What do you want to watch tonight?
Each title says who it's good for, and who it isn't. Tap what you want tonight, or say no to one and why.
Closest to Snow White and the Huntsman first
Maleficent 2014
Film
A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. She rises to be the land's fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal – an act that begins to turn her heart into stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading King's successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom – and to Maleficent's true happiness as well.
The sides of Maleficent
- Sleeping Beauty from the villain's side
- A fairy betrayed
- A curse she comes to regret
Good for you if
- you like a villain played with relish and sharp cheekbones.
- you like a lush, magical forest kingdom.
- you want a darker Sleeping Beauty to watch with older children.
Bad for you if
- you can't root for a heroine who curses a newborn baby.
- you have no patience for fairies, curses and a raven turned into a man.
About: betrayal · motherhood · forgiveness
Alice in Wonderland 2010
Film
Alice, now 19 years old, returns to the whimsical world she first entered as a child and embarks on a journey to discover her true destiny.
The sides of Alice in Wonderland
- A young woman falling back down the hole
- A mad hatter and a red queen
- A world she half remembers
Good for you if
- you like a colourful, twisted fairy tale world.
- you like odd characters at a strange tea party.
- you like Wonderland grown up and darker.
Bad for you if
- very strange worlds put you off.
- you want a story carried by its characters' inner lives. Here Wonderland itself is the star.
About: growing up · independence · imagination
His Dark Materials 2019
Series
Lyra is an orphan who lives in a parallel universe in which science, theology and magic are entwined. Her search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and turns into a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. She is later joined on her journey by Will, a boy who possesses a knife that can cut windows between worlds. As she learns the truth about her parents and her prophesied destiny, the two young people are caught up in a war against celestial powers that ranges across many worlds.
The sides of His Dark Materials
- A girl whose soul walks beside her as an animal
- A knife that cuts windows between worlds
- A church that steals children
Good for you if
- you like an Oxford of airships, witches and armored bears.
- you like Lyra chasing the mystery of Dust and of the children who vanish.
- you like Lyra and Will growing up fast, carrying choices far too big for children.
Bad for you if
- you want something light, and this is a dark fantasy about faith and death.
- you can't take children being kidnapped and cut from their daemons.
About: free will · faith · growing up · destiny
As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. Yet, the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.
The sides of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- The biggest battles of the trilogy
- Two hobbits climbing a mountain
- Saying goodbye
Good for you if
- you want the siege of Minas Tirith and the charge of the Rohirrim on a big screen.
- you like an ending that takes its time to say goodbye.
- you've loved this world and want to see it through.
Bad for you if
- over three hours, with several endings, is too much for you.
- you roll your eyes at big, sincere speeches. Aragorn rallies an army at the Black Gate.
About: friendship · sacrifice · home
House of the Dragon 2022
Series
The Targaryen dynasty is at the absolute apex of its power, with more than 15 dragons under their yoke. Most empires crumble from such heights. In the case of the Targaryens, their slow fall begins when King Viserys breaks with a century of tradition by naming his daughter Rhaenyra heir to the Iron Throne. But when Viserys later fathers a son, the court is shocked when Rhaenyra retains her status as his heir, and seeds of division sow friction across the realm.
The sides of House of the Dragon
- A king who names his daughter heir
- Two former friends on opposite sides of a civil war
- Dragons ridden into battle
Good for you if
- you like court politics where every marriage and heir is a move.
- you like a family tearing itself apart over one throne.
- you want dragons fighting in the sky over Westeros.
Bad for you if
- you can't stand brutal births, beheadings and burned armies.
- you need momentum, and the first season spends years on whispers at court.
- you lose track of a family where half the names sound alike.
About: succession · rivalry · family · power
The Witcher 2019
Series
Geralt of Rivia, a mutated monster-hunter for hire, journeys toward his destiny in a turbulent world where people often prove more wicked than beasts.
The sides of The Witcher
- A monster hunter paid in coin
- A sorceress named Yennefer
- A princess on the run with a hidden power
Good for you if
- you like a world of mages, elves and kingdoms at war.
- you want sword fights against monsters and soldiers.
- you like Geralt's dry grunts in the middle of the carnage.
Bad for you if
- you can't stand gore and monsters tearing people apart.
- you'd rather skip the sex scenes, or you watch with others.
- you lose track of kingdoms, mages and timelines jumping years apart.
About: destiny · found family · prejudice · power
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 2022
Series
Beginning in a time of relative peace, we follow an ensemble cast of characters as they confront the re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
The sides of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
- Galadriel hunting Sauron
- The island kingdom of Númenor
- A stranger fallen from the sky
Good for you if
- you want more Middle-earth, thousands of years before the Fellowship.
