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. Practical Magic
- Runtime: 104 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Romance
- Director: Griffin Dunne
- Cast: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, and Goran Visnjic
- Release date: Oct. 16, 1998
#19. Nobody
- Runtime: 92 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Crime
- Cast: Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, and Michael Ironside
- Release date: March 18, 2021
#18. Airplane!
- Runtime: 88 minutes
- Genre: Comedy
- Director: David Zucker
- Cast: Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Robert Hays
- Release date: July 2, 1980
#17. Scream
- Runtime: 111 minutes
- Genres: Horror and Crime
- Director: Wes Craven
- Cast: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, and Courteney Cox
- Release date: Dec. 20, 1996
#16. There Will Be Blood
- Streaming on: Hoopla (subscription)
- Runtime: 158 minutes
- Genre: Drama
- Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
- Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, and Kevin J. O'Connor
- Release date: Dec. 26, 2007
#15. The Natural
- Streaming on: Prime Video (rent/buy)
- Runtime: 138 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Sport
- Director: Barry Levinson
- Cast: Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, and Glenn Close
- Release date: May 11, 1984
#14. Twilight
- Runtime: 122 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Romance
- Director: Catherine Hardwicke
- Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Billy Burke
- Release date: Nov. 20, 2008
#13. 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
#12. Downton Abbey: A New Era
- Streaming on: Peacock Premium (subscription)
- Runtime: 124 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Mystery
- Director: Simon Curtis
- Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, and Jim Carter
- Release date: April 27, 2022
#11. Downton Abbey
- Streaming on: Netflix (subscription)
- Runtime: 122 minutes
- Genres: Romance and Drama
- Director: Michael Engler
- Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, and Jim Carter
- Release date: Sept. 12, 2019
#10. 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
#9. Snake Eyes
- Streaming on: Hoopla (subscription)
- Runtime: 98 minutes
- Genres: Crime and Mystery
- Director: Brian De Palma
- Cast: Nicolas Cage, Gary Sinise, and John Heard
- Release date: Aug. 7, 1998
#8. The Sting
- Streaming on: Prime Video (rent/buy)
- Runtime: 129 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Comedy
- Director: George Roy Hill
- Cast: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Robert Shaw
- Release date: Dec. 25, 1973
#7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
- Streaming on: Prime Video (rent/buy)
- Runtime: 110 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Western
- Director: George Roy Hill
- Cast: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Katharine Ross
- Release date: Sept. 23, 1969
#6. Sneakers
- Streaming on: Prime Video (rent/buy)
- Runtime: 126 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Comedy
- Director: Phil Alden Robinson
- Cast: Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, and David Strathairn
- Release date: Sept. 9, 1992
#5. 28 Weeks Later
- Runtime: 99 minutes
- Genres: Horror and Science-Fiction
- Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
- Cast: Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, and Jeremy Renner
- Release date: May 9, 2007
#4. This Is Spinal Tap
- Streaming on: Kanopy (subscription)
- Runtime: 82 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Music
- Director: Rob Reiner
- Cast: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer
- Release date: March 2, 1984
#3. Three Days of the Condor
- Runtime: 117 minutes
- Genres: Crime and Mystery
- Director: Sydney Pollack
- Cast: Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, and Cliff Robertson
- Release date: Sept. 25, 1975
#2. All the President's Men
- Runtime: 138 minutes
- Genres: Drama and History
- Director: Alan J. Pakula
- Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, and Jack Warden
- Release date: April 9, 1976
#1. 28 Days Later
- Runtime: 113 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Horror
- Director: Danny Boyle
- Cast: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, and Brendan Gleeson
- Release date: Nov. 15, 2002
