You’ve probably been there. You are scrolling through a streaming app at 10 PM, paralyzed by the "Paradox of Choice," and suddenly you find yourself searching by alphabet. It’s a weirdly specific way to browse. But if you’ve landed on the "Ad" section, you’ve actually hit a goldmine of cinematic history that ranges from existential space dread to 1940s gender wars.
Honestly, most people think movies that start with Ad are just a handful of titles like The Addams Family. They couldn't be more wrong.
The Existential Weight of Ad Astra
Let's talk about Ad Astra (2019). When this James Gray film first dropped, the marketing made it look like Interstellar meets Jason Bourne. Brad Pitt in a spacesuit? Sign us all up. But the reality was way more polarizing. It’s a quiet, almost meditative film about a guy with a dangerously low heart rate looking for his dad (Tommy Lee Jones) near Neptune.
Critics mostly loved it, giving it an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences? Not so much. That 40% audience score is brutal. People wanted laser battles; they got a psychological study on toxic masculinity and loneliness. The scene with the "space pirates" on the Moon is cool, sure, but the heart of the movie is really about the terrifying possibility that we are completely alone in the universe.
If you haven't seen it since it left theaters, it’s worth a re-watch. It’s basically Apocalypse Now but in a vacuum. It didn’t set the box office on fire—making about $135 million against a $100 million budget—but it’s one of those films that stays in your brain.
Why Adam’s Rib Still Matters in 2026
If we jump back to 1949, we find Adam’s Rib. This isn't just an "old movie." It’s arguably the peak of the Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn partnership. They play married lawyers who end up on opposite sides of a court case involving a woman (Judy Holliday) who shot her husband.
It’s hilarious. It’s sharp.
But it’s also surprisingly modern. It tackles the double standards of adultery and gender roles with a wit that most modern rom-coms can’t touch. The American Film Institute ranks it as one of the best comedies of all time for a reason. Fun fact: the screenplay was written specifically for Tracy and Hepburn by their close friends, Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin. They based the story on a real-life couple of lawyers who represented opposing sides in a messy divorce and then ended up marrying their respective clients.
You can't make this stuff up.
The Addams Family: A Franchise That Won't Die
You can’t discuss movies that start with Ad without hitting the kooky, spooky powerhouse that is The Addams Family. While the 1964 TV show is iconic, the 1991 movie and its 1993 sequel, Addams Family Values, are the definitive versions for many.
Anjelica Huston as Morticia is literally perfect casting. Raul Julia’s Gomez is so wildly energetic you can’t help but love him. But the real MVP of that era was Christina Ricci as Wednesday. Before the Netflix series Wednesday blew up in recent years, Ricci set the gold standard for deadpan delivery.
A Quick Reality Check on the Versions:
- The 1991 Original: Barry Sonnenfeld’s directorial debut. It’s more of a series of funny vignettes than a tight plot, but it works.
- Addams Family Values (1993): One of the rare cases where the sequel is better. Joan Cusack as the "Black Widow" Debbie is legendary.
- The Animated Reboots (2019/2021): These stayed closer to the original Charles Addams New Yorker cartoons but felt a bit "safe" for long-time fans.
Adrift: The Survival Story That Is Actually True
Then there’s Adrift (2018). Most people see the poster with Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin and assume it's a "Nicholas Sparks at sea" type of deal. It’s not. It is a grueling, heartbreaking survival story based on the real-life experience of Tami Oldham Ashcraft.
In 1983, Tami and her fiancé Richard Sharp were sailing a luxury yacht from Tahiti to San Diego when they hit Hurricane Raymond. The movie uses a non-linear structure to show their romance while cutting back to Tami trying to navigate a ruined boat with no radio and a manual sextant.
The "twist" in the movie—no spoilers here, just in case—is actually a very clever way of representing the hallucinations Tami suffered during her 41 days at sea. It’s a tough watch but a masterclass in solo performance by Woodley.
Small Gems You Probably Skipped
There are a few other movies that start with Ad that don't get the "blockbuster" label but deserve a spot on your watchlist:
- Adventureland (2009): If you’ve ever worked a soul-crushing summer job, this movie is for you. Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart are great, but Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as the park managers absolutely steal the show. It’s set in 1987 and captures that specific "nothing to do" suburban vibe perfectly.
- Admission (2013): A Tina Fey and Paul Rudd joint. It’s a bit more "drama" than "comedy," focusing on the cutthroat world of Ivy League admissions. It didn't do great at the box office, but Fey’s performance as a woman trying to find her biological son is actually quite moving.
- Adventures in Babysitting (1987): A classic 80s "one crazy night" movie. Elisabeth Shue leads a group of kids through the dangerous streets of Chicago. The "Babysitting Blues" scene in the jazz club is a core memory for anyone who grew up with a VCR.
Making the Most of Your Watchlist
When you are diving into movies with this specific prefix, don't just stick to the newest releases. The contrast between a 1940s courtroom drama like Adam's Rib and a 2010s survival thriller like Adrift shows just how much filmmaking has evolved while keeping the same core themes of human connection.
✨ Don't miss: Beyoncé Coffee Table Book: What Collectors Always Get Wrong
If you're looking for a place to start, go with Adventureland for the vibes, Addams Family Values for the laughs, and Ad Astra if you’re feeling philosophical and want to stare at the ceiling for an hour after it ends.
Next Steps for the Movie Buff:
Check your local streaming libraries for the 4K restoration of The Addams Family (1991), as the visual detail in the production design is significantly better than the old DVD versions. If you're interested in the true story behind Adrift, Tami Oldham Ashcraft's book Red Sky in Mourning provides a much more technical and harrowing account of the navigation she had to perform to survive.