The 25 best movies on Hulu

All of Us Strangers (2023)

A London writer finds meaning in love and loss in this heartbreaking fantasy drama from writer-director Andrew Haigh (Weekend, 45 Years). Andrew Scott stars as Adam, whose lonely life takes a turn when he meets Harry (Paul Mescal), a neighbor with whom he enters a tender relationship. Adam also returns to his childhood home where he is stunned to see his parents, who died 30 years prior. Moody and captivating in equal measure, All of Us Strangers earns its emotional catharsis thanks in large part to Scott's vulnerable performance. As EW's critic writes, "It is in watching Scott slowly allow tenderness, intimacy, and love into Adam's life that makes the film settle onto your chest like a weighted blanket." —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch All of Us Strangers: Hulu

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Andrew Haigh

Cast: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell, Claire Foy

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Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

Did she do it? This is the question at the heart of Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet's highly acclaimed French legal drama starring Sandra Hüller as Sandra, a writer who fights for her innocence in the death of her husband. The circumstances surrounding her husband falling out the window to his death are ambiguous: he may have been suicidal; he may have fallen on accident; she may have pushed him following a nasty argument. Triet keeps you guessing as to the truth behind it all, and Hüller's performance is such that you're never quite sure, even by the end. The film won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival and earned five Oscar nominations, winning for Best Original Screenplay. —K.J.

Where to watch Anatomy of a Fall: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Justine Triet

Cast: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, Antoine Reinartz, Samuel Theis, Jehnny Beth, Saadia Bentaieb, Camille Rutherford, Anne Rotger, Sophie Fillières

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Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

This small-budget indie drama turned into an unexpected hit with critics, audiences, and even awards voters. Six-year-old Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) lives with her ailing father, Wink (Dwight Henry), in a Louisiana bayou vulnerable to the threat of flooding. As Hushpuppy witnesses catastrophes around her, the film also cleverly plays with magic realism, with the young girl also imagining the arrival of prehistoric auroch creatures. Wallis delivers a remarkable lead performance, becoming, at just 9 years old, the youngest Oscar nominee for Best Actress in history. EW's critic praises Wallis, writing she "radiates an amazing gravity and poise," while calling the film "a thing of beauty and originality." —K.J.

Where to watch Beasts of the Southern Wild: Hulu

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Benh Zeitlin

Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry

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Call Jane (2022)

Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver star in this criminally underseen feature about a pregnant housewife who, after a life-threatening pregnancy, becomes an advocate for women seeking safe abortions. If there were any justice, this would have at least garnered some awards buzz. Although it might sound like a hard watch, it's just the opposite. Rather, Phyllis Nagy's film finds a balance between warm characters and pacey, thriller-style construction. —Declan Gallagher

Where to watch Call Jane: Hulu

Director: Phyllis Nagy

Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Mara, Chris Messina, Wunmi Mosaku

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Captain Phillips (2013)

Barkhad Abdi's declaration of "I'm the captain now" may have taken on a life of its own, but this action drama has substance beyond the catchphrase. Based on the true story of Richard Phillips and his experience as captain of a U.S. cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates, Captain Phillips unfolds with nerve-wracking tension as the eponymous merchant mariner tries to negotiate his way through a delicate situation. Tom Hanks delivers one of his best modern performances as the beleaguered captain — with the film's final scene ranking as one of the finest of his storied career — while Abdi, making his film debut as ruthless pirate leader Abduwali Muse, rightfully earned himself an Oscar nomination. —K.J.

Where to watch Captain Phillips: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Paul Greengrass

Cast: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Catherine Keener

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Die Hard (1988)

The classic Christmas movie (yes, we said it) starring Bruce Willis as John McClane, a New York City cop who gets caught up in terrorist activity while making a visit to his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia), has aged astonishingly well. It’s still a master class in breathless action, with a villainess turn by Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber who ranks among the most dastardly evildoers of all time. —D.G.

