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 February 2022!
Hulu Pick of the Month for February 2022
The purchase of 20th Century Fox by Walt Disney has been a real disaster for the former’s already scheduled slate of films with many hitting theaters with no real fanfare if not being dumped straight to streaming. At least one, though, has landed as Hulu Original. No Exit (2022, premieres February 25th) is a thriller with a solid little premise — a blizzard, a remote rest stop with a handful of stranded travelers, and a kidnapped child hidden in a car outside. That’s already the kind of setup worth watching, but it’s made even more of a priority by being Damien Power’s follow-up to the terrifically tense and gory Killing Ground (2016). Here’s hoping No Exit can deliver a similarly nightmarish vibe.
Big, and (Maybe) Still in Theaters!
Continuing that trend, both of nightmares and corporate acquisitions, Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley (2021) hits Hulu just two months after opening in theaters. The 1947 original is a tighter, better ride in my opinion, but there’s no denying the visual style and atmosphere that del Toro brings to the tale of a down on his luck conman headed for a successful rise and a devastating fall. Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Richard Jenkins, Willem Dafoe, and Rooney Mara headline. Viewers looking for a double feature can pair it with del Toro’s The Shape of Water (2017) which also arrives this month.
The King’s Man (2021, premieres February 18th) had an even quieter release into theaters by the Disney overlords, but it’s a bit tougher to scream foul over this one. Matthew Vaughn returns with another entry in his action franchise, this time with a prequel exploring the founding of the Kingsman agency, and it survives on some okay action and some fun performances. Ralph Fiennes and Djimon Hounsou give it their all as action heroes supported by Matthew Goode, Charles Dance, Gemma Arterton, and a fun Rhys Ifans.
Small, but Still New to You!
Here’s the thing… everything about The Deep House (2021) makes it sound like a must-see horror film. It’s the new movie from Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury (Inside, 2007), and it’s about a haunted house at the bottom of a lake. Underwater ghosts?! Yes please. And yet, the execution wastes nearly every ounce of potential. First, it’s partially found footage. Second, James Jagger is a *terrible* actor. And third, for all the cool visuals of underwater supernatural shenanigans the film never capitalizes on them. But hey, your mileage may vary.
Writer/director Jim Cummings delivered good fun with Thunder Road (2018) and The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020), and he returns with The Beta Test (2021). He plays a man who finds himself caught up in a dark mystery of sorts, and while I’ve yet to see it myself I’ve heard nothing but praise. The premise unfolds around a Hollywood agent and touches on some bad behaviors out of Tinseltown, so its unsettling scares might just be ones based in reality this time out.
An asteroid is heading to Earth, but rather than whine, tweet, and preach about it, How it Ends (2021, premieres February 22nd) instead approaches our imminent demise with a more human eye. Zoe Lister-Jones co-directs/co-writes/stars as a young woman trying to get a party celebrating extinction, but her journey there is interrupted by friends, acquaintances, and conversations on life. It’s a funny, sweet little film that doesn’t care whether or not you look up — as long as you’re doing it with friends.
Pre-80s Gems!
We like to poke fun at Netflix for having a library so focused on recent years while neglecting movies from before, say, the 1980s. In the spirit of that, let’s highlight some new Hulu arrivals from the 50s, 60s, and 70s! First up is William Friedkin’s still-amazing The French Connection (1971), a true-life tale of New York City detectives dealing with crooks, criminals, and drug kingpins. Gene Hackman stars as Popeye Doyle alongside Roy Scheider, and together they don’t let anyone — or any traffic law — stand in their way.
Jack Finney’s tale of alien invaders has reached the screen numerous times, and while my favorite remains the 70s incarnation with Donald Sutherland, the original still holds up. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) stars Kevin McCarthy (who cameos in the later film) as a doctor who discovers the alien invasion has begun. Suspense, anxiety, and a dose of horror collide for a Don Siegel film that doesn’t get as much attention as part of his filmography.
Keep the classic film marathon going with John Ford’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), a western starring James Stewart and John Wayne — and if those three talents combined don’t make this a must-see movie or you, I don’t know what to say. Stewart stars as a celebrated politician attending a friend’s funeral, but as he recounts the story of that friendship truths arise regarding the politician’s biggest claim to fame. The tale delivers western beats alongside some engaging characters and thought-provoking reveals.
