The 50 Best Movies on Stan

In the face of immense competition from overseas (and weak competition locally), Australian streaming video-on-demand provider Stan has managed to hold its own.

Thanks mostly to some outstanding streaming deals with Disney, MGM and Starz, Stan has managed to nab entire streaming catalogues from some of history’s biggest franchises, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Bond and Disney Pixar’s animated collection.

Stan has also been churning out its own original content, though there’s been a bigger focus of television show production than movies.

All this is to say, Stan is currently home to an absurd amount of top-shelf movies but with over 1,300 films ready to stream, it can be difficult to settle on just one. So we’ve rounded up our the 50 best movies on Stan to help narrow your options a smidge.

1. The Death of Stalin

Armando Iannucci (Veep, In The Loop) hits it out the park again with this satirical retelling of Stalin’s last days.

Come for the premise and Iannucci’s razor-sharp dialogue, stay for the truly hilarious performances of Steve Buscemi and Jason Isaacs.

2. The Artist

This contemporary silent film about Hollywood and the rise of “talkies”. A black and white film that’s mostly silent like the films it stands tribute to.

The Artist raked in the awards when it released back in 2011.

3.  Whiplash

A sports story at heart, Whiplash follows a young jazz drummer and his tempo-ramental instructor (J.K Simmons) that will snare your attention and not let go ’till the credits roll.

It introduced a lot of folks to Miles Teller but will be most fondly remember’s for Simmons’ aggressive performance.

4. Pulp Fiction

Zed might be dead, baby, but don’t let that spoiler stop you rewatching Tarantino’s quotable classic. Pulp Fiction’s sprawling interconnected character vignettes and cracking dialogue have stood the test of time.

It’s perfect timing with the director’s latest, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, out this year.

5. The Big Sick

Inspired by the real-life relationship between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick is a rom-com cure for the Sunday blues.

Nanjiani plays himself and Zoe Kazan plays the character of Gordon but it’s Ray Romano and Holly Hunter’s turn as the latter’s parents that remains the movie’s biggest delight.

6. Fargo

Time to rewatch the madcap Minnesota crime drama? Oh yah, you betcha.

7. Stories We Tell

Sarah Polley (Dawn of the Dead) explores her family’s secrets in this intimate documentary about the filmmaker’s relationship with her parents.

The 2012 documentary won the Grand Prix Focus for best feature film at that year’s FNC awards.

8. Fruitvale Station

Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) debuted with this heartbreaking true story of the 22-year old father Oscar Grant III, who was tragically shot by police offers on New Years Day 2009 after a small altercation.

Coogler collaborator Michael B. Jordan plays the lead role as Oscar Grant III.

9. I, Tonya

Margot Robbie portrays infamous ice skater Tonya Harding in this biographical film.

The story told on screen is based on the contradictory statements given by Harding and husband Jeff Gilooly after their attack on Nancy Kerrigan in 1994.

10. John Wick

Hands-down one of the best action movies ever made follows the bloody trail of vengeance left by the Baba Yaga aka John Wick (Nunu Reeves).

If you’re thinking of setting off to see Parabellum in theatres, we definitely recommend a rewatch. Each movie kicks off exactly where the last left off so a recap of 1 and 2 is essential to getting the most out of 3.

11. Suspiria (1977)

The recent Suspiria remake does an outstanding job of adapting the occult classic. It also offers Tilda Swinton in, frankly, more roles than necessary.

But Dario Argento’s bewitching original can’t be beaten.

12. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Stan is currently streaming the best Star Wars film ever made. That is all.

13. Under The Skin

The slow-burn Scottish flick stars Sco-Jo as an extraterrestrial entity who road trips Glasgow, luring eager men into the back of a van.

Interestingly, most of the characters are played by non-actors and scenes were shot using hidden cameras.

14. Thor: Ragnarok

It’s hard to pick just one MCU film (Stan’s got most of ’em at the moment) but Thor: Ragnarok is by far one of the most rewatchable.

It did the deed of introducing a larger audience to the genius of Taika Waititi.

Waititi’s Kiwi classic, Boy, is also streaming on Stan.

15. Dead Poets Society

DPS has always been one of the most uplifting and heartbreaking coming-of-age stories of all time.

But a whole other layer of emotion has been piled on since the passing of Robin Williams, who gives his absolute best dramatic performance.

16. The Tribe

The Tribe is the most unsettling film on this list by a huge margin and definitely comes with a content warning.

If you do press on, you will find a story told through sign-language. A Ukranian tale of lost innocence, set inside a boarding school for deaf teenage students.

17. The Square

This satirical Swedish flick featuring Elizabeth Moss takes aim at the farcical world of highbrow art.

