Genre: Drama, Romance Starring: Barbara Sukowa, Martine Chevallie, Léa Drucker Directed By: Filippo Meneghetti Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 39 minutes Two of Us (released as Deux in France) was the French nominee for the Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards. Good romance stories about older couples are rare, especially LGBT ones, so Two of Us feels refreshingly original. Genre: Drama Starring: Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Stephen Root Directed By: Rodrigo García Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Four Good Days belongs to the same genre as movies like Ben is Back and Beautiful Boy, which both focus on relationships between parents and their addicted children. It’s not original, but it’s still a moving story about a real-life problem that affects too many Americans. Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music Starring: Keean Johnson, Madeline Brewer, Rya Kihlstedt Directed By: Bennett Lasseter Motion Picture Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 1 hour, 39 minutes The Ultimate Playlist of Noise falters in its handling of deafness, and it’s not particularly original. Still, the story is sweet enough to satisfy hopeless romantics and the young at heart. If you’ve watched other Hulu originals, you know what to expect in terms of the acting and production quality. Genre: Thriller Starring: Christine Ko, Vincent Van Horn, Michael Lee Joplin Directed By: Tyler Savage Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Stalker starts as a predictable thriller, but the story takes several unexpected turns as it unfolds. With its pessimistic outlook on life in the digital age, this film will make you think twice about what you post on social media. Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi Starring: Olivia Cooke, Jack O’Connell, Soko Directed By: Chad Hartigan Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 41 minutes There are a lot of sci-fi romance movies coming out these days, and this one hits particularly close to home since it takes place during a pandemic. If you’re into the sci-fi romance genre, you definitely don’t want to skip Little Fish. Genre: Thriller, Sci-Fi, Drama Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Algee Smith, Raúl Castillo Directed By: Mattson Tomlin Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes The premise is far from original, but the main focus of Mother/Android is less on the dystopian sci-fi world and more about the survival of its lead characters. Overall, it’s a solid action flick that makes the most of its straight-to-streaming budget. Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family Starring: Elias Harger, Guy Nadon, Karine Vanasse Directed By: Nicola Lemay Motion Picture Rating: PG Running Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes Original ideas in movies are rare these days, but Felix and the Hidden Treasure delivers enough creative twists to keep children and adults entertained. Exceptional animation and voice acting make this light-hearted kid’s flick a delightful watch. Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Starring: Isabela Merced, Marsai Martin, Mckenna Grace Directed By: Elaine Bogan, Ennio Torresan TV Rating: PG Running Time: 1 hour, 28 minutes Spirit Untamed is a follow-up to the 2002 DreamWorks animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and it’s set in the same world as the spin-off TV show Spirit Riding Free. In other words, if your kids like it, there’s plenty more from this universe to keep them entertained. Genre: Animation, Sci-Fi Starring: Lake Bell, Michael Cera, Emily Davis Directed By: Dash Shaw Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes Cryptozoo is directed by graphic novelist Dash Shaw, and his distinct visual style shines through the intentionally crude hand-drawn animation. Despite the inviting visuals, Cryptozoo is for adult eyes only. Genre: Drama, Thriller Starring: Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin Directed By: Michael Sarnoski Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 32 minutes A movie like Pig can only work with an actor like Nicolas Cage. The concept could easily be turned into a comedy, but Cage brings such sincerity to the role that you might find yourself sobbing over the fate of a fictional pig. Genre: Mystery, Anthology Starring: Yay Yay Bobby Jones, Catherine Machovsky, Yu Zhang Directed By: Anthony Chen, David Lowery, Jafar Panahi Motion Picture Rating: TV-14 Running Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes A truly international film, The Year of the Everlasting Storm takes place in Chile, China, Iran, U.S., and Thailand. You might enjoy some segments better than others, but the themes are universal, and the stories are relatable. Genre: Comedy Starring: Whitney Call, Mallory Everton, Julia Jolley Directed By: Mallory Everton, Stephen Meek Motion Picture Rating: NR Running Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes Stop and Go hits home for everyone. Although some of the jokes wear thin, the characters are relatable enough to carry this road-trip COVID comedy to a satisfying end. Genre: Documentary, Music Starring: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Chris Rock, Redd Foxx Directed By: Questlove Motion Picture Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 1 hour, 57 minutes After sitting in a basement for decades, video and audio recordings of the event were painstakingly reconstructed and edited together for this historical documentary. Before dropping on Hulu, Summer of Soul won both the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Genre: