Advertisement
Streaming

The 50 best movies on Hulu right now

There’s a lot to love on Hulu right now.

Eddie Strait

If you’re looking for the best movies on Hulu, you’ve come to the right place. While the streaming service is better known for its collection of TV shows, there’s no shortage of good movies on Hulu. We update this list monthly, so you can count on each of these recommendations being available when you’re ready for your next night in. Here are the best movies on Hulu right now.

Featured Video
Featured Video Hide
Hulu with ads$1.99/mo for a year
Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle$13.99

Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement Hide

The best movies on Hulu in May 2020

1) Wild Rose

Wild Rose is formulaic drama about an aspiring singer that hits all the right notes. Jessie Buckley stars as Rose-Lynn, a supremely gifted singer who can’t get out of her own way. Fresh off a stint in prison, Rose- Lynn returns home to opportunities that may have passed her by and two kids who need their mother. As Rose-Lynn gets her life in order, she’s caught between chasing her dream and the realities of her home life. Nicole Taylor’s script and Tom Harper’s direction find the nuances that make the story feel fresh, but it’s Buckley who makes Wild Rose a must-see. —Eddie Strait

Advertisement
Advertisement Hide
NEON/YouTube

2) The Art of Self-Defense 

If you love droll humor, get thee to The Art of Self-Defense. Writer-director Riley Stearns’ black comedy follows mild-mannered Casey (Jesse Eisenberg) as he seeks to better himself following a brutal street attack. That brings Casey to the dojo of Sensei (Alessandro Nivola), a tough but fair karate instructor. As Casey throws himself into his training and builds his confidence, his world becomes more insular until he has a life-changing realization. The Art of Self-Defense isn’t for everybody, but the people who do get it will love it. —E.S.

Advertisement
Advertisement Hide
Bleecker Street/YouTube

3) Shoplifters

In the hands of other directors or actors, Shoplifters would be a very different film. But director Hirokazu Kore-eda has an incredible amount of empathy for the family at the center of the film—even when they’re faced with the ethical implications of taking in a young girl who had been abused instead of returning her home. Shoplifters explores what it means to choose your own family and slowly eases viewers in while never completely ignoring the larger moral questions, which makes it all the more devastating when things begin to fall apart. —Michelle Jaworski

Advertisement
Advertisement Hide
Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing/YouTube

4) Professor Marston and the Wonder Women

This 2017 biopic depicts the origins of Wonder Woman on the comic book page and the polyamorous relationship between William Moulton Marston, the man who wrote her, and the women who helped inspire her. Rebecca Hall shines as Elizabeth Holloway Marston, a brilliant mind in her own right. It’s a worthy companion piece to Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman, one that treats its subject matter with respect and dignity. —M.J.

Advertisement
Advertisement Hide

5) I, Tonya

The main reason to watch I, Tonya is for Margot Robbie’s electric performance as Tonya Harding. The movie walks a tightrope by telling a story most of the audience already knows. The Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan feud has been covered ad nauseam over the years, but the film finds a new angle by focusing on Harding’s disastrous upbringing. The movie uses fourth-wall breaking commentary and an idiots-doing-crime approach to jazz up the story to great effect.

Advertisement
Movieclips Trailers/YouTube
Advertisement Hide

TRY HULU

READ MORE:

Advertisement
Advertisement Hide

6) Overboard

This update of the Goldie Hawn-Kurt Russell classic stars Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez. Faris and Derbez play Kate and Leo; she’s a struggling single mother and he’s a wealthy playboy. After Leo suffers a head injury that gives him amnesia, Kate uses that to her advantage. As you can imagine, the initial animosity between the two turns into genuine affection, but not without some bumps along the way. Overboard is a slight, silly movie that rides the charms of Faris and Derbez. -E.S.

Advertisement
Movieclips Trailers/YouTube
Advertisement Hide

7) Fast Color

If you’re looking for a different kind of superhero movie, Fast Color fits the bill. It’s an intimate film about Ruth, a wanderer with supernatural powers who is on the run from the government spooks and scientists who want to capture her. With nowhere to go, Ruth (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) returns to the home and daughter she abandoned. By the superhero standard, Fast Color is subdued. But what it lacks in whiz-bang action it makes up for with emotional depth and great performances from Mbatha-Raw and the rest of the cast. Fast Color snuck through theaters with barely a peep, so now is the time to discover this gem. —E.S.

