Hulu has been stuck in the third place position when it comes to movie streaming behind Netflix and Amazon Prime because most people still see them strictly as a home for next-day television. They have movies too, though, and more than a few of them are terrific gems that make Hulu a destination beyond last night’s TV shows.
The complete list of new movies hitting Hulu this month — December 2018 — is below, but I wanted to highlight the best of the bunch along with several others worth seeking out.
Hulu Pick of the Month
One of the year’s absolute best films happens to be a blackly comic slow-burn western called Damsel (2018), and lucky for you it hits Hulu on 12/17. It stars Mia Wasikowska and Robert Pattinson, and it’s one hell of a journey of discovery across America’s western frontier for characters and viewers alike. There’s death aplenty, but this is no shoot ’em up. It’s instead a very funny (dryly funny to be sure) and pointed take down of a certain and pervasive kind of male mentality.
A Nicolas Cage Double Feature!
Don’t let the fact that Lord of the War (2005) co-stars Jared Leto be a reason for you to avoid it. He’s fine, but lead Nicolas Cage is terrific, and the film itself is an often overlooked gem that manages humor and humanity in equal measure. Windtalkers (2002) doesn’t pack the same punch, but the story — Cage plays a soldier tasked with protecting a young Navajo for his code abilities — is paired with some solid action sequences and style courtesy of director John Woo.
Blumhouse Goes Into the Dark, Twice!
Hulu’s year-long film series with Jason Blum, Into the Dark, features a new horror/thriller movie each month, but December’s gifting fans with two premieres. First up is Pooka (12/7) from director Nacho Vigalondo which puts a nice guy in a creepy costume for kids. The end of the month brings New Year, New You (12/28), and I don’t know a damn thing about it. None of the stories are related, but they so far share a somewhat comedic tone, some more than others, rather than angling for serious or intense horror/thrills.
The Devil Times Two!
Two new horror films hit Hulu this month, and both look to go deep with their devilish antics. I haven’t seen either yet, but how do you say no to Ol’ Scratch? Along Came the Devil (12/15) follows a young woman who “unknowingly” brings the devil into her life, and The Devil’s Doorway (12/22) suggests the devil’s presence in a home for troubled women. The common denominator here? Women. Seems Satan has a type…
The Complete List
December 1st
12 Dates of Christmas (2011)
24: Complete Series (FOX)
24: Redemption: Special (FOX)
All Over the Guy (2001)
Angels & Demons (2009)
Apollo 13 (1995)
Bad Girls from Mars (1991)
Barbie: A Perfect Christmas (2011)
Barbie and Her Sisters in the Great Puppy Adventure (2015)
Barbie in a Christmas Carol (2008)
Behind Tasty: Complete Season 1 (Buzzfeed)
Best Seller (1987)
Beverly Hills Vamp (1989)
The Black Stallion (1979)
Blue Hill Avenue (2003)
Blue Jasmine (2013)
Blue Velvet (1986)
Bride and Prejudice (2004)
Bright Lights, Big City (1988)
Buzzfeed Unsolved: Sports Conspiracies: Season 1 (Buzzfeed)
Christmas Cupid (2010)
A Christmas Tree Miracle (2013)
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
A Dog for Christmas (2015)
Dr. Dolittle: Million Dollar Mutts (2007)
Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library (2017)
The Exorcist (1973)
Eve’s Christmas (2004)
A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner! (2011)
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
The Firm (1993)
A Fistful of Dollars (1967)
The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
Gangs of New York (2002)
Gargoyles: Wings of Darkness (2004)
Glory Road (2006)
The Godson (1998)
Half-Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past (2015)
Halloween VIII: Resurrection (2002)
Happily N’Ever After (2007)
Happily N’Ever After 2 (2009)
Harry Brown (2009)
Hitman’s Run (1999)
Killing Eve: Season 1 (AMC)
King of the Mountain (1981)
Krampus Unleashed (2016)
Lane 1974 (2017)
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Living by the Gun (2011)
Lord of the War (2005)
Love at the Christmas Table (2012)
Malena (2000)
Mansfield Park (1999)
The Massively Mixed-Up Middle School Mystery (2015)
The Mistle-Tones (2012)
Mission Park (2013)
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991)
Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008)
Operation Condor (1986)
Operation Condor II: The Armour of the Gods (1991)
The Pallbearer (1996)
Pixi Saves Christmas (2017)
Priest (1994)
Promise Land (1987)
Rags (2012)
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Ride (2014)
Righteous Kill (2009)
Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe (2009)
Serendipity (2001)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Sideways (2004)
Silent Tongue (1993)
Sleepover (2004)
Snow (2004)
Snow 2: Brain Freeze (2008)
Snowglobe (2007)
A Snow Globe Christmas (2013)
Splitting Adam (2015)
Spy Game (2001)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Swindle (2013)
Switchback (1997)
Teresa’s Tattoo (1994)
Tombstone (1993)
Touchback (2011)
Trucks (1997)
Ulee’s Gold (1997)
UniKitty: Season 1A (Cartoon Network)
Valkyrie (2008)
Windtalkers (2002)
With a Friend Like Harry (2000)
Wonderland (2003)
The Wonder Years: Series (ABC)
Worth It: Season 5 (Buzzfeed)
December 2nd
The Powerpuff Girls (Reboot): Season 3A (Cartoon Network)
Second Chance Christmas (2017)
Tangerine (2015)
December 3rd
Adventure Time: Season 10 (Cartoon Network)
Urban Country (2018)
December 4th
Wolfblood: Season 4 (Cinedigm)
December 5th
F**K That’s Delicious: Season 3 (Viceland)
December 7th
Into The Dark: Pooka! (Hulu Original)
Killers (2010)
Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010)
December 10th
Graves: Season 2 (Epix)
December 11th
Say You Will (2018)
December 12th
Deck the Halls (2006)
Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2009)
December 13th
I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016)
Let’s Be Evil (2016)
NASA: Above and Beyond (2018)
Nico, 1988 (2018)
Shelley (2016)
December 15th
Along Came the Devil (2018)
Boys and Girls (2000)
Fortress (2012)
Life of Crime (2013)
Smoke Signals (1998)
Snow Queen: Fire and Ice (2016)
December 16th
Amy Winehouse: A Final Goodbye (2011)
Michael Jackson: Life, Death and Legacy (2012)
December 17th
Damsel (2018)
December 18th
The Gardener (2018)
Winter Ridge (2018)
December 19th
The Killing: Seasons 1-4 (AMC)
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Season 8 (Bravo)
A Most Wanted Man (2014)
His and Her Christmas (2005)
December 20th
Disorder (2016)
Food, Inc. (2008)
Skate Kitchen (2018)
December 21st
Marvel’s Runaways: Season 2 Premiere (Hulu Original)
December 22nd
The Devil’s Doorway (2018)
December 23rd
The Detour: Season 3 (TBS)
December 24th
Mighty Magiswords: Season 2A (Cartoon Network)
December 25th
Mr. Pickles: Season 3 (Adult Swim)
An American in Texas (2017)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
December 27th
Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card (Dubs): Season 1 (Crunchyroll)
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
December 28th
Into the Dark: New Year, New You (Hulu Original)
December 29th
OK K.O., Let’s Be Heroes!: Season 2A (Cartoon Network)
Eating Animals (2018)
Far From the Tree (2017)
December 30th
The Lovers (2015)
The Orville: Season 2 Mid-Season Premiere (FOX)
December 31st
A Crooked Somebody (2017)