Hulu is the streaming home to some of this year's most notable Academy Awards movies. Anora, the most-awarded film of the year, is on Hulu, as are Best Supporting Actor winner A Real Pain and multiple nominee A Complete Unknown. All three of these movies are featured on our list of the best movies to watch on Hulu right now. Past winners are on there, too, including Poor Things, which earned Emma Stone her second Best Actress trophy. And if you're looking for something a little less prestigious, there are thrillers like Alien: Romulus and Longlegs on there, too.

This list isn't just about the absolute best movies of all time; it's about the best movies to watch on Hulu right now. That means this list will look a little different from the other ones out there, as we're focusing on Hulu originals, new arrivals to Hulu, and our own personal favorites.

Last updated March 28; newer additions are at the top.

 Sean Baker
 Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Darya Ekamasova, and Aleksei Serebryakov
 Comedy, Drama
 R
 91

Writer-director-producer-editor Sean Baker's fractured Cinderella story follows Ani (Mikey Madison), a sex worker from the Russian enclave of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, who marries Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the boyish son of a oligarch, and embarks on a whirlwind rags-to-riches-and-back tale as she tries to hold on to her new life in the face of opposition from Vanya's family. The empathetic film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Madison's star-making, fully alive performance. Baker personally won four Oscars, the most anyone has ever won for a single film in a single ceremony. It's a special little movie. -Liam Mathews

 James Mangold
 Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Edward Norton
 Music Drama
 R
 70

Timothée Chalamet earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance as young Bob Dylan in this crowd-pleasing biopic. It's not as transformative a performance as his Dune: Part II co-star Austin Butler becoming possessed by the spirit of Elvis Presley in Elvis, but it's still pretty great. Monica Barbaro and Edward Norton were also nominated for their performances as Joan Baez and Pete Seeger, respectively, and the film was nominated for Best Picture. -Liam Mathews

 Osgood Perkins
 Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Alicia Witt, Blair Underwood, Kiernan Shipka
 Horror
 R
 77

Nicolas Cage gives one of the most disturbing performances of his career in this hit indie horror movie. Giving away too much of who he is would spoil it, but be assured he's very creepy. Scream queen Maika Monroe stars as a young FBI agent investigating a string of Satanic murders in the early 1990s. It turns out she has a connection to the case that manifests in hard-to-explain ways. It's an homage to The Silence of the Lambs with the occult horror cranked up, and Oz Perkins' meticulous direction makes it look beautiful even when the plot stops making much sense. -Liam Mathews

 Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson
 Music Documentary
 TV-MA
 77

Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson's previous music documentary, the Oscar-winning Summer of Soul, was so good that it earned him an automatic must-watch tag on his next project before even knowing what it was about. Fans of Summer of Soul, get ready, because Questlove's new film, SLY LIVES!, is all about one of Summer of Soul's most entertaining subjects: the the funk, soul, and rock group Sly and the Family Stone. Whereas Summer of Soul focused on the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, SLY LIVES! details the legacy and influence of the "Everyday People" and "Family Affair" band. -Tim Surette  

 Baz Luhrmann
 Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Daines
 Drama, Romance
 PG-13
 60

Baz Luhrmann's highly stylish and stylized take on Shakespeare still feels fresh almost 30 years later. The distinctive director creates a new visual delivery system for Shakespeare's words through a music video-influenced aesthetic, complete with an iconic '90s alternative rock soundtrack (shoutout to Radiohead's "Talk Show Host"). Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes became superstars, and Catherine Martin and Brigitte Bloch earned Academy Award nominations for their inventic art direction. -Liam Mathews

 Jesse Eisenberg
 Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin
 Comedy, Drama
 R
 86

Kieran Culkin won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for his funny and sad performance in this dramedy. He stars alongside the film's writer and director, Jesse Eisenberg, who was an Oscar nominee himself for Best Original Screenplay. They play cousins who were close when they were kids but have grown apart who go on a trip across Poland together in honor of their late grandmother, who was a Holocaust survivor. It's a poignant film about family, pain, and generational trauma that maintains a light touch even when it's dealing with heavy topics. -Liam Mathews

 Tilman Singer
 Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens
 Horror
 R
 62

Yet another uncomfortable horror banger from Neon, Cuckoo will satisfy a certain subset of cinephiles who aren't too interested in a comprehensible plot and are more into a terrifying abstract mood. Euphoria's Hunter Schafer throws her name in the ring for today's leading scream queen as an annoyed teenager who goes to live with her dad at a German resort. There, she gets pursued by a strange older lady and notices a whole bunch of unusual stuff going on. It's one of the better horror movies of the year if — and that's a big IF — you don't mind its nebulous storytelling. -Tim Surette

