Let the suspense drive you wild. Plot twist! The 12 best thriller movies on Hulu Let the suspense drive you wild. By Kevin Jacobsen, :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/ILANAGORDONHEADSHOT80577598f8ed442cacff5de184ceb9f5.jpg) Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles. EW's editorial guidelines December 29, 2025 10:00 a.m. ET Leave a Comment :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/sebastianstanfreshAmberMidthunderpreynatalieportmanblackswan0704251bd0184fb54a4b18abf2d17ecf029684.

Let the suspense drive you wild.

Plot twist! The 12 best thriller movies on Hulu

Let the suspense drive you wild.

By Kevin Jacobsen,

Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

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Sebastian Stan as Steve in 'Fresh'; Amber Midthunder as Naru in 'Prey'; Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers in 'Black Swan'. Credit:

Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures; David Bukach; Niko Tavernise/Fox Searchlight

There's something about a good thriller that's unlike any other film-watching experience. The sometimes unbearable suspense of wondering what will happen next can propel even the most mediocre thriller movies forward, and the best ones can use that tension to also probe deep into the psyches of our protagonists.

Fortunately, streaming giant Hulu has dozens of compelling thrillers readily available to watch now. Ahead, we've rounded up our picks for the 12 best thrillers on the streamer, including action classics like *Die Hard* (1988), psychological mind-benders like *Black Swan* (2010), and newer favorites like *Longlegs* (2024).

Black Swan (2010)

Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers in 'Black Swan'. Niko Tavernise/Fox Searchlight

A psychological thriller like no other, *Black Swan* is so twisted that the viewer becomes almost as mentally confused as Nina (Natalie Portman), a ballerina at war with the dark and light sides of herself. Since it's a Darren Aronofsky film, we know it's not destined to be feel-good; instead, *Black Swan* is a fascinating exploration of personality under pressure. Portman gives an Oscar-winning performance, juxtaposing Nina's innocent exterior with her ambitious attempts to channel her internal darkness to play the Black Swan in *Swan Lake*. These efforts put Nina's mental state in great peril, and Aronofsky manages to craft a gorgeous, horrific, psychological descent against the regimented, sublime backdrop of ballet. —*Gwen Ihnat*

Where to watch *Black Swan*: Hulu

**EW grade:** B+

**Director:** Darren Aronofsky

**Cast:** Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder, Barbara Hershey

Decision to Leave (2022)

Park Hae-il as Det. Jang Hae-jun and Tang Wei as Song Seo-rae in 'Decision to Leave'. Mubi

What happens when a detective and a murder suspect find themselves inexorably drawn to each other? Auteur director Park Chan-wook makes a meal of this concept in *Decision to Leave*, a romantic thriller in which a detective (Park Hae-il) develops an obsession with an enigmatic widow (Tang Wei) whose husband recently fell to his death, severely complicating the investigation. EW's critic praises *Decision to Leave* for its "surreal cinematic flourishes and breezy dollops of dark humor," trademarks of director Park's filmography that nonetheless feel fresh due to his restrained yet evocative approach. —*Kevin Jacobsen*

Where to watch *Decision to Leave*: Hulu

**EW grade:** B+

**Director:** Park Chan-wook

**Cast:** Tang Wei, Park Hae-il

Die Hard (1988)

Bruce Willis as John McClane in 'Die Hard'. Twentieth Century Fox

Fans have debated whether *Die Hard* is a Christmas movie for more than three decades, but it's an agreed-upon fact that the film launched one of the most beloved action thriller franchises of all time. The first of five installments introduces audiences to the series' hero — New York police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) — who has traveled to Los Angeles hoping to rekindle a romance with his estranged wife, Holly. After German terrorists — led by the nefarious Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) — take control of the building where Holly's company's Christmas party is being held, holding her and her co-workers hostage, McClane must work to take down the terrorists from the inside to save his family.

The world has *Die Hard* to thank for elevating both Willis' and Rickman's careers, and while Willis' 2022 retirement brought an end to the franchise, *Die Hard* will always be remembered as the movie that helped cement Willis' legacy as one of the foremost action stars of all time. —*Ilana Gordon*

Where to watch *Die Hard*: Hulu

**Director:** John McTiernan

**Cast:** Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedelia

Eileen (2023)

Thomasin McKenzie as Eileen Dunlop and Anne Hathaway as Rebecca Saint John in 'Eileen'.

This spellbinding psychological thriller unfolds like a pulpy mystery novel, where the dynamic between the characters is even more intriguing than the mystery. Thomasin McKenzie plays the title character, a meek secretary at a prison who finds herself bewitched by the arrival of Rebecca (Anne Hathaway), a glamorous psychologist (think Cate Blanchett in *Carol*) who interviews a troubled inmate. The two women develop a connection, and, after Rebecca gets Eileen involved in the case she's working on, we see just how far the latter is willing to go to help the former. EW's critic calls *Eileen* "a marvelously uneasy thriller soaked in simmering eroticism, Hitchcockian swivels, and wintry." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Eileen*: Hulu

**EW grade:** A–

**Director:** William Oldroyd

**Cast:** Thomasin McKenzie, Anne Hathaway, Shea Whigham, Marin Ireland, Owen Teague

Femme (2024)

Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Jules in 'Femme'.

