28 Quality Movies You Can Watch Only On Starz

Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) + 2 more

With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes set to hit theaters in May, it’s the prefect time to give the originals a watch (or re-watch).

While you can also find the original Planet of the Apes (1968) on IndieFlix, and 1972’s Conquest on IndieFlix and Plex, three installments from the original film series are only on Starz.

The other two are Escape from the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes, from 1971 and 1973 respectively.

Revenge of the Nerds (1984)

From high school to college, the 1980s were chock full of school comedies that pitted geeks against jocks. And there was almost always a girl (or two) between them who was bound to get topless at some point.

And this summer—July 20, 2024—marks the 40th anniversary of the apex film of them all.

Perhaps no movie embraced the losers vs cool kids trope more than Revenge of the Nerds. After all, it’s in the title. It was actually based on a newspaper article of the same name about the rise of computer programmers in the Silicon Valley.

Obviously we all know who won the war. But they’re really no longer the guys to cheer for. If we only could’ve foreseen the future…

It spawned 3 forgettable sequels, one of which—Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise—is also only streaming on Starz.

Less Than Zero (1987)

Loosely based on the novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis, Less Than Zero may not fully capture the nihilism of the book, but it gives a good taste of the drug-fueled hedonism of the 80s.

Packed with Brat Pack members, the cast includes Andrew McCarthy, Robert Downey Jr., James Spader, and Jami Gertz. The stylish film was mandatory viewing for cool kids in the late 80s.

The film’s soundtrack also gave us The Bangles’ rendition of Hazy Shade of Winter, one of the best cover songs ever recorded.

License to Drive (1988)

In addition to the Brat Pack, the 80s had another—much more exclusive—clique of actors. Close friends and teen heartthrobs, Corey Feldman and the late Corey Haim were together known as The Two Coreys. And they appeared in a total of 9 films together.

After first acting with each other in 1987’s The Lost Boys, their second collaboration came just a year later with License to Drive.

Les (Haim) faces every teenager’s worst nightmare—failing his driver’s exam. But that doesn’t stop him from driving Grandpa’s prized Cadillac for his date with cool girl Mercedes—played by a 17-year-old Heather Graham.

Obviously things go wrong. So he enlists his rebellious buddy Dean (Feldman) to help save the day.

Grand Canyon (1991)

Lawrence Kasdan wrote (and directed) some of the biggest films in Hollywood history and hit a hat trick with Grand Canyon, serving as writer, director, and producer.

The film follows a diverse (for the 90s) group of 6 middle-aged people as their lives intersect across the urban sprawl—and invisible borders—of modern day Los Angeles.

Navigating a dangerous cesspool of crime, pollution, and disease, our cast of heroes eventually shows us that there is still reason to hope. It feels like a great time to revisit this movie 30+ years later.

Courage Under Fire (1996)

Courage Under Fire not only stars Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan, it stars mid-90s Denzel and Meg.

To sweeten the pot, there’s Matt Damon, Sean Astin, Lou Diamond Phillips. And, for fans of 80s TV, a pinch of Bronson Pinchot.

Washington stars as a guilt-ridden US Army officer tasked with investigating whether a helicopter pilot (Ryan) is worthy of the Medal of Honor.

The emotional roller coaster blends genres with battlefield flashbacks as the investigation progresses. Part war drama and part mystery, it thankfully avoids succumbing to the jingoistic trappings that such films often do.

The Thin Red Line (1998)

The Thin Red Line marked the return of Terrence Malick to the director’s chair after a 20-year absence— since 1978’s Days of Heaven. And we’re glad he took a seat.

The film is based on the autobiographical James Jones novel of the same name—which is the second book in his From Here to Eternity trilogy.

Set during the Guadalcanal Campaign of World War II, it follows a US Army Private (Jim Caviezel) who goes AWOL to live among the indigenous people of the South Pacific.

Unfortunately he is found by his commander (Sean Penn) and forced to once more pick up arms for the assault on the invading Japanese.

