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 — January 2019 — is below, but I wanted to highlight the best of the bunch along with several others worth seeking out.
Hulu Pick of the Month
Annihilation (2018) is one of last year’s best movies, and if you’ve managed to avoid it so far you’re now officially out of excuses. Writer/director Alex Garland’s adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer’s novel introduces us to a world on the brink of the unknown, but it does so through the personal journeys of its characters into an unnatural realm. It’s an intense ride with beautiful visuals and some thought-provoking story revelations. You may be wondering what a Netflix movie is doing on Hulu, and well… I have no clue. Whatever the reason, it arrives on January 5th to blow your mind.
Real Stories, Real Women
The end of the month brings two acclaimed documentaries about successful entertainers who just happen to be badass women. Bad Reputation (2018) charts the rock ‘n’ roll-filled rise of Joan Jett from her struggles as a lady rocker to her lasting appeal and the inspiration she provided for the women who followed. It’s a great watch as Jett is open and entertaining in her thoughts. Gilda Radner’s beat involved our funny bones, and Love, Gilda (2018) explores her life, career, and love with the equally brilliant Gene Wilder. Both arrive on January 31st.
Critically Acclaimed Films
This month sees plenty of fun movies land on Hulu, but we’re also getting some truly great films praised by critics. Support the Girls (2018) is considered by many to be among last year’s best movies, and along with its engaging tale of working women having a bad day the film features some terrific performances from the likes of Regina Hall and Haley Lu Richardson. Joe Swanberg’s Drinking Buddies (2013) is an occasionally funny, sometimes sweet, and consistently honest look at relationships, and Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Ron Livingston, and others make it well worth watching. The Brady Bunch Movie (1995) may not seem like a critical darling, but I’m a critic and I’m here to say it’s one of the funniest and most re-watchable movies from the 90s. Truth!
Did Someone Order a Flight of Stephen King Movies?
I’m not sure if there’s a reason beyond coincidence, but eight Stephen King movies are hitting Hulu this month. Are they all great? No, no they are not, but some of them are! Cujo (1983) is a solidly underrated adaptation that helped turn its killer dog into a pop culture icon. The Dead Zone (1983), meanwhile, is still one of the best King adaptations out there. Silver Bullet (1985) may not have the same cachet, but the damn thing is as fun as a werewolf movie gets. Similarly, The Running Man (1987) is far from great but survives on its Arnold Schwarzenegger-powered goofiness. Pet Sematary (1989) remains the most horrifying King film and will continue being great even after the upcoming remake (which looks fantastic). I’m listing these chronologically which means we’ve now hit the 90s and lesser fare like Graveyard Shift (1990), Pet Sematary II (1992), and Thinner (1996).
The Complete List
January 1st
54 (1998)
10 Years (2011)
2 Days in the Valley (1996)
9 to 5 (1980)
Atlanta: Season 2 (FX)
Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein (1999)
Alvin & The Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman (2000)
Antz (1998)
Babe (1995)
Bad Girls (1994)
Bangkok Dangerous (2008)
Basic Instinct (1992)
Beetlejuice (1988)
Beowulf (2007)
Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)
Cake (2006)
Capitalism: A Love Story (2010)
A Charlie Brown Valentine (2002)
Chicken Run (2000)
Children of the Corn (2009)
Chinatown (1974)
The Chaperone (2011)
The Colony (2013)
Cujo (1983)
Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas (2009)
The Dead Zone (1983)
Deja Vu (2006)
Destiny Turns on the Radio (1995)
The Detectorists: Season 3 (DRG)
Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
Dot.: Season 2B (Universal Kids)
Double Team (1997)
East is East (1999)
Extraction (2015)
Fifteen and Pregnant (1998)
Finding Neverland (2004)
Firstborn (1984)
Flight 7500 (2014)
Fly Me to the Moon (2008)
The Foot Fist Way (2008)
The Forgotten (2004)
For a Few Dollars More (1967)
Forces of Nature (1999)
Friday Night Lights (2004)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
The German Doctor (2013)
Gimme Shelter (2014)
Girl in Progress (2012)
Girl in the Bunker (2018)
Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985)
Gods and Monsters (1998)
The Golden Compass (2007)
Grizzly Man (2005)
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (1986)
He Got Game (1998)
Heathers (1989)
Hellraiser (1987)
