The 22 best movies on Starz to watch now

8 Mile (2002)

Eminem might be killing off his alter ego Slim Shady on his next album, but if you want some insight into how his musical career got started, 8 Mile is essential viewing. A film loosely based on Eminem’s experience as an up-and-coming rapper in the Detroit hip hop scene, the movie won the artist props for his acting and an Academy Award for his song “Lose Yourself”. The late Brittany Murphy does some of her best work as Alex, Jimmy’s (Eminem) potential love interest, and Kim Basinger is heart wrenching as Jimmy’s mother Stephanie, a struggling, absent parent stuck in a cycle of poverty and abusive relationships. A gritty drama that perfectly balances narrative and music, it’s worth taking a walk down 8 Mile. —Ilana Gordon

Where to watch 8 Mile: Starz (leaving July 31)

EW grade: N/A (read the review) 

Director: Curtis Hanson 

Cast: Eminem, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy, Mekhi Phifer

Related content: 50 Cent reveals he and Eminem are developing an 8 Mile TV series: 'We're in motion’

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." —I.G.

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 content: 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 content: Vera Farmiga, Andy Garcia film At Middleton premieres in Seattle

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 content: Idris Elba's daughter didn't speak to him for weeks after losing out on role in Beast

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 content: How to build the perfect pop star

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 content: From Sinister to The Black Phone: Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson's life in horror

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. And 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 content: Game on: How The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes brings young Coriolanus Snow to life in Hunger Games prequel

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 content: The Father director breaks down Anthony Hopkins' gut-wrenching final scene

Friday Night Lights (2006)

Before the Dillon Panthers took the field on NBC in 2006, Friday Night Lights debuted in the form of a film. Directed by Peter Berg — who co-executive produced the TV adaptation — the 2004 movie stars Billy Bob Thornton as Coach Gary Gaines (who was renamed Eric Taylor when Kyle Chandler took over the part). Inspired by the true story of a West Texas football team in the late-‘80s struggling to win a state championship, Friday Night Lights was lauded as a stirring and rousing sports drama, although critics did note that it shied away from addressing the race relations depicted in the non-fiction book that served as source material. Connie Britton provides continuity, appearing as the coach’s wife in both the film and TV series — although her talents are far better served on the NBC show — and a critic for EW writes that “Billy Bob Thornton is splendid as the coach.” —I.G.

Where to watch Friday Night Lights: Starz

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Peter Berg

Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Derek Luke, Jay Hernandez, Lucas Black, Garrett Hedlund, Tim McGraw, Connie Britton

Related content: Billy Bob Thornton tells it like it is

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 content: Sundance Film Festival 2013: Lynn Shelton and a wave of female auteurs

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 Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne

Related content: John Wick 4 director says he shot a much less ambiguous ending

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 content: Brittany Murphy: 11 roles we'll remember

Limitless (2011)

In 2009's comedy The Hangover, Bradley Cooper's character uses 0 percent of his brain. Two years later, Cooper appeared in the sci-fi thriller Limitless, where his character Eddie uses all 100 percent. Eddie is a struggling author (as evidenced by his unkempt hair) living in New York City whose life takes a 180-degree turn after a friend introduces him to a new drug called NZT. An untested pill that allows users to tap into their entire brain's potential — as opposed to the usual 20 percent humans are supposedly able to access — NZT opens up Eddie's world. With the help of his supply, Eddie finishes his book, and kills it on the stock market and in his relationship with Lindy (Abbie Cornish) — but his success doesn't go unnoticed, and soon everyone from finance tycoon Carl von Loon (Robert De Niro) to the Russian Mob wants a piece of him. —I.G.

Where to watch Limitless: Starz

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Neil Burger

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro, Andrew Howard, Anna Friel

Related content: Limitless canceled? CBS breaks silence

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 content: Jim Carrey talks Me, Myself & Irene

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 content: Jake Gyllenhaal starved himself and shunned friends for Nightcrawler

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 content: From the archives: How the classic zombie movie Night of the Living Dead refuses to die

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 content: Nope stars horse around in new blooper reel

Notting Hill (1999)

When it comes to ‘90s romantic comedies, Notting Hill checks every box. The film is set in a charming London neighborhood, it stars Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, there’s a klutzy meet cute, and it has an eccentric and charming best friend (Rhys Ifans) who can be relied upon for lighthearted laughs. What distinguishes Notting Hill from every other ‘90s romcom is the role reversal: In this film, the woman is the powerful, successful catch and the man is the one fumbling over himself to keep her attention. Roberts plays Anna Scott, a beloved American actress who stumbles upon a nerdy British bookstore clerk (Grant) and ends up liking him enough to hang around and meet his quirky circle of friends and family. An odd couple comedy about a privileged star who has everything but privacy and the normal guy who woos her with his everyday charm, Notting Hill is the perfect film for those who loved Four Weddings and a Funeral or America’s Sweethearts. —I.G.       

Where to watch Notting Hill: Starz

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Roger Michell

Cast: Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Emma Chambers, James Dreyfus, Rhys Ifans, Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee

Related content: Barry Jenkins' Notting Hill live tweets might be better than Notting Hill

Planet of the Apes (1968)

It launched a franchise with increasingly dubious returns, but there's no doubt that the original Planet of the Apes is one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made. Charlton Heston plays an astronaut who has crashed on the titular planet of primates. If he wants to survive, he’ll have to get smart with the ape culture and harness their fascination with his ability to speak. Like the best vintage sci-fi, we get some crunchy social commentary, startlingly good costuming, and an explosive ending that makes this movie worth watching (or rewatching) right away. —C.S.

Where to watch Planet of the Apes: Starz through July 31

Director: Franklin J. Schaffner

Cast: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Maurice Evans, Kim Hunter

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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 content: Speed 20th anniversary: Screenwriter Graham Yost looks back

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 content: Spotlight players confront the clue that became the movie's key twist

State of Play (2009)

Big business, politics, and journalism intersect in the political thriller State of Play. Russell Crowe and Rachel McAdams star as Washington Globe journalists — one of the old school print variety, the other a new media blogger — charged with investigating the murder of a congressional aide. As the reporters dig into the aide’s background and her romantic relationship with the congressman for whom she works (played by Ben Affleck at his Beltway best), the two begin to unravel a conspiracy that threatens longtime friendships and the safety of the two reporters. A fast-moving movie based on a British television series and grounded by an excellent cast, EW’s critic describes the film as “a whip-smart, well-acted conspiracy thriller that will remind you of 1970s classics like The Parallax View and All the President’s Men.” —I.G.

Where to watch State of Play: Starz

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Kevin Macdonald

Cast: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, Helen Mirren

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