Best Comedy films available on Hulu
Not only funny, but the 2006 Mike Judge sci-fi comedy Idiocracy has grown increasingly sad with time. This movie has a concept that alone piques curiosity and has also made it regarded as a sort of cult classic. The film revolves on Joe (Luke Wilson), an ordinary army librarian who offers his time for a 2005 suspended animation program. 500 years later, a rubbish avalanche strikes the facility he has stored, waking him to find he is now the brightest man in the United States as intelligence is progressively dwindling over the millennia.
Its satirical view of society's course seems to get more pointed with every year that goes by. Knowing facts like sports drinks not being appropriate for watering crops, Joe is promptly hired to work for the White House thanks to the general stupidity of the population from which Idiocracy derives its name. Maya Rudolph and Terry Crews join Wilson in the cast as former adult movie actor Dwayne Camacho, serving president. Currently on Hulu, this is one of the most unusual films available, and its sarcastic view on society's course appears to get more acute with every year.
The Comedy Library Best of Hulu
Awkwafina has been sweeping Hollywood, from her Golden Globe-winning performance in the moving The Farewell to her wonderful comic relief in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. She partners up with the venerable Sandra Oh in Quiz Lady. The movie mostly revolves on the game show-obsessed, high-strung Anne (Awkwafina) and her careless older sister Jenny (Oh). The mismatched siblings are compelled to band together and travel to collect the money required to pay their mother's gambling debts and save Anne's dog, Mr. Linguini, stolen by a loan shark.
Perfect onscreen chemistry abound from Sandra Oh and Awkwafina, and their Odd Couple sisters have a poignant yet humorous dynamic. Thanks to Jessica Yu's deft direction and great performances, Quiz Lady is among the funniest road movies of recent years. At the 2024 Critics Choice Awards, Quiz Lady came first among Best Movie Made for Television.
Greatest Drama Films on Hulu
Among directors still active today, Quentin Tarantino is among the most well-known names; he has left an amazing legacy in filmmaking that will last decades to come. Although movie buffs have been examining Tarantino's films for years, he is also one himself; in 2019 honored his passion of movies with the comedy-drama Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — a film about making movies that comes with all the trademark Quentin Tarantino style Hulu subscribers could demand. Set in 1969, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood catches the drug-fueled anarchy of the business at the time.
Though they're not the only celebrities in the remarkable ensemble cast, Leonard DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie lead it. Many A-Listers of today also depict fictitious versions of yesteryear's household icons, such Damian Lewis as Steve McQueen, Timothy Olyphant as James Stacy, Mike Moh as Bruce Lee, and Rafal Zawierucha as Roman Polanski. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood readily ranks among the best films now available on Hulu, even if cutting and edgy as any Quentin Tarantino film should be.
Investigating Hulu's Dramas Library
Inspired by a terrible historical event of infanticide, Saint Omer is a strong modern drama reflecting the traditional Greek tragedy Medea. Attending the trial of Senegalese mother accused of letting her kid be carried away by the water, pregnant novelist Rama (Kayjie Kagame)
Director Alice Diop deftly treads the line between terror and sympathy based on the true tragedy of Fabienne Kabou, creating a multifarious, provocative narrative. Along with over a dozen more international honors, Saint Omer was named the Best International Film by the African-American Film Critics Association and the Best First Film by the Cesar Awards.
Best Rom-Com & Romance Movies on Hulu
The 2000s were rife with classic romances and musicals, and Elvis director Baz Luhrmann ushered off the decade in style with the elegant and understated sensuous soundtrack Moulin Rouge! With Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman in perhaps career-defining roles, Moulin Rouge! chronicles the journey young writer (McGregor) takes to learn what it is to be a Bohemian in Paris. Soon he is at the renowned namesake site and falls head-over-heels in love after witnessing Kidman, the courtesan Satin, dance.
She is trying her best, but she finds herself returning his feelings after his quite embarrassing approaches. But things are hampered by Satine's ill-health as well as her commitment to a lecherous Duke in exchange for his financing the venue would use. Moulin Rouge! is really a genre-defying love story with a slightly sad ending, and it's supported throughout by an amazing range of musical performances including retooled pop masterpieces.
The Romance Library Best of Hulu
From Bridget Jones's Diary to Clueless, Fire Island belongs solidly among the modern retellings of Jane Austen novels that make the best romantic comedies. Inspired by Pride and Prejudice, the film follows two gay best friends on Fire Island on a weekend trip where they work out their problems and maybe discover love.
Fire Island's totally LGBTQ+ cast and its portrayal of multidimensional gay individuals that never fall into stereotype or over/under sexualization won them plaudits everywhere. Beyond its progressiveness, Fire Island is simply immensely enjoyable and among the best Hulu films.
Best Action & Adventure Hulu Movies
On the surface, a follow-up to the venerable 1995 adventure film Jumanji 20 years later didn't seem like a certain hit. But Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle exceeded expectations with a creative reworking to the original material. Whereas the Robin Williams original revolved around a board game, the 2017 update reimagined Jumanji as a videogame, sucking characters into a virtual world. Add to the unmatched chemistry among all four cast members, and Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle turns into a very entertaining action adventure for the whole family.
Though demand for a sequel to Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle remains strong, a fourth Jumanji film has been in development for some time and may have stagnated.
