Fall is the season when Netflix courts Oscar voters by releasing its best original films, and with movies like David Fincher’s The Killer (Nov. 10), Todd Haynes’ May December (Dec. 1), and Sam Esmail’s Leave the World Behind (Dec. 8) about to blow our minds, it’s going to be one of Netflix’s best seasons for movies ever. But before that happens, why don’t you settle in with a sequel to a bona fide Oscar winner? Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now on Netflix. The animated feature is a feast for the senses that’s good for the whole family, and one of the best-reviewed films of 2023.

This is a list of the best movies to watch on Netflix right now. To keep things relevant, we’re specifically highlighting the best recent releases, Netflix originals, and some of our own personal favorites.

Last updated Oct. 31; newer additions are at the top.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

For fans of: Spider-versity and Spider-people, sequels that are as good as the original

Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
Stars: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson
Genre: Animation, Action, Fantasy
Rating: PG
Metacritic score: 86

Rarely do sequels match the energy of the original, but in this case, Across the Spider-Verse, the sequel to 2018’s Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, should clear some space for more trophies. Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) returns as a more established hero and travels the Spider-Verse with Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), where they, along with a group of various Spider-People from different universes, must stop a new evil. The animation is incredible, the beats are delicious, and the emotional story hits hard. This is as close to a must-watch as there is. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Saint of Second Chances

For fans of: Going to baseball games but not to watch baseball, fathers and sons and daughters

Director: Jeff Malmberg and Morgan Neville
Stars: Charlie Day, Jeff Daniels (narrator)
Genre: Documentary, Sports, Comedy
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 71

This documentary is less a historical document and more of a series of true tall tales passed down from generation to generation about the Veeck family, notably Bill Veeck, the beloved and fun-loving owner of the Chicago White Sox in the 1970s, and his son Mike, whose up-and-down relationship with his dad — which hit a low after Mike’s brainchild, the infamous “Disco Sucks” night, tarnished Bill’s reputation — eventually left him clawing his way back up in the world of baseball and reflecting on his relationship with his own family. Mike is charismatic as he talks about his dad and his life, and Malmberg and Neville have fun with the direction, bringing in Charlie Day to play a young Mike Veeck in reenactments. It’s a heartwarming story that transcends the world of baseball. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

They Cloned Tyrone

For fans of: Blaxploitation films, sci-fi/comedy

Director: Juel Taylor
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Teyonah Parris, John Boyega, David Alan Grier, Kiefer Sutherland
Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi, Mystery
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 76

It would be a shame if They Cloned Tyrone got lost in the Netflix shuffle. The sci-fi mystery is director Juel Taylor’s feature film debut, and boasts a trio of standout lead performances from John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx, playing three people thrown together by circumstance who, after a shooting in their neighborhood, find themselves wrapped up in an increasingly bizarre government conspiracy. Their search for answers leads them down an eerie path, and to say more would be a disservice to this funny, inventive film. –Allison Picurro [Trailer]

The Deepest Breath

For fans of: Sacrifice, stunning underwater shots, Fire of Love

Director: Laura McGann
Stars: Alessia Zecchini, Stephen Keenan
Genre: Documentary
Rating: PG
Metacritic score: 70

The A24-produced documentary about a couple at the top of the freediving world really delves into what drives people to risk everything to be the best. World champion freediver Alessia Zecchini and Irish safety diving instructor Stephen Keenan seemed destined to meet, but their passion for exploring beneath the surface and risk-taking meant danger would always be near what they loved to do. There are some interesting storytelling choices made by director Laura McGann that some say border on manipulation, but the end result is worth it, and no one can deny that the stunning and treacherous underwater footage of the dives will make your heart pound. -Tim Surette [Trailer] 

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

For fans of: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, cats, cool as heck villains

Director: Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford
Stars: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Florence Pugh, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura
Genre: Animation
Rating: PG
Metacritic score: 73

A member of the excellent class of 2023 Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a dazzling sequel to the 2011 Puss in Boots film, though it exceeds it in every way. Slightly darker than its predecessor, as its main focus is on death — Puss comes dangerously close to expiring his nine lives — The Last Wish still manages to be very family-friendly with its colorful characters and comedy, thanks to an excellent voice cast that includes new franchise members John Mulaney, Florence Pugh, and Wagner Moura. It was also clearly influenced by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which you’ll notice in its animation style. I love this movie. -Tim Surette [Trailer] 

More recommendations:

• The best TV shows on Netflix right now
• Everything coming to and leaving on Netflix in September 2023
• What to watch on Amazon, Hulu, HBO Max, and more in August 2023

Nimona

For fans of: Queer-friendly messages, dazzling animation

Director: Nick Bruno, Troy Quane
Stars: Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Beck Bennett, RuPaul, Lorraine Toussaint
Genre: Animation, Action, Sci-fi
Rating: PG
Metacritic score: 75

This charming animated movie about not putting labels on people may seem pretty typical, but it relays that message well and is the rare family-friendly film with LGBTQ+ themes. (The film was reportedly delayed multiple times and eventually canceled in 2021 by boneheaded Disney leadership because of its LGBTQ+ storyline, before being revived by Annapurna and Netflix.) Based on the award-winning graphic novel by ND Stevenson, Nimona features Riz Ahmed as the voice of a disgraced knight whose only chance at redemption is a rambunctious, shapeshifting teenager (Chloë Grace Moretz). Set in a world that evokes science-fiction and D&D fantasy, it’s a feast for the eyes, but it’s your heart that will feel the fullest by the end. -Tim Surette [Trailer] 

King of Clones

For fans of: Ethics, science, cloning, dogs that look alike

Director: Aditya Thayi
Stars: Woo-suk Hwang
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: n/a

Scientific breakthroughs aren’t without their moral dilemmas — sure we COULD have jetpack backpacks, but how do you keep grandma from rocketing into a wall? — and this Netflix film focuses on the moral and ethical questions of cloning. The idea is framed around the story of South Korean scientist Woo-suk Hwang, who rose to fame as a pioneer of xeroxing living things but then became vilified for breaking the rules. -Tim Surette [Trailer] 

Extraction 2

For fans of: Chris Hemsworth, brutal action

Director: Sam Hargrave
Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani, Adam Bessa, Olga Kurylenko
Genre: Action, Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 57

The sequel to one of Netflix’s biggest movies ever continues the “story” of a mercenary (Hemsworth) whose skillset includes… extraction. I say “story” because the real reason to watch this (and its prequel) is for the mindless action and violence, which flows so copiously that you can smell the shrapnel. -Tim Surette [Trailer] 

Longest Third Date

For fans of: Watching YOLOers make mistakes, COVID flashbacks, dating horror stories, man buns

Director: Brent Hodge
Stars: Khani Le, Matt Robertson
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: n/a

You know those annoying people who film every second of their lives? Matt Robertson is one of those guys, but in a rare case of “I’ll allow it,” I’ll allow it. Matt suggested to an online match that they spend their third date on an adventure and — as young people are wont to do — make the shortsighted decision to fly to Costa Rica together. Even when they were just getting to know each other. The problem? They left in March 2020. After they landed, the world went into lockdown, stranding them together on an island paradise that became an island prison. This is their story. -Tim Surette [Trailer] 

Kill Boksoon

For fans of: Female assassins, overworked moms

Director: Sung-hyun Byun
Stars: Do-yeon Jeon, Esom, Fahim Fazli, Gyo-hwan Koo, Jeong-min Hwang, Kyung-gu Sol
Genre: Action, Thriller
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 67

This Korean action film features plenty of clichés — a seasoned assassin whose personal life gets in the way of work agrees to one last mission before retirement and decides she can’t go through with the killing for moral reasons — but that’s OK, since it executes them all pretty well and features a great performance from Do-yeon Jeon as a woman who flips back and forth between heartless killer and doting mother to her teenage daughter. Violent, stylish, and tense, it’s worth a watch for fans of Korean dramas and action flicks. -Tim Surette [Trailer] 

All Quiet on the Western Front

For fans of: Classic literature, anti-war war movies

Director: Edward Berger
Stars: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Daniel Brühl, Sebastian Hülk
Genre: Drama, War
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 75

This epic adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s classic and ever-timely 1929 anti-war novel is one of the best Netflix Original movies of 2022, and the winner of the Best International Film award at the 2023 Academy Awards as well as a nominee for Best Picture. It tells the story of Paul Bäumer (Felix Bammerer), a 17-year-old who enlists in the Germany army and gets a firsthand look at the pointless, dehumanizing slaughter of World War I. It’s a devastating film that’s especially notable for composer Volker Bertelmann’s modern, powerful score. -Liam Mathews [Trailer] 

The Strays

Year: 2023
Director: Nathaniel Martello-White
Stars: Ashley Madekwe, Jordan Myrie, Bukky Bakray
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Horror
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: n/a

This British horror film gets a lot of comparisons to Get Out, and rightfully so, as it not only has a similar sensory aesthetic to Jordan Peele’s beloved film, but it’s also steeped in race relations. Ashley Madewe stars as a light-skinned black woman living in an upper-crust predominantly white community, when she begins to have visions that others can’t see. Fans and critics have been divided on most of the film, but all agree that the ending is a delightful whopper. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Pamela, a love story

Year: 2023
Director: Ryan White
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 66

Pamela Anderson shares her side of the story in this revealing documentary about her life, in which she discusses the fame, movies, shows, sex tape scandals, and men that have come to define her with the public. It’s the perfect chaser to Hulu’s raucous Pam & Tommy, which Anderson wasn’t part of and didn’t really portray her fairly. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker

Year: 2023
Director: Colette Camden
Genre: Documentary, True Crime
Rating: TV-MA
Metacritic score: n/a

This documentary uses the tried-and-true Netflix true crime formula of an irresistibly lurid title that you can’t help but click play on. Sometimes you get shameless trash, and sometimes you get surprisingly thoughtful examinations of viral fame, mental illness, and small-scale human tragedy. The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker tells the story of Kai Lawrence, a young homeless man who became an internet sensation in 2013 when a news report of his spirited account of using his hatchet to save a woman from an attacker went viral. Not long after, he was convicted of murdering a different man. It’s a sad tale that will make you feel for everyone involved. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

The Pale Blue Eye

Year: 2022
Director: Scott Cooper
Stars: Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Toby Jones, Robert Duvall
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Drama, Historical
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 55

Scott Cooper writes and directs this mystery film based on Louis Bayard’s 2003 novel of the same name. Christian Bale stars as Det. Augustus Landor, who’s investigating a grisly murder at West Point in 1830 with the help of a curious cadet played by Harry Melling. That cadet’s name? Edgar Allan Poe. The extremely stacked cast also includes Gillian Anderson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Robert Duvall. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

White Noise

For fans of: Postmodern literature, ’80s imagery

Year: 2022
Director: Noah Baumbach
Stars: Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Don Cheadle, Raffey Cassidy, Lars Eidinger, Jodie Turner-Smith
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 66

Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig star in director Noah Baumbach’s adaptation of Don DeLillo’s classic postmodern satirical novel. I don’t usually do this, but I’m going to defer to Netflix’s description for this one, because it’s really good: “White Noise dramatizes a contemporary American family’s attempts to deal with the mundane conflicts of everyday life while grappling with the universal mysteries of love, death, and the possibility of happiness in an uncertain world.” That’s exactly what it’s about! Reviews have been more mixed than you might expect for a film with this pedigree, perhaps because DeLillo’s stylized dialogue is meant to be read, not spoken aloud, so it sounds really weird, not at all like how people actually speak. But once you get on its unique wavelength, you might find White Noise to be a thought-provoking and darkly funny film. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery  

For fans of: Good old-fashioned murder mysteries, actors having fun with their personas

Year: 2022
Director: Rian Johnson
Stars: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista
Genre: Mystery, Drama, Thriller, Comedy
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 81

The first Knives Out was a box office smash, and the sequel got the widest (though still very brief) theatrical release for a Netflix movie ever, but make no mistake, this stylish sequel is a Netflix film. Daniel Craig returns as master detective Benoit Blanc, who’s tasked with solving a murder mystery at a Greek villa that starts out as a game and turns real. The cast includes Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista. The plotting is brilliant, the performances are delightful, and the social commentary is astute. In his review for TV Guide, Jordan Hoffman gave it a 9 out of 10, an exceptionally high score for any movie, let alone a Netflix Original in 2022. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

Emily the Criminal

For fans of: Crushing student loan debt, smart indies

Year: 2022
Director: John Patton Ford
Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Gina Gershon
Genre: Drama, Crime, Thriller
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 75

Aubrey Plaza stars in this crime drama that isn’t technically a Netflix original but had such a small indie release that it may as well be. The White Lotus star plays the titular aspiring artist, who has a crushing amount of student debt and a past felony conviction that prevents her from getting a job that makes enough money to pay down what she owes. But then she meets a guy named Youcef (Theo Rossi), who runs a credit card fraud ring. It’s a tight little thriller with astute social commentary. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

For fans of: New takes on classic stories, that signature del Toro touch

Year: 2022
Director: Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson
Stars: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Burn Gorman, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Tim Blake Nelson, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Animation, Family, Musical
Rating: PG
Metacritic score: 80

It took Guillermo del Toro a decade to bring this passion project, a stop-motion adaptation of the timeless tale of the puppet who wants to be a real boy, to life. GDT’s take is steeped in his signature allegorical style of dark fantasy, setting the story in Fascist 1930s Italy and making Pinocchio much less cute than the Disney version of popular imagination. In his review for TV Guide, Jordan Hoffman had particular praise for Pinocchio’s character design. “He’s lively and charming and lovable, but still looks like real wood,” he wrote. “It truly is a work of minor magic.” -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

Troll

For fans of: Overgrown garden gnomes, blockbuster tropes, Norwegian troll movies

Year: 2022
Director: Roar Uthrag
Stars: Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim Falck, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Rating: N/R
Metacritic score: n/a

Trolls come in all shapes and sizes, from hair-raised freaky-looking dolls to leprechaun-sized B-movie stars to the mammoth monster of this Norwegian sci-fi action flick. Part Godzilla-esque kaiju movie, part Roland Emmerich disaster film, Troll executes its pea-brained premise — a skyscraper-sized creature made of mountain wreaks havoc on Norway — wonderfully, incorporating American blockbuster tropes gleefully and winking at the audience as it does so. The effects are great and the action is plentiful, and a government aide constantly talking about the movie script he’s writing about a monk who can throw his head and hands as weapons is a running joke that keeps things from being too serious. You’ll start the movie laughing at it; you’ll end it cheering it on. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Wonder

For fans of: Flo, The Banshees of Inisherin

Year: 2022
Director: Sebastian Lelio
Stars: Florence Pugh, Tom Burke, Kila Lord Cassidy, Niamh Algar, Ciaran Hinds
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 72

The Wonder is an eerie period drama film starring woman-of-the-moment Florence Pugh. She plays a nurse sent to an isolated Irish village to investigate a local girl who hasn’t eaten in months. It’s got those European folk horror vibes that Pugh’s familiar with from Midsommar (minus the bear suits), plus a unique eye behind the camera by director Sebastian Lelio (just watch the opening scene to see it in action). -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Is That Black Enough for You?!?

For fans of: Movies, culture, a smart man saying smart things

Year: 2022
Director: Elvis Mitchell
Genre: Documentary
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 82

Film critic and academic Elvis Mitchell explores Black cinema in this insightful and incredibly researched documentary that features interviews with Samuel Jackson, Harry Belafonte, Whoopi Goldberg, and other legends. Starting with the early representations of Black people in movies and paying close attention to the blaxploitation era of the 1970s, Is That Black Enough for You?!? is a fascinating and illuminating cultural essay that looks at Black cinema from all angles. The always great Mitchell outdoes himself here in what should be required watching for all cinephiles. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

My Father’s Dragon

For fans of: When animated movies are great

Director: Nora Twomey
Stars: Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo, Whoopi Goldberg, Ian McShane, Chris O’Dowd
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Comedy, Animation, Family
Rating: PG
Metacritic score: 72

If you don’t have a kid, you might consider picking one up to watch My Father’s Dragon, the latest animated film from Irish studio Cartoon Saloon. Cartoon Saloon gave us the outstanding Wolfwalkers, as well as Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells, all of which were nominated for Oscars and all of which are fantastic. My Father’s Dragon is an adaptation of the classic children’s novel of the same name, and features the voices of Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo, and Whoopi Goldberg. We miss the Irish accents Cartoon Saloon movies usually have, but it’s still really good. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Enola Holmes 2

For fans of: Millie, Bobby, Brown

Director: Harry Bradbeer
Stars: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter, Louis Partridge, David Thewlis
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Mystery
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 62

Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown’s other franchise is this energetic mystery movie series in which she plays Sherlock Holmes’ little sister (Sherlock is played by Henry Cavill, himself no stranger to franchises, both on Netflix and off). The sequel is a ton of fun as Brown, “a natural born comic with a hydrogen bomb’s worth of screen charisma, turns what could be just another disposable tween-and-teens romp into a genuine delight,” Jordan Hoffman wrote in his review for TV Guide. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

The Good Nurse

For fans of: Great casts, tense medical dramas, true crime

Director: Tobias Lindholm
Stars: Jessica Chastain, Eddie Redmayne, Nnamdi Asomugha, Noah Emmerich, Kim Dickens
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 64

Oscar-winners Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne star in this drama about the chilling case of Charles Cullen, a nurse who is confirmed to have killed 29 people and is suspected to have possibly killed hundreds more during a period of time in which he kept getting jobs at hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Redmayne plays Cullen, while Chastain plays Amy Loughren, a nurse who played a pivotal role in catching Cullen. In his review for TV Guide, Jordan Hoffman called it “tense” and “engrossing,” with a better performance from Redmayne than the one that won him an Oscar. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

The Stranger

For fans of: Good Netflix thrillers, saying “Joel Edgerton is so underrated”

Director: Thomas M. Wright
Stars: Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Rating: TV-MA
Metacritic score: 74

Joel Edgerton stars in this tense Australian crime drama as an undercover cop who befriends a murder suspect (the Mission: Impossible movies’ Sean Harris) in order to get close enough to get information, but he gets in really, really deep, and if he gets any deeper, he’ll lose himself entirely. It doesn’t break any new ground, but the performances are great. Not to be confused with the Harlan Coben limited series The Stranger, which is also on Netflix. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

The Munsters

For fans of: When extreme horror directors make family movies

Director: Rob Zombie
Stars: Jeff Daniel Phillips, Sheri Moon Zombie, Daniel Roebuck, Sylvester McCoy, Richard Brake
Genre: Comedy, Family
Rating: PG
Metacritic score: 57

Writer-director Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, Halloween 2007) goes gentle with this earnest, PG-rated remake of The Munsters, the ’60s sitcom about a family of monsters living an affectionately satirical Leave It to Beaver-style suburban life. The movie is an origin story for how Herman (Jeff Daniel Phillips) and Lily Munster (Sheri Moon Zombie) met and fell in love. The series clearly had a big influence on Zombie, who has spent his musical and theatrical career doing slightly ironic riffs on classic horror images and intellectual property. It’s the first thing he’s ever made that’s safe for the whole family, unless you take your family with you when you dig through the ditches and burn though the witches and slam in the back of your Dragula. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

Do Revenge

For fans of: Strangers on a Train, Gen Z icons Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke

Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Stars: Camila Mendes, Maya Hawke, Austin Abrams, Rish Shah, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sophie Turner
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rating: TV-MA
Metacritic score: 66

This stylish teen revenge comedy is inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Strangers on a Train, where two strangers swap targets in order to eliminate the motive and avoid being caught. In this version, high school seniors Drea (Riverdale‘s Camila Mendes) and Eleanor (Stranger Things‘ Maya Hawke) team up to punish each other’s bullies. “What it has going for it most is Maya Hawke, a very gifted performer who carries herself through the comedy quite well,” Jordan Hoffman writes in his review of the film. “Hawke makes funny faces when you least expect them, and it’s fun to watch.” -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

Sheng Wang: Sweet & Juicy

For fans of: Laughing a lot

Director: Ali Wong
Stars: Sheng Wang
Genre: Stand-up Special
Rating: n/a
Metacritic score: n/a

Comedian Sheng Wang has delivered one of Netflix’s all-time great comedy specials, dissecting office printers, Costco pants, and snoring in his unique Texas drawl. Wang, based out of the Bay Area, keeps things irreverent but relatable with observational comedy about getting older and not giving a crap about it. It’s funny from the moment he steps on stage until the second he leaves it. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Inside the Mind of a Cat

For fans of: Saying “my cat is very empathetic”

Year: 2022
Director: Andy Mitchell
Genre: Documentary, Family
Rating: TV-PG
Metacritic score: n/a

People like to say that cats are a mystery, but the truth is there just hasn’t been a lot of research into why our feline friends are the way they are. That’s starting to change. This family-friendly documentary explains the science of cats in a cute and fun way. For example, it’s scientifically proven that cats know their own names, but don’t always choose to respond. If you love cats, this film will help you understand them better, and if you love a cat-lover, it will help you understand them better. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

The Sea Beast

For fans of: Moana, nautical adventures arrr matey

Year: 2022
Director: Chris Williams
Stars: Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Genre: Family, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy
Rating: PG
Metacritic score: 74

Most Netflix original kids movies are just re-dubs of second-tier CGI films from foreign studios, but The Sea Beast, from Moana and Big Hero 6 director Chris Williams, looks like a legitimate contender for best family film of the year. A young girl stows away on her idol’s ship to help him hunt gigantic sea creatures, leading to seafaring adventure and action. It’s getting great reviews, and features three TV Guide favorites as voice actors: The Boys‘ Karl Urban, Legion‘s Dan Stevens, and Chernobyl‘s Jared Harris. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Girl in the Picture