It’s a comedy that plays like a thriller; using extended scenes of awkward encounters to keep you on the edge of your seat.

18. The Gift

I put off watching The Gift for the ages because Joel Edgerton’s goatee on the poster made me uncomfortable. I was a fool to wait so long.

Edgerton’s directorial debut is a fresh take on the psycho stalker genre that has you questioning each character up until the very last moments.

19. Looper

Rian Johnson (The Best Star Wars Movie Ever Made) hit it out of the park with his first big-budget sci-fi Looper.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a young Bruce Willis hunting down a… now Bruce Willis?

Check it out before heading out to see Johnson’s upcoming whodunit, Knives Out.

20. The Trip

Come for Winterbottom’s screenplay, improvised mostly by Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon (playing themselves), stay for the picturesque views and endless food porn.

If nothing, you’ll leave with the sudden desire to perfect your Michael Caine impression. The sequel (set in Italy) is also available on Stan.

21. In Bruges

In Bruges takes the cake when it comes to black comedy.

Beneath its cold, trigger-happy surface is a story about friendship and grief. In Bruges manages to make light of some incredibly taboo topics.

It’s also just a fantastic action-thriller thanks mostly to its outstanding cast.

22. Loving Vincent

Loving Vincent is a revolution in filmmaking that has to be seen to be believed; the first ever oil-painted film.

Every single frame (of which there are over 60,000) was handpainted by a team of over 100 artists. The film explores the life of Van Gough and the suspicious circumstances of his death.

23. The Intouchables

Skip the schmaltzy U.S. remake (The Upside) and check out the original.

This heartwarming French film is about the blossoming friendship between an upper-class paraplegic and his live-in caretaker.

24. Leon: The Professional

Another fish-out-of-water assassin story, Leon: The Professional follows French hitman Leon Montana (Jean Reno).

The lone wolf becomes the unwitting guardian and eventual mentor for 12-year old Mathilda (Natalie Portman).

25. Kill List

The less said about the plot for Kill List, the better.

Ben Wheatley’s (Sightseers) thriller is not for the faint of heart and ends up somewhere you will not see coming. It starts out as a fairly run-of-the-mill crime flick with some family drama thrown in but as you edge your way to the movie’s thrilling climax, things take a hard-left into a completely different territory.

26. Face/Off

Nic Cage would like you to suck his tongue.

Face/Off is, by all means, a decent action flick but it’s most fondly remembered for Cage’s over-the-top portrayal of Castor Troy and subsequent portrayal of John Travolta’s character Sean Archer… in the body of Nic Cage. Wild. It’s never a bad time to rewatch Cage at his Cagiest.

27. Creed

While the Rocky series as a whole is definitely a contender for best binge, Ryan Coogler’s Creed is another level of rewatchable.

Creed stars Coogler’s bud Michael B. Jordan in the lead role as Apollo Creed’s son, Adonis, and Sylvester Stallone reprising the Rocky mantle in a tender turn as mentor and surrogate father figure.

28. Training Day

With the Netflix bomb Bright, and the supervillain slush Suicide Squad, it’s easy to forget David Ayer wrote Training Day.

Admittedly, the script is nothing without Denzel Washington’s over-the-top turn as crooked cop Alonzo. Ethan Hawke plays second fiddle to Washington as the rookie cop; a role that proved Hawke could hold his own in a gritty action thriller.

29. Dredd

If you’re still riding the adrenaline high from the John Wick trilogy and need a worthy action film to keep your blood pumping, revisit Karl Urban’s brutal take as Dredd.

This cinematic mouthwash 17 years in the making will wipe the bad taste left in your mouth from 95’s Judge Dredd.

30. Romy and Michele’s HS Reunion

Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion is to yellow Post-It notes what The Social Network is to Facebook. This relatable reunion comedy will make you wish there were a hundred more comedies starring Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino side-by-side.

31. Austin Powers

This shagadelic romp might not seem very “rewatchable” but if you give it a chance you’ll find that Mike Myers has still got what it takes to make you horny, baby.

Over the years, the Austin Powers series recycled the same old jokes ad-nauseam and by now you will see every gag and setup coming from a mile away but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.

32. Con Air

Another Cage classic for your consideration: Con Air might not reach the dizzying insanity of Face/Off but as a 90s action film and long-maned Cage appreciation piece, it’s near unbeatable.

It’s also easy to forget that Sky Prison: The Movie has a top-notch cast outside of Cage, with John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi and Danny Trejo all along for the ride.

33. Hook

Another Robin Willaims banger, the magical adventure of an aging Peter Pan isn’t just a good film to watch with the little ones, it’s a rewatch for the ages.

Hook will have you marching around the house chanting RU-FI-OH! RU-FI-OH!

