The 30 Best Movies On Hulu (November 2023)

Thanks to its affiliation with Disney, the best movies on Hulu include some of the most popular and sought-after content on any streaming service. While competitors like Netflix and Amazon offer an ever-expanding library, Hulu offers a more focused collection of great movies. Because volume isn’t the objective, Hulu succeeds in curating a batch of excellent films across a number of genres. Never leaving subscribers overwhelmed for choice, Hulu instead recreates a local video rental store feel by offering a slimmer but high-quality carefully-picked selection of top-tier viewing.

From classic comedies like Dazed and Confused, to contemporary original thrillers like Prey, Hulu’s top films right now offer something for everyone. Modern streaming libraries are like carousels, always moving and always changing. The films released and available on Hulu’s streaming library today are subject to change, so subscribers would make sure to add the best movies on Hulu to their watch lists right away. Here are 65 great options to enjoy.

For more movie streaming recommendations, be sure to check out the best movies on Max and the best movies on Peacock.

Related: The Best TV Shows On Hulu

Best Comedy Movies On Hulu

Theater Camp (2023)

Those who enjoyed the mockumentaries of the ’90s starring Schitt’s Creek actors Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara will be delighted by what the next generation has to offer with Theater Camp. The movie centers around the staff of the AdirondACTS, a struggling theater camp in upstate New York who must work together to keep things running when its founder falls into a coma.

Past and present theater kids will unsurprisingly get a lot out of this movie, but its heart and humor, thanks to its mostly improvised dialogue, shine through for anyone to enjoy, regardless of their experience with the stage.

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

The first, and arguably best, of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, Shaun of the Dead is the definitive zombie comedy. Pegg stars as the titular protagonist, a recently dumped slacker living in London who finds himself in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

With the help of the film’s talented cast, which includes Cornetto regulars Nick Frost and Bill Nighy, Shaun of the Dead hilariously lampoons the zombie movie subgenre that was seeing a boom in popularity at the time of the film’s release. But like the other Cornetto movies, Shaun of the Dead is also full of heart as Shaun realizes that up until the apocalypse, he too had been living life literally like a zombie.

Dazed And Confused (1993)

Released over 30 years ago, Dazed and Confused is worth a watch just for the who’s-who of young A-list actors before they were famous, as the film sees appearances from Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Cole Hauser, and Renee Zellweger. The film takes place over the course of a single day in 1970s Austin, Texas — specifically the last day of school — and follows a sprawling ensemble of graduating seniors and incoming freshmen as they make their way to the last big party of the school year.

Dazed and Confused is directed by Richard Linklater, who is known for his slice-of-life movies, and it’s one of the filmmaker’s best as it perfectly captures a universal moment in a very distinct era, and does so with one of cinema’s greatest soundtracks.

Best Drama Movies On Hulu

The Banshees Of Inisherin (2022)

Martin McDonagh chooses his native Ireland for the setting of his pitch-black dramedy The Banshees of Inisherin. Taking place in the 1920s on a small fictional island, the film finds Pádraic Súilleabháin (Colin Farrell) blindsided when his best friend Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson) spontaneously ends their friendship. Colm claims that he finds Pádraic too dull and would rather devote the remainder of his life to playing his fiddle. To make matters darker, Colm threatens to cut off his own fingers anytime Pádraic approaches him.

The Banshees of Inisherin is a hauntingly beautiful, almost mythical tale about the complexities of male friendship, and it’s grounded not just by its two leads but by supporting players Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan. All four actors were nominated for Academy Awards, and though they went home emptyhanded, The Banshees of Inisherin lives on as one of the best movies on Hulu.

Hell Or High Water (2016)

Written by Yellowstone‘s Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water is a thrilling revisionist Western that leans into the genre’s fixation with vigilantism and morality. Pine and Foster play a pair of brothers who embark on a series of bank robberies in order to save their family’s ranch from being seized by the bank. Their crime spree attracts the attention of Jeff Bridges’ Marcus Hamilton, who pursues the pair in a quest for justice. Complex and emotionally raw, Hell or High Water won near-universal praise from critics and confirmed Sheridan’s status as a master of the genre.

The Worst Person In The World (2021)

In Norweigan film The Worst Person in the World, Oslo student Julie (Renate Reinsve) finds herself unsure of what she wants to do with her life as she approaches her 30th birthday. As she repeatedly changes her field of study, from medicine to psychology to photography, Julie finds herself falling for comic book artist Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie) and bartender Eivind (Herbert Nordrum).

The Worst Person in the World perfectly captures that feeling of getting lost in limitless possibility, and it’s anchored by Reinsve’s masterful performance. The movie was not only nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards but also Best Original Screenplay, and its words truly leap off the screen.

