The most popular movies to stream right now
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There's no better time to be an entertainment aficionado than today. According to the 2024 State of Play report from Nielsen's Gracenote, audiences nowadays are spoiled for choice, with more than half a million video titles available across various platforms. In addition, streamers can ping pong between hundreds of 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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#20. Buried in Barstow
- Runtime: 85 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Action & Adventure
- Director: Howard Deutch
- Cast: Angie Harmon, Kristoffer Polaha, and Timothy Granaderos
- Release date: June 4, 2022
#19. Smile
- Runtime: 115 minutes
- Genres: Horror and Mystery
- Director: Parker Finn
- Cast: Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, and Jessie T. Usher
- Release date: Sept. 28, 2022
#18. Twilight
- Streaming on: Prime Video (rent/buy)
- Runtime: 122 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Romance
- Director: Catherine Hardwicke
- Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Billy Burke
- Release date: Nov. 20, 2008
#17. 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
#16. Interstellar
- Runtime: 169 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Action & Adventure
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain
- Release date: Nov. 5, 2014
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#15. The Day of the Jackal
- Streaming on: Prime Video (rent/buy)
- Runtime: 143 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Action & Adventure
- Director: Fred Zinnemann
- Cast: Edward Fox, Terence Alexander, and Michel Auclair
- Release date: June 15, 1973
#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 Ted Geisel
- Release date: Dec. 18, 1966
#13. Twister
- Streaming on: Prime Video (rent/buy)
- Runtime: 113 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Action & Adventure
- Director: Jan de Bont
- Cast: Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, and Jami Gertz
- Release date: May 10, 1996
#12. Idiocracy
- Streaming on: Hulu (subscription)
- Runtime: 84 minutes
- Genres: Action & Adventure and Comedy
- Director: Mike Judge
- Cast: Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, and Dax Shepard
- Release date: Sept. 1, 2006
#11. Dune: Part Two
- Runtime: 166 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Action & Adventure
- Director: Denis Villeneuve
- Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Rebecca Ferguson
- Release date: Feb. 15, 2024
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#10. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
- Runtime: 97 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Fantasy
- Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
- Cast: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, and Juliette Lewis
- Release date: Dec. 1, 1989
#9. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
- Runtime: 97 minutes
- Genres: Action & Adventure and Science-Fiction
- Director: Andy Serkis
- Cast: Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, and Michelle Williams
- Release date: Sept. 30, 2021
#8. Elf
- Runtime: 97 minutes
- Genres: Romance and Action & Adventure
- Director: Jon Favreau
- Cast: Will Ferrell, James Caan, and Bob Newhart
- Release date: Nov. 7, 2003
#7. The Grinch
- Streaming on: Peacock Premium (subscription)
- Runtime: 85 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Children
- Director: Scott Mosier
- Cast: Yarrow Cheney, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Rashida Jones
- Release date: Nov. 7, 2018
#6. The Wizard of Oz
- Runtime: 102 minutes
- Genres: Action & Adventure and Fantasy
- Director: Victor Fleming
- Cast: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, and Ray Bolger
- Release date: Aug. 15, 1939
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#5. Blitz
- Streaming on: Apple TV+ (subscription)
- Runtime: 120 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Action & Adventure
- Director: Steve McQueen
- Cast: Elliott Heffernan, Saoirse Ronan, and Harris Dickinson
- Release date: Nov. 22, 2024
#4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- Streaming on: Prime Video (rent/buy)
- Runtime: 104 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Family
- Director: Ron Howard
- Cast: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, and Jeffrey Tambor
- Release date: Nov. 17, 2000
#3. Planes, Trains & Automobiles
- Runtime: 93 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Comedy
- Director: John Hughes
- Cast: Steve Martin, John Candy, and Laila Robins
- Release date: Nov. 25, 1987
#2. Deadpool & Wolverine
- Streaming on: Disney+ (subscription)
- Runtime: 128 minutes
- Genres: Action & Adventure and Comedy
- Director: Shawn Levy
- Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Emma Corrin
- Release date: July 26, 2024
#1. Gladiator
- Runtime: 155 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Action & Adventure
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Cast: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, and Connie Nielsen
- Release date: May 4, 2000
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