you for almost forgetting about Shang-Chi (Simu Liu). His solo movie came out in 2021, and we’ve not seen or heard him even mentioned in the MCU since then. 

It’s a shame, as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings features some of the best fight choreography in the MCU. If you like the gritty, kinetic combat scenes in shows like Daredevil, you’ll love seeing Shang-Chi kick ass in this film. It’s not all fist fights and machismo, though; Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has levity thanks to Awkwafina’s Katy, and the legendary Tony Leung brings all his gravitas to deliver one of the most enigmatic and intriguing villains in the MCU.

We know Liu will be back for Avengers: Doomsday, and we suspect the titular artefacts that give the hero his powers could end up being very useful in stepping up the Avengers’ power levels when they face the might of Doctor Doom.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

One of the main surviving members of the fight against Thanos, and arguably the most powerful Avenger still left on Earth in the lead-up to Avengers: Doomsday, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) will have a massive role to play in the movie, one way or another.

In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the eponymous sorcerer is tasked with protecting America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) from Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen). In the process, Strange also practically breaks the multiverse, and the incursions mentioned in the movie may be the open door that Doom needs to bring havoc to Earth-616. 

Revisiting this one should be a lot of fun. Sam Raimi has one of the most unique and distinctive approaches in directing superhero movies; here, he brings his delicious penchant for horror and use of clever cameos to help this Doctor Strange sequel stand out from the crowd. You’ll not find another film in the MCU that’s as scary as this (thanks to Wanda Maximoff’s demonic turn) or packed with as much visual flair as this (shoutout to that iconic Wong transition). You can tell that Raimi wasn’t going to be merely a director-for-hire on this project; he made it his own, and the film reaps the rewards of that bold vision.

Deadpool & Wolverine

While neither Deadpool nor Wolverine have been announced for the Avengers: Doomsday cast, there is still plenty to take away from their anti-hero comic book movie to feed into what could occur in the next big Marvel flick.

For a start, there’s a whole host of multiversal chaos in Deadpool & Wolverine, which ties in nicely with the events of the TV show, Loki. In addition, unlike the title characters, Channing Tatum’s Gambit, who finally makes his debut in this movie, is set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday.

Deadpool & Wolverine may be stuffed to the brim with cameos and callbacks, but it’s certainly not to its detriment, and we end up with one hell of a fun movie. In fact, all that fan service that could so easily have been overkill or a distraction to the main plot actually works perfectly given the way the film explores Deadpool’s place in the multiverse. Not only is this movie the ideal way to incorporate the Merc With A Mouth into the MCU’s main timeline, it’s also a surprisingly lovely way to celebrate the incredible characters in the Fox universe that laid the foundations for him to join the Disney family. 

You’ll laugh, you’ll gasp, and you will probably even shed a tear by the time this one wraps up. 

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

The final film we advise you watch before Avengers: Doomsday is a bit of an odd one. The reason for this is that the main focus of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is actually on setting up Kang as the MCU’s next big bad. Those plans have all been scrapped with Kang’s actor, Jonathan Majors’ forced exit, and we’re not expecting any of those breadcrumbs to be picked up. If anything, we’re pretty sure Marvel would prefer you just forget it exists at all.

Still, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man will be part of the team for Avengers: Doomsday, so it’s worth catching up with his most recent activity. While it’s not the best MCU movie, with some dire visual effects and a lacklustre final act, Kang’s (now redundant) backstory is still fascinating, and you can’t deny that diving into the quantum realm is really cool. Sure, you’re likely to come away from this with more criticisms than commendations, but you just never know what Marvel will carry into their next, epic Avengers team-up, so it’s best to cover all bases here.

The original version of this article was written by Jess Bacon and published on 29 February 2024.

Rebecca Ferguson has been involved with some of the best TV series and film franchises in recent years, demonstrating the breadth of her range across a variety of genres from Silo to The Greatest Showman. The Stockholm-born actor made her debut in 1999 while still a teenager, in the Swedish language soap opera, Nya tider, before making her feature film debut in the slasher horror, Drowning Ghost, in 2004.

From there, Ferguson has gone from strength to strength, with her more recent recurring roles in the Mission: Impossible and Dune franchises confirming her position as one of the biggest stars to emerge from Hollywood in the last decade. With so many incredible films and TV series to sift through, here are the best Rebecca Ferguson performances and where they’re available for streaming from services like Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere. 

We’ve ranked them not by the quality of each movie, exactly—though that occasionally coincides—but by some combination of Ferguson’s performance and her character’s significance, from the least to most notable.

10. The Greatest Showman (2017)

Despite banking $435 million at the box office and a whole bag of awards (including a nomination for best song at the Oscars), The Greatest Showman is a bit of a hate-it-or-love-it kind of movie. If you’re into fantastical musicals like Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge!, you’ll probably fall into the latter.

We’ve placed it low here as Ferguson, memorable as she is playing Jenny “Swedish Nightingale” Lind (though former Voice contestant Loren Allred stepped in for the singing), only appears in a supporting role.

9. Dune (2021)

Dune being ninth on this list is not a reflection on the movie itself. Denis Villeneuve’s incredible adaptation of the first half of Frank Herbert’s novel is the kind of dense, mature sci-fi that the director of Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 has become synonymous with. Naturally, if you’re a fan of those movies, you will definitely be a fan of this one. 

The movie occupies this position on our list as Lady Jessica’s role is relatively smaller than what Fergusson gets to do in Part Two (more on that in a minute). In fact, the actress was initially reluctant to take on the role of Paul Atreidas’s mother (did being only 12 years older than Timothée Chalamet’s have something to do with it?), but Villeneuve eventually convinced her, and we can all be thankful for that. 

8. The White Queen (2013)

The White Queen is the show that finally gained Ferguson international prominence, earning the young actress a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a miniseries along the way. Made for the BBC, the ten-part series focuses on King Edward IV’s wife, Elizabeth Woodville (Ferguson), during the War of the Roses.

This is the kind of show that revisits long-discussed historical events from the POV of the women involved. So, if you like punky, period stories told through the female lens (think The Great, The Favourite or Corsage), this is one you’ll want to see.

7. Doctor Sleep (2019)

Long before adapting Stephen King’s The Life of Chuck, Mike Flanagan made Doctor Sleep, a daring attempt to make a sequel to one of the greatest adaptations of the author’s novels. Fans of King adaptations in general, or those who are curious to see a pretty interesting expansion of the world of The Shining, might be curious to check this one out.  

Ewan McGregor stars as a now adult Danny Torrence who finds a young girl who has been cursed with the same gift, but Fergusson steals the show as the evil Rose the Hat. 

6. Silo (2023)

Silo is one of those shows that would have been absolutely enormous had it been released before the streaming wars. If you like mystery box series with sci-fi twists, like Lost or the recent adaptation of Fallout, you’ll easily get hooked on its alluring premise.

Set in a dystopian future where human beings are literally siloed underground, Ferguson absolutely kills it in the lead role as Juliette: an engineer whose curiosity puts her on a path to discovering the truth. 

5. House of Dynamite (2025)

For some viewers, A House of Dynamite will be a match made in heaven: a movie with the bingeable, gripping pull of a show like 24 mixed with director Katheryn Bigelow’s erudite taste for politically topical subject matter. You’ll lap this up if you’re a fan of her more recent output, especially The Hurt Locker or Zero Dark Thirty.

The movie roughly covers the same half hour, told from three sets of perspectives, to show how the US government might respond to the appearance of a rogue nuclear missile on their radar screens. Fergusson appears in the first of these segments, playing a duty officer in the situation room trying to hold it together through some uncomfortable calls with her son. As usual, she also steals the show. 

4. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (2023)

Rest assured, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning won’t be the only movie in the franchise to feature on this list—though it’s certainly one worth seeing if you like the later instalments of the series and seeing Cruise at his most death-defying.

It’s the first we’ll mention here, however, as Ferguson’s limited screentime as Ilsa Faust means it’s perhaps the least substantial of her performances in the series. That said, she does get to wear an eye patch, shoot an enormous sniper rifle, and have a fateful sword fight on a Venetian bridge. Credit where credit’s due.  

3. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

Mission: Impossible - Fallout places higher than Dead Reckoning because a) it might be the best action movie of the decade, and b) because Fergusson, again as Ilsa Faust, gets way more stuff to do. 

Over the course of the movie’s substantial running time, Ferguson is involved almost from start to finish, and all the way up to the grand finale, where she gets to fight Solomon Lane to defuse a plutonium core. She also gets to do more flirting with Ethan and ride a motorbike—all of which are crucial factors of this performance’s high ranking on this list. 

2. Dune Part Two (2024)

If you liked the vibe of Dune Part 1 but grew a little tired of all the table setting, Dune Part Two is your well-earned reward—an astonishing achievement in mature sci-fi cinema that any fan of that genre needs to see. 

Like most other things in Dune Part Two, Ferguson built on what she had achieved with Lady Jessica in Part One and made it even better—evolving into the Reverend Mother, getting some dope face tattoos, drinking the “Water of Life”, and essentially hyping her son into a full-blown Messiah. But hey, isn’t that what all mothers are for?

1. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

Now we’re talking! Ilsa might have had to face the indignity of playing second fiddle to an overblown pickpocket in later instalments of the Mission Impossible franchise, but her first appearance as Ilsa Faust, in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, is one of the best character portrayals in the entire series. 

Director Cristopher McQuarrie certainly knew what he was up to in casting a Swedish-born actress to play a character named Ilsa in a certain Moroccan city, but Ferguson transcended those winks to cinema history to make the character her own. Her emergence from the swimming pool is enough to leave Benji speechless, but it’s Ferguson’s delivery of that line that really sealed her place in the annals of M: I and, IMO, made her a star.

Romantic comedies have the power to make us laugh out loud, cry harder than we thought possible, and renew our belief in love—and rom-com series only increase the time we get to spend with these delightfully flawed characters. Whether you’re in the mood for a messy charmer like Lena Dunham’s latest series, Too Much, want to laugh at Rose Matafeo’s antics on Starstruck, or escape with a nostalgic classic like Sex and the City, there’s a series on this list for everyone. 

Check out why you should watch Too Much, as well as eight more of the best rom-com series available to stream in one fell swoop right now.

Too Much (2025)

Lena Dunham’s Netflix series Too Much takes the modern rom-com to new levels of lovable dysfunctionality. The series follows Jess (Megan Stalter), an American who moves to London for a job after a devastating breakup. Jess is not your typical rom-com protagonist: she’s big, she’s brash, and she has only the slightest of filters. 

While many might find her “too much”, Jess has a heart of gold and is willing to open herself up to love again when she meets the struggling musician Felix (Will Sharpe) in a dingy loo on her first night in the city. If you’re in the mood for a witty rom-com that doesn’t shy away from its protagonists’ messier sides, be sure to check out Too Much.

Starstruck (2021–2023)

This three-season gem of a series, from the mind of New Zealand comedian Rose Matafeo, is perfect viewing for any fan of a classic rom-com with killer humour and a modern feel. 

The series stars Matafeo herself as Jessie, a funny and somewhat lost late-20s Kiwi working a series of odd jobs in London. When she bumps into Tom at a New Year’s party and the two have a one-night stand, Jessie realises Tom is actually a big film star. As their relationship goes through the motions and they learn more about themselves in the process, they try and figure out if their lifestyles are compatible.

Relatable, hilarious, and sometimes very real, Starstruck is without a doubt one of the best rom-com series of the past decade.

Girls (2012–2017)

Girls focuses on the lives of four 20-something women trying to get their lives and careers on track in an unruly New York City. Hannah (played by Lena Dunham) is an aspiring writer dating the commitment-phobic Adam (Adam Driver). Both have their fair share of issues, and over the years, their relationship evolves in ways that prove both deeply frustrating and relatable.

While Girls is much more than a pure rom-com series, there’s no doubt that Hannah and Adam’s on-again, off-again relationship is one of the most compelling aspects of all six seasons. Dunham’s original creation has been subject to much critique over the years, mostly for its lack of diversity, but it has recently had a resurgence in popularity. 

As with Too Much, Dunham’s masterful ability to capture the messiness of dealing with oneself and others in a relationship is on full display.

Sex and the City (1998–2004)

It’s fair to say there is no rom-com series more iconic than Sex and the City. While Girls and Too Much revel in the messiness of being human, Sex and the City favours an escape into the glitz and glamour of New York life.

The protagonist, Carrie Bradshaw (played by Sarah Jessica Parker), writes a successful column about dating and sexuality that somehow permits her to live in a West Village brownstone and splurge on Jimmy Choos every other week… Her and her tumultuous relationship with the enigmatic Mr Big plays a big role, and while the storyline falls into many of the unhealthy tropes of heterosexual dating, it remains a big pull for any romantic soul. 

Like Girls, there is much to criticise about Sex and the City by modern standards, but the series was one of the first to depict women over 30 dating and exploring their sexuality, and there’s no doubt that it remains extremely relevant even today.

