Stan has quietly built a collection of some of the best movies to hit streaming in 2026. It's of course difficult to know which way to go, as Netflix continues to release some of the biggest original titles in the world, but Stan has been carving out its own category for some time now.
While the algorithm-chasing giants fight over volume, Stan has leaned into curation, snapping up genuine theatrical heavyweights and running them alongside a growing slate of Australian exclusives.
In Beast, you've got Russell Crowe taking Daniel MacPherson under his boxing wing; Ryan Gosling doing his best stuntman-turned-detective routine in The Fall Guy; and James Vanderbilt's Nuremberg delivering the kind of heavyweight courtroom drama that you would struggle to find across the silver screen in 2026.
Add in whatever else Stan has locked down from the international festival circuit, and you've got a library that punches well above its subscriber count. This is the list of the best movies to watch on Stan Australia in 2026.
Beast
This Stan Original starring Russell Crowe, Daniel MacPherson, and Luke Hemsworth is a raw and gritty sports redemption story. Co-written by Crowe and David Frigerio, it follows a former MMA legend turned local fisherman who is forced back into the cage to save his family after his brother gets financially mixed up with dangerous gangsters.
It’s essentially a modern version of Rocky with some life-or-death stakes set in the MMA world. It’s a bit predictable, but it makes up for it in satisfying comeback vibes. They also filmed the final sequence of Beast in an actual ONE Championship arena in Bangkok, giving it an epic, real-life MMA feel.
Verdict: It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a no-brainer if you like sports movies with underdog heroes.
Marty Supreme
Timothée Chalamet has long been having a moment in Hollywood. And, after his performance in this A24 chaotic sports comedy-drama, his reputation as a generational talent remains intact. Inspired by the life of Marty “The Needle” Reisman, a US table tennis champion from the 1950s, it’s a pacy, frenetic, quirky, and highly stylised movie that follows his journey as he hustles his way to the top.
Basically, Marty Supreme is a satisfying oddball story about a man nobody respects relentlessly chasing greatness through any means necessary. Director Josh Safdie combines vintage visuals with high-stakes drama and offbeat humour, with many critics saying it’s spiritually similar to his previous thriller, Uncut Gems. Chalamet brings a magnetic, if largely unlikeable, quality to the narcissistic grifter at the story’s centre, while Gwyneth Paltrow left her vagina-candle business long enough to make her first silver-screen return since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
Verdict: It’s a relentless, high-anxiety watch, so make sure you’re in the mood.
Nuremberg
This historical thriller starring Russell Crowe and Rami Malek is based on the 2013 book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist. It follows the psychological chess match between U.S. Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Malek) and Nazi leader and war criminal Hermann Göring (Crowe) in the lead-up to the Nuremberg trials.
Directed by James Vanderbilt, it’s more dialogue-dense and tense than action-packed. Think psychological tension and a heavy-hitting performance from Crowe (Malek didn’t get quite the same critical acclaim). The wider cast also has some brilliant names, including John Slattery, Leo Woodall, Michael Shannon, and Richard E. Grant.
Verdict: If you’re in the mood for a tense, big-budget period drama that commands your full attention, this one’s worth a watch.
Monkey Man
Having entered adulthood right around the time that Skins was huge in the UK, Dev Patel’s career trajectory never ceases to amaze me. Slumdog Millionaire put him on the map, but Lion cemented him as a versatile contender, opening the door to a wide range of challenging roles. And the latest twist in an already impressively diverse journey is his ambitious directorial debut.
This revenge thriller, inspired by the Hindu demigod Hanuman and set in India’s underground scene, is dark, violent, and super intense. The story follows a young underground fighter obsessed with bringing vengeance upon the corrupt elite responsible for his mother’s murder and the massacre of his village. To do so, he has to infiltrate a high-society luxury brothel with the help of a marginalised community.
Monkey Man is neon-soaked, incredibly violent, full of fast-paced fight sequences, and has a meaty socio-political undertone. It has an 89% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and won the SXSW Audience Award in 2024.
Verdict: It’s Kill (another relentlessly violent Indian film) meets Snatch meets John Wick. Enjoy.
The Last Night of Amore (L'ultima notte di Amore)
This stylish neo-noir Italian crime thriller combines gritty Euro aesthetics with a tense and slow-burning narrative. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of action and a few high-speed chases thrown in for good measure. The story follows a loyal police lieutenant who gets caught up in a brutal diamond heist on his last night before retirement. And, as he finds himself investigating the shooting of his partner and best friend, he quickly realises he’s in over his head and can no longer play by the rules if he wants to survive.
The Last Night of Amore is well-made with strong performances from both Pierfrancesco Favino and Linda Caridi in the lead roles. It has an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was selected for the Berlinale Special Gala at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival.
Verdict: If you like European films with grit, style, and tight pacing, this one’s for you.
The Secret Agent (O Agente Secreto)
This Brazilian political thriller starring Wagner Moura (who famously played Pablo Escobar in Narcos) swept up some major awards at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, plus four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture at the 98th Academy Awards.
Set in 1977 during Brazil’s military dictatorship, it follows the story of a technology expert who flees his violent past by returning to his hometown. But between the corrupt police, the death threats, and the ever-shifting alliances, he realises he can’t trust anyone.
The Secret Agent is smart, slick, at times chaotic, and packed with high-stakes tension. And at the centre of it all is an incredible performance by Moura that critics called career-defining.
Verdict: Stream it if you’re in the mood for high-quality international cinema with a potent mix of pace and paranoia.
The Fall Guy
Though this action-comedy from Bullet Train director David Leitch performed underwhelmingly at the box office, it’s an entertaining popcorn movie you can and should enjoy from the comfort of your own home.
Starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, it follows the story of a washed-out and injured stuntman who finds himself unravelling a huge criminal conspiracy when he’s roped back into action to find a missing movie star and save his ex-girlfriend’s directorial debut.
The Fall Guy is old-school action filmmaking in all the fun ways, blending comedy and excellent actor chemistry with action-packed spectacles and real-life stunts.
Verdict: Great for when you want to switch your brain off and just enjoy the action.