This underseen British thriller explores heavy topics like homophobia, the cost of revenge, and the complex relationship between attacker and victim. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett plays Jules, a drag performer who endures a violent assault by a stranger named Preston (George MacKay). Three months later, he encounters Preston again at a gay bathhouse — though Preston doesn't recognize Jules out of his drag makeup and invites him back to his apartment. Thus begins a thorny relationship in which Jules plots vengeance, though their dynamic soon takes a fascinating turn. With two superbly committed performances from Stewart-Jarrett and MacKay, *Femme* tells a fascinatingly complicated story with surprising nuance. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Femme*: Hulu

**Directors:** Sam H. Freeman, Ng Choon Ping

**Cast:** Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, George MacKay, Aaron Heffernan, John McCrea, Asha Reid

Fresh (2022)

Sebastian Stan as Steve in 'Fresh'. Searchlight Pictures

Given that the title sequence doesn't begin until 30 minutes into the film, *Fresh* may start out like a rom-com, right down to the meet-cute in a grocery store. But by the time you're actually invested in the apparently burgeoning romance between the equally excellent Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan as Noa and Steve, things take a turn for the markedly sinister as Noa's dream guy transforms into something quite different. EW's critic deems *Fresh *"a clever, gory metaphor for the seemingly endless horrors of modern romance rooted in a plot twist just outrageous enough to plausibly be true." To say anything else would spoil the fun, so we'll just say that the film's title is more than apt. *—G.I.*

Where to watch *Fresh*: Hulu

**Director: **Mimi Cave

**Cast: **Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jonica T. Gibbs, Charlotte Le Bon, Andrea Bang

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How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022)

Marcus Scribner as Shawn, Jake Weary as Dwayne, and Ariela Barer as Xochitl in 'How to Blow Up a Pipeline'.

Neon/Courtesy Everett Collection

Based on Andreas Malm's controversial book of the same name, *How to Blow Up a Pipeline* follows a group of young climate activists who plan to destroy an oil pipeline in West Texas to prompt more immediate action in addressing the climate crisis. One wrong step could risk being caught by authorities, or even putting themselves in harm's way. Unfolding with the tension of a heist movie, the film doesn't just entertain as an action thriller but also gives valid reasons as to what led each activist to take such drastic measures in the hope of saving the planet. The film also raises questions about whether such actions are effective in prompting change, while presenting its characters as complex humans. *—K.J.*

Where to watch *How to Blow Up a Pipeline*: Hulu

**Director:** Daniel Goldhaber

**Cast: **Ariela Barer, Kristine Froseth, Lukas Gage, Forrest Goodluck, Sasha Lane

Longlegs (2024)

Nicolas Cage as Longlegs in 'Longlegs'.

Nicolas Cage takes a big swing (arguably bigger than usual) in this quietly haunting horror-thriller from Osgood Perkins (son of *Psycho* star Anthony Perkins). The go-for-broke actor plays a mysterious serial killer known only as "Longlegs," who is involved in a string of murder-suicides dating back decades. FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) investigates and eventually discovers a disturbing secret about her own connection to the case. "Perkins collects his simple component parts and somehow transforms this into such an unnerving film," writes EW's critic. "*Longlegs *is definitely a step above the others." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Longlegs*: Hulu

**Director:** Osgood Perkins

**Cast:** Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt

Prey (2022)

Amber Midthunder as Naru in 'Prey'. David Bukach/Hulu

The *Predator* monster has terrified audiences for more than 35 years, but in the story's prequel and fifth installment, the tables turn and the monster becomes the prey. The film follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a Comanche warrior with the heart of a hunter, who seeks to prove her skills and protect her tribe by catching a predator. Professional basketball player-turned-horror star Dane DiLiegro plays the film's eponymous villain and says the story is strong enough to win viewers over, even without its affiliation to the beloved horror franchise.

In an interview, he tells EW, "There just happens to be a Predator involved. Honestly, you could have shot this movie with a different monster and it still probably would have worked." If you're in the market for a solid thriller that still makes time to flesh out its main characters, sink your teeth into *Prey*. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Prey*: Hulu

**Director: **Dan Trachtenberg

**Cast: **Amber Midthunder, Dane DiLiegro, Dakota Beavers, Michelle Thrush, Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat

Run (2020)

Kiera Allen as Chloe Sherman and Sarah Paulson as Diane Sherman in 'Run'. Everett Collection

On the surface, Diane (Sarah Paulson) seems like the perfect mother: Her 17-year-old daughter, Chloe (Kiera Allen), was born with health issues, and Diane has devoted her life to homeschooling and taking care of her. But now that Chloe is applying to colleges and on the brink of setting off into the real world, she begins to notice that Diane's love may be masking secrets that Chloe could never dream of. And the more Chloe learns about herself and her mother, the more danger she finds herself in.

A suspenseful psychological horror thriller that deals in themes of parental love, control, and what happens when the umbilical cord is cut too late, *Run *owes its success to the commitment of its stars. Newcomer Allen is a joy to watch, but it's Paulson who, as EW's critic writes, puts a "sweeter face" on depravity. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Run*: Hulu

**Director:** Aneesh Chaganty

**Cast: **Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen

Sanctuary (2023)

Margaret Qualley as Rebecca Marin and Christopher Abbott as Hal Porterfield in 'Sanctuary'.

