Focus Features
Last Updated: September 20th
While it may live in the shadow of other better-known streaming services, Hulu, once regarded simply as “that TV thing,” has managed to maintain itself as a viable competitor in terms of offering a great variety of content online. This includes an impressive selection of quality movies, but it’s not always easy to browse through their catalog if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Which begs the question: What is the best movie on Hulu right now? From iconic classics to contemporary indie fare, here’s a look at the 30 best films available to stream, ranked.
Related: The Best Movies On Netflix Right Now, Ranked
Focus Features
1. The Pianist (2002)
Run Time: 150 min | IMDb: 8.5/10
An Oscar-winning Adrien Brody leads this World War II drama based on a true story about a Polish-Jewish pianist forced to survive during Nazi occupation. Władysław Szpilman, a talented musician, finds himself during the height of WWII in Warsaw, where he helps to lead an uprising in a Jewish ghetto before being forced to flee for his life from German soldiers. Brody went full method for the role, losing a dangerous amount of weight to play a tormented, tortured Szpilman, so you kind of owe it to the guy to watch this one.
Magnet
2. Let The Right One In (2008)
Run Time: 115 min | IMDb: 7.9/10
Director Tomas Alfredson shrugged off the conventions of vampire movies when he crafted a disarmingly charming tale that focuses on the unusual friendship that develops between a bullied young boy, Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) and a vampire girl Eli (Lina Leandersson). Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist (who also penned the screenplay) the film received near-universal acclaim, winning multiple awards across the globe. It was remade in 2010 as Let Me In, which managed to be considered a successful endeavor that stayed true to the original while differentiating itself enough to stand on its own.
Neon
3. I, Tonya (2017)
Run Time: 120 min | IMDb: 7.5/10
As flashy and over-the-top as the sequin-spandex numbers that graced the ice back in the ’80s, I, Tonya manages to straddle a thin line. It’s both a biopic of one of the most notorious female athletes in the history of figure skating and a raucous comedy intent on mocking everything troubling about American culture at the time. Margot Robbie is brilliant in her role – playing a woman tortured by talent and her inability to capitalize on it – and you can literally hear Allison Janney chewing every scene she’s in as Harding’s narcissistic, chain-smoking mother. Plus that parrot bite is as funny as you could hope.
Lionsgate
4. American Psycho (2000)
Run Time: 102 min | IMDb: 7.6/10
Before Christian Bale was cleaning up the streets of Gotham as Batman, he was the criminal, playing Patrick Bateman in the classic serial killer flick, American Psycho. Bateman is your typical Wall Street bro, making big bucks and wearing sharp suits at his father’s trading company, but his personal life is a little messier. Like hookers laying in pools of blood messy. The guy’s lust for killing random, innocent people only grows as the film moves along, culminating in an iconic scene that will probably give you nightmares.
Universal Pictures
5. Jackie Brown (1997)
Run Time: 154 min, IMDb: 7.5/10
There was a lot riding on Quentin Tarantino’s third film. What do you do when your last movie, Pulp Fiction became a sensation that countless films had tried to imitate in the years since its release? For Tarantino the answer was to take a book from one of his favorite authors — Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch — retrofit it as a vehicle for two of his favorite underemployed stars — Pam Grier and Robert Forster — and slow the pace down to a mellow groove. The result is a great, in Tarantino’s words, “hang out” movie in which much of the pleasure comes from just spending the time in the company of the characters. Forster and Grier are especially great as characters on the opposite side of the law who find themselves attracted to each other as the world around them grows more dangerous. Though it’s another crime film set in Los Angeles, Jackie Brown doesn’t try to top Pulp Fiction. Yet in going its own way, it proves its match.
Focus Features
6. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Run Time: 94 min, IMDb: 7.8/10
What initially resembles puppy love between a pair of precocious children slowly, tenderly reveals itself to be something far more sophisticated and complex. Sam and Suzy (Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, a pair of prodigies) both carry adult pain within their tiny hearts, and the solace they find in one another carries accordingly heavy emotional weight. As director Wes Anderson stages some of his most awe-inspiring sequences — the climactic flood like something out of F.W. Murnau’s wildest dreams, Suzy and Sam’s homemade Eden on the beach — a story about wayward adults and children grasping at their last chance for sanity expands until it fills the entire island.
