How To Stream West Side Story - Harper's Bazaar

Robert Wise's 1961 on-screen adaptation of the enduringly popular 1957 Broadway musical, West Side Story, was a hard act to follow. Still, the Golden Globe-winning 2021 remake by Steven Spielberg was a grand reimagining of the modern-day Romeo and Juliet tragedy with performances that have rivaled if not topped those of the original—and you can see it for yourself from home.

Originally written by playwright Arthur Laurents, lyricist Stephen Sondheim, and composer Leonard Bernstein, West Side Story centers on the tragic love story between Jets gang member Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Maria (Rachel Zegler)—sister to Bernardo (David Alvarez), a member of Tony's rival gang, the Sharks. The two fall in love at first sight at a high school dance and enter a quickly-escalating love affair that becomes a point of tension between the Jets and Sharks amid their ongoing fight for control of Manhattan's Upper West Side.

Among the stand-out performances was Maria's Zegler, as well as Ariana DeBose’s newly empowered, Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Puerto Rican immigrant Anita (played originally by Rita Moreno)—the girlfriend of Bernardo and close confidante to Maria.

"It’s a dazzling display of filmmaking craft that also feels raw, unsettled and alive," New York Times critic A.O. Scott wrote of the adaptation. "Rather than embalming a classic with homage or aggressively reinventing it, Spielberg, Kushner, Peck and their collaborators ... have rediscovered its breathing, thrilling essence."

"Nobody needed to mess with #WestSideStory but Steven Spielberg went and did it and dammit it’s really good, great looking & largely faithful to the text with a few smart respectful tweaks and a young cast I now want to to see in everything," Entertainment Weekly critic Leah Greenblatt also tweeted.

To experience this acclaimed reimagined classic at home, see how to stream Spielberg's West Side Story below.

Where to Stream

The film is now available for streaming on Disney+ and HBO Max with monthly plans starting at $7.99 and $9.99, respectively, at no additional charge. The film is additionally available for ad-supported streaming on Hulu for $13.99 a month ($19.99 a month ad-free), as well as with the Disney Bundle (including ESPN+ and Hulu) for $14 a month.

How to Catch Up

The original 1961 West Side Story is available for rent and purchase now on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, Google Play, and YouTube.