Fleabag (2016–2019)

While Fleabag is certainly much more than a ‘pure’ rom-com, the title character’s second-season romance with a priest is enough to land it a solid place on this list. This two-season masterpiece, adapted by Phoebe Waller-Bridge from her one-woman stage show, follows an unnamed woman, aka Fleabag, whose life is spiralling out of control after the death of her best friend.

In Season 2, she tentatively emerges from this personal abyss to fall for a cheeky priest (Andrew Scott), and we are treated to Fleabag breaking the fourth wall to tell us with all her signature wit exactly how she feels about him. While their relationship might be doomed from the start, the genuine affection and longing between them—not to mention that steamy scene in the confessional—is a beautiful thing to behold.

Nobody Wants This (2024–present)

Nobody Wants This is a fun, modern rom-com based on the real-life story of actress Erin Foster, who also created the series. Her on-screen persona, Joanna (Kristen Bell), is an agnostic, outspoken woman who co-hosts a successful podcast about sex and romance with her sister, Justine. When Joanna meets a handsome rabbi, Noah, the sparks fly despite their clearly mismatched lifestyles and beliefs. 

Nobody Wants This is the perfect salve for anyone burned out by the current dating scene. Noah’s ability to listen, be supportive, and regulate his own emotions will melt your defences and make you raise the bar for any future dates.  

Love (2016–2018)

Netflix’s Love is a classic rom-com with a thoughtful modern twist. The series follows the story of two dysfunctional Los Angelinos: Mickey, an impulsive recovering alcoholic, and Gus, who is unstoppably neurotic and emotionally needy. While they both come with their fair share of problems, after their meet-cute in a 24-hour shop, the two sincerely try to work together to build a better relationship than any they had had before. 

Throughout Love’s three seasons, the series patiently yet engagingly deepens our love for Mickey and Gus at the same pace they fall for each other. The ups and downs of their relationship feel very real, and while there might be plenty of laughs, the series is surprisingly soft and intimate.

Modern Love (2019–2021)

The pros and cons of an anthology series like Modern Love are that some episodes really stand out while others blend into a standard mix of clichés. This series, based on the popular New York Times weekly column and podcast featuring real-life love stories, contains two seasons of eight episodes, each with its own unique story and a host of A-list cast members. 

In episodes like “When Cupid Is a Prying Journalist,” in which Dev Patel’s Joshua and Catherine Keener’s Julie exchange stories about “the one who got away”, and “On a Serpentine Road, With the Top Down,” in which Minnie Driver’s Stephanie is only able to talk to her deceased first husband while sitting in a rundown sports car, Modern Love captures the universal experiences of love’s beauty and pain in the modern world.

Time to pull up a stool and wait for things to settle as Netflix’s House of Guinness is taking the streaming world by storm. Like the creamy head on a lovely pint, the show has been topping the streaming charts ever since its release—at least at the time of writing—while racking up a formidable 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes in the process. 

If we look back a little, the show is just one in a long line of gripping family sagas that have dominated our screens for the last 25 years—some of which, I believe, have represented the peak of dramatic television in that time. So, if you’ve just downed the first season of HoG and are thirsty for more, here are ten of the very best of them.

We’ve arranged this list in descending order, with the top being closest in terms of similarity to HoG and the last few more roughly adjacent to it. Read on to discover more and use the guide below to find them on services like AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

Succession (2018 - 2023)

When House of Guinness was released, the go-to comparison on everyone’s lips was Jesse Armstrong’s masterful Succession—and if you loved HoG for all the familiar infighting, wealthy brats and cut-throat inheritance squabbles, you’ll probably love it. 

The story follows Logan Roy (Brian Cox), the head of a powerful, right-leaning media corporation, and the efforts of his three children to be chosen as the next in line to his throne. Armstrong made his name for his early collaborations with Armando Iannucci, so if you’re a fan of The Thick of It or Iannucci’s more recent Veep (think sharply written satire and colourful profanities), this is definitely one for you. 

Peaky Blinders (2013 - 2022)

The other comparison that is impossible to ignore is showrunner Steven Wright’s previous long-running series, Peaky Blinders. If you’re a fan of House of Guinness for its style (all those flat-caps and moustaches, the devilish charm of Anthony Boyle), you’ll definitely be into it. 

Over six seasons, each produced by the BBC, Cillian Murphy’s Thomas Shelby became an international style icon. Oh, and the show wasn’t bad either—a slick, period-set crime saga that lovers of Narcos or the Scorsese-produced Boardwalk Empire will lap up. The cast includes a host of British luminaries, including Tom Hardy and Stephen Graham, and with a movie on the way at Netflix, there’s probably never been a better time to get into it!

The Sopranos (1999 - 2007)

And speaking of long-running crime sagas, there are plenty of reasons why people still consider The Sopranos not simply the best crime show ever made but arguably the best TV show ever made. Those who like House of Guinness for its sharp writing, dark comedy, and the way it examines the underbelly of that world are in for a treat.

The Sopranos ran for six near-flawless seasons on HBO and made stars of James Gandolfini, Edie Falco and the rest of the cast. Imagine The Godfather mixed with Fargo but set in ‘00s New Jersey—except with a little more existential humour and way more gabagool—and you’ll know what to expect.

The Crown (2016 - 2023)

Alternatively, if you are particularly into House of Guinness for its period settings and depictions of wealth from that era, you might be more interested in checking out The Crown. This is Peter Morgan’s epic, six-season series on the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II—beginning with Claire Foy in the lead role in 1947, Olivia Coleman from 1964 to 1990, and finally with Imelda Staunton up until 2005. 

Morgan structures the series almost like an anthology, with nearly every episode working as a self-contained story—each focusing on a notable incident or scandal from that time. This will be particularly up your alley if you’re a fan of dramas that explore the more recent history of the royal family, like Spencer or The Queen.

Mobland (2025 - )

The most recent series on our list is Mobland. This is a crime saga that focuses on the Harrigans, a ruthless and powerful family of Irish mobsters living in England in the present day. This is one that fans of House of Guinness’s Hibernian flavours might particularly appreciate.

It’s certainly true regarding the cast, which contains not just the great Tom Hardy (playing a fixer) but also Navan’s own Pierce Brosnan as the menacing patriarch, Conrad, and Emma Thompson donning an Irish brogue as his wife and confidante, Maeve. Ronan Bennet created the show, so if you liked his previous one, the excellent Day of the Jackal, or are simply a fan of all things Pierce, you’ll definitely want to check this one out. 

Yellowstone (2018 - 2024)

Moving a little farther afield, if you’re looking for another period-set show with an inheritance angle, the long-running, Kevin Costner-starring, and constantly expanding Yellowstone might be a good shout. The show (which now boasts five seasons and two spinoffs, with more in the works) focuses on the Dutton family, owners of the largest cattle ranch in Montana, and the conflicts that arise not just with neighbouring farmers and natives, but ultimately between themselves.

This is one of the prolific Taylor Sheridan’s many creations, so if you liked his Oscar-nominated Hell or High Water or his more recent series, Landman, you’ll probably be into it. 

Bloodline (2015 - 2017)

Sticking with shows on that side of the Atlantic, Bloodline is a family saga that takes place in the hot and humid world of the Florida Keys. Set in the present day, it focuses on a respected family whose lives are turned upside down when an estranged older brother returns home. It could be the one for you if you like House of Guinness for its subtle character development and gradually revealing characters.

Alongside Kyle Chandler and Sissi Spacek, the show also stars the great Ben Mendelsohn in a deliciously layered role (he plays the prodigal son), so if you appreciated what he brought to Andor Season 2 or to movies like Animal Kingdom and Mississippi Grind, you’ll want to check him out in this. 

Ozark (2017 - 2022)

Ozark is in many ways a similar show to Bloodline: a contemporary story set in a very particular part of America, about a normal family whose lives begin to unravel after the arrival of an unseen force. In this case, it’s a Mexican cartel, so if the crime world subplots of House of Guinness drew you in, along with the family drama, this one might be a great shout for you.

Jason Bateman, Julia Garner and Laura Linney lead the excellent cast in a show that fans of True Detective and Mare of Easttown will easily warm to. 

Pachinko (2022 - )

Moving a little farther afield, Pachinko is a decades-long saga about a Korean family that begins in 1910, when the country was still under Japanese colonial rule. If you found the political tensions in House of Guinness interesting, this might be of particular interest. Based on Min Jin-hee’s novel, the first two seasons have so far taken us from the early 20th century all the way up to the 1960s—so don’t be concerned about the pace of the storytelling.

Pachinko is also one of the best-looking series to be released in recent years. This is thanks to the location shooting but also Florian Hoffmeister’s cinematography—so, if you liked the DP’s work on the most recent series of True Detective, or on Todd Field’s incredible TÁR, you’ll want to check it out.

The Righteous Gemstones (2019 - 2025)

We’ll finish on something a little more light-hearted, though no less rooted in the dynamics of a powerful family. We’re talking, of course, about The Righteous Gemstones—a story about a family of wealthy evangelists who rarely, if ever, practice what they preach. 

This is the latest show from the brilliant and hilarious Danny McBride. If you’re a fan of his previous work (think Eastbound and Down, Vice Principals), you’re gonna love it.

Given that most horror franchises start with relatively tiny budgets, it’s no surprise that the movies tend to get more ambitious by the second or third instalments. Horror filmmakers (especially in the days of practical effects) have always been among the most creative and resourceful in the business, so it makes sense that a little more time and money occasionally result in something more expressive, adventurous, and hopefully more terrifying.

I’ve arranged the list of superior horror sequels below in no particular order and always with the greatest respect for the originator of each franchise. Read on to discover more about them and use the guide below to find them on platforms like AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere. 

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Growing up in the ‘90s, I used to assume that Wes Craven invented the idea of meta horror with movies like Scream and the later Elm Streets; so naturally, it came as a shock to learn that James Whale had done something similar six decades before. 

In 1935, Whale followed up the huge success of Frankenstein with a kind of meta-sequel, Bride of Frankenstein—and if you appreciate the kind of horror that just seems to know it’s a horror (like the classics I just mentioned, but also movies like The Cabin in the Woods), or if you enjoy the more campy stuff, like Vincent Price’s House on Haunted Hill, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Beginning with a scene set on Lake Geneva, where Mary Shelley traded ghost stories with Byron before coming up with the idea for her legendary novel, this is a daringly modern movie that’s been inspiring horror filmmakers ever since. 

Pearl (2022)

In 2022, Ti West followed up his well-received X with Pearl, a wonderfully inventive mish-mash of terror and technicolour homage that did for classic Hollywood and melodrama what X had done for ‘70s exploitation movies—imagine if The Wizard of Oz and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre had a baby, and you might have some idea of what to expect with Pearl.  

This is a follow-up that trumped its predecessor less for outright scares (though there are plenty of them) and more for sheer, demented joy and originality, particularly thanks to Mia Goth’s astonishing—and immediately memed—performance as the titular star. 

(P.S. Make sure to keep an eye out for future Superman David Corenswet, who appears dangerously suave here in a supporting role.) 

Final Destination 3 (2006)

I think you can tell a lot about a person by their favourite Final Destination movie. The first one is a gem that, having been shot on film, still looks like a million bucks. The second boasts some iconic moments, no doubt, but it’s just a little gloomy for my tastes. Part Three, however, is the moment when the series really found its groove—and if you’re a fan of the more recent outings in the franchise, like this year’s Bloodlines, or appreciate mid-00s Mary Elisabeth Winstead, as in Scott Pilgrim or Deathproof, this is one you’ll want to check out.

Along with its iconic theme park opener, the movie is full of great noughties-era details, like a particularly consequential digital camera. It also has some of the best kills in the franchise—just be warned, it might stop you from ever going into a tanning bed again. 

Scream 2 (1998)

Not for the first or last time on this list, we turn to the great Wes Craven. Now, I can’t argue that Scream 2, a movie that is even more self-aware than the original, had as much of a cultural footprint as Scream, but by doubling down on the meta-experimentation (that Stab opening scene!), it managed to be even more fun. If you like the other meta horrors we’ve mentioned on this list already, you’ll love it. 

The last act lets it down a bit, but the switch to a college campus and the addition of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jerry O’Connell, and Laurie Metcalf to the cast make Scream 2 an iconic piece of late-‘90s pop culture. I mean, if you’re getting parodied in Scary Movie, you must be doing something right. 

Aliens (1986)

This might be the most controversial choice on this list. Ridley Scott’s original Alien is an undisputed classic—a haunted house movie set in outer space where, famously, no one can hear you scream. If I had to take one Alien movie to the grave, however, I’d take James Cameron’s follow-up, Aliens—a movie that is solidly in the pantheon of great action sci-fi like The Terminator and Starship Troopers.

You could argue that Cameron’s effort is less horror-coded than Scott’s, but that’s beside the point. Building to a showdown between two unconventional mothers, one of whom is Sigourney Weaver in a bright yellow mech suit, this is a perfect movie and a masterclass in tension-building and design. 