Neon/Courtesy Everett Collection

Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott are the only stars of this taut psychological thriller. Qualley plays Rebecca, a woman interviewing Abbott's Hal at a hotel for a CEO position; as the film soon reveals, however, Rebecca is actually Hal's dominatrix, and this was all part of a carefully planned script. Hal breaks the news to Rebecca that because he's about to inherit his father's company, they have to end their arrangement. This enrages Rebecca, who demands half his new salary, and the pair engage in a battle for control. Unfolding with simmering suspense, *Sanctuary* is a scintillating thriller about sex and power, evoking Steven Soderbergh's *Sex, Lies, and Videotape* (1989), ironically starring Qualley's mother, Andie MacDowell. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Sanctuary*: Hulu

**Director:** Zachary Wigon

**Cast:** Margaret Qualley, Christopher Abbott

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Bruce Willis as Malcolm Crowe and Haley Joel Osment as Cole Sear in 'The Sixth Sense'. Everett Collection

Everyone knows the kid in *The Sixth Sense* can see dead people. Most know the twist at the end. And still, M. Night Shyamalan's horror thriller holds up as a gloriously crafted ghost story anchored by three impeccable performances. Bruce Willis stars as a child psychologist who tries to help young Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a troubled boy who sees grisly visions of the dead, with Toni Collette as his desperate mother. The film's strengths lie in narrative momentum, doling out information at just the right pace for maximum impact. "Running the scenes over in your head afterward," writes EW's critic, "uncovers a construction that rewards wide-awake attention." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Sixth Sense*: Hulu

**Director:** M. Night Shyamalan

**Cast:** Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams

- Movie Reviews & Recommendations

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Published: January 03, 2026 at 06:38PM on Source: RON MAG

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byKris Ronald

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 03, 2026

Plot twist! The 12 best thriller movies on Hulu

Let the suspense drive you wild. Plot twist! The 12 best thriller movies on Hulu Let the suspense drive you wild. By Kevi...

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Dwayne Johnson reveals how his parents' personal struggles influenced one of his heartbreaking mo...

Johnson dug deep to play UFC fighter and MMA pioneer Mark Kerr in the biopic &34;The Smashing Machine.&34; Dwayne Johnson reveals how his parents' personal struggles influenced one of his heartbreaking movie scenes Johnson dug deep to play UFC fighter and MMA pioneer Mark Kerr in the biopic &34;The Smashing Machine.&34; By Lauren Huff :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/PXL202501060627063092a245c0a56a194868af7b6a47af56223c.jpg) Lauren Huff Lauren Huff is an awardwinning journalist and staff writer at with over 12 years of experience covering all facets of the entertainment industry.

Johnson dug deep to play UFC fighter and MMA pioneer Mark Kerr in the biopic "The Smashing Machine."

Dwayne Johnson reveals how his parents' personal struggles influenced one of his heartbreaking movie scenes

Johnson dug deep to play UFC fighter and MMA pioneer Mark Kerr in the biopic "The Smashing Machine."

By Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff is an award-winning journalist and staff writer at ** with over 12 years of experience covering all facets of the entertainment industry.

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Dwayne Johnson in 'The Smashing Machine'. Credit:

Things got personal for Dwayne Johnson while filming a pivotal moment in the Mark Kerr biopic *The Smashing Machine*.

In the scene, Mark (Johnson), a UFC fighter and MMA pioneer, has just overdosed and is in the hospital. His friend, Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader), pays him a visit and implores him to go to rehab. Though Johnson's character has had a few private emotional moments in the film to this point, this scene is the first time he's really vulnerable and breaks down in front of anyone else.

To nail the scene, Johnson tells host Gerrad Hall on *The Awardist* podcast about the two things from his own life that inspired him. The first is his own father's addiction. "My dad had an addiction, and I have lived that life where my dad was a fast talker, and he could fast talk his way in and outta things," the actor and wrestler says. "And I like to say that, you know, he quit his addiction in the morning, and by the evening time he quit quitting. You know, that's what addicts do is oftentimes they'll try to lure you in, and the moment they see a little opening that, 'Oh, you're believing my story,' that's it. Hooks are in, and I just wanna get onto the next."

Dwayne Johnson in 'The Smashing Machine'.

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He continues of the scene, "I have lived that, where you hear, and you see Mark in the hospital [going], 'Can you believe these guys? It was so unfair. They're asking me who the president was. And I was just coming through and I was unconscious.'"

The other deeply personal moment Johnson pulled from was seeing his mom in the hospital during her treatment for cancer. "The second half to that, is more — it hurts my heart — is that when my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer, she was diagnosed with stage 3B lung cancer. And when you know those stages, that's not good. You know you gotta have those conversations with your family," he recalls.

Though his mom would go on to make a full recovery, Johnson vividly remembers her first day of treatment and what the doctor said when he came into the room. "She was laying on the hospital bed, and I was kind of standing over her, holding her hand. And then the doctor came in and the doctor, he didn't say, 'Hey, you're gonna be all right.' He said, 'We're gonna take good care of you.'"

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Johnson continues, "And I'll never forget it. She pulled the sheets up over her face, and she started, like, really crying. And I had never seen my mom cry like that. In the moment, I looked down and I saw this, like, little girl, you know?"

The *Jungle Cruise* star says he felt like his character probably felt the same way about his own hospital stay, and he brought that into his performance. "I felt like that's probably the last place that Mark Kerr wants to be as well," he says. "Just like it was the last place my mom wanted to be in that moment of vulnerability, and you're looking up at people and you just wanna cover your face. So yeah, that's where I went."**

Listen to Johnson's full interview alongside costar Emily Blunt on *The Awardist* podcast, below.

