The most popular movies to stream right now
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!
#20. The Truman Show
- Streaming on: Hoopla (subscription)
- Runtime: 103 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Comedy
- Director: Peter Weir
- Cast: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, and Noah Emmerich
- Release date: June 5, 1998
#19. The Lost Boys
- Streaming on: AMC
- Runtime: 97 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Horror
- Director: Joel Schumacher
- Cast: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, and Dianne Wiest
- Release date: July 31, 1987
#18. Sinister
- Runtime: 110 minutes
- Genres: Crime and Horror
- Director: Scott Derrickson
- Cast: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, and Vincent D'Onofrio
- Release date: Oct. 5, 2012
#17. The Shining
- Runtime: 146 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Horror
- Director: Stanley Kubrick
- Cast: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Scatman Crothers
- Release date: May 23, 1980
#16. Hocus Pocus
- Streaming on: Disney+ (subscription)
- Runtime: 96 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Family
- Director: Kenny Ortega
- Cast: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy
- Release date: July 16, 1993
#15. The Nightmare Before Christmas
- Streaming on: Disney+ (subscription)
- Runtime: 76 minutes
- Genres: Action & Adventure and Animation
- Director: Henry Selick
- Cast: Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman, and Catherine O'Hara
- Release date: Oct. 13, 1993
#14. Trick 'r Treat
- Streaming on: MAX (subscription)
- Runtime: 82 minutes
- Genre: Horror
- Director: Michael Dougherty
- Cast: Brian Cox, Quinn Lord, and Anna Paquin
- Release date: Dec. 10, 2007
#13. The Thing
- Streaming on: AMC
- Runtime: 109 minutes
- Genres: Mystery and Horror
- Director: John Carpenter
- Cast: Kurt Russell, Keith David, and Wilford Brimley
- Release date: June 25, 1982
#12. Halloween II
- Streaming on: AMC
- Runtime: 92 minutes
- Genres: Thriller and Horror
- Director: Rick Rosenthal
- Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, and Charles Cyphers
- Release date: Oct. 30, 1981
#11. V for Vendetta
- Streaming on: Prime Video (rent/buy)
- Runtime: 132 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Action & Adventure
- Director: James McTeigue
- Cast: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, and Stephen Rea
- Release date: Nov. 4, 2005
#10. Sleepy Hollow
- Runtime: 105 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Fantasy
- Director: Tim Burton
- Cast: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, and Miranda Richardson
- Release date: Nov. 19, 1999
#9. It
- Streaming on: MAX (subscription)
- Runtime: 135 minutes
- Genres: Horror and Thriller
- Director: Andy Muschietti
- Cast: Jaeden Martell, Sophia Lillis, and Jack Dylan Grazer
- Release date: Sept. 6, 2017
#8. Halloween
- Streaming on: Hulu (subscription)
- Runtime: 106 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Horror
- Director: David Gordon Green
- Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, and Andi Matichak
- Release date: Oct. 17, 2018
#7. Ghostbusters
- Streaming on: Philo (subscription)
- Runtime: 105 minutes
- Genres: Action & Adventure and Horror
- Director: Ivan Reitman
- Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Sigourney Weaver
- Release date: June 8, 1984
#6. Coraline
- Runtime: 100 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Horror
- Director: Henry Selick
- Cast: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, and Jennifer Saunders
- Release date: Feb. 6, 2009
#5. Practical Magic
- Streaming on: MAX (subscription)
- Runtime: 104 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Romance
- Director: Griffin Dunne
- Cast: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, and Goran Visnjic
- Release date: Oct. 16, 1998
#4. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
- Streaming on: Apple TV+ (subscription)
- Runtime: 25 minutes
- Genres: Animation and Comedy
- Director: Bill Melendez
- Cast: Peter Robbins, Christopher Shea, and Sally Dryer
- Release date: Oct. 25, 1966
#3. Scream
- Runtime: 111 minutes
- Genres: Crime and Horror
- Director: Wes Craven
- Cast: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, and Courteney Cox
- Release date: Dec. 20, 1996
#2. Halloween
- Runtime: 91 minutes
- Genres: Horror and Thriller
- Director: John Carpenter
- Cast: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Nancy Kyes
- Release date: Oct. 25, 1978
#1. The Black Phone
- Streaming on: Peacock Premium (subscription)
- Runtime: 103 minutes
- Genres: Horror and Mystery
- Director: Scott Derrickson
- Cast: Mason Thames, Ethan Hawke, and Madeleine McGraw
- Release date: June 17, 2022