 Fede Alvarez
 Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu
 Sci-Fi, Horror
 R
 64

If you watch Alien: Romulus at home on Hulu, no one can hear you scream. The latest addition to the Alien franchise follows a crew of young scavengers who board a seemingly abandoned spaceship to look for valuables. You and I know know it's not really abandoned, though, and that they don't find valuables, they find a murderous alien. You know how it is. This is a fun sci-fi horror flick that reinvigorates the long-running franchise. -Liam Mathews

 Josh Margolin
 June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Malcolm McDowell
 Comedy, Drama
 R
 77

The great June Squibb proves it's never too late for some action. The 94-year-old veteran of stage and screen gets the first starring role of her career in this terrifically fun indie dramedy. She plays the title character, a feisty, independent grandmother who gets scammed out of $10,000. But rather than take the hit, she goes on a mission to get her money back. It's not exactly John Wick, but it's about as close to John Wick as a 94-year-old can get. It's a big-hearted movie that will make you cry a little and laugh a lot. -Liam Mathews

Cameron and Colin Cairnes
David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordan, Ian Bliss, Fayssel Bazzi, Ingrid Torelli
Horror
R
72

Character actor David Dastmalchian (Oppenheimer) is terrific in a rare starring role in this supernatural spooker as Jack Delroy, a 1970s late night talk show host whose desperation for ratings leads to him booking a demonic entity as a guest on his show, in the form of a possessed child, and an author who wrote a book about her. Dastmalchian nails the talk show host's smarmy patter, as well as his terror when he realizes that he's at the mercy of even more powerful and sinister force than the Nielsen corporation. The title sort of implies that the Devil is hosting the show. Technically he isn't, but in a way he is. -Liam Mathews 

Michael Mohan
Sydney Sweeney, Alvaro Morte, Benedetta Porcaroli, Giorgio Colangeli, Dora Romano
Horror
R
57

Sydney Sweeney stars in this slow burn story of a Catholic nun who seemingly spontaneously becomes pregnant. Is this baby a blessing from the Lord, or could there be some other nefarious force at work here? This is a horror film, so, uh, spoiler: it's the nefarious one. One of a pair of mysterious pregnant nun movies to hit theaters in 2024, Immaculate does cover some of the same ground as The First Omen does. But unlike that very solid film, Immaculate's story doesn't have to fit the lore of some existing 50-year-old movie, which makes it a better watch. -Phil Owen 

 Wes Ball
 Freya Allan, William H. Macy, Owen Teague, Kevin Durand, and Dichen Lachman
 Action
 PG-13
66

One of 2024's biggest movies, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the fourth film in the Planet of the Apes reboot series, and because the film industry works in threes, it's technically the first movie in a planned second trilogy. Set 300 years after 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom stars The Witcher's Freya Allan and The Stand's Owen Teague as a human and a young chimpanzee, respectively, who go on a journey to determine the future of their species. Those expecting a special effects feast will be sated, but they may also be surprised at the insightful story. -Tim Surette 

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton
Documentary
n/a
63

To many, the name Diane von Furstenberg is synonymous with the wrap dress. It's expected, since the Belgian entrepreneur built her fashion empire around that clothing item. But in Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton's documentary Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge, Furstenburg is introduced as far more than a designer. The film is an intimate portrayal of her life, from being the daughter of a Holocaust survivor to the wife of Prince Egon von Furstenberg to a global voice empowering women. Woman in Charge paints an undeniable portrait of a trailblazer who never shied away from pushing boundaries. And while interviews with figures like Oprah Winfrey and Marc Jacobs certainly establish Furstenberg as an industry icon, it's the interviews with her family that are the film's most poignant. -Kat Moon

Wim Wenders
 Kōji Yakusho and Arisa Nakano
Drama
 PG
80

Japan's entry for the Best International Feature Film award at the 2024 Oscars (it lost to The Zone of Interest) is directed by the very non-Japanese Wim Wenders, the legendary German director behind Buena Vista Social Club; Paris, Texas; and Wings of Desire. Perfect Days is a quaint and poignant film about a man (Kōji Yakusho) who cleans public toilets in Tokyo for a living and enjoys the little things in life. Don't expect a typical movie experience from this one; it's a meditative look at living in the now, with a quietly standout performance from Yakusho and minimalist direction from Wenders. -Tim Surette  

Arkasha Stevenson
Nell Tiger Free, Sonia Braga, Ralph Inneson, Maria Caballero
Horror
R
83

