The 100 Best Movies on Disney+ (January 2022)

The Giver

Rating: PG-13, for mature thematic image and some sci-fi action/violence.

This sci-fi drama/thriller is based on yet another Young Adult novel set in a rigid, post-war future. Naturally, this means one plucky teen will rise up and shake up the status quo for the benefit of the oppressed masses. Brenton Thwaites plays that teen, Jonas, who learns that he will become the keeper of all memory in this antiseptic, black-and-white community. Jeff Bridges plays the giver of the film’s title, who passes down the knowledge he’s been storing. This includes color, music and love but also violence, war and hatred, with a series of harrowing images flashing through the young man’s mind. Jonas and his girlfriend, Fiona (Odeya Rush), end up in danger when it becomes clear to the elders (led by Meryl Streep, no less) that they’ve begun thinking for themselves. There’s also a disturbing subplot involving the killing of infants who aren’t up to the community’s precise standards. For mature tweens and older.

Muppets Most Wanted

Rating: PG, for some mild action.

There is nothing even remotely inappropriate in this sequel to the 2011 Muppets reboot. In their latest singing and dancing extravaganza, the felt-covered friends find themselves performing in major cities across Europe. But there’s an impostor in their midst: an internationally infamous jewel thief named Constantine who happens to look exactly like Kermit the Frog. Miss Piggy is in peril (briefly) and the rest of the gang also ends up in peril (briefly) trying to rescue her. A hilarious Tina Fey plays the warden of the Siberian gulag where much of the action occurs, but the prison is portrayed in such a silly way that there’s nothing disturbing about it. Totally fine for all ages.

Bears

Rating: G.

Disney already has produced the documentaries Earth, Oceans, African Cats and Chimpanzees through its Disneynature label. Now they’re offering a close-up look at bears, who are mostly cuddly and adorable. The film follows a mama bear named Sky and her two cubs, Scout and Amber, as they dig out from their snowy cave in the Alaskan wilderness and head down the mountain to look for food. Dangers await, though, in the form of larger and hungrier bears and wolves as well as rising water and the threat of starvation. (But you’ll be happy to know that nothing nearly so gruesome as the bloody zebra mauling of African Cats occurs here.) There are a few tense moments but John C. Reilly’s amiable narration assures you that everything will be fine in the end. And the film is beautifully, intimately shot, so it’s at least worthwhile from a visual perspective. Suitable (and educational) for all ages.

A Haunted House 2

If you thought the Wayans family would be satisfied skewering horror movie conventions with their Scary Movie franchise, you were dead wrong. Marlon Wayans, the star of that franchise’s first two installments, decided to co-produce, co-write, and star in A Haunted House, another horror spoof lampooning the genre’s influx of Paranormal Activity-styled found footage films. Made on a budget of $2.5 million, the film grossed over $60 million worldwide despite dismal reviews, so this year we got a sequel, whether we wanted it or not. Filled with the usual gags and pop culture references, A Haunted House 2 was even less impressive, netting an 8 percent Tomatometer score and a paltry $24 million in box office receipts. For those of you willing to brave it, special features are limited to just a commentary track and some deleted and extended scenes.

Bears

BBC nature producer Alastair Fothergill and his team of supremely talented photographers have proven to be a rather great match for Disneynature, as the latter has consistently turned the former’s stunning work into successful feature films. Their latest joint effort is Bears, which opened back in April. In lieu of Dick Butkus, John C. Reilly was hired to narrate the tale of an Alaskan grizzly bear and her two cubs as they overcome obstacles and learn to survive over the course of a year. Certified Fresh at 91 percent, Bears earned the best reviews of any Disneynature film to date, with critics applauding its typically outstanding cinematography and its sweet-but-not-too-sweet story. The Blu-ray includes four featurettes covering how the film was made and a music video by Olivia Holt.

Locke

If you’re going to make a movie that largely (or entirely) rests on the charisma of its lead, it’s best to get someone with the chops to pull it off properly. Cast Away had Tom Hanks, All Is Lost had Robert Redford, and even Ryan Reynolds surprised some folks with his work in Buried. Likewise, Steven Knight’s single-location drama features Tom Hardy driving in his car and talking on his cell phone for the entirety of its 85-minute runtime, and it worked like gangbusters, according to critics. Ivan Locke (Hardy) is a construction foreman who, on the night before an important job, discovers the co-worker he had a one-night stand with is about to give birth; racing to be with her, Ivan phones his family, his mistress, and a colleague, juggling his responsibilities the best he can. Hardy offered up a powerhouse performance in Locke and critics took notice, rewarding his efforts with a Certified Fresh 88 percent on the Tomatometer. The only features available on the home video release are an audio commentary with Knight and a making-of featurette.

Filth

Irvine Welsh adaptations haven’t seen much success since Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting first brought his work to the big screen — 1998’s The Acid House was disjointed at best, and 2012’s Ecstasy was essentially a poor rehash of Trainspotting (even its poster mimicked the earlier film). Released last year in the UK and earlier this year in the US, Filth hoped to fare better, employing a cast that included Jamie Bell, Jim Broadbent, Eddie Marsan, Imogen Poots, and as the manipulative, drug-addled, alcoholic, abusive Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson, James “Young Professor X” McAvoy. The film follows Robertson’s exploits as he investigates the murder of a Japanese student, slowly descending into insanity amid severe hallucinations. It’s a dark, twisted comedy, and most critics went along with it, particularly for McAvoy’s performance, even if many found the film lived up to its title a bit too accurately. Another fairly barebones release, Filth comes with just a behind the scenes featurette and its theatrical trailer.

Bears

Rating: G.

