Disney+ STAR: 30 Best Adult TV Shows & Movies Available Now

Summary

• STAR on Disney+ offers a wide variety of adult-friendly content, including edgier shows like Sons of Anarchy and true crime series like The Dropout.
• The addition of STAR to Disney+ has brought critically acclaimed shows like Only Murders in the Building and Reservation Dogs to a wider audience.
• With fan-favorite series like Family Guy and Desperate Housewives available on STAR, subscribers can enjoy a mix of classic and modern adult-oriented content.

While the original release of Disney+ was popular, utilizing the full library of movies and television shows from the company’s past, the launch of STAR helped to take the streaming platform to new heights. STAR expanded Disney hugely, with content from multiple Disney subsidiaries, including FX Networks, Hulu, Freeform, ABC Signature, MTM Enterprises, Touchstone Television, 20th Television, 20th Television Animation, 20th Century Studios, 20th Century Animation, Searchlight Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures. Through STAR, Disney+ has gained plenty of new content, giving users choices beyond the family-friendly Disney movies the service started with.

STAR launched on Feb 23, 2021.

Disney+ continues to push its STAR content globally, with the platform becoming a fantastic place to check out those shows and movies that might not have been on the traditional service. Marvel and other major franchises may still be looking to keep their content front and center, but STAR features plenty of the best Disney+ shows for adults as well as feature films, especially those acquired during Disney’s merger with FOX and content originally produced for its US-only Hulu service.

30 The Dropout (2022)

A true story of corporate crime

With Disney+ STAR featuring a lot of Hulu content to enjoy, there are a number of acclaimed miniseries the network has become known for. Amanda Seyfried gives her best performance to date in this true story of corporate crime detailing the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the aspiring young entrepreneur behind the groundbreaking company Theranos. However, it was eventually discovered that she had falsified all of the data that made the company look so successful. While there are a lot of different stories to explore in the true-crime genre, The Dropout remains one of the best.

Holmes is a complex and complicated character, appearing sympathetic at times, frustrating and corrupt at others, and always fascinating. Seyfried nailed her performance in the lead role, winning a Golden Globe and an Emmy for her performance. It is a thrilling and entertaining look at a very different true crime story, filled with tension as it becomes clear Holmes’ lies are building to a catastrophic level.

29 What We Do In The Shadows

A dark comedy about modern-day vampires

Fans looking for a mix of horror with their comedy will want to check out the hilarious mockumentary sitcom What We Do in the Shadows. Based on the Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s movie of the same name, the show follows a group of vampires living together in Staten Island as a camera crew follows them around on their supernatural misadventures and mundane experiences of trying to understand modern human society.

The movie is brought to life by its lovable ensemble with a terrific cast of colorful characters. There are laugh-out-loud moments that come from these oblivious ancient beings doing everyday things like visiting the mall and going to New Jersey. The show also has a lot of fun with various supernatural lore elements, offering hilarious takes on sirens, witches, and other beasts. It is a series that has gradually found more popularity and a wider audience leading up to What We Do in the Shadows season 6, coming later in 2024 to bring the series to an end.

28 The First Omen (2024)

A Prequel About A Plot To Birth The Antichrist

There are some great horror options on Disney+ STAR with The First Omen being one of the newest and best entries in the genre, released in 2024. The original The Omen was a hugely influential horror movie that follows a man’s investigation into signs that his son might actually be the antichrist. This prequel follows a young woman who comes to Rome to start her new life as part of the church only to gradually uncover a horrifying conspiracy.

Though it did not make much of a splash at the box office, The First Omen was a hit with the critics, being the best-received of The Omen movies since the original. Indeed, the modern horror movie seeks to draw on what made that movie so special, with a throwback style that makes it feel like a horror movie plucked out of the 70s. It makes for a terrific slow-burn thrill ride which will be especially entertaining for fans of the original.

27 Poor Things (2023)

A Resurrected Woman Begins A Journey Of Discovery

Emma Stone won her second Oscar for Best Actress for this hilarious, thought-provoking, and unique dark comedy from Yorgos Lanthimos. Poor Things stars Stone as Bella, a woman who is brought back to life by an eccentric scientist (Willem Dafoe) using the brain of a baby. The movie follows Bella through her very fast maturity in which she discovers her sexuality and goes on a journey to understand as much of the world as she can.

Stone gives a bold and totally committed performance to the layered character, making Bella shocking, funny, and endearing in her quest to learn. Mark Ruffalo also has a standout role as Bella’s boisterous yet insecure lover which earned him an Oscar nomination. Lanthimos’ unique vision makes Poor Thingsan engrossing and surreal experience with a quirky sense of humor and a lot of graphic moments. It will be too much for some viewers but makes for an unforgettable experience.