Way back in the original The Omen, a politician's stillborn child was secretly replaced with an Antichrist baby — The First Omen is the story of where that baby came from. Despite the franchise baggage, The First Omen works well as a creepy little standalone story, and Tiger Free is outstanding as the protagonist, a nun-in-training who was just brought to the Vatican at the request of the priest who ran the orphanage she was raised at. It's a slow burn, and the ending that ties the franchise together is kind of awkward, but The First Omen has a lot to offer fans of religious horror — it's a lot more compelling than 2023's Exorcist sequel; that's for sure. -Phil Owen

2023
Michael Mann
Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley
Drama
R
73

Legendary director Michael Mann paints a poignant portrait of Enzo Ferrari with this film, never shying away from his flaws and telling an unexpectedly resonant personal story. And despite Adam Driver being far too young for the role — Enzo Ferrari was nearly 60 during the events of the film, two decades older than Driver — the multi-time Emmy and Oscar nominee pulls it off nearly flawlessly. Despite Ferrari being all about cars, it's the quieter portions of the film that give it its substance. -Phil Owen

 2023
 Clair Titley
 Tomoaki Hamatsu, narrated by Fred Armisen
 Documentary
 n/a
 71

In 1998, a Japanese reality show convinced a man named Tomoaki Hamatsu to participate in a strange contest: He had to live in complete isolation, without any clothes, and live off only what he could win from magazine sweepstakes cards. And then the whole thing was livestreamed and became a national sensation — the man lived like this for more than a year without having a clue about his popularity. That really happened, and this compelling documentary from director Clair Titley retells the story both from Hamatsu's perspective and that of the TV producer who exploited him. But it's in the final act, which focuses on Hamtsu's later life and his attempts to climb Mount Everest, where The Contestant hits the hardest. All that and it lasts under 90 minutes. -Phil Owen

 2023
 Nick Broomfield
 Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and others
 Documentary, Music
 n/a
 75

Kurt & Courtney director Nick Broomfield looks back at the dawn of rock 'n' roll with this documentary about Brian Jones, the founder of the Rolling Stones, and the band that would eventually move on without him. Jones started the Rolling Stones in 1962 before seeing his influence on the band fade away as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards took creative control, leading to his ouster in 1969. He died less than a month later, but his footprint on the British rock scene remains as strong as ever. -Tim Surette 

 2023
 Yorgos Lanthimos
 Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, and Vicki Pepperdine
 Drama, Comedy, Romance, Fantasy
 R
 88

Yorgos Lanthimos' endearingly odd fantasy/romance/drama/comedy film and Best Picture nominee hit subscription streaming just in time for your Oscars cram. Though it didn't win Best Picture, Emma Stone won Best Actress for playing a previously deceased woman who is brought back to life and thirsts for worldliness and self-discovery. Best Supporting Actor nominee Mark Ruffalo plays the man she runs off with for a global adventure. It's a good one. -Tim Surette 

2024
Laura Chinn
Laura Linney, Nico Parker, Woody Harrelson
Drama
R
61

This semi-autobiographical film from writer/director Laura Chinn is a coming-of-age tale with a compelling set of wrinkles — the girl at the center of the story has a brother who is terminally ill, and the movie takes place during the final days of Terri Schiavo's life in 2005. The broad strokes of this one can get a bit trope-y, but it's the emotional honesty from Chinn, and young star Nico Parker, that will hit viewers square in the heart. Suncoast — which also stars Woody Harrelson and Laura Linney — is quite a first movie from Chinn. -Phil Owen

 2023
 Madeleine Gavin
 Documentary
 PG-13
 84

This acclaimed documentary from director Madeleine Gavin follows families trying to escape North Korea after living a life of hardship and lies brought upon them by the North Korean government. Using rare footage of life inside North Korea, Beyond Utopia captures the harrowing and life-threatening journey toward freedom, aided by South Korean pastor Seungeun Kim, who has helped over a thousand North Koreans defect. While the human stories are captivating, it's worth noting that some critics found the movie failed to detail America's involvement in making North Korea what it is today. -Tim Surette 

 2023
 Brian Duffield
 Kaitlyn Dever
 Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
 PG-13
 64

No One Will Save You, a nearly wordless thriller from Brian Duffield (Love and Monsters, The Babysitter), stars Kaitlyn Dever as a creative but lonely young woman named Brynn, whose alienation turns literal when extraterrestrials invade her childhood home one night. In order to confront her intruders, Brynn will have to face her past. Beam this one up; it's a lot of fun. -Kelly Connolly

