10 Best Hulu Shows to Stream in 2020
If you feel like you’ve Netflixed-and-chilled your way through every show possible, consider pivoting to Hulu. The best shows on Hulu are just as great as their counterparts on other streaming platforms. No matter your interests or preferred genres, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the variety of great original shows the service has to offer, from brutally honest comedies to gripping adaptations of your favorite books (The Handmaid’s Tale, anyone?). Below, we’ve rounded up ten of the best shows on Hulu you can stream now. All that’s left for you to do is subscribe.
Little Fires Everywhere
Little Fires Everywhere deserves one hundred percent of the hype it’s received since its March 2020 release. The TV adaptation of Celeste NG’s novel stars Reese Witherspoon as Elena Richardson, a wealthy journalist, and mother, alongside Kerry Washington, who plays nomadic artist and fellow mom Mia Warren. Over the course of the eight-episode miniseries, the stories of the two women and their families become increasingly intertwined as they navigate life in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Not only is it compelling and beautifully filmed, but the show features actual teenage actors playing teen characters, which isn’t as common as it should be. You’ll love newcomer Lexi Underwood as Pearl Warren, the daughter of Washington’s Mia.
Shrill
It would be wrong to call Shrill anything short of revolutionary. Based on the book of the same name by author Lindy West, the series follows a young journalist named Annie, played by Saturday Night Live’s Aidy Bryant, as she sets out to change her life without changing her body. It’s one of the first mainstream shows to portray a fat woman as a complex, multidimensional protagonist who’s capable of loving and being loved. Annie confronts issues and indulges in pleasures in ways that are universally relatable for many young women, regardless of background, shape, or size. Every episode is a genuine joy to watch.
Dollface
Produced by Margot Robbie and starring the likes of Shay Mitchell and Brenda Song, Dollface is a celeb-studded comedy that grapples with the power of imagination. After a breakup leaves her floundering, lead character Jules sets her sights on rebuilding her female friendships and becoming a “girl’s girl” again. To no one’s surprise, especially not her own, it’s a struggle. The show uses elements of surrealism to portray the inner workings of Jules’s mind, often through bizarre daydreams that manifest as everything from peculiar game show sequences to fantasies of cool girls getting down in the desert à la Coachella. The result is a series that’s part rom-com, part Alice in Wonderland in the best way possible.
The Handmaid's Tale
One of the most popular Hulu TV shows of all time, The Handmaid’s Tale adapts the story of Margaret Atwood’s classic novel and makes it as gripping to watch as the book is to read. The series has raked in over 20 awards since its initial 2017 release, thanks to outstanding performances from leading lady Elisabeth Moss and the rest of the cast as residents of Gilead, a dystopian version of the United States where “handmaids” like Moss’s character are forced to give birth to children for wealthy families as the world’s child-bearing population begins to dwindle.
Looking for Alaska
Looking for Alaska takes on the plot of John Green’s original book and gives it a much-needed dose of wokeness. Showrunner and co-executive producer Josh Schwartz told Teen Vogue that he and the rest of his team worked hard to address the novel’s “male gaze” problem by making sure titular character Alaska Young exists beyond male characters’ desires for her. The limited series tells the story of Miles “Pudge” Halter, who’s just started his first year in boarding school when he falls in love with fellow student Alaska. Soon, a tragedy shakes the entire school to its core, leaving Miles and his closest friends to reflect on everything they’ve been through together.
Ramy
A24 project Ramy was named after — and created by — its star, comedian Ramy Youssef. In the show, he portrays an Egyptian-American Muslim who’s recently begun exploring the political divisions in his polarized New Jersey neighborhood. Thanks to his stellar performance in the show’s titular role, Youssef beat out the likes of Ben Platt, Paul Rudd, and Bill Hader to win the 2020 Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Musical or Comedy. He’s earned every accolade that’s come his way; Ramy has received immense praise for its authentic portrayal of the trials and tribulations faced by first-generation Muslim Americans, while maintaining a brilliant tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. Be on the lookout for season two, which premieres on Hulu on May 29.
Pen15
Think of Pen15 as Sex Education’s goofier younger sibling. The Hulu original comedy stars its co-creators, Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, as their middle-school selves in the early 2000s. Beyond the cringe-worthy hilarity of puberty, bad haircuts, and underwear shopping, the show’s ultimate gag is that Erskine and Konkle are both in their 30s IRL, while the show’s other characters are played by regular kids. That age disparity is never acknowledged, which makes all of their interactions even funnier.
The Act
True crime series The Act stars Teen Vogue Young Hollywood alumnus Joey King as Gypsy Rose Blanchard, a teenage girl trying to escape from the iron grip of her mother (played by Patricia Arquette), who has convinced Gypsy and the rest of the world that her daughter is intensely ill. Her desire for freedom leads her down a rabbit hole of alarming discoveries that end up leading to murder. The bone-chilling story certainly isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s definitely worth the watch.
Normal People
Normal People is based on the bestselling book from millennial novelist Sally Rooney, and it’s quickly become one of Hulu’s buzziest new releases. The show follows the intersecting lives of Connell, a studious jock from a working-class family, and Marianne, a wealthy, quiet girl deemed an oddball by the rest of their school. It’s a moving, raw portrayal of the changes we experience as we grow up, and it’s bound to make you laugh and cry multiple times
The Great
Fresh off its release, The Great is the historical dramedy you didn’t know you needed. The series stars Elle Fanning as Russian monarch Catherine the Great, walking viewers through a version of her life that, though not fully accurate, is punctuated with lots of colorful dialogue and fun-to-watch moments. But it’s more than a cheesy period piece; The Great was written by Tony McNamara, the man behind the critically-acclaimed 2019 film The Favourite. Judging by the wonders he worked on the movie, we have a feeling you can trust his taste in royal caricatures.
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