Best Hollywood Movies on Disney+ Hotstar
Fashion drama or survival thriller? Psychological horror or a musical? Excellent acting or stunning music? The options are endless on Disney+ Hotstar when it comes to Hollywood films.
Some movies need to be on your watch list, even if it’s your umpteenth watch. As you marinate in your emotions while watching these stories unfold, you will wonder which story you would want to live — or probably never be a part of.
Here are the five best Hollywood movies on Disney+ Hotstar you need to watch this weekend:
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
This comedy-drama is one of the most quotable, meme-able, and gif-able Hollywood movies on Disney+ Hotstar. Based on a 2003 novel by the same name authored by Lauren Weisberg, this movie features a formidable star cast of Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, and Simon Baker.
Andy Sachs (Hathaway) is a budding journalist who, to get her foot in the door, agrees to work as a junior personal assistant to Miranda Priestly (Streep), who is respected as much as she is feared as the editor-in-chief of Runway Magazine.
Andy’s journey from bombing at the job to eventually acing it (but at what cost?) is riveting from start to finish. Fashion, professional rivalries, romance and aspirations all come to the forefront in a mélange of colours, emotions, and plot twists.
You will love this movie if you love fashion, have ever looked down upon fashion, or want to work in fashion. The movie has even been the subject of commentary for designers today. The three leading actresses are fun and feisty, and the movie, with Priestly's sarcastic quips, is a hilarious watch. And in classic Miranda-style, we are ending this description with — that’s all.
Black Swan (2010)
This mystery horror movie is about the life of Nina (Natalie Portman), a passionate ballerina who is the first choice for her ballet company’s opening production. Lily (Mila Kunis) is also under consideration, leading to the two of them having a frenemy bond. Nina is consumed by the art, leading to her strangely losing touch with reality.
She is excellent as a dancer, but the darkness inside her has yet to come out, and it may be necessary for her to be the final pick for the production.
The story is tragic yet beautiful, realistic but also off-putting. Black Swan touches upon complex themes of perfectionism, mental health, and, of course, ballet, while also staying true to psychological horror elements.
Life of Pi (2012)
This philosophical survival drama movie is based on the 2001 novel by Yann Martel. It’s about Piscine “Pi” Patel (Suraj Sharma as a teenager and Irrfan Khan as an adult). A writer interviews him, and the movie spans his life story right from childhood to present day.
Pi talks about his father, Santosh (Adil Hussain) and Gita (Tabu), who moved the family to Canada after selling their zoo in India. The journey on a freighter is fraught with peril, and only two make it out alive.
This movie won four Oscars, and Ang Lee, the director, was lauded. The imagery and symbolism demand multiple rewatches, and the visuals are a treat for the sorest of fatigued-by-laptop eyes.
The music carries an already beautiful film to new dimensions, as does the acting. If you are a young viewer, you will learn something. If you are old, you will learn some more. Regardless, there are many reasons to love Life of Pi.
Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
Set in the Sixties, this Hollywood movie on Disney+ Hotstar is based on the process of getting Mary Poppins (1964) to the screen. Emma Thompson beautifully portrays P.L. Travers, the author of the Mary Poppins book series, and Tom Hanks excels as Walt Disney.
Saving Mr. Banks is about Walt Disney's promise to his daughters that he would make a movie about the Mary Poppins series, which required him to obtain rights from P.L. Travers.
It should have been an easy pitch, but Travers is a tough bird to break, and Disney had to take the help of the musical Sherman brothers (Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak), who have lent their creativity to many classic Disney films, to get her on board. But if that doesn't work, what will?
This movie is touching not only because of the impressive acting but also because it accurately depicts the Sixties era, with the vintage vibe on point. Of course, the magic of Disney in a Disney film is always a treat.
The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019)
When it comes to dogs passing away, the story writes itself. Sure, this is one of the many dog movies that you need to watch, but The Art of Racing in the Rain is specifically about life through Enzo’s (the cutest golden retriever voiced by Kevin Costner) eyes, about his beloved human Denny (Milo Ventimiglia), which sets it apart from the other films.
Enzo knows of a superstition in Mongolia that says that when dogs die, they return as a man, and Enzo decides that when he does, he will find Denny no matter what.
Based on the 2008 novel by Garth Stein, this Hollywood movie on Disney+ Hotstar is crafted with maturity without blind reliance on the animal grief trope. The movie is all heart, with Enzo narrating how he met Denny for the first time, Denny’s struggles as a race car driver, and his love life with Eve (Amanda Seyfried).
This movie has other elements that shine through as well. There’s romance, race cars, an evil twin angle, and other facets that make this movie an excellent watch, even for non-dog lovers.