The 20 best movies on Starz to watch now

From mega-franchises to creature features, there are plenty of options ready to stream.

Wondering what film to watch? The answer is written in the Starz. The platform has curated an impressive collection of the best films from the 20th and 21st centuries, and the only thing standing between you and a quality movie is their login screen.

Also struggling with decision-making fatigue? Don't sweat it — we here at EW have curated a list of our favorite features from nearly every genre. Whether you're in the mood for movie stars or shooting stars, here are the 20 best movies streaming on Starz right now.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (2023)

Judy Blume’s beloved coming-of-age book gets a pubescent makeover in its first-ever movie adaptation. Even five decades after its initial publication, the book’s themes of maturing, uncovering one's sexuality, and searching for identity and community remain relatable. And while director Kelly Fremon Craig adheres to the story’s original 1970s setting, the movie maintains a tone that is both modern and nostalgic.

Abby Ryder Fortson is charming and earnest as the fish-out-of-water Margaret, a pre-teen whose family’s recent move from New York City to New Jersey forces her into an entirely new school and friend group. A story for anyone who has ever struggled to find their place in the world, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is a movie that feels like a long-awaited hug. As EW's critic says, the film "is an endearing portrait of girlhood — an adaptation that's well worth the wait." —Ilana Gordon

Where to watch Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret: Starz

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Kelly Fremon Craig

Cast: Rachel McAdams, Abby Ryder Fortson, Elle Graham, Benny Safdie, Kathy Bates

Related: Judy Blume on feminine hygiene product accuracy, book bans, and all the Hollywood love

At Middleton (2013)

Young adults finding love at college is a rom-com trope as old as the genre itself. Two parents bonding in the middle of taking their teenagers on a college campus tour, however, is not a film premise you see every day. In At Middleton, Andy Garcia and Vera Farmiga play two married, middle-aged parents trying to support their children through the college selection process. Edith (Farmiga) is there with her ambitious daughter Audrey (played by her real-life younger sister, Taissa Farmiga); George (Andy Garcia) is there with his unmotivated son, Conrad.

After Edith and George are separated from their tour, they explore the campus together while connecting with each other and reconnecting with themselves. A true indie, the ending is far from the tidy, conclusive fare generally found in romantic comedies, but it's the perfect way to tie up this slice-of-life film. —I.G.

Where to watch At Middleton: Starz

Director: Adam Rodgers

Cast: Andy Garcia, Vera Farmiga, Taissa Farmiga, Spencer Lofranco, Peter Riegert, Tom Skerritt

Related: The 20 best movies on Peacock

Beast (2022)

Reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds — if you replaced all the birds with one very aggrieved lion — Beast is a survival action horror film set in South Africa and starring Idris Elba. Seeking to reconnect with his family after the death of his wife, Dr. Nate Samuels takes his two daughters on vacation to visit the village in Africa where their mother grew up. During the trip, the family accidentally becomes the target of a rogue lion seeking revenge on the poachers who murdered his pride. Stranded, stalked, and soon-to-be mauled, the Samuels family must find a way to outwit the lion and make their way back to civilization.

Elba is excellent as the distant doctor struggling with his estranged wife's death, who must now assume the role of protective father fighting for his family's future. And while the film isn't exactly the king of the horror jungle, Beast is fun, fast, and frightening enough to make it worth your while. —I.G.

Where to watch Beast: Starz

Director: Baltasar Kormákur

Cast: Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries

Related: Idris Elba says he's been in therapy to address 'unhealthy habits' as a 'workaholic'

Beyond the Lights (2014)

Money and celebrity are no guarantees of happiness, as evidenced by the romantic drama Beyond the Lights. Noni Jean (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is a London-raised vocalist whose star is on the rise. Managed by her mother Macy (Minnie Driver), and involved in a celebrity relationship with fellow musical artist, Kid Culprit (Machine Gun Kelly), Noni feels trapped in the life she has created for herself and attempts suicide. Saved at the last minute by a police officer named Kaz (Nate Parker), Noni is given a second chance at life and love as the two begin to fall for each other. But with all the challenges posed by Noni’s fame, relationship, and mental health, will they ever be able to make it work?

Also featuring Danny Glover as Kaz’s father, Beyond the Lights was ahead of its time when it premiered in 2014, offering nuanced discussions around race, fame, and mental health. Writer-director Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball) walks a tightrope with the film, pulling back the curtain and including the standard showbiz tropes while grounding them in the characters’ real humanity and hurt. “Beyond the Lights might not single-handedly revive the backstage melodrama on the big screen,” EW’s critic proclaims, “but the movie manages to drag it defiantly” into the modern era. —I.G. 

