When it comes to the best Hulu movies, there’s a mountain of content to sift through. Although it’s no surprise given it’s one of the best streaming services around. Luckily, when it comes to picking the best of the best, we’ve done the hard work for you.
For this guide, we’ve picked out movies that have above 80% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics. Whether it’s tension-building thrillers, hilarious comedies, or out-of-this-world sci-fi adventures, there’s something for everyone. To see what's arriving and being removed from the platform, check out our lists of everything new on Hulu in December 2024 and everything leaving Hulu in December 2024 or why not try these three movies with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes before they're gone?
Since Hulu is backed by Disney and Universal’s parent company, Comcast, it’s not just Hulu Originals that build the streamer’s extensive library, either – indeed, there are a whole host of fan favorites and recent releases to enjoy. If you're after some the fresher fare, be sure to read our new Hulu movies guide, too. Otherwise, read on for our selection of the best Hulu movies spanning decades and genres.
Best action movies on Hulu
Fight Club
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Age rating: R
Runtime: 139 minutes
Main cast: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter
RT score: 80% (critics); 96% (audience)
While the first rule of Fight Club is not talking about it, we’re about to break it. Fight Club, from the Chuck Palahniuk novel of the same name, follows insomniac office worker/narrator (Edward Norton) and a carefree soap maker, Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) as they create an underground fight club. Why? To let off some steam. While it sounds unsuspecting and simple, it’s the twisted path this thriller takes you down that makes it one of the best Hulu movies. You won’t know what you’re watching until you get to the end and then you’re left wondering about, well, pretty much everything. It may even take a few watches to really get to grips with Norton and Pitt’s incredible performances. With director David Fincher, known for edge-of-your-seat thrillers Se7en, Panic Room, and Gone Girl, you really shouldn’t expect any less. See where it ranks in our best David Fincher movies guide.
Prey
Age rating: R
Runtime: 99 minutes
Main cast: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Michelle Thrush, Stormee Kipp, Julian Black Antelope, and Bennett Taylor
RT score: 94% (critics); 74% (audience)
The fifth instalment in the Predator franchise, Prey is a prequel set 300 years ago and sees the iconic villain hunting skilled Comcanche warrior Naru (Amber Midthunder). Trained as a healer, Naru is trying to prove herself as a warrior and finds ends up having to protect her people against a vicious humanoid alien, as well as French fur traders trying to catch and destroy the buffalo the tribe relies on for survival. The film has been widely praised for its fresh take on the franchise format. In our Prey review we wrote that it could well be the best Predator film since the very first one. A must inclusion on our best Hulu movies list.
The Woman King
Age rating: PG-13
Runtime: 135 minutes
Main cast: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch
RT score: 94% (critics), 99% (audience)
There's nothing Viola Davis can't do. Whether you're watching her as a criminal defense attorney in How to Get Away With Murder or a domestic worker in The Help, she has brought to life countless roles and dazzled audiences, including her Oscar-winning role in Fences. In The Woman King, she plays the leading role as General Nanisca, the leader of the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s. She is stunning in this role and teamed with some striking visuals and plenty of action, it's definitely worth your time.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Age rating: PG-13
Runtime: 145 minutes
Main cast: Freya Allan, Owen Teague, Kevin Durand, and Peter Macon
RT score: 80% (critics), 77% (audience)
As a fan of the Planet of the Apes franchise, I was curious to see how Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes would fare without its king Caesar (Andy Serkis), who had been the central character since the first movie. And much like our Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes review states, the blockbuster flick is most definitely a "thoroughly entertaining post-apocalyptic adventure that stands on its own two feet". Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a pseudo-sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes and is set 300 years after the reign of Caesar. The Wes Ball movie tells the story of Noa (Owen Teague), an intelligent young ape who goes on a harrowing mission to save his chimpanzee clan from the tyrannical Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), an ape leader that preaches a twisted version of Caesar's teachings. Planet of the Apes will always amaze me with their jaw-dropping CGI and action-packed sequences.
