If your weekend plans involve a couch, a snack, and something worth streaming, Disney Plus has delivered a genuinely impressive lineup this April 2026. Whether you’re in the mood for emotionally rich family drama, a jaw-dropping wildlife journey, or something that earned serious awards attention, the platform has something meaningful for every kind of viewer right now. Let’s break down the best new movies on Disney Plus this week — and why each one deserves a spot on your watchlist.
1. Sentimental Value (2025) — The Award-Season Gem You Need to See
If you missed this one in theaters, now is the perfect time to catch up. Sentimental Value is a 2025 drama film directed by Joachim Trier, co-written with longtime collaborator Eskil Vogt. It follows two sisters, Nora and Agnes, who reunite with their estranged father Gustav — a once-celebrated film director played with quiet brilliance by Stellan Skarsgård — alongside a supporting turn from Elle Fanning as a young Hollywood star who unexpectedly enters their world.
The story is elegantly layered. Gustav offers stage actress Nora the lead role in what he hopes will be his triumphant comeback film. When she declines, he hands the part to the eager American star — and suddenly the two sisters must navigate their complicated history with their father while managing the disruption of an outsider dropped into the middle of their deeply private family dynamics.
What makes this film genuinely special is the way it handles emotional truth without ever becoming melodramatic. Reviewers have praised it for its emotional authenticity, nuanced performances, and thoughtful exploration of family wounds and generational trauma. The script is sharp, the cinematography is restrained and beautiful, and the performances are finely calibrated — particularly Skarsgård, who carries much of the story’s emotional weight through what isn’t said rather than what is.
The film premiered in the main competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Grand Prix. At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it earned a nomination for Best Motion Picture — Drama and won Best Supporting Actor for Skarsgård. It currently sits at a remarkable 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, cementing its reputation as one of the finest films of last year.
If you love quiet, character-driven cinema that rewards your attention and lingers in your mind long after the credits roll, Sentimental Value is exactly that kind of film. It’s a rare cinematic experience about art, broken family bonds, and the complicated, imperfect ways we try to repair what time and pride have damaged.
Why watch it? An Oscar-caliber drama with world-class performances, a deeply human story, and the kind of emotional honesty that great cinema is built on. Don’t sleep on this one.
Watch it now on: disneyplus.com
2. Disneynature’s Orangutan (2026) — The Earth Day Masterpiece
If the drama of human relationships isn’t what you’re after this week, then step away from the living room and into the rainforest canopy of Southeast Asia. Disneynature’s Orangutan premiered exclusively on Disney Plus on April 22, 2026 — Earth Day — and it is already being called one of the best entries in the Disneynature documentary collection.
Narrated by Josh Gad, the film follows Indah, a curious and adventurous young adolescent orangutan who is preparing to leave her family and venture out into the world for the very first time. Set high in the treetops of Borneo and Sumatra, Orangutan captures the beauty, complexity, and surprising emotional depth of life in one of the most biodiverse rainforests on the planet.
Disneynature has spent nearly two decades perfecting the art of making wildlife storytelling accessible, warm, and genuinely moving for all ages — and Orangutan may be one of their finest efforts yet. The film rounds out an unofficial primate trilogy alongside Chimpanzee (2012) and Monkey Kingdom (2015), and fans of those earlier documentaries will find this one deeply satisfying. There’s a poetic continuity to the three films, each one peeling back a different layer of primate society and culture that feels surprisingly familiar to our own.
Directed by Mark Linfield and co-directed by Vanessa Berlowitz — the same duo behind Monkey Kingdom and Tiger — the film is elevated further by an original score composed by Nitin Sawhney, whose music adds genuine emotional texture to every scene. The filmmaking is technically stunning, with footage that puts you right in the middle of the jungle canopy in a way that feels immersive and alive.
The film also carries a real conservation message. In connection with the release, the Disney Conservation Fund is supporting Wildlife Asia and the Leuser Conservation Forum to protect Sumatran orangutans, elephants, and tigers across more than five million acres of critical forest habitat, and to help rebuild the Ketambe Research Center.
Reviews have been glowing. Critics have awarded it a perfect score, describing it as a joyful, emotionally resonant, and visually exhilarating adventure that leans into the Disney storytelling magic more intentionally than perhaps any Disneynature film before it — right down to the charming inclusion of “I Wanna Be Like You” from the classic 1967 animated The Jungle Book.
Why watch it? Beautiful, heartwarming, and genuinely educational — this is the kind of documentary that reminds you why nature storytelling matters. Perfect for families, wildlife lovers, or anyone who simply needs something wonderful on their screen.
Watch it now on: disneyplus.com
Why Disney Plus Is Having a Strong April 2026
Beyond individual titles, it’s worth stepping back and appreciating how well-rounded the Disney Plus catalog has become this month. The platform has evolved far beyond animated classics and superhero sequels — it is now a genuine home for award-season prestige cinema, world-class nature documentaries, and original content that spans every emotional register imaginable.
When it comes specifically to movies worth your time right now, Sentimental Value and Orangutan stand at the top of the list for very different reasons. One is a quiet, profound drama that earned every award it received. The other is a joyful, gorgeous window into a world most of us will never see in person.
Together, they represent Disney Plus at its most diverse and ambitious — a platform that can go from Cannes Grand Prix winner to rainforest adventure in a single scroll.
Final Thoughts: What to Stream This Week
If you only have time for one film this week, your choice comes down to the kind of experience you want. For an emotionally deep, intellectually rich drama that will genuinely move you — choose Sentimental Value. For a warm, visually breathtaking documentary the whole family can enjoy together — choose Orangutan.
Either way, you are not wasting your evening. Both films are exactly the kind of content that reminds us why we love movies in the first place. They transport us, expand our empathy, and leave us thinking about something larger than ourselves.
That’s not a small thing. That’s exactly what great cinema is supposed to do.
So grab your remote, settle in, and let Disney Plus do the rest.