Smile 2 (2024)

As a huge admirer of the first Smile movie, I entered first-time director Parker Finn’s sequel with some apprehension. Needless to say, Smile 2 blew me away—a brilliant, funny and terrifying vision (fans of smart, inventive horror like It Follows and Weapons should try it out) that will haunt anyone who’s ever experienced sleep paralysis, and probably anyone who hasn’t.

The plot follows a pop star named Skye, which is a setup that allows for all kinds of creepy possibilities while allowing Finn to explore the smothering nature of fame. The scene in which Skye’s dancers follow her in one flowing, amoebic movement through her apartment was one of the best things I saw last year. 

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Again, we’re wading into controversial water here. George A Romero’s Night of the Living Dead is a stone-cold classic, a still provocative movie that basically invented a still thriving genre today. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, however, is just a lot more fun. If you’re a fan of The Last of Us or of Zack Snyder’s perfectly good 2004 remake, we’d recommend going back to experience the original. 

The idea to set the story in an abandoned shopping mall was simply genius by Romero—a move that creates all kinds of possible scenarios for the characters while suggesting the zombifying nature of consumer capitalism in one foul swoop.

Evil Dead II (1987)

This one is slightly cheating, as Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead II is more or less a remake of the first movie—but hey, there’s a “II” in the title. And whatever the case, Ash’s second round of misadventures with the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis is a classic example of the amazing things that can happen when an already inventive filmmaker is given access to a whole new box of tools. If you’re a fan of what Raimi did with the recent Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it’s cool to see the same visual trickery on show here.

The plot is the archetypal cabin in the woods set up, where a haunted book is discovered and all sorts of hell is let loose. Fair warning: while Raimi tones it down significantly from the original, there is still a scene in the woods (in which Bobby Joe is attacked by the trees) here that will appear quite extreme by today’s standards.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) 

Once again, we return to Wes Craven with the best movie in the Elm Street franchise, which is also, no surprise, the only movie of the original six that Craven was involved with after Part One. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is the movie where Freddy became the star, and also kind of funny—but without the awful self-parody of later instalments. 

This is one for appreciators of creative kills (like in the Final Destination movies) but also of imaginative, hand-crafted horror movies—among Craven’s incredible team was director Chuck Russell, who would go on to make The Mask, and co-screenwriter Frank Darabont, who went on to make The Shawshank Redemption. Wes Craven would return with 1994’s excellent New Nightmare, but I think that movie feels more like a primer for Scream than a sequel for Freddy. 

Terrifier 3 (2024)

Some people will say that Terrifier 2 is the obvious choice here, but I find that the switch to Christmastime and the establishment of recurring, legacy characters in Terrifier 3 make the movie, and Art the Clown’s demented sadism, just feel a bit more substantial.

Working with a larger budget, the movie also has some of the most creatively horrendous kills—just be warned, this one is not for the faint of heart. But if you’re a degenerate like me and occasionally appreciate horror that’s a little more on the extreme side (think Martyrs or Audition), it might be what you’re after.

The original version of this article was written by Jess Bacon and published on 11 April 2024.

Dev Patel has been a prominent presence in the British film scene ever since his breakout role in Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning sensation, Slumdog Millionaire. Since then, the London-born and bred actor has gone from strength to strength, co-starring alongside some of the great stars of the era, being cast by some of the most beloved indie directors, and even shaking things up by directing a film of his own.

Indeed, the actor went behind the camera to bring audiences his first feature as director and co-writer of Monkey Man, a film that received widespread acclaim for both Patel’s performance and direction. The actor’s next project, Rabbit Trap, to releases in late 2025, so what better time to look back over his finest performances? Read on to discover more about Patel’s 10 best roles, ranked here in ascending order, and use the guide below to find out where to stream them on platforms like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

10. Chappie (2015)

Chappie is an original and inventive sci-fi that never quite recovered from some harsh early reviews, but if you’re a fan of director Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 and Elysium, I’d recommend giving it a shot. Just be warned, the movie plays it a bit fast and loose with cultural appropriation, so if that’s something that tends to trigger you, you might be better off watching one of the other movies on this list. 

For Blomkamp’s movie, Patel played the nervy engineer responsible for looking after the eponymous protagonist, a robot he sets free only for it to learn to talk Jo-berg trash after hanging out with Die Antwoord for too long—as we said, it’s original and problematic.

9. I Lost My Body (2019)

I Lost My Body almost achieved the same success that Flow did earlier this year. Like that Latvian wonder, this gorgeous animation made it all the way from a small premiere at the Cannes Film Festival to the Oscars—it just didn’t quite manage to win. 

This is an animation that fans of organic-looking work, like Persepolis or The Red Turtle, will appreciate. Patel, of course, doesn’t appear, but his voice work as the protagonist, Naoufel, in the English language version adds to the movie’s tremendous warmth and soul. 

8. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its 2015 sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel are movies made to appeal to an audience of a certain age, but not exclusively, so if you enjoy shows like Downton Abbey or movies like Hope Springs, it could well be one for you.

The cast contains UK acting royalty like Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton, but as the hotel manager, Sonny Kapoor, Patel kind of holds the whole thing together. The heart-warming movie was one of the highest-grossing films of 2012, making a staggering $136.8 million on its $10 million budget so at the very least, you can give it a watch to see what all the fuss was about.

7. Lion (2016)

Patel’s most celebrated role arguably came in the 2016 drama Lion, a movie that told the true story of a 25-year-old Indian man who used Google Earth to locate the family he left behind when he moved to Australia at a young age. Patel stars as Saroo Brierly alongside Nicole Kidman as his adoptive mother—it’s the kind of movie you’ll love if you like uplifting true-life dramas like Wild or Thirteen Lives.

The performance was critically acclaimed, with Patel going on to win the BAFTA for Best Actor in a Supporting Role before picking up a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards—despite it probably being better described as the lead role. 

6. Monkey Man (2024)

It’s rare for actors to make the jump to directing, especially when it comes to movies like Monkey Man—an action thriller with influences ranging from Bollywood classics to John Wick. If you like the idea of seeing that kind of action mixed with the textures of another kind of cinema, we highly recommend it. 

Along with directing, Patel took on the titular role, reuniting with his Chappie co-star Sharlto Copley (as always, a great antagonist) as well as the Indian actors Pitobash Tripathy, Vipin Sharma and Sikandar Kher. Nope director Jordan Peele even served as producer on the movie, which grossed four times its budget, along with scoring a formidable 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

5. Skins (2007)

Dev Patel might not have the biggest role in Season 1 of Skins, but the show’s importance to his career can not be understated. The iconic Channel 4 series proved to be a launchpad for a whole generation of English actors, from Patel, Nicolaus Hoult and Daniel Kaluuya in Season 1 to Jack O’Connell in the next generation. For Season 1, Patel played Anwar, a pill-popping party-boy struggling to square his lifestyle with his cultural background and Muslim upbringing. 

This is a show for fans of ‘00s indie sleaze debauchery—if you liked Saltburn, this is kind of the genesis of that whole vibe. 

4. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Given Patel’s easy charm and excellent comic timing, it was probably only a matter of time before Wes Anderson came along with a role for him. The movie that did it was The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, the Oscar-winning short film adaptation of the deep-cut Roald Dahl novella. Fans of Anderson’s other Dahl adaptation, Fantastic Mr. Fox, won’t want to miss this one. 

The plot follows Benedict Cumberbatch’s Henry Sugar, a gambler on a journey to acquire the gift of clairvoyance that might help him to cheat. The cast is typically stacked, but Patel’s performance is a standout. It’s a pure delight. 

3. The Green Knight (2021)

With all the success Patel has had, it’s strange he hasn’t been picked up to lead a huge number of projects. Perhaps his experience with The Last Airbender made him more cautious with choosing blockbusters. Whatever the reason, his appearance in David Lowery’s fascinating The Green Knight is one to cherish—especially for fans of A24 movies like The Lighthouse, or Robert Eggers’ more recent work, The Northman.

Patel plays Gawain, the nephew of King Arthur, who risks losing his head by travelling to confront the titular Knight. This is rich, evocative, indie filmmaking at its best.

2. The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019)

If you’re a fan of Armando Iannucci’s unique brand of humour, especially Veep and The Death of Stalin, don’t sleep on The Personal History of David Copperfield—the writer-director’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic has wit and energy to burn.

Credit should also go to the filmmakers for deciding to go with colourblind casting—an approach that’s been common in theatre for ages but has taken cinema a while to catch up with. If it weren’t for that choice, Patel wouldn’t have gotten the role and fans of the actor wouldn’t have gotten this exceptional performance. 

1. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Just a year after appearing on Skins, and long before his soon to be famous friends did the same, Patel made the jump to feature films with Slumdog Millionaire, a movie that rode a wave of good reviews and word of mouth to become the most successful independent British film of all time, win best picture at the Academy Awards, and earn Patel (who was still 19) a nomination for Best Actor at the BAFTAs. 

Adapted from Vikas Swarup’s novel Q&A, Patel stars as the 18-year-old Jamal Malik, a boy from a slum in Mumbai who wins the grand prize on India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, only to be accused of cheating. It perhaps hasn’t aged impeccably, but if you are a fan of Patel (especially in dramatic roles like Lion) or Danny Boyle’s work, it’s kind of an essential watch.

The original version of this article was written by Jess Bacon and published on 31 May 2024.

Paul Mescal rose to fame after the release of the BBC’s adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People in 2020 and has never looked back. Since then, the Irish actor has gone on to star in some of Ireland and Britain’s best independent feature films and even made the jump to Hollywood with Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II in 2024.

With his turn as William Shakespeare, in Chloe Zhao’s devastating Hamnet, currently earning the young star yet more acclaim and award season nominations, what better time to look back on the roles that got him here.

Use this guide to find out where to watch Paul Mescal's best movies and TV shows, which are ranked below in ascending order. Plus, all the latest offers for his movies on streaming platforms like Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

10. History of Sound (2025)

Mescal might find it lazy and frustrating, but it’s difficult not to think of Brokeback Mountain while watching The History of Sound. If you’re a fan of Ang Lee’s masterpiece, however, there’s every chance you’ll enjoy it—just don’t expect a movie on quite the same level. A closer comparison might be Cold Mountain, another period-set love story in which music and song are just as important as the words being spoken. 

Oliver Hermanus’s follow-up to Living—a wonderful, Kazou Ishiguro-scripted reimagining of Kurosawa's Ikuru—didn’t exactly set the world on fire at its Cannes premiere in 2025, but working alongside Josh O'Connor, Mescal does fine work with a challenging role. He also gets to wear some tiny glasses, which is a big plus. 

9. Foe (2023)

Foe remains something of an outlier in the Mescal canon: a psychological, sci-fi thriller that’s not a million miles off some melancholy episodes of Black Mirror, or the recent Adam Sandler movie, Spaceman. It did, however, offer the opportunity to work with Saoirse Ronan, the biggest Irish star of her generation—which was something he was never going to turn down.

It's safe to say, Garth Davis’s movie was a little too bleak for some viewers, but the chance to see these two work together makes it well worth a watch—especially if you can't wait to see them as Paul and Linda in Sam Mendes' upcoming Beatles movies.  

8. Gladiator II (2024)

Gladiator II is the kind of sequel that takes the most successful elements of the original and turns up the dial. You could compare it to other legacy movies like The Force Awakens or Blade Runner 2049, but Ridley Scott’s follow-up never comes close to capturing the same magic he achieved with Russell Crowe in the original.

Some of the blame is possibly due to Mescal’s casting: the actor has physical presence and intensity to burn, but he hasn't got Crowe's unique ability for endearing grandiosity—indeed, very few people have. No matter, Gladiator II a perfectly enjoyable movie on its own terms, and it’s fascinating to see such an interior actor attempt to translate those abilities to such a wide canvas. 

7. Carmen (2022)

Carmen is probably Mescal’s least seen project, but if you like the idea of watching the actor dance and sing (as we will apparently get to see again, one day in the distant future, in Richard Linklater’s Merrily We Roll Along), then this is one you might want to seek out. 

For his debut feature, the dance choreographer Benjamin Millepied (who, amongst other things, created the sandwalk for Villeneuve’s Dune) reimagines the Bizet opera in present-day Mexico, with Mescal giving a physical performance alongside Melissa Barrera as two doomed lovers.

6. God’s Creatures (2022)

With two films premiering in Cannes, 2022 proved to be another landmark year for Mescal. The first to screen was Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer’s God’s Creatures, an Irish-set drama starring Emily Watson as Aileen, the manager of a seafood processing plant on the West Coast. It’s a dark and brooding movie, somewhere in the vein of Calvary and Banshees of Inisherin, but with none of those movies’ inherent dark humour. 

Mescal gives a fascinating performance as Aileen’s son, a young man who mysteriously returns from Australia and is soon accused of assault—the question that lingers is how long Aileen will decide to swallow his side of the story.

5. The Lost Daughter (2021)

In 2021, Mescal made his feature film debut in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter, a movie that received Academy Award nominations for its lead actresses Olivia Coleman and Jesse Buckley—and if you’re a fan of their work in movies like The Favourite or I’m Thinking of Ending Things, you’ll want to see what happens when they share the screen here. 