Hot Pursuit (1987)
I Am Elizabeth Smart (2017)
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003)
In A World … (2013)
Inside Out (2011)
Into The West (1992)
Kickboxer (1989)
Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas (2014)
Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
The Last Boy Scout (1991)
The Last Knights (2015)
Legendary (2010)
Lethal Weapon (1987)
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
The Limey (1999)
Love Actually (2003)
Maximum Security (1990)
Message in a Bottle (1999)
Mimic (1997)
Mud (2013)
The Neverending Story (1984)
The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter (1991)
New York Minute (2004)
No Holds Barred (1989)
Nothing Like the Holidays (2009)
The Other Man (2008)
The Others (2001)
Patch Adams (1998)
Payback (1999)
Penelope (2008)
Pet Sematary (1989)
Pet Sematary II (1992)
The Phantom (1996)
Pride (2007)
Prince of Egypt (1998)
Rain Man (1988)
Renoir (2013)
Rent (2005)
The Resident (2012)
The Reunion (2011)
Revolutionary Road (2008)
Right at your Door (2007)
Road to El Dorado (2000)
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997)
Ron White: A Little Unprofessional (2012)
The Running Man (1987)
Sabrina (1995)
Saints & Sinners: Seasons 1-3 (Bounce TV)
Scent of a Woman (1992)
Shattered (2007)
Shirley Valentine (1989)
Shrek (2001)
A Simple Plan (1998)
Skipped Parts (2001)
Sliver (1993)
Stephen King’s Graveyard Shift (1990)
Stephen King’s Silver Bullet (1985)
Stephen King’s Thinner (1996)
Stone (2010)
Surf’s Up (2007)
Surf’s Up 2: Wave Mania (2017)
Tangerines (2015)
Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999)
This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers (1988)
To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992)
Total Recall (1990)
True Grit (1969)
Twilight (2008)
The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012)
The Two Jakes (1990)
The Virgin Suicides (2000)
The Voices (2015)
A Walk to Remember (2002)
The Way Back (2011)
The Way of the Gun (2000)
We are Marshall (2006)
The Weather Man (2005)
What’s Cooking? (2000)
X Company: Seasons 2&3 (Sony)
Yours, Mine & Ours (2005)
Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)
January 2nd
Drinking Buddies (2013)
The Gifted: Season 2 Mid-Season Premiere (FOX)
Lethal Weapon: Season 3 Mid-Season Premiere (FOX)
January 3rd
Support the Girls (2018)
The Unicorn (2018)
The X-Files: Complete Season 11 (FOX)
24 Hours to Hell & Back: Season 2 Premiere (FOX)
The Masked Singer: Season 1 Premiere (FOX)
January 4th
Sherlock Gnomes (2018)
Gotham: Season 5 Premiere (FOX)
The Titan Games: Series Premiere (NBC)
January 5th
Annihilation (2018)
The Overnight (2015)
Fresh off the Boat: Season 5 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
Speechless: Season 3 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
January 6th
Disaster Movie (2008)
January 7th
Lodge 49: Season 1 (AMC)
America’s Funniest Home Videos: Season 29 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
Shark Tank: Season 10 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
January 8th
Alright Now (2018)
The Commuter (2018)
The Last Airbender (2010)
America’s Got Talent: The Champions: Series Premiere (NBC)
The Bachelor: Season 23 Premiere (ABC)
Manifest: Season 1 Mid-Season Premiere (NBC)
January 9th
Black-ish: Season 5 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
The Conners: Season 1 Mid-Season Premiere (NBC)
Ellen’s Game of Games: Season 2 Premiere (NBC)
Good Trouble: Series Premiere (Freeform)
The Kids Are Alright: Season 1 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
New Amsterdam: Season 1 Mid-Season Premiere (NBC)
Splitting Up Together: Season 2 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
The Rookie: Season 1 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
January 10th
Kusama – Infinity (2018)
Chicago Fire: Season 7 Premiere (NBC)
Chicago P.D.: Season 6 Mid-Season Premiere (NBC)
Chicago Med: Season 4 Mid-Season Premiere (NBC)
The Goldbergs: Season 6 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
Match Game: Season 4 Mid-Season Premiere (NBC)
Schooled: Series Premiere (ABC)
Modern Family: Season 10 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
Single Parents: Season 1 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
January 11th
Future Man: Season 2 (Hulu Original)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 6 Premiere (NBC)
The Good Place: Season 3 Mid-Season Premiere (NBC)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Season 20 Mid-Season Premiere (NBC)
January 12th
Burden of Truth: Season 1 (eOne)
Blindspot: Season 4 Mid-Season Premiere (NBC)
January 14th
Forever My Girl (2018)
Total Bellas: Season 4 Premiere (E!)
