What’s New to Stream on Hulu for December 2021

Crossing the Streams is our look at all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month, and this time we’re checking out what’s new on Hulu for December 2021, including a childhood favorite, the return of some favorite comedy series, and more!

Hulu Pick of the Month for December 2021

There are far newer films hitting Hulu this month, but I’d be remiss in my duties as a fellow human if I didn’t pick the best, most beautiful, and most satisfying film as my pick of the month. The Black Stallion (1979) is all of that and more, and you’d be misguided to dismiss it simply as a tale for children. Walter Farley’s beloved novel is adapted into a perfect film by director Carroll Ballard and co-writer Melissa Mathison.

It’s the story of a boy whose passenger ship is sunk in the 1940s with the only survivors being him and a wild Arabian stallion. The pair end up on a deserted island together and slowly learn to trust each other, and that journey continues after they’re rescued. Long stretches of the film unspool without dialogue as we come to feel as if we’re actually there on this island with them — afraid, emboldened, adventurous, and trusting that this other living thing has our best interests at heart. It’s a gorgeous film, both in its cinematography and its themes, and it’s a balm for all ages. The sequel, The Black Stallion Returns (1983), is also new to Hulu.

New Movies You Probably Missed

Not every film is a home run — very few films are, arguably — but most usually have something to offer anyway. Swan Song (2021) is the story of a man trying to get across town to do the hair of a deceased client, and while there are moments of humor and emotion the film, as a whole, struggles a bit to hold its own. Thankfully, the same cannot be said of its lead actor. Udo Kier gives a warm, excessively human performance as the flamboyant hairdresser whose own life struggles can’t prevent him from being there for someone else. He’s a sweet presence and the one who carries the film from beginning to end.

Most animated films are made for and consumed by children, but each year still sees one or two aimed at a decidedly more mature audience. Cryptozoo (2021) is one of the latter and follows a group of zookeepers trying to capture an elusive creature, a legendary Baku. While simple enough in its narrative, Dash Shaw’s film uses the premise to explore ideas of conservation, biodiversity, sustainability, and more in a world that’s already seen so many of its species eradicated by humans through intent and neglect. This is no dry nature thesis, though, as it’s instead a wildly kinetic and incredibly odd descent into weirdness voiced by the likes of Michael Cera, Lake Bell, Zoe Kazan, Peter Stormare, and more.

Only slightly less weird than that animated film is the live-action delight that is The Nowhere Inn (2020). Indie pop star St. Vincent (a.k.a. Annie Clark) and musician/writer/comedian Carrie Brownstein star as themselves, sort of, as the former tries to get a documentary about herself off the ground. What starts as a low-key comedy between friends becomes something stranger and more meta in its exploration of identity and self-awareness, and it’s just a weird joy of a film. Don’t watch a trailer, just watch the movie.

Returning Hulu Series

Hulu

The back half of Pen15 Season 2 is new this month, but it’s a bittersweet release as it comes with the recent news that the series won’t see a season three. Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle co-created the series about the lives of two teenage girls — played by Erskine and Konkle with an absurd sincerity even as other teens/kids are played by age-appropriate actors — and it’s as wonderfully honest and hilarious a look back at youth as you could hope for. Big laughs, more than a few tears, and a guarantee that you will be reminded of your own awkward teen years on a regular basis come with each episode, and we’re excited to see where these final episodes go.

Letterkenny Season 10 (premieres December 26th) won’t be bringing any tears, well, unless you’re prone to crying from excessive laughter. The Canadian comedy is an acquired taste to be sure, but if you’re on its wavelength the laughs are guaranteed to come on a regular basis. The show follows a group of friends living in a small town, and while there are plots and character arcs (of sorts), the main thrust here is fast, witty, vocabulary-intensive dialogue. The crew makes up words — or maybe they’re just Canadian, who can see really — and have running verbal gags, and it’s just a weird ride of a show.

90s Action Movies

Sometimes you have a hole only 90s action movies can fill, and Hulu is answering that call with three gems. Tony Scott’s Crimson Tide (1995) is the best of the bunch and an absolute masterclass in acting, tension, and finding thrills in a confined location. Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington star in a story about a disagreement on a nuclear submarine, and they’re joined by James Gandolfini, Viggo Mortensen, George Dzundza, Steve Zahn, Ryan Phillippe, and more for as intense a Hollywood thriller as you’ll find. It’s arguably Scott’s best film, certainly my favorite, and it’s never the wrong time for a rewatch.

Where the film above champions a somewhat grounded sense of realism and structure, Simon West’s Con Air (1997) throws it all out the window in pursuit of pure adrenaline and action shenanigans. A good guy about to be paroled finds himself on a transport jet filled with real baddies, and he takes it upon himself to do what’s right when the villains hijack the airplane. Nicolas Cage is the good guy, John Cusack is a good guy down below, and they’re joined by John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi, Colm Meaney, Ving Rhames, Danny Trejo, Monica Potter, and more. It’s nonsense, but the action beats are big, glorious fun.

Michael Bay’s Armageddon (1998) is the biggest hit of these three (even if it is the weakest of the films), and it leaves both the oceans and the skies behind for space. A rowdy group of oil drillers are taught astronaut shit and sent into space to blow up an asteroid heading towards Earth, and fun is had before being chased by action, death, and some pervy stuff involving animal crackers. It’s big, bloated entertainment, not Bay’s best but far, far from his worst.

The Complete Hulu List for December 2021

Follow all of our monthly streaming guides.

Related Topics: Crossing the Streams, Hulu

Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since before you were born, which is weird seeing as he's so damn young. He's our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and lists 'Broadcast News' as his favorite film of all time. Feel free to say hi if you see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.