Legendary film critic Gene Siskel said The Thin Red Line is better than both Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan and Stone’s Platoon. That’s basically calling it one of the best war movies of all time. But while it was nominated for 7 Oscars, it didn’t win a single one.

Finding Forrester (2000)

Starz is clearly committed to its #TakeTheLead initiative for inclusiveness and representation on the screen. So why is there a white savior movie in its library? Well, there’s an argument to be made that the old white man is actually the one being saved.

And considering that it’s directed by Gus Van Sant—one of Hollywood’s most resolute voices for the marginalized—that interpretation stands to reason.

Sean Connery stars as the titular character, a reclusive once-famous novelist, who takes the young, gifted Jamal under his tutelage. Even though the boy genius would rather hang out with his friends and play basketball, he gives Forrester a chance—and himself a chance as well.

A Huey P. Newton Story (2001)

A Huey P. Newton Story was a co-production of BLACK STARZ!, as Starz in Black was called at the time.

The solo performance was written, created, and performed by Roger Guenveur Smith for the stage. It was then brought to the screen by iconic director Spike Lee.

It tells the story of Huey P. Newton founding the Black Panther Party and developing its platform, the Ten-Point Program, more verbosely known as The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense Ten-Point Platform and Program.

Smith’s mesmerizing performance is must-see viewing for, well, everyone.

Blue Crush (2002)

After a streak of films about mortality, war, and racism, lighten the mood with babes in bikinis and board shorts.

Blue Crush offers plenty of skin, surf, and sex (in a PG-13 package) with the beautiful scenery of Hawaii as its backdrop.

Honolulu hotel maid and local surfer Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth) gets a chance to take part in a major competition on the North Shore. But before the big event, she meets NFL quarterback Matt after he trashes his hotel room—which she gets to clean up.

To get things rolling he hires her to teach him to surf. And of course the local surfers don’t look kindly upon the outsider.

It’s a fun, fast-paced, sexy movie, that’s actually got a solid story as well.

Antwone Fisher (2002)

Another film starring Denzel, it’s also his directorial debut.

The biopic is based on the true story of Antwone Fisher and based on his autobiographical book Finding Fish.

It follows the story of US Navy seaman Antwone after he gets into a fight with a fellow sailor and is sent to see the Navy’s psychiatrist (Denzel Washington). Initially reluctant, angry, and tight-lipped, Antwone eventually opens up and faces his troubled past.

A beautiful, moving film. It makes one wonder why Denzel didn’t get back in the director’s chair very often.

Funny People (2009)

Adam Sandler tests his dramatic acting chops in Judd Apatow’s comedy-drama—and delivers. Critics regarded it as Apatow’s most mature film to date, and it arguably still is.

Granted the role wasn’t a great stretch for Sandler, as he portrays George Simmons, a stand-up comedian turned famous (and filthy rich) movie star.

But unlike Adam (thankfully), George is diagnosed with a terminal disease. He then sets a course to repair past relationships and return to his stand-up roots before he dies.

The rest of the cast are also mostly comic actors, with Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jason Schwartzman, but that’s what creates the fine balance in the film.

Hesher (2010)

The irreverent indie film about loss and grief—and an uninvited anarchistic house guest—was the first movie that Metallica ever let use its music. (Which they did so after watching an early cut of the film.)

If that’s not reason enough to watch it, there are the amazing performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Natalie Portman, Rainn Wilson, Piper Laurie, and relative newcomer Devin Brochu as 13-year-old protagonist TJ.

Hesher is definitely not for everyone. Especially those who gets offended by jokes about finger-banging. But there are definitely those who will love it.

Django Unchained (2012)

A German bounty-hunter (Christoph Waltz) helps his recently-freed slave (Jamie Foxx) rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio).

Wait. What’s that? Another white savior movie on Starz?

Slow down.

While the first 100+ minutes of Django Unchained may feel like such a film, it ultimately subverts the white savior trope. Or does it? That’s up for debate and good reason to watch Tarantino’s second-longest film.