Saint Omer (2022)

A powerful contemporary drama that mirrors the classical Greek tragedy Medea, Saint Omer is inspired by a heartbreaking true story of infanticide. Pregnant novelist named Rama (Kayjie Kagame) attends the trial of Laurence Coly (Malanda), a Senegalese mother accused of allowing her baby to be swept away by the ocean.

Based on the true story of Fabienne Kabou, director Alice Diop carefully toes the line between horror and sympathy, weaving a complex, thought-provoking narrative. Saint Omer was recognized as the Best International Film by the African-American Film Critics Association, the Best First Film by the Cesar Awards, and has over a dozen more international accolades.

Pig (2021)

Nicolas Cage has taken on some unique roles in recent years, but none have generated the hype or acclaim of Pig. Released in 2021, Pig sees Cage as a former Portland chef who has become a recluse, living in a cabin deed in the Oregon forests. However, when someone steals his beloved truffle-hunting pig, he sets out to find who took his pig and ends up on a journey of reflection and self-discovery. While it was a limited release and looked on paper like a typically bombastic Cage revenge thriller, Pig won several critics’ awards and earned a high 97% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Related: Pig Ending Explained

Fire Island (2022)

Some of the best rom-coms are modern retellings of Jane Austen novels, from Bridget Jones’s Diary to Clueless, and Fire Island is squarely among their ranks. Inspired by Pride and Prejudice, the movie sees a pair of gay best friends get together for a weekend vacation on Fire Island, where they deal with their issues and possibly find love in the process.

Fire Island was universally praised for its entirely LGBTQ+ cast and its depiction of layered queer characters that never fall into stereotype or over/undersexualization. And beyond its progressiveness, Fire Island is just wildly fun and one of the best movies on Hulu.

The Holiday (2006)

Known as the Hollywood “rom-com queen”, Nancy Meyers’ The Holiday is a perennial Christmas favorite. It centers on British newspaper columnist Iris (Kate Winslet) and Hollywood trailer producer Amanda (Cameron Diaz), two charming, affable women unlucky in love who decide to swap homes for the Christmas holiday season. Once in their new locations, both Iris and Amanda find romance, but their new relationships are threatened by the fact that each woman will have to return home after Christmas.

Meyers is known for her beautifully crafted sets, and it’s impossible not to feel cozy when watching the scenes in Iris’ cottage. Both romantic pairings have sweet, wholesome chemistry, particularly Winslet and Jack Black, making The Holiday the perfect movie to watch during the most wonderful time of the year.

The Wedding Singer (1998)

The Wedding Singer marks the first movie in Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore’s collaborative partnership, and it’s a total winner. Sandler plays Robbie Hart, a wedding singer whose fiancée leaves him on his wedding day. He’s heartbroken and depressed but had already made a promise to Julia (Drew Barrymore), a server he befriended, that he would sing at her wedding. However, things get complicated when Robbie and Julia begin to develop feelings for each other.

Compared to Sandler’s other comedy hits of the ’90s, The Wedding Singer is much less lowbrow and more full of heart. He and Barrymore have affable yet electric chemistry together, and it’s easy to see why they went on to make more films. But out of all three Sandler and Barrymore movies, The Wedding Singer is by far the best.

Happiest Season (2020)

Happiest Season arrived in 2020 as a Hulu original, cementing the service’s status as a content producer as well as hub. Directed by Clea DuVall, the movie focuses on a young couple played by Kristen Stewart (Abby) and Mackenzie Davis (Harper). While they have been dating for over a year, Harper has not told her parents she is gay and asks Abby to pretend to be her friend. The movie has positive critical reviews for its nuanced examination of young relationships, and it won a GLAAD Award for its smart and sensitive approach to the material. As such, Happiest Season forms part of a wealth of great LGBTQ+ content on Hulu.

Palm Springs (2020)

Another Hulu original, Palm Springs is an innovative science fiction comedy about two strangers who meet at a wedding in Palm Springs and end up stuck in a time loop. Starring Andy Samberg as Nyles and Cristin Milioti as Sarah, Palm Springs‘ time-hopping narrative helped mean that more people watched the movie in its first three days than any other in the service’s history (via IndieWire). As an original take on the classic sci-fi trope, the movie also secured rave reviews from critics.

Best Action & Adventure Movies On Hulu

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2017)

On the surface, a sequel to the classic 1995 adventure movie Jumanji 20 years after the fact didn’t seem like a guaranteed winner. However, thanks to an inventive update to the source material, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle delivered above and beyond expectations. Whereas the Robin Williams original revolved around a board game, the 2017 update reimagined Jumanji as a videogame, sucking characters into a virtual world. Add in the unparalleled chemistry between all four cast members, and Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle becomes a refreshingly funny action adventure for all the family.