For fans of: The most messed up true crime you’ve ever seen in your life

Year: 2022
Director: Skye Borgman
Genre: True Crime, Documentary
Rating: TV-MA
Metacritic score: n/a

This haunting true crime documentary tells the story of a young woman named Sharon Marshall, who was abused by her stepfather Franklin Floyd in unspeakable ways. Marshall was found dying by the side of a road in 1990, which led to an investigation that uncovered Floyd’s crimes. The documentary is structured around the unbelievable twists in the things Floyd did, but unlike most true crime documentaries like this, it always cares more about the victims than the perpetrator, which keeps it from getting too lurid. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

Spiderhead

For fans of: Dystopian thrillers, when Chris Hemsworth plays himbos

Year: 2022
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Stars: Miles Teller, Jurnee Smollett, Chris Hemsworth
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Drama, Thriller
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 55

This expensive movie has unusually literary background for a Netflix dystopian sci-fi thriller. It’s based on a short story by MacArthur Fellowship recipient George Saunders originally published in The New Yorker. While that seems like source material that would have to be dumbed down a lot to get made into a Netflix movie — and some of the despairing story’s darkness has definitely been filtered out — Deadpool screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski actually kept it pretty smart. It’s unusually thoughtful for a Netflix blockbuster. It stars Chris Hemsworth as the warden of an experimental prison where mysterious pharmaceuticals are tested out on the prisoners, who include Jeff (Miles Teller) and Rachel (Jurnee Smollett). Jeff and Rachel form a special bond, which leads to them getting subjected to some mind-bending, darkly funny psychological thrills. -Liam Mathews [Trailer | Review]

Hustle

For fans of: Adam Sandler: Serious Actor

Year: 2022
Director: Jeremiah Zagar
Stars: Adam Sandler, Juancho Hernangomez, Queen Latifah, Robert Duvall
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Sports
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 67

In Uncut Gems, which sadly expired from Netflix in May, the game of basketball is essentially second billed, right behind Adam Sandler himself. Sandler is famously a huge basketball fan in general, so it was only a matter of time before he made a movie about it. Another reminder to the world that Sandler is a solid dramatic actor, Hustle is a sports drama that stars Sandler as a washed-up scout who makes it his mission to recruit a talented street ball player from Spain (Utah Jazz forward Juancho Hernangomez) into the NBA. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

RRR

For fans of: Bromance, epics, insane action

Year: 2022
Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Stars: N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan
Genre: Action, Epic
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 87

As Americans, we’re pretty much just “Marvel movie, drrr drrr, Star Wars, drrr drrr,” but now’s your chance to expand your range to some quality action from international cinema. S.S. Rajamouli’s insane epic RRR is a global phenomenon, a dazzling period adventure about two real figures from India’s history who meet, form a friendship, and fight the British Raj together, and find a missing girl. With over-the-top, physics-defying action sequences, you won’t care that it runs over three hours long. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood 

For fans of: The good old days, childhood memories, Waking Life

Year: 2022
Director: Richard Linklater
Stars: Jack Black, Zachary Levi, Glen Powell
Genre: Animation, Drama, Comedy
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 81

Richard Linklater returns to his animation style of choice — rotoscoping, in which film is drawn over frame-by-frame for realistic movement with a dream-like feel — that he used in Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly. This time, it’s used to tell a story about his very real childhood growing up in Houston in the late 1960s and a very unreal story about a 10-year-old boy who goes to the moon in a secret NASA program. It’s a wistful, energetic tale of childhood innocence during a period of immense change, and Linklater nails the vibe of youthful exuberance and coming-of-age. Plus, it has a fantastic soundtrack. Watch this with your parents, they’ll love it. (You will, too.) -Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Tinder Swindler

For fans of: Dating app nightmares, con jobs

Year: 2022
Director: Felicity Morris
Genre: Documentary
Rating: TV-MA
Metacritic score: n/a

This frightening documentary about a con man who used Tinder to — you guessed it — swindle unsuspecting ladies into handing over their credit cards and taking out loans to funnel him cash will make you want to hunt down this scumbag yourself. By putting up a front of extravagance, paid for by his current mark, this man would woo women he met on the dating app and set them up to be his next source of cash before disappearing into the internet and tropical locales where he partied his ass off on their dime. It’s not a particularly well-made documentary, but the story is riveting and the victims are rightfully treated with compassion. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Lost Daughter

For fans of: Olivia Colman, bad vacations, “Livin’ on a Prayer”

Year: 2021
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Stars: Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 86

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut is dark, psychological goodness. In this adaptation of the Elena Ferrante novel, Olivia Colman stars as Leda, a college professor on a solo trip to Greece, where she meets and becomes obsessed with Nina (Dakota Johnson), a young, overwhelmed mother. It all quickly turns into the vacation from hell as Nina forces Leda to confront memories of her own experience as a young mother. Jessie Buckley plays the younger version of Leda in flashbacks, while Peter Sarsgaard, Ed Harris, Dagmara Dominczyk, and Paul Mescal fill out the rest of the cast. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

The Hand of God

For fans of: Coming-of-age dramas, world-class directors in their prime

Year: 2021
Director: Paolo Sorrentino
Stars: Betty Pedrazzi, Biagio Manna, Ciro Capano
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 76

Italian movie magician Paolo Sorrentino (The Young Pope) is in peak form with his highly personal coming-of-age drama The Hand of God, which will almost certainly be nominated in the International Feature Film category at next year’s Oscars. Set in the 1980s in Naples, Italy, The Hand of God follows a teen through the ups and downs of life, and ties it together with soccer star Diego Maradona’s infamous “hand of god” play. Though some critics note its messiness, no one can deny that it’s absolutely gorgeous. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Power of the Dog

For fans of: Tension, Benedict Cumberbatch being a big ol’ meanie

Year: 2021
Director: Jane Campion
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 89

Jane Campion’s first film since 2009 heads out on the range with one mean cowboy in Benedict Cumberbatch. The 1925-set Western quickly reaches a boil and holds it as a rancher (Jesse Plemons) gets a new wife (Kirsten Dunst) whom his brother (Cumberbatch) takes a strong disliking to. It’s a masterclass of simmering tension and spellbinding acting, but if you’re here for shoot ’em ups, this Western ain’t it. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Procession

For fans of: Healing, the power of art

Year: 2021
Director: Robert Greene
Stars: Dan Laurine, Ed Gavagan, Joe Eldred, Michael Sandridge, Mike Foreman, Tom Viviano
Genre: Documentary
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 90

Robert Greene’s gutting documentary comes to Netflix just two months after making its debut at Telluride, a quick turnaround that belies how much time went into this movie. Shot over three years, Procession focuses on six men who each suffered abuse by Catholic priests in the diocese of Kansas City, Missouri, when they were boys. Greene’s project is unique: The men, working with both Greene and a therapist who uses theater in her work, create short films about their trauma. It’s an unmissable story of how to reckon with evil. –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]

tick, tick… BOOM!

For fans of: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Broadway

Year: 2021
Director: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Vanessa Hudgens, Bradley Whitford
Genre: Drama, Musical
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 74

Lin-Manuel Miranda has a type: musicals about guys who are worried their time is running out. And why mess with success? Miranda makes his directorial debut with this film adaptation, already racking up good reviews, of Rent creator Jonathan Larson’s semi-autobiographical musical. Andrew Garfield stars as the struggling playwright, who’s anxious that he hasn’t accomplished enough by his upcoming 30th birthday. (The story is made more poignant by Larson’s real-life early death at the age of 35, the night before Rent‘s off-Broadway premiere.) Garfield is a hit in this, Vanessa Hudgens is in her element, and Bradley Whitford does a rock-solid Sondheim impersonation. –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]

Red Notice

For fans of: Stars wisecrackin’, dumb action, dumber twists

Year: 2021
Director: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, Ryan Reynolds
Genre: Adventure, Action, Comedy
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 37

I watched this entire movie in one sitting and I had a great time, but in no reality would I say this is a good movie. It’s one of those, y’know? It’s a film in which the stars are secured and then you write the script. Those stars happen to be Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds, some of the biggest celebrities on the planet, and the script sees them playing various combinations of FBI agents and art thieves, sometimes both! Add in a budget of about $200 million, and you’ve got yourself one of Netflix’s most popular original movies ever. This is streaming candy; they can’t all be Roma. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Passing

For fans of: Where the line of racial equality blurs, gorgeous black and white photos come to life

Year: 2021
Director: Rebecca Hall
Stars: Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, Andre Holland
Genre: Drama
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 85

Would you give up your culture if it meant you could have an easier life? That’s the question posed in this stirring film set in 1920s New York City that stars Tessa Thompson as a Black woman who runs into a childhood friend (Ruth Negga) who has been passing for a white woman, bringing up questions of racial identity and whitewashing. Shot entirely in black and white, the film features wonderful performances from Thompson, Negga, and André Holland. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Found

For fans of: Heartfelt stories, discovering your roots and culture

Year: 2021
Director: Amanda Lipitz
Genre: Documentary
Rating: PG
Metacritic score: 82

This documentary about three adopted Chinese high schoolers looking into their roots could also pass as a robot test, because if you aren’t moved to tears at some point, then you’re made out of tin. What makes it so effective is that it looks at adoption from every angle: the girls looking for answers and discovering their culture, their adoptive families looking to help them find their roots, the Chinese families who were forced to give up their babies under China’s one child policy, and the intrepid investigator who helps adopted children find their birth parents in China. It’s an emotional wallop. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Harder They Fall

For fans of: Quentin Tarantino films, Red Dead Redemption, lots of shootin’

Year: 2021
Director: Jeymes Samuel
Stars: Idris Elba, LaKeith Stanfield, Regina King, Jonathan Majors
Genre: Drama, Western
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 68

This Netflix blockbuster is an action Western with a lot more style than you’re used to. Director Jeymes Samuel takes a tried-and-true cowboy premise — a gang gets together to exact revenge on the persons responsible for the deaths of loved ones — and infuses it with gorgeous violence, snappy dialogue, and a predominantly Black cast that includes Regina King, Idris Elba, LaKeith Stanfield, Jonathan Majors, Delroy Lindo, and Zazie Beetz. The result is a rollicking good time and one of the gosh dang coolest films you’ll see. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

The Trip

For fans of: Couples therapy, violence, Noomi Rapace

Year: 2021
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Stars: Aksel Hennie, Noomi Rapace
Genre: Thriller, Comedy
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: n/a

This Norwegian dark comedy follows a couple (Aksel Hennie and Noomi Rapace) who go to a remote cabin in an attempt to repair their dissolving relationship. Little do they know that they each plan to murder each other as their solution to their problems. Even littler do they know that others are out there in the wilderness to give them even more troubles. Spectacularly violent with humor as black as the night, The Trip is a trip. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Guilty