- Watch Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes on Hulu
- Watch the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes trailer on YouTube
Best comedy movies on Hulu
Happiest Season
Age rating: PG-13
Runtime: 102 minutes
Main cast: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, and Daniel Levy
RT score: 82% (critics); 72% (audience)
Taking your new partner home for the holidays can be anxiety-inducing, but when your parents don't know your partner is a woman and that you're actually queer? That ramps things up even more so. Clea Duvall's Christmas comedy stars Mackenzie Davis as Harper, who has kept her relationship with Abby (Kristen Stewart) under wraps, leading to a slew of hiding hijinks once they arrive. Think The Family Stone with sharper wardrobe choices. Plus this warm-hearted comedy about celebrating love in all forms features Aubrey Plaza and Dan Levy on scene-stealing form as the duo's respective best pals.
Palm Springs
Age rating: R
Runtime: 90 minutes
Main cast: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, and J. K. Simmons
RT score: 94% (critics); 89% (audience)
Living the same day over and over in sunny Palm Springs can't be the worst way to spend eternity, right? Hulu original Palm Springs rips apart this seemingly-ideal time loop concept through the experiences of Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti), two strangers who meet at a wedding only to realise they're both trapped in an endless repeat of a terrible day. It's no surprise Hulu paid big bucks (around $20 million) for the rights following its Sundance premiere. Much like the granddaddy of time loop movies, Groundhog Day, Palm Springs is loaded with poignant moments of reflection and black-as-night jokes.
Freaky Friday
Age rating: PG
Runtime: 97 minutes
Main cast: Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chad Michael Murray, Mark Harmon
RT score: 88% (critics); 58% (audience)
This is a childhood favorite of mine that I still rewatch today in my 20s simply because the Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis pairing is pure gold. In this 2003 recreation of the 1976 movie with Jodie Foster, single mother and therapist Tess Coleman (Curtis) has a complicated relationship with her rebellious teenage daughter Anna (Lohan). When they receive mysterious fortune cookies at a Chinese restaurant, the two wake up to find they've switched bodies without a way to return to their normal selves. Living as each other until a solution is found, their relationship starts to blossom as they learn more about each other's lives.
Thelma
Age rating: PG-13
Runtime: 98 minutes
Main cast: June Squibb, Richard Roundtree, Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey
RT score: 98% (critics); 83% (audience)
When a movie is being described as grandma meets Mission: Impossible, you know I have to include it on this list for that reason alone. Inspired by a real-life experience of director Josh Margolin's own grandmother, Thelma stars June Squibb as a 93-year-old woman who loses $10,000 to a phone scam. Along with a friend and his motorized scooter, she sets out on a journey across Los Angeles to find the criminals. Squibb takes center stage as an unlikely action hero that handles aging with tonnes of humor and heart.
Elf
Age rating: PG
Runtime: 97 minutes
Main cast: Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen
RT score: 86% (critics); 79% (audience)
Elf is no doubt one of my favorite Christmas movies and an absolute festive classic that I never grow tired of. Will Ferrell plays Buddy, a human raised among elves at the North Pole, who ventures to New York in search of his biological father. It's full of Christmas cheer, but I think it's perfect for any time of the year thanks to Ferrell's funny and heartwarming performance.
Best drama movies on Hulu
Benedetta
Age rating: R
Runtime: 132 minutes
Main cast: Virginie Efira, Charlotte Rampling, Daphné Patakia, Lambert Wilson, Olivier Rabourdin, Louise Chevillotte, Hervé Pierre, and Clotilde Courau
RT score: 84% (critics); 90% (audience)
Garnering a reputation as "the lesbian nun movie", Paul Verhoeven's Benedetta sensationalizes a 17th-century Sapphic relationship, but it speaks more as an examination of faith. Sister Benedetta (Virginie Efira) and Sister Bartolomea (Daphne Patakia) begin an affair behind closed doors while the former experiences vivid daydreams of Jesus and signs of stigmata. Its titillating set pieces involving an augmented Virgin Mary statue raised eyebrows yet its most shocking moments stem from steadfast belief, and how that can lift you up or destroy you.