Paramount
7. Arrival (2016)
Run Time: 116 min | IMDb: 7.9/10
A methodic, thoughtful approach to an alien invasion story, Arrival follows linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) as she struggles to figure out a way to communicate with two creatures that have inexplicably shown up in Montana. While Louise tries to buy more time in understanding the visitors, she butts heads with the military side of the operation who keep pressuring her for quick answers. After its release, it exceeded expectations at the box office, grossing more than $200 million worldwide. That year it was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning one for Best Sound Editing.
PARAMOUNT
8. Shutter Island (2010)
Run Time: 138 min | IMDb: 8.1/10
DiCaprio and Scorsese team up again, this time for a dramatic thriller that feels different from their normal fare but still just as intense. DiCaprio plays a detective drawn to a mysterious island that houses a psychiatric facility for the criminally insane. He’s investigating the case of an escaped convict, but a conveniently-timed storm, a hostile staff, and some strange happenings lead him down a rather dark and dangerous rabbit hole. There’s a twist ending here worthy of its build-up, and DiCaprio shares the screen with some notable talents including Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Emily Mortimer.
Roadside Attractions
9. Winter’s Bone (2010)
Run Time: 100 min | IMDb: 7.2/10
A film noir set in the Ozarks of Missouri, Winter’s Bone was the breakthrough role for Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Ree Dolly, a 17-year-old who looks after her family since her father disappeared. With the looming threat of losing her home, Ree goes in search of her missing father, drawing her into a world of distrust and violence. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and though it didn’t take any Oscars home, it did win the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.
Columbia Pictures
10. Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
Run Time: 216 min | IMDb: 8.3/10
Widely considered one of the greatest films of all time, this historical epic stars Peter O’Toole as real-life archeologist, diplomat, and writer T.E. Lawrence. Starting at Lawrence’s funeral, the film is told in two parts, covering his life through WWI and beyond. While some of the film’s accuracy at depicting both Lawrence and the events it chronicles, the film was a smashing success, and nominated for ten Academy Awards, winning seven — including Best Actor for O’Toole, Best Director for David Lean, and Best Picture.
Getty Image
11. The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years (2016)
Run Time: 137 min | IMDb: 7.8/10
Set during the touring years of The Beatles’ career, from 1962-1966, director Ron Howard crafts an intimate portrayal of the world’s most popular band with the help of both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with widows Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison. Featuring 4K restorations of some of the band’s most memorable concerts, this documentary is a must for any film lover, Beatles fan or otherwise.
STX
12. The Edge of Seventeen (2016) (requires Showtime)
Run Time: 104 min | IMDb: 7.4/10
Hailee Steinfeld is equal parts charming and cringingly-awkward in this coming of age comedy about a young woman reconciling with the worst parts of her teenage self. Steinfeld plays Nadine, a socially-inept junior in high school, who has a strained relationship with her mother and an ongoing feud with her older, more popular brother. She decides to commit suicide, first relaying her tale of woe to her favorite teacher (the always-fun-to-watch Woody Harrelson). What follows is a bit of typical teenage angst with some hilariously embarrassing bits thrown in, but the real draw here is Steinfeld, who continues to prove her range with some spot-on comedic timing.
Annapurna
13. Detroit (2017)
Run Time: 143 min | IMDb: 7.4/10
Kathryn Bigelow’s historical drama puts a spotlight on the 1967 Detroit riots. The bulk of the action takes place at the Algiers Hotel where a group of R&B singers and their friends accidentally involve themselves in the riots and become the target of a deranged, corrupt policeman named Philip Krauss (Will Poulter). As Krauss holds the band members hostage, torturing and interrogating them to discover who fired a BB gun at police earlier in the night, a security guard (John Boyega) tries to come to terms with his own involvement in the traumatic series of events that unfold.
Universal Pictures
14. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Run Time: 135 min | IMDb: 8.2/10
Russell Crowe’s follow-up to Gladiator traded in bloody arenas for blackboards and mathematics seminars. Crowe brought real-life mathematician John Nash to life in this thrilling drama directed by Ron Howard. Nash was a genius but the film also shows the darker side of his gifted mind, especially once secret government agencies and cryptic missions begin to take shape.
Paramount
15. Fences (2016)
Run Time: 139 min | IMDb: 7.2/10
Directed by and starring Denzel Washington, this period family drama was adapted from the play by the late August Wilson, who’d completed a screenplay prior to his death. Washington reprised his role of Troy Maxson, who he played on Broadway back in 2010. The film was released on Christmas of 2016, and was a huge critical success, and ended up nominated for four Academy Awards. Viola Davis took home the trophy that year for Best Supporting Actress.
