Disney+ STAR: 35 Must-See Shows and Movies for Adults!
Disney+ Star: Beyond the Mouse House Magic
Disney+ started strong with classic films and family-friendly shows. But then came Star! Suddenly, Disney+ was a powerhouse for grown-up content—movies and shows from FX, Hulu, Freeform, ABC Signature, and more! This made Disney+ so much more versatile for a wide range of viewers! We are talking 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures—the works! This seriously beefed up the library for adults who previously felt ignored!
Star launched February 23rd, 2021, and keeps growing globally! Marvel and other big Disney franchises are still front and center—but now adults have seriously awesome choices too! Tons of awesome shows and movies, particularly thanks to the Disney-FOX merger—and those Hulu exclusives, bringing adult animation, compelling crime thrillers and unexpected dramatic arcs; creating new experiences which greatly appeal to newer viewers!
35 Top Shows and Movies on Disney+ Star: A Curated List of the Best
35. Castle (2009-2016): A Crime Novelist and a Detective!
Fans will know Nathan Fillion from Firefly or The Rookie! This one's even better! A mystery writer (Fillion) shadows an NYPD detective (Stana Katic), this created some fantastic chemistry, resulting in that hilarious procedural that won a boatload of awards from Emmy noms to People's Choice Awards, including Best TV Crime Drama and Best TV Drama Actor! That brilliant blend of drama and laughs helped propel this critically acclaimed series even after a decade. This procedural offers many easy-to-watch episodic dramas which easily hook new fans every year!
34. Grey's Anatomy (2005-Present): The Long-Running Medical Drama
This one is almost beyond introduction! With 21 seasons still going! This show features countless drama-filled narratives featuring countless surgeries, relationships, friendships and family-centered emotional turmoil which develops very unexpectedly! It’s pretty legendary – earning Golden Globes and tons of Emmy nominations. That critically lauded show continues to gain a ton of fans; with endless drama throughout that long series run, a perfect show for newcomers wanting intense binging material. Those compelling dramas keep on getting delivered without missing a beat and the quality does remain.
33. How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014): The Friends Who Found Love
A decade later, this hilarious sitcom's still discussed, loved worldwide! This sitcom—showing five friends navigating their 20s and 30s (with a hilarious framing device!)— earns insane amounts of awards, including tons of Emmy nominations. This heartwarming comedy-drama featuring extremely complicated, emotional events for the group really explores the dynamics behind family-like relationships; and even tackles some of the harder truths like infertility! Its clever plot contrivances make it truly compelling.
32. Ugly Betty (2006-2010): A Hilarious Look at the Fashion World
Remember America Ferrera from Barbie? This shows off how her career blossomed: That unique mix of crazy fun and relatable groundedness in this totally clever fashion-world comedy! It was huge— winning many Emmys and Golden Globes! This is a seriously awesome show on Star and many people missed out on it initially, this show brilliantly takes an exaggerated premise, featuring relatable characters, resulting in another extremely impressive series. The creative choices made for this show remain compelling even to newer viewers!
31. Black-ish (2014-2022): Comedy and Social Commentary Combined
This sitcom with Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross is hilarious; those comedic moments, make the commentary seriously powerful; and this show uniquely portrays racial complexities, something rarely attempted! It's very similar to that Fresh Prince vibe! It uses its setting and those dynamics around this particular family and that makes it super compelling and earned tons of awards, including Emmy noms for both Anderson and Ross! Those creative choices show how incredibly well-made this show actually was.
30. The Dropout (2022): Amanda Seyfried Shines in a True Crime Story
Hulu makes top-tier miniseries and The Dropout is one of the very best. Amanda Seyfried's career-defining performance playing Elizabeth Holmes is absolutely electric. It’s riveting true crime; watching how that corporate deception ultimately ends. That clever acting and how effective it remains makes this a thrilling, memorable miniseries! Those awards (including a Golden Globe and an Emmy) don't lie.
29. What We Do in the Shadows (2019-Present): Vampire Comedy at its Finest
This hilarious mockumentary follows vampires in 21st-century Staten Island. Those oblivious ancient beings dealing with human life makes for endless laughter. Those clever supernatural references; everything is awesome and adds endless laughs, even as the show enters its final season this year! The loveable ensemble remains its highlight and those quirky creative decisions only this particular production would’ve tried to make. And it became far more popular over time. The ensemble is totally adorable!
28. The First Omen (2024): A Terrifying Prequel to a Horror Classic
The newest horror title in this massive lineup on Star! This prequel to the 1976 classic, The Omen delivers chills in that retro style and even managed to capture and honor the feel that originally set its predecessor's tone and appeal so very well, and is already lauded as the best entry since the original movie. Those who were already expecting chills, suspense and other classic horror themes might love this particular show! This particular show excels, offering an intriguing and memorable show.
27. Poor Things (2023): A Surreal and Hilarious Sci-Fi Romance
Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster) brings this crazy, wild ride of a movie; and this is definitely unique and unforgettable, especially given how bold its particular storytelling style is. Emma Stone's Oscar-worthy performance shows just how much detail is needed in delivering its bizarre premise with extremely surprising depth; creating a fascinating narrative experience that leaves you totally captivated. Willem Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo totally shine too; bringing further surprises and dramatic moments throughout this engaging film. That odd blend of surrealism, humor, and unexpected moments will not work for everyone.