For fans of: One-man plays, Jake Gyllenhaal, thrilling phone conversations

Year: 2021
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 63

Jake Gyllenhaal plays a cop sent to desk duty at a 9-1-1 call center and becomes embroiled in a case when a woman being held against her will calls to ask for help. An adaptation of a 2018 Danish film, The Guilty is the rare intense thriller without any action as it’s mostly set in the call center with Jake on the phone and only voices coming from the other end. But director Antoine Fuqua and Gyllenhaal keep things mesmerizing. –Tim Surette [Trailer | Review]

The Father Who Moves Mountains

For fans of: Cinematography, the battle between sanity and madness, fast snow & slow burns

Year: 2021
Director: Daniel Sandu
Stars: Adrian Titieni, Bogdan Nechifor
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Rating: TV-MA
Metacritic score: n/a

This Romanian film follows a powerful man of means desperate to find his son after he goes missing on a mountain trek. It’s not an action film, but rather a contemplative exploration of how far a man will go to save his son and at what cost to others. You’ll understand why he does what he does, but you might not like him for it. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

The Old Ways

For fans of: Witchcraft, Latin American demonology, creepy crawlies

Year: 2020
Director: Christopher Alender
Stars: Brigitte Kali, Andrea Cortés
Genre: Horror
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 67

A young journalist goes deep into the jungles of Veracruz, Mexico, for a story on indigenous people who practice ancient witchcraft, only to be kidnapped by them when they believe she is possessed by a demon. It’s full of terrifying imagery, as is expected, but it’s the claustrophobia of being imprisoned that really drives the horror. On top of that, there are themes of cultural identity that take it to a smarter level than your typical horror film, and visually, it’s aces. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Blood Red Sky

For fans of: Monstrous surprises, small-space horror

Year: 2021
Director: Peter Thorwarth
Stars: Carl Anton Koch, Peri Baumeister
Genre: Horror
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 43

This German-English language action-forward horror film is set on a Transatlantic flight between Berlin and New York City that is besieged by hijackers. But they don’t know that one of the passengers on board possesses supernatural powers, and will do anything to protect her young son, which sometimes means eating the bad guys. It’s a taut thriller with a paranormal twist that’s one of Netflix’s better original horror films. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Bo Burnham: Inside

For fans of: Existentialism, music

Year: 2021
Director: Bo Burnham
Stars: Bo Burnham
Genre: Comedy, Musical
Rating: TV-MA
Metacritic score: 98

Indie auteur and certified bad movie boyfriend Bo Burnham surprised his fans when he announced he had orchestrated a return to his comedic roots during the pandemic. With Inside, which Burnham wrote, directed, and edited without a crew or an audience while stuck at home, he lets out his feelings through music, delivering a setlist of very catchy, very meme-worthy songs that have titles like “White Woman’s Instagram” and “FaceTime with My Mom (Tonight).” The special gets in touch with the collective mood 2020 inspired in all of us — the anguish, the despair, the horniness. Burnham’s comedy has always touched on the existential, but he goes deeper than ever here. -Aliison Picurro [Trailer]

Pray Away

For fans of: Realizing that the horrors of the past are still effecting the present

Year: 2021
Director: Kristine Solakis
Genre: Documentary
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 76

Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum executive produce this documentary about Exodus International, an Evangelical group formed in the ’70s that claims it could turn gay people straight through prayer and conversion therapy. What’s most interesting about this film is that it features interviews with ex-leaders who are now speaking out against the movement they were part of for so many years. -Aliison Picurro [Trailer]

Bad Trip

For fans of: Eric Andre, the Sacha Baron Cohen effect

Year: 2021
Director: Kitao Sakurai
Stars: Eric André, Lil Rel Howery
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 61

How in the world is Bad Trip as great as it is? There is no plausible reason why a prank movie was able to feel so fresh and hilarious in the year 2021, and yet here I am, writing about the greatness of Bad Trip. It has a pretty loose plot (two listless best friends take a road trip so one can reunite with his high school crush), which is sort of unnecessary to the film’s broad comedy, but does help with providing structure and emotional beats when needed. Anyway, that’s not really why it’s on this list. Bad Trip shines thanks to its many interactions with the unsuspecting public, who have no idea they’re being filmed or that they’re part of a movie. The way the film’s stars, Eric Andre, Lil Rel Howery, and Tiffany Haddish, drag poor strangers into the bizarre world they’ve created and get them invested in their characters’ fictional problems (a particularly memorable scene in which Haddish recruits the patrons of a restaurant into helping her track down Andre and Howery becomes an instant classic thanks to the passionate reaction from one woman), ends up producing the best comedic moments. Clocking in under 90 minutes, Bad Trip is a quick, wholeheartedly joyful watch. -Aliison Picurro [Trailer]

The Forty-Year-Old Version

For fans of: The struggles of hitting the big 4-0, the artist’s life

Year: 2020
Director: Kitao Sakurai
Stars: Radha Blank
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 80

Soon-to-be household name Radha Blank writes, directs, and stars in this poignant comedy about a playwright who is approaching her 40th birthday but still has nothing to show for it, even after winning a coveted “30 under 30” award nearly a decade before. To reinvent her life, she breaks into rapping, spitting rhymes from her unique viewpoint and fighting to stay true to her own artistic vision. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

For fans of: The Coen brothers, dark comedy

Year: 2018
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Stars: Tim Blake Nelson, Tom Waits, James Franco
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 79

The Coen brothers strap on their spurs for this collection of short stories from the Wild West, all peppered with that trademark Coen absurdism made famous in their films Fargo and Raising Arizona. The stories range from a singing cowboy (Tim Blake Nelson) who’s quick on the draw to a mumbling prospector (Tom Waits) tracked down by an opportunist to an outlaw (James Franco) who’s no stranger to the gallows. It’s a gorgeous film about opportunity in a land where there’s nothing but opportunity. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Da 5 Bloods

For fans of: Spike Lee, being reminded that war is bad

Year: 2020
Director: Spike Lee
Stars: Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Norm Lewis
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 82

Spike Lee’s latest is a sprawling drama split between two timelines: the first during the Vietnam War, where a group of Black soldiers band together, and the second during the present, where the surviving members, now aging veterans, return to the country in the hopes of recovering the remains of their fallen squad leader (Chadwick Boseman, in one of his last performances) and locating the gold they buried years ago. It’s a dazzling, stylized adventure, and the kind of movie that will make you walk away feeling like you learned something without skimping on character development. -Aliison Picurro [Trailer]

My Octopus Teacher

For fans of: Unlikely friendships, cephalopods

Year: 2020
Director: James Reed and Pippa Ehrlich
Stars: Craig Foster, Tom Foster
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 82

This film about the intimate relationship between a man and his octopus won the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2021. Craig Foster, a diver, buddies up with an octopus in South Africa for a year, documenting her life as she sleeps, eats, and battles sharks. The whole experience teaches Foster about life and moves him to gain appreciation for humanity’s relationship with nature, as well as form a closer bond with his son. The whole thing feels a little like a more wholesome version of Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water, but I’m not here to knock anyone who dares to explore interspecies friendships. -Aliison Picurro [Trailer]

The Trial of the Chicago 7

For fans of: Aaron Sorkin’s whole thing, watered down history

Year: 2020
Director: Aaron Sorkin
Stars: Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 76

In 1969, a group of anti-war activists were charged with conspiring to start a riot at the Democratic National Convention, and in 2019, Aaron Sorkin told an extremely Hollywood version of their story. Although Sorkin really simplifies a lot of the more radical politics people like Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong) actually had, a big, showy courtroom drama — full of grandstanding and dramatic speeches and quippy dialogue — is a perfect vehicle for his style. It’s grounded by the performances of its sprawling, star-studded cast (which also includes Mark Rylance, Frank Langella, and Michael Keaton) and the writing, which earned Sorkin a Best Original Screenplay nod at the Oscars, and it’ll teach you something about the injustices of the American justice system, which, spoiler, has always been pretty bad! -Aliison Picurro [Trailer]

His House

For fans of: Haunted houses, immigrant horror stories

Year: 2020
Director: Remi Weekes
Stars: Wunmi Mosaku, Sope Dirisu
Genre: Horror
Rating: TV-14
Metacritic score: 72

A refugee couple from South Sudan find their new housing in England is not what it seems in this chilling and stylish horror movie from writer-director Remi Weekes. If you love ghosts and grief but are ready for a little more intensity, His House is a must-watch; it’s a haunted house story that blends serious scares with thoughtful commentary on immigration and trauma. Plus, it’s anchored by unmissable performances from stars Wunmi Mosaku and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù. –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]

I Am Not Your Negro

For fans of: Social justice, visual poetry, hard truths

Year: 2016
Director: Raoul Peck
Genre: Documentary
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 95

Raoul Peck’s 2016 documentary that’s an adaptation of James Baldwin’s manuscript about racism in America through the eyes of Black people — specifically civil rights activists Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X, and Medgar Evans — is a visual masterpiece with a clear message: America has failed the Black community. The powerful 2016 film brims with energy through old footage of segregation and current shots of protests in the streets in the wake of police violence against minorities. It’s an essential watch to better understand America’s shameful past and present. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Roma

For fans of: Oscar winners, art films

Year: 2018
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Stars: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Fernando Grediaga
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 96

Sorry Mank, you aren’t the best black-and-white film on Netflix. Not even close. Alfonso Cuaron’s 2018 personal tale of a housekeeper in Mexico to a wealthy Mexican family won Best Foreign Film, Best Director (Cuaron), and Best Cinematography (Cuaron) at the 91st Academy Awards, but could have won tons more. It’s both quiet and epic in scope, balancing a fascinating relationship between a hard-working woman named Cleo and the family that relies on her, unforgettable shots involving hundreds of extras, and a sensitive story on life bubbling under the surface. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé

For fans of: Beyoncé, of course… and who isn’t?