- Movie Reviews & Recommendations

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Published: January 03, 2026 at 06:38PM on Source: RON MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byKris Ronald

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 03, 2026

Dwayne Johnson reveals how his parents' personal struggles influenced one of his heartbreaking mo...

Johnson dug deep to play UFC fighter and MMA pioneer Mark Kerr in the biopic &34;The Smashing Machine.&34; Dwayne Jo...

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Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz details what he originally wrote for Elphaba's new ballad. Discover what was cut from Cynthia Erivo's new Wicked: For Good song 'No Place Like Home' Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz details what he originally wrote for Elphaba's new ballad. By Patrick Gomez :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/pgomezheadshot25b24b6c6d8948899ca9b24a6a9a6844.jpg) Patrick Gomez is an Executive Editor at . Formerly at People magazine and The A.V.

Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz details what he originally wrote for Elphaba's new ballad.

Discover what was cut from Cynthia Erivo's new Wicked: For Good song 'No Place Like Home'

Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz details what he originally wrote for Elphaba's new ballad.

By Patrick Gomez

Patrick Gomez is an Executive Editor at . Formerly at People magazine and The A.V. Club, the Critics Choice and Television Critics Association member has appeared on 'Today,' 'Extra!,' 'Access Hollywood,' 'E! News,' 'CNN,' and 'Nightline,' and can be seen frequently on 'Good Morning America.' Follow the Texas Native at @PatrickGomezLA wherever your media is social for all things 'For All Mankind' 'Top Chef,' and puppy related.

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Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in 'Wicked: For Good'. Credit:

*Wicked* lyricist and composer Stephen Schwartz says "Girl in the Bubble," his new Glinda song in *Wicked: For Good*, "arrived, essentially, full-born." His new song for Elphaba...not so much.

It was — somewhat — obvious where Glinda (Ariana Grande) earned another musical number and what it would be about. But crafting Elphaba's (Cynthia Erivo) additional tune started with the why rather than the when.

Schwartz tells ** that he, screenwriters Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, director Jon M. Chu, and producer Marc Platt "felt it was really important, given the sacrifice Elphaba makes at the end of the movie, that we understand how much she loved Oz, despite the fact that it doesn't show a lot of love to her — and how painful it would be for her to even contemplate leaving Oz."

"In looking for a place to explore that, Winnie came up with the idea that animals would be trying to escape, and that Elphaba would come upon them and try to persuade them not to," he continues.

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in 'No Place Like Home' scene in 'Wicked: For Good'.

Universal Pictures

Where exactly that would happen in the film "did move around a bit," as the structure of the expanded second act of the *Wicked* story solidified. And that wasn't the only thing in flux as "No Place Like Home" came together.

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"There was more of the song written, as frequently happens, than wound up in the movie," Schwartz reveals. "There was a whole intro that [Elphaba] did by herself, which is now one spoken line of dialogue in her cave. And there was a whole thing afterwards when she arrived back at her childhood home and responded to it. Those went away, and just the core of her in treating the animals remained."

In an attempt to get the animals to stay, "she tries to express what she feels about the place that she's in and what she wants for those she's fighting for," Erivo recently said in a video exclusive to EW. "It almost becomes the mission statement for her."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

"I think it really becomes a beautiful song of resistance," Erivo concluded. "I loved singing it and when we did it on the Yellow Brick Road, which is really iconic and special, it felt really powerful. That home that she's known and loved this entire time might not want her, but it doesn't mean that it makes it any less like home."

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Published: January 03, 2026 at 06:38PM on Source: RON MAG

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byKris Ronald

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 03, 2026

Discover what was cut from Cynthia Erivo's new Wicked: For Good song 'No Place Like Home'

Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz details what he originally wrote for Elphaba's new ballad. Discover what was cut...

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Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo, and more lend their voices to Disney's Oscarwinning animated film. See the Encanto voice cast sidebyside with the magical characters they play Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo, and more lend their voices to Disney's Oscarwinning animated film. By Allison DeGrushe :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/allisondegrusheEWbiophotoe5f8e89253c84b7085a43c502a3051a4.jpg) Allison DeGrushe Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at . She has been working at since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify. EW's editorial guidelines January 3, 2026 9:00 a.m.

Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo, and more lend their voices to Disney's Oscar-winning animated film.

See the *Encanto *voice cast side-by-side with the magical characters they play

Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo, and more lend their voices to Disney's Oscar-winning animated film.

By Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at **. She has been working at * *since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify.

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Stephanie Beatriz; Mirabel Madrigal in 'Encanto'. Credit:

Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage; Disney

- *Encanto,* released in November 2021, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

- Stephanie Beatriz leads the cast as Mirabel, who endeavors to save her family once their magical gifts begin to fade.

- John Leguizamo, Diane Guerrero, and Wilmer Valderrama round out the voice cast.**

In the years since its 2021 release, Disney's *Encanto* has cemented itself as a modern classic thanks to its catchy songs and heartfelt story. ** called the animated feature a "smiling tale about familial reconciliation" praising its charm and celebration of family.

Directed by *Zootopia*'s Byron Howard and Jared Bush, with original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the film follows the Madrigal family, who live in a magical house in Colombia. Every family member has a magical gift — except for Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz).

When Mirabel observes the family's magic is starting to fade, she sets out to uncover the cause and fix it before it's too late.