Dog Soldiers (2002)

A bloody blend of action and horror, Dog Soldiers is a werewolf movie whose bite is just as bad as its bark. Following a group of soldiers on what’s supposed to be a routine training exercise in the Scottish Highlands, the movie pits the tightly-knit team against a family of werewolves out for blood. The team takes refuge in a mysterious cabin, barricading themselves in to prepare for a brutal battle and to try and make it to morning. Influenced by the likes of Zulu and Aliens, and earning a deserved cult following in the years following its release, Dog Soldiers is a hidden gem in The Descent-director Marshall’s career and a great action-horror flick.

Akira (1988)

One of the most popular and acclaimed anime features of all time, Akira is a landmark achievement both for its mainstream impact and its furiously energetic storytelling style. Set in an alternate 2019 Tokyo, the film centers on the leader of a biker gang whose childhood friend acquires incredible telekinetic abilities following an accident. This brings the pair into conflict with the military, with spectacularly explosive results. The film’s lovingly hand-drawn animation style set the new standard for the genre, and Akira ranks among the best animated action movies ever made.

Best Thriller Movies On Hulu

How To Blow Up A Pipeline (2022)

Taking inspiration from Andreas Malm’s non-fiction book of the same name, How To Blow Up A Pipeline is as explosive and incendiary as its title suggests. The film follows a group of young eco-terrorists as they plot to destroy an oil pipeline in West Texas. Despite their violent plan, the movie raises thought-provoking questions about to what extent such actions are justifiable, given the existential nature of the climate emergency. Powerful and provocative, How To Blow Up A Pipeline is a considered thriller that never shies away from the complexity of its themes.

See How They Run (2022)

A meta murder mystery that reinvents its Agatha Christie-inspired source material, See How They Run is one of a number of movies that have helped to repopularize the genre in recent years. Set behind the scenes during a production of Christie’s legendary and long-running play The Mousetrap, the movie revolves around the death of director Leo Kopernick – an American hired to make the movie version of the play. What follows is an intricately plotted thriller, with fingers pointed at a number of suspects thanks to the determined detective work of duo Constable Stalker and Inspector Stoppard.

American Murderer (2022)

A true-crime story that expertly blends history with narrative license, American Murderer chronicles the real-life murderer, robber, and fugitive Jason Derek Brown, played by Tom Pelphrey. Jason is a charismatic conman using a series of scams to fund his decadent lifestyle – while being pursued by FBI special agent Lance Leising (Ryan Philippe). For his portrayal of Jason Derek Brown, Tom Pelphrey won the Best Actor award at the Boston Film Festival. Meanwhile, the San Diego International Film Festival gave Matthew Gentile the Artistic Director’s Award, and the Fayette Film Festival handed him the Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature.

Best Sci-Fi Movies On Hulu

Possessor (2020)

Like the rest of his work, Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor blurs the line between multiple genres. A mix of sci-fi, action, and twisted psychological horror, the movie stars Riseborough as an assassin who conducts assignments by possessing the body of someone close to the intended victim. However, when her latest mission goes awry, things begin to unravel, with horrific results. Daring, gruesome, and incredibly compelling, Possessor is a unique horror movie that isn’t easily forgotten.

Prey (2022)

After a string of sub-par sequels, the Predator franchise was in dire need of restitution. Thankfully, Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey restored the series to its former greatness. Taking place in 1719, the movie pits a young Comanche woman against the terrifying alien hunter, restoring Predator to its roots with a brutally efficient premise. The movie was a huge success, becoming not only one of the best movies in the franchise but one of the best Hulu movies in general. The movie has a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with new star Amber Midthunder winning plaudits for her performance.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Although there was little excitement in 2011 about the prospect of a revamped Planet of the Apes franchise, Rise of the Planet of the Apes proved that a prequel to the original classic series was not only warranted, but could also enhance the earlier story.

The movie tells the story of how the apes ended up gaining intelligence and eventually finding the need to rise and defend themselves against a hostile human world. While Matt Reeves went on to direct the next two movies to great acclaim, it was Rise that started the journey and proved that some reboots could exceed the movies that came before. The movie even picked up an Oscar nomination for its efforts.

Infinity Pool (2023)

Surreal and sinister, Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool is an intricate blend of science-fiction and horror. Centering on James Foster, a struggling writer in search of inspiration, the movie takes place in a picture-perfect resort with something ugly bubbling below the surface. After he’s embroiled in a car accident, James discovers an underground hedonistic cabal who commits horrific acts, only to create clones and have their doubles punished in their place. Praised by critics for its unsettling visuals and style, Infinity Pool cements Cronenberg’s status as a major player in modern horror.