- you like vast landscapes and battles on a big-screen scale.
- you like Númenor, Lindon and Khazad-dûm built down to the last detail.
Bad for you if
- you need a story that moves fast from one scene to the next.
- you lose track of elves, dwarves, men and Harfoots spread across separate stories.
About: good and evil · power · legacy
Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.
The sides of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
- A small hero with a huge task
- A world with its own history and languages
- A fellowship that may not hold
Good for you if
- you love a world so detailed it feels like it existed before the film.
- you want landscapes that make you want to walk for days.
- you like battles with armies and monsters.
Bad for you if
- three hours is too much, and it's only the first part.
- you need it to move. There is a lot of walking.
About: temptation · friendship · courage · power
Game of Thrones 2011
Series
Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros. Friction between the houses leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the farthest north. Amidst the war, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night's Watch, is all that stands between the realms of men and icy horrors beyond.
The sides of Game of Thrones
- Power games and scheming
- Nobody is safe
- Dragons, battles and a huge world
- Families at war
- Characters you change your mind about
Good for you if
- you like following a dozen families and their schemes at once.
- you like a show where loyalties shift and no one is ever safe.
- you like schemers fighting over the Iron Throne, where a whisper can matter more than an army.
Bad for you if
- brutal deaths and battle wounds ruin a show for you.
- you'd rather skip sex scenes, or you're watching with others.
- eight seasons is more than you want to start.
About: power · loyalty · family · war
Tangled 2010
Film
Feisty teenager Rapunzel, who has long and magical hair, wants to go and see sky lanterns on her eighteenth birthday, but she's bound to a tower by her overprotective mother. She strikes a deal with Flynn Rider, a charming wanted thief, and the duo set off on an action-packed escapade.
The sides of Tangled
- A girl locked in a tower
- A thief who climbs in
- Lanterns in the sky
Good for you if
- you like a chameleon and a horse who steal the show.
- you like songs like "I See the Light" that you end up humming.
- you want a bright, funny fairy tale.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you'd rather skip love stories. Rapunzel and Flynn fall for each other under the lanterns.
About: freedom · growing up · love
Arcane 2021
Series
Amid the stark discord of twin cities Piltover and Zaun, two sisters fight on rival sides of a war between magic technologies and clashing convictions.
The sides of Arcane
- Two sisters on opposite sides of a war
- A rich city above and a poor city below
- Magic powered by crystals
Good for you if
- you like animation that looks like moving paintings.
- you like Vi and Jinx, sisters who love each other and can't stop fighting.
- you like fights cut to songs written for the show.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated series.
- you need some hope, and the bond between the sisters keeps breaking.
About: sisterhood · inequality · grief · progress
The Sandman 2022
Series
After years of imprisonment, Morpheus — the King of Dreams — embarks on a journey across worlds to find what was stolen from him and restore his power.
The sides of The Sandman
- The King of Dreams held captive for a century
- A journey to take back his stolen tools
- Nightmares that walk among humans
Good for you if
- you like a mythology of dreams, Hell and endless beings.
- you like stories that drift from a diner to a dream to Hell.
- you want the Dreaming to look like a world of its own.
Bad for you if
- you want fights. Morpheus mostly talks, bargains and remembers.
- a cruel night in a diner and bloody nightmares ruin it for you.
About: dreams · change · responsibility
Once Upon a Time 2011
Series
There is a town in Maine where every story book character you've ever known is trapped between two worlds, victims of a powerful curse. Only one knows the truth and only one can break the spell.
The sides of Once Upon a Time
- Fairy tale characters cursed into a town in Maine
- A bail bonds woman who is Snow White's daughter
- An Evil Queen who is also the mayor
Good for you if
- you like Snow White and Prince Charming searching for each other through a curse.
- you like a fairy tale world and a modern town swapping places every few episodes.
- you like a mother and the son she gave up finding each other.
Bad for you if
- seven seasons of curses and new realms is too much for you.
- you roll your eyes at speeches about true love and hope.
About: family · redemption · true love
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba 2019
Anime
After a demon attack leaves his family slain and his sister cursed, Tanjiro embarks upon a perilous journey to find a cure and avenge those he's lost.
The sides of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
- A boy whose family is killed by a demon
- A sister turned into a demon
- Sword fights with breathing techniques
Good for you if
- you like sword fights that light up the screen.
- you like a brother who will do anything to save his sister.
- you cry when a demon's human past is finally told.
Bad for you if
- you can't stand demons tearing people apart.
- you don't watch anime.