Where to watch Die Hard: Hulu

Director: John McTiernan

Cast: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, Hart Bochner

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Disappearance at Clifton Hill (2019)

Director Albert Shin's utterly fabulous thriller follows a troubled woman (Tuppence Middleton) who returns to her mother's abandoned motel in Niagara Falls and gets caught up in an abduction case she witnessed in childhood. It's more of a dark comedy meets teen thriller (albeit with an adult cast) than it is a full-on horror movie. Still, it's one of the most deeply creepy and atmospheric works to hit screens in some time. The film examines childhood memories via adult interpretations and features some exquisite imagery that somehow feels pulled directly from one's youthful nightmares. —D.G.

Where to watch Disappearance at Clifton Hill: Hulu

Director: Albert Shin

Cast: Tuppence Middleton, Andy McQueen, David Cronenberg, Marie-Josée Croze, Hannah Gross

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Dune (2021)

Once thought to be an unadaptable book, Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi classic Dune found new life in the form of this large-scale interpretation from Denis Villeneuve. Set in the distant future, Dune centers on Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), the gifted heir of a noble house who is thrust into a battle for control of Arrakis, a desert planet that contains a life-changing spice. Seeing visions of a mysterious young woman (Zendaya), Paul follows what he believes to be his destiny to protect the local population. Featuring Oscar-winning visuals and sound design, Dune is a stunning rendering of Herbert's unique vision. "Villeneuve's gift for visual storytelling can be genuinely breathtaking," EW's critic writes, "vast desertscapes unscrolling like oceans and helicopters with dragonfly-wing blades where the rotors should be; the kidney-piercing resonance of Hans Zimmer's soundtrack poured over sets of towering, planet-scaled enormity." —K.J.

Where to watch Dune: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem

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Enys Men (2023)

Mark Jenkin, the British filmmaker who directed the similarly brilliant Bait (2019), helmed this experimental nightmare about a wildlife worker on the titular Cornish isle who begins to descend into madness under the specter of a long-ago shipwreck and a family tragedy. There are no easy answers in Enys Men, and it risks being outright frustrating, but Jenkin's masterful cinematography evokes the unsettling atmosphere of a lost piece of 1970s folk horror. —D.G.

Where to watch Enys Men: Hulu

Director: Mark Jenkin

Cast: Mary Woodvine, Edward Rowe, John Woodvine, Flo Crowe

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Fresh (2022)

Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones star in this full-throttle psychothriller in which the less you know about the plot, the more effective the experience will be. Shot with a particularly daring eye with an inflection of dark humor and a solid soundtrack, Fresh takes a premise that could be terribly unpleasant and turns it into a slick piece of popcorn entertainment. EW's critic calls the film "a clever, gory metaphor for the seemingly endless horrors of modern romance rooted in a plot twist just outrageous enough to plausibly be true." —D.G.

Where to watch Fresh: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Mimi Cave

Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jonica T. Gibbs, Charlotte Le Bon, Andrea Bang

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Infinity Pool (2023)

Brandon Cronenberg's supremely weird and very, very kinky psychological horror/thriller stars Alexander Skarsgård as a never-was novelist who meets a pair of admirers (scream queen Mia Goth and Jalil Lespert) at a Croatian resort. There, they lead Skarsgård into a bizarre world of criminality, clones, and orgies. You know you're in for a wild ride when there's a full-on money shot in the first 10 minutes, and the film, which EW's critic calls "slick" and "strenuously naughty," only gets exceedingly unhinged from there. —D.G.

Where to watch Infinity Pool: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Brandon Cronenberg

Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Jalil Lespert, Caroline Boulton, Cleopatra Coleman

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The Little Hours (2017)

Jeff Baena's riotously amusing chronicle of nuns at a medieval monastery stars Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, and a host of other famous faces in a ribald tale of sex, sorcery, and spirituality. Baena has made a series of quirky flicks, but this is certainly his silliest work. As EW's critic writes, "This wacky comedy is little more than an excuse to watch Plaza hurl expletives at a local farmer or Fred Armisen strut around as a holier-than-thou bishop." —D.G.