34. Final Destination

You ever get the feeling that your untimely demise is right around the corner? Yeah, best not binge Final Destination then.

The Final Destination isn’t necessarily “torture porn” but more of a cautionary tale for occupational hazards and appropriate storage of sharp objects.

35. Ace Venture: Pet Detective

All righty then! Let’s get this straight right off the bat, there are certain aspects of Pet Detective that have not aged well.

But, overall, it’s still good to revisit Jim Carrey at his rubber-faced finest. If nothing, it’s a good refresher on some seriously 90s catchphrases like “loo-hoo-se-herrr”.

36. Ghost Ship

Julianna Margulies, Gabrielle Byrne, early Karl Urban and Emily Browning? What is this all-star masterpiece?

Why it’s Ghost Ship, the 2002 horror flick that’s rewatchable if only for the ultra-gory opening and the unabashedly early-naughties nu-metal theme song from Mudvayne.

37. Bond Collection

From Dalton and Connery to Moore, Brosnan, Craig and the Jewel of Queanbeyan, George Lazenby, all your Bonds are currently streaming on Stan.

Sort out a binge before Daniel Craig’s last mission in 2020.

38. The Rocky Series

The overall quality of the Rocky movies plunged harder than the Italian Stallion after a left hook from Clubber Lang but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth a rewatch.

With age, the sequels can be viewed as oddball products of their time.

39. A Bunch of Louis Theroux Docos

Navigating Louis Theroux’s documentaries can be a bit tumultuous; there are the generally curious explorations of interesting subcultures, then there are the darker deep-dives into the grittier side of modern society.

Choose carefully.

40. Toy Story 3

Sure, Toy Story 2 might be considered the best outing for Andy’s toys but 3 is the one that’s going to break your heart all over again before heading out to see 4.

41. The Lion King

With the CG remake right around the corner, there’s no better time to introduce your own  pride to one of the best animated features of all time and karaoke classics “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King”, “Circle of Life” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”.

We promise you will remember every single quote and lyric.

42. The Secret of Nimh

Not too sure how The Secret of Nimh holds up these days but we used to bloody love it as kids.

Check it out and let us know if it’s worth a rewatch or if it’s one of those secretly terrifying kids movies, like Watership Down.

Our money’s on the second.

43. Secondhand Lions

This totally underappreciated gem smacks of Big Fish, The Princess Bride, and The Fall.

Robert Duvall and Michael Caine narrate a tall tale about lions, princesses and a hidden treasure.

The real treasure here is the outstanding performance delivered by Haley Joel Osment as Duvall and Caine’s lonely teenage nephew.

44. 3 Ninjas

3 Ninjas isn’t the cinematic classic that is Karate Kid but the series does feature Hulk Hogan as a villain named Dave Dragon so it’s hard to say which is the better martial arts film.

If you absolutely have to watch Karate Kid, both the original and the Jaden Smith remake are streaming on Stan too.

45. Matilda

Based on the classic Roal Dahl novel, Matilda follows a gifted youngster with telekinetic abilities.

Despite copping the worst life has to throw at her, she remains resilient and finds solace in the friends at her new school and one lovely teacher.

It’s worth it alone for Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman’s performances as Matilda’s rubbish guardians.

46. Samson and Delilah

Samson and Delilah is a story about young love and surviving the odds that follows two Indigenous Australian 14-years olds as they elope to Alice Springs.

This is an early one from Warwick Thornton, who went on to direct Sweet Country and The Sapphires.

47. Wake In Fright

This over-the-top portrayal of the Australian Outback circa 1970 where the real terror is its ability to turn you off schooners for the rest of your life.

It follows a city boy’s tumultous time in an outback mining town where he’s stranded after blowing his dosh in a gambling spree.

48. Rabbit-Proof Fence

When three young girls escape the clutches of a slave training camp, they must find their way home to their mother by following a vast rabbit-proof fence.

Widely considered one of the most important Australian films ever created, the movie is carried by the stunning performances of its three young leads, Everlyn Sampi, Tianna Sansbury and Larua Monaghan.

49. Snowtown

The chilling true story about a magnetic psychopath and his girlfriend’s impressionable teenage son.

This is not an easy watch but it’s easily one of the best thrillers to come out of Australia.

Snowtown was directed by Justin Kurzel, who went on to direct the big-budget videogame adaptation, Assassin’s Creed.

50. Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course

Give it a rewatch for Steve.

Collision Course might not actually be one of the ‘best Aussie movies’ of all time but I needed another Australian movie and there’s no way I was putting Fat Pizza vs. Housos on this list.

It is, however, a bizarre pastiche of Australian and American culture and well worth a watch simply for that fact.