The Top 22 Must-See Movies Currently Streaming on Hulu (March 2025) | Vanity Fair
Each night, you look into your lover’s eyes and ask, “Will no legacy media outlet tell me about the best movies on Hulu?” Luckily, Vanity Fair is here for you. One glance at the platform’s A-to-Z listing reveals that there are almost too many good movies on Hulu to choose from, and it can become a chore to figure out which to choose.
After a deep dive into the Hulu archive (the Hu-chive?), we’ve selected a top mix of classics, comedies, dramas, horror pictures, documentaries, and, importantly, a few titles that got overlooked upon their initial release. Our list is in alphabetical order, so you gotta scroll close to the bottom to get to Y Tu Mamá También. Hu loves ya?
Director: Rodney Ascher
Genre: Documentary
Notable cast: Keanu Reeves (archival), Elon Musk (archival), Philip K. Dick (archival)
MPA rating: Not rated
Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Metacritic: 62
A gem awaiting rediscovery, this good faith analysis of individuals who are convinced we live in a simulation is either an eerie exploration of insanity or the most important documentary you’ll ever watch…because it’s all true. Rodney Ascher, whose previous work includes the Shining-obsessed Room 237, uses The Matrix as a touchpoint for this (expanding?) syndrome and interviews his subjects virtually, using gaming avatars. Read our mind-scrambling interview with the director here, then prepare to soak your brain in a vat for a while.
Director: Ridley Scott
Genre: Sci Fi/Horror
Notable Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerrit, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright
MPA Rating: R
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Metacritic: 89
The original and still the best. A haunted house story, a workplace drama, and a twist-filled mystery—all set in outer space. Sigourney Weaver’s rocket to superstardom started here when she played the greatest interplanetary final girl, and John Hurt’s legendary tummy ache was a milestone for practical special effects. Several (not all!) of the sequels and prequels to this movie are good, but no matter how many times you’ve seen Alien, you will always find something new in it.
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Genre: Romantic drama
Notable cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver
MPA rating: PG-13
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Metacritic: 73
A classic showbiz romance updated for today (or 2014, but that’s close enough), with Gugu Mbatha-Raw as an R&B/pop sensation trapped by fame and Nate Parker as the hunky police officer/would-be politician who first saves her life, then takes her heart. This is glossy soap opera filmmaking at its finest, with an extended sequence at a beachside hideaway that may have you hitting pause and heading to Travelocity. One of the better romantic movies to watch on Hulu.
Director: Damien Chazelle
Genre: Comedy
Notable cast: Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Jean Smart
MPA rating: R
Rotten Tomatoes: 57%
Metacritic: 61
Okay this recent big swing from La La Land's Damien Chazelle is mostly remembered for being an awards and box office dud, but if ever there were a project meant for a streaming reevaluation it's something like Babylon. This jaundiced look at the early years of Hollywood opens with a Garden of Earthly Delights-like party and concludes with a frenzied montage summarizing the history of cinema. At well over three hours, it doesn't all work, but a lot of it—like Margot Robbie's spunky Nellie LeRoy zooted up on cocaine—is charming. (The defecating elephant, less so.)
Director: Penny Marshall
Genre: Comedy
Notable cast: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia
MPA rating: PG
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Metacritic: 73
Tom Hanks romping around New York City as a wide-eyed 12-year-old in an adult's body in Big is one of the great entries in the 1980s “wonderment” canon. (Tidbit: Steven Spielberg's younger sister Anne co-wrote the script, so if you've ever caught an Amblin vibe from this, you aren't nuts.) Even back in 1988 the “wait, so did they sleep together” moment was a little weird, and now simply checking reddit for fan theories gets you on an FBI list. Also maybe the whole mystical Zoltar machine has the taint of antiziganism. Hopefully neither consideration will prevent you from rewatching. It's something of a miracle there hasn't yet been a dreadful Hollywood remake or legacy-sequel.
Director: Alice Rohrwacher
Genre: Crime/comedy
Notable cast: Josh O’Connor, Isabella Rossellini, Alba Rohrwacher
MPA rating: Not rated
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Metacritic: 91
This charming Italian film (which had a rare, unplanned “extended run” throughout 2024 in New York art houses, a once common phenomenon that hardly exists in the streaming era) stars Josh O’Connor as a sensitive thief returning to his band of artifact bandits. He possesses an ability to know where to dig while sniffing out Etruscan treasure in tiny towns. A kaleidoscope of colorful characters emerge, as does a criminal plot in this sun-soaked and very amusing tale—one of the best new movies on Hulu.
Director: Peter WeirGenre: DramaNotable cast: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan HawkeMPA Rating: PGRotten Tomatoes: 85%Metacritic: 79
Never has standing on top of a desk seemed so heroic! This was among the first dramatic (though still funny) turns from Robin Williams, proving he had more in him than zany Mork-from-Ork stunts. (Indeed, Williams received an Academy Award nomination for best actor.) He’s marvelous as that one mentor teacher we all wish we had, showing a group of conformity-primed rich kids that they don’t necessarily have to follow their families’ scripts. His methods are filled with vitality and intellect—until one kid shoots himself. But you can’t have everything!
