Romeo + Juliet

Right now you can watch Romeo + Juliet in Australia on Disney Plus and Stan, and in the UK on Disney Plus — and the chemistry between the leads carries every scene. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. With 5,379 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Leonardo DiCaprio is the anchor, and the chemistry with the rest of the cast carries every scene. Start it on Disney Plus whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Romeo + Juliet earns its spot. Romeo + Juliet treats its central relationship as something worth taking seriously. In this contemporary take on William Shakespeare's classic tragedy, the Montagues and Capulets have moved their ongoing feud to the sweltering suburb of Verona Beach, where Romeo and Juliet fall in love and secretly wed. Though the film is visually modern, the bard's dialogue remains. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes lead a cast that makes the relationship feel genuine, not scripted. Romeo + Juliet came out in 1996. The relationship at the centre of Romeo + Juliet develops at a pace that feels earned rather than rushed for plot reasons. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Romeo + Juliet is ideal for viewers who want romance served with real character development. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. The chemistry Leonardo DiCaprio brings to it is the engine that drives everything. A rarer quality than it sounds — earning the romantic beats rather than assuming them.