The 25 Best Movies Across All Genres to Stream on Hulu RN
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Are you dreading the inevitable "What do you wanna watch?" "What do you wanna watch?" "Well what's on ___?" conversation that takes longer than actually watching a feature-length film? Let me help narrow it down so you can finish your fish bowl-sized serving of popcorn/chips/wine during the movie and not before you've even picked one out. First of all, I'm going to pick a streaming service for you: we're going to Hulu tonight. We're watching a movie, not binge-watcing The Handmaid's Tale or catching up on Only Murders in the Building. These are the best movies on Hulu you can stream ASAP.
Hulu is pretty good about snatching up new releases, and I've been pretty impressed with their original films as well–especially when it comes to romantic comedies. How friggin' good are Fire Island and Palm Springs? If I were to offer one note, Hulu weirdly doesn't have a lot of movies older than the average millennial. This is not the place to bone up on classic Hollywood... but there are lot of more recent classics and faves from the '80s, '90s, and early '00s.
Without further ado, let's get into the best of what Hulu has to offer. If you happen to discover or rediscover a favorite film on Hulu, consider physical media! Buy yourself a copy on DVD or Blu-ray, even if it's second-hand, or check and see if it's at your local library. You never know when movies are going to leave a streaming service. It's rough out there!
Rye Lane (2023)
Romcoms are back? More like they were never gone. This 82 minute movie is about two people who meet when they're both fresh out of relationships. They bond. They help each other mess with the former partners who hurt them. Then they fall in love for real!!
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The Menu (2022)
I'm a big wuss when it comes to thrillers, so I will admit that I read The Menu's plot summary on Wikipedia before watching the film. So if I did that and still had the time of my life watching this darkly comic foodie film, it must be good right??
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Prey (2022)
One of 2022's most underrated movies is this action movie prequel to the Predator franchise. It's about what happens when the famous horror movie villain lands on Earth in the 18th century and is hunted by a Comanche woman named Naru, played by Amber Midthunder. Naru is resourceful, but still learning, and you'll be on the edge of your couch. Seriously, if you missed this when it was released put it at the top of your list.
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Alien (1979)
Many prefer James Cameron's sequel, but this one started it all! And all Sigourney Weaver action heroine moments are good IMHO.
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Another Round (2020)
Hulu has a decent amount of foreign films, and Another Round is one of my favorites. It's about a group of bored high school teachers who spice up their lives with a series of intoxication experiments. What would happen if you were just a teensy bit tipsy all of the time? Good things? Bad things? Latent alcoholism? You'll see...
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Nomadland (2020)
Feeling serious? It's a Best Picture winner! Chloe Zhao's movie about houseless nomads is a bit serious for a stream, but not what I would call hard to watch by any stretch of the imagination. It's thoughtful and melancholy, not grueling.
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Fire Island (2022)
This Hulu original romantic comedy, a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice set in the famous gay vacation spot, is a treat. It's funny and heartfelt and perfectly cast. Fire Island tickles my romcom brain and my English student brain simultaneously.
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Palm Springs (2020)
Hulu's original rom-com starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti was a balm for the soul in 2020 when it dropped on Hulu right in the middle of quarantine. The two leads have great chemistry. It's existential as well as romantic and funny. And although it's about a time loop scenario, you never know what's going to happen next.
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Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
If the theme of your Hulu movie night is walling in the pain of a lost love, then this is the movie for you. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is about the brief affair between a lonely bride-to-be named Héloïse and a woman named Marianne who is commissioned to surreptitiously paint her portrait. It's gorgeously made and romantic as heck with an ending that'll punch you right in the gut.
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Snowpiercer (2013)
Bong Joon-ho's dystopian movie about the society that forms on a train circling the post-apocalyptic frozen globe is dramatic, funny in a dark way, and gross in a thrilling way. Chris Evans will break your heart, and might inspire your revolutionary spirit.
