The best Robin Williams movies available to watch now
In his decades-spanning career, Robin Williams ably leaped from comedy to drama, often in the same movie and sometimes even in the same scene. Whether you're going to snort-laugh or ugly-cry at the Oscar-winning actor's work — and we bet you do at least one of them, if not both — we've rounded up where you can watch Williams' greatest films in the privacy of your own home.
Here are the best Robin Williams movies now streaming or available to rent.
1. Good Will Hunting
Williams is known for operating at an 11, but his first and only win at the Academy Awards was for a relatively quiet — and quietly devastating — supporting role in this 1997 Gus Van Sant drama. Featuring an Oscar-winning screenplay by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Good Will Hunting is funny and foul-mouthed, full of South Boston accents and quotable lines. Yet it's also a surprisingly emotional drama that remains effective decades after nabbing nine Oscar nominations.
Damon stars as Will Hunting, a troublemaking janitor at MIT who is revealed to be smarter than the school's students when he solves an advanced problem on a classroom blackboard. To avoid jail time after a fight, Will is required to study mathematics with a professor (Stellan Skarsgård) and undergo therapy, which is how he meets psychologist Sean Maguire (Williams). Sean is the embodiment of empathy, with Williams' eyes radiating kindness and compassion, especially in his park bench monologue scene. With its underdog plotline, Good Will Hunting could feel like something we've seen so many times before, but these performances (including an Oscar-nominated one from Minnie Driver) and the specifics of its setting make it feel fresh and impactful.
How to watch: Good Will Hunting is now streaming on Max.
2. Aladdin
With Chrisses Pratt, Evans, and Hemsworth (and many other A-listers) appearing in animated films now, it's easy to forget that once upon a time, big-name actors didn't often do voice work. Yet what makes Aladdin an enduring classic is undeniably due to Williams' role as Genie. Sure, this pillar of Disney's Renaissance has those magical musical numbers (especially Oscar- and Grammy-winner "A Whole New World"), gorgeous animation, and additional comic relief from Gilbert Gottfried as talking parrot Iago, but Williams' work here set the bar for stars in cartoons. His unpredictable presence also certainly helped the movie to break the record for the top-grossing animated film at the time.
Williams' improvisational, quick-talking take on the classic character from One Thousand and One Nights is one of the greatest voice performances ever, full of whiplash-inducing energy and fast-delivered impressions. Its maniacal speed and old-school references mean that kids won't understand everything (some impersonations, like William F. Buckley and Ed Sullivan, even predate their parents at this point), but his supreme silliness transcends time. So much of the joy of watching a Williams performance often comes from the variety of faces he pulls, but his voice alone in Aladdin still feels like a revelation. That feeling is most clear during the song "Friend Like Me," which will leave you breathless and giggling if you try to sing along and match Williams' frenetic pace. Best of luck to you.
How to watch: Aladdin is now streaming on Disney+.
3. The Fisher King
In films like Monty Python and the Holy Grail, director Terry Gilliam often satirized Arthurian legend and epic quests, but he presents a more sincere take on these myths with The Fisher King. Williams earned his third Oscar nomination as Parry (aka Parsifal for you grail nerds), a sweetly manic, unhoused man who is searching for the sacred object… in '90s-era New York City. Jeff Bridges stars as Jack, a former shock jock who hopes Parry can provide redemption for his role in the tragedy that connects them.
Even though The Fisher King isn't a satire, it's not a purely serious film; Richard LaGravenese's script has plenty of humor, and the cast frequently gets laughs for their dialogue delivery. With Willams and Bridges, The Fisher King has two generational talents working at the top of their respective games, but they don't carry this movie alone. Mercedes Ruehl won an Oscar for her supporting role as Jack's long-suffering girlfriend, and Amanda Plummer is delightfully daffy as the object of Parry's affection.
Gilliam and Williams only worked together twice (the actor also had an uncredited role in the director's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen), but they shared an off-kilter sensibility. Even though The Fisher King offers fewer grotesqueries than the typical Gilliam film, it is enjoyably odd and full of imagination, turning New York City into something truly magical in an iconic scene in Grand Central.
How to watch: The Fisher King is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
4. Dead Poets Society
Watching this all-timer of a tearjerker was a rite of passage for '80s and '90s teens of a certain creative bent. Yet the themes of Dead Poets Society about the importance of individuality and art in a world that values conformity and money remain relevant decades later — perhaps especially for those would-be poets who have become lawyers, doctors, and businesspeople. (It me.) It doesn't hurt that those messages are often delivered with real heart and earnestness by Williams, who stars as iconoclastic boarding school teacher John Keating.
In addition to Williams, Peter Weir's moving drama features early turns from Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles, and Robert Sean Leonard as students. Their presence may have also been a motivating factor for any teens who liked cute boys to watch. (It also me.) Inspired by Keating's teaching to "seize the day," they rebel against the strict discipline of their parents and the boring curriculum of the school with tragic results. The film netted Williams his second Oscar nomination and screenwriter Tom Schulman a win, but its enduring legacy may be how many people it inspired to either read more poetry or become teachers like Williams' John Keating.
