The 40 Best Films Currently On Disney+ Hotstar

From a Tamil-language gangster epic to a Spanish drama by Pedro Almodovar - here are the best films on the streaming platform across time and languages
The 40 Best Films Currently On Disney+ Hotstar

Yes, we can all watch Baby Yoda on loop but here's a wealth of content on DisneyPlus Hotstar beyond its Marvel and Lucasfilm catalogue. To help you discover the best films on the streaming platform, we put together a list of the top 40 from across time and language.

List of Best Movies On Hotstar

  • Vada Chennai (2018)

  • The Sixth Sense (1999)

  • Yavanika (1982)

  • Eddie the Eagle (2016)

  • Nirmalyam (1973)

  • Ready or Not (2019)

  • Gaalipata (2008)

  • Kaithi (2019)

  • The Favourite (2018)

  • Tu Hai Mera Sunday (2016)

  • Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu (2016)

  • Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

  • Sidlingu (2012)

  • Premam (2015)

  • Black Swan (2010)

  • Coco (2017)

  • Mysore Mallige (1992)

  • Masaan (2015)

  • Simple Agi Ondh Love Story (2013)

  • The Tale (2018)

  • Widows (2018)

  • Aaranya Kaandam (2010)

  • The Martian (2015)

  • Kaaka Muttai (2015)

  • Dead Poets Society (1989)

  • The White Balloon (1995)

  • Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum (2017)

  • Talk To Her (2002)

  • Jigarthanda (2014)

  • Hamilton (2020)

  • Pink (2016)

  • Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

  • Thoovanathumbikal (1987)

  • Black Friday (2004)

  • Satya Harishchandra (1965)

  • Yuddham Sei (2011)

  • Thazhvaram (1990)

  • Force Majeure (2014)

  • Talvar (2015)

  • Inside Out (2015)

Vada Chennai (2018)

Vetrimaaran's sprawling Tamil gangster epic, starring Dhanush, follows a skilled carrom player who reluctantly finds himself caught in the crossfire between two warring gangs and is forced to fight back.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

The film that ensured director M. Night Shyamalan was indelibly linked to twist endings, The Sixth Sense follows Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a child who "sees dead people", and the therapist trying to help him (Bruce Willis).

Yavanika (1982)

When one of the members of a travelling theatre troupe is murdered, suspicion falls on the rest in director K.G. George's Malayalam-language investigative thriller starring Mammooty.

Eddie the Eagle (2016)

Dexter Fletcher's biopic of British skier Eddie Edwards takes an underdog story and veers it into unfamiliar territory – equal parts irreverent, heartwarming and thoroughly fun. Taron Egerton (as Eddie) and Hugh Jackman (as his coach) deliver standout performances.

Nirmalyam (1973)

T. Vasudevan Nair's Malayalam-language black-and-white film, based on a short story he wrote, examines the role of religion and its importance, or lack of, in the lives of everyday people. Through his characters, all of whom are, in some way, dependent on a local temple, he illustrates what it takes to have faith and the harsh circumstances that can cause someone to lose theirs.

Ready or Not (2019)

Set entirely over the course of one night and in one house, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's film follows new bride Grace (Samara Weaving), who realizes her wealthy in-laws have very different (read: sinister) methods of celebration than the ones she's used to.

Gaalipata (2008)

Yogaraj Bhat's Kannada-language romantic comedy revolves around three best friends who decide to take a vacation. While staying at an army veteran's guesthouse, they find themselves falling in love with his daughters and widowed daughter-in-law.

Kaithi (2019)

If recently freed prisoner Dilli (Karthi) hopes to have any chance of meeting his daughter for the first time, he must first ferry several poisoned police officers to the hospital in a lorry, while evading the criminals on their tail, in this Tamil Lokesh Kanagaraj film.

The Favourite (2018)

Only director Yorgos Lanthimos could imbue the stuffiness of 18th Century British royals with a wicked sense of humour, which he does in this (fictional) love triangle between Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), Duchess Sarah (Rachel Weisz) and her cousin (Emma Stone), in which each schemes deliciously against the other.

Tu Hai Mera Sunday (2016)

Milind Dhaimade's film, about a group of friends struggling to find the space to play football in Mumbai, weaves in several heavy themes, but with a breeziness and feel-good nature that will leave you smiling by the end.

Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu (2016)

When Shiva's (Rakshit Shetty's) Alzheimer's-afflicted father goes missing, he teams up with a doctor to find him. Meanwhile, the father (Anant Nag) finds himself embroiled in a murder plot in this well-written, heartwarming Kannada-language Hemanth M Rao film.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

Tired of being broke, down-on-her-luck author Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) turns to a form of writing that guarantees her an income – forgery. Based on a memoir by the real-life Israel, director Marielle Heller's bittersweet biopic earned McCarthy an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

Sidlingu (2012)

Vijayaprasad's sweet, coming-of-age Kannada-language romantic drama revolves around the automobile-obsessed Sidlingu (Yogesh), who falls in love with a government school teacher (Ramya).

Premam (2015)

Alphone Puthren's Malayalam romantic drama follows George (Nivin Pauly), who has three significant brushes with love over his lifetime, eventually being defined by the connection he has with his teacher (Sai Pallavi) whilst still a college senior.

Black Swan (2010)

An upcoming production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake requires one ballerina to pull off the roles of both, the innocent White Swan and the devious Black Swan. The prim, perfectionist Nina (Natalie Portman) is the perfect fit for one part, but spirals into madness when she tries to embrace the qualities of the other in this Darren Aronofksy film.

Coco (2017)

This Pixar gem follows Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez), a young boy who travels to the underworld on Mexico's Day Of The Dead festival, to find out about his family's history and reconnect with his ancestors.