Similar to Creatures, Gyllenhaal’s movie focuses on the dark secrets of a small community, but Mescal’s role is far more sympathetic. He even gets to do a little bit of polite flirting with Coleman, which is obviously worth the ticket price alone. 

4. All of Us Strangers (2023)

Andrew Scott got more of the plaudits for Andrew Haigh’s supernatural romance, All of Us Strangers, but Mescal’s supporting performance was just as strong—and needless to say, if you liked Haigh’s landmark queer movie Weekend or similarly heartbreaking movies, like Celine Song’s Past Lives, get ready to ball your eyes out with this one.

For his role as Harry, Mescal gives the movie an electric charge, taking on an impeccable Leeds accent and committing to several wonderfully intimate scenes. For this performance, Mescal was nominated for a Bafta for Best Supporting Actor and was unlucky not to do the same at the Oscars—even if nobody was beating Robert Downey Jr. for Oppenheimer that year.

3. Hamnet (2025)

With The History of Sound and Gladiator II not landing with critics and audiences quite as well as expected, there was some pressure on Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet to hit the ground running—but as its win for Best Drama at the Golden Globes recently showed, it's being received by most (if not all) viewers with open arms. Adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s bestseller, this is the kind of heart-wrenching period movie that only comes around every once in a while—think The Remains of the Day, Little Women and Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

Zhao’s movie reunites Mescal and Jessie Buckley as William and Agnes Shakespeare and focuses on the tragic death of their son. At time of writing, it stands as second favourite for Best Picture at the Oscars.

2. Normal People (2020)

Mescal was an up-and-comer on the Dublin theatre scene before landing the role of Connell Waldren in the 2020 miniseries Normal People, a role that stunned audiences across the globe and changed the young actor’s life. Based on Sally Rooney’s best-seller, Normal People is a beautifully moving, wonderfully directed and consistently heartbreaking account of young love that fans of the Netflix series One Day, and anyone else with a heart, will immediately warm to.

The show was nothing short of a sensation, and a lot of that was to do with the performances of Daisy Edgar-Jones and Mescal, the latter of whom went on to win a BAFTA for Best Actor and secure a Primetime Emmy nomination.

1. Aftersun (2022)

The second of Mescal’s Cannes premieres in 2022 was Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun, a movie that came into the festival with little fanfare and ended up being voted by some reputable publications as the best movie of the year. This is one for fans of heart-wrenching coming-of-age movies like Call Me By Your Name and Moonlight—another entry in the canon of deeply personal, honest and melancholy filmmaking, and an incredibly beautiful one, too.

Mescal’s performance as a young, troubled, single father remains, at least for now, the standout moment in an already exceptional career—a role that earned him his first nomination for Best Actor at the Academy Awards. I’m certain it won’t be his last.

Now more than ten years into her celebrated career, Margaret Qualley (the daughter of ‘90s leading lady Andie MacDowell) has long since shed the Nepo-baby tag. Having worked with Hollywood legends like Ethan Coen and Quentin Tarantino, as well as celebrated international auteurs like Yorgos Lanthimos and Claire Denis, she might soon be able to stake a claim at being the most successful member of the family. 

In 2025 alone, Qualley has been on an incredible roll: joining her The Substance co-star Demi Moore at the Oscars, appearing in Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon at the Berlin Film Festival, Ethan Coen’s Honey Don’t! in Cannes, and even taking time to do a cameo in Netflix’s Happy Gilmore 2.

With Honey Don’t! in cinemas and Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars very much on the way, what better time to take stock of the actress’s career so far? Read on to discover Qualley’s ten best performances so far, ranked here in ascending order, and be sure to use the guide below to find out where to stream them on platforms likeDisney+, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

10. Drive-Away Dolls (2024) & Honey Don’t! (2025) 

If you appreciate the Coen Brothers but aren’t in the mood for all the existential dread, Honey Don’t! and Drive-Away Dolls might just have the mix of goofy energy you’re looking for. Certainly check out the latter if you enjoyed Dolls, Ethan Coen’s first solo effort. Both movies are period pastiches of classic genres with LGBTQ+ twists, so if you liked the recent Love Lies Bleeding, you should find plenty to enjoy here. 

Dolls and Honey Don’t! are the first two instalments in Coen and his partner Tricia Cooke’s proposed trilogy of queer B-movies. Both feature zany performances from Qualley, so if you enjoy the actress in that particular mode, you’ll probably like them both.

9. The Nice Guys (2016)

If you like your buddy cop movies to come with a dash of dark humour and a 1970s sheen (think The Other Guys mixed with Liquorice Pizza), The Nice Guys is an absolute must-see. The story follows a classic mix of noir tropes, but it’s the chemistry between Russel Crowe and Ryan Gosling (two actors who really should do more comedies) that really makes it tick.

The movie is known for launching the career of the Aussie actress Angourie Rice, but Qualley’s performance as Amelia, the yellow-dressed woman who sets the drama in motion, is just as memorable. 

8. Stars at Noon (2022)

By my count, Margaret Qualley is the only actor to have worked with both Quentin Tarantino and Claire Denis, the legendary French director behind such arthouse classics as Beau Travail and 35 Shots of Rum—and if you’re a fan of those, or are keen to see Qualley directed by one of the greats, I’d recommend giving this one a go.

I’ve placed it high on her list of achievements as it’s one of the rare Qualley movies where the actress undoubtedly plays the lead. The story is set in Nicaragua, with Qualley playing an American journalist who seduces an Englishman (Joe Alwyn) to help her escape. There is even a steamy love scene between the current Ms Jack Antonoff and the former Mr Taylor Swift.  

7. Blue Moon (2025)

Speaking of working with the greats, Qualley gives an excellent performance in Richard Linklater’s soon-to-be-released Blue Moon, a movie that follows Ethan Hawke’s Lorenz Hart, propping up the bar in Sardi’s, on the night when his former writing partner, Richard Rodgers, opened his first solo hit, Oklahoma!. Fans of musical theatre history or those who like movies that peek behind the proscenium, such as Birdman, will want to keep an eye out for it. 

It’s a dialogue-heavy movie that Linklater presents in real time, meaning that the actors involved (Hawke especially) really get to work their magic—and that goes for Qualley too, who is wonderful as Hart’s 20-year-old protégée, Elizabeth Weiland.

6. Sanctuary (2022)

If you’re a Qualley fan who appreciates intense, confined, and steamy dramas—a little bit Secretary, a tiny bit Phantom Thread—you should really check out Sanctuary. This is, in some ways, the movie that confirmed her potential as a leading indie actress. It also earned her a bunch of rave reviews. 

The story is basically a two-hander between Qualley’s dominatrix and her client (played by the always reliable Christopher Abbott), a rich kid who has to break off their arrangement before inheriting the family business. Easier said than done. 

5. Poor Things (2023)

Given Qualley’s skills at physical comedy, it was only a matter of time before Yorgos Lanthimos (a director who has always enjoyed turning his actors into rag dolls) cast her in a movie. The actress has now made two: the perfectly fine Kinds of Kindness and the perfectly great Poor Things.

This is a movie that has both the fantastical period vibes of Guillermo del Toro (think Nightmare Alley) and the punky feminist critiques of movies like Titane and The Favourite. Qualley, of course, plays second fiddle to Emma Stone’s iconic Bella Baxter, but she still crushes every scene. 

4. The Leftovers (2014-2017)

Okay, so maybe Qualley isn’t the most prominent actor in Damon Lindelof’s The Leftovers, but we would be remiss not to have it around the upper reaches of this list. This was the role that put Qualley on the map, and if you’ve not seen the show, you’re really in for a treat—especially if you’re a fan of Lindelof’s other twisty shows like Lost and Watchmen. 

Qualley plays Jill Garvey (the daughter of Justin Theroux’s Kevin and Amy Brenneman’s Laurie), a young woman attempting to deal with the show’s central tragedy while also dealing with all the other things that young women have to try and deal with. 

3. Maid (2021)

We can’t claim that Maid has had a similar cultural impact to some other movies and shows on this list, but it’s the project that’s given Qualley her most grounded and dramatic role so far in her career. Of course, she rises to the occasion with a wonderful performance—one that went on to earn her her first nomination at the Golden Globes.

The show is based on the memoir of Stephanie Land, a single mother who escaped an abusive relationship and went to work as a house cleaner. Needless to say, this one deals with some heavy themes, but if you like raw storytelling that tackles serious issues, like Adolescence or The Outrun, then it might be up your street.

2. The Substance (2024)

Qualley’s second nomination at the Golden Globes could hardly have come for a more different movie. Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance is a gross-out body horror that satirises Hollywood’s obsession with youth and young women. It stars Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle, a star who begins to take a de-ageing serum that allows her to turn (in a sense) into a younger version of herself, who, of course, is played by Qualley.

Imagine if David Cronenberg directed a mashup of Jekyll and Hyde and Death Becomes Her, and you’ll have some idea of what to expect.

1. Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood (2019)

There can only be one movie at the top of this list, and that movie is Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino’s love letter to 1960s L.A.. If you’re a fan of QT’s work, as well as other shows and movies that glamourise that era, like Mad Men or Catch Me if You Can, it’s simply one you have to see. 

The story follows Rick Dalton, a TV actor on a career downturn, and Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), his trusty stuntman. The plot turns on the moment when Booth briefly crosses paths with the Manson girls—almost all of whom are played by now mega-famous actresses, but as Pussycat, Qualley gets the choice role. The image of her trying to hitch a ride from Cliff’s VW convertible remains, at least for now, the most iconic in her career.

With some movies premiering at Sundance as early as January, some award seasons start before the previous one has even wrapped up. That said, all bets are usually off until the autumn season, when the film festivals in Toronto, Venice, Telluride and New York unleash their slates of prestige projects.

Aside from one very notable movie, this year is largely no different—almost all of the movies we will mention below premiered in the last few weeks, lapping up reviews and standing ovations to solidify their place on the awards circuit. Having only seen a handful of these titles, I’m making some educated guesses here, but even at the early stage, the main contenders already look solid. 

Read on to discover more, and use the guide below to keep track of when they'll be available on platforms like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

Best Picture 2026 Contenders 

With the Oscars set for March 15 2026, the frontrunners for the major prizes have already stuck their noses out in front. 

The strongest contender, at the time of writing, is Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, a movie that Warner Bros decided not to premiere at any festival. Even before its release in late September worldwide, early reviews have begun calling it not just the best movie of the year, but possibly one of the best of the decade. Though loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, the story is set in the present day (the first Anderson movie to do so since Punch Drunk Love) and features Leonardo DiCaprio as a burnt-out revolutionary still clinging to his own fading rebellion. For fans of the director’s Inherent Vice, or similar paranoia-tinged, rabbit-hole movies, like Under the Silver Lake, it looks like an absolute must-see. 

Anderson’s main contender looks to be Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet, a more classical, prestige tearjerker in the vein of Remains of the Day or Sense and Sensibility. Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s bestseller and starring the Irish actors Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley as William and Agnes Shakespeare, the story follows the Shakespeares as they attempt to deal with the death of their 11-year-old son. Unlike Anderson, Zhao has been behind a Best Picture win before, with Nomadland, but also the epic misfire of Eternals. The question will be whether the Academy chooses to go for the more familiar Hamnet or Anderson’s contemporary wildcard. 

Best Actress 2026 Contenders

As usual, the main contenders in the Best Picture bracket will likely influence many of the other categories. This is good news for fans of Jessie Buckley, a beloved actress whose nomination for The Lost Daughter remains her only recognition from the Academy so far. 

A slightly different narrative suggests that Renate Reinsve has a chance. The Norwegian was unlucky not to be nominated for The Worst Person in the World in 2022, and her latest performance, in Worst Person director Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, a huge hit in Cannes, is significantly less comedic, which, I’m sad to say, tends to mean more awards.

Indeed, it’s looking like a good year for the indies in general, with Rose Byrne’s remarkable turn as a woman losing her mind with postpartum depression in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You and Emma Stone’s typically Lanthimos-y turn in Bugonia rounding out the category. Just don’t sleep on Cynthia Erivo showing up with Wicked: For Good—albeit with fewer recognisable songs.

Best Actor 2026 Contenders

For the first time in a while, the Best Actor race is looking the tastier of the two. A big question will be whether Paul Mescal will run for Supporting Actor for Hamnet, which seems likely given the wealth of competition. If Neon decides to run him, the Irish actor will be going up against DiCaprio for One Battle—though I feel a second Leo win seems similarly unlikely. 

The smart money will be on two stars from two separate Safdie Brothers movies: Timothée Chalamet (who was desperately unlucky not to win last year for A Complete Unknown) for Josh’s Marty Supreme and Dwayne Johnson (who has his own potent comeback narrative) for Benny’s The Smashing Machine—and if you’re a fan of the Safdie’s Uncut Gems or Good Time, we highly recommend putting both those movies on your radar.

