The Best Movies on Hulu | July & August 2019 | Film Reviews
I am always searching for new movies to watch on Hulu. If you don't watch movies frequently like I do, you may have a hard time finding a good movie to watch. Don't worry, I've done all the work for you. I've seen thousands of movies and television shows, so I'm pretty much an expert by now (rubs fingernails on sleeve and examines them).
Movies on Hulu change all the time, so if you are interested in any of these films, make sure you add them to your list. There's a feature on Hulu that tells you when movies and shows are going to leave Hulu, so make sure you look at that when you add the movies to you list so you don't miss anything.
All of the movies I list will be separated into genres with a short description of the film. Without further ado, here's the list:
The Best Horror Films
Friday the 13th (1980)
Camp Crystal Lake is reopened years after a tragedy occurred. The camp counselors preparing to open the camp are soon stalked and murdered one by one by someone who doesn't want the camp to be reopened.
Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Camp Crystal Lake is set to open again (didn't these people learn anything?) after the murders of the camp counselors in the first film. The camp counselors preparing to open the camp are (yet again) stalked and murdered one by one. Who is killing off the counselors this time?
Child's Play (1988)
Andy Barclay asks his mother for a Tommy doll for his birthday (very similar to the My Buddy dolls and just as freaky-looking). His mother can't afford one, but soon hears from a friend that a smelly hobo (and part-time rapist) is selling one in an alley (now that sounds like a great idea!). Andy's mom buys the creepy doll and Andy soon finds that his Tommy doll is not what he seems to be.
Honeymoon (2014)
Two newlyweds take a trip to a cabin in the woods overlooking a lake (hmm, where have I encountered this plot before...). One night, the husband wakes up and finds his wife missing. He soon finds her, but discovers she's not quite the same (but like, really, really, really, not the same). This film has one of the most disconcerting body horror scenes I've ever seen. It's not really graphic at all, but if you don't like that kind of thing, please avoid.
Splinter (2008)
A couple is car-jacked and abducted by another couple. While they are traveling, they run over some kind of infected animal and get a flat tire. They make it to an abandoned gas station only to discover the infected animal they ran over is not their only problem. They find themselves trapped at the gas station with threats from both inside and outside the gas station.
The Crazies (2010)
The town of Ogden Marsh, Iowa is a normal town in middle-America. Most residents are peaceful and nice, with (of course) a few bad seeds sprinkled in the mix. When the people of Ogden Marsh suddenly become aggressive and violent, it is up to the town's sheriff to discover what happened and how he can stop it from spreading.
The Gift (2000)
A widowed mother of two sons with the gift of clairvoyance finds herself involved in a mystery when a local woman goes missing. This film is especially creepy to me. There is something about it that is really unsettling and I love the performances of Keanu Reeves and Giovanni Ribisi. I love that Hilary Swank basically has a mullet the entire movie, which adds some comic relief because this film is very dark.
The Best Hulu Originals: Into the Dark
Pooka! (2018)
An actor moves into an apartment building, hoping to make a new start for himself. He soon lands an audition for an acting role, but it is not what he expected. He learns he has landed a role as a mascot for a new children's toy called Pooka! The man discovers the job is not what it seems and the suit seems to slowly be taking control of him. In my opinion, this entire movie is not what it seems. I'm usually pretty good at figuring out the ending in movies, but I had no idea where this movie was going.
All That We Destroy (2019)
A geneticist completing a research project from her home has a secret to hide; her son is a budding serial killer. The woman hopes that by recreating her son's first victim over and over, she can help her son overcome his urges to kill. This was a very interesting film to watch. I thought a lot about the ethical considerations of what the woman was doing and how far someone would go to save a loved one from themselves.
New Year, New You (2018)
A woman invites three old friends from high school to her parents' house for a small party in order to catch up with them (or so she claims, psshhh). When her true intentions are revealed, basically all hell breaks loose and she is soon involved in a fight for her life. I didn't know what was going to happen in this film. I could tell something wasn't right with the protagonist from the beginning, but I didn't know what it could be. This film definitely kept me guessing and I felt a lot differently about every single character by the end of the movie.
The Best Thriller Movies
Scenic Route (2013)
A man and his friend take a road-trip in order to reconnect after drifting apart. Things between the two are amicable at first, but the situation takes a turn after they become stuck in the desert without food or water. If you like films like Session 9 (1999), American Psycho (2000), or Take Shelter (2011), you might like this film; it has an ambiguous ending like those films. I don't mind ambiguous endings when the film is well-done, and I really liked this film.
Kidnap (2017)
A woman sees her son being kidnapped and sets off in a game of cat and mouse with his kidnapper. Look, I know this film is absolutely ridiculous. There were times where I was laughing pretty hard at how ridiculous it was. However, it really keeps you on the edge of your seat too. I don't mind watching films from time to time that are absolutely ridiculous as long as they are entertaining and this film really was fully engrossing and entertaining.
Hard Candy (2006)
A young teenage girl meets with a much older man after chatting with him online for weeks. I really liked this movie. The film begins in a way that you are really afraid for this girl and you want her to get away from this potential pedophile. However, as the film progresses, you start to become afraid for the man too. I love how the director used different colors of filters to portray the feelings of the actors and the performances of Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson are outstanding.
Fatal Attraction (1987)
A man begins to wholeheartedly regret his decision to cheat on his wife after his fling begins to exhibit alarming behavior. I think I just wrote the understatement of the century right there. I mean...this movie gets crazy, absolutely crazy. I love that although both of the characters that Micheal Douglas and Glenn Close played are flawed, they are still likable. It could be so easy to dismiss the characters as crazy or say they got what they deserved, but honestly I can say I didn't want anyone to get hurt. I could understand how scared Michael Douglas' character was or how hurt Glenn Close's character was and the great writing, direction, and acting helped me to remain empathetic towards both of them until the end.
