Ivan Radford | On 23, Feb 2021

This February sees the launch of Star on Disney+, a new grown-up friendly zone that brings 285 movies to Disney’s streaming service that would otherwise not fit within its family-friendly remit. That means a new streaming home for titles made by 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight, Touchstone and more.

The good news? New parental controls give you the ability set limits on access to content and add a PIN to lock profiles that can stream the more mature titles. The better news? A whole heap of impressive titles at your fingertips – from Moulin Rouge to The Favorite. Not sure where to start? We’ve sorted through the whole collection to round up the best 40 films available to stream on Star – for a full list of films available at launch, click here, or for our monthly guide to what’s coming soon, click here.

Another Earth

What if there were a second Earth exactly like ours? Mike Cahill’s thoughtful sci-fi uses that big question as a springboard for a moving, low-key drama.

Belle

Gugu Mbatha-Raw delivers an incredible performance in this remarkable, important period drama.

Borat

Sacha Baron Cohen’s fictitious Kazakhstani journalist journeys to America for this entertaining satirical mockumentary.

Broadcast News

James L Brooks’ insightful and entertaining comedy-drama about a national TV news team is full of memorable performances, from Albert Brooks’ cynical reporter to Holly Hunter’s passionate producer, with whom he’s secretly in love.

The Color of Money

“Aaahoo! Werewolves of London.” Warren Zevon’s song blasts into a backroom bar as Tom Cruise’s charismatic young Vincent plays pool with Paul Newman’s Fast Eddie Felson. Reprising his role as The Hustler, Newman has rarely been better, delivering an expert example of how to return to a character from a new angle.

Con Air

“Put the bunny back in the box.”

Crimson Tide

When Soviet rebels point weapons at the United States, the tactical message for one nuclear sub is cut off in transmission. Gene Hackman’s towering captain and Denzel Washington’s good-intentioned first mate go at each other like landmines waiting to explode. All the while, Tony Scott shoots the clash with a claustrophobic eye, putting the lid on the sub and watching as tensions boil.

The Crucible

Arthur Miller’s classic witchhunt drama is as searingly powerful as it was when first written.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

This breathtaking blockbuster sequel is so good you almost wish there were no humans in it.

Die Hard 2

“How can the same shit happen to the same guy twice?”

The Drop

Tom Hardy is intensely good in this in gripping, surprising, understated crime thriller.

Ed Wood

Tim Burton’s wonderful biopic is a personal tribute to the ambitious but troubled movie director.

Enough Said

James Gandolfini and Julie Louis-Dreyfus are on winning form in Nicole Holofcener’s hugely charming romantic drama.

The Favourite

Surprising, side-splitting and superbly twisted, this royal drama fizzes and bubbles with manic energy.

The Fly (1986)

Cronenberg and Goldblum team up for this brilliantly unsettling body horror.

The French Connection

New York cops Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider face up to drug lord Fernando Rey as they struggle to break his narcotics operation.

Good Morning, Vietnam

Robin Williams straddles comedy and drama perfectly in Barry Levinson’s tale of a radio DJ send to boost morale among US troops.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Ralph Fiennes is hilarious in Wes Anderson’s clockwork dainty that ticks along with a polite smile.

Grosse Pointe Blank

What have you been doing since you left high school? For John Cusack’s Martin Blank, the answer is easy: he kills people for money. George Armitage’s gun-toting comedy, which boasts stellar supporting turn from Minnie Driver, Alan Arkin and Dan Aykroyd, sees Cusack in his heyday. Great fun.

High Fidelity

Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel heads to America with this entertaining rom-com pitched perfectly by John Cusack.

Idiocracy

A guy wakes up after 500 years of sleep to realise he’s the smartest man on the planet in Mike Judge’s prescient political comedy.

I Heart Huckabees

David O Russell’s existential comedy is an enjoyably quirky romp with top performances from Jude Law, Dustin Hoffman and Isabelle Huppert.