The fourth contender is Jeremy Allen White, whose upcoming performance as Bruce Springsteen in Deliver Me From Nowhere is sure to garner a similar following to A Complete Unknown. I think it would feel particularly cruel if Chalamet were to lose to a musical biopic. 

Best Supporting Actress 2026 Contenders

Here’s where things start to get a little freaky. Only three people in history have been nominated twice for playing the same fictional character: Al Pacino as Michael Corleone (Godfather I and II), Sly Stallone as Rocky Balboa (in Rocky and Creed) and Paul Newman as Eddie Felson (The Hustler and Colour of Money), and of those, only Newman won (at the second attempt). Next year, much to the delight of Wicked fans everywhere, that list will almost double if Erivo again gets the nod for Best Actress (for Elphaba) and Ariana Grande does the same (for Glinda) in Supporting.

Unlike Erivo, however, Grande has as good a shot as anyone of winning. She will face stiff competition, however, from Teyana Taylor, who gives an absolute dynamite performance in One Battle After Another, albeit with very limited screen time (I haven’t been able to find a number for this, but I’m guessing it would be in the region of shortest ever, were she to win). Emily Blunt could also feature for The Smashing Machine, as could Taylor’s young co-star, Chase Infiniti; however, I must say I’ve had a feeling about Elle Fanning’s remarkable turn in Sentimental Value ever since the movie played in Cannes. Whatever the case, this’ll be a tight one. 

Best Supporting Actor 2026 Contenders

Again, this is a hard race to call. Mescal and Penn will probably both feature for Hamnet and One Battle, with a whole chasing pack of actors close behind them. But again, if I had to guess, I’d keep an eye on Sentimental Value. This is the kind of moving, multigenerational family drama that Oscar voters love (think Minari), and particularly in Stellan Skarsgård’s performance, the Academy will eye an opportunity to celebrate the legendary actor’s career. 

Outside of that, it’s anyone’s guess—but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Adam Sandler finally pick up a long overdue nomination for Jay Kelly, a Noah Baumbach movie that feels like a return to Marriage Story form. 

Best Original Screenplay 2026 Contenders

Unless there’s an all-out sweep (which is always possible), Best Original Screenplay tends to go to a beloved movie that proved a little too something for recognition in the biggest categories. Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme) and Baumbach (Jay Kelly) are certainly in contention. A more likely winner, though, is Black Panther director Ryan Coogler for Sinners—and if you’ve yet to see it, imagine what From Dusk Till Dawn would be like if it were about the history of blues music and featured deranged Irish vampires.

Coogler’s movie looks set to pick up a lot of nominations but, outside the technical categories, risks going home empty-handed. A similar narrative could follow Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value, a beautifully written movie that will probably just miss out in the biggest races. I see this one coming down to the wire. 

Best Adapted Screenplay 2026 Contenders

If Paul Thomas Anderson (who is, don’t forget, still Oscar-less) doesn’t score elsewhere with One Battle, I feel like they will simply have to give him this one. 

Otherwise, Zhao’s Hamnet looks unbeatable—adapting a beloved bestseller is, as we all know, rarely as easy as it seems. 

Best Director 2026 Contenders

The director branch of the academy decides the nominees, and their votes tend to veer more towards international and arthouse than the other major categories. In fact, since 2009, the award has only gone to an American on three occasions—so don’t be surprised to see Zhao (who was born in China) joined by Trier (Norway) and the Palme d’Or winner Jafar Panahi (Iran), for It Was Just an Accident) in this year’s nominees. 

Despite all that, Coogler is long overdue for a nomination, and Anderson is long overdue for a win—even if Hamnet takes the big one, it’s hard to see the Academy awarding Zhao for the second time and passing on Anderson again. This is PTA’s to lose.

Best Foreign Language 2026 Contenders

As mentioned above, it’s another strong year for international movies at the Oscars—a trend that’s become less of an anomaly since the Academy began diversifying in 2016, a decision that directly led to Parasite’s era-shifting win three years later. 

Trier and Panahi will lead the pack here, with the Iranian probably a nose in front thanks to Sentimental’s likely wins in other categories (they’ll want to share the wealth). These two movies will probably be joined by The Secret Agent (a movie that’s lead actor, the handsome Narcos star Wagner Moura, even has a chance of his own nomination), and another Cannes gem, Sirât—a movie about a group of ravers in trucks crossing the Atlas Mountains that fans of William Friedkin’s Sorcerer will want to see. 

Guillermo del Toro is a master storyteller whose films blend dark fantasy, horror, and fairytale elements into visually stunning and deeply emotional experiences. Known for his love of mythical and gothic themes, haunting creature designs, and intricate world-building, del Toro has carved a distinct niche for himself in the film industry.

Del Toro has completed 12 films to date, and his latest upcoming project, the highly anticipated Frankenstein, is set to premiere on Netflix in November 2025. From action films like Hellboy and Pacific Rim to the Oscar-winning The Shape of Water, del Toro’s catalogue is full of great films that appeal to a wide variety of people while still bearing his signature style. 

In this ranking, we explore Guillermo del Toro’s films from his least good to his best work. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to his work, these films are a testament to the evolution of one of the most original filmmakers alive today.

12. Mimic (1997)

Guillermo del Toro’s first big studio film, Mimic, certainly put him on the map as a horror director to watch out for, but it was still a far cry from the heights he would arrive at later in his career. The film takes place some years after entomologist Dr Susan created a new species of insects that mimic and kill disease-bearing cockroaches. The species evolves into a dangerous subway-dwelling monster capable of threatening humankind. 

Due to fights over creative control and the final edit, del Toro actually disowned the theatrical cut while maintaining he was still proud of the visuals. If you’re a del Toro fan, watching Mimic isn’t a must, but it does hold up as a solid horror film in its own right, and certainly demonstrates the director’s unique vision despite the studio interference.

11. Crimson Peak (2015)

Crimson Peak is a pure gothic romance with truly stunning visual elements. Set in Victorian-era England, the film follows wealthy heiress Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) after she marries the dashing Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), and they settle (along with his overbearing sister, Lucille) in the family’s remote Gothic estate in Cumberland. But Edith soon discovers the house is very much alive with secrets from the past. 

While del Toro’s ninth film is beloved by many, overall, the reviews were mixed. What the film gets unequivocally right is its powerful visuals, creating a truly dreadful feeling of malignancy as the secret-laden house rots from the inside out. What’s more, del Toro’s ability to create tension while building toward the crescendo keeps the audience absorbed throughout. However, there’s no denying that the chemistry between the main duo (Wasikowska and Hiddleston) is severely lacking, and what should have been a central love story falls far short of the mark. 

Lastly, through no fault of del Toro himself, the marketing campaign sold Crimson Peak as a horror film, which gave fans the expectation that they would be quivering with fear by the end. While Crimson Peak has its scary moments, it is ultimately a gothic romance with some horror elements, and the inaccurate marketing left many fans feeling disappointed. 

10. Cronos (1993)

Guillermo del Toro’s first independent film, Cronos, brought him to the attention of critics and studios in the United States. The film follows the story of antiques dealer Jesús Gris (Federico Luppi), who finds himself caught in a power struggle with dying businessman Dieter de la Guardia (Claudio Brook) and his oafish nephew Angel (Ron Perlman) over a centuries-old mechanism that gives the wielder eternal life.

The film demonstrates del Toro’s growing ability to balance horror with drama, which he would later perfect in films like The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth. Critics praised the film’s on-point religious references, and the performances from frequent del Toro’s soon-to-be collaborators Ron Perlman and Federico Luppi. All in all, Cronos is a great film to watch if you’re curious about the evolution of del Toro’s filmmaking process and want to see his early attempts at creating a style he would later master.

9. Blade II (2002)

Blade II is del Toro’s fourth film, and his second big studio American production. It follows the story of the human-vampire hybrid Blade (Wesley Snipes) as he continues to protect humans from dangerous vampire aggressors. In an effort to block a sinister plan by mutant vampires known as the Reapers to wipe out all other vampires and humans, Blade joins forces with an elite group of vampires.

While the film was widely praised for its wild visuals and largely continues in the steps of the first film, it lacks a bit of overall character and plot development. That being said, Blade II is prime viewing for anyone looking to get lost in a visual extravaganza of mesmerising fight scenes and nightmarish creature designs. The grotesque mouths of the Reapers, plus a truly horrendous autopsy scene, clearly come from the nightmares of del Toro himself—harking back to his previous creations for Cronos and Mimics. While Blade II is less interesting substance-wise than his later films, it’s still very much worth watching for the action alone.

8. Pacific Rim (2013)

Pacific Rim is so delightfully overblown in its visuals, action sequences, and creature design, it’s almost not a problem that it’s clearly a style-over-substance creation. The film takes place in a distant future where gigantic sea monsters known as Kaiju have emerged from an interdimensional portal in the Pacific Ocean and are waging war on humans. In order to take on the Kaiju, humans create monstrous robots known as Jaegers.

It’s clear that del Toro (who also co-wrote the film’s screenplay) is a big fan of kaiju films himself, and you can feel his die-hard enthusiasm throughout Pacific Rim. If you love over-the-top action and insane creature design, don’t miss out on this del Toro epic.

7. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

The first Hellboy film is a fun ride, and the second instalment is equally so. With extra doses of action, heart, and laughs all around, Hellboy II: The Golden Army was just as well-received as the first, with Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence members taking on Prince Nuada Silverlance (Luke Goss), who wants to take over the world. 

While the first Hellboy found a spot in some top 50 superhero film lists, it fully came into its own as a franchise in The Golden Army. Del Toro gave his second outing even more of a comedic twist, but still took the time to fully develop the characters in a way that makes us root for them even more than in the first one. From the brilliant performances from the entire cast to the imaginative visuals and entertaining storytelling, the second Hellboy isn’t one to miss for both comic book fans and fans of del Toro’s work.

6. Nightmare Alley (2021)

In this noir thriller, del Toro flexes his skills at character development and devilish plot twists in a way rarely seen in his other films. Nightmare Alley—based on William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 novel—stars the massively talented Bradley Cooper as Stan Carlisle, an ambitious and charismatic carnival worker who learns the tricks of the trade to become a highly successful psychic in 1940s Buffalo, New York. 

Nightmare Alley might not have been as enthusiastically received as some of del Toro’s most well-known productions, but its world-building – in the vein of Chris Nolan’s The Prestige – top performances from Bradely Cooper, Cate Blanchette, and Roony Mara, and compelling twists make it one of the director’s best films to date.

5. Pinocchio (2022)

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is one of the few remakes of a classic tale that truly lives up to the original while adding something new. In this stop-motion dark fantasy version, the elderly woodworker Geppetto creates a wooden puppet to ease his heartbreak after losing his son, Carlo. The film then follows the puppet, Pinocchio, after he becomes sentient. From school to military training to the stomach of the Dogfish, Pinocchio is full of dark, fantastical twists and turns.

While previous versions of the story, like Disney’s animated classic or the 2020 live-action film, were undoubtedly geared towards children, del Toro’s take is a darker mix. While it is still suitable for older children, it takes place during Mussolini’s brutal dictatorship and tackles more mature themes of life, death, war, and what it means to be an outsider. Like Pan’s Labyrinth, del Toro’s Pinocchio contrasts childlike innocence with the horrors of authoritarianism, challenging audiences with philosophical and moral questions. What's more, the film’s beautiful stop-motion animation, heartfelt direction, and amazing voice cast led it to win Best Animated Feature at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Academy Awards in 2023.

4. The Devil’s Backbone (2001)

After the taste of big studio interference with his film Mimic, del Toro decided to find independent funding for his next feature, the Spanish-language The Devil’s Backbone. The film takes place during the final year of the Spanish Civil War. A young boy named Carlos is taken to an orphanage run by Republican loyalists, where he’s visited by the ghost of Santi, a young boy who was killed on the property.

One of del Toro’s best to date, the film shows the promising beginnings of his ability to blend horror with poignant social commentary, something he’d go on to perfect in The Shape of Water and Pan’s Labyrinth. However, while The Devil’s Backbone weaves a compelling and tragic ghost tale with the very real horrors of wartime, it ultimately packs less of an emotional punch than those other films when he revisited the topic later in his career. 

3. Hellboy (2004)

Hellboy is one of del Toro’s most beloved films, with both critics and fans praising it for its visuals, humour, and high entertainment value. Based on Mike Mignola’s comic book of the same name, Hellboy follows the story of a demon (played expertly by Ron Pearlman) turned paranormal investigator for the US government’s Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence. 

When Hellboy first debuted, it attracted a whole new audience to del Toro’s films. While his previous big mainstream film, Blade II, introduced him as a promising action director, Hellboy demonstrated his ability to blend humour and fantasy with some killer action—something that would inspire later generations of superhero films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whether you’re a fan of the Hellboy comic book, del Toro’s directing and visual style, or are just looking for a good mix of laughs and action with a unique flair, make sure you don’t miss Hellboy.

