11 movies to check out on Hulu this January

To begin the new year with something new, Hulu has added some under-the-radar movies as well as a few big-budget favorites from the past few years to its streaming library. Deliver Us is a religious horror film about a woman about to give birth to twins: a Messiah and the Antichrist. In the vigilante action film The Baker, Ron Perlman stars as the aging titular character trying to protect his granddaughter from gangsters. Abigail Breslin stars in the period drama Miranda’s Victim based on the true story of Trish Weir and the origin of the Miranda rights. Also coming to Hulu in January 2024 is Mark Wahlberg and Tom Holland in Uncharted, the thrilling documentary Beyond Utopia, plus All Fun And Games, The System, Rare Objects, Self Reliance, King Richard, and more.

All Fun And Games (2023, available January 5)

In the horror-thriller-mystery All Fun And Games, the darker side of children’s games such as flashlight tag, hangman, and hide-and-seek are explored after a group of teens discover a cursed knife in the woods. The movie, co-directed by Eren Celeboglu and Ari Costa, stars Asa Butterfield, Keith David, Annabeth Gish, Laurel Marsden, and Natalia Dyer from Stranger Things.

The System (2022, available January 5)

The official synopsis of The System reads: “When a young soldier (Tyrese Gibson), newly returned from war, gets caught up in a drug bust, he is recruited by the authorities to go undercover in a notoriously dangerous prison to investigate what is really going on behind the scenes. When he discovers an underground prisoner fighting ring, the warden forces him to compete. In order to win his freedom, he must fight to stay alive as well as take down the warden’s corrupt system.” Dallas Jackson’s action movie also stars Jeremy Piven and Terrence Howard.

Rare Objects (2023, available January 7)

Katie Holmes directed, produced, cowrote, and also stars in the drama Rare Objects based on Kathleen Tessaro’s novel of the same name. The A.V. Club’s Emma Keates writes, “The story follows a young woman named Benita (Julia Mayorga, American Rust) seeking to rebuild her life after a traumatic past and subsequent stint in a mental hospital. It’s here that she meets fellow patient Diana (Holmes) who encourages her to embrace her second chance both in and out of the facility.” Alan Cumming, Derek Luke, Saundra Santiago, and David Alexander Flinn round out the cast.

Beyond Utopia (2023, available January 9)

Beyond Utopia is a documentary that plays like a thriller. The official synopsis reads: “A suspenseful, riveting portrait of the lengths people will go to gain freedom, Beyond Utopia follows various families as they attempt to flee North Korea, one of the most oppressive places on Earth, a land they grew up believing was a paradise. At the film’s core is a courageous pastor, a man of God on a mission to help a mother reunite with the child she was forced to leave behind, and a family of five — including small children and an elderly grandmother — embarking on a treacherous journey into the hostile mountains of China. Leaving their homeland is fraught with unimaginable danger — yet these individuals are driven to take the risk. Gripping, thrilling, and never more timely, Madeleine Gavin’s award-winning film embeds the viewer with these family members as they attempt their perilous escape, palpably conveying life-or-death stakes. The result is a singular, heart-pounding, and unforgettable experience.”

Self Reliance (2023, available January 12)

Jake Johnson’s Self Reliance is a comedy-mystery-thriller starring Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Andy Samberg, Natalie Morales, Christopher Lloyd, and Wayne Brady. The official synopsis for the movie missing a hyphen in its title reads: “When a middle-aged man (Jake Johnson) is invited into a limo by famous actor Andy Samberg, his dull life takes a thrilling turn. Johnson is offered a chance to win a million dollars in a dark web reality TV show, where assassins from all over the world attempt to kill him for 30 days. The catch? He can’t be killed if he’s not entirely alone, leading him to recruit an unlikely team to help him survive.”

Miranda’s Victim (2023, available January 12)

Michelle Danner’s period drama Miranda’s Victim stars Abigail Breslin, Ryan Phillippe, and Luke Wilson. The official synopsis reads: “Based on true events, in 1963, after Trish Weir is kidnapped and sexually assaulted, her assailant is caught and tried. But after he confesses without legal representation and is granted a retrial, it triggers a legal proceeding that forever changes the nation’s justice system.”

Uncharted (2022, available January 15)

The action-adventure Uncharted stars Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Antonio Banderas, and Sophia Ali. Wahlberg plays a seasoned treasure hunter who recruits Holland’s character to find Ferdinand Magellan’s lost fortune. The A.V. Club’s Mike D’Angelo writes: “Everything skews gargantuan these days, and director Ruben Fleischer (who’s previously helmed the Zombieland films and the first Venom) also orchestrates some physics-defying green-screen outrageousness, riffing on vertiginous action scenes from the games.”

The Baker (2022, available January 19)

Ron Perlman plays a baker with a dangerous past in the vigilante action-drama The Baker. The official synopsis reads: “The Baker centers on a quiet, solitary man whose estranged son suddenly comes back into his life with a granddaughter he never knew existed. When his son disappears on a shady business opportunity, the baker must do everything he can to find his son and protect his granddaughter from the mob hit men sent to find her. The nonstop action that ensues and truly endearing relationship between the baker and his granddaughter is sure to thrill audiences.”

King Richard (2021, available January 24)

After slapping Chris Rock onstage at the Academy Awards, Will Smith returned to the stage to accept his Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Richard Williams, the father of tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, in the biographical sports drama King Richard. The A.V. Club’s Jesse Hassenger writes: “The movie keeps enough of Richard’s messy past offscreen to feel like a hagiography with a few concessions, rather than a true warts-and-all portrait. King Richard is engrossing as it plays out, but the heat of its emotions cool off quickly. There’s only so much a movie can do with repeated exaltations that father sure does know best.”

Deliver Us (2023, available January 26)

The official description for the religious horror movie Deliver Us reads: “When a nun in a remote convent claims immaculate conception, the Vatican sends a team of priests to investigate, concerned about an ancient prophecy that a woman will give birth to twin boys: one the Messiah, the other the Antichrist.” The movie stars Lee Roy Kunz, Maria Vera Ratti, Alexander Siddig, Jaune Kimmel, and Thomas Kretschmann.

R.M.N. (2022, available January 28)

IFC Films describes the drama R.M.N. as “award-winning director Cristian Mungiu’s gripping portrait of ethnic and economic resentments tearing at the fabric of a small mountain town” in Transylvania, Romania. The movie based on the 2020 Ditrău xenophobic incident stars Marin Grigore and Judith State. R.M.N. premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.