Advertisement
ONE Media/YouTube
Advertisement Hide

8) Damsel

This ersatz western from writers and directors David and Nathan Zellner is hard to look away from. The brothers tweak the typical Western formula just enough to keep viewers off balance. Samuel (Robert Pattinson, great) is traveling the Wild West to reunite with his lost love Penelope (Mia Wasikowska, even better). Samuel is likable enough, but with his clean looks and fast tongue he’s a far cry from the traditional gruff, masculine leading man you’ll find in these stories. The first half of Damsel is an entertaining and slight, but the film reveals its true, darker intentions when the two paramours reconnect in its second half. Damsel is an off-kilter Western that you should make time for.

Advertisement
Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing/YouTube
Advertisement Hide

9) Missing Link

The latest stop-motion wonder from Laika is about a sasquatch, Mr. Susan Link, and his journey to meet his Yeti cousins with the help of myths and monsters investigator Sir Lionel Frost. Together the duo go on an adventure that takes them to the Himalayas, with plenty of stops along the way. Missing Link is another charming film from Laika, even if the film isn’t quite up to the bar the studio set with Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings. With a voice cast featuring Zach Galifianakis, Hugh Jackman, and Zoe Saldana, Missing Link is visually luscious and emotionally satisfying. —E.S.

Advertisement
Movieclips Trailers/YouTube
Advertisement Hide

10) Luce

Luce is a challenging and morally thorny film. It’s about Luce, Kelvin Harrison Jr., a standout student whose essay on a political revolutionary worries his teacher, Harriet (Octavia Spencer). Luce was a child soldier in his home country of Eritrea, adopted and rehabilitated by white American parents, Amy and Peter (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth). Writer-director Julius Onah and co-writer JC Lee cover a handful of hot-button issues and their movie is sure to be divisive. Regardless, it’s a movie worth wrestling with. –E.S.

Advertisement
Movieclips Trailers/YouTube
Advertisement Hide

TRY HULU

11) The Hunt for the Wilderpeople

First New Zealand gave us Peter Jackson; now it’s given us Taika Waititi. Jackson makes oversized spectacles, and Waititi has built his name on small-scale stories with strong characters (Eagle vs Shark, What We Do in the Shadows). That is, until Marvel recruited him for his own oversized spectacle (Thor: Ragnorok). Wilderpeople is such a delightful movie that you understand why Waititi is getting called up while also being greedy enough to want him to keep making movies where his is the main creative voice. The Hunt for the Wilderpeople is one of the best movies on Hulu.

Advertisement
Screengrab via Piki Films/YouTube
Advertisement Hide

12) Parasite

Bong Joon-ho’s Best Picture winner is a social satire, Hitchcockian thriller, dark comedy, and gut punching drama all in one. It’s about the lower class Kim family and the wealthy Park family, and the dynamic between the two. While many viewers are quick to label the Kim family as the eponymous parasites, the film is after something much more pointed. Parasite is a searing critique of capitalism, but the social commentary comes in a deliriously entertaining package. —E.S.

Advertisement
IGN/YouTube
Advertisement Hide

13) Support the Girls

Support the Girls is one of 2018’s best kept secrets. This unassuming day-in-the-life story tracks the goings-on at a mom-and-pop Hooters knockoff restaurant. Put-upon manager Lisa (a tremendous Regina Hall) has too much on her plate, between indifferent ownership, dwindling business, and the personal problems of her and her staff. At first blush, Lisa comes across as the only adult in the room, but as the film unfolds and we see more shades of the supporting characters, it blossoms into something more thoughtful, empathetic, and heartening. 

Advertisement
Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing/YouTube
Advertisement Hide

14) Veronica Mars

Veronica Mars isn’t in the business of delivering crowd pleasing moments, but this Kickstarter-funded film is the closest the series gets to pandering. Fans of the series will enjoy going back to Neptune for Veronica’s high school reunion and the characters are strong enough that newcomers should still find them compelling. But the heart of the story is Veronica’s return home to help on-again off-again boyfriend Logan Echolls, accused of murder for the third time in the series’ history. —E.S.

