Time has just flown by this month, and now there are only a few days left in May. This is bad news for Hulu subscribers because the streamer is losing a lot of great titles this month. But there’s still time to catch most, if not all, of your favorite movies before they pack up and move to another streamer.
Our picks for the five great movies leaving Hulu that you have to watch now include a wildly successful music bio film, two Renaissance-era dramas, Liam Neeson’s best action flick, and the most fully realized dramatization of professional wrestling to date. And if you plan out your movie nights in advance, then you should be able to make room for as many of these picks as you see fit.
Elvis (2022)
Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has not left the building yet. But the King is ducking out early on May 30, before the rest of Hulu’s scheduled departures on May 31. Baz Luhrmann directed and co-wrote Elvis, which features a star-making turn by Austin Butler as Elvis Presley.
The film chronicles the rise and fall and rise again of Elvis, as seen by his longtime manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). It also examines Elvis’ romance with Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge), as well as the personal demons that sent the King into a downward spriral later in his life.
Watch Elvis on Hulu.
Dangerous Beauty (1998)
Dangerous Beauty is inspired by the life of Veronica Franco (Catherine McCormack), a courtesan in Italy during the 16th century who was renowned for her intellect and her beauty. When Veronica is unable to marry her true love, Marco Venier (Scoop‘s Rufus Sewell), for political and financial reasons, she accepts the idea of her mother, Paola Franco (Jacqueline Bisset), to master the art of seduction as a courtesan.
One of the other reasons Veronica agreed to become a courtesan is that it gives her access to an education that women of that era rarely received. She also makes an enemy out of Marco’s cousin, Maffio Venier (Oliver Platt). This comes back to haunt Veronica when Maffio resurfaces as a member of the Inquisition and accuses her of witchcraft.
Watch Dangerous Beauty on Hulu.
Ever After (1998)
Ever After pairs nicely with Dangerous Beauty, since the films both have interesting female leads in roughly the same time period. However, Ever After is more of a romance than Dangerous Beauty is, as it’s a reworking of the Cinderella fairy tale minus the fantasy touches. Drew Barrymore plays Danielle de Barbarac, a young woman who is forced into servitude by her stepmother, Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent (Anjelica Huston), and her daughter, Marguerite de Ghent (Jeanne Moreau). Only the Baroness’ younger daughter, Jacqueline de Ghent (The Last of Us star Melanie Lynskey), shows Danielle any kindness.
For this retelling of the legend, Danielle meets Prince Henry (Dougray Scott) well before the famous masquerade ball. They form an unexpected bond, which is threatened by Danielle’s deception. And while Danielle doesn’t have a fairy godmother in this movie, she does have Leonardo da Vinci (Patrick Godfrey), whose support proves to be vital for her.
Watch Ever After on Hulu.
Taken (2009)
Taken has been both a blessing and a curse for Liam Neeson. The first film made him an action movie star, but almost none of the films he’s made since this one have lived up to Taken, including the two sequels. Neeson plays Bryan Mills, an ex-CIA agent and former Green Beret who is largely estranged from his ex-wife, Lenore Mills-St. John (Famke Janssen), and their daughter, Kim Mills (Maggie Grace).
When Kim is kidnapped in Europe, she manages to reach her father with a description of the man who took her before she is subdued. Bryan threatens to make the kidnapper pay with his particular set of skills if he doesn’t let Kim go, and then he lives up to that threat by systematically hunting down everyone who was involved in the abduction of his daughter. Yet, even Bryan has his limits, and he’s only got 96 hours to find Kim before she’s sold into slavery.
Watch Taken on Hulu.
The Wrestler (2008)
Before pro wrestling was fully exposed as scripted entertainment, it would have been very difficult to make a movie like The Wrestler. Director Darren Aronofsky and writer Robert Siegel were able to craft a very believable story about Robin Ramzinski (Mickey Rourke), an aging wrestler who was once famously known as Randy ‘The Ram: Robinson. In the present, Randy works at a part-time job while wrestling indie shows on weekends. But after a lifetime of steroid and drug abuse, Randy’s heart attack forces him to give up his life in the ring.
Without wrestling to fall back on, Randy tries to romance an older stripper, Pam (Marisa Tomei), and reconcile with his estranged daughter, Stephanie Ramzinski (Evan Rachel Wood). When neither of those relationships is resolved to his satisfaction, Randy contemplates a return to the ring even though he knows that it could be fatal for him.
Watch The Wrestler on Hulu.