Where to watch The Little Hours: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Jeff Baena

Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Kate Micucci, Molly Shannon, John C. Reilly

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Little Women (2019)

Greta Gerwig has become synonymous with depicting girlhood and women's stories with sensitivity and pinpoint accuracy, as exemplified by this adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic tale. Saoirse Ronan stars as Jo March, who comes of age alongside her sisters in 1860s New England as they experience love and loss. Presenting the story with a nonlinear timeline, Gerwig illustrates how Jo's childhood shapes her adulthood in profound ways. "Her 2019 take is less a faithful rendering of the text than a sort of joyful reimaging," EW's critic writes, "a classic cleared of cobwebs." —K.J.

Where to watch Little Women: Hulu

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Greta Gerwig

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Chris Cooper

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No One Will Save You (2023)

This smart little Twilight Zone riff stars Kaitlyn Dever as a young woman who is under siege in her isolated country home by a group of alien invaders. The script is witty while the general conceit is executed with panache. It's practically a silent film, one that judges its running time perfectly, introducing fresh, thrilling elements right up until the credits roll. "It was a character thing where this person really wants a community and doesn't think she's deserving of one," writer-director Brian Duffield told EW of the decision to make the film dialogue-free. "It felt like that device just amplified her character." —D.G.

Where to watch No One Will Save You: Hulu

Director: Brian Duffield

Cast: Kaitlyn Dever

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Nomadland (2020)

Chloé Zhao's captivating journal of travelers living on the fringes of middle American society is a Best Picture Oscar winner that unequivocally deserves the honor. Using mostly non-actors to fill out the cast around star Frances McDormand, the film achieves a rare kind of authenticity that never strains yet always feels wholly, dramatically cinematic. EW's critic praises of Zhao and McDormand's collaboration, "Together, they've managed to make that rare thing: a film that feels both necessary and sublime." —D.G.

Where to watch Nomadland: Hulu

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Chloé Zhao

Cast: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Charlene Swankie, Tay Strathairn

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Palm Springs (2020)

This Groundhog Day-inspired comedy stars Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg as two wedding guests who develop a romance while stuck in a time loop. It's one of the better variations of a rich subgenre with a fairly high success rate. Millioti and Samberg prove to be a likable central pair, and the latter gets to show off some impressive dramatic skills. "Samberg nimbly walks the line between slacker cartoon and actual frustrated human," EW's critic writes, but, "it's Cristin Milioti who feels most like the revelation here." —D.G.

Where to watch Palm Springs: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Max Barbakow

Cast: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons, Meredith Hagner, Peter Gallagher

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Plan B (2021)

This light and breezy dramedy about two friends embarking on a mission to obtain a morning-after pill hits many notes à la Booksmart. Natalie Morales' sophomore directing venture is a cozy, bite-sized version of teenage friendship that has a worthy message but doesn't sacrifice fun in order to convey it. Morales cites Schitt's Creek, Clueless, and silent film auteur Buster Keaton among her inspirations for the film. —D.G.

Where to watch Plan B: Hulu

Director: Natalie Morales

Cast: Victoria Moroles, Kuhoo Verma, Michael Provost, Mason Cook, Timothy Granaderos

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Poor Things (2023)

This stylized odyssey from Yorgos Lanthimos features Emma Stone in one of her most daring performances yet. The actress plays Bella Baxter, a woman who is brought back to life by a scientist who implants her unborn baby's brain into her. Living with the mind of a child, Bella soon discovers the dangers lurking out in the world and matures into a woman with agency. The visually stunning film features a strong ensemble of actors, including Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, and Ramy Youssef, but this is Stone's movie through and through, in a fully committed performance that won her her second Oscar for Best Actress. "Stone portrays Bella's vicissitudes with a fantastical fluidity," EW's critic writes, "a complete lack of vanity, and a deadpan, outrageous humor." —K.J.

Where to watch Poor Things: Hulu

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Cast: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Jerrod Carmichael

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Prey (2022)

This excellent continuation of the Predator franchise is a super-powered, subversive reboot/sequel from director Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane). It takes all of the best elements of the series, and the things that make the central monster so frightening, without indulging in the hackneyed plotting or overly bullish military members of the previous installments. —D.G.