Crazy Heart
Age rating: R
Runtime: 112 minutes
Main cast: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall
RT score: 90% (critics); 76% (audience)
Drama is by far my favorite genre, but in order for a drama movie to be a success it has to be able to make me laugh, cry, and everything in between - that’s why I’m recommending Crazy Heart, which has just been added to Hulu’s library. When country singer Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) starts to lose grip of his stardom, his alcoholism takes a toll on his life. But when he meets a reporter (Maggie Gyllenhaal), he naturally begins to reveal his softer side and a final chance at happiness presents itself. From its sincere portrayal of the struggles with alcoholism and the downfall from fame to the complications of romance, Crazy Heart is one emotional watch.
Nomadland
Age rating: R
Runtime: 108 minutes
Main cast: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, and Swankie
RT score: 93% (critics); 82% (audience)
The movie Nomadland, inspired by Jessica Bruder's non-fiction work Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, follows the story of Fern (played by McDormand), a woman left jobless by the economic downturn of her hometown in Nevada. She goes in search of something more but with limited options she decides to sell her possessions and embark on a cross-country drive, embracing the nomadic way of life. On her journey she meets a community of like-minded nomads, all set against the stunning landscape of the American West. The story might seem simple, but there's a lot of depth and heart here. McDormand also delivers a captivating performance as Fern, showing us a character deeply affected by the harsh realities of life. Director Chloé Zhao does a fantastic job at telling Fern's story with a raw, documentary-like authenticity that's been praised for accurately capturing life on the margins of society.
Pig
Age rating: R
Runtime: 92 minutes
Main cast: Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, and Adam Arkin
RT score: 97% (critics); 84% (audience)
Following years of straight-to-video actioners, Nicolas Cage's recent offerings have shifted to the far corners of genre – cosmic horrors Mandy and Color Out of Space – before catapulting to this low-key, blurry-edged drama about a recluse chef. Trailers for Pig played it like John Wick but with a porcine pal as the puppy yet Michael Sarnoski's debut deserves more than comparison, a tender tale of a man driven to a life in woods, where his days are spent ambling the forest with his best friend, a truffle pig. When she's stolen, Cage must reconnect with the outside world he left behind to retrieve her. It's a heart-breaking story of redemption in which Cage delivers a lifetime-best performance.
The Abyss
Age rating: PG-13
Runtime: 140 minutes
Main cast: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn
RT score: 89% (critics); 83% (audience)
The Abyss is a mesmerizing deep sea adventure that combines lots of thrilling suspense, a gripping story and visual effects that were groundbreaking at the time the movie first came out in the late 1980s. Directed by James Cameron (see where The Abyss ranks in our best James Cameron movies guide), the story takes viewers to the edge of human exploration and beyond as it follows the story of a diving team recruited by the US Navy to assist in rescuing a sunken submarine, only to encounter an otherworldly undersea life form. Some of the visual effects may look a little dated now, but when it was first released in 1989, The Abyss stood out for its pioneering use of CGI, which was used to create stunning underwater scenes that were revolutionary for their time. Its compelling storyline is brought to life by a talented cast, including Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Dr. Lindsey Brigman and Ed Harris as the foreman of the mission and Brigman's estranged husband.
Spencer
Age rating: R
Runtime: 117 minutes
Main cast: Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Jack Farthing, Sean Harris, and Sally Hawkins
RT score: 83% (critics); 52% (audience)
In the years since The Twilight Saga, Kristen Stewart's worked to separate herself from Bella Swan, and she hammers the final nail in that coffin with Pablo Larrain's Spencer. As Princess Diana, Stewart's own experiences with the paparazzi gift her an innate empathy for Diana, perhaps enabling her to channel the restraint of being in the spotlight. Her Academy Award-nominated performance is the highlight in a movie which shares more in common with The Shining than any other royal biopic, signalling the isolation and loneliness of the former Princess of Wales through a horror lens.
Best horror movies on Hulu
No One Will Save You
Age rating: PG-13
Runtime: 93 minutes
Main cast: Kaitlyn Dever
RT score: 82% (critics); 56% (audience)
No One Will Save You is a sci-fi horror-thriller, starring Kaitlyn Dever as a woman called Brynn who has been outcast by her community – we can’t really get into why without wading into spoilers, so let’s leave it there. So far so not great for Brynn, but things get even more complicated when aliens invade her hometown, use their mind controlling abilities to indoctrinate the local population and force Brynn to fight for her survival. It has had an incredibly positive reception since it arrived on the streaming service, making it one of the best Hulu movies you can watch right now. Although it goes without saying this is a movie that’ll only appeal to those with a soft spot for scary films. Well, unless you don’t mind watching the whole thing while holding a cushion in front of your face to avoid the jump scares.
