7 Best Movies on Hulu That You Didn’t Know Were Streaming

Hulu‘s 15 most popular movies right now include six Pixar classics including The Incredibles Finding Nemo and Ratatouille; a James Cameron financial mega-smash in Avatar; a modern horror classic, Longlegs; two Oscar darlings with The Help and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; and a failed Universal Monsters reboot with Tom Cruise, The Mummy. It’s a diverse line-up, and so too are the movies that fall outside that top 15. So, of those deeper cuts, as it were, in Hulu’s cinematic catalogue, which are worth watching come movie night? There’s something for everyone, from classic and modern actioners to an early aughts cult classic comedy.

If you’re still not over awards season, Hulu has an excellent assortment of recent Oscar darlings. Given the time of year, it certainly seems as appropriate to mention Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness, and Little Miss Sunshine as it does to mention Hulu originals like Prey and Palm Springs.

Bullet Train

David Leitch is the top of the heap when it comes to directing modern, energetic action films, and Bullet Train was just further proof after John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, and Hobbs & Shaw. It’s star-studded, like the rest of his movies, buoyed by a fun central performance from Brad Pitt and elevated further by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry’s supporting work. Crime comedies can be hard to pull off, but Bullet Train manages to do it.

The film focuses on a group of assassins all aboard the JR Central Shinkansen. Some, but not all of them are there for the same purpose. But, one thing is clear, they’re all on that train for more a trip from point A to point B.

Heat

One of the best crime movies ever, Michael Mann’s Heat is both his best film and one of the best movies from Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Val Kilmer’s respective filmographies. An epic crime film with a suitably extended runtime that never loses audience interest, Heat is a film loaded with compelling characters and what may very well be the best street-level gunfight ever committed to celluloid.

It was a big deal to have Pacino (playing the cop) and De Niro (playing the robber) actually share the screen for the first time. They both starred in The Godfather Part II but played roles in different timeframes. And, while they get most of the spotlight, Kilmer gets to shine as Chris Shiherlis, a career criminal who has to choose between his profession and the woman he loves.

A sequel, based on the book Mann co-wrote, is scheduled to hit theaters at…some point.

Machete

Robert Rodriguez’s Machete wasn’t just a successful feature-length expansion of his faux trailer that preceded Planet Terror in Grindhouse, it’s arguably even better than Planet Terror itself. It’s quite possibly the most “Robert Rodriguez” film Rodriguez has ever directed, and it knows it. But, most of all, Machete was the opportunity for the lovable Danny Trejo to lead his own wide-release theatrical film after years as a supporting star.

Machete has an absolute blast embracing its status as a B-movie, and its stars have fun playing in its world. Trejo is still the star of the show, but Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, and Robert De Niro have a lot to do. Even Lindsay Lohan and Steven Seagal pop-up to poke fun at their own images. And, for those that can get on its wavelength, the even more absurd sequel is a must-watch. Fortunately, Machete Kills can be watched with a Cinemax add-on.

[RELATED: Danny Trejo Wants Robert Rodriguez to Direct a Biopic of His Life]

Super Troopers

Broken Lizard’s filmography has been an extremely mixed bag, but few could argue that Super Troopers is one of the best early 2000s comedies. All of the comedy troupe are perfectly cast in their respective law-enforcers-who-don’t-really-take-the-law-seriously roles, with Brian Cox there as well to get fed up with their shenanigans.

There are plenty of stand-out scenes, including the “meow” game, but what helps it stand-out is that the central drug-related mystery plot is actually pretty effective. And much to his credit, Cox seems to be having a great time (just as he does in the underrated sequel), which is infectious.

Con Air

When it comes to ’90s blockbusters, few are as profoundly and knowingly silly as Simon West’s Con Air. It comes equipped with an all-star cast, some of whom are even playing against type, plus Nicolas Cage sporting a Southern accent and iconic long hair.

The story focuses on an aircraft transporting a group of prisoners, including Cage’s Poe, who was incarcerated for accidentally killing a drunk man while defending his wife in a bar parking lot. He really shouldn’t be in there, especially with the likes of Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom (John Malkovich), who is now the leader of a high-flying prison escape.

The Quick and the Dead

Unforgiven was the best Western the late Gene Hackman ever starred in, but Sam Raimi’s The Quick and the Dead is fun too. The central dueling competition is a very compelling hook, and even when it threatens to have too much style over substance, the movie corrects the balance. And, unsurprisingly, Hackman is incredible in the antagonist role.

Sharon Stone plays “The Lady,” a walking mystery who enters the town of Redemption to join its standoff competition. Some participants are there to win the cash, but not her. She’s there to take down Hackman’s John Herod, who, while not the mayor, considers Redemption his. Yet “The Lady” is dead set on gunning him down for a different reason.

Easy A

A film so beloved there were, at one point at least, talks for a sequel, Easy A was one of the 2010s best romantic comedies. It may be mostly geared towards the teenage set, but just about anybody can find something to love about it, especially when it comes to the performances. The film was Emma Stone’s debut as a lead after playing memorable roles as part of an ensemble in Superbad, The Rocker, The House Bunny, and Zombieland, and she’s greatly assisted by a supporting cast that includes Amanda Bynes, Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow, and, especially, the combination of Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci.

Stone plays Olive Penderghast, a high school senior who lies about her sexual experience to ascend the popularity ladder. But soon little white lies spin out of control, and she’s branded with a scarlet letter. Unfortunately, the rumors surrounding her spread so far that they damage the lives of others, so Olive must set the record straight.