It's a busy week on the new Disney Plus movies front. Indeed, there are two – yes, two! – new movies to watch on the streaming giant this week, so we're certainly being spoiled by the House of Mouse as the New Year kicks into gear.
Admittedly, you can only catch one film apiece on Disney Plus in the US and UK, with A Real Pain and Alien: Romulus debuting on the platform in each nation respectively. Nevertheless, the fact that new movies have launched on one of the world's best streaming services in the same week (a rare occurrence for Disney's primary streamer) is worth celebrating.
Not fussed one either flick? Our best Disney Plus movies article contains plenty more recommendations. Bookmark that page for later, though, and read on to see if the aforementioned pa are worth watching first.
New Disney Plus movies: January
A Real Pain
Release date: January 16 (US only)
Runtimes: 89 minutes
Age rating: R (US only)
Directors: Jesse Eisenberg
Main cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Daniel Oreskes, Liza Sadovy, Kurt Egyiawan, and Jennifer Grey
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: 96% (critics); 81% (audiences)
I haven't seen A Real Pain yet (it only debuted in UK theaters on January 7) but, by all accounts, it's one of 2025's first must-see flicks. Eisenberg makes his feature film directorial debut with this dramady – a film he co-stars alongside Culkin in, too. In it, the duo play David and Benji, estranged cousins who reunite to embark on a humor-laden and highly-emotional tour across Poland in honor of their late grandmother. An oft-time poignant odd-couple movie that'll have you laughing one minute and crying the next, according to general cinephiles and critics alike.
- Watch A Real Pain on Disney Plus
Alien: Romulus
Release date: January 15 (UK only)
Runtimes: 120 minutes
Age rating: R (US) / 16-plus (UK)
Directors: Fede Alvarez
Main cast: Cailee Spaeny, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, David Jonsson, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: 80% (critics); 85% (audiences)
A film that initially made its streaming debut on Hulu in the US last November, Alien: Romulus is finally available to watch at home internationally. A standalone story that's set between 1979's Alien and 1986's Aliens, it follows a group of *ahem* alienated teens who travel to an abandoned space station above their home planet and get more they bargained for when they run into the sci-fi horror franchise's iconic xenomorphs, facehuggers, and Weyland-Yutani androids. Alien: Romulus is easily one of the film series' better entries, albeit one that relies on a heavy dose of nostalgia and attracted criticism for reviving a deceased actor via CGI and animatronics. Those issues aside, Romulus is a frighteningly fun romp that takes the movie franchise in some interesting creative directions. Before you watch it, read my exclusive Alien: Romulus interview with director Fede Alvarez to see how it does so.
The Indiana Jones movie collection
Release date: January 1 (US only)
Runtimes: 115 minutes to 158 minutes
Age rating: PG to PG-13 (US only)
Directors: Steven Spielberg
Main cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Sean Connery, Kate Capshaw, Denholm Elliot, Ke Huy Quan, Dan Ackroyd, Shia LeBouef, Cate Blanchett, Jon Hurt, and John Rhys Davies
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: 77% to 93% (critics); 53% to 96%(audiences)
After departing the platform in 2024, the first four Indiana Jones films are back on Disney Plus, with the quartet joining The Dial of Destiny (it's been available to stream on the service in the US and UK since mid-2024) to complete the collection. In my view, this quadrilogy is absolutely worth watching, too. Raiders of The Lost Ark and Temple of Doom are stone cold classics, while The Last Crusade – which sees Ford's charismatic archaeologist/tomb raider team up with his father Henry (Connery) – is arguably the best entry in the entire franchise. The less said about The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, though, the better. Thanks to this movie series' multi-genre format – it's packed with action, adventure, humor, drama, and even supernatural horror – the Indiana Jones film series will appeal to all ages and genre fans. For me, they make for entertaining viewing, no matter what time of year it is, too. Altogether now... *hums the Indiana Jones theme tune*
- Watch Raiders of the Lost Ark on Disney Plus
- Watch Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom on Disney Plus
- Watch Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade on Disney Plus
- Watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on Disney Plus
- Watch Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny on Disney Plus
New Disney Plus movies: coming soon
Right now, there aren't many new Disney Plus movies set to join the streamer's film library. In fact, there's only one, so read on to find out what it is:
- Nightbitch – January 24
Not up for a movie? Try our pick of the best Disney Plus shows, see if there's a free Disney Plus trial available, read our Disney Plus review, or get the lowdown on the new Disney Plus price points.
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