New Disney Plus movies have been few and far between recently. Every time we think the streaming giant's new movies drought is over, another one begins. But, with the multi-billion dollar-making Inside Out 2 finally joining Disney Plus' back catalog on September 25, subscribers – you included! – have something new to stream at long last.
Of course, Inside Out 2's streaming debut doesn't mean one of the world's best streaming services has gotten over its film-based malaise. But, with plenty of other suggestions housed in our best Disney Plus movies guide, there are plenty of other top-tier flicks for you to watch while we wait for the next batch of new Disney Plus movies to arrive. So, hop to it!
New Disney Plus movies: September
Inside Out 2
Release date: September 25
Runtime: 96 minutes
Age rating: PG (US) / 6-plus (UK)
Director: Kelsey Mann
Cast: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, Ayo Edebiri, Paul Walter Hauser, and Adele Exarchopolous
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: 90% (critics); 95% (audiences)
I love Inside Out – it's one of the best Pixar movies ever made, in my humble opinion. However, while I saw the potential for a sequel to the emotionally charged 2015 movie, I wasn't sure one was warranted. That was the case, anyway, until I watched Inside Out 2 and was blown away by Pixar's ability to tell yet another incredibly relatable tale that resonated with me. Set two years after its forebear, Inside Out 2 reunites us with a now-teen Riley and her Core Emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Jealousy – as they not only navigate the onset of puberty, but also the arrival of new Core Emotions, including Anxiety, who disrupt the status quo. With its $1.6 billion worldwide haul, Inside Out 2 is now the highest-grossing animated movie of all-time. Even if it wasn't, though, it's still a terrifically animated, creative, and humor-filled film with heartfelt messages at the core of its deeply human narrative. Stream it ASAP.
New Disney Plus movies: August
Kinds of Kindness
Release date: August 30 (available on Hulu in the US)
Runtime: 164 minutes
Age rating: R (US) / 18 (UK)
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Cast: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Mamoudou Athie, and Hunter Schafer
RT score: 71% (critics); 49% (audiences)
Fresh of his hugely successful 2023 feature Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos returned with this absurdist anthology movie that was largely enjoyed by critics, but not so much by general audiences. Labeled a "triptych fable" – essentially, a dark comedy-fantasy flick divided into three individual stories – Kinds of Kindness stars frequent Lanthimos collaborators Stone and Dafoe, plus other talented stars like Plemons, who take on various roles in said tales that are as weird and wacky as anything you'd expect from the Greek filmmaker. Saying too much else would spoil the awkward, unsettling, and bizzarely funny events that play out. Our advice? Check out the trailer above for a taste of what you might be settling in for. I enjoyed it, but don't be surprised if you find yourself agreeing with your fellow film fan over its ridiculously long runtime and try-hard schtick.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Release date: August 2 (available on Hulu in the US)
Runtime: 145 minutes
Age rating: PG-13 (US) / 12 (UK)
Director: Wes Ball
Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allen, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy
RT score: 80% (critics); 78% (audiences)
Set 300 years after – spoiler – Caesar's last hurrah in War of the Planet of the Apes, this pseudo-sequel follows Noa (Teague), a young chimp who joins forces with a human named Mae (Allen) to bring the tyrannical rein of Proximus Caesar (Durand) to an end. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes isn't as strong (from narrative and character development perspectives) as the Caesar-led, Andy Serkis-starring movie trilogy, but it's nonetheless a thrilling watch with some fantastic mocap performances and stunning action set-piece. Read my colleague Axel Metz's Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes review to see wat he thought of it before you check it out.
New Disney Plus movies: coming soon
We're about to enter official spooky season territory, so what better way to celebrate Halloween 2024 than with a bunch of terrifying new Disney Plus movies? Thankfully, Disney has revealed that there'll be a few new films – terrifyingly gripping or otherwise – to enjoy in October. Read what's coming soon below and then see when we think Deadpool and Wolverine will come to Disney Plus.
- Hold Your Breath – October 3 (internationally; available on Hulu in the US)
- Spookiz: The Movie – October 4 (US only)
- Monsters – October 10 (UK only)
- Mr Crocket – October 11 (internationally; available on Hulu in the US)
- Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the Street Band – October 25 (docufilm)
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.
