Next to Netflix and Prime Video, Hulu’s streaming service is perfect for providing a healthy dose of nostalgia to transport viewers back in time. Compared to the action-filled, effects-heavy blockbusters of the modern day, these classic gems from earlier eras possess a charming familiarity and timeless storytelling that cannot be matched.

Hulu offers a huge selection of movies from the '70s, '80s, and '90s that span a wide range of genres. Whether film fans crave the wit of screwball comedies, the sweeping nature of romances, or the infectious energy of kung fu action flicks, Hulu has an excellent older classic that will make them smile and sigh with nostalgia.

Updated on May 14, 2024: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.

10 Pretty Woman (1990)

Julia Roberts kicked off her reign as the '90s queen of rom-coms when she starred opposite Richard Gere in the beloved Garry Marshall classic Pretty Woman, which famously tells the story of powerful businessman Edward Lewis as he hires free-spirited Hollywood escort Vivian Ward to attend high-profile functions and events with him for a week, during which a surprising romance blossoms between the two. Despite being from two vastly different backgrounds, Edward and Vivian fall in love, but their stark lifestyle differences prove to be difficult hurdles for the pair to overcome.

Roberts Achieves Leading Lady Status

Roberts became a bona fide leading lady and won a Golden Globe Award for her unforgettable performance in the rags-to-riches tale, which grossed over $463 million worldwide and produced the highest number of ticket sales for a romantic comedy in the U.S. The sensational chemistry between Roberts and Gere captivated audiences and led to the dynamic duo teaming up once again later that decade in the screwball rom-com Runaway Bride. The fan-favorite flick remains a beloved '90s staple and continues to be discovered and watched by new viewers to this day.

9 Scarface (1983)

Al Pacino delivered a phenomenal performance as Cuban drug lord Tony Montana in Brian De Palma's acclaimed crime masterpiece Scarface, depicting the spectacular rise-and-fall of the notorious gangster as he goes from a desperate and penniless refugee to a vicious and wealthy drug kingpin in Miami. Based on the Armitage Trail novel of the same name, the influential film caused massive waves due to its excessive violence and graphic imagery, yet ultimately broke barriers in cinema because of its fearlessness.

Tony Montana: Pop Culture Icon

Widely regarded as one of the greatest gangster films ever made, Scarface sparked a pop culture phenomenon and helped establish the character of Tony Montana as a silver-screen icon. Pacino landed the career-defining role after Robert De Niro turned down the part. In preparation, he trained with boxer Roberto Durán and learned knife combat to capture the physicality of Montana. The crime drama was also a pioneer in profanity, with the f-bomb being dropped a record 226 times throughout the flick. Scarface has graced countless critics lists and has received a newfound appreciation since its release over forty years ago.

8 Hot Shots! (1991)

Through Hot Shots!, director Jim Abrahams (who co-wrote and co-directed the popular 1980 disaster comedy Airplane!) parodies Top Gun as well as other action flicks from the decade like Gone with the Wind, Marathon Man, and Rocky. Its premise sees a brave but reckless pilot, Topper Harley, who is sent on a dangerous secret mission, which is to destroy Saddam Hussein’s nuclear plants. Not only does he overcome his arrogant instructors, but Topper also handles competition from a rival pilot.

A Parody that Stands on Its Own

It is not every day that you see a movie trying to spoof an acclaimed one that turns out to be witty and enduring by itself. Loaded with stars like Charlie Sheen, Cary Elwes, and Valeria Golino, as well as fun cameos, Hot Shots! boasts not only a farcical narrative but also genuinely clever references. It has been more than 30 years since the film was first released and even though pop culture has given birth to a more sincere audience, the jabs and jokes have aged like fine wine. To some, it even helps recall a time when comedy meant simpler joys and hearty laughter.

7 Say Anything... (1989)

Cameron Crowe made his dazzling directorial debut with the teen romantic dramedy Say Anything..., which depicts the heartwarming romance between optimistic underachiever Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) and high school valedictorian Diane Court (Ione Skye) as they instantly connect after graduation and spend the summer together. Diane's possessive and disapproving father, Jim, does not believe Lloyd is good enough for his daughter, and his meddling throws a wrench into their budding love story.

A Boombox & Lovelorn Boy

Say Anything... features one of American cinema's most iconic and instantly recognizable scenes of all time, as Cusack's Lloyd stood vigilantly below Diane's bedroom window, holding a boombox as Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" serenaded her. Crowe later commented on the touching rom-com moment: "That scene is like Romeo under the trellis. But I have this feeling when I watch it that it's filled with double emotion – both with the story and the actors, whose own trepidation bleeds in." The '80s flick would go on to be parodied in television and film, becoming a defining pop culture touchstone.

6 Stand by Me (1986)

Touting an exceptional cast of then young up-and-comers including River Phoenix, Jerry O'Connell, and Corey Feldman, Rob Reiner's poignant adaptation of the Stephen King novel Stand by Me follows four boys in 1959 Oregon who go out to try and find the body of a missing child over Labor Day weekend. The coming-of-age drama chronicles how the young adolescent friends discover new things about not only themselves but one another, as the adventure marks a defining moment in the shaping of their lives.