Where to watch Beyond the Lights: Starz

EW grade: B+ (read the review) 

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver, Danny Glover, Machine Gun Kelly

Related: A definitive ranking of the 23 best fake songs from movies and TV

The Black Phone (2021)

The ‘70s were the heyday of serial killers, and the villain from The Black Phone would fit right in with the John Wayne Gacys and Ted Bundys of the world. Set in 1978, The Black Phone focuses on a Denver suburb that is being targeted by “the Grabber” (Ethan Hawke), a serial child abductor and murderer. After 13-year-old Finney Blake is abducted, his sister Gwen starts having psychic dreams about his abduction and location. Meanwhile, Finney finds himself locked in a room with only a broken pay phone that keeps ringing with calls from the Grabber’s former victims who hope to help him escape.

A horror film distinguished by its supernatural elements, The Black Phone is a terrifying return to the genre for Hawke (following his tantalizing turns in Sinister and The Purge), made even more nightmarish by his masked face and frequent giggling. —I.G. 

Where to watch The Black Phone: Starz

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Scott Derrickson 

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone

Related: Ethan Hawke is finally ready to embrace his inner villain

The Bourne Identity (2002)

The first of five films in the Bourne franchise, this action film serves as the origin story for the man who goes from government agent to government target. After an unidentified male is fished out of the water with two gunshots in his back and a total lack of memory or identity, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) goes on a mission to find out who he is, where he came from, and why so many shadowy operatives are hunting him.

A spycraft thriller that doesn’t skimp on chase scenes or fight sequences, The Bourne Identity might not be the best the franchise has to offer, but it possesses a magic all its own. As EW’s critic says in her 2022 rewatch of the film, “How can you not celebrate an action thriller that shows protagonists acting like actual, recognizable humans in the face of random self-defenestration?” —I.G.

Where to watch The Bourne Identity: Starz

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Doug Liman

Cast: Matt Damon, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Franka Potente, Julia Stiles, Brian Cox, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Related: From the EW archives: Behind the scenes of The Bourne Identity

The Father (2020)

Anthony Hopkins earned his second Best Actor Oscar for The Father, a performance so impressive, it manages to elevate itself above the rest of Hopkins' incredible work. A psychological drama about an octogenarian suffering from dementia and trying to distinguish real life from the realities created by his condition, the film is nothing short of heartbreaking. Writer and director Florian Zeller transitions his play, Le Père, from stage to screen with confidence and subtlety: EW’s critic writes that the final result is a “profoundly moving meditation not just on perception and reality, but also on the limits of familial care — and all the ways that illness can make the people we love the most unrecognizable, even to themselves.” —I.G.

Where to watch The Father: Starz

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Florian Zeller

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, Imogen Poots, Rufus Sewell, Olivia Williams

Related: The best Anthony Hopkins roles

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)

Suzanne Collins famously only writes when she believes she has something to say, and for a decade, she was quiet. Then, in 2020, she released The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a prequel to the original trilogy that serves as President Coriolanus Snow’s (Tom Blyth) origin story. The film adaptation of the book — released during the holiday season of 2023 — isn’t a musical, but music does feature prominently, thanks to the vocal prowess of Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute who is mentored by Snow during his time at school.

Right now is the perfect time to stream the film, as Collins recently announced plans to release her newest book, Sunrise on the Reaping, in 2025. (You can catch the film adaptation in theaters in November 2026.) —I.G.

Where to watch The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Starz

Director: Francis Lawrence

Cast: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Jason Schwartzman, Viola Davis

Related: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes director says Lucy Gray Baird is the 'anti-Katniss'

In A World... (2013)

A charming indie from the mid-2010s, In A World… is an inside entertainment story about a vocal actor, her relationship with her legendary father, and her struggles to correct the gender inequities inherent in the voice acting business. This may sound like heady stuff, but In A World… is a comedic gem, stuffed with goofy accents, romantic misunderstandings, and appearances by some of your favorite comic actors. The brainchild of actress Lake Bell (who wrote, directed, and starred in the project) In A World… manages to make audiences invest in a fictional nepo baby’s quest to step out of her father’s shadow and find success in a traditionally male dominated industry. Not an easy task, but the film pulls it off. —I.G.

Where to watch In A World...: Starz

Director: Lake Bell

Cast: Lake Bell, Demetri Martin, Fred Melamed, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Tig Notaro

Related: Exclusive: See Lake Bell plunge into a lake in Bless This Mess clip

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

John Wick: Chapter 4 could have been subtitled “Bigger is Better.” Keanu Reeves is back as the titular assassin to exact even more revenge on those who have wronged him through the shadowy High Table. The characters and action sequences fans love are all still here, but director Chad Stahelski ensures everything feels ambitiously outsized.