Advertisement
Movieclips Trailers/YouTube
Advertisement Hide

15) Mission: Impossible – Fallout

The Mission: Impossible films continue to get better and better, and Fallout is the best Mission yet. The plot revolves around Ethan Hunt and his team as they search for stolen plutonium and yadda, yadda, yadda. The story is a continuation from the previous entry, Rogue Nation, and the two movies make an excellent pair. That’s all good as well, and satisfying, but that’s not why we’re here. The stunt work in this movie is absolutely insane, almost as insane as Tom Cruise’s commitment to performing his own stunts. With returning players Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and new additions in Henry Cavill, and Angela Bassett, Fallout offers an embarrassment of riches. -E.S.

Advertisement
Paramount Pictures/YouTube
Advertisement Hide

TRY HULU

16) Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2

Quentin Tarantino’s sprawling martial arts revenge epic offers up over four hours of everything audience’s love about Tarantino films. Calling a QT film “sprawling” may be redundant, but he knows how to deliver the goods each time out. Uma Thurman is The Bride, and she’s out to find Bill and kill him. It’s a simple enough pitch, but there is so much more to the story than just revenge. While the mythical “Whole Bloody Affair” version isn’t readily available, streaming the two films back-to-back is a reasonable approximation. —E.S.

Advertisement
Advertisement Hide
Miramax/YouTube

17) Colossal

We’ve all had bad hangovers, but Gloria (Anne Hathaway) has us beat. In Nacho Vigalondo’s Colossal, alcoholism is rendered as a literal monster, one that, in this case, destroys Seoul, South Korea, after Gloria spends a night getting tanked. It’s a monster movie where the monster is us. Jason Sudeikis and Dan Stevens also star. —A.S.

Advertisement
Advertisement Hide
Movieclips Trailers/YouTube

18) The Sisters Brothers

Anchored by a dynamite cast, The Sisters Brothers is a stealthily funny Western about a pair of brothers looking for two men searching for gold. The brothers, Eli and Charlie Sisters (John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix), are well known assassins, but when they cross paths with Morris and Warm (Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed). All four men get more than they bargained for. The Sisters Brothers is funny, violent, and surprisingly poignant at times. -E.S.

Advertisement
Advertisement Hide
Annapurna Pictures/YouTube

19) Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Celine Sciamma’s acclaimed drama is about the relationship between a painter, Marianne (Noemie Merlant), hired to produce a portrait of Heloise (Adele Haenel) before the latter is married off. The film may be set in 18th century France, but its themes are as timely as any modern day story. What makes the movie so affecting is the way it captures the thrill and heartbreak of true love, from stolen glances to an unbreakable bond. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a timeless love story, one that is already considered a classic alongside modern masterpieces like Moonlight and Call Me By Your Name. —E.S.

Advertisement
Advertisement Hide
NEON/YouTube

20) Good Will Hunting

“It’s not your fault.” Ouch, right? Even if you’re tired of looking at the smug face of Matt Damon’s Will Hunting, even if the obnoxious mass of Boston accents has started to get to you, even if the movie’s general earnestness drives you crazy, by the time Good Will Hunting arrives at that one scene, even the hardest and most cynical hearts will also start to melt. Among Good Will Hunting’s considerable powers are Gus Van Sant’s deft but subtle direction and Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning script. But it’s Robin Williams’ crushing performance, for which he also received the Academy award, that makes the movie worth revisiting. The late Williams showed he could tone his more over-the-top antics way down in this, his most acclaimed role. The result is breathtaking and the one element of the movie most likely to make you shed a tear or two (or many.) —Chris Osterndorf

Advertisement
Advertisement Hide
Miramax/YouTube

TRY HULU

READ MORE:

Advertisement
Advertisement Hide

21) Drinking Buddies

The two leads, Luke (Jake Johnson) and Kate (Olivia Wilde), are coworkers at a microbrewery; it’s obvious that they’d probably date each other if they weren’t already dating other people. When Kate suddenly becomes single, it brings their relationship halfway closer to a reality, and you can probably guess where things go from there. But your guess would probably be wrong. This is a Joe Swanberg movie, heavily rooted in the mumblecore genre, which means it’s going to see your expectations and gleefully choose to ignore them. Without spoiling too much, this isn’t so much a romance film as it is a film about boundaries—and about how that common adage that you should date your best friend is perhaps oversimplifying things a tad. —J.K.

