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 gems that make Hulu a destination beyond last night’s TV shows.
The complete list of new movies and shows hitting Hulu this month — January 2020 — is below, but I wanted to highlight the best of the bunch along with several others worth seeking out.
Hulu Pick of the Month
Christmas may be over, for now, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch one of the best Christmas movies ever made. Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999) remains a captivating, sexy, thrilling, strange, and meticulous journey into the mind of a guy in way over his head. It’s an atypical Tom Cruise role too, but he delivers with a mix of confidence and anxiety that is never less than engaging. Toss in enticing performances by Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack, Todd Field, and others, as well as one hell of a party scene, and you have a film that that entertains with a story about trust between a married couple, between friends, and between a master filmmaker and his audience.
Cube Cubed!
Vincenzo Natali’s Cube (1997) remains a terrifically designed little sci-fi thriller — and that’s both regarding its production design and the puzzle of its script — and while the two sequels can’t match it they offer some fun of their own. Both Cube 2: Hypercube (2002) and Cube Zero (2004) explore a similar world with people trapped in rooms with deadly traps and little hope of escape, and they lend themselves well to some creative visuals and demises. The original is currently nearing a remake, so you should probably refresh your memories now.
Jerry Lewis Mini-Marathon
Remember Jerry Lewis? Hulu does, and they’re celebrating with three of his comedy classics from the 60s. The Bellboy (1960) casts him as a mute and clumsy bellboy, while Cinderfella (1960) offers up a gender-swapped take on the familiar tale of an orphan who uses the dark arts to escape their cruel and greedy relatives. Finally, The Patsy (1964) sees the bellboy return with a shot at stardom as one half of a comedy duo, but things don’t quite work out as intended. Look, I haven’t seen any of these as Lewis was never really my speed, but if he’s yours you can now plan a mini marathon around him. You’re welcome!
Horror on Hulu
There are great horror films on Hulu that I’ve already celebrated ranging from John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) to Overlord (2018), but while none of this month’s arrivals are nearly as good they still offer varying degrees of thrills. Fans of Casper Van Dien-level horrors might want to check out Dracula 3000 (2004). There are probably other reasons why someone would watch it, but to each their own. Roman Polanski’s The Tenant (1976) has eluded me over the years as the only film of his to really work for me is the brilliant Chinatown (1974), but maybe its arrival this month will change that. (It will not.) Finally, one I’ll definitely be watching is Nicholas McCarthy’s The Prodigy (2019) which takes hold starting on January 23rd. I enjoy his earlier films and their atmospheric approach to horror, so here’s hoping his latest manages more of the same.
The Complete List
January 1st
American Buffalo (1996)
Arbitrage (2012)
Bachelor Party (1984)
The Bellboy (1960)
Blood Diamond (2006)
Captivity (2007)
Cinderfella (1960)
The Conspirator (2010)
The Cookout (2004)
Crazy About Tiffany’s (2016)
Crisscross (1992)
Cube (1997)
Cube 2: Hypercube (2002)
Cube Zero (2004)
Dangerous Curves (1988)
Dennis the Menace (1993)
Dennis the Menace Strikes Again! (1998)
Dracula 3000 (2004)
Drop Dead Sexy (2005)
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Fierce People (2005)
The Final Cut (2004)
The French Connection (1971)
Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962)
Golden Gate (1993)
The Good Guy (2009)
Gone (2012)
Grace Unplugged (2013)
Gridiron Gang (2006)
How to Eat Fried Worms (2006)
Kansas (1988)
Knowing (2009)
Last Rites (1988)
The Last Boy Scout (1991)
The Little Richard Story (1980)
MASH (1970)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995)
Music from Another Room (1998)
My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
Mystery Team (2009)
P2 (2007)
Pacific Heights (1990)
Pi (1998)
The Patsy (1964)
The Polar Express (2004)
The Pom Pom Girls (1976)
The Possession (2012)
Shy People (1987)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
Swimming with Sharks (1994)
The Tenant (1976)
Two Family House (2000)
Unforgettable (1996)
Uptown Girls (2003)
Bring It! – Season 4
Brockmire – Season 3
Damages – Complete Series
Divided States
Fox’s New Year’s Eve Special with Steve Harvey
Glam Masters – Season 1
Hoarders – Season 10
Hunting JonBenet’s Killer – The Untold Story: Season 1
Making a Model with Yolanda Hadid – Season 1
Married at First Sight – Season 8
Project Runway All Stars – Season 7
Rescue Me – Complete Series
Secret Life of a Gang Girl: The Untold Story – Season 1
Swamp People – Season 10
The Curse of Oak Island – Seasons 2-3 and Season 6
January 2nd
Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins (2019)
January 5th
Last Man Standing – Season 8
Black Clover – Season 1
Sex Guaranteed (2017)
Power – Season 6
January 6th
Conan the Barbarian (2011)
The Art of Self Defense (2019)
The 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards
January 7th
The Bachelor – Season 24
Jeopardy!: The Greatest of All Time
January 9th
Meet Wally Sparks (1997)
January 10th
Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th (2000)
Homeland – Seasons 6-7
January 12th
Little Men (2016)
Lodge 49 – Season 2
January 17th
The Skeleton Twins (2014)
Endlings – Season 1
January 19th
Life, Animated (2016)
Justified
January 20th
Honeyland (2019)
Emanuel (2019)
The Detour – Season 4
January 22nd
Bakers vs. Fakers – Season 1
Beat Bobby Flay – Seasons 6-7
Chopped – Seasons 32-35
Cold Hearted – Season 1
Cooks vs. Cons – Seasons 1-3
Cutthroat Kitchen – Season 11
Dessert Games – Season 1
Dr. Pimple Popper – Season 2
Flea Market Flip – Seasons 10-12
Good Eats: Reloaded – Season 1
Guy’s Grocery Games – Season 14
House Hunters – Seasons 111-117
House Hunters International – Seasons 113-115
Murder in the Heartland – Season 2
Puppy Bowl – Seasons 14-15
Spring Baking Championship – Seasons 1-4
Unexpected – Season 1, Season 2
Worst Cooks in America – Seasons 11-13
January 23rd
The Prodigy (2019)
January 24th
Shrill – Season 2
Tokyo Ghoul – Season 3
January 27th
Brian Banks (2019)
Luce (2019)
January 30th
Fighting with My Family (2019)