Touching Coming-of-Age Triumph

Widely considered to be one of the quintessential films of the '80s and a massively influential drama, Stand by Me was nominated for both an Academy Award and two Golden Globes and skyrocketed its young stars (specifically Phoenix) to notoriety. A beloved classic, the film only gets better with time and continues attracting the adoration and viewers, and was retrospectively described by Rolling Stone as "a staple of youthful nostalgia for its deft straddling of the line between childhood and adulthood."

5 The Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)

The Omen has to be one of the most underrated horror sagas ever. Although different creative teams handle all films, they tell a cohesive story thanks to producer Harvey Bernhard, who oversaw the first trilogy. Andrew Birkin wrote the story, and Graham Baker directed the film. The Omen III features the talents of Sam Neill, Rossano Brazzi, and Don Gordon. The story focuses again on Damien Thorn, now an adult, as he's appointed as ambassador to the UK while running his international conglomerate. Damien is preparing to prevent the second coming of Jesus Christ, while the order of Subiaco is preparing for his showdown against the Devil using the seven daggers of Megiddo.

A Stand-Out Horror Series

Damien Thorn is the Devil incarnate disguised as a man, posing as one of them using their own playbook. Sam Neil aced the part as the charismatic leader of men who forced his way anywhere he wanted and took out whoever got in his way. His showdown with the priest of Subiaco shows they never stood a chance, yet his downfall was letting his guard down against someone he views as tainted and powerless. While Damien is defeated in the end, he leaves his mark on this world, with the story continuing in one more film.

4 Day of the Dead (1985)

Director George A. Romero is known for his incredible apocalyptic vision that is showcased in the zombie trilogy beginning in 1968's Night of the Living Dead. Because the first movie was so gracefully received, the director went on to make two more movies surrounding the same grim and nihilistic premise. Day of the Dead unleashed the most graphic and visceral scenes from the entire series. It was set in a time when zombies were dominating Earth, and there were scientists, soldiers, and civilians trapped inside a bunker.

Gruesome Fight Scenes and Taught Tension

While the tension in the claustrophobic space mounted and the zombie rampage outside turned into true madness, the movie truly became uncompromising and fun. There are a few things about Day of the Dead that are different from the movies that came before. It dials down on social commentary, delivers a haunting score, and emerges as a very, very bleak film with humanity coming off as the worst element in the story, even more so than the zombies.

3 Alien (1979)

Known for introducing one of the scariest movie monsters of all time, 1979's Alien is a sci-fi horror masterpiece that became an instant classic. Responding to a distress signal from a deserted spaceship, a mining ship crew encounters a nightmare in the form of a creature that defies any understanding. The alien Xenomorph represents the ultimate unknown as something humanity is unprepared for.

An Otherworldly Premise Done With Verisimilitude

This movie offers a cinematic experience similar to Jaws, as members of the crew are picked off one by one in gruesome and inventive ways. he tension in the enclosed space and the dread of not knowing who’s next becomes unbearable. Alien’s true genius lies in the fact that it was shot on a shoestring budget. Ridley Scott uses a documentary-like style of filming to ground the horror and make it real, which, honestly, is quite clever.

2 Akira (1988)

Akira is a dark yet dazzling cyberpunk sci-fi set in a dystopian Tokyo following the catastrophic events of World War III. The iconic anime followed Tetsuo, a member of a bike gang who suddenly discovered that he had powerful psychic abilities. The film charts his explosive life as his friends try to help him while the government tries to quarantine him as his newfound skills threaten the fragile balance of a city still recovering from nuclear devastation.

A Complex Story Told with Intricate Animation

It's easy to see the commitment of Katsuhiro Otomo to bring this story into film on his own terms. There's no animated film quite like this anywhere in the world. The frame rate and number of hand-drawn animations are staggering. The film is a display of excess but in a very positive way. While Tetsuo slowly evolves into the film's antagonist it's his best friend Kaneda, who tries to save the world of his friend by any means he can. The landscape of Neo-Tokyo serves as the perfect backdrop for this morally complex story of individual freedom versus social control.

1 Sophie's Choice (1983)

Hollywood legend Meryl Streep won her second Academy Award for 1982's Sophie’s Choice, which is an emotionally harrowing drama. Zofia "Sophie" Zawistowski is a Polish immigrant who begins a tempestuous romance with aspiring writer Stingo. But shadows of Sophie’s past haunt her, and in various flashes of memory, we see the unspeakable horrors she witnessed at Auschwitz.

An Emotional All-Timer

During World War II, Sophie was forced to choose which of her two children would live. Sophie made an impossible decision that forever changed her life. As Stingo learns more about Sophie’s painful history, he begins to see the world through her wounded eyes and grows even more compassionate. Sophie's Choice explores the struggle of the human heart to find joy amidst the darkest atrocities.