 2023
 Daniel Goldhaber
 Lukas Gage, Marcus Scribner, Kristine Froseth
 Drama, Thriller
 R
 76

Hulu is still one of the strongest streamers for great under-the-radar movies, and this 2023 film from Neon is a good one. How to Blow Up a Pipeline follows a group of young people who band together to take out a controversial oil pipeline, tiptoeing the line between environmental activism and domestic terrorism. It was a hit among critics, who lauded it as a taut thriller with eco-friendly themes, and it features a cast that includes The White Lotus' Lukas Gage, black-ish's Marcus Scribner, and The Society's Kristine Froseth. -Tim Surette 

 2023
 Brandon Cronenberg
 Alexander Skarsgård, Cleopatra Coleman, Mia Goth
 Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller, Horror
 R
 72

Infinity Pool director Brandon Cronenberg is the son of the king of body horror, David Cronenberg. If the name "Cronenberg" didn't tip you off, you should know that this is a bizarre and often disturbing film. It follows a vacationing married couple, played by Alexander Skarsgård and Cleopatra Coleman, who, after an accident, begin to discover the dark, twisted secrets hidden beyond the walls of their resort. It's difficult to say much without spoiling everything, but this is certainly a movie that will stick with you long after it ends. -Allison Picurro 

 2023
 Raine Allen Miller
 Vivian Oparah, David Jonsson
 Comedy, Romance
 R
 83

This cute rom-com film set in the London neighborhoods of Peckham and Brixton has a tried-and-true setup — two people reeling from bad breakups have a chance encounter with each other, and you know the rest — but it's presented in a dazzling, magnetic way thanks to director Raine Allen Miller. Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (Industry's David Jonsson) are twentysomethings who use their new friendship to deal with their exes over the course of a day, and who knows, maybe they will fall for each other. Who knows!?!? -Tim Surette 

2022
Ruben Östlund
Harry Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Woody Harrelson, Dolly de Leon
Comedy, Drama
R
63

This film from director Ruben Östlund won the Palme d'Or in 2022 and Best Picture at the European Film Awards, and was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. But it also has a 63 score on Metacritic. It's one of those movies, a satirical look at and takedown of the rich and famous on a cruise ship, and for some the satire and black humor don't hit. Others love it, though, and as one of 2023's most polarizing Best Picture nominees, it's a mandatory watch. -Tim Surette

 2023
 Miles Warren
 Jalyn Hall, Shamier Anderson, Trevante Rhodes
 Drama
 TV-MA
 81

First-time feature director Miles Warren arrives with the confidence of a veteran filmmaker with this family drama about a 14-year-old (Jalyn Hall) caught between his father (Shamier Anderson) and a mysterious drifter (Trevante Rhodes). It's a story about fatherhood and parenting, coming of age, and defending yourself. It's also one of the best things Onyx Collective, a subdivision of Disney focusing on Black stories, has produced. -Tim Surette    

 2022
 Sara Dosa
 Maurice Krafft, Katia Krafft
 Documentary
 NR
 83

This stunning film was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2023 Academy Awards, and for good reason. Fire of Love introduces audiences to Maurice and Katia Krafft, a pair of charismatic French volcanologists who bucked the stuffy stereotypes of scientists from the 1970s to early 1990s. Director Sara Dosa also innovates with a stylish collage of the Kraffts' massive library of film footage, multimedia animations, groovy music, and entrancing editing. But what makes Fire of Love better than the sum of its parts is the fascinating love triangle between Maurice and Katia, who were married, and the explosive volcanoes that drew them in. It's a nature documentary, a profile of a couple who found love against all odds, and an art film in one splendid package. -Tim Surette    

2022
 Sarah Pettengill
 Charlene Modeste
Documentary
 NR
 83

History repeats itself — or maybe it just never ends — in Riotsville, U.S.A. This well-reviewed 2022 documentary looks back on the social justice movement of the late 1960s and traces how America's police forces militarized in response. Its focus is on fake towns built by the Army, which were used to train police and the military to violently subdue protests. Director Sarah Pettengill uses archival footage and pointed narration to tell a story that has obvious parallels in the present. -Kelly Connolly 

2022
 Claire Denis
 Margaret Qualley, Joe Alwyn, Benny Safdie, John C. Reilly
Drama, Thriller, Romance
 NR
 67

Claire Denis' Stars at Noon was a big hit at Cannes, and now it's on Hulu for you to form your own opinion about. A modern adaptation of Denis Johnson's 1984 novel, it stars Margaret Qualley as an American journalist stranded in Nicaragua and Joe Alwyn as the British guy she meets and immediately falls for, only to discover he's in deep with — wait for it — the CIA. It's a woozy, sweaty, and sexy romantic thriller elevated by a dynamic performance from Qualley. -Allison Picurro   