The latest family-friendly documentary from Disney’s Disneynature label, following Earth, Oceans, African Cats and Chimpanzees, is mainly an adorably cuddly adventure. It follows a mama bear named Sky and her two cubs, Scout and Amber, as they dig out from their snowy cave in the Alaskan wilderness and head down the mountain in search of food. Perils do await them, though, from larger and hungrier bears and wolves to rising water and the threat of starvation. (If you and your family have seen African Cats, with its bloody zebra mauling, nothing nearly so gory happens here.) There are a couple of tense moments but John C. Reilly’s amiable narration lets you know everything will be all right. And the film is beautiful, intimately shot, so it’s at least worthwhile from a visual perspective. Fine for all ages.

Transcendence

Rating: PG-13, for sci-fi action and violence, some bloody images, brief strong language and sensuality.

Christopher Nolan’s longtime cinematographer, Oscar-winner Wally Pfister, makes his directing debut with this thinky sci-fi thriller. It’s full of big ideas about the frightening power of technology — both its potential and its threat to our privacy — but the execution is rather dull and sometimes silly. Johnny Depp stars as a brilliant scientist who’s been experimenting with artificial intelligence alongside his wife (Rebecca Hall). When a terrorist group guns him down, he uploads himself to the Internet to keep his legacy alive. There are lots of shootings and explosions here with quite a bit of blood, but part of the story hinges on medical advancements that allow people to regenerate and heal themselves – so they don’t stay injured for long. The violence, subject matter and nearly two-hour running time make this suitable for tweens and up only.

The Nut Job

Rating: PG, for mild action and rude humor.

A mostly innocuous but thoroughly unpleasant animated comedy full of unlikable characters. Will Arnett provides the voice of Surly, a squirrel who’s just trying to get a nut – and he’s unwilling to share with the rest of the furry woodland creatures in the park. Trouble is, there’s a food shortage as winter approaches, so Surly must choose between remaining selfish or being a team player. Fart jokes abound here – and many of them take place underground just to make them extra gross. Some of the rodents also wind up in danger on a raging river. Surly and his pals run into some mobster types, but they’re too cartoonish (in every way) to be threatening. And a raccoon voiced by Liam Neeson might just be more devious than he initially seems.

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

Rating: PG, for some crude comments, language and action violence.

Ben Stiller directs and stars as the title character in this big-budget version of the classic James Thurber story. The milquetoast Mitty enjoys a vivid fantasy world which becomes reality when he’s forced to embark on a globetrotting adventure. The special effects are pretty spectacular here – and they’re the main reason to recommend this movie. There are a couple scenes of peril: a chase through the crowded streets of Manhattan, as well as an erupting volcano. And Walter’s boss, played by an arrogant Adam Scott, is a total jerk. But for the most part this inanely uplifting story about overcoming your fears and chasing your dreams is pretty darn harmless.

Ride Along

Rating: PG-13, for sequences of violence, sexual content and brief strong language.

Ice Cube and Kevin Hart co-star in this clichéd, mismatched buddy-cop comedy that strains desperately to be funny. Hart plays a fast-talking security guard with dreams of becoming a police officer. He also dreams of marrying his longtime girlfriend (Tika Sumpter), whose brother is the toughest detective in all of Atlanta. Hart goes for a ride along with Cube — hence the title — to prove his worth. Shootings, showdowns with generic Serbian bad guys and explosions ensue. There’s also plenty of language and suggestive sexual jokes involving the various positions and tricks Hart likes to employ in the bedroom. (And his nickname is Black Hammer, supposedly a reference to his manhood.) This is probably OK for older kids, but you may want to show them The Other Guys or even 21 Jump Street instead.

Transcendence

Sometimes a movie needs more than an intriguing premise, an all-star cast, and a distinctive visual look. Critics say that’s the case with Transcendence, a surprisingly dull and narratively muddled sci-fi drama that’s short on suspense and logic. Johnny Depp stars as Will Caster, a leader in the field of artificial intelligence research who uploads his consciousness to a computer with the intent of creating a sentient machine. In doing so, Caster runs afoul of a group of militant luddites, who fear that humans have become too dependent on technology. The pundits say Transcendence is sleekly crafted, but it largely squanders its cast on a story that never quite coheres. (Check out our video interview with the stars, as well as this week’s Total Recall, in which we count down Depp’s best-reviewed movies.)

Heaven Is for Real

It’s an age-old puzzle for Hollywood: how to make films that appeal to devout Christians without alienating everyone else. Critics say that Heaven Is For Real ends up in the mushy middle, and the result is a well-acted, thoughtful tale that never quite follows through on the interesting questions it raises. Four-year-old Colton (Connor Corum) briefly flatlines during surgery; when he’s revived, he tells an incredible story about the deceased family members he met during his short visit to Heaven. Colton’s revelation awakens something in his father Todd (Greg Kinnear), a small-town pastor in the midst of a crisis of faith. The pundits say Heaven is for Real is well-made and often quite affecting, but its depiction of the afterlife leaves something to be desired.

Bears

With Earth, Oceans, African Cats, and Chimpanzee, the good folks at Disneynature have delivered an unbroken string of high-quality nature documentaries. Critics say the streak continues with Bears, which offers breathtaking images of these animals in their natural environs and tends to avoid shoehorning its subjects into a narrative. Narrated by John C. Reilly, the film follows a mama grizzly bear and her two cubs as they try to survive in the Alaskan wilderness. The pundits say that Bears‘ furry protagonists are engaging and lovable, and the footage captured here is crisp and intimate. (Take a look through our gallery of memorable bears in the movies.)

A Haunted House 2

Given the critical drubbing its predecessor received, it comes as little surprise that A Haunted House 2 wasn’t screened for reviewers prior to its release. Marlon Wayans stars as a man who moves with his new girlfriend and her kids to a new home that’s bedeviled by spectral spirits; hilarity ensues. Time to guess the Tomatometer!