Advertisement
Advertisement Hide
Movieclips Trailers/YouTube

22) How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

DreamWorks closes out its best film series with The Hidden World. After their adventures in the first two films, Hiccup and the eternally loveable Toothless have created the peaceful world they want to live in. But their plans are disrupted when Toothless befriends a new dragon, Light Fury, and Hiccup’s position as village chief is challenged. Over the course of these three Dragon films, writer-director Dean DeBlois has crafted a gorgeous and emotionally complex world that viewers will be visiting and revisiting for a long time. -E.S.

Advertisement
Advertisement Hide
DreamWorksTV/YouTube

23) Columbus

Acclaimed video essayist Kogonada makes his feature directorial debut with this low-key drama about a man (John Cho) who comes home to be with his ailing father and strikes up a friendship with a young woman (Haley Lu Richardson) tethered to the titular town. Every shot of Kogonada’s film is deeply considered, and the images are as well crafted as the architecture the characters obsess over. But at the heart of it are Cho and Richardson, who gives two of 2017’s best performances.

Advertisement
Movieclips Indie/YouTube

24) Cabin in the Woods

When a group of college kids go away for a weekend, their plans of relaxation turn into a fight for survival. Their battle will pit them against everything from creepy hillbillies, zombies, evil corporations, and the potential end of the world. Co-written by Drew Goddard (who also directs) and Joss Whedon, the script is an exercise in upending audience expectations and delivering plenty of meta scares and laughs along the way. Cabin in the Woods is one of the most entertaining horror movies of the last decade. —E.S.

Lionsgate Movies/YouTube
Advertisement

25) The Spy Who Dumped Me

Audrey and Morgan (Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon) are best friends forced into a little light espionage courtesy of Audrey’s ex-boyfriend who happens to be a spy. The pair go on a globetrotting adventure with assassins hot on their trail. The movie is at its best when Kunis and McKinnon are playing off each other. The action, like their aim, is a bit scattershot, but the comedy hits the mark more often than not. —E.S.

Lionsgate Movies/YouTube

TRY HULU

Advertisement

26) Vice

Adam McKay’s unapologetic screed against former Vice President Cheney is as caustic as a movie can be. Vice exemplifies preaching to the choir, but when it’s done this well it’s hard to look away. The film covers Cheney’s political career through his time as George W. Bush’s VP. As portrayed by an excellent Christian Bale (with incredible makeup work), Cheney is presented as a power hungry man who is ruthlessly effective, emphasis on ruthless. Vice won’t change your pre-existing opinions of one of the most influential people in modern American politics, but it will undoubtedly provoke a reaction. -E.S.

Movieclips Trailers/YouTube

READ MORE:

Advertisement

27) The Dark Knight

I can attest from countless basic cable viewings that The Dark Knight has top-tier replay value. No matter where you jump in, you’re about to see something great. That’s a credit to Nolan’s direction and pacing, as well as the duo of great performances by Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart as The Joker and Two-Face. Many superhero movies have aped The Dark Knight’s dour tone, but few have used it as effectively. I know “dour” and “top-tier replay value” don’t exactly jive, but The Dark Knight makes it work. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go watch the interrogation scene again. —E.S.

Movieclips Classic Trailers/YouTube
Advertisement

28) Heathers

This isn’t a rom-com in the traditional sense, thanks to the line “fuck me gently with a chainsaw,” among other things. But the relationship between Winona Ryder’s and Christian Slater’s characters is one of the more complex to emerge from the ‘80s high school genre. Veronica (Ryder), one of the four popular “Heathers,” finds a mirror in JD (Slater), an outcast who inadvertently hatches a plan that kills one of the Heathers. Their relationship doesn’t have a meet-cute; it’s more about what love (or lust) makes you blind to. —A.S.

MyEdit/YouTube

29) A Quiet Place

Not for the faint-hearted, A Quiet Place is one of the scariest films of 2018. The concept is simple: In post-apocalyptic America, John Krasinski and Emily Blunt play the parents of a young family, hiding from deadly aliens who attack based on sound. This family has carved out a surprisingly idyllic existence in the countryside, but they must live in complete silence, communicating only in sign language. Obviously, this is a great idea for a horror movie, but the execution is what really elevates it to greatness. A Quiet Place is warm, thoughtful, and visually beautiful, while also being a muscle-clenching watch. —Gavia Baker-Whitelaw

Advertisement
Paramount Pictures/YouTube

30) Diane

Diane is a tough but rewarding film about a woman stretching herself thin as she tries to be there for the people in her life. Among the people who need Diane (Mary Kay Place) most are an ill cousin and her drug addict son, Brian (Jake Lacy). By helping others, Diane is able to avoid her own issues, but as the weight of everything bears down on her, Diane is forced into difficult confrontations. Thought the cast is strong, Mary Kay Place is on another level. She gives a nuanced performance that balances strength and weakness, kindness and tough love. —E.S.