The Next Three Days (2010)
A man's wife goes to prison for allegedly murdering her boss. After learning that she will no longer have any appeals and will be in prison for the rest of her life, she attempts to end her life. The man realizes that unless he breaks his wife out of jail, she will end up committing suicide. He resolves to educate himself on how to break her out of prison and begins to immerse himself in a world of crime. I was afraid that this film would have a terrible ambiguous ending, but I was like, no, Russell Crowe wouldn't do that to me. And you know what? He didn't. This movie was thoroughly engrossing and they do explain if the wife really did kill her boss or not, which I really appreciated. Everything Russell Crowe did was pretty believable and I liked that the movie as a whole seemed very believable.
The Ghost Writer (2010)
A ghost writer is asked to complete a novel that a former prime minister has written. He learns that the former ghost writer was found dead and begins to suspect that the former prime minister and the people that surround him are not who they claim to be. I generally like Roman Polanski films. I like the weird music and the quirky, sometimes dangerous characters. If you liked The Ninth Gate (1999), you'd probably like this one too.
The Best Drama Films
Rounders (1998)
A former gambler is drawn back into the seedy world of gambling when he learns his old friend may be hurt unless he earns enough money to pay back his friend's debt. For the longest time, I was convinced I was the only one who had seen this film, which was weird since it has Matt Damon, Edward Norton, and John Malkovich in it. No one I knew had seen it, but once someone saw it they loved it. I think you'll love it too. John Malkovich is alternately funny and scary (like, maybe he'll murder Matt Damon's character with a claw hammer one rainy night kind of scary) and the acting in general is great.
Thirteen (2003)
A young teenage girl is drawn into a world of drugs, sex, and violence (but not that much violence, thankfully) when she becomes friends with a troubled classmate. This film is hard to watch. I think it's so hard to watch because making friends with the wrong people can happen to kids so easily. All of the actors did such a great job portraying these broken people. This film includes scenes featuring self-harm, so please do not watch if that triggers you.
All is Lost (2013)
A man battles for his life when his boat collides with a shipping container in the middle of the Indian Ocean. I really didn't think a movie with hardly any dialogue could be so interesting and engrossing, but Robert Redford did an amazing job in his role and I was never bored. It sounds crazy, but it didn't need a lot of dialogue. Everything was explained through Robert Redford's actions and nothing was unbelievable. I was rooting for him the entire time and worried about him the entire movie.
The Best Comedy Films
Nacho Libre (2006)
A priest decides to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a Mexican wrestler. This film is hilarious. Every time I watch it, I'm surprised again at how funny it is. It's utterly ridiculous, weird, and awesome, so do yourself a favor and watch it.
Grabbers (2012)
Aliens invade a small Irish island. The inhabitants of the island soon realize that if the aliens attack someone with a high alcohol content, the aliens will die, so they set forth to get piss-their-pants, falling-down drunk in order to defeat the murderous invaders.
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)
A man comes back from war to find his once peaceful neighborhood rife with crime. He vows to defeat the crime lord that has defiled his neighborhood by teaming up with local legend. Please tell me you've seen this movie. This movie is absolutely hilarious and you must watch it. Now. Go watch it. I quote this movie all the time, so that means you have to go watch it so you'll get my weird jokes. You're still here? Go watch it!
Shaolin Soccer (2001)
A master of Shaolin Kung Fu believes his life's purpose is to teach others Kung Fu. He enlists the help of a former soccer star to form a soccer team in order to promote Shaolin Kung Fu. This movie is hilarious and absolutely ridiculous. It's so weird and funny and you probably haven't seen anything like it (unless you've seen Kung Fu Hustle (2004), which is also made by Stephen Chow and is even more hilarious and weird), so do yourself and a favor and watch it.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
A boy and his father discover the secret of Christmas when a company drilling the mountain near their house uncovers a mysterious enormous block of ice. I didn't know where to put this movie because it's both comedy and horror. I just think it's so weird and awesome that you should see it no matter what genre I list it in. It's possibly one of the weirdest movies I've ever seen. If you liked the movies Krampus (2015) and Trollhunter (2010), you will probably like this movie too.
Kindergarten Cop (1990)
A detective trying to find a woman and her son goes undercover as a kindergarten teacher in order to find them. If you haven't seen this classic Ahhh-nold Schwarzenegger film, you have to see it. It's got classic lines such as, "I'm the paaahhh-tee poopah" and "It's nahhht a tooo-mahhh", plus it's funny and it's got some kind of violent action scenes in it, so you can't go wrong.
The Best Documentary Films
Fyre Fraud (2019)
This documentary explains the various people and factors that went into the Fyre Festival disaster. I found this documentary to be a lot better than the Netflix Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (2019). After watching both documentaries, I found that I learned a lot more from Fyre Fraud and the Netflix documentary seemed to be skewed in favor of certain people.
Burn (2012)
This documentary covers three firefighters in Detroit and the effect fighting fires has on their lives. I am so appreciative of first responders and am very aware of how dangerous is to be a first responder. I have always been interested in firefighting and have heard about the frequent arson fires in Detroit. If you are interested in any of those things too, this is a great documentary to watch.
Final Thoughts
I hope this list has helped you to discover new films to watch or rediscover films you already know and love. Do you like the films on this list? Which films are your favorite? Which films aren't on here? Please share your thoughts below!
Thanks,
A