Director: Sara DosaGenre: DocumentaryNotable cast: Katia Krafft (archival), Maurice Krafft (archival), Miranda July (narrator)MPA rating: PGRotten Tomatoes: 98%Metacritic: 84
One of the best films on Hulu from the 2022 Sundance Film Festival (which, thanks to the omicron variant of the coronavirus pandemic, was switched to a virtual event at the last minute), this is a fascinating look at true kindred spirits—married volcanologists who ignore danger in pursuit of their passion. The archival imagery ranges from terrifying to beautiful, a mix of hard science and abstract expressionist art. Miranda July’s poetic voice-over adds to the mesmerizing effect.
Director: Wes AndersonGenre: Comedy (for the most part)Notable cast: Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Saoirse RonanMPA rating: RRotten Tomatoes: 92%Metacritic: 88
The Grand Budapest Hotel is a rich and remarkable film that showcases all of Wes Anderson’s unique talents. It’s a story within a story within a story (and maybe one more? I should watch it again on Hulu…) that seems, at first, like a delicate puff pastry, but eventually sours as the clicking boots of history muddy up our reveries of the past. The cast is ludicrously packed, but Ralph Fiennes is at his madcap best in the center of it all—part Jerry Lewis, part Cary Grant.
Director: Bong Joon HoGenre: HorrorNotable cast: Song Kang-ho, Bae DoonaMPA rating: RRotten Tomatoes: 93%Metacritic: 85
The film that broke South Korean auteur Bong Joon Ho into the American market (though his earlier projects are certainly worth watching too), The Host breathed new life into the creature feature, opening with one of the most terrifying sequences in the genre. Just what would it be like, seriously, if an enormous monster rampaged through a park on a pleasant day? Watch this one on Hulu, and you’ll know—and maybe be a little freaked out forever.
Director: Karyn KusamaGenre: HorrorNotable cast: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, J.K. SimmonsMPA rating: RRotten Tomatoes: 46%Metacritic: 47
Pay no attention to those low critic scores. (Or if you do, search my name and see that I was always on the right side of history.) This teen supernatural horror-comedy, scripted by Diablo Cody not long after she won an Oscar for Juno and created United States of Tara, was shrugged aside at the time of its release, but it’s now been fully embraced as a sharp critique of exploitation tropes and a modern spin on feminism (as well as a win for bisexual representation). That doesn’t mean it’s a college lecture: Jennifer still has plenty of guts and gore, zingy dialogue, and music by Florence + the Machine, Panic! at the Disco, and other groups of the era.
Director: Raoul PeckGenre: DocumentaryNotable cast: James Baldwin (archival), Samuel L. Jackson (narrator)MPA rating: PG-13Rotten Tomatoes: 99%Metacritic: 95
I Am Not Your Negro is not just one of the most insightful looks at the civil rights era: Raoul Peck’s remarkable work is ostensibly a cinematic memoir from the author and public intellectual James Baldwin, even though he died almost 30 years prior to its release. Weaving archival clips with text from essays narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, this wide-ranging film is grandly philosophical but also deeply personal.
Director: Chloé ZhaoGenre: DramaNotable cast: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, SwankieMPA rating: RRotten Tomatoes: 93%Metacritic: 87
Few people actually saw this one in the theaters, what with society in disarray thanks to COVID—but this best-picture Academy Award winner still impresses on the small screen. (Though you may want to dim the lights and put your phone in the other room, as this character-driven, episodic look at solitude in the American West does demand a little patience.) In addition to best picture, Chloé Zhao won for best director, and Frances McDormand got her third acting Oscar for what she had to do in that bucket. Yet somehow Joshua James Richards missed out on a best-cinematography victory, with the honor going to Erik Messerschmidt for his work on Mank.
Director: Guillermo del ToroGenre: Drama/horrorNotable cast: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, David StrathairnMPA rating: RRotten Tomatoes: 80%Metacritic: 70
This carnival-set motion picture has pulled a disappearing act. It was nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards (as well as best cinematography, costumes, and production design), but it came out during COVID times, when few were going to see 150-minute remakes of Tyrone Power movies. But guess what: Featuring an absolutely stacked cast, the film is a terrific, moody look inside the tarot-reading tent, treating classic B picture tropes with a respect and care rarely seen.
Director: Rob ReinerGenre: ComedyNotable cast: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Wallace ShawnMPA rating: PGRotten Tomatoes: 96%Metacritic: 78
Feel you've seen this one too many times already? Inconceivable! More to the point, perhaps there is a young child in your life feeling a little under the weather who could use a tale of chivalry and sorcery as a pick-me-up? Streaming services are awash in high fantasy series, but none of them have the wit and verve of this late ‘80s cross-generational classic. Sure, this is a comedy, but Mandy Patinkin’s final act of vengeance against his late father works as drama because you care so much about the characters. Cameos from Andre the Giant, Peter Cook and Carol Kane, plus Mark Knopfler's original music, sweeten the package.
