20 Must-Stream Movies on Kanopy: A Curated List for Every Film Enthusiast
1. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family.
Watch now2. Punch-Drunk Love
A socially awkward and volatile small business owner meets the love of his life after being threatened by a gang of scammers. Director Paul Thomas Anderson weaves a compelling narrative filled with unique characters and memorable moments.
Watch now3. The Graduate
Benjamin, a recent college graduate very worried about his future, finds himself in a love triangle with an older woman and her daughter. This classic film directed by Mike Nichols remains a cultural touchstone for its depiction of youthful anxiety and romantic confusion.
Watch now4. Charade
After Regina Lampert falls for the dashing Peter Joshua on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered. Soon, she and Peter are giving chase to three of her late husband's World War II cronies, Tex, Scobie, and Gideon, who are after a quarter of a million dollars the quartet stole while behind enemy lines.
Watch now5. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman. The film’s exquisite cinematography and moving performances make it a must-watch.
Watch now6. Morning Glory
A young and devoted morning television producer is hired as an executive producer on a long-running morning show at a once-prominent but currently failing station in New York City. Eager to keep the show on air, she recruits a former news journalist and anchor who disapproves of co-hosting a show that does not deal with real news stories.
Watch now7. Man Up
A 34-year-old single woman, Nancy, hungover again, exhausted by the endless fruitless setups by her friends, traveling across London to toast another 10 years of her parents' successful happy marriage, runs in with a 40-year-old divorcee, Jack, who mistakes her for his 24-year-old blind date. Nancy, deciding to go with it, happens to hop on the most chaotic yet hilarious journey of her life which neither of them will ever forget.
Watch now8. You Hurt My Feelings
A novelist's longstanding marriage is suddenly upended when she overhears her husband giving his honest reaction to her latest book. The narrative explores the complexities of relationships and the impact of brutal honesty.
Watch now9. The Worst Person in the World
The chronicles of four years in the life of Julie, a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is.
Watch now10. Election
Tracy Flick is running unopposed for this year’s high school student election. But Jim McAllister has a different plan. Partly to establish a more democratic election, and partly to satisfy some deep personal anger toward Tracy, Jim talks football player Paul Metzler into running for president as well.
Watch now11. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Ricky is a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle in the wild New Zealand bush. A national manhunt ensues, and the two are forced to put aside their differences and work together to survive.
Watch now12. Memento
Leonard Shelby is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife's killer, however, is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of short-term memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he's going, or why.
Watch now13. Aftersun
Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between miniDV footage as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn't.
Watch now14. A Man Called Ove
Despite being deposed as president of his condominium association, grumpy 59-year-old Ove continues to watch over his neighborhood with an iron fist. When pregnant Parvaneh and her family move into the terraced house opposite Ove and she accidentally backs into Ove’s mailbox, it sets off a series of unexpected changes in his life.
Watch now15. Boyhood
The film tells a story of a divorced couple trying to raise their young son. The story follows the boy for twelve years, from first grade at age 6 through 12th grade at age 17-18, and examines his relationship with his parents as he grows.
Watch now16. Winter's Bone
After discovering her father put their house up for his bail bond and then disappeared, 17-year-old Ree Dolly must confront the local criminal underworld and the harsh Ozark wilderness in order to track down her father and save her family.
Watch now17. Moonlight
The tender, heartbreaking story of a young man’s struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality.
Watch now18. Ex Machina
Caleb, a coder at the world's largest internet company, wins a competition to spend a week at a private mountain retreat belonging to Nathan, the reclusive CEO of the company. But when Caleb arrives at the remote location, he finds that he will have to participate in a strange and fascinating experiment in which he must interact with the world's first true artificial intelligence, housed in the body of a beautiful robot girl.
Watch now19. Train to Busan
When a zombie virus pushes Korea into a state of emergency, those trapped on an express train to Busan must fight for their own survival. This action-packed thriller is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Watch now20. Eighth Grade
Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school — the end of her thus far disastrous eighth-grade year — before she begins high school.
Watch now21. Lady Bird
Lady Bird McPherson, a strong-willed, deeply opinionated, artistic 17-year-old comes of age in Sacramento. Her relationship with her mother and her upbringing are questioned and tested as she plans to head off to college.
Watch now22. Amy
A documentary on the life of Amy Winehouse, the immensely talented yet doomed songstress. We see her from her teen years, where she already showed her singing abilities, to her finding success and then her downward spiral into alcoholism and drugs.
Watch now23. Donnie Darko
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes. This film has become a cult classic for its mysterious and thought-provoking storyline.
Watch now24. The Florida Project
The story of a precocious six-year-old and her ragtag group of friends whose summer break is filled with childhood wonder, possibility and a sense of adventure while the adults around them struggle with hard times.
Watch now25. Hereditary
Following the death of Ellen Leigh, the matriarch of their family, her daughter Annie and the rest of the family start to uncover disturbing secrets about their heritage. Their daily lives are not only impacted, but they also become entangled in a chilling fate from which they cannot escape, driving them to the brink of madness.
Watch nowWhether you're in the mood for a thought-provoking drama, a romantic comedy, or a thrilling mystery, Kanopy offers a diverse selection of films to keep you entertained. Happy streaming!