Drama, Thriller Starring: Martin Luther King Jr., J. Edgar Hoover, David Garrow Directed By: Sam Pollard Motion Picture Rating: TV-PG Running Time: 1 hour, 44 minutes Through archival footage, MLK/FBI chronicles King’s involvement with the civil rights movement leading up to his assassination in 1968. Like Judas and the Black Messiah, an Academy Award-winning film about Black Panther leader Fred Hampton released a year earlier, MLK/FBI tells the uncomfortable truth about the US government’s role in sabotaging civil rights leaders. Genre: Comedy, Drama, Thriller Starring: Kang-ho Song, Sun-kyun Lee, Yeo-jeong Jo Directed By: Bong Joon Ho Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 2 hours, 12 minutes Once fully insinuated into the lives of the wealthy park Family, the Kims begin to assume the wealth as their own. That’s where things go off the rails, and the movie shifts from comedy to thriller. Bong Joon-ho navigates these waters flawlessly, taking home Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, among numerous other accolades. Genre: Drama Starring: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May Directed By: Chloé Zhao Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes Nomadland is inspired by Jessica Bruder’s nonfiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, which documents the real struggles of Americans traveling in search of stability in the wake of the Great Recession. Many of the characters from the book play themselves in the film. Genre: Documentary Starring: Theo Anthony, Keaver Brenai, Robert Cunniff Directed By: Theo Anthony Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes If you’re a fan of Werner Herzog documentaries like Lo and Behold, which explores the history and social influence of the internet, you’ll probably enjoy All Light, Everywhere. You also won’t be surprised to hear that director Theo Anthony is Herzog’s protégé. Genre: Documentary, Biography Starring: Jacinta Directed By: Jessica Earnshaw TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes Jacinta offers an unflinching look at the difficulties prisoners in the U.S. often face when reintegrating into society. Unlike a lot of sensationalized prison documentaries, this film delivers a message of hope and redemption. Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller Starring: Ilana Glazer, Justin Theroux, Pierce Brosnan Directed By: John Lee Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 32 minutes This Hulu exclusive is clearly inspired by films like Rosemary’s Baby, another horror classic about a terrifying pregnancy. Under the scary surface, there’s some interesting commentary about the social pressures that come with being an expectant parent. Genre: Comedy, Drama, Thriller Starring: Jon Bernthal, John Pollono, Jordana Spiro Directed By: John Pollono Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes Small Engine Repair is based on a play by the show’s writer and star John Pollono, which won multiple rewards on and off-broadway. It walks a fine line between thriller and comedy, and the line gets blurrier the deeper the plot gets. Genre: Animation, Family Starring: Eric Petersen, Amir O’Neil, Tucker Chandler Directed By: Tom McGrath, Eric Darnell TV Rating: TV-G Running Time: 23 minutes Animated Christmas shorts are a staple of the holidays, so add Holiday Goose Chase to your annual watchlist. If you like the special, you can also catch every episode of Madagascar: A Little Wild on Hulu. Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller Starring: Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen, Onalee Ames Directed By: Aneesh Chaganty Motion Picture Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes The claustrophobic mood and Paulson’s imposing acting make Run a tense little thriller. While not particularly original, it’s both scary and fun. Run was originally planned to debut in theaters on Mother’s Day 2020 before being released digitally in November. Genre: Action, Thriller Starring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emile Hirsch, Paz Vega Directed By: Alessio Della Valle Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 2 hours, 3 minutes American Night divided critics and general audiences. While it got a lot of bad reviews, art aficionados and fans of the gangster genre praised it. When American Night debuted at the Venice Film Festival, it accompanied an exhibit of famous art from the film. Genre: Drama, Music, Romance Starring: Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Zainab Jah, Jayme Lawson Directed By: Ekwa Msangi Motion Picture Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes Farewell Armor is neither a celebration nor a critique of the American Dream; rather, it’s a candid story about one family’s immigration experience from three different perspectives. Things aren’t perfect, but the enduring bonds of love and family make life worth living. Genre: Comedy Starring: Vince Vaughn, Skyler Gisondo, Dexter Darden Directed By: Jeremy Garelick TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 1 hour, 38 minutes While The Binge didn’t receive favorable reviews when it was released in August 2020, it provides enough laughs to justify watching, if you’re into irreverent comedies. Needless to say, the humor is for adults only. Genre: Adventure, Comedy Starring: John Cena, Meredith Hagner, Lil Rel Howery Directed By: Clay Tarver Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 47 minutes John Cena shines like he usually does as the comedic lead, and the rest of the cast is equally charming. Vacation Friends is exclusive to Hulu, so you can’t stream it anywhere else.