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10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
No disrespect to Anyone But You, which I loved lots, but this is how you do a modern-day Shakespeare adaptation. It draws from The Taming of the Shrew in ways that are funny, surprising, and way more feminist than the original. Plus, between this and A Knight's Tale you could have a whole Heath Ledger On Hulu marathon.
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Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Speaking of Shakespeare, you can't do much better than Baz Luhrmann's take on the star-crossed lovers. The setting is modern, honestly a little bit post-modern, but the text is unchanged. You haven't lived until you've seen Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, Harold Perrinau, and Paul Rudd (!) in these roles.
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District 9 (2009)
I wouldn't really call District 9 "old" just yet, but it is always nice to see acclaimed films on Hulu that aren't brand new. This science fiction film uses an alien invasion to talk about apartheid in South Africa. For whatever reason, it was a summer blockbuster in 2009, which is kind of wild to think about in retrospect.
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Call Me By Your Name (2017)
While we wait for Luca Guadagnino's Challengers, revisit his epic and bittersweet romance. This beautiful, sunny film was a perfect showcase for Timothee Chalamet's talent.
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Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Where are the sequels?? We wouldn't be complaining about how they don't make good romantic comedies anymore if there had been two more Crazy Rich Asians movies since 2018, like...
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Theater Camp (2023)
One of the most underrated movies from 2023 is this silly goofy comedy about counselors at a theater camp struggling to get by without their fearless leader. It feels a little like a Christopher Guest movie with a modern sensibility. It stars faves like Ayo Edebiri, Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, Patti Harrison, and Jimmy Tatro. Get into it!
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The Sound of Music (1965)
Treat yourself to swooning over Captain Von Trapp today. One of the best things about watching this film on streaming is that you can pause and come back to it, or fast forward through your least favorite songs. I love The Sound of Music as much as the next musical girlie, but this movie is soooo long. Remember watching it on television with commercial breaks? You'd be there all day!
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A Knight's Tale (2001)
Do we all have that one friend who calls Paul Bettany, Rufus Sewell, and/or Alan Tudyk "that guy from A Knight's Tale," or is that just me and my friends? (We all know who Heath Ledger is...obvs). This movie doesn't even try to be historically accurate and lowkey rules because of that. At the end of the day, every medieval comedy should have fully realized David Bowie dance numbers. That's just a fact.
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Hustlers (2019)
This movie is inspiring, upsetting, hot, darkly funny, and based on a true story!! I am biased, because I love films that make me feel like I could pull a heist or commit a crime and get away with it, but Hustlers really has everything. Jennifer Lopez should have won an Oscar for this film. I am so serious.
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12 Years a Slave (2013)
I know that it's jarring to include a drama like this on a list with comedies and science fiction blockbusters. We all recognize that! But this film is gorgeously made. Steve McQueen is an incredible director. As long as this masterpiece is streaming on Hulu, we can't talk about the best of the platform without it.
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The Quiet Girl (2022)
This is the first Irish film to be nominated for the International Feature category at the Oscars! The Quiet Girl is a critically acclaimed film about a young girl in rural Ireland whose neglectful parents send her to live with distant cousins.
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Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
This cult classic comedy is the definition of "IYKYK" for a certain subset of millennials. Whether you've never seen it, or haven't seen it in 20 years (yiiiiiikes), Napoleon Dynamite should be on your watchlist. They don't make coming-of-age movies like this anymore! They kind of never did in the first place.
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Dirty Dancing (1987)
SHE CARRIED A WATERMELON! Dirty Dancing is a sleepover classic. It's one of the best romances put to film. It'll warm you up in the winter and cool you down in the summer.
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The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
This is a great, crowd-pleasing movie to throw on even if it's not officially spooky season. Even if you don't do horror movies, you'll find something to love and laugh about in this hilarious take on the genre.
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Magic Mike XXL (2015)
Masterpiece. Better than the original. Better than the other sequel. Magic Mike XXL is a road trip movie about male strippers who put female pleasure first. Everyone is so committed, which just makes the jokes all that much funnier and the dances all that much sexier. It's the perfect film.
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