Paramount Pictures/YouTube
Advertisement

TRY HULU

READ MORE: 

31) Booksmart

Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, Booksmart, is a high school graduation party comedy masterfully redone for our current era. Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein play Amy and Molly, two teens who spent their high school years preparing to attend an Ivy League college. They didn’t leave much time for having fun, and they attempt to rectify that by attending a big party the night before graduation. Booksmart is already being compared to other similar films in the genre, like Superbad. Yet Booksmart is more than a simple graduation party comedy. At its core, the film is about female friendships and the process of becoming an adult. Its complicated characters and smart writing make it one of the best comedies that I’ve seen in recent years.

Advertisement

32) Annihilation

In Alex Garland’s adaptation of Annihilation, we still get to explore Area X, a quarantined area of land besieged by mysterious environmental changes. That’s about where the similarities to the book end. The film uses author Jeff VanderMeer’s spectral setting to get in its characters’ heads. Natalie Portman plays Lena, a biologist and former soldier who is grieving the loss of her husband, Kane (Oscar Isaac). He was sent into Area X on a secret mission and feared dead, but he suddenly returns home—altered. Lena’s mission there is one of truth and redemption, but Portman plays her with appropriate detachment. We don’t really know her true motives, and fellow travelers Anya (Gina Rodriguez), Cass (Tuva Novotny), Josie (Tessa Thompson), and Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) have their own reasons for going on an apparent suicide mission. —A.S.

Paramount Pictures/YouTube
Advertisement

33) Thelma

Thelma is about a lonely college student struggling to reconcile her religious upbringing with the feelings she develops for a fellow student. To complicate matters more, Thelma long-suppressed psychokinetic abilities begin resurfacing. The movie is a bit of a mind-bender, and one that rewards viewers that are willing to go on the ride. Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier is a rising star in world cinema, and this is his most challenging film to date.

34) Mom and Dad

Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair go off the deep end in Brian Taylor’s 2017 comedy-thriller about a mysterious event that causes parents to want to kill their kids. That conceit alone makes this film an acquired taste, but Mom and Dad also gives Cage the room to go completely over the top (like the scene where he destroys a pool table while singing “The Hokey Pokey”) so some dark humor seeps into the murderous rage. Cage doesn’t overpower the film. In fact, there are actually some touching, introspective moments between him and Blair. —A.S.

Advertisement
Momentum Pictures/YouTube

35) Vox Lux

If divisive movies are your thing, look no further than Vox Lux. Natalie Portman plays Celeste Montgomery, a pop star whose success and personal demons are linked to a traumatic childhood event. As Celeste gears up for the first concert in support of her sixth album, she’s a mess on the verge of a breakdown. Vox Lux is brash, with a fire-breathing performance from Portman that is impossible to look away from. If you like A Star Is Born but wish it had been more acerbic, Vox Lux may be for you. -E.S.

ONE Media/YouTube
Advertisement

TRY HULU

36) Jackass 3D

It’s easy to overlook the sublime artistry of the Jackass films, what with all the bodily harm and gross-out gags taking center stage. But beneath the pain is some of the finest modern-day slapstick action you can find. Johnny Knoxville and company are showmen of the highest order. Not only are they risking their lives and sanity for our amusement, but they also put a lot of creative care into their work. If you have enjoyed any Jackass work in the past, you’ll definitely enjoy 3D, and if you don’t care for their work, well, you probably skipped over this blurb already.

Movie Network/YouTube
Advertisement

37) The Nightingale

Jennifer Kent’s follow up to the acclaimed The Babadook is not for the faint of heart. This tale of revenge comes with trigger warnings for sexual violence, racial violence, and violence against children. The opening act of the film is particularly harrowing, but for those willing to stick with it, Kent’s film blossoms into something much deeper than the typical revenger thriller. Set in 1825, the story charts Clare’s (a captivating Aisling Franciosi) journey as she rebuilds herself and her life. The Nightingale is about cycles of violence—how easy it is to become a part of the cycle and how difficult it is to break free.