*Encanto*, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, has an incredible voice cast, many of whom are Colombian. Below, see the voice cast of *Encanto* side-by-side with the magical characters they bring to life.

Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel Madrigal

Stephanie Beatriz; Mirabel Madrigal in 'Encanto'.

Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage; Disney

Stephanie Beatriz rose to fame as the deadpan Detective Rosa Diaz on *Brooklyn Nine-Nine* (2013–2021). Currently, you can see her on Peacock's *Twisted Metal* (2023–present) and Netflix's *A Man on the Inside *(2024–present).

She's also a prolific voice actress, having worked on *BoJack Horseman* (2018–2019), *The Legend of Vox Machina* (2022–2024), and *Big Mouth* (2023–2025).

She'll next appear alongside Melanie Lynskey and Max Greenfield in Netflix's musical comedy *Don't Say Good Luck*.

Beatriz leads *Encanto* as Mirabel Madrigal, who sets out to save her loved ones and their home as their magical gifts begin to fade.

The actress previously told the *New York Times *that she enjoyed how Mirabel is the source of so much of *Encanto*'s comedy. "Unlike so many Disney heroes, she doesn't have a sidekick to guide her through the story," she said. "Mirabel sometimes is the sidekick and the therapist for her family. She uses comedy all the time. There wasn't some other character doing sight or audio jokes. It was Mirabel, and that was very freeing and fun."

María Cecilia Botero and Olga Merediz as Abuela Alma Madrigal

Mari­a Cecilia Botero; Abuela Alma Madrigal in 'Encanto'; Olga Merediz.

Dominik Bindl/WireImage; Disney

María Cecilia Botero and Olga Merediz shared the role of Abuela Alma Madrigal. Botero provided the character's speaking voice, while Mereiz handled the songs. As the keeper of the Madrigal's magical legacy, Alma feels the weight of protecting the gift that the whole village depends on to live.

Botero is a former TV presenter and Colombian telenovela star with numerous credits to her name. Recently, she played Dora's grandmother in the Paramount+ movie *Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado* (2025).

As for Merediz, she earned a Tony nomination for her performance in Lin Manuel Miranda's *In the Heights*, a role she reprised in the 2021 film. She also played the mother of Beatriz's character on *Brooklyn Nine-Nine*.

In an interview with KTLA5, Merediz said that matching Botero's tone "was a challenge," revealing that she listened to her closely to stay as "faithful" as possible to her "rich, low" voice.

John Leguizamo as Bruno Madrigal

John Leguizamo; Bruno Madrigal in 'Encanto'.

Manny Carabel/Getty; Disney

John Leguizamo's fascinating screen career includes work with directors like Brian De Palma (*Carlito's Way*), Tony Scott (*The Fan*), Baz Luhrmann (*Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!*), George A. Romero (*Land of the Dead*), and M. Night Shyamalan (*The Happening*), as well as roles in the *Ice Age* (2002–present) and *John Wick *(2014–2017) franchises.

He'll next appear as part of the A-list ensemble of Christopher Nolan's *The Odyssey. ***

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Here, Leguizamo voices Bruno Madrigal, the mysterious uncle (and subject of viral hit "We Don't Talk About Bruno") whose visions of the future leave him isolated from the family.

"It was interesting to try to create this character that was just awkward. He was an awkward dude," Leguizamo told ScreenRant of Bruno. "Jared [Bush] and Byron [Howard], the directors, were really helpful in letting me go to the weirdest places because my intonations are really bizarre and offbeat."

Carolina Gaitán as Pepa Madrigal

Carolina Gaitan; Pepa Madrigal in 'Encanto'.

Carlos Alvarez/WireImage; Disney

Carolina Gaitán, a well-known Colombian actress and singer, previously worked with Botero on *Hermanitas Calle *(2015–2016). She guested on *Narcos *(2015) and starred on the Colombian telenovela *Sin senos sí hay paraíso* (2016–2019). You can also see her as a judge on season 5 of *X Factor Colombia*.

Gaitán plays Pepa Madrigal, Mirabel's aunt with the magical ability to control the weather with her emotions.

Mauro Castillo as Félix Madrigal

Mauro Castillo; Felix Madrigal in 'Encanto'.

Paul Archuleta/Getty; Disney

Colombian salsa singer Mauro Castillo is the former lead vocalist of the Grammy-winning group Grupo Niche. He was recently honored with the Order of Knights in the Arts by the Congress of Colombia, and invited to perform at the White House during Black History Month in 2024.

Castillo plays Félix, Mirabel's easygoing uncle and Pepa's husband. The performer previously explained to *Billboard* how he tapped into his own roots when bringing the character to life.

"[Félix] is from the Caribbean coast. But I took the liberty of adding to the character some little things from my Pacific coast," he said. "In fact, the scene in Antonio's room where he rides on the Jaguar called Parce, is a scene recreated from the Chocó region in the Pacific coast, where I am from. The birds, the species that are seen there are from Chocó."

Jessica Darrow as Luisa Madrigal

Jessica Darrow; Luisa Madrigal in 'Encanto'.

John Lamparski/Getty; Disney

Jessica Darrow made her screen debut in the holiday romcom *Feast of the Seven Fishes *(2019) before landing her breakthrough with *Encanto*. Since then, she's appeared on TV shows like *Fifteen-Love* (2023) and *The Residence* (2025).

