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(Photo by Paramount / Courtesy Everett Collection. GLADIATOR II.)

30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming

Discover the top, most popular movies available now, along with what’s stoking early buzz and hype! Across theaters, streaming, and on-demand, these are the movies Rotten Tomatoes users are checking out at this very moment, including Gladiator II & Wicked on their way to the dueling debut, new horror Heretic & The Substance starring screen veterans Hugh Grant and Demi Moore, respectively. Plus, Xmas action/comedy Red One, latest film to be Verified Hot.

Check back for latest updates to the charts, and also take a look at the most popular TV shows out right now!)

#1

Gladiator II (2024)
Tomatometer icon 72%

#1
Adjusted Score: 88464%
Critics Consensus: Echoing its predecessor while upping the bloodsport and camp, Gladiator II is an action extravaganza that derives much of its strength and honor from Denzel Washington's scene-stealing performance.
Synopsis: Years after witnessing the death of Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius must enter the Colosseum after the... [More]
Directed By: Ridley Scott

#2

Red One (2024)
Tomatometer icon 32%

#2
Adjusted Score: 41223%
Critics Consensus: Wrapped in slick packaging but wholly lacking in holiday magic, Red One is a ho-ho-hum action-adventure.
Synopsis: After Santa Claus -- Code Name: RED ONE -- is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must... [More]
Directed By: Jake Kasdan

#3

Heretic (2024)
Tomatometer icon 91%

#3
Adjusted Score: 105940%
Critics Consensus: Hugh Grant has infectious fun playing against type in Heretic, a religious horror that preaches the gospel of cerebral chills over cheap shocks.
Synopsis: Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by... [More]
Directed By: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods

#4

Wicked (2024)
Tomatometer icon 90%

#4
Adjusted Score: 105122%
Critics Consensus: Defying gravity with its magical pairing of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, Wicked's sheer bravura and charm make for an irresistible invitation to Oz.
Synopsis: Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway's... [More]
Directed By: Jon M. Chu

#5

The Substance (2024)
Tomatometer icon 90%

#5
Adjusted Score: 111923%
Critics Consensus: Audaciously gross, wickedly clever, and possibly Demi Moore's finest hour, The Substance is a gasp-inducing feat from writer-director Coralie Fargeat.
Synopsis: Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? You, only better in every way. You should try this... [More]
Directed By: Coralie Fargeat

#6

My Old Ass (2024)
Tomatometer icon 90%

#6
Adjusted Score: 101978%
Critics Consensus: A humorous cocktail with a twist of coming-of-age drama, My Old Ass doesn't throw out the wisdom with the reckless abandon of youth and the effects are hallucinogenic.
Synopsis: In this fresh coming-of-age story, an 18th birthday mushroom trip brings free-spirited Elliott (Maisy Stella) face-to-face with her wisecracking 39-year-old... [More]
Directed By: Megan Park

#7

Anora (2024)
Tomatometer icon 96%

#7
Adjusted Score: 113524%
Critics Consensus: Another marvelous chronicle of America's strivers by writer-director Sean Baker given some extra pizzazz by Mikey Madison's brassy performance, Anora is a romantic drama on the bleeding edge.
Synopsis: Sean Baker's Palme d'Or winner ANORA is an audacious, thrilling, and comedic variation on a modern day Cinderella story. Mikey... [More]
Directed By: Sean Baker

#8

Conclave (2024)
Tomatometer icon 92%

#8
Adjusted Score: 106447%
Critics Consensus: Carrying off papal pulp with immaculate execution and career-highlight work from Ralph Fiennes, Conclave is a godsend for audiences who crave intelligent entertainment.
Synopsis: CONCLAVE follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events -- selecting the new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes)... [More]
Directed By: Edward Berger

#9
Adjusted Score: 93950%
Critics Consensus: Decking the halls with unflappable charm and sincere spiritual conviction, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is winningly wholesome family entertainment.
Synopsis: The Herdmans are absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, they steal, they bully... and... [More]
Directed By: Dallas Jenkins