I Origins

This open-minded sci-fi from Another Earth’s Mike Cahill and Brit Marling takes a long hard look at what makes us human and then asks: what if?

Independence Day

20 years after their failed invasion, the aliens are back. Luckily, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman are there to help stop them.

Jennifer’s Body

Megan Fox is on deadly satirical form in Diablo Cody and Karyn Kusama’s dark cult classic.

Kissing Jessica Stein

A groundbreaking entry in the modern rom-com pantheon, this 2002 indie flick, written and produced by stars Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen, follows a young woman who falls for Helen, but finds herself struggling with the pressures involved in a same-sex relationship.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Wes Anderson’s ocean-bound oddity is a glorious tale of family, nature, discovery and revenge.

Margaret

Anna Paquin delivers a thoughtful lead performance in Kenneth Lonergan’s underseen third film. (Note: This is the theatrical cut of the film.)

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Elizabeth Olsen delivers a breakout turn in this chilling and absorbing study of a young woman piecing herself back together after escaping a cult.

Miller’s Crossing

The Coen brothers struck masterpiece status early with their 1993 gangster drama, which sees Albert Finney and Gabriel Byrne caught up in women, money and revenge.

Moulin Rouge

Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman are spectacular spectacular in Baz Luhrmann’s eye-popping, heart-swooning musical romance extravaganza.

The Newton Boys

A rare chance to catch Richard Linklater’s 1998 film about the most successful group of train and bank robbers in the USA, starring Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Skeet Ulrich and Vincent D’Onofrio.

Night Watch

Timur Bekmambetov’s mind-blowing Russian blockbuster fuses vampires, swords made out of spines and some seriously impressive visuals. (Day Watch, the sequel, is also available.)

9 to 5

Dolly Parton is joined by Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in this entertaining office satire about three women who plot to get revenge on their sexist boss.

Office Space

Mike Judge’s small-scale comedy is a timeless workplace satire.

One Hour Photo

Robin Williams delivers a picture-perfect performance in this chillingly understated psychological thriller.

Phone Booth

Colin Farrell is on blistering form in Joel Schumacher’s underrated, stripped-down thriller about a publicist who is held hostage in a phone booth by an unknown caller.

Planet of the Apes (1968)

“Take your stinking’ paws off me, you damn dirty ape!”

Romancing the Stone

Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner star in this action adventure filled with old-school matinee movie appeal.

Ruby Sparks

A writer’s dream woman jumps from the page into real life in this whip-smart anti-rom-com written by Zoe Kazan.

Rushmore

Wes Anderson hit the ground running with his second film, an offbeat comedy about a scarily mature high school student, Max. Jason Schwartzman is hilariously eccentric in his debut role as the blazer-wearing Max Fischer, supported by a bizarre Bill Murray and Olivia Wiliams’ school teacher, whom they both love. Precocious, preposterous and precisely shot, this is a cult hit that never fails to amuse.

Solaris

George Clooney stars in Steven Soderbergh’s smart, visually stunning and much shorter remake of the Tarkovsky classic.

Starship Troopers

“Would you like to know more?”

Stoker

Timid, violent and vividly filmed, Park Chan-wook’s psychological thriller starring Matthew Goode plays with all of your senses.

Thank You for Smoking

Jason Reitman’s pitch-black satire sees Aaron Eckhart deliver a star-making turn as a lobbyist for the tobacco industry.

The Thin Red Line

Terrence Malick’s 1998 action movie is, quite simply, one of the greatest war movies ever made.

Waitress

Enjoyed the stage musical? Don’t miss drienne Shelly’s smart, sweet and snappy original movie that inspired it, starring an iconic Keri Russell.

The Way, Way Back

A witty script and strong cast make this Sundance coming-of-ager a charming watch.

William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet

Baz Luhrmann’s update of Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes is a jaw-dropping, open-hearted masterpiece.

Working Girl

Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver and Melanie Griffith star in Mike Nichols’ timeless workplace comedy about female ambition.

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