When people think of streaming services, their minds might gravitate more toward Netflix or relative newcomer HBO Max. However, it’s worth remembering that Hulu — one of the original big-name streaming platforms — also totes a dependably entertaining collection of shows and movies.
Possessing a mix of original content and noteworthy films and TV series that have won global renown, Hulu is still very much in the running for one of the best streaming apps you can find online.
From original series to Academy Award-winning films across the globe, here are 15 of the best movies and TV shows you can find on Hulu.
15. Fire Island
Embarking on their annual trip to Long Island’s Fire Island, a group of close-knit friends have their vacation complicated by romance and elitism.
Fresh, Funny, and Entertaining
A contemporary take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Fire Island is one of those films that manages to take an old text and cross-reference it with a modern spin, updating it enough to fit with the times but remaining true to the original nature of the novel. The result is fresh, funny, and supremely entertaining.
14. Under the Banner of Heaven
As he investigates the murder of a Mormon mother and her infant daughter, a religiously devout detective (Andrew Garfield) undergoes a spiritual crisis that threatens to strip him of his faith.
Top Performance by Andrew Garfield
Andrew Garfield has always been great, but thanks to his recent performance in No Way Home, audiences have remembered just how phenomenal an actor he truly is. Additional evidence of this apparent fact can be found here, with his top performance in Under the Banner of Heaven being one of the best in his career.
13. Run
Chloe (Kiera Allen) is a teenager who uses a wheelchair and is homeschooled by her warm, caring mother, Diane (Sarah Paulson). After an innocent discovery leads Chloe to uncover a startling secret about her past, she begins to suspect her mother is hiding something from her.
Sarah Paulson is one of the more underrated faces you can find headlining horror films and TV shows (owing primarily to her fantastic work in American Horror Story and, to a lesser extent, Ratched).
Suspenseful Thriller
Through its tight script and dramatic pacing, Paulson’s more recent contribution to the horror field, Run, is a taut and suspenseful thriller worthy of Hitchcock, taking perfect advantage of Paulson’s apparent preference for ambiguous characters.
12. The Patient
Recently widowed psychotherapist Alan Strauss (Steve Carrell) is kidnapped and held captive by a notorious local serial killer (Domhnall Gleeson), who asks Alan to treat his murderous tendencies.
Since his tenure on The Office concluded, Steve Carrell has entered a new chapter of his career that has seen him star in meatier, more dramatic roles, as seen here.
A Psychological Horror Series
In The Patient, Carrell manages to expertly enter the psychological horror field, handing in a performance radically different from any character he’s played previously.
11. Big Time Adolescence
As he takes his first steps into adulthood, sixteen-year-old Mo (Griffin Gluck) learns the responsibilities of growing up as he spends time with his best friend, a 23-year-old college dropout (Pete Davidson) aimlessly drifting through life.
Learning Grown-Up Responsibilities
Pete Davidson is best remembered for his time on SNL and his starring role in Judd Apatow’s The King of Staten Island, with most people tending to overlook his lead role in Big Time Adolescence.
However, that’s not to say his performance in Big Time Adolescence is any worse than his turn in Staten Island. Both movies show Davidson’s immense skill as a comic actor able to play more grounded characters.
10. Pam & Tommy
A biographic miniseries that leans heavily into dark comedy, Pam & Tommy focuses on the rocky marriage between Pamela Anderson (Lily James) and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan), specifically delving into the theft and distribution of their infamous sex tape.
Off-kilter Bio-series
Benefiting greatly from the performances of James and Stan, Pam & Tommy is a wholly off-kilter bio-series that explores the public’s obsession with celebrities, and the lack of privacy said celebrities have when it comes to their personal lives.
9. Happiest Season
Abby (Kristin Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis) are a happy couple who have been dating for nearly a year. Invited to attend her family’s Christmas party, Harper struggles to find ways to reveal to her conservative family members her sexual orientation, often leading to disastrous results.
A-plus Level Script
With an A-plus level script and a cast of amazingly underrated actors (Stewart, Davis, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, and Dan Levy, among others), Happiest Season is a comedy of manners that treats the holidays like a horror film, portraying mundane family parties with as much awkwardness and embarrassment as possible.
8. Boss Level
Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo) is a retired Special Forces operative stuck in a permanent time loop that always ends with his death. Living out the same day again and again, Roy investigates the reason for his continuous assassination, as well as how he became stuck in the time loop in the first place.