#10

The Wild Robot (2024)
Tomatometer icon 98%

#10
Adjusted Score: 113152%
Critics Consensus: A simple tale told with great sophistication, The Wild Robot is wondrous entertainment that dazzles the eye while filling your heart to the brim.
Synopsis: The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot--ROZZUM unit 7134, "Roz" for short -- that is shipwrecked on an... [More]
Directed By: Christopher Sanders

#11

A Real Pain (2024)
Tomatometer icon 96%

#11
Adjusted Score: 107056%
Critics Consensus: Led by a scene-stealing turn from Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain is a powerfully funny, emotionally resonant dramedy that finds writer-director-star Jesse Eisenberg playing to his strengths on either side of the camera.
Synopsis: Mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother.... [More]
Directed By: Jesse Eisenberg

#12

Emilia Pérez (2024)
Tomatometer icon 79%

#12
Adjusted Score: 91331%
Critics Consensus: Karla Sofía Gascón is Emilia Perez in a swaggering musical crime thriller of genre-bending fascination that is also an unapologetically trans story.
Synopsis: From renegade auteur Jacques Audiard comes Emilia Pérez, an audacious fever dream that defies genres and expectations. Through liberating song... [More]
Directed By: Jacques Audiard

#13

Gladiator (2000)
Tomatometer icon 80%

#13
Adjusted Score: 90966%
Critics Consensus: While not everyone will be entertained by Gladiator's glum revenge story, Russell Crowe thunderously wins the crowd with a star-making turn that provides Ridley Scott's opulent resurrection of Rome its bruised heart.
Synopsis: Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) takes power and strips rank from Maximus (Russell Crowe), one of the favored generals of his predecessor... [More]
Directed By: Ridley Scott

#14
#14
Adjusted Score: 53389%
Critics Consensus: The always watchable Tom Hardy injects ample charisma into Venom: The Last Dance, but the offering buckles under its convoluted tonal ambitions.
Synopsis: In Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel's greatest and most complex characters, for the... [More]
Directed By: Kelly Marcel

#15
#15
Adjusted Score: 55898%
Critics Consensus: Joaquin Phoenix's eponymous Joker takes the stand in a sequel that dances around while the story remains still, although Lady Gaga's wildcard energy gives Folie á Deux some verve.
Synopsis: "Joker: Folie à Deux" finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with... [More]
Directed By: Todd Phillips

#16
#16
Adjusted Score: 105848%
Critics Consensus: Ryan Reynolds makes himself at home in the MCU with acerbic wit while Hugh Jackman provides an Adamantium backbone to proceedings in Deadpool & Wolverine, an irreverent romp with a surprising soft spot for a bygone era of superhero movies.
Synopsis: Deadpool's peaceful existence comes crashing down when the Time Variance Authority recruits him to help safeguard the multiverse. He soon... [More]
Directed By: Shawn Levy

#17

Saturday Night (2024)
Tomatometer icon 78%

#17
Adjusted Score: 91671%
Critics Consensus: Jazzed up by an excellent ensemble that captures the essence if not the exact likeness of SNL's original cast and crew, Saturday Night is a frenetic and nostalgic celebration of one of showbiz's most auspicious debuts.
Synopsis: At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television -- and culture --... [More]
Directed By: Jason Reitman

#18

Here (2024)
Tomatometer icon 35%

#18
Adjusted Score: 43310%
Critics Consensus: While it's heartening to see director Robert Zemeckis return to humanistic storytelling, Here's stagey conceit and overabundance of spectacle rob it of emotional resonance.
Synopsis: Reuniting the director, writer and stars of Forrest Gump, Here is an original film about multiple families and a special... [More]
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis

