If you feel like you’ve been stuck in the “Hulu scroll” for too long, you’re not alone. While the platform is famous for its massive TV library, finding the best movies on Hulu right now in 2026 is actually a secret weapon for cinephiles. Since Hulu is the primary home for **Neon** releases and a massive chunk of **Searchlight Pictures**, it’s packed with the kind of high-craft, “adult” cinema that bigger platforms often overlook in favor of mindless blockbusters.
This list of the best movies on Hulu right now focuses on the films that win through technique. We’re looking for movies where the sound design isn’t just noise, the blocking tells a story, and the visual intentionality makes every frame feel like a choice. We’ve avoided the usual repeats from our other lists to give you 10 fresh, pro-level picks that prove Hulu is a powerhouse for modern cinema. If you want a movie night that actually sticks with you, these are the high-confidence winners.
Best for: Cinephiles looking for award-winning indie films, high-tension thrillers, and visually authored dramas currently available on Hulu.
Common cinephile pain points this list solves: Endless scrolling on a messy UI / Wasting time on “straight-to-digital” filler / Finding high-bitrate, well-shot cinema / Missing out on international masterpieces.
Related Lists: The Best Movies Across All Streaming Platforms / Editor’s Picks: The Best Movies / Handpicked Movies Worth Watching / Quietly Awesome Films Worth Watching
What to watch for
When you dive into these Hulu streaming favorites, pay attention to the narrative economy. The best films on this platform often do more with less—watch how the directors use a single location or a tight color palette to build a world. Look for the visual subtext in the blocking and notice how the sound design builds an atmosphere that feels physical, even if you’re watching on a tablet.
10 best movies on Hulu right now
1. The Quiet Girl (An Cailín Ciúin) (2022) 🇮🇪
Director/Creator: Colm Bairéad
Plot: A quiet, neglected young girl is sent away from her dysfunctional family to live with foster parents for the summer, where she discovers a new way of living and a devastating secret.
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Where to Watch: Hulu
Why it delivers: It is a masterclass in frame economy. The cinematography uses a tight 4:3 aspect ratio to mirror the protagonist’s world, focusing on small gestures and natural light. It’s a “quietly awesome” film where the visual information carries more emotional weight than any monologue.
2. All of Us Strangers (2023) 🇬🇧
Director/Creator: Andrew Haigh
Plot: A screenwriter living in a nearly empty London apartment building encounters a mysterious neighbor, sparking a relationship that forces him to confront the ghosts of his past.
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Where to Watch: Hulu / Disney+ (Availability varies)
Why it delivers: Haigh uses dream-like lighting and sound design to blur the line between reality and memory. The surgical blocking in the apartment scenes makes the space feel both intimate and haunting. It’s an authored, high-level drama that uses atmosphere to explore grief and identity.
3. The Worst Person in the World (2021) 🇳🇴
Director/Creator: Joachim Trier
Plot: Over the course of four years, a young woman navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is.
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Where to Watch: Hulu / Prime Video (Rent/Buy)
Why it delivers: It features inventive visual storytelling. Trier uses creative editing—like a sequence where the world literally stops so the protagonist can run through the streets—to capture the feeling of a specific moment in life. The handheld realism and sharp pacing make it one of the best character studies on the platform.
4. Fresh (2022) 🇺🇸
Director/Creator: Mimi Cave
Plot: A young woman frustrated by dating apps meets a charming man at a grocery store and accepts an invitation to a romantic weekend away, only to discover his unusual and terrifying appetite.
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Where to Watch: Hulu / Disney+
Why it delivers: It’s tonal control at a pro level. The film shifts from “modern rom-com” to “horror thriller” with a surgical precision that is helped by stylized production design and a bold soundtrack. The blocking in the final act is tense, clear, and incredibly satisfying.
5. No One Will Save You (2023) 🇺🇸
Director/Creator: Brian Duffield
Plot: An exiled, anxious young woman living in her childhood home must battle an alien invader that has entered her house, all while dealing with her own past trauma.
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Where to Watch: Hulu / Disney+
Why it delivers: This is pure visual and sonic filmmaking. The movie contains almost zero dialogue, meaning the entire story is told through sound design, blocking, and performance. It’s a technical achievement that proves you don’t need a script full of talking to build a must-watch thriller.
6. Flee (2021) 🇩🇰
Director/Creator: Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Plot: An Afghan refugee shares his extraordinary journey for the first time, telling his story through a unique animation style that protects his identity while revealing the truth.
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Where to Watch: Hulu / VOD
Why it delivers: It proves that animation is a director’s tool for reality. The film uses different art styles to represent memory versus present day, creating a visually authored experience that hits harder than a standard documentary. The rhythm of the editing is standard-setting for non-fiction.
7. Passages (2023) 🇫🇷
Director/Creator: Ira Sachs
Plot: A film director begins an impulsive affair with a young woman, sparking a toxic and complicated power struggle between his husband and his new lover.
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Where to Watch: Hulu / VOD
Why it delivers: This is surgical character blocking. Sachs uses long takes and naturalistic lighting to show how characters use their bodies to dominate or manipulate each other in a room. It is a cinephile favorite for its raw honesty and its focus on the “pro” side of acting and directing.
8. How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022) 🇺🇸
Director/Creator: Daniel Goldhaber
Plot: A crew of young environmental activists plan a daring mission to sabotage an oil pipeline, turning their desperation into a high-stakes, tactical heist.
IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
Where to Watch: Hulu / VOD
Why it delivers: It features relentless thriller pacing. The film uses a non-linear structure to introduce the team’s motivations while the main mission is in progress. The surgical sound design of the desert and the mechanical bomb-building make the tension feel dangerously physical.
9. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022) 🇬🇧
Director/Creator: Sophie Hyde
Plot: A retired teacher hires a young sex worker for a night of self-discovery, leading to a series of conversations that challenge her views on pleasure, aging, and connection.
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Where to Watch: Hulu
Why it delivers: It is performance blocking in a single location. Because the movie takes place entirely in a hotel room, the direction relies on camera placement and character movement to keep the energy alive. The script economy is tight, making a dialogue-heavy film feel fast and deeply engaging.
10. Suncoast (2024) 🇺🇸
Director/Creator: Laura Chinn
Plot: A teenager living with her strong-willed mother must take care of her brother while forming an unlikely friendship with an eccentric activist during a major landmark legal case.
IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
Where to Watch: Hulu / Disney+
Why it delivers: It features visually authored period design. The film recreates the early 2000s in Florida with a specific, sun-drenched look that avoids nostalgia traps. The naturalistic lighting and blocking in the hospice scenes make the emotional impact feel earned and honest.
What to watch next
Next category: The Best TV Shows on Hulu Right Now (if you want the high-momentum series that match this level of prestige filmmaking).