20 Movies to Stream Before This Year’s Blockbuster Sequels Arrive

2026 is coming in hot with sequels like it just found your Netflix password and decided to “keep watching” on your behalf.
We’ve got toys returning, ogres resurfacing, superheroes colliding, witches stirring the pot (literally), and at least one
December weekend that looks like a cinematic cage match.

The problem: sequel trailers love spoilers. The solution: beat them to the punch with a smart, fun streaming watchlist that
refreshes the characters, the big emotional turns, and the “ohhhh that’s why everyone screams when that symbol appears”
momentswithout turning your week into homework.

Below are 20 movies that are either direct lead-ins or the most useful “catch-up chapters” for this year’s biggest sequels.
Streaming availability changes constantly, so treat this like a menu: if something isn’t on your subscriptions, it’s usually
rentable on major VOD platforms the same way pizza is “usually” available when you need comfort.

How to Use This Watchlist (So You Don’t Burn Out)

• Pick your franchises. You don’t need to watch everythingjust the worlds you’re genuinely excited to revisit.
• Go “most recent” for continuity. For tight storylines (hello, Marvel and Dune), prioritize the latest installments.
• Go “best entry” for vibes. For comedy-heavy franchises (hello, Shrek), the tone matters as much as plot.
• Leave room for snacks. This is not optional. This is law.

20 Movies to Stream Before This Year’s Blockbuster Sequels Arrive

Animated & Family Comfort Food

1. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

   Before the next adventure blasts off into deeper Mushroom Kingdom chaos, revisit the movie that turned rainbow roads into
   box-office gold. It’s bright, fast, and stuffed with gamer-friendly detailsbut the real reason to rewatch is the character
   chemistry: Mario’s stubborn optimism, Luigi’s anxious courage, and Peach’s “I have no time for your nonsense” competence.
   If the sequel is going bigger, this one is your baseline for the world’s rules and tone.

2. Toy Story 3 (2010)

   If you only rewatch one Toy Story before the next chapter, make it this emotional demolition ball. It’s where the franchise
   says goodbye to childhood with a lump-in-your-throat grace that still lands years later. Beyond the tears, it’s also the movie
   that cements what these characters mean to each otherso when Toy Story 5 starts tugging those threads again, you’ll feel it.

3. Toy Story 4 (2019)

   Toy Story 4 is the “what now?” chapterwhere the toys learn that happily-ever-after isn’t a single destination, it’s a series of
   tough choices. It’s also the cleanest bridge into Toy Story 5 because it reshuffles relationships and purpose in a way that clearly
   sets up the next big question: what do toys do when the world changes faster than they can keep up?

4. Shrek (2001)

   The fairy-tale parody that somehow became a fairy tale itself. Shrek works because the jokes are sharp, the heart is sincere,
   and the soundtrack is basically a time machine to early-2000s mall culture. Rewatch it now to remember the franchise’s secret sauce:
   it roasts the genre while still loving itlike a friend who teases you but also shows up with soup when you’re sick.

5. Shrek Forever After (2010)

   This is the last mainline Shrek movie, which makes it the most useful “where are we emotionally?” checkpoint before Shrek 5 arrives.
   It’s the installment that asks what happens after the jokes and the weddingswhen real life shows up and you’re still you, just older,
   busier, and occasionally tempted to make wildly irresponsible deals. (Relatable.)

6. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

   Before the sequel brings the heels back to the runway, revisit the original masterclass in workplace comedy-drama. It’s endlessly quotable,
   weirdly comforting, and sneakily sharp about ambition, identity, and the cost of “making it.” Plus, it’s the rare movie where a side-eye can
   count as a full paragraph of dialogue. You’ll want the character dynamics fresh so the sequel’s power shifts hit harder.

Superhero Homework That Actually Slaps

7. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

   If the new Spider-Man movie is a “fresh start,” then No Way Home is the seismic event that makes that restart necessary.
   It’s big, emotional, and packed with consequences that don’t politely wrap themselves up. Rewatch for Peter’s evolution from
   “kid trying his best” to “hero making impossible choices,” because the sequel’s tone shift makes more sense when you remember
   what he sacrificed to get there.

8. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

   You know how some movies end and you go, “Wait… that’s illegal”? Infinity War is that feeling in IMAX. It’s the ultimate ensemble
   balancing act and the clearest snapshot of how the Marvel machine builds momentum: character pairings, moral dilemmas, and a villain
   who treats logic like a weapon. If Doomsday is going for epic scale, this is your reminder of what “epic” looks like when it’s done well.

9. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

   Endgame is less a sequel and more a cultural event disguised as a movie. It’s closure, grief processing, and victory-lap storytelling,
   all in one. Why rewatch before Doomsday? Because Marvel sequels love echoing emotional beatswho stepped up, who stepped aside, and what the
   team identity really is when the dust settles. Also: it’s still wildly satisfying.

Big-Screen Worlds You Can Get Lost In

10. Dune (2021)

    If you remember Dune as “a lot of sand and whispered prophecy,” try it again with fresh eyes. It’s deliberate, atmospheric, and obsessed
    with powerhow it’s inherited, manufactured, and stolen. Rewatch it to re-ground yourself in the politics and the prophecy machinery, so
    Dune’s next chapter doesn’t feel like getting dropped into a foreign language mid-sentence.

11. Dune: Part Two (2024)

    Part Two turns the simmer into a boil: romance, rebellion, and the terrifying speed at which a story can become a religion.
    It’s also the installment that puts character choices front and centerespecially the ones that feel triumphant now but might read as tragic later.
    Before the next film arrives, rewatch for the moments that foreshadow the cost of victory.

12. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

    This reboot-sequel hybrid had no business being as fun as it is. It’s a clever “video game rules” comedy with a surprisingly big heart,
    and it sets the tone for the modern franchise: chaotic teamwork, avatar logic, and a story that understands the difference between laughing
    at a character and laughing with them. If Jumanji 3 goes bigger, this is the blueprint.

13. Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)

    Next Level doubles down on the franchise’s best trick: identity comedy. When the avatars swap personalities, the cast has to act like they’re
    actingwithout turning it into a gimmick. It’s also where the world expands, the stakes get weirder, and the rules start bending in ways that
    a third movie will almost certainly exploit. (The game always wants a rematch.)

Screams, Stabbings, and “Finish Him!” Energy

14. Scream (1996)

    The original Scream is still the franchise’s DNA: sharp, self-aware, and somehow both funny and genuinely tense. Rewatching it before Scream 7
    isn’t just nostalgiait’s context. You’ll catch how the series builds rules, breaks them, then builds new ones from the rubble. Also, it’s a reminder
    that the scariest thing in horror is not the knife…it’s someone who understands genre conventions too well.

15. Scream VI (2023)

    Scream VI modernizes the franchise’s paranoia with the “everyone has a podcast mic” era of fandom and obsession. It’s fast, intense, and surprisingly
    emotional about trauma and legacy. Even if Scream 7 pivots back toward earlier characters, this installment is a key “how the franchise breathes now”
    reference pointespecially if the new movie plays with what “survivor” means.

16. Mortal Kombat (2021)

    Mortal Kombat (2021) is a bruising, gory invitation to a world where subtlety gets uppercutted into the sun. It’s also a smart re-entry point:
    you get the realm politics, the rivalries, and the tone (part myth, part blood-splatter amusement park). Rewatch now so Mortal Kombat II’s inevitable
    escalation feels like a natural next roundnot a random combo string you can’t follow.

17. Violent Night (2022)

    Imagine Die Hard, but Santa has a hammer and unresolved feelings. Violent Night is a holiday action movie that commits to its premise with zero shame,
    which is exactly why it works. Before Violent Night 2 turns the chaos up again, revisit this one for the tone: heartfelt enough to count as Christmas,
    unhinged enough to make you whisper, “Did Santa just…?” Yes. Yes he did.