IFC Films/YouTube

38) Little Woods

Nia DaCosta makes a strong impression with her debut Little Woods. As writer and director, DaCosta crafts a taut thriller about a woman caught between the potential of her future and the realities of her past and present. Tessa Thompson stars as Ollie, who is eight days away from completing her sentence for drug trafficking. But her sister, Deb (Lily James), is in a bad situation and Ollie’s only chance to help Deb means risking everything. Little Woods marks Dacosta as a filmmaker to watch. —E.S.

Advertisement
NEON/YouTube

39) 50/50

Screenwriter Will Reiser tells the story of his own battle with cancer in 50/50. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Adam, a 27-year-old with nothing but opportunity in front of him when he falls ill. The movie follows a traditional path, with Will battling the disease and the emotional and existential reckoning that comes with it. Gordon-Levitt is tremendous, and Seth Rogen does some of his best work as Adam’s best friend Kyle (echoing his real-life friendship with Reiser), and Anjelica Huston is devastating as Will’s mother. The movie finds plenty of humor in Adam’s situation, but don’t forget to have a box of tissues close by. —E.S.

ZappMovieTrailer/YouTube
Advertisement

40) The Guilty

In this Danish thriller, Holm, a police officer working in the dispatch center, takes a phone call that will change his life. On the other end of the line is a frantic woman who has been kidnapped in front of her kids. The film is anchored by a tremendous lead performance from Jakob Cedergren and a smart script that mixes pathos and plenty of twists. The Guilty is one of 2018’s best-kept secrets.

ZappMovieTrailer/YouTube

TRY HULU

Advertisement

READ MORE:

41) If Beale Street Could Talk

Barry Jenkins’ follow up to Moonlight is searing and emotional, in all the best ways. Based on James Baldwin’s novel of the same name, the film tells the story of Fonny and Tish, two young lovers struggling to stay together in a world set on tearing them apart. Fonny has been accused of a crime he didn’t commit and is stuck in jail, while Tish, who is pregnant, does everything she can to prove Fonny’s innocence. Set against a backdrop of heartbreak, Beale Street is a film full of love. From James Laxton’s luscious cinematography, to Nicholas Britell’s wondrous score, to the uniformly excellent direction and acting, Beale Street is a masterpiece. 

Advertisement
Movieclips Trailers/YouTube

42) The Beach Bum

The Beach Bum sees Matthew McConaughey transforming into the ultimate bohemian layabout, Moondog. The performance here is stellar. McConaughey’s inherent charisma is a perfect framing for the outlandish Moondog.“I’m a bottom-feeder, I gotta go low to get high,” says the washed-up poet who spends his days meandering around the seaside bars. Director Harmony Korine has moved onto the hedonistic portion of his career, examining human ugliness through the lens of excess and luxury. The Beach Bum has no cohesive theming or satisfying comeuppance for its despicable anti-hero and that’s deliciously true to life. Moondog is the same person he was at the beginning of the film when the credits roll. It can be equally appreciated as just a psychedelic, drug-fueled wild ride or as a thesis refuting the very concept of the hero’s journey. -Ignacio Martinez

ONE Media/YouTube
Advertisement

43) Ingrid Goes West

Single White Female gets a social media twist in Ingrid Goes West. Aubrey Plaza plays the obsessive Ingrid, who sets her sights on a prolific Instagram star, played with bubbly energy by Elizabeth Olsen. Ingrid is a character right in Plaza’s wheelhouse, and she’s exactly as good as you think she would be as an angry, socially awkward young woman. The breakout star here is O’Shea Jackson Jr., who proves that his work playing his father in Straight Outta Compton is no fluke. The movie doesn’t go quite as far as its strong cast is capable of going, but the result is still a satisfying comedy.