2022
 David Cronenberg
 Kristen Stewart, Léa Seydoux, Viggo Mortensen, Scott Speedman
Sci-Fi, Drama, Horror
 NR
 67

David Cronenberg's name is synonymous with stomach-churning body horror, and his latest film is a return to the genre he helped pioneer. Set in an alternate future, Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux star as a performance artist couple who make their money staging live surgeries in which they remove extra organs from the body for rapt audiences. They catch the attention of a government organization that keeps track of new organs, as well as a peculiar cult of people who are experimenting with their own form of biological performance art. It's a big old Cronenbergian blend of ideas that's guaranteed to make your squirm. -Allison Picurro   

2021
 Jerrod Carmichael
 Jerrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott, Tiffany Haddish, Henry Winkler, JB Smoove
Drama, Comedy
 NR
 85

Jerrod Carmichael directs this dark buddy dramedy about two best friends – one played by Carmichael, the other by Christopher Abbott – who hatch a joint suicide pact. Before they kill themselves, though, they spend their last day alive taking care of unfinished business and engaging in shameless debauchery. It's difficult to recommend a movie with such upsetting subject material, but Carmichael's singular voice makes this one worth it. -Allison Picurro   

2022
 Dan Trachtenberg
 Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro
Action, Sci-Fi, Drama, Thriller, Horror
 R
 69

Hulu went ahead and revived the Predator franchise, and this time it's a prequel. Prey is set in the Comanche Nation in the 1700s, and finds the Predator coming to Earth, where he faces off against a young warrior (Amber Midthunder) trying to protect her tribe. It has all the brawling and killing you want from a Predator movie, and as Jordan Hoffman said in his review for TV Guide, its setting feels refreshing. -Allison Picurro  Review]     

Year: 2021
Director: Joachim Trier
Stars: Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 90

One of the most well-liked and well-reviewed films of last year (it was nominated for Best International Feature and Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars), The Worst Person in the World is not actually all that romantic or all that much of a comedy, despite often being classified as a rom-com. It's more of a character study about one aimless woman (Renate Reinsve) in her twenties, following her over the course of several years as she drifts in and out of relationships and jobs — think Frances Ha, but Norwegian. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Year: 2022
Director: Andrew Ahn
Stars: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, Margaret Cho, Matt Rogers
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 72

Joel Kim Booster writes and stars in this hilarious, heartbreaking, and horny adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, which reimagines one of Jane Austen's most famous novels as a gay romantic comedy set on New York's Fire Island. Booster stars as Noah, the Elizabeth Bennett role, and Bowen Yang plays his best friend Howie, the Jane Bennett; the film hits all the Austenian beats regarding class and social status, but Booster's observations about being gay and Asian American gives a well-trodden story its updated perspective. It's likely the only movie you'll see that has jokes about Quibi, My Cousin Vinny, and Yolanda Hadid. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Director: Bing Liu
Stars: Kiere Johnson, Zack Mulligan
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 90

If you like your documentaries with a side of a punch in the gut, Minding the Gap will suffice! The Oscar-nominated film, from first-time director Bing Liu, follows Liu as he reconnects with two of his old skateboarding buddies while the twentysomething young men all deal with the struggles of growing up after childhoods of abuse and neglect. Archival footage is both exuberant and emotional as the trio escapes troubles through skateboarding and details the problems at home, while new footage shows how their lives have changed (or not changed) through unplanned fatherhood, new family issues, and more all-too-common obstacles. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Director: Céline Sciamma
Stars: Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel
Genre: Drama, History, Romance
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 95

The most romantic movie of 2019, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a simmering love story designed to devastate and delight. Céline Sciamma directs the film, which is set in 18th century France and revolves around the affair that develops between an artist and her subject, a young aristocratic woman who is about to be married off. The chemistry between the leads, Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel, is a pleasure to watch in action, made all the more upsetting because of the pervasive knowledge that there's a hard expiration date on their relationship. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Director: Max Barbakow
Stars: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons, Camila Mendes, June Squibb, Peter Gallagher, Tyler Hoechlin
Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 83

The less you know about Palm Springs going into it, the better, but it's probably no secret at this point that this delightful comedy features Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti as a pair of wedding goers who find themselves trapped in a time loop. Their performances are at once goofy and grounded, and there are plenty of surprises packed into every precious minute of this wild, incredibly fun rom-com with touches of sci-fi. -Tim Surette [Trailer]