Director: Jessica YuGenre: ComedyNotable cast: Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, Will FerrellMPA rating: RRotten Tomatoes: 82%Metacritic: 59
“Can’t stop the quiz!” This lovable and idiotic comedy—which debuted directly on Hulu—is a tribute to the bonds of sisterhood despite all odds. Awkwafina is a frumpy mess whose sole passion in life is watching a Jeopardy!-like show, and Sandra Oh is an unemployed train wreck living in her car. Shenanigans ensue as they get mixed up with the Mob, and their only path to safety is to win big on the quiz show. Will Ferrell’s appearance as a friendly, Alex Trebek–esque presence actually marks his finest, warmest performance in years. This movie is so incredibly dumb, but I guarantee it will make you laugh.
Director: Jesse EisenbergGenre: Comedy-dramaNotable cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Jennifer GreyMPA rating: RRotten Tomatoes: 96%Metacritic: 86
Writer-director-star Jesse Eisenberg was inspired to make A Real Pain after an actual visit he made to the former home of a beloved family member who grew up in Poland. He and Kieran Culkin play very different cousins who make the trip and philosophize in settings that see-saw from the gorgeous to the unthinkable. Culkin’s role as an annoying-yet-lovable extrovert is an extraordinary example of “the part he was born to play,” and the actor is well deserving of the praise he has received for his magical performance.
Director: Jonathan DemmeGenre: DramaNotable cast: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Mamie GummerMPA rating: PG-13Rotten Tomatoes: 65%Metacritic: 54
On paper, there’s nothing special about Ricki and the Flash. It’s another movie about a family in crisis, trying to patch up old wounds. But it stars Meryl Streep, her actual daughter Mamie Gummer, and others (like a young Sebastian Stan!)—and, most importantly, it was directed by Jonathan Demme in peak humanist form. (Sadly, this was his last narrative feature.) Streep’s Ricki Rendazzo (real name Linda) walked away from her life to become the next Bonnie Raitt, but she actually earns her living bagging groceries. A wedding-slash-reunion won’t fix the past, but it might start to pave a new future—and the film’s big concert finish proves that no one could capture the cinematic possibilities of live music performances quite like Demme.
Director: Jim SharmanGenre: MusicalNotable cast: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Meat LoafMPA rating: RRotten Tomatoes: 80%Metacritic: 65
Yes, yes: If ever there were a motion picture that was meant for the theater, it’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with its shadows cast and talk-backs. But maybe you want to have a smaller version of the experience in the intimacy of your own home? (Whatever could that lead to?) However, in addition to being reminded of the B movie tropes and LGBTQ+ themes, you must be forewarned: A rewatch of this film means Richard O’Brien’s enduring songs (“Over at the Frankenstein Place” being my favorite) will get stuck in your head and simply never leave.
Director: QuestloveGenre: DocumentaryNotable cast: The 5th Dimension, Stevie Wonder, Mahalia JacksonMPA rating: PG-13Rotten Tomatoes: 99%Metacritic: 96
The ubiquity of cell phone cameras and the internet means that what happened with the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival could never happen again. I don’t mean there couldn’t be a great and meaningful celebration of music—I mean that it couldn’t almost be forgotten thanks to poor archiving. Luckily, Questlove made the effort to unearth this important milestone in Black culture, and this reflection/celebration, which does not skimp on the footage, became an Academy Award–winning documentary.
Director: Sean BakerGenre: DramaNotable cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, James RansoneMPA rating: RRotten Tomatoes: 96%Metacritic: 86
For many, this was the film that brought Anora director Sean Baker to their attention; a delirious, warts-and-all portrait of transgender sex workers in Los Angeles. It was shot on a minuscule budget, using three iPhone 5S cameras with then cutting-edge enhancement apps and Steadicam rigs. This lent itself nicely to Baker’s documentary-inclined sensibilities, while his artistic eye shined through the common “cell phone” format. Finding beauty among the downtrodden, which is inherent to the script, is reflected in the look of the movie itself. It’s a groundbreaking work.
Director: Alfonso CuarónGenre: DramaNotable cast: Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Maribel VerdúMPA rating: RRotten Tomatoes: 90%Metacritic: 89
This Spanish-language romantic drama introduced international audiences to Alfonso Cuarón, Gael García Bernal, and Diego Luna, all in one heady, lusty swoop. Y Tu Mamá También follows two sexually ripe young men who have their first adult affairs—with the same older woman. The three take a road trip, that most liberating of cinematic forms, and ride it until, eventually, the wheels come off. The journey, however, will provide memories for a lifetime.
Did you not just read the list? I spent hours on this damn thing. Yes, there are many good movies on Hulu right now. Watch Dead Poets Society if you want to cry or Quiz Lady if you want to laugh.
I don’t know what you mean. The one with the most streams? Probably something for morons. My number one is probably an epic like Ford v Ferrari.
It’s gotta be The Rocky Horror Picture Show, especially if you dress up. When was the last time you saw it? What, you never saw it?!!? Correct that now.
Boy, you’ve really got a hang-up about “number one,” don’t you? Do you have to go to the bathroom or something? Anyway, the scariest movie on Hulu right now is The Host.
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