Neon/YouTube

44) Tangerine

So many movies are given infinite resources and still manage to feel so minuscule that they might as well not even exist. Sean Baker’s Tangerine, however, is a testament to how much filmmakers can achieve with very little. Shot on an iPhone, the movie cost relative pennies to make, but Tangerine is a hypnotic, extraordinary film about the friendship between two sex workers. That bond is tested over the course of a very long day, and the plot’s simplicity masks its power. After finding out her boyfriend isn’t faithful, Sin-Dee (Kiki Rodriguez) goes off on a quest to locate his mistress. Meanwhile, Alexandra (Mya Taylor) prepares for a performance at a local club. Filmed on a stretch of Santa Monica known as a nexus of prostitution in the city, Tangerine captures the feel of Los Angeles better than any film I’ve ever seen. It’s simultaneously stylish, low-key, and groundbreaking in its authentic depiction of life on the streets. —Nico Lang

Advertisement
Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing/YouTube

45) Sorry to Bother You

Boots Riley delivered one of 2018’s most audacious films with his directorial debut Sorry to Bother You. The Oakland-set satire follows Cassius (Lakeith Stanfield), a telemarketer who finds more success than he handle by wielding his “white voice.” Riley, directing from his own script, has an anarchic attitude toward the material, which results in some blistering social commentary and inspired creative choices. In addition to Stanfield, co-stars Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler, and Armie Hammer deliver dynamic, compelling performances. Sorry to Bother You isn’t for everyone, but everyone should get it a chance.

Movieclips Trailers/YouTube
Advertisement

TRY HULU

46) The Good, the Bad, and the Weird

South Korean maestro Kim Jee-woon’s riff on the Man With No Name films is pure cinema. The titular trio is after treasure, but everywhere they turn there’s an army or bandits waiting to wreck their plans. The action set pieces are true showstoppers. They’re intricately choreographed and jaw-dropping in their scope. Movies don’t get much more fun than this.

IFC Films/YouTube
Advertisement

47) A Simple Favor

When Stephanie befriends one of the other moms at her son’s school, she gets more than a new friend in Emily. Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) leads strictly scheduled life and Emily (Blake Lively) is laid back and much more likely to fill up a flask than a daily planner. But fun afternoon drinking sessions quickly lead to a murder mystery, with Stephanie trying to solve Emily’s disappearance and assumed murder. A Simple Favor is a fun, twisty mystery that will keep you guessing and laughing to the end. -E.S.

48) Beach Rats

Coming-of-age indie stories are a dime a dozen, but Beach Rats separates itself primarily through the lead performance by Harris Dickinson. Dickinson plays Frankie, a teen who spends his days hanging out with his deadbeat friends and his evenings online looking for older guys to hook up with. Frankie’s frustrations in exploring his sexuality and accepting himself are blunt and relatable. Beach Rats is the kind of movie that will always fly under the radar of most people, but those who give it a chance will find it rewarding.

Advertisement
Neon/YouTube

49) Gemini

After a popular actress is found dead, her assistant, Jill, finds herself as a prime suspect. Jill’s search for the truth will take her all over L.A. and force her to reckon with her past. Gemini is a slick, neon-lit neo-noir with a killer score. The mystery itself is pretty solid, but Gemini stands out because of its moody atmosphere and crackling cast, featuring Lola Kirke, Zoe Kravitz, and John Cho.

Neon/YouTube
Advertisement

50) The Descent

Spelunking is a terrifying activity. Writer-director Neil Marshall compounds that terror by sending six women into a dark cave and having them run into a pack a creatures. Marshall, best known for directing the Blackwater episode of Game of Thrones, can ratchet up tension and spill blood like nobody’s business. The Descent is a claustrophobic pressure cooker that entertains you as thoroughly as it scares you. —E.S.  

DeFilmBlog/YouTube

TRY HULU

Advertisement

What’s new on Hulu in May 2020: Movies and TV shows

May 1
Bloom: Complete Season 2 (Stan)
A Life Less Ordinary (1997)
Aeon Flux (2005)
Assassination Tango (2003)
Batman Begins (2005)
Billy the Kid (2013)
Brick Mansions (2014)
Crooked Hearts (1991)
Demolition Man (1993)
Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
Friday the 13th – Part III (1982)
Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter (1984)
Gloria (2014)
GoodFellas (1990)
Harry Benson: Shoot First (2016)
House of D (2005)
Megamind (2010)
Men With Brooms (2002)
Molly (1999)
Monster House (2006)
Mutant Species (1995)
Pathology (2008)
Planet 51 (2009)
Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown (1977)
Sands of Iwo Jima (1950)
Slums of Beverly Hills (1998)
Some Kind of Hero (1982)
Soul Food (1997)
Sprung (1997)
Strategic Air Command (1955)
Tamara (2006)
Tank Girl (1995)
The Conjuring (2013)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Graduate (1967)
The Green Mile (1999)
The Patriot (2000)
The Whistle Blower (1987)
Treasure Hounds (2017)
Universal Soldier (1992)
Walking Tall (1973)