Here, Darrow lends her voice to Luisa Madrigal, Mirabel's super-strong older sister. She also sings one of *Encanto*'s biggest hits, "Surface Pressure," which climbed the charts and earned quadruple-platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

She explained to *Billboard* that Miranda encouraged her to "ride these notes" on the track rather than aim for perfection. "[That] is what I ended up doing and it's ironically Luisa's journey: you don't have to be so perfect, stop being so rigid," she said.

Angie Cepeda as Julieta Madrigal

Angie Cepeda; Julieta Madrigal in 'Encanto'.

Jaime Nogales/Medios y Media/Getty; Disney

Like many of her *Encanto *costars, Angie Cepeda is a familiar face in Colombian film and television, though she's appeared in several U.S. productions, including *Love in the Time of Cholera* (2006), *Jane the Virgin *(2016), and *Halo* (2022).

Cepeda voices Julieta Madrigal, Mirabel's mom whose food has the magical power to heal.

Diane Guerrero as Isabela Madrigal

Diane Guerrero; Isabela Madrigal in 'Encanto'.

Gotham/WireImage; Disney

Diane Guerrero turned heads as the snarky Maritza Ramos on *Orange Is the New Black* (2013–2019), though you may also know her as Lina on *Jane the Virgin *(2014–2019) and Crazy Jane on the DC series *Doom Patrol* (2019–2023). The actress also wrote a memoir about her parents, *In the Country We Love: My Family Divided*.

Guerrero voices Mirabel's oldest sister, Isabela, who can make flowers bloom anywhere. In an interview with Collider, the actress said the experience was "surreal."

"To see a character from Colombia, I was so afraid that I wasn't ever gonna be understood … It was rarely portrayed in film and in storytelling, in this way," she said.

Wilmer Valderrama as Agustín Madrigal

Wilmer Valderrama; Agusti­n Madrigal in 'Encanto'.

Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty; Disney

Wilmer Valderrama charmed audiences as Fez on *That '70s Show* (1998–2006) and currently stars as Nick Torres on *NCIS* (2016–present). Valderrama's voice can also be heard in animated projects like* Handy Manny* (2006–2013), *Onward* (2020), and *Zootopia 2* (2025).

Here, the actor plays Mirabel's dad, Agustín Madrigal, who married into the family. At the time of *Encanto*'s release, he described Agustín as someone "desperately trying to fit into this magical family" despite having no powers of his own.

Yet he ended up channeling his lack of magic as his gift. "There was something very sweet about that demeanor, and I think it gave him this naive and sweet, misguided attempt at really connecting with his daughter," he explained.

Rhenzy Feliz as Camilo Madrigal

Rhenzy Feliz; Camilo Madrigal in 'Encanto'.

Maya Dehlin Spach/WireImage; Disney

Prior to joining *Encanto*, Rhenzy Feliz starred on *Marvel's Runaways *(2017–2019). He returned to the comic book world in 2024 with a leading role on HBO's *The Batman* spinoff *The Penguin*.

He's since branched out to movies, most recently popping up in Kelly Reichardt's *The Mastermind* (2025) alongside Emmy winner Josh O'Connor. Coming up, Feliz will star with Nicholas Hoult and John C. Reilly in David Leitch's *How to Rob a Bank*.

Feliz voices Camilo Madrigal, Pepa and Félix's shapeshifting teenage son.

Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Antonio Madrigal

Ravi Cabot-Conyers; Antonio Madrigal in 'Encanto'.

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty; Disney

Ravi Cabot-Conyers received an Emmy nomination for his performance as Wim on *Star Wars: Skeleton Crew* (2024–present). The young actor is now set to headline Jon Favreau's upcoming *Oswald the Lucky Rabbit *on Disney+.

In *Encanto*, Cabot-Conyers plays Antonio Madrigal, Pepa and Félix's youngest child (and Mirabel's cousin) who can communicate with animals. "He's a little bit of an introvert," the young actor said in an interview, "but when he got his gift, he started being able to communicate with everybody, not just Mirabel, [who] kind of feels like his bestie."

Adassa as Dolores Madrigal

Adassa; Dolores Madrigal in 'Encanto'.

Emma McIntyre/Getty; Disney

*Encanto *marks Adassa's onscreen debut, as she initially built a name for herself as a singer. She's collaborated with several popular artists, including Flo Rida ("I Wanna Feel Real"), Pitbull ("Loca"), and four-time Grammy winner Missy Elliott on a remix of "1, 2 Step."

In the film, Adassa lends her voice to Mirabel's cousin, Dolores, whose magical gift is heightened hearing.

Maluma as Mariano Guzman

Maluma; Mariano Guzman in 'Encanto'.

Enea Lebrun/Getty; Disney

Latin music superstar Maluma made his acting debut in *Encanto*. Since then, he's shared the screen with Jennifer Lopez in the romantic dramedy *Marry Me *(2022), playing the philandering fiancé of Lopez's character.

He has three Grammy nominations to his name, and has collaborated with plenty of music icons, including Madonna, The Weeknd, and Ricky Martin, to name a few.

In *Encanto*, Maluma portrays Mariano Guzman, a hopeless romantic engaged to Isabela. Reflecting on the "amazing" experience, Maluma told *Allure* that *Encanto* has helped highlight Colombia's beauty.

"It feels great when you fly to other countries and they don't talk about [drug lord] Pablo Escobar anymore. They don't talk about violence and drugs [when they think about Colombia] For me, that's beautiful," he said.