#19

Megalopolis (2024)
Tomatometer icon 46%

#19
Adjusted Score: 65243%
Critics Consensus: More of a creative manifesto than a cogent narrative feature, Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis is an overstuffed opus that's equal parts stimulating and slapdash.
Synopsis: MEGALOPOLIS is a Roman Epic set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict... [More]
Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola

#20
#20
Adjusted Score: 97418%
Critics Consensus: Cillian Murphy's outstanding acting anchors Small Things Like These, elevating an occasionally enervating historical drama.
Synopsis: Small Things Like These takes place over Christmas in 1985, when devoted father and coal merchant Bill Furlong (Cillian Murphy)... [More]
Directed By: Tim Mielants

#21

Hot Frosty (2024)
Tomatometer icon 82%

#21
Adjusted Score: 82552%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Two years after losing her husband, Kathy magically brings a handsome snowman to life! Through his naïveté, the snowman helps... [More]
Directed By: Jerry Ciccoritti

#22

Juror #2 (2024)
Tomatometer icon 93%

#22
Adjusted Score: 100605%
Critics Consensus: A legal thriller with a heavy conscience, Juror #2 is less a summation of Clint Eastwood's storied directorial career than another terrific reminder of his knack for plain-spoken drama.
Synopsis: "Juror #2" follows family man Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) who, while serving as a juror in a high profile murder... [More]
Directed By: Clint Eastwood

#23

Woman of the Hour (2023)
Tomatometer icon 91%

#23
Adjusted Score: 99991%
Critics Consensus: Deftly directed by star Anna Kendrick, Woman of the Hour uses an incredible true story as the foundation for a powerful examination of the intersection between systemic misogyny and violence.
Synopsis: An aspiring actress crosses paths with a prolific serial killer in '70s LA when they're cast on an episode of... [More]
Directed By: Anna Kendrick

#24

A Different Man (2024)
Tomatometer icon 92%

#24
Adjusted Score: 101932%
Critics Consensus: Surreal and unsettling, A Different Man overcomes an occasionally tenuous narrative grasp by virtue of its bold, provocative approach to serious themes.
Synopsis: Aspiring actor Edward undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns... [More]
Directed By: Aaron Schimberg

#25

Smile 2 (2024)
Tomatometer icon 86%

#25
Adjusted Score: 98683%
Critics Consensus: Blessed with a nerve-jangling star turn by Naomi Scott, writer-director Parker Finn broadens Smile's conceit into a pop stardom nightmare that'll leave a rictus grin on horror fans' faces.
Synopsis: About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and... [More]
Directed By: Parker Finn

#26

The Apprentice (2024)
Tomatometer icon 83%

#26
Adjusted Score: 98573%
Critics Consensus: Instead of cross-examining its subject, The Apprentice gives Sebastian Stan the chance to shine in a simplistic yet entertaining foray into the world of a young Trump.
Synopsis: A young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan), eager to make his name as a hungry second son of a wealthy family... [More]
Directed By: Ali Abbasi

#27

Goodrich (2024)
Tomatometer icon 80%

#27
Adjusted Score: 82456%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Andy Goodrich's (Michael Keaton) life is upended when his wife and mother of their nine-year-old twins enters a 90-day rehab... [More]
Directed By: Hallie Meyers-Shyer

#28
Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A strange disease has spread across the planet, turning people into violent creatures. Manel, who lives in isolation after the... [More]
Directed By: Carles Torrens

#29

We Live in Time (2024)
Tomatometer icon 78%

#29
Adjusted Score: 89061%
Critics Consensus: Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh's palpable chemistry will snatch audiences' hearts before breaking them in We Live in Time, a powerful melodrama that uses its nonlinear structure to thoughtfully explore grief.
Synopsis: Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) are brought together in a surprise encounter that changes their lives. Through snapshots... [More]
Directed By: John Crowley

#30

Don't Move (2024)
Tomatometer icon 73%

#30
Adjusted Score: 75103%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When a killer injects her with a paralytic agent, a woman must run, fight and hide before her body completely... [More]