26 Justified (2010-2015)

A US Marshal Contends With Old Acquaintances After Returning Home

One of the best Westerns on Disney+ STAR is actually set in the 21st century. Based on the character created by legendary crime novelist Elmore Leonard, Justified stars Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens, a US Marshal who sees himself as an Old West cowboy who was born too late. After a questionable shooting of a mob figure in Miami, Raylan is forced to return to his hometown in Kentucky where his lawman ways have him clashing with old acquaintances, including Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins).

The series perfectly captures Leonard’s style of writing with grounded, colorful characters in exciting situations. Olyphant brings endless swagger and a dry sense of humor to Raylan while Goggins makes Boyd a layered outlaw who is always entertaining to watch. Both actors were nominated for Emmys in 2011. The series is a terrific mix of a Western action movie and a modern crime thriller. A sequel series, Justified: City Primeval, debuted in 2023 and is also available on Disney+ STAR.

Raylan Givens debuts in Elmore Leonard’s 1993 novel Pronto.

25 Godfather of Harlem (2019)

The Story Of Real-Life Crime Boss Bumpy Johnson

Godfather of Harlem is a historical drama about real-life crime boss Bumpy Johnson, played by Forest Whitaker. Taking place in 1960s Harlem, the series does a good job of retelling some of the history of Bumpy while also creating a thrilling story by adding fictionalized events into the mix. The series delivers a great portrayal of socio-political themes among the characters’ tales of crime and racial struggles. What makes Godfather of Harlem work so well is the mix between gaining personal power and fighting for civil rights.

The show has aired three seasons, and Godfather of Harlem season 4 is coming, which should continue to produce the critically acclaimed storylines fans have gotten used to. The new season also brings another real-life gangster into the fray with Frank Lucas. The show has earned eight NAACP Image Award nominations and won a Primetime Emmy Award.

24 American Horror Story (2011)

Ryan Murphy’s Anthology Horror Series

Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story remains the pre-eminent horror anthology series on television over a decade since its debut. The series has 12 seasons, all telling a different horror story — and most of them from different subgenres of horror. However, they also are all connected, with some characters moving between shows, several actors playing different roles in each season, and almost every season earning praise from horror fans. Names involved include Jessica Lange, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Finn Wittrock, Evan Peters, and Sarah Paulson.

The series has also received critical acclaim, although not every season of American Horror Story was as well-received as the rest. Over its time on the air, American Horror Story has earned 94 Emmy Award nominations and won 16 of them. Jessica Lange was praised for her performance throughout the first four seasons, and she won awards at the Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. The most recent season, Delicate, wrapped up its two-part story earlier this year.

23 The Chi (2018-2023)

A Drama About Life In South Chicago

The Chi is a drama series that premiered on Showtime and is now part of the Disney+ STAR lineup, and is a coming-of-age drama about a group of people who live on the south side of Chicago. The show follows them as they learn to grow, love, and survive as a community. There have been six seasons of The Chi, with the last dropping in 2023. The show was renewed for a seventh season in May, although a release date has not yet been confirmed.

The critical response for The Chi has been overall positive, with an 87% positive rating. It has also been an awards favorite, as it won the Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series Award at the Black Reel Awards (for Rick Famuyiwa (who also worked on Dope) and the Writer Scripted – Drama Award at the Gracie Allen Awards, presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation. The show also earned a GLAAD Media Awards nomination.

22 The Bear (2022-Present)

A Family Drama About A Restaurant In Chicago

The Bear was a surprise hit on Hulu, and it is available for viewers on Disney+ STAR as well. Jeremy Allen White leads The Bear cast as an award-winning New York City chef, Carmen, who returns home to Chicago to run his late brother’s restaurant, which comes with its own problems. There, he has to deal with his brother’s debts, a rundown restaurant, and a staff that doesn’t seem to be willing to let him take the lead and seem to be stuck in their ways. In the end, the show ended up greater than the description lets on.

With three seasons, The Bear has become both a critical hit and a beloved fan favorite thanks to the writing, the characters, and the deeply personal storylines. The American Film Institute named it one of the top 10 programs for both of its first two seasons on the air. The Bear also won 10 Primetime Emmy Awards after receiving 13 nominations in 2023, including Outstanding Comedy Series. The Golden Globes also awarded it Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, and both Jeremy Allen White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach took home awards from both ceremonies.