New World Pictures
16. Heathers (1988)
Run Time: 103 mins, IMDb: 7.3/10
Helping to close out a decade of memorable teen films on a dark note, Heathers is a savagely funny deconstruction of the frivolousness of popular cliques that helped set the tone of many dark comedies that would follow in its wake. The plot involves a popular group of girls known as The Heathers who invite Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) to join them, guaranteeing that she would gain popularity by association. Eventually, Veronica finds herself teaming up with a dangerous sociopath (Christian Slater) in an attempt to break the Heathers’ tyrannical hold on the school.
Toho
17. Akira (1988)
Run Time: 124 min | IMDb: 8.1/10
Loosely based on the ground-breaking manga of the same name, Akira is considered a landmark in Japanese animation, as well as one of the best animated films ever produced. Set in a dystopian future in 2019, a teenager named Tetsuo gains tremendous telekinetic powers after a motorcycle crash, eventually going mad with power before bringing the military-industrial complex to its knees. A live action adaptation has been in the works in some form since 2002, but remains in development purgatory for the time being.
Buena Vista Pictures
18. Unbreakable (2000)
Run Time: 106 min | IMDb: 7.3/10
The first installment of M. Night Shyamalan’s superhero thriller series follows David Dunn (Bruce Willis) a former football player whose life becomes entangled with that of Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) a man with a genetic disease that causes his bones to be extremely fragile. He calls himself Mr. Glass, a comic book collector, who notices David’s ability to walk away from terrible accidents — like a train derailment — completely unscathed. While Mr. Glass tries to convince David of his superhero abilities, David tries to repair his relationship with his family and investigate his own mysterious powers.
Paramount
19. Election (1999)
Run Time: 103 min | IMDb: 7.3/10
Matthew Broderick plays a depressed high school teacher, who tries to manage his imploding marriage while facing off against a determined and cunning student in this dark comedy that features Reese Witherspoon in one of the best performances of her career. Witherspoon plays Tracy Flick, an overachieving student with dreams (of becoming the student body president) that are quickly dashed by the school’s popular jock. Tracy’s willing to go to extreme lengths to win the race, but when Broderick’s Mr. McAllister thinks to intervene, his own failing personal life is put on display.
Magnolia Pictures
20. Melancholia (2011)
Run Time: 137 min | IMDb: 7.1/10
Merging high art and science fiction, director Lars Von Trier found inspiration for his story after suffering a depressive episode. Focused on two sisters with a strained relationship, they must now face the reality of a rogue planet set to collide with Earth. It premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where Kristen Dunst was given the Best Actress Award, and the following year the British Film Institute named it one of the greatest films of all time — a rare honor for any film made in the 21st century.
Magnet
21. Bronson (2009)
Run Time: 92 min | IMDb: 7.1/10
The role that basically put Tom Hardy on the map, Bronson, is a strange, enthralling look at the criminally insane mastermind that’s become a bit of an enigma. Michael Peterson became one of the U.K.’s most dangerous criminals, who spent most of his time behind bars in solitary confinement. Hardy is bewitching in the role, and the film teeters between the surreal and the factual in a nonlinear fashion that can make it hard to keep up. Whether you know what’s really going on or not, though, you’ll have a damn good time watching Hardy brawl his way through prison guards, give one-man vaudeville performances, and pretend to be insane.
Oscilloscope Pictures
22. We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011)
Run Time: 112 min | IMDb: 7.5/10
Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton), who’s unwilling and unable to properly care for her troubled son Kevin, watches her life unravel as her husband (John C. Reilly) ignores their problems and Kevin grows more and more sociopathic and violent. The story jumps around in time, showing Swinton’s character as both a new mother who blames her son for ruining her life and as a woman who eventually blames herself for what becomes of her son. Swinton proves once again that she’s the actress that indie movies need for complex characters that live their lives in grey areas. At its core, We Need To Talk is about the importance of proper parenting, communication, and probably therapy. And it’s not for the faint of heart.
Showbox
23. The Host (2006)
Run Time: 119 min | IMDb: 7.0/10
Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s monster-run-amock movie was first inspired by reports of a fish with an S-shaped spine being caught in the Han River. For The Host, he made the creature significantly more menacing, as it eventually emerges from the Han River and causes immense havoc. Local snack bar vendor Park Gang-du (Song Kang-ho) tries to escape with his daughter, before realizing he’s escaped with the wrong girl. Soon, the U.S. military arrives and quarantines all those who’ve come into contact with the creature, making Park Gang-du’s attempts to rescuing his daughter from the creature’s lair significantly more difficult.