Year: 2019
Director: Beyoncé, Ed Burke
Stars: Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kelly Rowland
Genre: Documentary, Music
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 93

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Homecoming is perhaps the best, most impactful concert film of at least the past few years. This is Beyoncé at the absolute top of her game, showing not only her historic performance at Coachella 2018, but the emotionally and physically taxing preparation that led up to it. It’s just a pleasure to watch, not only because Beyoncé’s unparalleled work ethic and commitment to precision, but because of how dedicated she and her team of artists, dancers, and musicians were to making sure the performance was a celebration of Black culture. It’s called Homecoming because of the way it evokes traditions made popular by homecoming concerts at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and it’s maybe the most entertaining history lesson you’ll ever get. Also, there’s a pitch-perfect Destiny’s Child reunion. We love to see it. -Aliison Picurro [Trailer]

The To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy

For fans of: Teen rom-coms, John Hughes references

Year: 2018-2021
Director: Susan Johnson
Stars: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rating: TV-14
Metacritic score: 64

Based on Jenny Han’s young adult trilogy, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before took the Netflix world by storm when it debuted in 2018. The teen rom-com stars Asian American actress Lana Condor as Lara Jean Covey, a hopelessly romantic high schooler who pens letters to all her crushes in order to get her abundance of emotions out. But when those love letters are mailed out to the crushes by her younger sister, she’s mortified — especially because one is delivered to her older sister’s boyfriend, Josh (Israel Broussard). To cover up her feelings for Josh, Lara Jean begins fake dating the popular and charming Peter (Noah Centineo) — another love letter recipient who wants to make his ex jealous — but old feelings die hard. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before has an inherent sweetness to it that calls back to classic ’80s films like Say Anything… or Sixteen Candles. Once you’ve finished it, check out its sequels, P.S. I Still Love You, which introduces yet another recipient of Lara Jean’s letters, and Always and Forever, the third and final film in the saga. –Kaitlin Thomas [Trailer]

Always Be My Maybe

For fans of: Keanu Reeves doing the most

Year: 2019
Director: Nahnatchka Khan
Stars: Ali Wong, Randall Park, Keanu Reeves
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 64

Ali Wong co-wrote this 2019 romantic comedy in which she stars as Sasha, a celebrity chef who returns home to San Francisco to open a new restaurant and runs into her former childhood friend, Marcus (co-writer Randall Park). The romantic chemistry from their teenage years still remains, and after she breaks off her engagement to her fiancé after he delays their wedding yet again, Sasha attempts to embark on a new relationship with Marcus. However, his fears and her fame — and a great guest spot from Keanu Reeves — create obstacles that first have to be overcome before true happiness can be found. –Kaitlin Thomas [Trailer]

Before he got recruited by the Marvel machine, Taika Waititi made Hunt for the Wilderpeople, an adventure dramedy about a young delinquent (Julian Dennison) and his reluctant foster dad (Sam Neill) who, after a series of mishaps and misunderstandings, become the targets of a manhunt. They go into survival mode as they hide out in the New Zealand wilderness, running into a cast of oddball characters as they evade the police. As is the case with these things, the longer they stay out on their own, the closer they get. Waititi’s signature comedic style is what makes the whole thing really shine. -Aliison Picurro [Trailer]

The Irishman

For fans of: Impressive de-aging CGI, looooong movies

Year: 2019
Director: Martin Scorsese
Stars: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 94

Martin Scorsese loves telling stories about almost-great men undone by their own hubris, and The Irishman is the latest example of that. A lot was made of its three-hour runtime, and its use of CGI to de-age its stars, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino, but those aren’t the only things this film has to offer. De Niro plays Frank Sheeran, the titular Irishman, who works as a hitman alongside Russell Bufalino (Pesci) and famous Teamster Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino), both of whom are tied to organized crime. It’s an epic about power and betrayal, and contains easily the best performance De Niro’s given in years. -Aliison Picurro [Trailer]

Marriage Story

For fans of: Laura Dern memes, Adam Driver memes, being sad

Year: 2019
Director: Noah Baumbach
Stars: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, Ray Liotta
Genre: Drama
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 94

A marriage unravels in Noah Baumbach’s latest, as Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) try to keep themselves afloat during their divorce. Yes, there’s definitely a lot movie going on in this movie emotionally, but isn’t the most important takeaway that we got two great memes out of it? I think so. -Aliison Picurro [Trailer]

Dolemite Is My Name

For fans of: Underdog stories, Eddie Murphy doing something different

Year: 2019
Director: Craig Brewer
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan-Michael Key
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Biography
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 76

In 1970s Los Angeles, struggling musician-comedian Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) decides to create a raunchy alter ego named Dolemite in effort to get noticed. The movie highlights the way, through his work, Moore was able to help pioneer rap as a musical genre, provides wider commentary on the blaxploitation phenomenon, and touches on some of Murphy’s own feelings about the critics who have commented on his films. Spoiler: He doesn’t care! -Aliison Picurro [Trailer]

Dick Johnson Is Dead

For fans of: Crying!

Year: 2020
Director: Kirsten Johnson
Stars: Dick Johnson, Kirsten Johnson
Genre: Documentary
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 89

You should break out a box of tissues before checking out Kristen Johnson’s tender documentary about her father. When we’re introduced to the 86-year-old Dick, the frightening, heartbreaking effects of his dementia are starting to show, marking what both Dick and Kristen accept to be the beginning of the end of his life. What makes this film unique is the way it blends fiction and reality: Kristen imagines ways for her dad to die that he gamely acts out, from falling down a flight of stairs to bleeding out from a head wound. The two have such an easy rapport that it’s easy to laugh at their antics one minute and be horribly upset the next when Dick describes the pain of feeling his memory slip away from him in real time. It’s a beautiful film quite unlike anything else. -Aliison Picurro [Trailer]

It should be said straight up that I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Charlie Kaufman’s haunting adaptation of Iain Reid’s novel, is probably not for everyone. It’s also not the kind of movie that will tell you exactly what it’s about; it doesn’t really follows a linear, cause-and-effect plot, and the story unfolds according to dream logic. I’ll describe it in the best way I can, though: A woman (Jessie Buckley) goes on a trip with her boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) to visit his parents, all while she’s considering breaking up with him. It only gets trippier from there! The only things that are really made clear to the audience is that the woman is a wholly unreliable narrator and nothing is as it seems. If you like your movies a little out there, this one’s totally worth checking out. -Aliison Picurro [Trailer]

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

For fans of: Great performances from great actors, monologues

Year: 2020
Director: George C. Wolfe
Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, Colman Domingo
Genre: Drama, Music
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 87

Chadwick Boseman’s final film role was in this Netflix original, which is based on the Tony-nominated August Wilson play. Viola Davis stars as Ma Rainey, a powerhouse blues singer in 1927 Chicago who holds up a recording session to butt heads with her white manager, and Boseman plays a trumpeter in the recording session angling to get a foothold in the music business. On its own, it’s a good film that has a lot to say about race and music ownership, but the performances from Davis and Boseman elevate it. -Aliison Picurro [Trailer]

Whether you’re a theater kid or not, Theater Camp, a comedy about one fateful summer at a mismanaged performing arts camp, is worth watching. If you’re in the mood for something spookier in honor of the season, there’s no better time to watch Hulu’s home invasion sci-fi thriller No One Will Save You. Other recent additions to our list of the best new movies on Hulu include environmental thriller How to Blow Up a Pipeline, the twisted Infinity Pool, and the cute rom-com Rye Lane.

This list isn’t just about the absolute best movies of all time; it’s about the best movies to watch on Hulu right now. That means this list will look a little different from the other ones out there, as we’re focusing on Hulu originals, new arrivals to Hulu, and our own personal favorites.

Last updated Oct. 24; newer additions are at the top

Theater Camp (2023)

For fans of: Wet Hot American Summer, mockumentaries, show tunes

Year: 2023
Director: Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman
Stars: Jimmy Tatro, Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Ayo Edebiri, Noah Galvin, Patti Harrison
Genre: Comedy
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 70

Among all the great things about Theater Camp, it gives American Vandal‘s Jimmy Tatro the starring movie role he deserves. He plays Troy, the clueless tech bro son of a theater camp director who is suddenly put in charge of the camp’s operations for one tumultuous summer, much to the frustration of drama instructors Amos (Ben Platt) and Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon). As Troy tries to keep the camp financially afloat, Amos and Rebecca-Diane work on staging their annual original musical amid their own personal drama. –Allison Picurro [Trailer]

No One Will Save You (2023)

For fans of: Home Alone, but with aliens

Year: 2023
Director: Brian Duffield
Stars: Kaitlyn Dever
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 64

No One Will Save You, a nearly wordless thriller from Brian Duffield (Love and Monsters, The Babysitter), stars Kaitlyn Dever as a creative but lonely young woman named Brynn, whose alienation turns literal when extraterrestrials invade her childhood home one night. In order to confront her intruders, Brynn will have to face her past. Beam this one up; it’s a lot of fun. –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]

How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2023)

For fans of: Environmental thrillers

Year: 2023
Director: Daniel Goldhaber
Stars: Lukas Gage, Marcus Scribner, Kristine Forseth
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Rating: R
Metacritic score: n/a

Hulu is still one of the strongest streamers for great under-the-radar movies, and this 2023 film from Neon might be one of the best you’ll see all year. How to Blow Up a Pipeline follows a group of youngsters who band together to take out a controversial oil pipeline, tiptoeing the line between environmental activism and domestic terrorism. It was a hit among critics, who lauded it as a taut thriller with eco-friendly themes, and it features a cast that includes The White Lotus‘ Lukas Gage, black-ish‘s Marcus Scribner, and The Society‘s Kristine Forseth. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Infinity Pool (2023)

For fans of: The twisted minds of the Cronenberg family, Alexander Skarsgård

Year: 2023
Director: Brandon Cronenberg
Stars: Alexander Skarsgård, Cleopatra Coleman, Mia Goth
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 72

If the name “Cronenberg” didn’t tip you off, you should know that Infinity Pool is a bizarre and often disturbing film. (The director, Brandon Cronenberg, is the son of the king of body horror, David Cronenberg.) It follows a vacationing married couple, played by Alexander Skarsgård and Cleopatra Coleman, who, after an accident, begin to discover the dark, twisted secrets hidden beyond the walls of their resort. It’s difficult to say much without spoiling everything, but this is certainly a movie that will stick with you long after it ends. –Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Rye Lane (2023)

For fans of: Breezy rom-coms, London

Year: 2023
Director: Raine Allen Miller
Stars: Vivian Oparah, David Jonsson
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 83

This cute rom-com film set in the London neighborhoods of Peckham and Brixton has a tried-and-true setup — two people reeling from bad breakups have a chance encounter with each other, and you know the rest — but it’s presented in a dazzling, magnetic way thanks to director Raine Allen Miller. Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (Industry‘s David Jonsson) are twentysomethings who use their new friendship to deal with their exes over the course of a day, and who knows, maybe they will fall for each other. Who knows!?!? –Tim Surette [Trailer]

More on Hulu:

• The Best Shows on Hulu Right Now
• Everything Coming to Hulu in September
• How to Get a Hulu Free Trial and Other Deals That Hulu Offers
• Hulu Live TV Channel List: What channels are on Hulu with Live TV?
• What to Watch on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Max, and More in September

Triangle of Sadness (2022)

For fans of: Eating the rich, literal toilet humor

Year: 2022
Director: Ruben Östlund
Stars: Harry Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Woody Harrelson, Dolly de Leon
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 63

Ruben Östlund’s latest film won the Palme d’Or in 2022, Best Picture at the European Film Awards, and was nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards. But it also has a 63 score on Metacritic. It’s one of those movies, a satirical look at and takedown of the rich and famous on a cruise ship, and for some the satire and black humor don’t hit. Others love it though, and as one of the year’s most polarizing Best Picture nominees, it’s a mandatory watch. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Bruiser (2023)

