Classics in every genre! Most genres? Some of the genres!
I’m here to tell you that there’s a cinematic streaming goldmine available on Hulu that includes recent hits, older classics, domestic releases, and foreign imports. Sure there’s plenty of filler and seemingly thousands of titles I’ve never heard of before, but I’m here to recommend some good movies (and maybe even some “good” movies) to watch this November on Hulu.
Pick of the Month: Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Before starring in Paul Thomas Anderson’s acclaimed romantic dramedy the closest Adam Sandler came to a dramatic performance was as a depressed entertainer in The Wedding Singer (which remains his best comedy). Anderson challenged him as an actor, and the result is an aggressively affecting performance in a film that’s at turns funny, odd, and romantically inclined. It’s Anderson’s shortest movie, but it still packs a punch in its story of a very troubled man who wants very much to be better.
The Conversation (1974)
Ever find yourself watching Enemy of the State and wondering just what Gene Hackman’s retired spy character was up to twenty four years earlier? If so, you’ll be happy to know that Francis Ford Coppola made a prequel to answer that very question. Hackman plays a reclusive surveillance expert whose latest case stirs some unfamiliar concerns in his typically disaffected work ethic, and it’s a terrific performance that fuels this slow burn thriller.
Enter the Ninja (1981)
Franco Nero plays a soldier who enters and excels at ninja school, but we won’t pretend he’s the draw here. It’s all about the Sho Kosugi my friends. He would go on to make a career out of playing ninjas both good (Revenge of the Ninja) and evil (Ninja III: The Domination), but the black-clad, shuriken-throwing magic starts here with a film that defines the Cannon Films brand.
Terms of Endearment (1983)
A mother (Shirley MacLaine) and daughter (Debra Winger) struggle with each other and their own relationships in James L. Brooks’ second best movie. The elder is looking for new love while the younger discovers harsh truths about her husband, but all of it takes a backseat to the realization that one of them is dying. Few films are guaranteed tearjerkers. This is one of them.
Major League (1989)
As far as comedies about sports teams with racist names go, this late ’80s flick is probably the best. (Ladybugs is a distant second.) The Cleveland Indians lost the recent World Series, but they’re still winners within the confines of this underdog tale. Do they go on to win in the two sequels? I don’t know. Let’s keep it a mystery.
Dances with Wolves (1990)
I get it. You’re still irked that Kevin Costner’s beautiful and sincere ode to the American West and the people who populated it when it was just the West beat out Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas at the Oscars for both Best Picture and Best Director. It’s been twenty six years though, so maybe give the film a chance with fresh eyes and appreciate the journey of a man who learns humility, grace, and the value of necessity against an always gorgeous and sometimes harsh landscape.
The Addams Family (1991)
Film adaptations of television shows long gone don’t typically fare all that well as they either rely too heavily on nostalgia or fail to capture the magic of what made us like the series in the first place. Barry Sonnenfeld shows a love for the characters and captures the playful horror elements with lively, visual joy. It’s a fun black comedy for the whole family, and that makes it something rare indeed.
Showgirls (1995)
Look, Paul Verhoeven’s ridiculously over the top look at the Las Vegas showgirl scene isn’t memorable for being a great or even good movie, but good lord is it memorable all the same. It’s a campy romp filled with questionable acting, ludicrous sex, and pure comedic bliss. (There is a pretty harsh and highly unnecessary rape scene though, so be prepared to fast forward once the Renny Harlin-lookalike gets the girl alone in his hotel room.)
Rounders (1998)
There are plenty of movies I find it difficult to turn off once they’ve started (or if I’ve come across them partway through on cable), and this drama about friendship and poker is probably the least assuming of them all. Matt Damon is the smart guy trying to do right, Ed Norton is the prick best friend you just know is going to drag his buddy down with him, and the film builds strong character work into some surprisingly suspenseful sequences.
Saved! (2004)
As a recovering Catholic I will always be in the bag for movies that draw attention to the hypocrisies of organized religion, and this light but still sharp comedy meets and exceeds that need. It’s a funny look at a teen raised in the church who winds up pregnant and watches as those around her abandon her. Jena Malone and Patrick Fugit shine.
Creed (2015)
One of last year’s surprise successes, both commercially and critically, this sequel of sorts to Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky franchise breathes new life into the ideas and themes that made the films so popular in the first place. Writer/director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan make their own underdog tale, and it’s every bit as inspiring as Stallone’s original. [Available starting 11/19]
Related Topics: Hulu