The Bear
season 3 released in July 2024.

21 Solar Opposites (2021-2023)

An Adult Comedy About Aliens Trying To Survive On Earth

There are several great adult animation shows on TV today, including this one, that aired originally on Hulu. Rick & Morty co-creators Justin Roiland and Mike McMahon created Solar Opposites, which follows a family of aliens from Shlorp who crash-land on Earth and realize they are trapped there and have to find a way to fit in. The show is inventive in that it follows not only this family but also a shrunken human society in The Wall and a group of intergalactic police officers who torture Shlorpians.

The show released its fourth season in 2023 and a fifth season of Solar Opposites is also on the way. When released on Hulu, Solar Opposites was a huge success, and it has a very high 92% Rotten Tomatoes average score. While it hasn’t won many awards over its time on the air, Solar Opposites remains a popular adult animated series that has survived despite major creative and voice cast changes along the way.

20 Love, Victor (2021-2022)

A Sequel To The Hit Film Love, Simon

Love, Victor is an interesting series in that it is a follow-up to a critically acclaimed movie, but with a new cast of characters sharing similar themes. Love, Victor is a drama series following a high school student named Victor who is struggling with his sexual identity. He then reaches out to someone else he knows who has gone through the same situation — Simon, from the movie Love, Simon. The series then follows Victor as he deals with coming out to his family and friends at school and how the community reacts to the change.

There were three seasons of Love, Victor that aired, and they are part of the Disney+ STAR streaming options as well. The critical response to the series was overwhelmingly positive, with a 90% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes. It also received several honors during awards season, including seven nominations at the Imagen Awards, winning four of them. It also picked up three GLAAD Media Awards nominations, although it didn’t win them, and took home the award for Best Unsung Show at the Dorian Awards in 2021.

19 Dopesick (2021)

A Heartbreaking Miniseries About The Opioid Epidemic

Dopesick is a highly praised miniseries that tackles one of the deadliest issues in modern America. Dopesick takes a look at the opioid epidemic from a variety of perspectives, including a small-town doctor, the pharmaceutical company, the law enforcement agencies attempting to combat the problem, and the people affected by addiction. The show is a harrowing and difficult story to watch but is compelling nonetheless.

Dopesick was nominated for 14 Emmy Awards, while winning two of them, with Michael Keaton taking home the award for Outstanding Lead Actor. Keaton also went on to win several acting awards for his lead performance, including taking home the prize from the Golden Globes Awards as well as the Screen Actors Guild Awards. It also has an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with most critics pointing out the acting performances from Keaton and Kaitlyn Dever.

18 New Girl (2011-2018)

Jess Day’s New Start With New Friends

Among the great sitcoms available on Disney+ STAR, New Girl is one of the best to binge-watch. Zooey Deschanel stars as Jessica Day, a quirky and optimistic young woman who moves into an apartment with three men in order to start fresh after a breakup. The ensemble of the show is the real charm of New Girl with the actors playing wonderfully off each other. For seven seasons, the funny, sweet, and light sitcom had the feel of hanging out with good friends.

The show was a ratings success for its first three seasons before starting to fall off over the last few. Despite that, it was still a critical success, picking up several awards nominations while winning four big awards. The three awards came early on, with the Critics Choice Awards honoring it with Most Exciting New Series in 2011 and Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Zooey Deschanel in 2012. The Golden Globes also nominated it for various awards in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

17 Lost (2004-2010)

Survivors Of A Plane Crash Uncover The Secrets Of A Mystery-Filled Island

Disney+ STAR users looking for a good mystery show are in luck with all 6 seasons of Lost available. The show had a ground-breaking scope for a series at the time as it focused on a massive ensemble of characters, survivors of a plane crash who found themselves stuck on an island where things are not as they seem. From its ambitious pilot episode to its many iconic plot twists to its much-debated finale, Lost cemented its place in the pop culture conversation as a gripping series that won the Emmy for Best Drama Series in its first season.

While Lost lost some fans along the way, and the finale was polarizing for many viewers, it remained must-see television to the end, even when the flashbacks became flash-forwards and, in some cases, even more confusing alternate universe scenes. The last season still kept over 10 million viewers watching to the end. In all, it picked up 12 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won six of them. It also won one Golden Globe Award, this one for its second season.

Michael Keaton was initially going to play Jack in the
Lost
pilot.