"They talk about *Encanto*. They talk about Maluma. They talk about James Rodríguez, the soccer player. They talk about Karol G," he continued. "It's amazing that people are recognizing all the positive things about Colombia. *Encanto* really showed the beauty of our country. I was super proud to be part of it … That's Colombia: pure magic."

Where can I watch Encanto?**

*Encanto *is now streaming on Disney+.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.*****

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Published: January 03, 2026 at 04:38PM on Source: RON MAG

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January 03, 2026

See the Encanto voice cast side-by-side with the magical characters they play

Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo, and more lend their voices to Disney's Oscarwinning animated film. See the  Encanto   v...

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Charo’s Pet Bull Once Got Loose in Her Beverly Hills Home, Says “Love Boat ”Costar Jill Whelan

Charo's Pet Bull Once Got Loose in Her Beverly Hills Home, Says "Love Boat "Costar Jill Whelan Virginia ChamleeJanuary 3, 2026 at 7:30 PM 0 Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Jill Whelan and Charo Love Boat star Jill Whelan is remembering a hilarious story involving Charo and her pet bull In a podcast, Whelan said she and Charo "reconnected" after the longrunning sitcom She also mentioned Charo's love of animals — and how a rather large one wound up on her staircase Love Boat star Jill Whelan is recounting her "favorite" Charo story.

- - Charo's Pet Bull Once Got Loose in Her Beverly Hills Home, Says "Love Boat "Costar Jill Whelan

Virginia ChamleeJanuary 3, 2026 at 7:30 PM

0

Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Jill Whelan and Charo -

Love Boat star Jill Whelan is remembering a hilarious story involving Charo and her pet bull

In a podcast, Whelan said she and Charo "reconnected" after the long-running sitcom

She also mentioned Charo's love of animals — and how a rather large one wound up on her staircase

Love Boat star Jill Whelan is recounting her "favorite" Charo story.

Whelan, who played Vicki Stubing on the long-running sitcom, recently chatted with Tori Spelling on her misSPELLING podcast.

When the topic came around to Charo, Whelan, 59, noted that the two recently "reconnected" and often get together to have paella at her home.

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ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty (2)

Jill Whelan and Charo in 'The Love Boat'

"People need to understand she's all this 'cuchi-cuchi' stuff, but she's one of the brightest people I know," Whelan said of the Spanish actress, who played a recurring role on The Love Boat.

"She's the no. 3 classical flamenco guitarist, still to this day, in the world. She practices four hours every day," Whelan added.

As Whelan noted, while Charo became known for her flamboyant persona and signature "cuchi-cuchi" catchphrase, the Spanish entertainer is multifaceted, and is also an avid animal lover — so much so that she once had a pet bull at her Beverly Hills home.

"So she rescued a little bull named Manolo. That was the bull's name. Before Manolo Blahnik. ... anyway, and she had it in her house in Beverly Hills," Whelan recalled.

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"So the bull just kept getting bigger. And one day, somebody did not close the bullpen that they built in the backyard, and the slider was open," she shared. "And she was upstairs singing. And all of a sudden, she hears this, 'Clip clop, clip clop' ... And she sees the bull starting to come up the stairs because he hears his mama singing. The thing is, bulls can climb stairs, but they can't go down them."

"So he's halfway up the stairs and her husband Kjell — she's screaming, 'Kjell, Kjell, come help me with 'nolo. He's coming up the stairs,'" she continued, referring to Charo's late husband, Kjell Rasten, who died by suicide at age 78 in 2019.

"And all of a sudden, he's pulling on the bull from behind by the tail, and she's pushing the bull down the stairs to get... well, yeah. So this is her life, like, on the daily. This is how she lives her life," Whelan said with a laugh.

Whelan recently reunited with Charo and fellow costars Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell and Ted Lange on Princess' The Love Boat Celebration, which set sail out of Galveston, Texas, to Mexico on Nov. 16 for a seven-night sailing.

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Published: January 03, 2026 at 04:36PM on Source: RON MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byKris Ronald

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 03, 2026

Charo’s Pet Bull Once Got Loose in Her Beverly Hills Home, Says “Love Boat ”Costar Jill Whelan

Charo's Pet Bull Once Got Loose in Her Beverly Hills Home, Says "Love Boat "Costar Jill Whelan Virgini...

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Why Helen Mirren 'didn't like' playing a dying woman in Goodbye June — and why she said yes to di...

Winslet, who directs and also stars, tells EW about creating a distraction and chaosfree set to help set a better tone for Mirren. Why Helen Mirren 'didn't like' playing a dying woman in Goodbye June — and why she said yes to director Kate Winslet Winslet, who directs and also stars, tells EW about creating a distraction and chaosfree set to help set a better tone for Mirren. By Gerrad Hall :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/Gerrad413fcf02541834f43bb26c0de8fe66f66.jpg) Gerrad Hall is an editorial director at , overseeing movie, awards, and music coverage.

Winslet, who directs and also stars, tells EW about creating a distraction- and chaos-free set to help set a better tone for Mirren.

Why Helen Mirren 'didn't like' playing a dying woman in Goodbye June — and why she said yes to director Kate Winslet

Winslet, who directs and also stars, tells EW about creating a distraction- and chaos-free set to help set a better tone for Mirren.

