11 of the best movies on Hulu: documentaries, action, horror and more

11 of the best movies on Hulu: documentaries, action, horror and more
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

What with recent events, we're all going to be spending a lot more time indoors in the coming weeks and months. That means you need plenty to watch.

Thankfully, Hulu has you covered. The service offers thousands of hours of all kinds of content, including movies. Because, let's be honest, we could all do with a bit of escapism right now.

But what should you watch? We've scoured the service to find you only the best movies it has to offer, so you can spend less time searching and more time watching. Because nothing ruins an evening like spending more time looking for something to watch than actually watching it.

The Sisters Brothers

11 of the best movies on Hulu: documentaries, action, horror and more

(Image credit: Annapurna Pictures)

Based on the novel by Patrick de Witt, The Sisters Brothers follows two brothers with the surname Sisters who are hired by a wealthy businessman in the old west to kill a man named Hermann Warm. Joacquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly play the brothers in a film that plays with its western tropes without a knowing wink to the audience. And it's all the better for it. The result? A western unlike any other.

I, Tonya

11 of the best movies on Hulu: documentaries, action, horror and more

(Image credit: Neon)

In the 1990s, Tonya Harding took the world of figure skating by storm thanks to her awesome talent and uncompromising attitude (for example, she played up to her 'white trash' persona by having ZZ Top as her performance music). But she's unfortunately best known for her boyfriend sending death threats to her rival, Nancy Kerrigan, in order to sabotage her chances at the 1994 Winter Olympics. Margot Robbie steps into the ice skates to play Harding in this biopic that's as much a farcical black comedy as it is a comment on class in America.

Free Solo

11 of the best movies on Hulu: documentaries, action, horror and more

(Image credit: National Geographic Documentary Films)

This 2018 Oscar-winning documentary charts free climber Alex Honnold as he attempts to perform a free solo climb of the 3,000-feet tall El Capitan mountain in Yosemite National Park. And yes, free solo does mean what you think it means - no ropes, no harnesses, no protective equipment whatsoever. It's just him and the rockface. Yeesh. It's a fascinating insight into what drives someone to attempt such a feat, but it's as much about the technical and ethical issues around making such a film.

The Cabin in the Woods

11 of the best movies on Hulu: documentaries, action, horror and more

(Image credit: Lionsgate)

What starts as a run-of-the-mill horror film soon becomes so much more than that. Writers Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard set out to subvert every horror trope in the book, and they certainly succeeded with this 2011 comedy/horror. A youthful-looking Chris Hemsworth leads the bunch of college kids into the eponymous cabin, where - surprise surprise - they are terrorised by supernatural forces. But the plot thickens, and soon starts to question why these tropes exist and persist, and the very nature of what we consider entertainment. It's thought-provoking, but without sacrificing the scare or entertainment value. Quite an achievement.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

11 of the best movies on Hulu: documentaries, action, horror and more

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Widely considered to be the best of the Star Trek films, The Wrath of Khan sees Kirk, Spock et al. being ambushed by Khan, a genetically enhanced tyrant from the late 20th century. Once aboard the Starship Enterprise, Khan forces a crew member to sacrifice themselves for the good of the ship. Witness William Shatner at the height. Of his. Stuttered-talking. Powers.

Creed II

11 of the best movies on Hulu: documentaries, action, horror and more

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Adonis Creed (Michael B Jordan) steps back into the ring for another bout, again aided by Rocky Balboa himself, Sly Stallone. This time he's taking on Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan, the man who beat Creed's father to death in the ring in the unforgettable Rocky IV. So to say the two have beef would be an understatement. Ryan Coogler - director of the original Creed - might have gone, but Steven Caple Jr. proves an ample replacement, directing the action scenes with aplomb.

The Fugitive

11 of the best movies on Hulu: documentaries, action, horror and more

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

When respected surgeon Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) is wrongly accused of murdering his wife (Sela Ward), he goes on the run with two aims: evade the authorities and find out who framed him. But there's a thorn in his side, in the form of irrepressible U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard (a career-best performance from Tommy Lee Jones). One of the best thrillers of the 90s.

All together now: "What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area. Checkpoints go up at fifteen miles. Your fugitive's name is Dr. Richard Kimble. Go get him."

The French Connection

11 of the best movies on Hulu: documentaries, action, horror and more

(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

Renowned as featuring the best car chase in movie history (beating even Bullitt), The French Connection is as hard-edged as thrillers come, and helped usher in a new wave of grittier film making in the 1970s. Gene Hackman takes the role of Popeye Doyle, a cop who walks a fine line between good and bad. In fact, the term 'antihero' could've been termed for him. It's based on the real-life US detectives who uncovered a heroin ring operating between France and the US. And it won a bag full of Oscars for its raw, uncompromising style.

Apollo 11

11 of the best movies on Hulu: documentaries, action, horror and more

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Todd Douglas Miller's documentary looks back at 1969's historic moon landing in its 50th anniversary year. While relying on archive footage, Miller and his team were able to restore the material to near pristine condition, giving a fresh insight into how space looks and feels. There are no talking heads, and no narrator, just the original footage presented in a new light. Gets you as close to being there without needing a space suit.

The Oath

11 of the best movies on Hulu: documentaries, action, horror and more

(Image credit: Roadside Attractions)

This Trump-era satire of America doesn't side with one view, which makes it all the more effective. In the movie, everyone has until the day after Thanksgiving to sign an oath of loyalty to the nation. Liberal couple Chris (Ike Barinholtz) and Kai (Tiffany Haddish) aren't keen, but are more concerned about making sure their family Thanksgiving dinner goes without a hitch. But with politics on the menu, that seems unlikely...

A Quiet Place

11 of the best movies on Hulu: documentaries, action, horror and more

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

The sequel is out now, so if you missed the original now is definitely time to catch up.  It's the familiar story of a family trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world, but with a twist: the world is populated with blind aliens who have an acute sense of hearing; as the tagline goes, if they hear you they hunt you. So the fam have to stay as quiet as possible to avoid being detected. Whole chunks of the movie play out in complete silence, so dim the lights, turn it up and get ready for a creeping sense of dread...

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