2. The Shape of Water (2017)

The Shape of Water is perhaps Guillermo del Toro’s most critically acclaimed film to date– nominated for 13 awards at the 90th Academy Awards, and winning a total of four, including Best Picture and Best Director. An unusual Oscar contender, let alone winner, The Shape of Water’s win marked a turning point for the Academy, indicating a softening toward genre films.

Set during the Cold War in 1962, this dark romantic fantasy tale follows the highly allegorical love story between a mute cleaning woman named Elisa (Sally Hawkins) and a humanoid fish-man (Doug Jones) being kept in a government lab. Highly unusual, del Toro’s prowess in both storytelling and visual effects makes The Shape of Water a powerful and deeply moving tale of outsiders finding solace in one another, despite the odds.

1. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Every great director has at least one film that epitomises their unique style, and Pan’s Labyrinth is that film for Guillermo del Toro. The film takes place in 1944 in Francoist Spain, and follows the story of the young Ofelia after she discovers a labyrinth on the grounds of a remote military outposting. Inside, she meets an ancient faun who gives her three tasks to complete to become immortal. 

Like The Devil’s Backbone before it, Pan’s Labyrinth contrasts the lightness of childhood fantasy with the real-world evils of wartime and grotesque human violence. While this might be a fantasy, be warned that its content is quite dark and deals with harsh themes—including violence toward children. But pitting the light against the dark is exactly the point, and no film in del Toro’s back catalogue does it better than Pan’s Labyrinth.

The perfect blend of dark fantasy and drama set against the backdrop of the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, Pan’s Labyrinth is an emotionally devastating and visually stunning masterpiece. 

Chad Michael Murray was one of the most recognisable teenage heartthrobs of the early ‘00s. From his starring role in One Tree Hill to his parts in hit series Gilmore Girls, Dawson’s Creek, and the film A Cinderella Story, Murray carved out a niche for himself as one of the ultimate teen boy crushes of the era.

Although he stepped out of the limelight for many years and focused on smaller projects, he has recently experienced a renaissance of sorts–enthusiastically reprising his role in the Gilmore Girls revival, starring in the Canadian series Sullivan’s Crossing, and returning as Jake in the highly anticipated Freaky Friday sequel, Freakier Friday. 

Clearly, it’s the perfect time to revisit Murray’s best roles. Find his most notable movies and TV series below, as well as where you can watch them online.

One Tree Hill (2003)

Chad Michael Murray’s star fully rose in the early 2000s with his starring role in the teen drama series One Tree Hill. Murray plays Lucas Scott, a good-natured high schooler with a passion for basketball whose gentle nature and fierce loyalty to his friends and family made younger Millennials swoon for six seasons.

His on-screen love triangle with Brooke (Hilarie Burton) and Peyton (Sophia Bush) was one of the series’ main pulls, and Murray’s contemplative charm quickly made him into one of the biggest heartthrobs of the decade.

Gilmore Girls (2000)

Before getting his big break with One Tree Hill, Murray had a relatively small but memorable part in the first season of Gilmore Girls. He plays Tristan, one of the students at Rory’s new prep school, Chilton, who makes a habit of teasing her incessantly. While he comes off rude and antagonistic, it’s not long before their dynamic transforms after romantic feelings develop.

While Murray only appeared in 11 episodes of Gilmore Girls—because soon after he got the role in One Tree Hill—he is one of Rory’s fan-favourite love interests. In 2016, he even made a cameo appearance as Tristan in the “Spring” chapter of the four-part revival miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.

A Cinderella Story (2004)

Chad Michael Murray firmly cemented his reputation as the ultimate 2000s high school crush with his role in A Cinderella Story. He plays Austin Ames, the Prince Charming to Hilary Duff’s Sam, in a modern-day retelling of Cinderella. 

They meet as pen pals online, not knowing they go to the same school because they’re in very different social circles. Then their first physical meeting happens at the school’s masked ball. While A Cinderella Story brought out Murray’s unique boyish charm on full display, it must be said that Jennifer Coolidge as the evil step-mother, Fiona, really steals the show.

Sullivan’s Crossing (2023–present)

In recent years, Chad Michael Murray’s main project has been the ongoing Canadian series Sullivan’s Crossing. Now that the actor is in his 40s, he’s graduated from playing high school crushes to more mature roles. 

Still just as handsome as ever, Murray plays Cal Jones, a man looking for a fresh start in a small town in Nova Scotia. Sparks fly when he meets the series’ protagonist, neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan (Morgan Kohan), after she returns to her hometown to reconnect with her father, played by Gilmore Girls actor Scott Patterson.

In this series, it’s clear that Murray’s ability to bring emotional depth and a sense of groundedness to his characters has only increased with age.

Freaky Friday (2003)

Complete with a curtain haircut and ‘sensitive bad boy with pretentious music taste’ personality, Murray’s Jake Austin in Freaky Friday remains the perfect early ‘00s teen love interest. In Freaky Friday, Lindsay Lohan’s Anna and her mother Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) switch bodies, and only an act of complete selflessness can restore them to their proper selves.

In the meantime, they both try to get through each other’s everyday lives, leading to some truly hilarious scenes in which Murray gets to show off his comedy chops as a young guy who suddenly finds himself falling for the much older Tess (who is actually Anna).

Freakier Friday (2025)

There’s nothing we love more than a classic receiving a truly quality update—and luckily, that’s what we’ve got with Freakier Friday. While there might be one too many jokes about ageing, this next chapter in the story of Anna and Tess is still a fun and nostalgic ride. 

This time, Tess and Anna wind up switching bodies with Anna’s daughter, Harper (Julia Butters), and the daughter of Anna’s fiancée, Lily (Sophia Hammons). While Anna might be about to marry someone else, her ex Jake (played by Murray) makes a return as the girls use their newfound power as adults to try to break up the wedding and get Anna back with Jake. 

While Murray doesn’t play a huge role in this sequel, his baffled expression when Harper (in Anna’s body) tries to seduce him in his record shop is peak comedy.

Riverdale (2018)

Season 3 of the Archie comics series Riverdale transformed Chad Michael Murray into one of the season’s main baddies, Edgar Evernever. Edgar is the leader of a local cult called The Farm, which specialises in hypnotising people to make them confront their deepest fears and expose their vulnerabilities.

Murray’s transformation from high school heartthrob to sinister mind controller is smooth and impressive. Using his good looks and effortless charm to reel people into his psychological trap feels like a new skillset Murray unlocked, and we’d love him to use it again soon.

Chosen (2013)

Murray joined the cast of Chosen during its second season, playing the bartender Jacob, who is roped into a deadly game. The series also stars another Gilmore Girls alum (and romantic interest for Rory), Milo Ventimiglia, as another apparently normal man, Ian, selected by a shadowy organisation to carry out an assassination. Each person is sent a box with a gun and a picture of someone to kill within three days, or else their family will be harmed.

Murray’s Jacob starts out trying to do the right thing, but understandably adapts his morals as the stakes become clearer. In this role, Murray shows off his action chops, even sharing in interviews afterwards that he sustained several injuries while filming the action-packed sequences.

Marvel’s Agent Carter (2015)

In one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first television series, Agent Carter, Murray stars as Jack Thompson, an arrogant and ambitious agent who dreams of leading the SSR and is prepared to do almost anything to get to the top. 

While he’s not a complete baddie, Jack isn’t constrained by a tight moral code, and his relationship to Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) is often strained and antagonistic. This role gave Murray the chance to flex his range, playing a morally ambiguous character who is nevertheless hard not to like.

Dawson’s Creek (2001)

While Murray’s Charlie Todd wasn’t a main character in this classic teen drama series, his role in Season 5 of Dawson’s Creek is quite memorable. Like many of the others discussed on this list, this role is another epitome of an early ‘00s bad boy, and Murray uses his smooth looks and college charm to perfectly pull it off.

While he was troubled but conscientious in other similar parts at the time, here, Charlie is much more of a classic ‘bad boy’ musician. Although he genuinely falls for Joey in the end, his two-timing of Jen and Nora, coupled with his emotional unavailability and immaturity, make him a rather untrustworthy character.

More than two years on from Barbie, Margot Robbie makes her long-awaited return to the big screen in Kogonada’s supernatural rom-com, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. This is the director’s first foray into large-scale filmmaking, following his acclaimed independent features, Columbus and After Yang. The plot follows two strangers (Robbie and Colin Farrell) who meet at a friend’s wedding. Later on, they’ll discover a portal that allows them to revisit and share some of the most consequential moments from their lives. 

This is the first in a handful of high-profile movies set to feature Robbie in the next 18 months or so—with Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights looking destined to cause a stir next year and a new, Robbie-led prequel to Ocean’s Eleven (co-starring her Barbie BFF Ryan Gosling) also said to be in the works. With all that, it feels like the right time to look back over the Australian megastar’s greatest roles, which we’ve ranked below in ascending order. ​​Read on to discover more and use the guide below to find them on platforms like AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

12. The Big Short (2015)

Can playing yourself for roughly a minute while sipping champagne in a bubble bath really be considered a great role? It hardly matters: when Adam McKay’s The Big Short was released, Robbie’s cameo was the only thing anyone was talking about. This is a role that seemed to confirm her place as the A-list female star of her generation.

The movie itself is a rip-roaring account of the 2008 financial crisis told from the POV of a group of smart and morally conflicted dudes who got rich by predicting it would happen. If you’re a fan of fast-talking movies that focus on that world (Margin Call and Dumb Money are both good examples), you’ll probably love it. 

11. Asteroid City (2023)

Robbie’s appearance in Asteroid City wasn’t a whole lot longer than her cameo in The Big Short, but it brought her into the rarified air of Wes Anderson’s troupe of Hollywood stars. Robbie’s role is short but memorable, appearing in a dream as the ghost of Augie Steenbeck’s (played by Jason Schwartzman) deceased wife. 

The movie is Anderson’s first experiment in sci-fi, taking place in a Roswell-type town that appears to be visited by aliens. Imagine a cross between Moonrise Kingdom and The X Files, and you’ll have some idea of what to expect.

10. Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

In 2018, Robbie starred as Queen Elisabeth I, opposite Saoirse Ronan’s Mary Stuart, in the period drama, Mary Queen of Scots. Beginning in 1561, it follows the 19-year-old Mary’s return to Scotland to reclaim her throne after the death of her husband—an act that her cousin Elisabeth is not entirely appreciative of.

The movie is a work of revisionist history, a story that retells historical events from a female POV—so, if you’re a fan of movies like The Favourite or Corsage, you might want to check it out. 

9. Birds of Prey (2020)

Robbie had been unlucky that her first appearance as Harley Quinn happened to be in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad—a movie that was famously cut beyond recognition by the studio and, in the end, widely disliked. Luckily, Robbie was also the best part of it and got to have her own standalone, neon-tinted movie a few years later. 

Birds of Prey involves a somewhat similar setup to Squad, with Quinn as the head of a motley crew of deadly women who must fight a local crime boss after her relationship with The Joker ends. If you appreciate Robbie’s eccentric performance in Gunn’s The Suicide Squad or like ragtag team-up movies in general, like Thunderbolts*, you’ll probably be into it.

8. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025)

Robbie makes her big screen return in 2025 for Kogonada’s Big Bold Beautiful Journey, a movie that has been the recipient of mixed reviews, though not for Robbie’s performance in the central role. As we mentioned above, the movie stars Robbie and Farrell as two strangers who meet at a friend’s wedding. Later on, they’ll discover a portal that allows them to revisit and share some of the most consequential moments from their lives.

This is a film that might appeal to fans of fantastical romantic movies, like About Time or The Time Traveller’s Wife. Just be warned, the levels of cringe and whimsy are a little high…

7. Bombshell (2019) 

Over the years, Robbie has been nominated for a bunch of awards as both actress and producer. Her only Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress to date came for her performance as Kayla Pospisil in Bombshell. The movie is about the women who helped take down the disgraced former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes and stars, alongside Robbie, Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly and Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, with John Lithgow giving a daring performance as the monstrous Ailes. 

Though the movie is mostly based on fact, Robbie’s character was largely fictional: a spiritual composite for Aisles’ many victims. If you appreciate other movies that focus on MeToo adjacent themes, like The Assistant or She Said, you might be interested in checking it out. 

6. Babylon (2022)

Babylon is a wildly passionate and expressive movie that unfortunately never quite found its audience upon release—but I must say, I’m starting to get the feeling that it’ll be rediscovered and championed sooner rather than later. The movie focuses on the chaotic early days of Hollywood movie production and the transition from silent to sound—think a little bit The Artist, a little bit La La Land and a little bit The Great Gatsby, all rolled into one.

In one of her most physical performances, Robbie is excellent as Nellie Laroy, an up-and-coming actress who rises as Brad Pitt’s ageing matinee idol, Jack Conrad, falls.

5. The Suicide Squad (2021)

The Suicide Squad feels like an important movie in the Robbie canon for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was the project that brought James Gunn to DC during his Marvel exile; so, it essentially gave us not only Peacemaker but Superman and the new DCU—and if you like any of those, you’ll probably love it. 