26. Justified (2010-2015): A Neo-Western Crime Thriller
This is a modern western crime drama and features Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens—a 21st-century gunslinger! Based on the novels of Elmore Leonard, the writing alone earns applause; those incredibly compelling and colorful characters and the action makes this another superb title from Star! Olyphant and Walton Goggins (as Boyd Crowder!) completely steal the show! Emmy nominations for those stars; that superb action and thriller elements, everything creates an exciting, compelling, well-crafted and thoroughly enjoyable production.
25. Godfather of Harlem (2019-Present): A Crime Drama About Bumpy Johnson
This thrilling historical drama (starring Forest Whitaker as Bumpy Johnson) cleverly blends actual events and fiction; exploring criminal strategies, racial struggles, and the fight for civil rights; generating a fascinating character and series narrative with layers and many unique aspects only seen within this era. Those political, and personal, dramas; exploring conflicts surrounding various people’s attempts at self-improvement really make for that incredibly intense and compelling production.
24. American Horror Story (2011-Present): A Horror Anthology Show
Ryan Murphy's anthology series American Horror Story? An insanely well-known show and remains top-tier in television horror. It showcases countless different horror stories over its twelve seasons—each completely unrelated! Yet its connections run through actors, similar characters, various themes, creating the compelling moments fans loved so very much, along with incredible success through Emmy wins.
23. The Chi (2018-2023): Coming-of-Age Drama in Chicago
This show's portrayal of daily challenges and growth is intensely emotional and human. The compelling themes that are explored are a welcome relief for audiences. The series—which earned lots of praise along with several major award wins and nominations at Black Reel and Gracie Awards, showcasing both those kinds of creative and culturally relevant aspects. Those who wanted some thoughtful content surrounding growth will love it. It’s available for a reason. Those thematic moments remain deeply appreciated by its target audience!
22. The Bear (2022-Present): Culinary Drama With High Stakes
This Hulu hit (featuring Jeremy Allen White as the hard-working chef Carmy) is also an insane hit and very easily delivers one of the most amazing and compelling dramas ever! It's very popular, already having won many Emmys (including Best Comedy Series). It’s critically lauded! This culinary drama makes for addictive binging. The series also excels by being honest; portraying very realistic relationships and using a well-crafted storyline that has left many critics totally surprised, and has generated endless repeat viewing.
21. Solar Opposites (2020-Present): Adult Animation From the Rick and Morty Team
From Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan (of Rick and Morty fame!), This animated series focuses on an alien family crashing to earth and has hilarious stories across multiple universes; demonstrating amazing creative diversity and a unique style. Its enormous fanbase, very high ratings, and persistence even despite some big changes truly demonstrates just how great those kinds of creative ideas, along with that creative writing and superb visual humor; showcases the incredible strength inherent to its very premise and creativity.
20. Love, Victor (2020-2022): Coming-of-Age in the LGBTQ+ Community
This Love, Simon spinoff shows another side to coming out—but with the same supportive and loving themes. It’s critically lauded; its popularity grows consistently; with impressive wins, and plenty of other nominations including those extremely meaningful award recognitions from Imagen and GLAAD awards, emphasizing both the cultural impact and significant contributions regarding this subject. This demonstrates that such efforts toward inclusion were very meaningful. The production excels as another of these shows.
19. Dopesick (2021): A Miniseries About the Opioid Crisis
This intensely serious show tackles the opioid crisis and this is compelling. This miniseries shows how corporate greed fueled that very crisis, explored from different angles; with strong acting (Michael Keaton won a Golden Globe and an Emmy!), and it earned plenty of awards nominations. Those deep, troubling themes created strong narratives and a compelling show; another example that Disney’s creative content excels even across very difficult genres! The entire effort makes a surprisingly well-done show that’s really compelling.
18. New Girl (2011-2018): A Hilarious Ensemble Sitcom
Zooey Deschanel's New Girl is a feel-good sitcom. That quirky ensemble; those incredibly memorable personalities, and those characters shine wonderfully—making it the perfect series to relax. It lasted seven seasons; which highlights its general appeal, demonstrating it is critically loved! This quirky ensemble perfectly balanced that unique and quirky show with heartfelt character development and easy watching!
17. Lost (2004-2010): The Mystery Island that Captivated Millions
Lost. A landmark series! That huge ensemble, mysteries, flashbacks, and surprising plot twists. It captivated everyone! The ambition of that initial episode! It redefined television for a certain generation. That impact is undeniable; despite its polarized finale; and Emmy win for best drama! Its compelling story remains discussed constantly, creating a lasting fanbase! This one has countless unforgettable, powerful scenes that make many want to re-watch and explore that universe for themselves.
16. 24 (2001-2010): Real-Time Thriller with Kiefer Sutherland
This one set a standard. Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer racing against the clock–this thrilling series used the real-time approach– a groundbreaking concept for that era which is largely missing from that series, yet despite its absence, those thrills; the urgent tension are amazing and generated enormous amounts of viewership. And the show won numerous awards (Emmys and Golden Globes)! This iconic thriller completely re-defined a genre with those unexpected, compelling narratives! It created a cultural impact with that memorable style of storytelling; demonstrating that real-time action does work if properly conceived!
Conclusion: Disney+ Star Offers Something For Everyone
Disney+ Star offers tons of adult content—drama, comedy, thriller, and even horror! There are lots of big award winners and memorable titles— many completely under-the-radar until they found new life streaming on Star. The sheer diversity demonstrates Disney's intentionality; to not be just children’s entertainment, but an entire family of varied entertainment and media, making it very diverse for an even wider fanbase. That quality lineup is seriously undeniable; creating lots of reasons to visit this streaming giant, with plenty more still to explore.