For fans of: Coming-of-age stories, learning how to be a man, gut punches

Year: 2023
Director: Miles Warren
Stars: Jalyn Hall, Shamier Anderson, Trevante Rhodes
Genre: Drama
Rating: TV-MA
Metacritic score: 81

First-time feature director Miles Warren arrives with the confidence of a veteran filmmaker with this family drama about a 14-year-old (Jalyn Hall) caught between his father (Shamier Anderson) and a mysterious drifter (Trevante Rhodes). It’s a story about fatherhood and parenting, coming-of-age, and defending yourself. It’s also one of the best things Onyx Collective, a subdivision of Disney focusing on Black stories, has produced. -Tim Surette [Trailer] 

Fire of Love (2022)

For fans of: Magma, French New Wave, love stories

Year: 2022
Director: Sara Dosa
Stars: Maurice Krafft, Katia Krafft
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 83

This stunning film was nominated for Best Documentary at this year’s Academy Awards, and for good reason. Fire of Love introduces audiences to Maurice and Katia Krafft, a pair of charismatic French volcanologists who bucked the stuffy stereotypes of scientists from the 1970s to early 1990s. Director Sara Dosa also innovates with a stylish collage of the Kraffts’ massive library of film footage, multimedia animations, groovy music, and entrancing editing. But what makes Fire of Love better than the sum of its parts is the fascinating love triangle between Maurice and Katia, who were married, and the explosive volcanoes that drew them in. It’s a nature documentary, a profile of a couple who found love against all odds, and an art film in one splendid package. -Tim Surette [Trailer] 

Riotsville, U.S.A. (2022)

For fans of: Learning about America’s dark history

Year: 2022
Director: Sarah Pettengill
Stars: Charlene Modeste
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 83

History repeats itself — or maybe it just never ends — in Riotsville, U.S.A. This well-reviewed 2022 documentary looks back on the social justice movement of the late 1960s and traces how America’s police forces militarized in response. Its focus is on fake towns built by the Army, which were used to train police and the military to violently subdue protests. Director Sarah Pettengill uses archival footage and pointed narration to tell a story that has obvious parallels in the present. –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]

Stars at Noon (2022)

For fans of: Beautiful, sweaty people

Year: 2022
Director: Claire Denis
Stars: Margaret Qualley, Joe Alwyn, Benny Safdie, John C. Reilly
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Romance
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 67

Claire Denis’ latest film was a big hit at Cannes, and now it’s on Hulu for you to form your own opinion about. A modern adaptation of Denis Johnson’s 1984 novel, it stars Margaret Qualley as an American journalist stranded in Nicaragua and Joe Alwyn as the British guy she meets and immediately falls for, only to discover he’s in deep with — wait for it — the CIA. It’s a woozy, sweaty, and sexy romantic thriller elevated by a dynamic performance from Qualley. –Allison Picurro [Trailer]   

Crimes of the Future (2022)

For fans of: David Cronenberg’s twisted mind, Kristen Stewart

Year: 2022
Director: David Cronenberg
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Léa Seydoux, Viggo Mortensen, Scott Speedman
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama, Horror
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 67

David Cronenberg’s name is synonymous with stomach-churning body horror, and his latest film is a return to the genre he helped pioneer. Set in an alternate future, Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux star as a performance artist couple who make their money staging live surgeries in which they remove extra organs from the body for rapt audiences. They catch the attention of a government organization that keeps track of new organs, as well as a peculiar cult of people who are experimenting with their own form of biological performance art. It’s a big old Cronenbergian blend of ideas that’s guaranteed to make your squirm. –Allison Picurro [Trailer]   

On the Count of Three (2021)

For fans of: Dark, dark, dark buddy comedies

Year: 2021
Director: Jerrod Carmichael
Stars: Jerrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott, Tiffany Haddish, Henry Winkler, JB Smoove
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 85

Jerrod Carmichael directs this dark buddy dramedy about two best friends – one played by Carmichael, the other by Christopher Abbott – who hatch a joint suicide pact. Before they kill themselves, though, they spend their last day alive taking care of unfinished business and engaging in shameless debauchery. It’s difficult to recommend a movie with such upsetting subject material, but Carmichael’s singular voice makes this one worth it. –Allison Picurro [Trailer]   

Prey (2022)

For fans of: Predator movies

Year: 2022
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Stars: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Drama, Thriller, Horror
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 69

Hulu went ahead and revived the Predator franchise, and this time it’s a prequel. Prey is set in the Comanche Nation in the 1700s, and finds the Predator coming to Earth, where he faces off against a young warrior (Amber Midthunder) trying to protect her tribe. It has all the brawling and killing you want from a Predator movie, and as Jordan Hoffman said in his review for TV Guide, its setting feels refreshing. –Allison Picurro [Trailer | Review]   

Ultrasound (2022)

For fans of: Total mind f-cks, small-budget films

Year: 2021
Director: Rob Schroeder
Stars: Vincent Kartheiser, Chelsea Lopez, Bob Stephenson
Genre: Sci-fi, thriller
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 55

This 2021 low-budget indie film from first-time director Rob Schroeder isn’t a great movie, but it is the type of challenging sci-fi thriller that hardcore movie buffs will love to try to decipher. (Hence the 55 Metacritic score, it’s a niche film targeted at fans of movies like Primer.) It starts with a man (Mad Men‘s Vincent Kartheiser) who is invited into a stranger’s house after his car breaks down and is asked to have sex with the stranger’s wife, and then turns into something really weird. It’s entirely unpredictable and may even need a second watch to fully make sense of everything. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Aftershock (2022)

For fans of: Learning about medical crises

Year: 2022
Director: Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee
Genre: Sci-fi, Mystery
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 89

This documentary from directors Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee puts the focus on the healthcare crisis that disproportionately affects Black women, who face rising maternal death rates after childbirth. The film follows the families of two women, Shamony Gibson and Amber Rose Isaac, as they bring attention to this largely ignored issue. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022)

For fans of: Emma Thompson getting her groove back, sex positivity

Year: 2022
Director: Sophie Hyde
Stars: Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 78

Emma Thompson is one of our all-time greats, period. She has the unique ability to light up just about anything she’s in, a talent on full display in this charming dramedy about a retired widow who decides, for the first time in her life, to seek out good sex, leading her to hire and form an unexpected bond with a sex worker (Daryl McCormack). Thompson and McCormack have enough chemistry to make this very dialogue-heavy movie feel sweet and easily watchable. –Allison Picurro [Trailer | Review]

The Worst Person in the World (2022)

For fans of: Young people who are just trying to figure it out, man

Year: 2021
Director: Joachim Trier
Stars: Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 90

One of the most well-liked and well-reviewed films of last year (it was nominated for Best International Feature and Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars), The Worst Person in the World is not actually all that romantic or all that much of a comedy, despite often being classified as a rom-com. It’s more of a character study about one aimless woman (Renate Reinsve) in her twenties, following her over the course of several years as she drifts in and out of relationships and jobs — think Frances Ha, but Norwegian. –Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Fire Island (2022)

For fans of: Pride and Prejudice, Marisa Tomei

Year: 2022
Director: Andrew Ahn
Stars: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, Margaret Cho, Matt Rogers
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 72

Joel Kim Booster writes and stars in this hilarious, heartbreaking, and horny adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, which reimagines one of Jane Austen’s most famous novels as a gay romantic comedy set on New York’s Fire Island. Booster stars as Noah, the Elizabeth Bennett role, and Bowen Yang plays his best friend Howie, the Jane Bennett; the film hits all the Austenian beats regarding class and social status, but Booster’s observations about being gay and Asian American gives a well-trodden story its updated perspective. It’s likely the only movie you’ll see that has jokes about Quibi, My Cousin Vinny, and Yolanda Hadid. –Allison Picurro [Trailer]

The Last Tourist (2022)

For fans of: Saving the environment, guilt, beautiful shots of places you can’t go

Year: 2022
Director: Tyson Sadler
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR

This documentary about the tourism industry and how it’s destroying the world will have you rethinking that trip to a developing nation where you were planning to justify your Instagram posts from on top of an elephant by contributing a few dollars to the local economy. The movie is a hit among critics, who laud The Last Tourist for its important message and beautiful shots of these international lands. And yes, those picturesque vistas will make you want to go there, but please don’t. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Try Harder! (2021)

For fans of: Watching others succeed, high school drama

Year: 2021
Director: Debbie Lum
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 75

If you’d like to get in on the anxiety high school seniors are facing as they await the decisions of the colleges they applied to, this documentary will do the trick. The film examines how much college admissions have changed over the years, with students now expected to have 5.0 GPAs, be a member of no less than 17 clubs, and run a 4-minute mile. Slightly exaggerated, but the competition has never been fiercer, even to get into some second-choice school like Vassar. Thankfully, director Debbie Lum handles the absurdity of it all with a playful sense of humor. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Sundown (2021)

For fans of: Middle-aged man ennui, Mexico, jerks

Year: 2022
Director: Michael Franco
Stars: Tim Roth, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Iazua Larios
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 70

Tim Roth is the embodiment of indifference in this mellow drama about a wealthy British man vacationing in Acapulco with his siblings when they’re suddenly called back for a family tragedy. Only he doesn’t go back, pretending he forgot his passport back at the hotel. Then he just stays in Mexico while everyone else deals with all the responsibility! Roth is excellent as a man who has completely given up in this film that’s low on plot but high on masculine malaise and shots of drinking beer on the beach. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Death on the Nile (2022)

For fans of: Big boats, old-fashioned mystery and adventure, all-star casts

Year: 2022
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening, Jennifer Saunders, Rose Leslie
Genre: Mystery, Adventure
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 52

Cruises aren’t a good idea right now, but you can still get the feelings of big-boat adventures — large terraces overlooking the water, grand ballrooms, floating reverie, MURDER — with Death on the Nile, Kenneth Branaugh’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s famous 1937 novel. The mystery film is a whodunnit with a who’s who cast, which includes Gal Gadot, Annette Bening, Armie Hammer, and Branaugh (who does double duty as director). It’s an imperfect film, no doubt, but it has an old-fashioned sensibility to it that makes it a great escape from life’s doldrums. –Tim Surette [Trailer]     

Deep Water (2022)

For fans of: Erotic thrillers, the flash-in-the-pan coupling known as “BenAna”

Director: Adrian Lyne
Stars: Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 52

This is the first film from director Adrian Lyne (Fatal Attraction), one of the central figures of the erotic thriller subgenre, in 20 years. His last one was 2002’s Unfaithful, which came out right at the end of the erotic thriller’s period of commercial viability. Now that streaming is creating a demand for erotic thrillers again, Lyne is back like he never went away. Deep Water stars Ana de Armas and Gone Girl mode Ben Affleck, who started a relationship when the movie was shooting in 2019 and have since broken up, as a married couple who play twisted psychosexual mind games with each other, and then people around them start turning up dead. Uh oh! Deep Water was supposed to get a theatrical release in 2020, but now it’s going directly to Hulu with less fanfare than it deserves — though straight-to-streaming may end up being the best thing for it. It’s a trashy good time. -Liam Mathews [Trailer | Review]