Alien
Age rating: R
Runtime: 117 minutes
Main cast: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, and Harry Dean Stanton
RT score: 93% (critics); 94% (audience)
The first Alien movie is where the story of Ellen Ripley begins, brilliantly portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, a survivor who dares to face the horrifying alien creatures known as the Xenomorphs. Alien follows the tale of the Nostromo spaceship crew, whose encounter with an alien creature unleashes utter chaos and a lot of death. While the other movies in the Alien franchise, bar Aliens and Alien: Covenant, can also be found on Hulu, they don’t rate as highly. Though 2012’s Prometheus did impress both critics and audiences on RT. You can find out more about why by checking out our guide to every Alien movie ranked from worst to best.
Titane
Age rating: R
Runtime: 108 minutes
Main cast: Vincent Lindon, Agathe Rousselle, Garance Marillier, and Laïs Salameh
RT score: 90% (critics); 85% (audience)
Raw director Julia Ducourneau's sophomore effort is a blistering, stomach-churning descent into body horror unlike anything else we've seen in recent years. The fact it won the Palme d'Or at Cannes is evidence of its raw, unfiltered power. Agathe Rousselle, in her film debut, stars as Alexia, a young woman who has a metal plate fitted in her head following a car accident as a child. This foreign body stimulates a love for automobiles that makes Christine play like a Pixar movie. Alexia's flourishing desire sends her on a violent cross-country spree with twists and turns you won't see coming. It's an experience I won't forget.
Best thriller movies on Hulu
Fresh
Age rating: R
Runtime: 114 minutes
Main cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jonica T. Gibbs, and Charlotte Le Bon
RT score: 82% (critics); 81% (audience)
Many romantic-comedies make light of the pitfalls of the dating scene, but Fresh takes it to task through black-as-night horror comedy, skewering the dire situation that is internet dating. The movie opens as Noa (Normal People's Daisy Edgar-Jones) endures yet another evening of belittling, misogynist banter, leading her to give up on romantic prospects. That is until the perfect meet-cute in a grocery store where she encounters Steve (Sebastian Stan), a refreshingly normal guy. To say more would give away the film's best sting, an early twist which swiftly passes comment on the modern dating landscape with a savage sense of humor.
Run
Age rating: PG-13
Runtime: 89 minutes
Main cast: Sarah Paulson and Kiera Allen
RT score: 89% (critics); 74% (audience)
Director Aneesh Chaganty follows up his screen-set debut Searching with Run, a homebound thriller that broke Hulu records shortly after it dropped. And it's no surprise, given the caliber of talent. Sarah Paulson stars in this Hulu original as a mother whose dedication to her wheelchair-bound daughter Chloe redefines the concept of helicopter parenting. Chaganty and co. were determined to find a disabled actor for the role of Chloe, finding newcomer Keira Allen, who gives Paulson a run for her money in this taut, action-packed film. Cribbing from iconic horror Misery, this is packed with twists you won't see coming.
How we choose the best Hulu movies
The TechRadar streaming team is always scanning the movie libraries of all the best streaming services to pick out the most amazing films worth watching. We couldn't possibly fit all our recommendations on one list so we've whittled our suggestions down to the following criteria:
To book a spot on our best Hulu movies list, films need to hold a Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score above 80% in the critics and/or audience departments and be personally picked by one of the members of the team, which includes Matthew Bolton, Amelia Schwanke, Tom Power, Lucy Buglass and Grace Morris.
We have varied interests in movies, from psychological thrillers and action adventures to superhero spectacles and supernatural horrors as well as romantic dramas, which means out list covers a wide-range of genres and sub-genres to suit a multitude of tastes.
For more Hulu coverage, read our guides on the best Hulu shows, best Hulu documentaries, and The Bear season 3.