It also gave Robbie’s Quinn the Suicide Squad movie she deserved. The story is a bonkers version of a typical antihero team-up, with Quinn, Idris Elba’s Bloodsport, John Cena’s Peacemaker, and a few others, having to find a way to work together to overcome a—well, you should probably find that out for yourself. 

4. I, Tonya (2017)

I, Tonya is the movie that earned Robbie her first and so far only nomination for Best Actress at the Academy Awards. It’s also the first movie produced by LuckyChap, the production company she founded with her now husband, Tom Ackerley, in 2014, and from which movies like Emerald Fennel’s Promising Young Woman and Saltburn were both crafted. 

I, Tonya is a darkly comic, true-crime story with a tone somewhere between Eddie the Eagle and Foxcatcher. The movie uses multiple POVs to tell the complicated story of Tonya Harding, a figure skater and two-time Olympian whose legacy was forever tainted when her rival, Nancy Kerrigan (played by Caitlin Carver here), was attacked.

3. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

The story goes that Robbie landed the role of Naomi in The Wolf of Wall Street when she went off script and slapped Leonardo DiCaprio during her audition. Whatever the case, her resulting performance is outstanding. She eats up every second of screen time and, incredibly, manages to go toe-to-toe with DiCaprio, despite being a relative Hollywood newcomer at the time. Needless to say, it sent her career into overdrive.

The movie itself is an absolute smash—an ideal chaser to The Big Short and a perfect movie for fans of the fast-paced debauchery of Scorsese’s Goodfellas and Casino. Not everyone was on board with it upon release, but that didn’t stop The Wolf of Wall Street from becoming Scorsese’s most successful movie at the box office. It is now considered his defining work of the 21st Century.

2. Barbie (2023)

There was quite a lot of controversy around the fact that Margot Robbie wasn’t nominated for Best Actress for playing the title role in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie at the 2024 Oscars. Not to worry, though: the movie was a cultural phenomenon that redefined what we expect from this kind of IP filmmaking. Raking in over a billion at the box office, it was also the most successful movie of that year. Not bad for Robbie, who was in fact nominated for Best Picture as one of the movie’s producers. 

Funny, thoughtful and full to the brim with eye-popping production design, Barbie is a film that the whole family can enjoy—especially fans of the humour and heart of Gerwig’s Little Women and Lady Bird. 

1. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019)

It might be controversial not to have Barbie at the top of this list, but when I think of Margot Robbie, I always think of her immaculate performance in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. This is a gorgeous, nostalgic ode to 1960s Los Angeles—the kind of movie that fans of Tarantino’s more sentimental work, like Jackie Brown, or even Paul Thomas Anderson’s Liquorice Pizza, will absolutely adore.

Robbie is perfectly cast as Sharon Tate, the wife of Roman Polanski, who was tragically murdered by the Manson family in 1969. It’s as much a performance as a glowing tribute to the fallen star.

The original version of this article was written by Jess Bacon on 22 March 2024.

Kate Winslet is one of Britain’s finest actors. For over 30 years, the actress has been at the forefront of cultural classics such as James Cameron’s Titanic, indie darlings like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and the festive favourite, The Holiday. Winslet’s filmography moves from comedy to drama with effortless ease, and that range is reflected in her outstanding acting ability, earning her a Grammy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, five BAFTAs and five Golden Globes, along with her Oscar for The Reader.

In short, it’s difficult to distinguish the best performances within Winslet’s eclectic and outstanding filmography, as any number of titles could be called her standout performance—but hey, duty calls. Read on to discover her ten best roles, ranked in ascending order, and where to watch them on streaming platforms like Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

10. Lee (2023)

Lee is a biopic of Lee Miller, the legendary war photographer who started in the fashion business before being assigned to cover the Blitz for Vogue in the 1940s. If you’re curious about that period of history or are interested in stories about women (Jackie and Blitz come to mind) from that era, this might be up your street.

The movie was a big passion project for Winslet, who worked on it for nine years, at one point even paying the cast and crew's salaries for two weeks after funding fell through. 

9. The Holiday (2006)

The Holiday might not need an introduction. Nancy Meyers’ Christmas classic has been on repeat during the festival season for the best part of 20 years. Winslet plays a columnist in London who still holds a torch for her ex-boyfriend, so she decides to try a house swap with a movie producer in LA (Cameron Diaz). Festive, fish-out-of-water fun ensues.  

If you’re a fan of festive movies and Meyers' work (especially ones from that period, like It’s Complicated and Something’s Gotta Give), you will probably end up watching this at least once a year.

8. Revolutionary Road (2008)

Speaking of unhappy housewives, Revolutionary Road seemed to pick up where Little Children left off (more on that in a moment)—so if you like that previous movie or other period pieces in the Winslet stable, or are keen to see Leo and Kate reunite ten years after Titanic, or are a fan of the great Michael Shannon, this is one for you.

Sam Mendes’s movie follows a seemingly perfect couple in 1950s suburbia—but once again, things are less perfect than they first seem… 

7. Little Children (2006)

Long before directing Cate Blanchett as the iconic Lydia Tar, Todd Fields burst onto the Oscar scene with Little Children, one of many great melodramas in the Winslet canon and a movie for fans of early ‘00s suburban dramas like American Beauty.

Like most movies in that genre, Little Children concerns an idyllic community where things are not quite as perfect as they seem, with Winslet playing an unhappy housewife who has an affair. 

6. Heavenly Creatures (1994)

Heavenly Creatures is a great breakout movie for so many people. In a way, this movie gave us Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings. It also gave us the great Melanie Lynskey and, two years before Sense and Sensibility made her a star, it gave us Winslet, too – so if you appreciate any of those things, we highly recommend seeking it out. 

The story is based on a grisly New Zealand murder case, where two teenage girls (played here by Winslet and Lynskey) killed one of their mothers, but Jackson makes something surreal and fairytale-like from the material. 

5. Mildred Pierce (2011)

Mildred Pierce is a remake of a stone cold classic from 1941 starring Bette Davis that literally no one but Todd Haynes could have pulled off. Given the daunting task of filling Davis’s shoes, Winslet gives a marvellous performance as a single mother dealing with the sexist and classist societal structures of an earlier time. 

If noir melodramas from that era (Pierce, of course, but also movies like Double Indemnity) or Haynes’ period movies (like Carol or the exquisite Far From Heaven) are your thing, then this is a must-watch.

4. Mare of Easttown (2021)

Mare of Easttown did for Winslet what True Detective did for McConaughey—so if you’re a fan of that kind of gritty style and the kind of stories that really go for the dark underbelly of small communities (Sharp Objects also comes to mind), this is one you’ll want to see. 

The great thing about Mare is how much world-weary attitude Winslet brings to the role, especially when acting opposite the great Jean Smart. Despite the show’s heavy themes, the actors never let it become too solemn—if anything, it’s kind of a blast.

3. Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Sense and Sensibility is a period drama that even people who don’t generally like period dramas tend to enjoy—a decent comparison might be The Remains of the Day, or Greta Gerwig’s Little Women. It’s directed by the great Ang Lee, which should be all you need to know. 

After her eye-catching debut in Heavenly Creatures, this was the role that really earned Winslet her early fame. Her portrayal as Marianne Dashwood won her a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress and exceeded expectations to become one of the best Jane Austen adaptations of all time.

2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is iconic for many reasons: Charlie Kaufman’s unique screenplay, Michel Gondry’s creative flourishes, Jon Brion’s score, and Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet’s lovely central performances. For fans of any of their work (think Being John Malkovich or Be Kind Rewind) or similarly tactile indie movies from that time, it’s rightfully a classic.

As the slightly manic-pixie Clementine, Winslet’s performance suffers a little from the male gaze, but I think that’s mostly in keeping with the movie’s knowingly narcissistic approach. Like Joel’s fading memories, it’s a movie you’ll want to see again and again. 

1. Titanic (1997)

Now almost 30 years since its release, Titanic is rightly considered one of the best blockbusters of all time—a romance for the ages delivered with James Cameron’s peerless ability for big screen storytelling. It’s big and it’s sometimes silly, but my word, does it work. It’s hard to think of a comparison, but I’d put it up there with Brokeback Mountain or The Bridges of Madison County as one of those films that just always brings a tear to the eye. 

Undeniably, Rose remains Winslet’s best-known performance—her first of four nominations for Best Actress at the Oscars and a movie that became, at least for a while, the most successful of all time.

The original version of this article was written by Jess Bacon.Since the 1980s, Winona Ryder has been at the forefront of genre-defining movies and TV shows, from Beetlejuice to Stranger Things. After her feature film debut in Lucas in 1986, the actress was cast in Tim Burton’s horror comedy, Beetlejuice, the movie that catapulted her to superstardom. She would spend the next five years starring in hit after hit and working for some of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

In more recent years, Ryder was introduced to a whole new audience for her role as Joyce Byers in Stranger Things. With that Netflix series finally coming to an end after its iconic nine-year run, what better time to dive deep into the Ryder canon and rank the actress’s 10 greatest roles? Read on to learn more about them and use the guide below to find out where to stream them on platforms likeNetflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

10. Mermaids (1990)

If you like the idea of Cher playing the mother of Ryder and a then nine-year-old Christina Ricci, as well as flirting with Bob Hoskins, you’ll want to check out Mermaids. A lovely movie about the bonds between mothers and daughters, the film will appeal to fans of everything from Steel Magnolias to Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. 

The plot is a little on the absurd side, with Ryder’s angsty 15-year-old at one point becoming obsessed with Catholicism, but the scenes involving the three actresses together are a pure joy. The performance earned Ryder her first nomination at the Golden Globes. 

9. Night on Earth (1991)

Ryder was already an established A-lister by 1991, but Night on Earth confirmed her place as a Gen X icon. If you like the offbeat humour of indie legend director Jim Jarmusch’s other anthology movies, Coffee and Cigarettes and Mystery Train, this will be right up your alley. 

Appearing in the first of the movie's three taxi-set segments, Ryder plays the impossibly cool, bubblegum-blowing, aviator-wearing driver who picks up a Hollywood casting director (the great Gena Rowlands) en route to LAX.

8. Little Women (1994)

If you were a fan of Greta Gerwig’s recent take on Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, we highly recommend going back to this 1994 version from Gillian Armstrong. Ryder received her only Oscar nomination for Lead Actress for her performance as Jo (the role later played by Saoirse Ronan)—alongside Trini Alvarado, Kirsten Dunst and Claire Danes as the other March sisters.

It’s a beautiful adaptation that, similar to Gerwig’s movie, makes for lovely festive viewing. It even features a young Christian Bale as Laurie, the role which would eventually be played by Timothée Chalamet in 2019. 

7. Age of Innocence (1993)

Ryder had to make do with a supporting role in Age of Innocence, but it was enough to secure her a first nomination at the Oscars and a win at the Golden Globes. At the time of release, fans of director Martin Scorsese’s gangster movies didn’t quite know what to make of the movie’s luscious period detail, but it’s only grown in reputation as the years go by. If you’re a fan of epic romance with incredible production design (think Howard’s End, Remains of the Day), this is one you’ll want to seek out. 

Ryder plays May Wellend, the prim and proper side of the movie’s central love triangle. Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer are both brilliant in admittedly juicier roles, but Ryder still manages to stand out. 

6. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Ryder’s peerless, early ‘90s run reached a cinematic high point with 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Francis Ford Coppola’s exquisite and wonderfully horny adaptation of the seminal text. Not for the first time, Ryder was cast as the ingenue: she plays Mina Harker, the fiancée of Jonathan Harker (Keanu) and the object of Gary Oldman’s flamboyant Dracula’s desires.

This is a movie that devotees of gothic horror and practical effects (think Frankenstein or the more recent Nosferatu) will want to sink their fangs into.

5. Stranger Things (2016-2025)

One of the reasons why Stranger Things is so successful is how lovingly it homages all things '80s. We’re talking the Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter era, so if you’re a fan of E.T. or The Thing, you’ll probably love it. 

Ryder’s casting was a huge part of all that. The actress’s mere presence as Joyce Byers, the fretful mother of Will, whose disappearance in Season 1 sets the story in motion, gives the whole project a stamp of ‘80s authenticity. 

4. Reality Bites (1994)

Coming off the back of working with Jarmusch, Coppola and Scorsese, Reality Bites solidified Ryder’s transition into maturer roles and boasted one of her finest performances. This movie is also the first thing that Ben Stiller ever directed, so if you’re a fan of Stiller’s or of ‘90s era Ethan Hawke (like Before Sunset), this is one you should check out. 

It’s another movie in the Ryder canon that finds the actress embroiled in a love triangle—this time between Hawke’s floundering guitarist and Stiller’s hotshot TV executive. It’s a wonderful time capsule.

3. Heathers (1998)

Heathers has a reputation as a cult classic, but it’s far more unhinged than you might think – it’s probably best to expect something more like Heavenly Creatures than Clueless. Either way, the film is an absolute blast.