Space Jam (1996)

One of the ’90s best sports movies, Space Jam sees Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes join forces for the team-up audiences didn’t know they needed. After recently retiring from the NBA, Jordan (playing himself), finds himself sucked into the Looney Tunes’ universe where Bugs Bunny (Billy West) and co. beg Jordan to play on their basketball team in a game against the Monstars, a group of giant creatures threatening to enslave the Looney Tunes and turn them into amusement park attractions if they lose.

The movie itself is even zanier than the premise, and though it’s not high-art cinema, Space Jam was a favorite of many ’90s kids. It even spawned a sequel, Space Jam: A New Legacy with LeBron James, though it doesn’t hold a candle to the wacky whimsy of the original.

Best Horror Movies On Hulu

The Boogeyman (2023)

Stephen King adaptations will forever be a staple of horror cinema, and 2023 offers The Boogeyman, an adaptation of King’s 1973 short story of the same name. It centers on sisters Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and Sawyer Harper (Vivien Lyra Blair), two sisters grieving the loss of their mother with no emotional support from their father Will (Chris Messina). The Harpers’ tragedy takes a horrifying turn when a mysterious man shows up at the house and leaves behind a supernatural entity who terrorizes the family.

The Boogeyman isn’t destined to reach the legacy of iconic King adaptations like Carrie (1976) or The Shining, and it does rely a little too heavily on jump scares, but the cast’s strong performances and the themes of grief and loss make this film a memorable story worth a watch. Just be sure to have a death-grip on the popcorn.

Interview With The Vampire (1994)

Interview with the Vampire, the 1994 film adaptation of Anne Rice’s 1976 novel of the same name, sees Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, two of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars at the time — and now — come together for a wickedly fun horror movie. It centers on vampire Louis (Pitt) recounting his life and relationship with fellow vampire Lestat (Tom Cruise) to reporter Daniel Molloy (Christian Slater). Interview with the Vampire is not a perfect movie, as it shies away from the gay undertones of Rice’s novel (that the 2022 AMC series does not), but it’s an enthralling story, and if taken as campy fun is perfect for a cozy movie night.

Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy shine as a murderous chef and a surprise guest at his exclusive restaurant in this comedic horror about the pretensions of fine dining. As an evening unfolds in the Hawthorne restaurant, secrets come to light, the chef delivers a series of ever-more disturbing monologues, and the guests realize that they will not make it past dessert. At times gruesome, there is a sharp humor behind The Menu that made it one of the biggest horror movies of the year.

Titane (2021)

Directed by Raw‘s Julia Ducournau, Titane is a bizarre and unconventional body horror that won acclaim on release. The movie centers on Agathe, who continues to suffer bizarre symptoms years after a car crash left her with a titanium plate in her head. Not only does the experience tend her towards violent behavior, but it is established early on in the film that she is sexually attracted to cars. Exploring themes of identity and historical psychological damage, Titane won Ducournau the Palme d’Or, becoming only the second female director to do so.

Hellraiser (2022)

After a succession of sub-par releases went a long way towards ruining the franchise’s reputation, Hellraiser (2022) was a welcome return to form. Just like earlier entries, the movie revolves around a mysterious puzzle box that has the power to summon sinister and terrifying demons. However, where other Hellraiser movies have ignored plot and character for the sake of gore, Hellraiser (2022) explores themes of addiction and trauma in order to bring its story to life. The result is a horror that, while not quite on a par with original, is certainly one of the better entries in the series.

Skinamarink (2022)

Highly experimental and deeply weird, Skinamarink is one of the most unsettling psychological horrors of the past decade. The movie follows two children who awake in their house to find their father missing. To make matters worse, the building’s doors and windows slowly start to vanish, leaving them trapped. The movie has a nightmarish quality, and was even inspired by a recurring dream from the director. Shot on a minuscule budget, the movie is deliberately paced and extremely atmospheric, marking it out in a saturated horror market.

The Babadook (2014)

Both a complex meditation on motherhood depression, and mental health, and a straight-up terrifying horror movie, The Babadook won universal critical acclaim on release – with good reason. The film follows a single mother, who struggles to contend with her son’s erratic behavior while also trying to process her grief about her husband’s death. After reading a mysterious pop-up book to her son, the pair seem to be haunted by a terrifying monster, although questions remain over exactly what is and isn’t real. The Babadook won a string of awards and was a major financial success, easily ranking among the best horror movies on Hulu.