Lifewire's Picks: 20 Movies to Stream Right Now

Dune: Part Two (2024) - Max

The second entry in Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune sees Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) continue his quest for vengeance against the Harkonnens by uniting the Fremen people of Arrakis. 

Villeneuve’s ambitious sequel delivers on the sci-fi epic spectacle that defined the first film, but it also devotes more time to unpacking the source material’s themes. Paul’s journey is defined just as much by thrilling knife fights and ground-shaking sandworm rides as it is by a sense that the Fremen may be trading one occupying colonial force for another.

Oppenheimer (2023) - Prime Video

Christopher Nolan’s award-winning biopic tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist who led the development of the first nuclear weapons during World War II.

Based on Kai Bird’s biography American Prometheus, Oppenheimer frames its subject as a brilliant but flawed scientific mind whose life’s work may have placed mankind on an inevitable path of self-destruction.

Murphy’s standout lead performance anchors a film largely comprised of extended sequences of people sitting in rooms having conversations, but it’s the star-studded ensemble cast that helps push Nolan's film into the realm of instant classic. 

Top Gun: Maverick (2022) - Paramount Plus

Decades after his first tour with the TOP GUN program, Ace pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, (Tom Cruise) returns to train a new squad for a dangerous top-secret mission.

Against all odds, this long-awaited sequel not only lives up to Tony Scott’s 1986 classic but easily eclipses it, thanks to its simple but well-executed story, likable characters, and immersive flying sequences.

Poor Things (2023) - Hulu

Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman brought back to life by off-kilter scientist Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), navigates exploitation and misogyny as she learns about the world and carves out her place in it.

Featuring a tour-de-force lead performance from Stone, Poor Things is surreal gothic/steampunk/fantasy filmmaking at its finest, with a twisted satirical edge that’s hard to resist.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) - Disney Plus

When Rocket (Bradley Cooper) is gravely injured, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy go on a desperate mission to save their teammate and friend by seeking out his sadistic creator.

One of the few bright spots of the post-Endgame MCU (at least so far), Guardians 3 is just as irreverent as its predecessors but reaches new emotional depths in its exploration of Rocket’s tragic backstory. 

The Holdovers (2023) - Prime Video

Over the Christmas holiday in 1970, a cranky teacher (Paul Giamatti) reluctantly remains at his New England boarding school, where he’s joined by a misunderstood troublemaker (Dominic Sessa) and head cook Mary (Joy Randolph), whose son was recently killed in the Vietnam War.

Warm and emotional, The Holdovers feels destined to become a modern holiday classic thanks to its excellent performances and pitch-perfect period aesthetic.

Past Lives (2023) - Paramount Plus

More than two decades after moving away from her home in South Korea, Nora reunites with her childhood best friend, Hae Song, for a fateful weekend in New York City.

Partly inspired by real events in writer-director Celine Song’s life, Past Lives is a sensitive exploration of deep human connection and the paths our choices take us on.

John Wick: Chapter 4 - Starz

Still on the run from the High Table, deadly assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) embarks on a globe-trotting mission that may offer a way to put down his former employer for good.

While this fourth John Wick installment is a bit overlong and covers familiar ground, the action setpieces continue to impress, including a staircase fight that ranks among the best in the series.

The Iron Claw (2023) - Max

The Iron Claw is based on the real-life story of the Von Erich brothers, who rose to prominence in the world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.

While Durkin’s film doesn’t delve as deeply into the tragedy of the Von Erichs as many would have liked, The Iron Claw is a competent sports biopic that effectively balances depicting thrills in the ring with the exacting toll that happens outside of it.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) - Apple TV+

Set in 1920s Oklahoma, Scorsese’s grueling epic centers on Mollie Burkhart, a member of Osage Nation, as her community suffers a series of murders driven by the discovery of oil under Osage land.

While Killers of the Flower Moon drew mixed reactions for its heavy focus on the perpetrators of the Osage Nation murders at the expense of its victims, the film’s existential horror is profound and uncompromising, with America’s appalling history of violence perpetrated against Indigenous peoples reflected in Gladstone’s Academy Award-winning performance.

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) - Disney Plus

James Cameron’s long-awaited return to Pandora continues the story of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), as they’re forced to flee their home and make contact with a Na’vi water tribe.

Like its predecessor, The Way of Water makes up for a lack of narrative ambition with its stunningly realized world. Cameron’s penchant for show-stopping third-act action set pieces is on full display, but the film is at its best when it takes a breath to luxuriate in its fictional characters’ day-to-day life and customs.

The Zone of Interest (2023) - Max

Set in German-occupied Poland in the summer of 1943, The Zone of Interest focuses on SS officer and Auschwitz commander Rudolf Hoess, who lives next to the infamous camp with his wife Hedwig and their children.

In this Academy Award-nominated film, Glazer rejects the idea of Holocaust perpetrators as “mythologically evil,” as he examines the rote, mundane lives of participants in one of the twentieth century’s greatest horrors.

Talk to Me (2023) - Paramount Plus

A group of teenagers gain the ability to conjure spirits with a mysterious severed hand, only to discover that their newfound power has horrific consequences.

A breakout hit for A24 (it’s the distributor’s highest-grossing horror film to date), Talk to Me takes a familiar horror setup and puts a fresh spin on it, resulting in a film that feels tailor-made to exploit the anxieties of today’s youth.

Hit Man (2023) - Netflix

Gary Johnson (Glen Powell), a New Orleans professor who moonlights as an undercover “hitman” for the police, ends up getting a little too caught up in his fake persona when he meets Madison (Adria Arjona) and helps her flee her abusive husband.

Writer-director Richard Linklater’s dark rom-com is another slamdunk showcase for Glen Powell, who’s quickly become one of Hollywood’s biggest leading men and a genuine crowdpleaser who somehow juggles multiple genres without veering too far off course.

Monkey Man (2024) - Peacock

After witnessing the murder of his mother as a young child, Kid (Dev Patel) works his way up an underground fight club to exact revenge against the men who destroyed his life. 

Patel’s directorial debut, Monkey Man is a stylish, violent love letter to Bruce Lee and modern revenge cinema like The Raid: Redemption that also shines a light on the inherent exploitation and inequalities of India’s caste system.

Barbie (2023) - Max

After venturing into the real world, Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) are taken on journeys of self-discovery that will have massive ramifications for their lives back in Barbie Land.

Greta Gerwig’s bold adaptation toes the line between family-friendly comedy and subversive feminist work but manages to pull it all together into an entertaining package filled with catchy songs, fashionable outfits, and big laughs.

Ferrari (2023) - Hulu

In the summer of 1957, Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) stakes the future of his automobile company — and marriage to his wife Laura (Penélope Cruz) on the Mille Miglia, a dangerous 1,000-mile race across Italy.

Heat director Michael Mann eschews the full biographic format here and instead hones in on a pivotal moment in Ferrari’s life, depicting the motorsport icon as a man whose arrogance gains him both professional glory and personal ruin.

No One Will Save You (2023) - Hulu

An introverted young woman’s (Kaitlyn Dever) reclusive life turns to horror when she becomes the target of an otherwordly home invasion.

A tense thriller punctuated by a near-total lack of dialogue, Duffield’s twist on the alien invasion flick is a fun genre mashup carried by Dever’s commanding, solo lead performance.  

Am I OK? (2022) - Max

In the wake of an intercontinental move, two best friends (Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno) find their friendship put to the test after one of them reveals a deeply-held secret.

An emotional and often funny exploration of close female friendship, Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne’s film initially premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2022 before hitting Max this year.