Action and Adventure Hulu Has Made
Dog Soldiers is a werewolf film with a gory mix of action and horror whose bite is equally as nasty as its bark. Following a company of troops on what should be a regular training exercise in the Scottish Highland, the film sets the closely-knit band against a family of werewolves out for blood. Seeking shelter in an enigmatic cabin, the crew barricades themselves in to try and make it till morning as well as to get ready for a bloody fight.
Inspired by Zulu and Aliens and building a merited cult following in the years after its release, Dog Soldiers is a hidden treasure in The Descent-director Marshall's career and a fantastic action-horror film.
Top Thriller Movies available on Hulu
It's unsurprising that the master of twist endings, writer-director M. Night Shyamalan, helmed one of the best thriller movies currently available on Hulu — and 2016's Split is a nailbiting watch throughout. Though it's the middle point in Shyamalan's Unbreakable trilogy, Hulu viewers shouldn't be discouraged if they haven't seen Unbreakable since Split exists and was promoted as a stand-alone film. Split stars James McAvoy as Kevin, a man struggling with Dissociative Identity Disorder which, unfortunately, leads to the kidnap of three young women due to the wishes of his various other personalities.
While the cast of Split also includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Haley Lu Richardson, and Jessica Sula, it's McAvoy who steals the show. Dennis has 23 distinct personalities, ranging from the mischievous 9-year-old boy Hedwig, the sophisticated British woman Patricia, and a teenaged girl named Jade. James McAvoy plays each of these personalities to perfection, and this combined with Shyamalan's incredibly impressive directing make Split a movie Hulu subscribers won't want to miss.
Thriller Masterpieces on Hulu
A thriller with plenty of sci-fi and horror elements, 2023's No One Will Save You created many conversations when it arrived for three main reasons. First, the distinct lack of dialogue throughout most of the movie. Second, the outstanding performance of Kaityln Dever as Brynn, a young woman who lives alone and finds herself at the center of an alien invasion. Finally, No One Will Save You was immediately noticed when it arrived on Hulu thanks to just how tense the movie manages to be.
No One Will Save You is the second movie directed by Brian Duffield after 2020's Spontaneous, and once again the Quarantine and The Babysitter screenwriter showed he's more than adept in the directors' chair. No One Will Save You was largely overlooked when it came to accolades and awards, but it was the most streamed movie in the US during the week it debuted (via The Wrap). Hulu subscribers seeking a subtle-yet-nailbiting thriller with a unique feel will find this one of the best options currently available on the platform.
Best Sci-Fi Movies on Hulu
With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the latest movie in the franchise, having arrived in 2024, interest in Planet of the Apes is once again high — and Hulu subscribers can catch the first 3 movies in the reboot series from the comfort of their living room. 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 2014's Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes are all currently available on Hulu.
The sci-fi trilogy stands as one of the best on the platform, and makes for a perfect watch before viewing Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Each is set several decades prior to the most recen Planet of the Apes movie, with Rise of the Planet of the Apes taking place in 2011 when apes first gain sentience and the deadly Simian Flu virus is first released into the human populace. From Rise through to War, the modern Planet of the Apes movies are critically acclaimed and make it easy to see why anticipation for 2024's Kingdom was so high.
Hulu's Sci-Fi Gems
When it comes to classic sci-fi (and, for that matter, horror) movies on Hulu, few options are as iconic or critically acclaimed as Ridley Scott's Alien, the 1979 hit that introduced the world to the terrifying Xenomorphs. Alien stars Sigourney Weaver as the now-widely-recognized action heroine Ellen Ripley, one of several crew members on doomed spaceship the Nostromo. While investigating a planet, the Nostromo picks up a deadly stowaway — a horrifying alien creature that hitches a ride on one of the crew when an egg opens and it impregnates him via his face.
Once the fully-gestated creature bursts from his chest aboard the ship, Alien becomes a slasher movie set in space. The crew are picked off one-by-one by the deadly Xenomorph lurking in the shadows. Alien perhaps has more iconic shots and moments than it's capabale to list, and Hulu subscribers will see after a single viewing why it ended up spawning a franchise which still continues to this day.
Best Horror Movies on Hulu
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone in an Oscar-winning lead role as Bella Baxter, 2023's Poor Things is a subversive black comedy/horror movie that stormed the 2024 Academy Awards, with nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor (for Mark Ruffalo) alongside its multiple wins. In Poor Things, Emma Stone's Baxter is a deceased woman brought back to life by a deranged scientist in 19th century London. However, in a dark horror twist, Bella's brain and mind are in fact that of the fetus the woman was pregnant with, giving her a childlike personality.
While the resurrection and brain-swap give the award-winning movie many horror undertones, it is at its heart a story about sexual liberation and self-discovery. This doesn't mean that it's a wholesome tale, however, as Bella is subjected to an incredible amount of torment and trauma, especially toward the end of the movie. Stone is joined in the Poor Things cast by the likes of Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe. The entirety of the movie is dripping in Lanthimos' inimitable directoral style, and — as the many, many awards it's won prove — few recent movies currently on Hulu can match it.
Hulu's Horror
Both a complex meditation on motherhood depression, and mental health, and a straight-up terrifying horror movie, The Babadook won universal critical acclaim on release — with good reason. The film follows a single mother, who struggles to contend with her son's erratic behavior while also trying to process her grief about her husband's death.
After reading a mysterious pop-up book to her son, the pair seem to be haunted by a terrifying monster, although questions remain over exactly what is and isn't real. The Babadook won a string of awards and was a major financial success, easily ranking among the best horror movies on Hulu.