How to watch: Dead Poets Society is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
5. The Birdcage
Some of The Birdcage might seem regressive to audiences lucky enough to live in a post-Obergefell v. Hodges world, but it's hard to state how progressive the uproarious comedy felt for moviegoers in 1996. With a box office take of $185 million worldwide, The Birdcage was a mainstream hit. It still ranks as one of the top-grossing LGBTQ+ movies* of all time, but Mike Nichols' film was also a cultural phenomenon that was a rare positive, cheerful take on gay sexuality in the '90s.
Elaine May's script adapts the 1978 French film La Cage aux Folles for American audiences, moving its story from Saint Tropez to South Beach. Williams and Nathan Lane star as Armand and Albert, a devoted gay couple whose son (Dan Futterman) wants to marry the daughter (Calista Flockhart) of an ultra-conservative senator (Gene Hackman) and his wife (Dianne Wiest). To avoid creating a political scandal, Lane's Albert uses his drag queen experience to pretend to be his son's mother at a meet-the-parents dinner where the only predictable element is hilarity. Williams doesn't exactly play the straight man (no pun intended) in The Birdcage, but he's a gracious performer who lets Lane really go for it as the bigger, more flamboyant role of the two leads. When "We Are Family" plays at the end of the movie, it's hard not to dance along with glee at what you've just seen, whether in the style of Fosse, Martha Graham, Twyla, Michael Kidd, or Madonna.
How to watch: The Birdcage is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
6. Awakenings
Few directors have had three-film runs as good as Penny Marshall's ping-ponging between comedy and drama with Big, Awakenings, and A League of Their Own in the late '80s and early '90s. The life-affirming (and sob-inducing) story of Awakenings is inspired by neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks' book about his experiences working with comatose patients. In the Oscar-nominated drama, Williams plays Sacks analogue Dr. Malcolm Sayer, who thinks a medication used to treat Parkinson’s may also work to wake up his patients. He tests the drug on a patient named Leonard (Robert De Niro, in a role based on Sacks' real patient Leonard Lowe), who has been in a coma for decades. Lowe's sudden return to waking life allows him the chance to learn about the changed world and connect with those around him.
Though De Niro got an Academy Award nomination for his performance in this 1990 film, Williams is equally valuable in this story about life and love. It's a more staid role for Williams than audiences generally expected at that point in his career, but he is still so expressive and full of humanity.
How to watch: Awakenings is now streaming on Paramount+.
7. Good Morning, Vietnam
Williams awakened Oscar voters to his talent with this Vietnam War comedy, which earned him his first of four nominations. He stars as Adrian Cronauer, an airman sent to Saigon to serve as a DJ for the local military radio station. Anyone who has seen a Robin Williams performance will be unsurprised that his chatterbox, scattershot style and modern music do not endear him to his stern, stick-in-the-mud superiors (Bruno Kirby and J.T. Walsh). However, he earns praise among the enlisted men, acting as a shot of caffeine (or perhaps pure adrenaline) for listeners to his morning shift on the air.
Directed by Barry Levinson, Good Morning, Vietnam marks one of Williams' funniest performances, which is especially notable for a movie set during the Vietnam War. It has moments of drama that underscore the conflicted attitudes toward the war, but this largely serves as a vehicle for Williams' comedic talent. While watching, it's easiest to identify with co-star Forest Whitaker, who can frequently be seen cracking up in the background, shoulders shaking with laughter.
How to watch: Good Morning, Vietnam is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
8. Insomnia
Throughout most of his career, Williams was best known for being the good guy — or at least the weird guy — but 2002 saw him starring as a pair of creepy villains with roles in One Hour Photo and this Christopher Nolan thriller. After the success of the indies Following and Memento (and before taking on the mantle of the Batman franchise), Nolan directed his first studio movie with Insomnia, a remake of the acclaimed 1997 Norwegian film. Insomnia also stars Al Pacino as a Los Angeles detective sent to Alaska to aid a local cop (Hilary Swank) in a murder investigation, while he himself is the target of an internal affairs probe for misconduct back home. Meanwhile, Williams chills as the prime suspect, though there's never much doubt about his guilt. The murder mystery isn't what propels the movie forward; instead, it's more of an opportunity for Nolan to dig into the moral murkiness of these characters and their actions. For both Williams and Pacino, Insomnia marks a highlight of their work this century, with the former playing against type to chilling results and the latter showing new shades of a familiar type in his filmography.
How to watch: Insomnia is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
9. Mrs. Doubtfire
The premise — a divorced American dad convincingly dresses up like an elderly British lady to spend time with his kids after a divorce — is frankly bonkers, but Williams' performance both makes the plot work and elevates Mrs. Doubtfire into something both hilarious and moving. Credit is certainly due to the Oscar-winning makeup effects that transformed Williams into the title housekeeper, but the actor's go-for-broke approach to the character-within-a-character still astounds (and earned the film almost half a billion dollars at the worldwide box office). What also makes Mrs. Doubtfire such a joy is seeing Williams interact with his three young co-stars, especially Mara Wilson. He always had great on-screen chemistry with kids, which isn't shocking given how he often projected a childlike sense of wonder and goofiness.
Though Williams offers the kind of gut-busting performance he was known for, Sally Field is almost as memorable as his ex-wife, especially when she gets an epic freak-out scene when the truth of her housekeeper's identity is finally revealed. The film has some ideas about gender and sexuality that are now considered behind-the-times (at best), but there's a real sense of warmth coursing through Mrs. Doubtfire that helps it avoid any nastiness.
How to watch: Mrs. Doubtfire is now streaming on Disney+.
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