The Best Movies Streaming Now

As of late, streaming services have taken over the entertainment industry. At any given moment, there is an endless array of films available to you at the click of a button. However, the number of streaming platforms continues to grow, and with new content being added every day, it can be difficult for the viewer to determine what is worth watching. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of my favorite 8 movies streaming right now! Whether you’re in the mood for an electrifying thriller, a quirky comedy, or a comforting romance, this list has something in store for everyone!

About Time: Streaming on Netflix

• Genre: Romantic Comedy 
• Rating: 5/5 Stars 

It’s not often that time travel is tear jerking, but About Time is one such case. About Time chronicles the misadventures of Tim, an awkwardly endearing twenty-something who learns that he possesses the hereditary ability to travel back in time. As he clumsily attempts to master his newfound power, he falls in love, finds himself, and discovers that the most valuable gift of all is the time that we have with the people we love. About Time plucks at all the heart strings and beautifully illustrates the importance of familial love as well as romantic love. This film will make you cry multiple times, but the tender, poignant pay-off is well worth the tears.

Coherence: Streaming on Hulu

• Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller
• Rating: 5/5 Stars

In Coherence, a dinner party of eight friends spirals into a nightmare when a comet passes by the earth, throwing the evening into metaphysical chaos. Relationships are tested, parallel realities collide, and the guests must untangle a harrowing multi-dimensional mystery before the night is over. Even further to it’s credit, Coherence was filmed on an extremely tight-budget over the course of five days. The dialogue was largely improvised and the cinematography is raw and unpolished, likely a reason it feels so unsettlingly believable. Spooky, mind-bending, and fascinatingly devoid of any CGI, Coherence is an original and compelling watch.

Eighth Grade: Streaming on Showtime

• Genre: Coming-of-Age Comedy
• Rating: 4/5 Stars

Tender, bittersweet, and at times excruciatingly awkward, Eighth Grade is a film that truly encapsulates the middle school experience. Thirteen year-old Kayla Day has always been a wallflower. Making friends is a grueling challenge for her, as is speaking up in any social setting without wanting to shrivel up and die. But Kayla desperately wants things to change. She’s tired of sitting alone at lunch and lurking in the background of her own life. Unfortunately, all of her attempts to stand tall and take control of her destiny end embarrassingly, causing her to feel more lost than ever before. But through the angst and ardor of adolescence, Kayla is able to find herself, and viewers are able to cringe, laugh, and cry along with her. Eighth Grade strikes the perfect balance between amusing and agonizing, and Kayla is perhaps the most sympathetic protagonist in the history of coming-of-age cinema.

The Florida Project: Streaming on Netflix

• Genre: Coming-of-Age Drama
• Rating: 4/5 Stars

The Florida Project follows the adventures of six-year old Moonie, a rough and tumble gal who spends her days frolicking mischievously about her humble home, a ramshackle pink hotel that sits on the outskirts of Disneyworld. The hotel is called “The Magic Castle Inn,” which is ironic considering the decidedly disenchanted nature of Moonie’s life. The Florida Project is hypnotic, and effortlessly paints Moonie’s ugly world in a warm, innocent glow. The film’s pacing feels aimless at first but is vital in revealing the magic that Moonie is able to create in the grim circumstances of her everyday life. Despite its bleak subject matter, The Florida Project left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling and a newfound appreciation for the moments of beauty that hide in plain sight. 

Prometheus: Streaming on HBO Max

• Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller
• Rating: 5/5 Stars

In my humble opinion, Prometheus is a contemporary staple in the Sci-fi genre. Not only does it boast that iconic c-section scene, but it also offers some thoughtful ruminations on the relationship between creator and creation. Prometheus follows the crew of a scientific space expedition who set out to investigate the existence of extraterrestrial life on an unknown planet. Things quickly take a turn for the sinister when a deadly alien presence makes itself known and makes it evident that it plans on leaving no survivors. The film succeeds in evenly balancing satisfying scares and intelligent insights. Prometheus simmers with building dread and goes out with a bang, while also delivering interesting themes of theism within creation. 

Sea Fever: Streaming on Hulu

• Genre: Sci-Fi Horror/Thriller
• Rating 4/5 Stars

Life is not always sweeter under the sea, as proven by the haunting sci-fi thriller Sea Fever. When a young marine-biologist joins the crew of a weathered fishing vessel to study plankton, she soon realizes that she has bigger problems than cramped quarters and hostile crew members. Stranded at sea, the crew succumbs to a mysterious virus. As their numbers dwindle, a terrifying life form attaches itself to the boat, severely decreasing any chance of survival. Sea Fever expertly creates a sense of growing panic, amping up the fear factor by leaving both the crew and audience in the dark. Gooey creature visuals and spine-tingling shots of dark water are bountiful (always a plus). Sea Fever thrives off of it’s claustrophobic setting and paints the vast reaches of the ocean with a gleefully ominous brush. 

Hannah Montana – The Movie: Streaming on Disney Plus

• Genre: Coming-of-Age Comedy/Musical
• Rating 5/5 Stars

Even if you set aside the all-encompassing magic of the Hannah Montana franchise, you cannot deny the life giving, serotonin-infusing charm of Hannah Montana: The Movie. In an attempt to remind her of the important things in life, good old Billy Ray forces Miley to return to her roots in the quirky, podunk town of Crowley Corners, Tennessee. It is a journey of self-discovery, chocked full of musical numbers, iconic Disney channel fashion, and the sweet reminder that home is where the heart is. Arguably the definition of a comfort movie, Hannah Montana; The Movie is a cinematic gem that will make you laugh, dance, and feel the uncontrollable urge to pair your rattiest pair of Converses with your nicest dress. 

Plus One: Streaming on Hulu

• Genre: Romantic Comedy
• Rating: 4/5 Stars 

Wedding season can be quite the trial for single folks, and for college friends Ben and Alice, it serves as an unpleasant reminder of their persistent bad luck in love. Alice’s heart is still sore from her recent breakup, and Ben just can’t seem to find the person. Every time he meets a nice gal he goes stir crazy and ends things, paranoid that something just isn’t right. So, they strike a deal to team up and attack the upcoming wedding season together, totally unaware that the love they’ve been searching for has been right in front of them all along. While Ben and Alice take their sweet time finding their way to one another, the audience can’t help but fall in love with them right away. Their flaws and romantic misfires make the end result all the more satisfying. Plus One is bittersweet, brutally honest, and all too relatable for anyone struggling to find love.

Whether you’re in the mood to chuckle, shudder, ponder your existence, or weep passionately into a friend’s shoulder, streaming services are a blessing because they truly do have endless options. So grab your remote and peruse to your heart’s content, or take my word for it and enjoy one of the aforementioned cinematic triumphs. 

All movie images courtesy of IMDB.com.