It's sometimes easy to forget that Hulu first started life as a "TV-first" catch-up service, with movies little more than an afterthought when it launched back in 2007.
In the intervening years, however, the platform has evolved into something of a prestige movie destination -- and a must-have for film fans. Since Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Hulu has become the "adult" sibling to Disney Plus, housing R-rated content and acclaimed indies alongside big-name blockbusters and a huge selection of licensed classics.
Now the exclusive streaming home for Searchlight Pictures' output (A Real Pain, A Complete Unknown), Hulu is also typically the first platform for 20th Century Studios content to land on, allowing the service to carve out a niche as a destination for smart horror, sci-fi and thrillers (the Alien, Predator and Omen franchises are all housed on Hulu, as well as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle remake and Smile).
Unlike Netflix, none of Hulu's homegrown titles earned an Oscar nomination this year, but the Hulu Originals imprint nevertheless turns out a steady stream of solid feature-length exclusives like the Andy Samberg comedy Palm Springs and Mimi Cave's grisly horror-thriller Fresh. To help you dive into Hulu's movie catalog, we compiled a list that includes a little bit of everything, including originals, licensed flicks and more.
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Predator: Badlands (2025) While many other classic '80s sci-fi franchises have had their legacies tainted by a succession of subpar spinoffs and sequels, the Predator series appears to be going from strength to strength. Dan Trachtenberg got the ball rolling with 2022's excellent Prey -- also available on Hulu -- pitting the sharp-toothed alien against a tough-as-nails Comanche warrior.
Wisely, the same director is given another shot at expanding the universe of the technologically advanced big-game hunter. A coming-of-age buddy movie might seem an incongruous direction for the franchise, but a strong performance from Elle Fanning and a succession of well-crafted action set pieces make Predator: Badlands an unlikely success.
Paramount/Getty Images The Godfather (1972) More than 50 years after first captivating moviegoers, Francis Ford Coppola's sprawling mafia psychodrama has lost none of its brutal power. The passing of Robert Duvall may have prompted many fans to revisit the veteran actor's masterful turn as aging crime lord Vito Corleone's trusted advisor, Tom Hagen, in recent weeks, but it's the sweeping scale of Coppola's epic retelling of Mario Puzo's novel that ensures this '70s classic remains one of cinema's most beloved films. If you've never seen it and have access to Hulu, there's really no excuse.
Fotos International/NBC Television/Courtesy of Getty Images Sly Lives! (2025) While any film charting the extraordinary life of funk and soul pioneer Sly Stone was bound to be absorbing, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson's superb, probing documentary nevertheless stands apart from the average hagiographic rock film.
Originally released just months before the singer's death last year, it serves as a vital reminder of Stone's profound influence on modern music, while not shying away from examining the personal troubles that ultimately affected his groundbreaking career.
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