Where to watch Prey: Hulu

Director: Dan Trachtenberg

Cast: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Sung Kang, Michelle Thrush

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The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Wes Anderson put his spin on the dysfunctional family subgenre with this quirky dramedy. The ensemble film follows the wealthy Tenenbaum family — siblings Chas (Ben Stiller), Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), and Richie (Luke Wilson), and their separated parents Royal (Gene Hackman) and Etheline (Anjelica Huston). Though the Tenenbaum children were all gifted in their youth, they have since become disillusioned in adulthood. Having left them in their childhoods, Royal comes back into their lives years later, causing further complications. EW's critic praises Anderson, "whose storytelling style is so fresh, so happily idiosyncratic, and so all-encompassing that it stirs up strong response from people who either love or don’t love his stuff." —K.J.

Where to watch The Royal Tenenbaums: Hulu

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Wes Anderson

Cast: Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson

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Rye Lane (2023)

This tremendously cineliterate rom-com takes a Before Sunset approach to its story of two heartbroken individuals (David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah) hashing out their remorse and looking ahead to a future (maybe together?) over one night in London. Rye Lane is the best kind of metatextual romance, the sort that unabashedly indulges in the genre's greatest tropes but is always in on its own joke. —D.G.

Where to watch Rye Lane: Hulu

Director: Raine Allen Miller

Cast: David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah

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Sanctuary (2022)

Sanctuary is the polar opposite of Rye Lane. Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott star in this wild psychosexual thriller, which finds a dominatrix and a young heir engaging in a battle of wills over one night in a hotel room. Qualley is one of the most exciting actresses working now (so good Lana Del Rey sang about her), consistently taking on outré roles that defy what we've seen her do before. —D.G.

Where to watch Sanctuary: Hulu

Director: Zachary Wigon

Cast: Margaret Qualley, Christopher Abbott

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Support the Girls (2018)

Regina Hall stars in this pitch-perfect comedy about women working at a franchise restaurant that prides itself on the good looks of its all-female staff. The film is exactly what you would want and expect from a Hall comedy, letting the actress go both as broad and as subtle as she is capable. Yet in its second half, it turns into a much deeper and ruminative story about America's under-represented workforce without ever losing sight of its good-time nature. EW's critic writes, "To see a black female over 40 holding the center of a story about ordinary, unsung lives makes Support a low-key pleasure." —D.G.

Where to watch Support the Girls: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Andrew Bujalski

Cast: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, Dylan Gelula, AJ Michalka, James Le Gros

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The Tree of Life (2011)

This lyrical drama from Terrence Malick is a sweeping epic grappling with themes of nature vs. grace. These concepts are represented by Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain, who play a suburban couple raising their sons in 1950s America. The film largely focuses on their son Jack (Hunter McCracken), who is grappling with his parents' opposing philosophies and figuring out his path in life. Interspersed with this narrative is Jack in the future (played by Sean Penn), still affected by his childhood and struggling to figure out his purpose. Guided by Malick's inventive direction and featuring some of the most stunning cinematography of the modern era, The Tree of Life is an all-encompassing film that may leave you thinking about your own upbringing and how you became the person you are today. —K.J.

Where to watch The Tree of Life: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Terrence Malick

Cast: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain

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Triangle of Sadness (2022)

Ruben Östlund's Oscar-nominated masterwork, about the clients and crew of a lavish yacht, juggles a lot of plates with great aplomb. In the center of it all is Dolly de Leon, who put up a noble fight come awards season for her role as crew member turned top dog, Abigail. It's not subtle, but it is a rousing existential class comedy. "The movie is a bona-fide trip," EW's critic writes, "not the funhouse mirror we need for these ridiculous times, maybe, but one we deserve. —D.G.

Where to watch Triangle of Sadness: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Ruben Östlund

Cast: Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Dolly de Leon, Woody Harrelson, Sunnyi Mells

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