It seems like there are countless streaming services these days, and with so many to choose from it can be hard to know where some of your favorite movies are. Starz is a premium streaming service that offers television and movies that you can’t find anywhere else. But the platform prioritizes films, which means it is one of the best places to watch great movies.
If you’ve been looking for something new to binge, look no further. Here are the top movies to watch on Starz in 2021.
1. Office Space
Office Space is the classic black workplace comedy of the late 1990s. It tells the story of a group of world-weary employees of a software company who are feeling overworked and underappreciated. Protagonist Peter Gibbons’s rebellion against upper management has turned the movie into a cult classic, particularly the scene where he and his coworkers smash a broken printer in a field.
The movie is endlessly quotable, with quips still recognizable after more than 20 years — from “Someone’s got a case of the Mondays!” to “So if you could do that, that’d be great…”
2. Big Hero 6
Big Hero 6 is the kind of superhero film with staying power, even if it didn’t become an overnight sensation. Diehard fans of the movie say that it doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves.
The story centers on Hiro, a 14-year-old child prodigy with a special affinity for robotics. After the death of his brother Tadashi, Hiro reactivates Baymax, a healthcare robot Tadashi created. As Hiro investigates his brother’s death and comes to grips with it, Baymax only seeks to help him.
The film is a wonderful portrayal of grief through the eyes of a teenager, proof that superhero movies — even animated ones — can have deep themes.
3. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 film is a tribute to the end of an age in Hollywood. Set in 1969, the movie follows two storylines: one about an aging actor at the end of his career, the other a fictionalized retelling of the real actress Sharon Tate.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Rick Dalton, a television star with his glory days behind him in the 1950s. With his stunt double by his side, Dalton seeks to befriend Sharon Tate in the hope of revitalizing his career.
The movie is dark, funny, and violent, especially for those who know the true story of Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski.4. A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood
“A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood” is a familiar phrase for most children of the past few generations — those who grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. The film features Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers, following the writing of a 1998 article.
The protagonist, journalist Lloyd Vogel, is disillusioned with his own life. When he is assigned to write a short article about Fred Rogers, Vogel rebels. Feeling determined to expose Rogers as an actor whose kindness and gentleness is anything but genuine, Vogel is instead surprised by the lessons he learns. The movie is a reminder of practicing forgiveness and compassion.
5. Steel Magnolias
Steel Magnolias is a 1989 film that has become a cult classic. It follows the stories of six women in a small Louisiana town, including M’Lynn Eatenton and her daughter Shelby.
Shelby, a Type I diabetic who is preparing to get married, is concerned about her future since having children is not an option with her health problems. Eventually, she makes a choice that radically changes her life — one that not everyone supports.
The movie deals with themes of loss, love, resilience, and new beginnings. It features an unforgettable cast, including Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Darryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Shirley Maclaine. The film’s title is a tribute to the strength of women — delicate as flowers but tough as steel.
6. Emanuel
Emanuel is the story of the 2015 shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, which left nine people dead. The documentary explores the story as well as the themes of forgiveness and race relations. It interviews survivors and the family members of the victims, who forgave the shooter in court only two days after he opened fire during a prayer service.
This film was released on the fourth anniversary of the Emanuel Massacre. As recent history, its story remains poignant, especially in the wake of more events in the American story of gun crime, police brutality, and racial protests.
7. Crooklyn
Crooklyn is Spike Lee’s 1994 film about growing up in 1970s Brooklyn. The movie has been described as semi-autobiographical. Its protagonist, a nine-year-old girl, named Troy, lives in a cramped brownstone with her parents and four brothers.
The film portrays family roles, poverty, illness, and death, as well as some of the colorful characters of 1970s New York. This includes Troy’s sometimes volatile next-door neighbor Snuffy, a glue addict played by Lee himself.
8. Sugar
You’ve seen sports films before, but none like 2008’s Sugar. The movie tells the story of Miguel Santos, nicknamed Sugar, a Dominican immigrant to the United States who dreams of joining a baseball team. When he makes it to the minor leagues and moves to Kansas City, Sugar struggles with his new community and eventually questions his own life’s ambition.
This is far from the saccharine feel-good stories of classic sports films. Instead, Sugar is the story of immigration, identity, and questioning the American Dream. The film aired at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival to high praise.
9. Spider-Man: Far From Home
There have been countless Spider-Man adaptations over many decades. But Tom Holland’s portrayal of the wisecracking teen bitten by a radioactive spider might just go down as the best. Holland’s Peter Parker is sweet and authentic while also funny and awkwardly teenagerish.
Spider-Man: Far From Home sees Peter Parker sparring with his responsibilities as a superhero while pining for his classmate MJ on a European vacation.