Mysore Mallige (1992)

Inspired by the works of poet KS Narasimha Swamy, this Kannada-language TS Nagabharana film follows Padma (Sudharani) and Manju (Anand), two villagers who fall in love and must find a way to be together despite parental opposition.

Masaan (2015)

Neeraj Ghaywan's searing, sensitive debut film traces the lives of engineering student Deepak (Vicky Kaushal) and computer teacher Devi (Richa Chadda), both of whom grapple with love, loss, grief, familial dysfunction and the desire for a better life in Varanasi.

Simple Agi Ondh Love Story (2013)

In this Kannada-language Suni romance, Rachana (RJ Rachana) sends her brother (Rakshit Shetty) to meet her boyfriend's sister, in the hope that the two will fall in love and pave the way for her own marriage. What happens when he meets, and falls in love with, the wrong girl?

The Tale (2018)

Director Jennifer Fox examines the role of false memories and unresolved trauma that stem from the aftermath of sexual abuse in this heartwrenching film starring Laura Dern, Elizabeth Debicki and Ellen Burstyn.

Widows (2018)

Three women team up to execute a heist originally planned by their late partners, only to find themselves up against much larger threats from the system. The Steve McQueen film, based on a screenplay he wrote with Gillian Flynn, stars Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo and Liam Neeson.

Aaranya Kaandam (2010)

Thiagarajan Kumararaja's debut film is a slick Tamil noir that takes place over 24 hours and traces the lives of six characters entangled in the fallout of a cocaine deal gone wrong, and the war it unleashes between two rival gang members.

The Martian (2015)

So many films mine the isolation of outer space for existential angst, that it's refreshing to find one that uses humour as a coping mechanism. Ridley Scott's film follows Mark Watney (Matt Damon), a lone astronaut stranded on Mars after a mission gone wrong, and NASA's attempts to bring him back safely.

Kaaka Muttai (2015)

The desire to taste pizza for the first time turns into a process fraught with challenges for two slum children in this M. Manikandan Tamil-language film, which why doesn't shy away from highlighting poverty and remains gripping throughout.

Dead Poets Society (1989)

A coming-of-age film that simultaneously reflects on youth as the most enviable part of one's life, Peter Weir's film stars Robin Williams as English teacher who inspires his students to make their lives "extraordinary".

The White Balloon (1995)

Set on the eve of the Iranian New Year, Jafar Panahi's Persian-film debut film follows seven-year-old Razieh (Aida Mohammadkhani), and the many hurdles she faces while trying to fulfil her (not-so) simple wish of buying a new pet goldfish.

Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum (2017)

Chain-snatcher Prasad (Fahadh Faasil) swallows a fellow passenger's gold chain during a bus journey. He's not as discreet as he thought he was and his troubles only escalate from there on out in this Dileesh Pothan Malayalam film that's all heart.

Talk To Her (2002)

Director Pedro Almodovar explores the different facets of love, and the heartache and loneliness it can bring, in this Spanish film about two men who bond in unlikely circumstances – at the hospital, where the women they love are both in comas.

Jigarthanda (2014)

Karthik Subbaraj's Tamil-language action-thriller follows Karthik (Siddharth), an aspiring filmmaker who shadows a Madurai gangster (Bobby Simha) so he can gather research and make a movie documenting his life. What happens when he gets caught snooping?

Hamilton (2020)

A live recording of the 2015 Broadway musical, Thomas Kail's rousing ode to the life and legacy of American founding father Alexander Hamilton (played by Lin-Manuel Miranda) recounts his story entirely through rap.

Pink (2016)

Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury's hard-hitting courtroom drama begins with three women, one of whom is on trial for attacking the man who sexually assaulted her, and fans out into larger questions about the ways women are sidelined, minimized and disregarded in society.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Frustrated with the lack of investigative progress into the rape and murder of her daughter seven months earlier, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) rents three billboards outraging against the injustice. The action sends the town spiraling into hurt, anger, violence and retribution in this Martin McDonagh film.

Thoovanathumbikal (1987)

This Malayalam-language P. Padmaraja film, based partly on his own novel Udakappola, stars Mohanlal as a wealthy man who falls in love with two women and the internal struggle he undergoes as he tries to understand where his heart really lies.

Black Friday (2004)

Based on Black Friday: The True Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts by Hussain Zaidi, Anurag Kashyap's gritty, gripping take on the bombings plays out like a taut police procedural that humanizes the terrorists without veering into sentimental territory.

Satya Harishchandra (1965)

Hunsur Krishnamurthy's Kannada epic stars Rajkumar as the mythological king Harishchandra, known for his pursuit of truth and justice.

Yuddham Sei (2011)

When the amputated arms of men begin turning up around the city, former cop J Krishnamoorthy (Cheran) begins to investigate, only to discover that the crimes are connected to the unsolved disappearance of his sister in this Mysskin Tamil film.

Thazhvaram (1990)

Bharatan's tense Malayalam-language revenge tale stars Mohanlal as a villager on the hunt for a former friend (Salim Ghouse) who murdered his wife on their wedding night.

Force Majeure (2014)

In director Ruben Ostlund's darkly comic martial drama, Swedish businessman Tomas (Johannes Bah Kuhnke) flees during an avalanche, leaving his family behind during a vacation in the French Alps. His decision blurs the thin line between selfishness and self-preservation and causes cracks in their relationships.

Talvar (2015)

Meghna Gulzar's excellent drama examines one of the most divisive murder cases in recent memory, that of Aarushi Talwar, by providing different perspectives of what could have happened and trusting the audience to independently make up their minds.

Inside Out (2015)

The Pixar animation brings to life the emotions of a young girl on the cusp of adolescence, with an excellent voice cast including Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, and Bill Hader.

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