Hell Hath No Fury (2021)

For fans of: WWII heist flicks, tension

Director: Jesse V. Johnson
Stars: Nina Bergman, Daniel Bernhardt, Timothy V. Murphy
Genre: Action, War, Crime
Rating: R

This is one of those low-budget movies that are worth the bargain bin price. Action filmmaker and stuntman Jesse V. Johnson, a frequent collaborator with underground British action star Scott Adkins, helms this WWII thriller about Nazis, resistance fighters, and American soldiers hunting down rumors of buried Nazi gold in a French cemetery. It’s set almost entirely in the cemetery, and centers on a French woman (Nina Bergman) accused of being a Nazi sympathizer who might know more about the gold than anyone else. It’s not going to blow anyone away, but it’s a gritty, violent, and tense film that’s an impressive bit of atmosphere building. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Flee (2021)

For fans of: Documentaries, animation, international film, LGBTQ+ stories of perseverance

Director: Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Genre: Documentary, Animation, Biography
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 91

Be more efficient with your Oscar nominee watch by checking out Flee, a triple threat that’s nominated for Best Documentary, Best Animated Feature, and Best International Feature. The gorgeous film was a top pick on many critics’ Best of 2021 lists and focuses on Amin Nawabi, who tells the story of his journey to Denmark as a child refugee from Afghanistan and the secret he kept hidden for 20 years. It’s an astounding piece of art. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Fresh (2022)

For fans of: Never dating again

Director: Mimi Cave
Stars: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan
Genre: Thriller, Comedy
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 67

It’s not really a spoiler to say that this movie starts out as a romantic comedy and then turns into a horror movie a half-hour in, because that’s the whole thing of it. I just won’t tell you what happens, other than to say Sebastian Stan gets his Patrick Bateman on. Fresh is the debut film from promising director Mimi Cave, and it stars Normal People‘s Daisy Edgar-Jones as a young woman who’s sick of online dating. She meets a charming man in a grocery store, and after they quickly hit it off, she agrees to go away with him to a remote cabin for a weekend. You can guess how it goes. The cinematographer is Midsommar‘s Pawel Pogorzelski, who’s very good at shooting visually striking, gruesome horror. -Liam Mathews [Trailer] 

No Exit (2022)

For fans of: Paranoia, weather, parentless children

Director: Damien Power
Stars: Havana Rose Liu, Danny Ramirez, Dennis Haysbert, David Rysdahl, Dale Dickey
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 54

In this day and age of pandemic paranoia where trust in strangers is at an all-time low, we probably don’t need a movie about being stuck in a room with four people, one of whom is a suspected kidnapper, to get our suspicions elevated. But here we are with No Exit, a Hulu-exclusive movie about a troubled young woman who finds herself waiting out a snowstorm with four strangers. That’s already an inconvenience, but things go really bad when she discovers a kidnapped child in one of their cars. Early reviews are mixed, but this feels like the kind of film made for audiences looking for a thrill rather than for movie critics.  –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Titane (2021)

For fans of: Insanity with a sweet center, cars, mayhem

Director: Julia Ducournau
Stars: Agathe Rousselle, Vincent Lindon, a dope Cadillac
Genre: Body horror, Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 75

Given its everything, I have no idea how Titane became the winner of the 2021 Palme d’Or, the top prize at the Cannes International Film Festival. But I’m glad it did because Titane is absolutely amazing in the most primal sense of the word. The French-Belgian film defies genre but spends lots of time in almost all of them — horror, science-fiction, drama, comedy — as it follows a model with a titanium plate in her head that she got after a car crash when she was young at car shows. From there, Titane is a riveting and savage ride as shocking as it is unpredictable (you’ll never think of airport bathroom sinks the same way again). And just when you think it’s gone entirely off the rails, it becomes an emotional and thought-provoking film about character relationships. Love it or hate it, no reaction would surprise me from this truly original and daring film. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Feast (2021)

For fans of: Slow-burn horror movies, movies in languages you don’t expect

Director: Lee Haven Jones
Stars: Annes Elwy, Nia Roberts, Julian Lewis Jones
Genre: Horror
Rating: Not rated
Metacritic score: 68

You may have never seen a Welsh-language horror movie before, but Hulu can make your first one a good one. The Feast, which made a splash on the film festival circuit, is an ecologically minded folk horror slow-burner that takes its sweet time getting going, but is well worth it when it gets there. It’s about a strange, quiet young woman named Cadi (Annes Elwy) who’s hired to be a cater-waitress at a dinner party of the home of an exploitative politician and his stuck-up wife. They’ve forgotten their connection to the land, and Cadi is going to remind them, in very gruesome and disturbing fashion. –Liam Mathews [Trailer]

Charli XCX: Alone Together (2021)

For fans of: Reliving the pandemic, fan-artist collaborations, good music

Director: Bradley Bell and Pablo Jones-Soler
Stars: Charli XCX
Genre: Music, Documentary
Rating: Unrated
Metacritic score: 71

It might be a little too soon to relive early quarantine days, but it’s different when you do it through the eyes of one of our greatest (and somehow still underrated) pop stars — in this case, Charli XCX. Told largely through self-taped footage, Alone Together follows the inception, creation, and release of one of the more unique projects to come out of the pandemic: Charli’s near-perfect 2020 album How I’m Feeling Now. It’s a fascinating look at a truly collaborative process between an artist and her fans, showing how songs were written with their help over Instagram Live, and also presents a raw account of Charli’s struggles with anxiety. This is definitely a documentary primarily for the diehard fans, but even a casual listener can enjoy bearing witness to such a cool creative process. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Nightmare Alley (2021)

For fans of: The circus, sideshow freaks and cons, an A-list cast and A-list sets

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, David Strathairn
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Crime
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 70

Someone somewhere is still eating popcorn they bought while watching Nightmare Alley in the theaters on its mid-December premiere night, and yet the movie is already on Hulu. That’s not a knock on the quality of Nightmare Alley, the traveling circus film noir from Guillermo del Toro; it’s more an indication of the speed of streaming. Bradley Cooper stars as a carnival worker in the 1930s and 1940s who learns to grift the rich and famous from other circus folk, and he’s joined by a stellar cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, and David Strathairn. Under del Toro’s eye, Nightmare Alley is a sight to behold, a time warp to the shady traveling sideshows and elegant art deco ballrooms of the era when everyone was working some sort of scheme. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Bergman Island (2021)

For fans of: Dissolving marriages, filmmaking, Ingmar Bergman, vacationing in gorgeous Sweden

Director: Mia Hansen-Løve
Stars: Tim Roth, Vicky Krieps, Mia Wasikowska
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 81

A filmmaking couple, played by Tim Roth and Vicky Krieps, head to the Swedish island of Fårö, the home of legendary director Ingmar Bergman, to root around for inspiration. But as they spend more time on the quaint island and their opinions of Bergman diverge, their marriage slowly falls apart. The film is like two indie movies in one, with a movie-within-a-movie playing in the middle as a visualization of the screenplay the wife is working on, and it all floats along gorgeously with the natural beauty of Fårö. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

I’m Your Man (2021)

For fans of: Black Mirror‘s “Be Right Back,” Dan Stevens speaking German

Director: Maria Schrader
Stars: Dan Stevens, Maren Eggert
Genre: Sci-Fi, Comedy, Romance
Rating: Not Rated
Metacritic score: 78

This Best International Feature Film selection from Germany for the 2022 Academy Awards was this science-fiction rom-com starring Dan Stevens (Legion) as a robot built to be the perfect boyfriend. He does the rumba. Do you need any other reason to watch this? (In German, with English subtitles.) -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Pig (2021)

For fans of: Nicolas Cage as a great actor, deep sadness

Director: Michael Sarnoski
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 82

“We don’t get a lot of things to really care about.” If that line resonates with you, you’ll want to see the indie drama Pig. Nicolas Cage stars as a onetime prominent chef from Portland who left society to go live in the woods with his beloved truffle-hunting pig. When his pig is stolen, he has to return to the city to look for one of the few things he really cares about. It’s a similar premise to John Wick, with assassin action replaced by tragicomic character study. It’s a top-tier Nicolas Cage performance, and probably his most subtle in at least 20 years. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]  

Mandibles (2020)

For fans of: The Farrelly Brothers, French comedy, absurdity

Director: Quentin Dupieux
Stars: David Marsais, Grégoire Ludig, Adèle Exarchopoulos, India Hair
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 74

If you’ve ever wondered what a silly stoner comedy would be like en français, wonder no more. Mandibles, from bugged out writer-director Quentin Dupieux, is about two dumb slacker pals who find themselves in possession of a gigantic housefly. They initially plan to train the fly to rob people for them, but instead they just end up meandering around the South of France with their bristly companion having moronic misadventures. It’s a flyweight buddy comedy with a refreshing sense of creativity – you never know what’s going to happen next – that generated a lot of buzz on the film festival circuit. All right, that’s enough bug puns. Just watch it. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

For Madmen Only (2020)

For fans of: Improv comedy, pretty much every comedian working today

Director: Heather Ross
Stars: Ike Barinholtz, Janet Coleman, Josh Fadem, Mike Gold, Robert Dassie
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: n/a

You may not know the name Del Close, but you’re definitely a fan of his work. Close was instrumental in establishing improv comedy, and is credited by many top comedians — Bob Odenkirk, Tina Fey, John Belushi, to name a few — as their mentor, with his knowledge being passed down to today’s generation. The documentary For Madmen Only digs into Close’s legacy, including his legendary stories and mental illness. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Maybe This Year (2021)

For fans of: Football (like, to an insane degree), booing Santa Claus, throwing batteries, passion

Director: Kyle Thrash
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: n/a

Director Kyle Thrash follows fans of the Philadelphia Eagles during the team’s 2017 Super Bowl run in this character documentary. What’s the big deal about that? Have you seen fans of Philadelphia sports teams? They’re a unique type of insane. They throw batteries at opposing players. They boo Santa Claus! Maybe This Year (sometimes called Maybe Next Year) isn’t so much about football as it is a look at fandom from the perspective of one of the most die-hard fanbases in the world, like the guy who spent his life savings making a makeshift Eagles bar in his home or the self-proclaimed shy woman who calls into sports radio and screams. And you know it has a happy ending. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Jacinta (2020)

For fans of: Painful but important documentaries, stories of addictions, mother and daughter bonds

Director: Jessica Earnshaw
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: n/a