The Complete Hulu List for February 2022
Release Date | Title | Note |
---|---|---|
2/1 | 1984 (1985) | |
The Accused (1988) | ||
Airplane! (1980) | ||
Ali (2001) | ||
Almost Famous (2000) | ||
The Ambassador (1985) | ||
Apartment Troubles (2014) | ||
Arctic (2018) | ||
Arthur Christmas (2011) | ||
The Bank Job (2008) | ||
Batman (1989) | ||
Batman Returns (1992) | ||
Batman Forever (1995) | ||
Batman & Robin (1997) | ||
Beautiful Creatures (2013) | ||
Beethoven (1992) | ||
Beethoven’s 2nd (1993) | ||
A Better Life (2011) | ||
Black Swan (2010) | ||
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) | ||
Broken Arrow (1996) | ||
The Bronze (2015) | ||
Casualties of War (1989) | ||
Charlie’s Angels (2000) | ||
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003) | ||
Cousins (1989) | ||
Crocodile Dundee (1986) | ||
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) | ||
Date Movie (2006) | ||
Domestic Disturbance (2001) | ||
The Doors (1991) | ||
El Dorado (1967) | ||
Fight Club (1999) | ||
First Daughter (2004) | ||
The Flintstones (1994) | ||
The French Connection (1971) | ||
The Glass Castle (2017) | ||
Glory (1989) | ||
Hamburger Hill (1987) | ||
He Got Game (1998) | ||
Hitch (2005) | ||
House of the Dead (2003) | ||
Hustle and Heat (2004) | ||
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) | ||
The January Man (1989) | ||
Jingle All the Way (1996) | ||
John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars (2001) | ||
Just Wright (2010) | ||
Kingdom of Heaven (2005) | ||
Lake Placid (1999) | ||
Liar (1997) | ||
Life or Something Like It (2002) | ||
Lucky (2017) | ||
Major League (1989) | ||
Man on Fire (1987) | ||
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) | ||
McLintock! (Producer’s Cut) (1963) | ||
Mirrors (2008) | ||
Miss Bala (2011) | ||
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) | ||
Narc (2002) | ||
Nightmare Alley (2021) | ||
The One (2001) | ||
Oscar (1991) | ||
The Other Guys (2010) | ||
Patriot Games (1992) | ||
Planet 51 (2009) | ||
Real Genius (1985) | ||
The Ring Two (2005) | ||
Robin Hood: Men in TIghts (1993) | ||
Rosemary’s Baby (1968) | ||
Roxanne (1987) | ||
Safe (2012) | ||
Seven Pounds (2008) | ||
Small Soldiers (1998) | ||
Snow Day (2000) | ||
The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) | ||
Step Up (2006) | ||
The Stepfather (2009) | ||
Stick It (2006) | ||
Striking Distance (1993) | ||
Summer Rental (1985) | ||
Swing Vote (2008) | ||
Terms of Endearment (1983) | ||
The Tree of Life (2010) | ||
Tombstone (1993) | ||
Top Chef: Complete Season 18 | ||
Turbulence (1997) | ||
Universal Soldier: The Return (1999) | ||
Water for Elephants (2010) | ||
Whiplash (2014) | ||
White Men Can’t Jump (1992) | ||
You Again (2010) | ||
Your Attention Please: Season 2 | Hulu Original | |
2/2 | Pam & Tommy | Hulu Original |
2/3 | Basketball and Other Things: Complete Season 1 | |
The Deep House (2021) | ||
2/4 | Beans (2021) | |
The Beta Test (2021) | ||
Un Gallo Con Muchos Huevos (2015) | ||
2/5 | Rick & Morty: Complete Season 5 | |
2/8 | Clotilda: Last American Slave Ship (2022) | |
2/10 | Gully (2021) | |
To Catch A Smuggler: Season 3 | ||
2/11 | Dollface: Complete Season 2 | Hulu Original |
2/14 | The Space Between (2021) | |
2/15 | America’s Book of Secrets: Complete Season 4 | |
America’s Book of Secrets: Special Edition: Complete Season 1 | ||
American Pickers: Complete Season 15 | ||
Cheer Squad Secrets (2020) | ||
District B13 (2004) | ||
Encounter: Complete Season 1 | ||
Fireheart (2022) | ||
The Food That Built America: Complete Season 2 | ||
Forged in Fire: Complete Seasons 6 & 8 | ||
Hammer of the Gods (2013) | ||
Hoarders: Complete Seasons 1, 2 & 12 | ||
Little Women: LA: Complete Season 1 | ||
Married at First Sight: Complete Season 12 | ||
Married at First Sight: Couples’ Cam: Complete Season 2 | ||
Married at First Sight: Unmatchables: Complete Season 1 | ||
Mountain Men: Complete Season 10 | ||
Mr. Queen: Complete Season 1 | ||
Oscar Peterson: Black + White (2021) | ||
Pawn Stars: Complete Season 1 | ||
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch: Complete Season 2 | ||
The Shape of Water (2017) | ||
Storage Wars: Complete Season 13 | ||
The UnXplained with William Shatner: Complete Season 2B | ||
Who is Killing the Cheerleaders? (2020) | ||
2/17 | A House on the Bayou (2021) | |
Trolls: TrollsTopia: Complete Season 6 | Hulu Original | |
2/18 | The Feast (2021) | |
The King’s Man (2021) | ||
2/19 | Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works]: Complete Season 1 | |
Gurren Lagann: Complete Season 1 | ||
2/22 | How It Ends (2021) | |
2/24 | The Last Rite (2021) | |
2/25 | No Exit (2022) | Hulu Original |
2/27 | Three Identical Strangers (2018) |