May 5
Vikings: Season 6A – MGM

Advertisement

May 8
Solar Opposites: Series Premiere – Hulu Original
Into the Dark: Delivered: New Episode Premiere – Hulu Original
Spaceship Earth (2020)

May 15
The Great: Series Premiere – Hulu Original
Beat Bobby Flay: Complete Seasons 8 & 9 – Food Network
Caribbean Life: Complete Season 15 – HGTV
Chopped: Complete Seasons 37 – 39 – Food Network
Fast N’ Loud: Complete Season 15 – Discovery Channel
Gold Rush: Complete Season 8 – Discovery Channel
Murder in the Heartland: Complete Season 2 – ID
Property Brothers: Complete Seasons 12 & 13 – HGTV
Street Outlaws: Complete Seasons 8 & 9 – Discovery Channel
The Great Food Truck Race: Complete Seasons 8 & 9 – Food Network
The Little Couple: Complete Seasons 13 & 14 – TLC
Worst Cooks in America: Complete Season 14 – Food Network
Open Door: Complete Season 2 – Conde Nast
On the Market: Complete Season 1 – Conde Nast
Reverse Engineering: Complete Season 1 – Conde Nast
Molly Tries: Complete Season 1 – Conde Nast
Andy Explores: Complete Season 1 – Conde Nast
Handcrafted: Complete Season 1 – Conde Nast
From the Test Kitchen: Complete Season 1 – Conde Nast
It’s Alive with Brad: Complete Season 2 – Conde Nast
Epic Conversations: Complete Season 1 – Conde Nast
Iconic Characters: Complete Season 2 – Conde Nast
Drag Me: Complete Season 1 – Conde Nast
73 Questions: Complete Season 2 – Conde Nast
Community en Español: Complete Series – NBC
It’s a Disaster (2012)

May 19
Like Crazy (2011)
Trial by Fire (2019)

May 20
Ultimate Tag: Series Premiere – Fox

Advertisement

May 22
Rocketman (2019)
Premature (2020)
Top End Wedding (2019)
Painter and the Thief (2020)

May 25
The Tracker (2019)

May 26
I Still Believe (2020)

May 29
Ramy: Complete Season 2 Premiere – Hulu Original
Disappearance at Clifton Hill (2020)

Advertisement

What’s leaving Hulu in May 2020

Leaving May 31

50/50 (2011)
Danny Roane: First Time Director (2007)
Deck the Halls (2011)
Eyes of an Angel (1994)
Free Willy (1993)
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995)
Free Willy 3: The Rescue (1997)
Furry Vengeance (2010)
Gator (1976)
Good Morning, Killer (2011)
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Hide (2011)
Hornet’s Nest (2012)
Innocent (2011)
Kinsey (2004)
Leap Year (2010)
Major League II (1994)
Man on a Ledge (2012)
Megamind (2010)
Misery (1990)
Natural Born Killers (1994)
Night of the Living Dead (2006)
Night of the Living Dead: Resurrection (2012)
Notes On a Scandal (2005)
Richard the Lionheart (2013)
Ricochet (2011)
Righteous Kill (2009)
Silent Tongue (1993)
Silent Witness (2011)
Spider-Man (2002)
Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)
Swingers (1996)
Tenderness (2009)
The Book Of Eli (2010)
The Cooler (2003)
The Descent (2005)
The Descent: Part 2 (2010)
Up in the Air (2009)
Waiting to Exhale (1995)
Zombieland (2009)

READ MORE:

Advertisement

Still not sure what to watch on Hulu? Here are the best movies on Hulu, what’s new, the best shows on Hulu, the sexiest movies you can stream on the service, Hulu documentaries, anime, and the must-see Hulu originals.

Here are the best thrillers and action movies to get your heart racing, classic movies when you want a blast from the past, sad movies when you need a good cry, and funny movies on Hulu when you need a good laugh.

Editor’s note: This article shares blurbs with some of our other streaming guides and is regularly updated for relevance.

Advertisement

The Daily Dot may receive a payment in connection with purchases of products or services featured in this article. Click here to learn more.

 
Exit mobile version