As always, Reeves holds it all together, inspiring EW’s critic to write, “There's something ineffable in Reeves that you can't help but root for: the unbearable lightness of being Keanu, whether he's playing a stone-cold assassin, a surfing detective, or a cyberpunk hacker messiah.” —Chris Snellgrove

Where to watch John Wick: Chapter 4: Starz

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Chad Stahelski

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsg?rd, Laurence Fishburne

Related: Dolly Parton recalls meeting Keanu Reeves when he was little: 'He's just the sweetest guy'

Just Married (2003)

There’s nothing more romantic than a European honeymoon — unless you’re Tom and Sarah (Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy). A newly-married couple from different ends of the class spectrum, the duo decide to celebrate their nuptials in Europe where everything goes wrong and nobody gets to have sex. A Murphy’s law romantic comedy, EW’s critic describes the film as, “a portrait of a Gen-Y 'starter marriage,' featuring two characters who love each other yet haven’t a clue as to how to negotiate the delicate power dynamics of an adult relationship.”

Unlike other films on this list, Just Married doesn’t dig deep into emotional or sexual politics or make any grand declarations surrounding the nature of love and relationships, but the film has just enough physical comedy and silly charm to satiate your rom-com craving. —I.G.

Where to watch Just Married: Starz

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Shawn Levy

Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Brittany Murphy, Christian Kane

Related: Brittany Murphy: 11 roles we'll remember

M3GAN (2023)

It is a truth universally acknowledged — at least in horror movies — that dolls are terrifying. But forget Chucky and Annabelle, because M3GAN isn't your average genre villain. Designed by Gemma (Allison Williams), a professional toy roboticist, M3GAN is powered by generative AI, packaged in a childlike body, and designed to be a loyal companion to the kid formally paired with her.

Unfortunately, the playmate takes her role as protector very seriously, and when Gemma becomes the caretaker for her recently orphaned niece, Cady (Violet McGraw), M3GAN goes rogue. Now facing off against an uncontrollable robot with a penchant for murder (and viral dance moves), Gemma and her co-workers must find a way to power their creation down forever — or risk dying at her hands. A horror comedy that never takes itself too seriously, M3GAN is self-aware, murderous, and seriously entertaining. —I.G.

Where to watch M3GAN: Starz

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Gerard Johnstone

Cast: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng, Jenna Davis, Amie Donald

Related: M3GAN universe expands with erotic thriller SOULM8TE spinoff

Me, Myself & Irene (2000)

Jim Carrey had proven himself to be a capable dramatic actor with 1998’s The Truman Show, but the Farrelly Brothers film Me, Myself & Irene snapped him back into the rictus-grinning, rubber-faced funny man we’d all come to love. Here, he’s smitten with Renée Zellweger, but there’s just one problem: He has a split personality, and when his meds run out, she's left quite literally not knowing which side of her boyfriend she’ll encounter next. It hasn’t exactly aged well, though EW’s critic wrote in 2000 that “every instance of gleeful bad taste is timed and positioned for maximum, liberating laugh value.” —C.S.

Where to watch Me, Myself & Irene: Starz

Directors: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Cast: Jim Carrey, Renée Zellweger, Chris Cooper, Robert Forster, Richard Jenkins

Related: Jim Carrey shares throwback video of Psycho scare prank he pulled on Norm Macdonald

Nightcrawler (2014)

Director Dan Gilroy explores the seedy side of freelance journalism in the 2014 thriller Nightcrawler. An emaciated Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Louis Bloom, a thief who turns from a life of crime to a life of documenting crime after he learns about the entrepreneurial benefits of selling crime scene footage to local news stations. With questionable morals and a camcorder in tow, Bloom lurks around Los Angeles looking for — and sometimes staging — incidents to film for profit. Happy to lie, cheat, steal, and exploit his co-workers in his rise to make more money and solidify his position as L.A.’s most prodigious stringer, Bloom is the ideal antihero and the perfect metaphor for the way sensational news and media end up feeding one another to stay alive. —I.G.

Where to watch Nightcrawler: Starz

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Dan Gilroy

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton

Related: The 21 best journalism movies

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

While director George Romero was always a little too indie for Hollywood, his original Night of the Living Dead left an impression on the industry as deep as a zombie bite. The first entry in his shambling franchise has a simple plot: A young woman (Judith O’Dea) takes shelter in a remote shack from the animated corpses roaming the countryside. There, she must determine whether other survivors like Duane Jones’ character may be more dangerous than the walking dead outside. If you’ve ever enjoyed a zombie movie, then it’s time to stream this influential original. —C.S.