January 15th
Another Time (2018)
The Snapper (1993)
Walking with the Enemy (2013)
The Good Doctor: Season 2 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
The Passage: Series Premiere (FOX)
The Resident: Season 2 Mid-Season Premiere (FOX)
This Is Us: Season 3 Mid-season Premiere (NBC)
January 16th
You, Me and Dupree (2006)
January 17th
Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls (Dubs): Complete Season 1 (Crunchyroll)
O (2006)
January 18th
90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?: Season 2 (TLC)
Alone: Season 4 (History Channel)
America’s Book of Secrets: Season 3 (History Channel)
American Pickers: Season 10 (History Channel)
An American Murder Mystery: The Staircase: Season 1 (IDTV)
Beyond Scared Straight: Season 3 (A&E)
Brockmire: Season 2 (IFC)
Butterfly: Season 1 (ITV)
Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery: Season 1 (IDTV)
Cities of the Underworld: Season 3 (History Channel)
Dance Moms: Season 7 (Lifetime)
Disappeared: Season 8 (IDTV)
Dr. Pimple Popper: Special (TLC)
Finding Escobar’s Millions: Season 1 (Discovery)
Forged in Fire: Knife or Death: Season 1 (History Channel)
Found: Season 1 (History Channel)
Four Weddings: Season 9 (TLC)
Giada in Italy: Season 2 (Food Network)
Hanger 1: The UFO Files: Season 1&2 (History Channel)
Homicide Hunter: Season 7 (IDTV)
JFK Declassified: Tracking Oswald: Season 1 (History Channel)
Leah Remini: It’s All Relative: Seasons 1&2 (TLC)
Married at First Sight: Season 6 (Lifetime)
The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All: Season 1 (A&E)
My 600lb Life: Seasons 5&6 (TLC)
Natalie Wood: An American Murder Mystery: Special (IDTV)
Nightwatch: Season 4 (A&E)
Nostradamus Effect: Season 1 (History Channel)
Project Runway All Stars: Season 6 (Lifetime)
Spring Baking Championship: Seasons 2&3 (Food Network)
Swamp People: Seasons 6&7 (History Channel)
The Tesla Files: Season 1 (History Channel)
Worst Cooks in America: Season 10 (Food Network)
Grey’s Anatomy: Season 15 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
How to Get Away with Murder: Season 5 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
A Million Little Things: Season 1 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
January 20th
The Vatican Tapes (2015)
January 21st
The Pagan King (2018)
Stella’s Last Weekend (2018)
January 25th
Siren: Season 2 Premiere (Freeform)
January 26th
Darling in the Franxx (Dubs): Complete Season 1 (Crunchyroll)
January 28th
Cruise (2018)
Rent: Special (FOX)
January 31st
Bad Reputation (2018)
Love Gilda (2018)