Ryder gives an awesome performance as Veronika, a member of a popular high school clique who accidentally murders the head of the posse with the help of her sketchy boyfriend (a perfectly cast Christian Slater). It only gets weirder from there.

2. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Edward Scissorhands made Johnny Depp a star, but it’s the chemistry between him and Ryder (they were dating IRL at the time) that made Tim Burton’s masterpiece an instant classic. Those who’re fond of Burton’s gothic aesthetic (recently back in style thanks to Wednesday) should get ready to treat themselves to his most beautifully realised project. 

Donning a long blonde wig over her signature black bob, Ryder lights up the screen with her performance—the shot of her dancing in the falling ice is one of the most beautiful in ‘90s cinema. 

1. Beetlejuice (1988)

Having to choose between Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice for the top spot was particularly tough—either one could take the position on another day—but there’s just something about Ryder’s performance in the latter, and not least the way she dances and mimes the Banana Boat Song for the grand finale. 

This is a movie that any fan of Burton’s, or of practical effects, or of Michael Keaton (think their Batman collaborations), and of course, Ryder, will absolutely adore: a riot of a movie that deserves its reputation as a modern classic. 

The original version of this article was written by Jess Bacon and published on 2 September 2024.

Though Jenna Ortega had been consistently acting since she was eight years old, the one-time child star skyrocketed to mainstream fame in 2022 with her mesmerising performance as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix smash-hit TV series, Wednesday. That role has been the cherry on top of an already impressive career that has, thus far, contained fan favourite streaming hits, horror gems, and indie darlings.

With Wednesday Season 2 doing huge numbers for Netflix, and with 2026 looking like a landmark year for the young actress (with starring roles in both J.J. Abrams’ comeback feature, Ghostwriter, and opposite Glen Powell in Taika Waititi’s Clara and the Sun), it feels like the perfect time to look back on the performances that got her here, which we’ve listed below in chronological order. Read on to discover more and use the guide below to find out where to find them on platforms like AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

Jane the Virgin (2014-2019)

Ortega started as a child star in comedy-drama series, playing Harley Diaz in the Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle and, more memorable still, appearing as the young Jane in Jane the Virgin. The show focuses on Jane (Gina Rodriguez), a devout catholic who accidentally gets pregnant after a routine visit to a gynaecologist. Ortega, who was 11 at the time of the first season’s shoot, plays Jane in flashbacks. 

Thematically, it explores the mother-daughter dynamics in an American/Latinx family, so if you’re a fan of Ugly Betty or even In The Heights, you’ll probably get right into it.

You (2019)

From those early roles, Ortega went on to star in a host of Netflix productions, appearing in the family-friendly comedy Yes Day in 2021 after gaining attention for playing the role of Ellie Alves, Joe’s next-door neighbour, in Season 2 of the hit thriller series You.

Told from the POV of a stalker, this is a show that delights in putting its audience in morally grey areas, so if you enjoy series like Dexter and Hannibal, you’ll probably be into it. After Season 2, Ellie became a firm fan favourite and was rumoured to be reappearing in Season 5–only for Wednesday to come along and push the actress to a different level of stardom. 

The Fallout (2021)

Released to rave reviews at the SXSW film festival in 2021, The Fallout is one of Jenna Ortega’s most critically acclaimed movies. It focuses on the aftermath of a school shooting, so if that subject matter is difficult for you, it might be better to try a different title on this list.

If you do decide to watch it, you’ll be enthralled by Ortega's performance opposite Maddie Ziegler as a young woman suffering from survivor’s guilt who falls for one of her classmates (Ziegler). This is one for fans of indies that explore heavy themes, like the excellent Beach Rats and Palm Trees and Power Lines.

Scream (2022)

It didn’t take long for Jenna Ortega to become a certified scream queen. In 2013, she had her first brush with big-screen horror when she appeared in Insidious: Chapter 2, but the actress really became a certified Scream queen when she starred in the long-running franchise in 2022. 

Despite the name, Ortega’s Scream is actually the fifth instalment in the series, but as legacy reboots go, this is actually one of the better ones. Lovers of the original trilogy, or the underrated I Know What You Did Last Summer remake, should know it’s well worth checking out. Set 25 years after the original Woodsboro murders, it also features Melissa Barrera and Jack Quaid alongside legacy actors like Courteney Cox.

X (2022)

Ti West’s X is the first in a great modern horror trilogy that the director released in quick succession between 2022 and 2024. If you happen to have already seen Pearl or Maxxxine, you’ll want to go back and check this one out.

Ortega only appears in a supporting role, playing the ingenue to Mia Goth’s lead, but she makes the most of her screentime. The story, which pays loving homage to ‘70s exploitation classics like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, follows a crew of porn filmmakers who decide to shoot in a location where they really shouldn’t.

Scream VI (2023)

In 2023, Ortega confirmed her place as a horror final girl by coming back in Scream VI, the follow-up to the legacy sequel. Similar to what we mentioned above, this one will delight Scream devotees—it has all the movie references and nerdy cinephile stuff that fans of the franchise have always appreciated. 

The plot is a classic of the genre, and somewhat similar to Scream 2 in that we follow Ortega’s Tara Carpenter to college. Needless to say, Ghostface is stabbing and slicing his way through the student population before the opening credits roll.

Miller’s Girl (2024)

More recently, Jenna Ortega starred alongside Martin Freeman in the erotic thriller, Miller’s Girl, playing a young girl whose attempts to write an application for Yale University end up getting her emotionally entangled with her English teacher (Freeman). 

This is an Ortega movie for slightly more mature audiences, in that it deals with desire and problematic sexual power dynamics—but if you appreciate movies like Call Me by Your Name or Notes on a Scandal, it might be up your alley.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

In 2024, having already played Wednesday for a season on Netflix, Ortega starred in the long-awaited sequel to another goth girl favourite, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The comedy horror continued the story of Tim Burton’s 1988 original, 36 years later, with Ortega playing the daughter of Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz.

This is obviously made for fans of Wednesday but also Burton’s movies in general, like Edward Scissorhands and Corpse Bride. I can’t say that I loved the movie, but as a symbolic passing of the torch from Ryder to Ortega, it feels quite fitting. 

Death of a Unicorn (2025)

Though Ortega has thrived in various cult horror franchises (even leaning into that persona with her appearance in Sabrina Carpenter’s viral music video, Taste), she’s also shown the breadth of her talent across a host of other genres. One of her least easily categorised is Death of a Unicorn, in which Ortega co-starred with Paul Rudd as a daughter and father who accidentally kill a unicorn while out driving.

This is, as you might have already guessed, an A24 movie. It’s also one of the studio’s weirder recent productions—but if you liked the similarly bonkers Swiss Army Man or Lamb, it might appeal to you!

Wednesday (2022-)

In 2022, Ortega became the seventh young actress to take on a role that began with Lisa Loring in 1964 and helped make Cristina Ricci a star in the early ‘90s. Those were some big boots to fill, but Ortega’s Wednesday was an immediate smash—an Addams Family hero for the TikTok generation who even had her own signature dance. This is one for the Burton heads—especially the movie we mentioned earlier—but also for fans of supernatural high school shows like Buffy and Stranger Things.

The horror comedy spin-off went on to become the streaming platform’s most-watched series of all time, surpassing even Stranger Things. To date, it’s been viewed for over 1.7 billion hours and earned Ortega Best Actress nominations at both the Emmys and the Golden Globes.

The original version of this article was written by Jess Bacon and published on 31 May 2024.

Andrew Scott is an award-winning Irish actor best known for his role in iconic TV series such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag and the BBC’s Sherlock, as well as being a regular on the West End, winning two Laurence Olivier Awards. The Dublin-born actor more recently starred in the lead role in Andrew Haig’s supernatural romance, All of Us Strangers, alongside Paul Mescal and won yet more recognition for playing the title role in Ripley last year. He’s back on screens in 2025 alongside his Spectre co-star Daniel Craig in Wake Up Dead Man, the latest instalment of the mystery thriller film franchise, Knives Out.

Read on to discover the best Andrew Scott performances, ranked in ascending order by some combination of Scott’s role and their wider impact, and where to watch them on popular streaming platforms like Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere.

10. 1917 (2019)

Scott’s role in 1917 is far from huge, but he makes every moment of screen time count: He plays Lt. Leslie in the WWI-set film, rocking the kind of beanie and rolled up cigarettes vibe of someone you might run into in your local cafe, just with a lot more swagger and sense of daring-do.

1917 is a battle movie that’s presented as a single, roving oner—so if you are a fan of those kinds of moments in films like Children of Men or Gravity, or appreciate operatic war scenes, as in the beginning of Saving Private Ryan, this is one you might want to see.

9. Too Much (2025)

Lena Dunham made a big return in 2025 with the Netflix series Too Much, and if you’re a fan of her more famous work, like Girls and Tiny Furniture, you’ll be delighted to have her humour back in your life again. 

The same goes for fans of Hacks, as Too Much gives Megan Stalter (who stole every scene in that HBO series) the lead role. Scott only appears in a couple of episodes as Jim, the self-absorbed, Raya-subscribing film director, but boy, does he make them count. 

8. Pride (2014)

In some ways, Pride was the first movie to put Scott on the map. It tells the unlikely true story of how a group of gay and lesbian activists came to fight alongside the striking miners in the small Welsh town of Onllwyn during the 1980s. Scott doesn’t play the lead here, but his role—as a Welshman who was shunned by his community after coming out 16 years earlier—is perhaps the most pivotal in the story. 

A wonderfully uplifting film about solidarity across cultural divides, if you like movies that focus on that moment in history, like Billy Elliot, or fish-out-of-water British comedies like The Full Monty, you’re probably going to love Pride. 

7. Blue Moon (2025)

It’s interesting how often Scott plays the supporting role in movies, but, like many of the great character actors before him, I think it’s something he prefers. For Blue Moon, director Richard Linklater’s love letter to Broadway, he plays Richard Rodgers, the famous ex-writing partner of central character Lorenz Hart, played wonderfully by Ethan Hawke.

If you like theatre world movies like All About Eve or Opening Night, or appreciate Hawke’s more dramatic roles, like First Reformed, make sure to put this on your watch list!

6. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)

Wake Up Dead Man is the third movie to be released from Rian Johnson’s Knives Out franchise, so fans of the first two won’t need much convincing. If you haven’t seen them, just imagine a modern version of Agatha Christie—big ensemble, various twists and turns—and you’ll basically know what you’re in for. 

For Dead Man, Scott plays Lee Ross, an eccentric, best-selling author. Like many of his roles, it’s far from the centre of the action, but Scott once again makes every minute count. 

5. Spectre (2015)

Years before reteaming with Daniel Craig on Wake Up Dead Man, Scott shared the screen with the former 007 in the 2015 James Bond epic, Spectre, the penultimate film in Craig’s reign—it’s maybe not the best remembered of the Craig movies, but if you liked Skyfall or the more recent No Time to Die, it’s more than worth seeing. 

Scott plays Max Denbigh, the shady government official who turns out to be harbouring some secrets—exactly the kind of slippery character that Scott seems to relish playing. 

4. Ripley (2024)

And speaking of slippery characters, they don’t get more elusive than Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley. In 2024, Scott followed in the footsteps of Alain Delon and Matt Damon in bringing the legendary forger, impersonator, and sociopath to the screen. Ripley is a show that fans of those previous movies, The Talented Mr. Ripley, in particular, should really give a go.

Shot in black and white, it’s a more austere version than the sunny Jude Law caper from 1999, but it’s no less gripping for it—and we can thank Scott’s starring performance for that.

3. Fleabag (2016-2019)

He may already be sick of it, but to many fans, Scott will always be known for his role as “The Hot Priest” in the second season of the Emmy award-winning series, Fleabag. Written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the show is widely considered a modern classic, and deservedly so. 

This is a series to watch if you like smart and brutally honest humour—it’s hard to think of a direct comparison, but if you’re into the brilliant observations and offbeat humour of shows like I May Destroy You or Russian Doll, you’ll probably love it. 

2. Sherlock (2010-2017)

For his portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle’s nemesis to Sherlock Holmes, Scott won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor—and deservedly so. His Moriarty only appears for a limited time, but Scott’s performance is electric, enigmatic and simply unforgettable. Sherlock is a must-see for many reasons, especially if you like smartly written and wonderfully acted mysteries like Hannibal or the more recent Ludwig, and Scott is one of them. 

Though Scott appeared in television programmes before his time as James Moriarty, this was the part that raised his profile and resulted in him being considered for prominent leading roles. 

1. All of Us Strangers (2023)

Scott brings out the best in every role he’s given, which makes it difficult to hold one performance in higher esteem than another. However, his work in Haig’s supernatural romance All of Us Strangers is a true standout—and if you liked Haig’s landmark queer movie Weekend or a film like Celine Song’s Past Lives, get ready to ball your eyes out. 

For his poignant role as Adam, Scott was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and was unlucky not to do the same at the Oscars. He imbues each moment of the performance with such intricate nuance and personal history, it’s nothing short of heartbreaking to watch.