Where to watch Night of the Living Dead: Starz

Director: George Romero

Cast: Judith O'Dea, Duane Jones, Marilyn Eastman, Karl Hardman

Related: George Romero's zombies to walk again in Twilight of the Dead

Nope (2022)

The latest of three features directed by Jordan Peele, Nope is a supernatural horror film set on a ranch outside Los Angeles. Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer play OJ and Em Haywood, siblings who inherit their family's business of wrangling horses for Hollywood projects after their father is killed by debris falling from a UFO. Determined to cash in and save their estate, the Haywood siblings decide to take a photo of the otherworldly object to sell as proof of its existence. Written and executed in Peele's signature style, which straddles the line between social satire and genre love letter, Nope lassos the viewers' suspended disbelief while also interrogating the place where entertainment and exploitation intersect. —I.G.

Where to watch Nope: Starz

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Jordan Peele

Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, Brandon Perea, Keith David

Related: The hidden meaning behind the clothes in Nope

Paddington (2014)

There are few things the internet can agree on, but the undisputed dominance of the 2015 semi-animated film Paddington, starring beloved children’s book character Paddington Bear, just happens to be one of them. Garnering a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and hailed for its charming script, family-friendly content, and excellent voice acting courtesy of Ben Whishaw, the movie has since amassed a following of Paddington loyalists, prompting a sequel in 2017 and a threequel slated for release in November 2024. If you’re looking for a heartwarming film, Paddington should be number one on your list — and if you need a topical reason to check out the movie, you should know that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced everyone’s favorite bear in the film’s Ukrainian release. —I.G.

Where to watch Paddington: Starz

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Paul King

Cast: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Nicole Kidman

Related: Queen Elizabeth's sketch costar Paddington pays tribute: 'Thank you, ma'am, for everything'

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that of all the film and TV adaptations of Jane Austen’s acclaimed novel from 1813, the 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice ranks among the top two. Long before Matthew Macfadyen battled for his place in the corporate hierarchy as Succession’s Tom Wambsgans, he matched wits with Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) as the apparently caddish but ultimately well-intentioned Mr. Darcy (a role previously aced by Colin Firth in the 1995 TV drama). A film that earned Knightley her first Oscar nod for Best Actress, the remake — directed by Joe Wright — infuses modern relevance into a beloved period piece, while still remaining loyal to the subject matter and setting.

But as good as the film’s direction is, the performances are even better. Supported by a cast that includes Donald Sutherland, Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan, and Jena Malone, EW’s review promises, “The acting in Pride & Prejudice tingles with nuance and presence.” —I.G. 

Where to watch Pride & Prejudice: Starz

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Joe Wright

Cast: Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Carey Mulligan, Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone, Talulah Riley, Simon Woods, Rupert Friend  

Related: The 25 best romantic period movies of all time

Speed (1994)

Speed is a standout action film anchored by awesome performances, especially that of Sandra Bullock as the affable love interest and Dennis Hopper as the overly theatrical villain. But the most impressive person in this story of a bus that will explode if it doesn’t go fast enough is, of course, Keanu Reeves. EW’s critic perhaps said it best, writing, “Part of Speed‘s unexpected pleasure lies in seeing slacker poster boy Keanu Reeves mutate into a thick-necked yet witty action figure.” —C.S.

Where to watch Speed: Starz

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Jan de Bont

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock, Joe Morton, Jeff Daniels

Related: Sandra Bullock had a crush on Speed costar Keanu Reeves: 'It was hard for me to be serious!'

Spotlight (2015)

At the turn of the 21st century, journalists from The Boston Globe’s investigative Spotlight team begin looking into a long-buried story about a priest whose arrest for child molestation was allegedly suppressed by the Catholic Church. But the deeper the reporters dig, the more they realize the story — and the conspiracy — are vaster than they could have ever predicted. Based on The Globe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into the Church’s pattern of suppressing information regarding priests sexually abusing children within their parishes, Spotlight took home the Oscar for Best Picture in 2016. The film “isn’t just the best movie about journalism since All the President’s Men,” EW’s critic writes. “It might also be the most important.” —I.G. 

Where to watch Spotlight: Starz

EW grade: A (read the review)

Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Liev Schreiber, Stanley Tucci

Related: Liev Schreiber revisits Spotlight role to narrate Marty Baron's new book

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.