16 24 (2001-2010)

A Real-Time Spy Thriller

A brilliant concept and a thrilling protagonist fueled the 9-season run of the thriller 24. Emmy winner Kiefer Sutherland starred in the series as Jack Bauer, a relentless agent working for the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) and fighting to prevent one colossal threat after another. Each season of the show takes place over the course of one day with each episode playing out in real-time, which adds a sense of urgency and tension to every moment. With the split-screen, it was like nothing fans had ever watched on TV before.

The show won the Emmy and Golden Globe for Best Drama Series, while Sutherland’s lauded performance as Jack Bauer helped to create one of the great spy characters in modern pop culture. The show even had a longer life than anyone expected, with it returning four years after its finale for 24: Live Another Day, a 12-episode season that brought Jack back for another adventure. There was also a spinoff series in 2017 called 24: Legacy that lasted for 12 episodes.

15 Mandy (2018)

A Nightmarish Revenge Odyssey

While the excellent movie Pig was pointed to as marking the comeback of Nicolas Cage, Mandy is one movie that proves the actor has still been making terrific movies even if some of them flew under the radar. The movie stars Cage as a man living a happy life with his wife only for them to be brutally attacked by a cult, sending him on a wild and vicious hunt for revenge.

Mandy is a surreal experience with storytelling and visual choices that are beyond the unexpected. It makes for a nightmarish odyssey which Cage’s performance grounded wonderfully in an emotional way. This was one of the movies that showed that Cage had eclipsed his B-movie standing and was making important small movies with some great young filmmakers. This one premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and won the Saturn Award for Best Independent Film.

14 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005-)

The Destructive Adventures Of Some Of Television’s Worst Characters

Disney+ STAR users looking for a show with plenty of episodes to binge will certainly want to check out It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The series follows a group of self-centered and reckless friends who own an unpopular dive bar in Philadelphia while constantly getting involved in the hot-button topics of the day in their own ignorant and dangerous ways. While the show was a little-known comedy gem early in its run, it has gradually grown in popularity thanks to its outrageous characters and storylines.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has become one of the longest-running live-action comedy shows of all time with 16 seasons and a 17th season on the way. While it is unusual for a raunchy sitcom comedy to earn much critical praise, this show is different, as it has picked up several honors, including three Primetime Emmy nominations and four Satellite Awards nominations, winning Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical, at the latter one in 2011.

13 Alien (1979)

One of the most iconic sci-fi horror franchises began with Ridley Scott’s brilliant Alien, which now lives on as one of the best Disney+ movies for adults. The 1979 classic follows the crew of an industrial space vessel in the depths of space who inadvertently bring an alien creature on board that begins killing off the crew one by one. While the franchise would go in more grand directions after this, Scott’s claustrophobic and tense approach remains the most effective movie in the series in terms of thrills and chills.

The creature design of the xenomorph creates one of the most memorable movie monsters of all time while Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley gradually grows into an iconic movie hero. This first movie was pure horror, almost like a haunted house story in space, but the series soon turned into more of a sci-fi epic as the movies wore on with different directors. Regardless of the quality of later movies, this original remains a beloved classic horror movie and one of the best of all time.

Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley was originally written as a male character.

12 True Lies (1994)

A Husband-Wife Spy Comedy

Following their collaboration on the first two Terminator movies, James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger teamed up once again for the action-comedy True Lies. Schwarzenegger stars as a secret agent looking to prevent a terrorist group from getting a nuclear weapon while trying to hide his secret life from his family. However, things get complicated when his wife (Jamie Lee Curtis) is pulled into the plot.

While it is not as epic in scope as some of Cameron’s other movies, the action sequences are predictably thrilling and sensational. The real surprise, however, is the filmmaker’s talent for comedy as there are laugh-out-loud moments with the two leads giving hilarious performances. The movie has some problematic scenes in today’s society, but it remains one of Cameron’s more enjoyably lighthearted movies to watch.

11 Triangle Of Sadness (2022)

A Satire On Classism Aboard A Luxury Cruise

Triangle of Sadness emerged as a small movie that surprised many by earning Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. The movie takes place on a luxury cruise ship filled with wealthy and entitled vacationers as they encounter unexpected problems on their voyage. There is a sharp and hilarious comedy in the movie that touches on issues of classism. Split into three parts, Triangle of Sadness starts with a model and an influencer invited on a luxury cruise, only to run into a storm and pirates.

However, there is also some surprisingly broad humor with some outrageous gross-out gags that work perfectly in the movie while making for some unforgettable sequences. The movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and went on to win the Palme d’Or. After a small, yet successful theatrical release, it went to streaming. While it went winless at the Oscars, it did win Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenwriter, and Best Actor (for Zlatko Burić) at the 35th European Film Awards.