Inventive Approach to the Time Loop Concept
We don’t know what it is, but Hulu seems to really enjoy the time loop premise that was pioneered by Groundhog Day. Presenting a more action-heavy interpretation of the 1993 Bill Murray classic, Boss Level may not be as altogether memorable as similar films like Palm Springs, but it’s still worth seeing for its inventive approach to the time loop concept it employs in the film.
7. Prey
In the early 18th century, a young Comanche warrior named Naru (Amber Midthunder) defends her village from encroaching French fur traders and a massive, bloodthirsty alien hunting humans for sport.
The Best Predator Film Since the Original
One of the recent films to land on Hulu, Prey was a prequel that helped breathe life back into The Predator franchise after several utterly catastrophic sequels, spin-offs, and cross-overs. Thanks to Midthunder’s lead performance and its historical setting, Prey stands tall as the best Predator film since the original — if not more so.
6. Palm Springs
In the idyllic Californian desert, two wedding guests (Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti) find themselves caught in a permanent time loop that sees them experiencing the same day over and over again with no end in sight.
Lighthearted and Emotional Script
As mentioned previously, Hulu has quite a few films that utilize the time loop concept popularized by the Bill Murray-led Groundhog Day. Balancing a lighthearted yet surprisingly emotional script with the performances of its two leads, Palm Springs manages to build itself up as a successful spin on its time paradox idea.
5. I Am Greta
A documentary following 12-year-old Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg, I Am Greta details Thunberg’s continuing uphill battle to alert the world of climate change and the immediate effect it can have across the globe.
Struggles as an Environmental Activist
Despite her young age — or maybe because of it — Greta Thunberg has demonstrated unbelievable awareness in regards to climate change and the imminent consequences it can have in the near future.
A documentary that does justice to its main focus, I Am Greta adequately portrays the struggles Thunberg has overcome in her life as an environmental activist so far and the continuous roadblocks she still faces today.
4. Only Murders in the Building
Three true crime enthusiasts (Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) band together when they believe someone has been murdered in their shared New York apartment building.
Original, Darkly Comic Whodunit
Through their work together on Only Murders in the Building, Martin and Short have shown the world that — even while the height of their career might be behind them — they still have plenty of comedic talent left in the tank, helping them stay relevant in the modern age. Throw in a similarly hilarious Selena Gomez and you have a certified original, darkly comic whodunit on your hands.
3. The Great
An “anti-historical” account of Russian monarch Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning), The Great follows Catherine’s childhood, her turbulent marriage to Peter III (Nicholas Hoult), and her eventual rise to power as one of the longest-running rulers in Russia’s history.
A Humorous Exploration of Catherine the Great
Abandoning any pretext of a historical basis in reality, The Great flourishes with its more loose interpretation of Russian history, allowing for a more nuanced, perversely humorous exploration of Catherine and her estranged husband, Peter.
2. The Handmaid’s Tale
Set after a Second Civil War has laid waste to most of the US, The Handmaid’s Tale follows a group of women living in the post-war society of Gilead, after a new totalitarian regime has seized power and subjugated almost all women to domestic slavery.
One of the Best and Nightmarish Shows on Hulu
Based on Margaret Atwood’s universally praised novel of the same name, The Handmaid’s Tale was one of the most popular and well-received original series on Hulu. The winner of several Golden Globes and numerous Primetime Emmy Awards for Best TV Series, it’s one of the best and most nightmarish shows Hulu has to offer.
1. Parasite
Seizing the opportunity to improve their lot in life, a lower income family begins posing as rich and affluent to gain favor with a wealthy, powerful family, whose friendship they hope to exploit for their own financial gain.
One of the Most Accolated Films of 2019
From Korean director Bong Joon-ho (the filmmaker behind such audacious films as Snowpiercer, The Host, and Okja), Parasite was one of the most accoladed films of 2019, making a clean sweep at the Oscars and winning Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature Film, and Best Picture (the first non-English language film to do so).
It’s destined to become a hallmark of Korean cinema — but for now, it’s just an amazing film you can stream right now on Hulu.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Richard Chachowski is a freelance writer based in New Jersey. He loves reading, his dog Tootsie, and pretty much every movie to ever exist (especially Star Wars).