Hulu’s status over the course of the past decade has changed several times. The streaming service, which is now owned by Disney, still has original movie releases, but it has never competed for Oscars in quite the way that a service like Netflix does.
As a result, Hulu original movies can be a little bit of everything, although many of them are the kind of mid-budget movies that have been disappearing from theaters. While all of them are definitely not good, we’ve pulled together a list of 10 excellent ones that are worth watching this summer.
Palm Springs (2020)
One of the great pandemic watches of 2020 was Palm Springs, a Groundhog Day-style story that followed two people attending a wedding who find themselves trapped living the same day over and over again.
While time loop stories are nothing new, Palm Springs manages to inject some fresh life into the genre by trapping two people in this purgatory together as they slowly fall in love and deal with personal demons that predate the time they’ve shared together. Anchored by great performances from Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, Palm Springs is still just as good today.
You can watch Palm Springs on Hulu.
Happiest Season (2020)
A holiday romcom with some real bite, Happiest Season tells the story of two women in a committed relationship who visit one of their families for the holidays. When her partner learns that she is not out to her family, she’s forced to pretend to be her friend through a deeply awkward weekend that leaves her questioning their entire relationship.
Happiest Season is a fairly light comedy about bigotry, but it works because of Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis’s committed central performances and because it’s got some festive holiday zest to it.
You can watch Happiest Season on Hulu.
Summer of Soul (2021)
One of the great documentaries of the past decade, Summer of Soul tells the story of the Harlem Cultural Festival, a music festival that did not receive the attention of Woodstock but occurred during the same summer.
Thanks to archival footage of many of the performers, as well as contemporary interviews with experts and some of the performers themselves, the film is deeply emotional and a reminder of the wealth of Black history that often goes unexplored in mainstream culture.
You can watch Summer of Soul on Hulu.
Fresh (2022)
Fresh is silly, to be sure, but it knows what it is and is pretty effective at creating a tense, thrilling atmosphere. The movie follows a young woman who is struggling to find any datable men until she comes across a charming man who, it turns out, wants to slowly carve her up and eat her.
Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones are both excellent and utterly committed here, and the movie also has some pretty heavy-handed things to say about misogyny and what men really value in the women around them.
You can watch Fresh on Hulu.
Prey (2022)
This prequel to the original Predator executed what everyone had basically always wanted from this franchise. It tells the story of a Native American girl living in the 18th century who stumbles upon a predator and has to figure out how to defeat it.
Amber Midthunder delivers a hugely compelling central performance. In director Dan Trachtenberg’s hands, Prey becomes a movie much more about one woman’s survival and self-actualization than it is about the larger mythology of this universe, and it’s all the better for it.
You can watch Prey on Hulu.
Rye Lane (2023)
A hugely colorful and charming romantic comedy, Rye Lane is told over the course of a single day and follows two single people who meet in London in the wake of bad breakups.
As they slowly form a connection, they have to work through their baggage and figure out whether they’re really interested in pursuing a serious relationship. Filled with actual jokes and riveting banter, Rye Lane would be nothing without the natural chemistry between its stars, David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah.
You can watch Rye Lane on Hulu.
No One Will Save You (2023)
A sci-fi movie with a high-minded premise, No One Will Save You is an almost entirely wordless film that follows a young woman who lives alone as she begins to suspect that aliens are invading her home. As she works to battle them off, we learn more about how she came to be so isolated.
Anchored by the remarkable Kaitlyn Dever, who conveys so much without saying a word, No One Will Save You is more than just its interesting premise. It’s a genuinely exciting sci-fi movie that, thankfully, demands that you actually look at the screen while you watch it.
You can watch No One Will Save You on Hulu.
Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)
A sort of pseudo-sequel to Prey, but animated this time, Predator: Killer of Killers is an anthology story that follows three different characters from Earth who all took on predators over the course of history. A Viking, a samurai, and a World War II fighter pilot all get their turns taking on the unkillable hunters. After they emerge victorious, the warriors are taken to the Predator homeworld, where they are forced to compete to see who is the ultimate killer of killers.
Featuring stylish animation, innovative action sequences, and a breakneck pace, Predator: Killer of Killers is one of the best entries in the franchise.
You can watch Predator: Killer of Killers on Hulu.
Minding the Gap (2018)
One of the best documentaries on Hulu, Minding the Gap follows the story of three friends who bond over skateboarding as they grow and change over the course of years. In that time, we come to appreciate the economic hardships facing each of them and the way skateboarding becomes less of an escape as the realities of their lives start to close in around them.
Minding the Gap features some impressive skateboarding footage, but what really makes the movie stick are all the moments where you see someone trying to escape from the circumstances they were born into, with mixed results.
You can watch Minding the Gap on Hulu.
Fire Island (2022)
A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, Fire Island offers a remarkable and humorous glimpse into the culture of gay travelers enjoying a summer vacation on the island. The film is vibrant and captures the complexity of gay culture.
The romance at the movie’s center is also deeply charming, anchored by writer and star Joel Kim Booster, who delivers a star-making turn at the center of this movie. Rarely has a retelling of Jane Austen felt as vibrant and modern as it does here.
You can watch Fire Island on Hulu.
