Ali Plumb Recommends Five Of The Best Films on Disney+'s Star

After close to a year “on the air”, streaming service newcomer Disney+ has opened up its vaults to unveil some of Disney's (and mainly Fox’s, let’s be honest) more grown-up fare.

And after digging through what’s on offer, here are five of my favourite films that you’re now able to watch. Oh, and word to the wise: steer clear of The Happening and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (which are truly to be avoided at all costs). How they're up there I have no idea.

There are four different Wes Anderson movies on Star, and while I could suggest The Life Aquatic - if only for all the beautiful Bowieness - The Grand Budapest Hotel remains my favourite Anderson by quite some margin.

There’s something about the comedy at play here, something about Ralph Fiennes’s turn as Monsieur Gustave H., his purple tails swishing as he runs away from the police, that makes me happy to press play pretty much any time of any day. There’s so much detail and deliciousness and Andersonocity (my term) to enjoy that I always find another little something I didn’t spot before.

And the cast! It’s an embarrassment of riches: Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Léa Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Owen Wilson and so on and so on and so on. Time to check in again soon, I think.

• Read more: What would you watch in a dream Movie Marathon? Here are Ali's picks

Before Star, Disney+ had no room for anything even slightly “adult” - and with an extensive Fox back catalogue under their intellectual property umbrella that was a real shame. This meant that horror was completely off the cards - as you’d expect - as well as anything out-and-out action-oriented, outside of a Marvel or Star Wars PG-13 brand. The two Deadpools were a particular sore point, though as they’re not part of the ‘Marvel Cinematic Universe’ I suppose excuses could be made. Then there were the Die Hards, which you can watch now, but notably not the original (and best) - so if you’re planning a John McClane movie marathon, you’ll still want to flick through your Blu-ray collection to kick things off properly.

Elsewhere, if you’re looking for an action hit (of a fashion), you’ve now got The French Connection and Enemy Of The State to hand, but for machine guns-blazing, bunny-in-the-box bonkersness, there’s always Con Air, one of Nic Cage’s holy trinity of post-Oscar kaboomapaloozas (the others being The Rock and Face/Off) that have left him a “Yes I’ll do it!” straight-to-streaming action hero.

If you’re looking for a classic musical, there’s always and forever (and ever) The Sound Of Music, which I suppose didn’t make the original Disney+ cut because of, well, that late ‘30s German-Austrian political situation. I bring it up straight away because waving the flag for Moulin Rouge! - so exciting there’s an exclamation point on the end, a la Oliver! and Airplane! - and not mentioning the beloved Sunday afternoon favourite felt wrong, frankly.

Moulin Rouge! Is getting most of my highlighter pen ink, however, because it’s 20 years old this year and that’s a fact I find really quite alarming and want to share with the world as much as possible to make myself feel better.

Easily one of Baz Luhrmann’s finest works, a jukebox musical that doesn’t go through the motions, but instead swings and backflips and spins red ribbons round the room in a gorgeous, sumptuous, glorious fanfare of recognisable hooks and winning performances. Oh, and if you’re in the mood for some more Luhrmann, there’s also his take on Romeo And Juliet on Star, which doesn’t have as much Sting in it, admittedly, but does have an exceptionally young-looking Leo capable of breaking your heart with a look, which is a… good thing?

There are plenty of interesting modern comedies to pick from, such as Office Space or Thank You For Smoking - both real favourites of mine - or if you’re willing to rewind time just that little bit more there’s the Robin Williams classic Good Morning Vietnam, but for something really special there’s one of my most watched motion pictures of all time: High Fidelity.

I’m not saying it’s a perfect film, or that its early ‘00s-ness has aged perfectly, but this Nick Hornby adaptation - which took proceedings all the way across the pond and into Chicago - is one of the best out there, combining a few things that mean a lot to me: methodical organisation of music, talking to myself and battling my own thwarted ego. It’s indulgent, it’s wonderful, it’s kinda-sorta a rom-com, it’s one man’s battle against his own appalling “himness”, it’s High Fidelity and let’s be honest, you haven’t watched it in the longest time so let’s fix that, shall we? Plus, Jack Black in this movie - outstanding.

I was hoping for more Coen Brothers Fox films on Star, such as Barton Fink and Raising Arizona, but if the only one I could spot was Miller’s Crossing, then that’s no bad thing at all.

Often overlooked by more casual film fans, this Prohibition-era neo-noir gangster movie starring Gabriel Byrne is filled to the hat-brim with homages, illusions and references to the likes of The Godfather, The Third Man and Le Doulos, as well as the work of Dashiell Hammett, such as The Glass Key and Red Harvest. Honestly, it’s just as cool as all hell; a thrilling, stylish, quirky (if you dare use that word) noir that’s bursting with impeccable dialogue and inspirational cinematography. In short: I love it. I hope you will too.