Only the Brave (2017)

Only the Brave is based on the real-life heroes of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a team of Arizona firefighters tasked with battling wildfires.

Written by Black Hawk Down scribe Ken Nolan, its all-star cast includes Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Connelly, and Taylor Kitsch.

Despite being a box office bomb, it was loved by critics and audiences alike. And that stands to reasons as the action-drama is moving, thrilling, and visually stunning.

Just be sure to watch the movie before reading anything about the real-life firefighters from Prescott, Arizona.

Leave No Trace (2018)

Ben Foster stars as a military veteran suffering from PTSD who lives with his teenage daughter (Thomasin McKenzie) in Oregon’s old growth Forest Park.

Spotted by a jogger, the father-daughter duo are soon arrested and forced to reintegrate into “civilized society”.

Foster and McKenzie both give exceptional performances in this rather sparse film, which helped the film land on numerous top ten lists for 2018. It also has a 100% approval rating from 250+ reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

Colette (2018)

The biopic starring Keira Knightley as the titular character is based on the life of French author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette.

It follows the young Colette as she moves from the countryside to Paris, where she meets—and eventually marries—bourgeois womanizer Henry Gauthier-Villars, AKA Willy.

Willy, being the supportive husband he is, convices (then forces) Colette to ghostwrite novels for him.

Colette and The Wife (2017) make for a great double feature.

Disobedience (2017)

Rachel meets Rachel in this romantic drama based on the novel of the same name by English writer Naomi Alderman.

Following the death of her father, a beloved rabbi, New York photographer Ronit (Rachel Weisz) returns to London—and to the ultraconservative Jewish community that ostracized her for loving her best friend Esti (Rachel McAdams).

Her return ruffles feathers throughout the community, especially those of her childhood friend Dovid. Not only is Dovid in line to takeover her father’s role as rabbi, he’s also married to Esti.

Beautifully acted, directed, and written, it holds an 84% on the Tomatometer with 213 reviews and a 75% audience score.

City of Lies (2018)

A crime thriller starring Johnny Depp and Forest Whitaker? Say no more.

But there is more! It’s also about the LAPD investigations into the murders of Tupac and Biggie.

Directed by Brad Furman (no relation to disgraced ex-LAPD detective Mark Fuhrman), the movie follows L.A. Times investigative reporter Darius “Jack” Jackson (Whitaker) as he looks into the murder of the Notorious B.I.G.

Depp stars as Russell Poole, the retired LAPD detective who helps Jackson investigate.

The movie was finished in May 2017 but sat on the shelf for 4 years before its (disappointing) theatrical release in March 2021. The delays and the media circus over Depp’s divorce cast a shadow over what is actually a really good and underrated film.

You Won’t Be Alone (2022)

What if The Little Mermaid was a horror movie about a witch?

In the mountains of 19th-century Macedonia, a primordial spirit abducts a young and transforms her into a witch. The witch then (accidentally) kills a villager and takes over their body to experience life as a human.

With its gothic feel and creepy crawling pace, the dark fantasy slowburn is art horror worthy of A24.

Trigger warnings for unsettling gore.

Body Parts (2022)

The documentary pulls no punches as it gives a behind-the-scenes look into sex in the movies. But it does a whole lot more than that.

As the film’s website best summarizes, “Body Parts traces the evolution of “sex” on-screen from a woman’s perspective, uncovering the uncomfortable realities behind some of the most iconic scenes in cinema history and celebrating the bold creators leading the way for change.”

Jane Fonda, Joey Soloway, Angela Robinson, Rosanna Arquette, Rose McGowan, Emily Meade, and Alexandra Billings are among the women-in-Hollywood who are interviewed for the documentary.

The Northman (2022)

The Northman first hit streaming services as an exclusive on Peacock, but now you’ll find it only on Starz.

Alexander Skarsgård stars as Viking warrior prince Amleth who sets out on a quest to avenge the murder of his father and subsequent kidnapping of his mother.

By his uncle, no less.

The film flopped at the box office, but that can most likely be attributed to the pandemic. And the fact that it landed on VOD 3 weeks after it premiered in theaters.