This documentary isn’t an easy watch, but it is an essential watch. Director Jessica Earnshaw trains her cameras on three generations of a family, with the focus on young mother Jacinta, a heroin addict who is in and out of jail and desperate to reconnect with her young daughter. But Jacinta’s addiction, born from her mother’s behavior, might be too powerful for her to ever have a normal relationship with her child. There’s a lot of pain on screen here (as well as lessons to be learned), but a bittersweet ending at least avoids the worst possible scenario. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Summer of Soul (2021)

For fans of: The best musical acts of the ’60s, reclaiming history

Director: Ahmir-Khalib Thompson
Stars: B.B. King, Jesse Jackson, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder
Genre: Documentary, Music
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 96

The same year Woodstock was held and grabbed all the headlines as the only thing that happened in music in 1969, the Harlem Cultural Festival took place, with performances by Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Sly and the Family Stone, and more. Footage of the festival never saw the light of day until the release of this film, which marks the directorial debut of musician Questlove. If you need more reason to watch it, Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) has been universally acclaimed and won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the documentary category at Sundance. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Shadow in the Cloud (2020)

For fans of: Bonkers genre mash-ups, Chloë Grace Moretz

Director: Roseanne Liang
Stars: Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson
Genre: Action, Horror, War
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 66

This movie isn’t for everyone, but if Chloë Grace Moretz fist-fighting a bat-like creature is for you, then this is definitely your kind of movie. It’s a WWII movie, a creature feature, and a female action flick all in one, as Moretz stars as a woman with secrets who catches a lift from a WWII combat plane. In addition to firing at Japanese fighter planes, the crew ends up tangling with a monster and they’re picked off one-by-one until Moretz has to save the day. These aren’t spoilers, these are just facts you know are coming. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Changing the Game (2019)

For fans of: Trans rights, emotional sports stories

Director: Mike Barnett
Stars: Andraya Yearwood, Mack Beggs, Ngozi Nnaji, Ngozi Yarwood, Sarah Rose Huckman, Terry Miller
Genre: Documentary, Sports
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 77

One of the most talked about issues in sports today is the role of transgender athletes. The award-winning documentary Changing the Game takes a humane, honest look at the subject from the point of view of three transgender teen athletes fighting for their right to compete. The centerpiece is trans man Mack Beggs, who was given two options by his home state of Texas: wrestle as his assigned sex (female) or quit. He chose to wrestle. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Biggest Little Farm (2018)

For fans of: Cute animals, feeling hopeful for once, saving the world

Director: John Chester
Stars: John Chester, Matthew Pilachowski, Molly Chester
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 73

The thought of watching a white couple from Los Angeles give up city life to start an organic farm sounds like a hard pass. But in the documentary The Biggest Little Farm, self-righteousness and hipster woke culture isn’t the star; nature, in all her splendid beauty, is. This stunning documentary manages to capture the power of life with incredible footage of flora and fauna. It also captures the positive impact that humans can have, for a change, as the director, John Chester, and his wife, Molly, transform neglected acreage into a thriving ecosystem where literally every animal big and small plays an important part. Even though there are some basic facts of life on full display here — animals will die — it’s a great watch for the whole family. This is one of those rare films you’ll leave feeling that you can make a difference. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Parasite (2019)

For fans of: Class conflict, conning the rich

Director: Bong Joon-ho
Stars: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Lee Jung-eun, Jang Hye-jin
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Comedy
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 96

Parasite, the 2020 winner for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, is on Hulu, so you are really running out of excuses if you haven’t seen it. Though technically not at all about any parasites, it’s the parasitic metaphor that really strikes hard as a low-income family slowly infiltrates a wealthy family, living off them like ticks on a dog. But both sides have deep, dark secrets that come to light by the movie’s totally bonkers ending. The movie’s message isn’t the only thing to watch for; Bong’s immaculate direction and cinematography are bolstered by a truly incredible performance by its ensemble cast. Don’t be that person who hasn’t seen Parasite. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn (2021)

For fans of: Startups shutting down, cults, bad business

Director: Jed Rothstein
Stars: Adam Neumann
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 61

This Hulu original documentary is best watched by knowing as little as possible about WeWork, the real estate company that provided work stations for startups and became a Wall Street juggernaut before its founder, Adam Neumann, essentially drove the company off a cliff. That’s because it probably won’t tell you anything you don’t already know, if you’ve followed the story, but even with that, it’s still astonishing to see how events unfolded as Neumann essentially built a cult and had a desire to change the world with some pretty far-out ideas, like WeGrow, a private communal school built on the same foundations of WeWork. This is a dangerous lesson in capitalism. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Minding the Gap (2018)

For fans of: Skateboarding, the bittersweet passage of time

Director: Bing Liu
Stars: Kiere Johnson, Zack Mulligan
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 90

If you like your documentaries with a side of a punch in the gut, Minding the Gap will suffice! The Oscar-nominated film, from first-time director Bing Liu, follows Liu as he reconnects with two of his old skateboarding buddies while the twentysomething young men all deal with the struggles of growing up after childhoods of abuse and neglect. Archival footage is both exuberant and emotional as the trio escapes troubles through skateboarding and details the problems at home, while new footage shows how their lives have changed (or not changed) through unplanned fatherhood, new family issues, and more all-too-common obstacles. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

For fans of: French affairs, the way Saoirse Ronan says “Women” in Little Women

Director: Céline Sciamma
Stars: Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel
Genre: Drama, History, Romance
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 95

The most romantic movie of 2019, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a simmering love story designed to devastate and delight. Céline Sciamma directs the film, which is set in 18th century France and revolves around the affair that develops between an artist and her subject, a young aristocratic woman who is about to be married off. The chemistry between the leads, Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel, is a pleasure to watch in action, made all the more upsetting because of the pervasive knowledge that there’s a hard expiration date on their relationship. –Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Palm Springs (2020)

For fans of: Groundhog Day, wedding shenanigans

Director: Max Barbakow
Stars: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons, Camila Mendes, June Squibb, Peter Gallagher, Tyler Hoechlin
Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 83

The less you know about Palm Springs going into it, the better, but it’s probably no secret at this point that this delightful comedy features Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti as a pair of wedding goers who find themselves trapped in a time loop. Their performances are at once goofy and grounded, and there are plenty of surprises packed into every precious minute of this wild, incredibly fun rom-com with touches of sci-fi. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Nomadland (2020)

For fans of: Camper vans, using a bucket as a bathroom

Director: Chloé Zhao
Stars: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 93

You have Hulu, so you may as well watch the 2021 Oscar winner for Best Picture. Frances McDormand stars in this adaptation of the 2017 book about a nomad who works odd jobs and lives out of a van as part of a lifestyle choice, bringing light to an expanding community of people breaking the mold of how we’re supposed to live. Many of those people are in the film as major characters, adding an immersive sense of authenticity. Part of that authenticity? The feeling you get wondering if you should ditch your house and hit the road to fully appreciate everything life and nature has to offer. Nomadland is a unique achievement that deserved every award it got. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Together Together (2021)

For fans of: Unlikely friendships, modern parenthood

Director: Nikole Beckwith
Stars: Patti Harrison, Ed Helms
Genre: Comedy
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 70

I keep telling people to seek out this sweet indie, which had a theatrical release before movie theaters really opened up, and now everyone can watch it for free*! (*Well, with a Hulu subscription.) Ed Helms stars as a man who wants a baby, and Patti “I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson” Harrison plays the woman he’s chosen to be his surrogate, and it’s one of those movies where nothing really happens, but also everything happens. Helms and Harrison are great as two people who don’t really know what to do with or how to relate to each other, but who have been thrown together for the better part of a year due to their circumstances. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and I hope it does the same for you. –Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Another Round (2020)

For fans of: Mads Mikkelsen, Danish drinking culture

Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Stars: Mads Mikkelsen, Cassius Aasav Browning, Helene Reingaard Neumann, Lars Ranthe
Genre: Drama
Rating: Not Rated
Metacritic score: 79

Directed by Thomas Vinterberg, Another Round follows four high school teachers all in the throes of mid-life crises who, desperate to find a reason to keep going on, decide to test out a psychiatrist’s theory that maintaining a certain blood alcohol content each day makes humans more content. It’s a darkly funny and deeply sad film about aging and friendship and the struggle to find fulfillment in life. The 2021 Oscar winner for Best International Film is best known for its luminous final scene, which features its star, Mads Mikkelsen, performing an exuberant dance number to a thumping Euro pop track. –Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Supernova (2020)

For fans of: Tragic love stories, Colin Firth, Stanley Tucci

Director: Harry Macqueen
Stars: Colin Firth, Stanley Tucci
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 73

This isn’t one of those totally sad movies or one of those totally happy movies, even though it will make you both extremely happy and sad. It’s one of those ‘tweeners about the beauty of love and life in the face of tragedy, and I’m already crying. The bittersweet story about a couple (Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci) spending some of their last days together as one of them is afflicted with early-onset dementia is a weeper, but carrying you through it will be Firth and Tucci’s excellent performances. [Trailer]

Three Identical Strangers (2018)

For fans of: Family secrets, getting your damn mind blown

Director: Tim Wardle
Stars: Adrian Lichter, Andrew Lovesey, David Kellman
Genre: Documentary
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 81

Every documentary that has used some variation of the selling point “a story so crazy it has to be true” needs to step aside. The truth in Three Identical Strangers is so bizarre and goes in so many directions you’d never expect that you’ll want to put a pillow on the floor for your jaw. The film follows the story of identical triplets — three gregarious New York boys — separated at birth who meet in their teenage years and become media sensations, but gets really insane when it dives into the circumstances of why they were separated. If I told you any more, I’d ruin it for you. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Possessor (2020)

For fans of: Mind trips, like seriously

Director: Brandon Cronenberg
Stars: Andrea Riseborough, Sean Bean, Christopher Abbott, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Daniel Park
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller, Horror
Rating: Not Rated
Metacritic score: 72

I tend to stay away from movies with trailers that proclaim “from the visionary mind of [insert writer/director here],” because it’s like, get over yourself, dude, but Brandon “son of David” Cronenberg’s latest film is a doozy. The sci-fi film follows an assassin (Andrea Riseborough) who executes hits by taking control of other people’s bodies using implanted chip tech. Seems easy, right? It is, until she has trouble with her latest target (the always dying in a movie or show Sean Bean) when the body (Christopher Abbott) she takes over decides he’s not ready to give up total control. Like his dad, Brandon isn’t afraid to go cuckoo bananers with practical effects and hallucinatory montages. This is an art house freak-out film that deserves cult status. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Mole Agent (2020)

For fans of: Elderly spies, pure emotion

Director: Maite Alberdi
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 69

The charming Chilean documentary The Mole Agent was nominated for an Oscar in 2020, and it’s easy to see why. When a man in his 80s answers an ad from a family who believes their matriarch is being mistreated in a nursing home, he goes in undercover to report what he sees. But what he finds is a unique connection to its residents. Grab a hanky, this one will make your heart explode. –Tim Surette [Trailer]