About: grief · family · revenge
Frodo Baggins and the other members of the Fellowship continue on their sacred quest to destroy the One Ring--but on separate paths. Their destinies lie at two towers--Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where the corrupt wizard Saruman awaits, and Sauron's fortress at Barad-dur, deep within the dark lands of Mordor.
The sides of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
- The siege of Helm's Deep
- Gollum talking to himself
- A fellowship split in three
Good for you if
- you want a night battle in the rain that lasts and lasts.
- you want more of this world: talking trees, horse lords, the marshes.
- you like following three stories at once.
Bad for you if
- three hours, in the middle of a trilogy, is too much for you.
- you roll your eyes at big, sincere speeches. Sam's speech about the good left in this world is one.
About: hope · temptation · war
Captain Jack Sparrow’s got a blood debt to pay: he owes his soul to the legendary Davy Jones, ghastly Ruler of the Ocean Depths. To escape eternal servitude aboard the Flying Dutchman, ever-crafty Jack must track down the still-beating heart of Jones. But he won’t do it alone: Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are drawn back into another one of his perilous quests—assuming they can evade execution for aiding a pirate.
The sides of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
- A pirate owing his soul
- A captain with a face of tentacles
- A sword fight on a rolling wheel
Good for you if
- you like bigger, crazier set pieces than the first one.
- you like Jack Sparrow running from everything.
- you like sea monsters and cursed crews.
Bad for you if
- two and a half hours is more than you want for one evening.
- you lose track when many plots run at once.
About: freedom · debt · loyalty
The Seven Deadly Sins 2014
Anime
The “Seven Deadly Sins”—a group of evil knights who conspired to overthrow the kingdom of Britannia—were said to have been eradicated by the Holy Knights, although some claim that they still live. Ten years later, the Holy Knights have staged a Coup d'état and assassinated the king, becoming the new, tyrannical rulers of the kingdom. Elizabeth, the king's only daughter, sets out on a journey to find the “Seven Deadly Sins,” and to enlist their help in taking back the kingdom.
The sides of The Seven Deadly Sins
- A princess looking for seven banished knights
- A tavern owner who turns out to be their captain
- Holy Knights who seized the kingdom
Good for you if
- you like knights with huge powers and huge fights.
- you like a band of outcasts getting back together.
- you like a fantasy Britannia of fairies, giants and demons.
Bad for you if
- you'd rather skip the running jokes about groping the princess.
- you don't watch anime.
About: loyalty · betrayal · redemption
The Legend of Korra 2012
Series
Avatar Korra, a headstrong, rebellious, feisty young woman who continually challenges and breaks with tradition, is on her quest to become a fully realized Avatar. In this story, the Avatar struggles to find balance within herself.
The sides of The Legend of Korra
- A headstrong young Avatar in a big city
- Martial arts that bend water, fire, earth and air
- A masked rebel who wants to take bending away
Good for you if
- you like fights built on martial arts and the elements.
- you like a 1920s style city with airships, radio and spirits.
- you like a young woman learning she can't win everything with her fists.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated series.
- you roll your eyes at sincere talk about balance and the spirit world.
About: balance · growing up · revolution
Harry, Ron and Hermione continue their quest to vanquish the evil Voldemort once and for all. Just as things begin to look hopeless for the young wizards, Harry discovers a trio of magical objects that endow him with powers to rival Voldemort's formidable skills.
The sides of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- A school becomes a battlefield
- The last duel
- Seven films of answers
Good for you if
- you want a final battle with everything thrown in.
- you like goodbyes to characters you grew up with.
- you like sincere words about love and loyalty said in the middle of a war.
Bad for you if
- you can't take grief tonight. This is a war film, and it has its losses.
- you want the cosy Hogwarts of the early films. This one turns it into a battlefield.
About: sacrifice · death · love
Pan's Labyrinth 2006
Film
In post–civil war Spain, 10-year-old Ofelia moves with her pregnant mother to live under the control of her cruel stepfather. Drawn into a mysterious labyrinth, she meets a faun who reveals that she may be a lost princess from an underground kingdom. To return to her true father, she must complete a series of surreal and perilous tasks that blur the line between reality and fantasy.
The sides of Pan's Labyrinth
- A girl escaping into a fairy tale
- A cruel captain in 1944 Spain
- A faun with three tasks
Good for you if
- you like a dark fairy tale with creatures you won't forget.
- you like a story where the real monsters are human.
- you like a world that's beautiful and frightening.
Bad for you if
- brutal, close-up violence is too much for you.
- you won't read subtitles. It's in Spanish (a dub exists).
About: innocence · cruelty · imagination