The film is a non-stop, heart-pounding feast for the eyes. A spectacular and ferocious sweeping epic tale of revenge that is criminally underrated.

Sisu (2022)

The movie opens with text stating that Sisu is an untranslatable Finnish word that means:

A white-knuckled form of courage and unimaginable determination. Sisu manifests itself when all hope is lost.

But if you’re subtitle-adverse, don’t worry. The movie’s in English. All of it. Even the Nazis.

The Finnish action thriller is set in the waning days of World War II. As a Nazi death squad employs a scorched earth retreat from Finland, they come across a gold prospector who just struck it rich.

But what seems like good luck takes a turn for the worse when the prospector turns out to be a former commando the Russians nicknamed Koschchei.

The Immortal.

Full of blood and gore, the film does a spectacular FX job on a budget of 6 million Euro.

The Tarantino influence is evident, minus the over-the-top monologues, witty dialogue, and N-words.

Malum (2023)

Malum is a remake of writer/director Anthony DiBlasi’s 2014 horror film Last Shift written and directed by… <checks notes>… Anthony DiBlasi.

Sure, remakes are a standard part of Hollywood and plenty of directors have even remade their own movies. Most notably, Cecil B. DeMille with The Ten Commandments 32 years apart and Hitchcock, who remade The Man Who Knew Too Much 22 years after the original.

But it’s usually about remaking foreign-language films for English-speaking viewers who are subtitle-adverse.

Such as Michael Haneke with Funny Games (x2), Hans Petter Moland with In Order of Disappearance and Cold Pursuit, and Takashi Shimizu with Ju-On and The Grudge.

According to an interview with Screen Rant, Anthony DiBlasi remade Last Shift (rather than make sequel) because he wanted to tell the same story with a bigger budget.

And it paid off. If you’ve got a thirst for blood and gore, Malum will likely quench it.

The Kill Room (2023)

Struggling gallerist Patrice (Uma Thurman) has hit a rough patch. And with no sales on the horizon, she decides to pay her drug dealer with a painting.

However, when the painting catches the eye of crime boss Gordon (Samuel L. Jackson), a money laundering scheme is hatched.

But before you can say “Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole”, Gordon’s trigger man (Joe Manganiello) becomes an overnight sensation in the art world.

Another underrated film—with 61% on the Tomatometer and a 49% audience score—it’s a better stab at the art world than Velvet Buzzsaw.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Last but definitely not least is the 4th installment in Keanu Reeves’ ultra-violent action franchise.

The film continues John’s story as the ex-communicated assassin exacts vengeance on the High Table, piling up the bodies along the way.

John Wick: Chapter 4 landed exclusively on Starz in September 2023. The movie has an 18-month Pay-One window that keeps it on Starz until March 2025. After that it will likely move on to Peacock where the first 3 John Wick movies are streaming.

The film made a whopping $440 million at the box office against its $100-million budget.

If you’re looking for more John Wick, this film is the definition of more John Wick. A lot more.

Expend4bles (2023)

Also known as The Expendables 4, the latest installment in Stallone’s action star orgy film franchise hits Starz first for an exclusive streaming window.

Landing on Starz 6 months after its theatrical release, Expend4bles streams only on Starz from March 24, 2024 until it moves over to Peacock to join The Expendables 1–3.

The start-studded sequel’s cast includes series regulars Stallone, Statham, Lundgren, and Couture. Joining the 4 studs are Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Jet Li, 50 Cent, Iko Uwai, Jacob Scipio, and Levy Tran.

The film was a box office bomb, barely making half of its $100-million budget at the box office. But now you can watch it for free if you’re subscribed to Starz. And if not, check out these ways to get a Starz free trial.

If you like action movies, the first 3 movies in the franchise are a blast. But the direction, dialogue, and even the CGI make Expend4bles seem more like a parody of the franchise than a legit sequel.

Maybe it’s time for Statham and Stallone to heed the oft uttered line from their screenplay and admit “I’m too old for this shit”.