By Gerrad Hall

Gerrad Hall is an editorial director at **, overseeing movie, awards, and music coverage. He is also host of *The Awardist* podcast, and has cohosted EW's live Oscars, Emmys, SAG, and Grammys red carpet shows. He has appeared on *Good Morning America*, *The Talk*, *Access Hollywood*, *Extra!*, and other talk shows, delivering the latest news on pop culture and entertainment.

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She's died a handful of times before in movies — stabbed to death in *Caligula*, shot in the head in *Shadowboxer*, strangled in *Excalibur* — but Helen Mirren "didn't like" how her character was going to meet her end, director Kate Winslet tells **, in *Goodbye June*.

"She did say quite early on, 'I don't really want to be doing this at all, but I'm doing it for you and I'm doing it to support you,'" Winslet, making her feature directorial debut with the movie in which she also stars as one of Mirren's daughters, recalls of their early conversations. "I felt so grateful, but also, I didn't want to be putting her through something."

In the movie (streaming now on Netflix) written by Winslet's now 22-year-old son Joe Anders, Mirren's character, the titular June, discovers her cancer has returned. This time, it's terminal, and doctors say she doesn't have much time to live...in fact, she probably won't make it until Christmas, which is just two weeks away. So her four adult children, two of whom — Winslet's Julia and Andrea Riseborough's Molly — have a fraught relationship, her grandchildren, and her husband, Bernie (Timothy Spall), gather to be with June in her final days.

Helen Mirren and Kate Winslet in 'Goodbye June'.

Kimberley French/Netflix

As June's health declines, though, Mirren — who Winslet says has a personal rule of not playing characters with dementia or cancer, but broke that rule for her director — preferred not to discuss the ins and outs of the illness.

"The way that she kind of managed herself, really, was that she didn't actually wanna talk about anything until we got there on the day. So she would get there, she would be prepared, but then she would just say to me, 'I don't like it today. I don't like, I don't like the gown and the wig and the thing. I don't want to get in the bed. Okay, right, I've got that off my chest. What shall I do?'" Winslet recalls. And I would say, 'Get in the bed. lie down, don't move your head. Okay, action.' And I just had to be very practical with her. What more do you offer someone like Helen Mirren who is going to instinctively respond to whatever's in front of her in brilliant ways?"

Kate Winslet shares how her son's school assignment became her directorial debut

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Winslet went the extra step to create a set that was free of as many distractions as possible, "not by way of direction or things or words or clever tricks or s---, I didn't wanna do any of that 'cause she would've sniffed that out a mile off and become incredibly suspicious of it, as would I, and as I have done when directors have tried that with me," Winslet says. That meant making herself, the production equipment (cameras, lighting, microphones, etc.), and crew out of sight, however she could.

Johnny Flynn and Helen Mirren in 'Goodbye June'.

Kimberley French/Netflix

"Film sets are really busy places, lots of coming and going and people and chaos and crew, and everyone's trying to do their job. So I worked very closely with our crew in finding ways to make the space as empty as possible. So we didn't have any overhead booms; we had hidden microphones everywhere, and everyone was radio mic'd," she explains. "So the boom operator who would normally hover in the corner and just catch that one line, that person wasn't there at all. The children were completely free and wandering, no one hitting marks, just playing and just being."

Winslet says she and the crew also used various hand signals with the adult actors to know they were rolling, so they could start naturally interacting with the children for the scenes — especially important for one particular sequence that comes at the end of the film, when they stage the Nativity play for June in the hospital.

Helen (Toni Collette) and her nieces and nephews perform the Nativity play in 'Goodbye June'.

Kimberley French/Netflix

"I also was able to lock off our cameras at times and have nobody in the room at all. So the actors would show us how they wanted a scene to be, and we would set our camera, set our focus, and then I'd say to the actors, 'Okay, we'll leave you to it.' And they'd go, 'Where are you going?' And I would say, 'I'm gonna be just out there. You don't need us.' And we'd leave everyone. Everyone, camera operators included, would walk away, and these actors would be alone with cameras silently rolling, and no people in the space at all," she says. "It really made a difference to how they all felt. It gave that sense of realism and intimacy, and the smallness of it was really meaningful for them."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

While June's children spend their time by their mother's side, it's her husband who seems to be in denial about her condition — watching football on TV or going to the local pub rather than face the reality of the situation. But after his son yells at him for seemingly not caring, he realizes the depths of his heartbreak when he finds him singing Ray Charles' "Georgia" — one of the couple's favorite songs — at the local bar, but changing the lyrics to "Junie."

Kate Winslet and Timothy Spall on the set of 'Goodbye June'.

Kimberley French / Netflix

"That was the only scene in editing when I just literally could not stop crying," Winslet admits, "because even though I'd seen it, and I was there on the day, and it was incredibly moving on the day, actually really shaping it and sculpting it in the edit, oh my God, it's just extraordinary.... How much that Bernie is hiding and concealing even from himself, existing in a state of denial and regret about his own life and the impact that that has on him, being able to just communicate on even a very basic level, it's completely heartbreaking."**

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Source: "EW Drama"

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Source: Drama

Published: January 03, 2026 at 03:38PM on Source: RON MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byKris Ronald

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 03, 2026

Why Helen Mirren 'didn't like' playing a dying woman in Goodbye June — and why she said yes to di...

Winslet, who directs and also stars, tells EW about creating a distraction and chaosfree set to help set a better tone for Mir...

Read More