Warner Brothers
24. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Run Time: 206 min | IMDb: 7.8/10
Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett star in this drama about a man experiencing life backward. Pitt plays the titular Button, born an old man and growing younger as he ages. This twist of time causes Button to have strained relationships with those he loves including Blanchett, a girl he’s known since childhood, who eventually becomes his wife. It also allows for Button to live an unusual and adventurous life well into his “old age.” It’s a pretty unique story, and Pitt does some of his best work here, two good reasons to give it a watch.
Magnet Releasing
25. 13 Assassins (2010)
Run Time: 141 min | IMDb: 7.6/10
Controversial director Takashi Miike’s remake of a 1963 film starts as a slow burn and builds to one of the longest, most elaborate sword battles you’ll ever see, complete with weaponized burning bulls. When the psychotic half-brother of the Shogun edges ever closer to assuming too much power in 1840s Japan, a group of samurai band together to assassinate him, shirking their honor for the good of the people. Despite being slightly based on true events, 13 Assassins retains Miike’s trademark uncompromising and slightly stylized brutality, but this is certainly more accessible than some of his well-known works like Ichi The Killer. Like the dying-out warriors of the time, they don’t make samurai films like this anymore.
Tribeca
26. Hunt For The Wilderpeople (2016)
Run Time: 101 min | IMDb: 7.9/10
A charming, unconventional story about what it means to be a family, Hunt for the Wilderpeople follows a juvenile delinquent named Ricky (Julian Dennison), who is adopted by a couple living on a farm in a remote region of New Zealand. After Ricky fakes his suicide and escapes into the bush, his (reluctantly) adopted father Hec (Sam Neill) goes looking for him, and after a series of mishaps, the two are forced to survive in the woods together for months. It was released during SXSW in 2016 (you can read our review here), and after rave reviews from critics the world over, it’s gone on to become the highest-grossing film in New Zealand history.
IFC
27. Super (2010)
Run Time: 96 min | IMDb: 6.8/10
The Office funnyman Rainn Wilson dons a spandex suit and a poorly-made mask for this superhero comedy that follows a regular Joe-turned-crime-fighting-vigilante. What sets Super apart from basically every other legit genre offering is the fact that the hero sucks at saving the day. Wilson’s character has good intentions — to clean up the streets and save his wife from drug dealers — but he lacks the know-how to get the job done.
Oscilloscope
28. Coherence (2014)
Run Time: 89 min | IMDb: 7.2/10
Coherence is one of those low-budget sci-fi stories that is extremely tough to explain without either giving too much away or requiring an extended entry. Essentially, a group of friends sifts through their own issues and insecurities during a mind-bending paradoxical experience. Taking place almost entirely in the same room on a single night, the characters struggle to find answers just as much as the viewer. It’s a challenging yet enthralling film, perfect for those who love to overthink things.
Magnolia
29. The Square (2017)
Run Time: 142 min | IMDb: 7.3/10
This Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film follows Christian, an art curator whose life starts to unravel after he’s robbed and a new controversial piece opens at his exhibit. Co-starring Elisabeth Moss, Dominic West, and an aggressive man-ape artist, the movie shifts seamlessly from an awkward and bitingly funny satire to a dramatic examination of life. Despite a running time of 150 minutes, it never seems to lag, jumping from extremely tense moments to eccentric characters while being undercut with haunting music. Like a work of modern art, it’s very much left open to interpretation.
Neon
30. Colossal (2017)
Run Time: 109 min | IMDb: 6.2/10
A decidedly unusual twist on the giant monster movie, Nacho Vigolando’s Colossal follows Gloria (Anne Hathaway), an unemployed writer who moves back to her hometown after her boyfriend Tim (Dan Stevens) breaks up with her. After moving into her childhood home, Gloria’s heavy drinking starts to take a toll on her before she starts to realize that she may have a significant connection with a towering monster that spontaneously appears over Seoul, South Korea.
Recent Changes Through September 2018:
Removed: The Emperor’s New Groove, Across The Universe, Taxi Driver, Trainspotting
Added: Unbreakable, The Pianist, Detroit, American Psycho
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