10. Little Women
The 2019 adaptation is far from the first retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s novel. But director Greta Gerwig has reformed the story, weaving together the storylines of the four March sisters Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Led by their matriarch Marmee, played by Laura Dern, the four girls growing up in the aftermath of the Civil War challenge the societal expectations of a woman and learn what it means to be one.
Each actress offers a unique take on characters who are familiar to most audiences. In particular, Emma Watson and Saoirse Ronan gained attention for their performances as Meg and Jo March, respectively.
11. End of Sentence
The only thing more stressful than a road trip with your parents is a trip to a foreign country with your dad right after getting out of prison. That’s the setup of the 2019 film End of Sentence, and it’s just as delightfully awkward as you can imagine.
The movie stars Logan Lerman as Sean Fogle, a man who gets out of prison and joins his estranged father on a trip to Ireland. The purpose is to spread his late mother’s ashes in her hometown. As you can imagine, the trip digs up memories, drama, resentment, and a new bond between father and son that’s a delight to watch.
12. The Fountain
The Fountain was made back in 2006, but its combination of romance, drama, history, and science fiction remains fascinating today. The story follows three timelines — one in New Spain in the 1500s, one in the present day, and one in the far future of space exploration.
In the time of the Mayan Empire, a young Spaniard searches for the fountain of youth. In the modern era, a scientist develops a medical “fountain of youth” that he hopes will save his dying wife.
The themes center on defeating death and achieving rebirth, as we see different versions of Tom and Izzi, a married couple coming to terms with Izzi’s death from a brain tumor. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz deliver beautiful performances that will keep you pondering long after the film ends.
13. The Place Beyond The Pines
We’re used to seeing Ryan Gosling in big box office hits like The Notebook and La La Land. But you might not have seen his 2012 film The Place Beyond The Pines, in which he starred alongside his wife, Eva Mendes.
The film follows Luke Glanton, a motorcycle stuntman who visits his ex-girlfriend in 1995 to discover that he fathered her son a year before. Luke’s attempts at supporting his son and the baby’s mother lead him into a life of crime.
But even after Luke’s story is complete, we see its consequences through subsequent generations. The film is a reminder of how our actions linger after we are gone and the relationship between parent and child.
14. The Rider
The Rider follows Brady, a former rodeo star whose riding days are behind him after a traumatic brain injury. Now impoverished, he lives on a Lakota Sioux reservation with his alcoholic father and autistic sister, Lily.
The film chronicles Brady’s struggle as he decides whether to continue to ride against his doctors’ orders, as strenuous activity causes him to have life-threatening seizures. He also takes a job at a convenience store to earn money and butts heads with his father, who drinks his earnings away.
The Rider premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was praised for its use of untrained actors and a simple, realistic storyline. The result is a movie that feels so real and is so skillfully done that you won’t be able to forget it.
15. Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day has become a cult classic, so much so that its very title has become almost a synonym for deja vu. The 1993 film is the story of Phil Connors, played to perfection by the legendary Bill Murray.
When Connors reports to the town of Punxsutawney to report on the annual happenings of Groundhog Day, he finds himself stuck in a time loop that repeats indefinitely, waking every morning on February 2.
At first, he uses his situation to his advantage, pursuing a no-consequences lifestyle. But at last, he realizes that the only way to escape the time loop is by using it to help others and become a better person.
16. Whiplash
Whiplash is one part musical inspiration story, one-part psychological drama. It features a star-studded cast including Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons in a role the actor himself described as a “monster” and an “animal”.
The film tells the story of Andrew Neiman, a young drummer at a prestigious music school. He eventually comes under the tutelage of an abusive music teacher who pushes him to his limits while also breaking his mind.
Whiplash premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize for Drama.
17. Jumanji: The Next Level
The original Jumanji movie was made famous by Robin Williams’ performance as Alan Parrish, terrifying an entire generation of children. The newest film in the series is Jumanji: The Next Level.
This lighter sequel has plenty of laughs as well as exciting moments. It has a shiny new cast with some old favorites, including Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Kevin Hart. However, there are plenty of new faces, including Danny Devito and Awkwafina.
It’s hard to beat a classic. While the newest Jumanji movie isn’t quite on the level of the 1995 original — because how could it possibly be? — it’s an excellent new addition to the saga that you won’t regret watching.
18. Looper
Looper became a classic of science fiction as soon as it entered the theater in 2012. The film features Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Joe, an assassin in the 2040s who works for a futuristic crime syndicate. However, his actions cause timelines to split in a dizzying story of time travel, organized crime, and supernatural abilities.
The film might leave your head spinning as you ponder the intricacies of time travel, split timelines, and all the other fun sci-fi themes the movie explores. In addition to Gordon-Levitt, the film features a stellar cast, including Emily Blunt and Bruce Willis.