Spells, Satire, and Dystopian Drama

18. Practical Magic (1998)

    Practical Magic is cozy chaos: romance, sisterhood, small-town gossip, and the kind of witchcraft that feels like it smells faintly of rosemary.
    Rewatching it now is less about plot details and more about emotional texturebecause sequels to cult favorites live or die on whether they can
    recreate that specific vibe. Also: yes, you’re legally required to crave midnight margaritas afterward.

19. The Hunger Games (2012)

    The original Hunger Games is still the cleanest introduction to Panem’s cruelty and Katniss’s reluctant heroism. If Sunrise on the Reaping is going to
    explore the mythology around the Games from a different angle, you’ll want the foundational injustices and symbolic language fresh: the spectacle, the
    propaganda, and the way survival turns into rebellionwhether you asked for it or not.

20. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)

    This prequel complicates the world by showing how monsters are madepolitically, socially, and personally. It’s a smart pairing with the 2012 film because
    it reframes what you thought you knew about the system that later crushes Katniss. If Sunrise on the Reaping sits between these eras, this movie is your
    “how the Capitol thinks” decoder ring.

A Simple Binge Plan (Pick One Track)

Final Thoughts

The best “movies to stream before sequels” aren’t always the ones that cram every plot fact into your brainthey’re the ones that restore the emotional
core of the story. When the 2026 sequels hit, you’ll recognize the callback lines, sure. But more importantly, you’ll remember why you cared in the first place.
And if you forget a minor character’s name? Congratulations: you’re watching like a normal person, not a franchise spreadsheet.

Extra: of Streaming Experience (A.K.A. How to Actually Enjoy a Pre-Sequel Marathon)

Here’s the underrated truth about building a pre-sequel watchlist: the hardest part isn’t finding the right moviesit’s managing your own attention span.
Streaming makes everything feel instant, but sequels reward patience. The sweet spot is treating your marathon like a mini-event, not a punishment.
Set a start time you can keep, pick a “track” (two to four movies max in a day), and accept that you’re allowed to pause for food without narrating the plot to yourself.
(Nobody wins an Oscar for “Most Dedicated Couch Sitter.”)

The best marathons also have rhythm. Pair a heavier movie with a lighter one. For example: follow the existential punch of Toy Story 3 with something
that’s pure joyMario’s candy-colored chaos or Shrek’s fairy-tale dunking. If you stack five emotional epics in a row, your brain starts buffering like it’s
on hotel Wi-Fi. Variety keeps the experience fun, and fun is the whole point. This isn’t a thesis defense; it’s movie night with better snacks.

A practical tip that sounds silly until you try it: take “sequel notes,” but make them dumb. Not plot notesvibe notes. After each movie, jot down one line:
“This is the one where Peter learns consequences,” or “This is peak Miranda Priestly menace,” or “This is the Dune film where the prophecy goes from idea to wildfire.”
Those tiny reminders are enough to make the sequel feel richer, because you’re primed for themes, not trivia. Themes are what filmmakers actually build sequels around,
even when the marketing pretends it’s all explosions and surprise cameos.

Also: choose your viewing format like it mattersbecause it does. Some movies thrive on a big screen and good sound (Dune: any of them), while others are perfect
“kitchen-adjacent” comfort watches (Practical Magic, The Devil Wears Prada). If you’re watching with friends, designate a “remote manager” so the group doesn’t spend
18 minutes debating subtitles while the popcorn cools. Subtitles are great. Debating them like it’s the U.N. Security Council is less great.

Finally, embrace the joy of rewatching without pretending it’s productivity. A pre-sequel marathon is basically emotional time travel: you’re revisiting who you were
when you first met these characters and noticing what lands differently now. That’s why sequels keep showing upthey’re not just continuing a story; they’re
continuing your relationship with that story. So laugh at the jokes you forgot, cry at the scenes you swore wouldn’t get you again, and enjoy the weird,
wonderful fact that in 2026, the cultural glue holding us together might be an ogre, a space plumber, and a Santa who fights like a Viking.