1 / 20
#20. This Is Spinal Tap
- Runtime: 82 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Music
- Director: Rob Reiner
- Cast: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer
- Release date: March 2, 1984
The most popular movies to stream right now
There's no better time to be an entertainment aficionado than today. According to Nielsen's 2023 State of Play report, audiences nowadays are spoiled for choice, with more than 2.7 million video titles available across various platforms—almost a million more than just two years ago. In addition, streamers can ping pong between 167 unique streaming sources too—think Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, just to name a few. With so much to choose from, it's not a surprise that audiences typically spend as much as 10 minutes (probably even more) looking for something to watch. With so many options, it can be hard to know where to start when picking what to stream for your next movie night.
To help narrow your options, Stacker compiled a list of the 20 most popular movies across all streaming platforms. Using data from Reelgood, with IMDb ratings and additional data points added for extra insights, the list is a far better way to select your next watch than scrolling through Netflix, Hulu, Max, Amazon Prime, etc. looking for that perfect, buzzy feature. The selection (which updates bi-monthly to keep you apprised of what's hot right now) includes a wide selection of picks, from recent Oscar nominees to the season's biggest blockbusters to genre-specific hits of the past several decades. So whether you enjoy a tense drama, a sci-fi epic, or a sweet rom-com, there's almost certainly something here that will strike your interest.
If you're more interested in what's coming soon than what's already available to stream, the list can help you there too. As existing franchises tease new installments and actors and directors announce their newest projects, the respective backlists typically see a huge resurgence in popularity. Meaning all you need to do is keep an eye on what folks are watching now and you'll have a fairly good idea of what's to come in the next several months. So without further ado, read on to see what movies audiences across the country are streaming!
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2 / 20
#19. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
- Streaming on: Netflix (subscription)
- Runtime: 139 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Mystery
- Director: Rian Johnson
- Cast: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, and Janelle Monáe
- Release date: Nov. 23, 2022
3 / 20
#18. The Princess Bride
- Streaming on: Disney+ (subscription)
- Runtime: 98 minutes
- Genres: Romance and Action & Adventure
- Director: Rob Reiner
- Cast: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, and Mandy Patinkin
- Release date: Sept. 25, 1987
4 / 20
#17. White Christmas
- Streaming on: Prime Video (subscription)
- Runtime: 120 minutes
- Genres: Romance and Comedy
- Director: Michael Curtiz
- Cast: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Rosemary Clooney
- Release date: Nov. 5, 1954
5 / 20
#16. A Few Good Men
- Streaming on: Philo (subscription)
- Runtime: 138 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Thriller
- Director: Rob Reiner
- Cast: Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore
- Release date: Dec. 11, 1992
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6 / 20
#15. The Grinch
- Streaming on: Prime Video (rent/buy)
- Runtime: 85 minutes
- Genres: Animation and Children
- Director: Scott Mosier
- Cast: Yarrow Cheney, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Rashida Jones
- Release date: Nov. 7, 2018
7 / 20
#14. How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
- Streaming on: Peacock Premium (subscription)
- Runtime: 26 minutes
- Genres: Animation and Comedy
- Director: Chuck Jones
- Cast: Boris Karloff, Chuck Jones, and Dr. Seuss
- Release date: Dec. 18, 1966
8 / 20
#13. A Christmas Story
- Streaming on: MAX (subscription)
- Runtime: 93 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Children
- Director: Bob Clark
- Cast: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, and Darren McGavin
- Release date: Nov. 18, 1983
9 / 20
#12. Love Actually
- Streaming on: Prime Video (subscription)
- Runtime: 135 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Romance
- Director: Richard Curtis
- Cast: Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, and Emma Thompson
- Release date: Nov. 7, 2003
10 / 20
#11. Home Alone
- Streaming on: Disney+ (subscription)
- Runtime: 103 minutes
- Genres: Family and Comedy
- Director: Chris Columbus
- Cast: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern
- Release date: Nov. 16, 1990
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11 / 20
#10. It's a Wonderful Life
- Runtime: 130 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Romance
- Director: Frank Capra
- Cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore
- Release date: Dec. 20, 1946
12 / 20
#9. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- Streaming on: Prime Video (subscription)
- Runtime: 104 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Family
- Director: Ron Howard
- Cast: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, and Jeffrey Tambor
- Release date: Nov. 17, 2000
13 / 20
#8. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
- Streaming on: MAX (subscription)
- Runtime: 97 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Family
- Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
- Cast: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, and Juliette Lewis
- Release date: Nov. 30, 1989
14 / 20
#7. Die Hard
- Streaming on: Prime Video (subscription)
- Runtime: 132 minutes
- Genres: Thriller and Action & Adventure
- Director: John McTiernan
- Cast: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, and Bonnie Bedelia
- Release date: July 15, 1988
15 / 20
#6. When Harry Met Sally...
- Streaming on: MAX (subscription)
- Runtime: 95 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Romance
- Director: Rob Reiner
- Cast: Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, and Bruno Kirby
- Release date: July 12, 1989
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16 / 20
#5. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Streaming on: Prime Video (rent/buy)
- Runtime: 47 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Action & Adventure
- Director: Larry Roemer
- Cast: Burl Ives, Billie Mae Richards, and Larry D. Mann
- Release date: Dec. 6, 1964
17 / 20
#4. Knives Out
- Streaming on: Prime Video (subscription)
- Runtime: 130 minutes
- Genres: Crime and Mystery
- Director: Rian Johnson
- Cast: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas
- Release date: Nov. 27, 2019
18 / 20
#3. Greenland
- Runtime: 119 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Action & Adventure
- Director: Ric Roman Waugh
- Cast: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, and David Denman
- Release date: July 29, 2020
19 / 20
#2. The Holiday
- Streaming on: Prime Video (rent/buy)
- Runtime: 136 minutes
- Genres: Romance and Comedy
- Director: Nancy Meyers
- Cast: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, and Jude Law
- Release date: Dec. 5, 2006
20 / 20
#1. Elf
- Streaming on: MAX (subscription)
- Runtime: 97 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Family
- Director: Jon Favreau
- Cast: Will Ferrell, James Caan, and Bob Newhart
- Release date: Nov. 7, 2003
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