Hulu may be known for its stellar TV line-up, but it’s also home to a solid library of must-see movies.
Like the rest of the best streaming services, Hulu’s lineup is constantly in flux as titles are added and removed. August 2024 is no different, bringing several critically acclaimed releases to the platform. We’ve hit up the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes to highlight the best of the best new movies on Hulu this month.
Leading the pack is “The Woman King,” an empowering, real-life-inspired war drama starring Viola Davis. There’s also a comedy-drama about a grave-robbing archeologist that became the darling of the film festival circuit last year (“La Chimera”), a classic Coen brothers madcap crime caper (“Raising Arizona”), and more great movies that might even earn themselves a spot on our list of the best movies on Hulu.
Without further ado, here are five movies that are new to Hulu that have all earned a 90% or higher rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
‘The Woman King’ (2022)
Inspired by the Agojie, an all-women army from the Dahomey Kingdom in West Africa, “The Woman King” follows General Nanisca (Viola Davis) as she prepares a new generation of soldiers to defend against an impending European invasion. Despite being a formidable and revered warrior, Nanisca advocates for a more peaceful path and often clashes with the king (John Boyega) over her petitions to focus on trading palm oil instead of people.
The story follows Nanisca and her latest recruits as they seek to carve out a legacy for themselves, and one shares a special connection to Nanisca. “The Woman King’s” fight scenes are not to be missed, emphasizing hand-to-hand combat with spears and machetes among women combatants whereas most war movies are filled with depictions of men on horseback or fighting with firearms and artillery.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Watch it now on Hulu
‘La Chimera’ (2023)
This comedy-drama follows a British archaeologist named Arthur (Josh O’Connor) with a mysterious talent: He can detect the presence of buried artifacts using a divining rod. He works with a group of tomb raiders, and at the movie’s start, he’s headed back to Italy after being arrested for trying to sell stolen artifacts.
Arthur’s old crew welcomes him back with open arms, and while he’s still bitter they let him take the rap after their last job, it’s not long before he returns to his tomb-robbing ways. Though, unlike his cohorts, Arthur doesn’t seem particularly interested in making money off these illicit adventures; instead, he’s haunted by visions of a beautiful young woman, the love of his life now gone for reasons that aren’t clear. As the film unfolds, his determination to go underground becomes a metaphor for his longing for a past he’s lost but refuses to let go.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Watch it now on Hulu
‘The Fully Monty’ (1997)
Twenty-five years ago, “The Full Monty” was the little indie that could, raking in over $250 million on a $3.5 million budget and securing four Oscar nominations, including a win for Best Musical or Comedy Score. Against all odds, a story about a bunch of unemployed English steelworkers baring it all became both a box office sensation and a cult classic.
In this hilarious and heartfelt comedy, a former steelworker named Gaz (Robert Carlyle) is struggling to make ends meet after the once-successful mill in his town close down. One day he chances upon a line of women eagerly awaiting to see a Chippendales’ striptease act and is inspired to form his own striptease group to earn money. He and his friend Dave (Mark Addy) recruit four others, including their former foreman (Tom Wilkinson), to their group, but to succeed, they’ll need to be willing to go “the Full Monty,” i.e. break out their birthday suits.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Watch it now on Hulu
‘Raising Arizona’ (1987)
“Raising Arizona” is one of my favorite Coen Brothers projects. Their second-ever movie is packed with all the tropes they’ve since become known for: bumbling criminals, a wacky plot, an ominous bounty hunter, and more witty dialogue than you can shake a stick at.
After a reformed small-time robber named Herbert (Nicolas Cage) marries a policewoman Edwina (Holly Hunter) who’s desperate to be a mother, the two discover they can’t conceive a child naturally and Herbert’s criminal history takes adoption off the table. They concoct a hair-brained scheme to kidnap one of a set of quintuplets born to a local businessman, but mayhem ensues when the child’s rich father sends a bounty hunter (Randall Cobb) after them.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Watch it now on Hulu
‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (2012)
Following her Oscar-winning success with “The Hurt Locker,” Kathryn Bigelow delivers a gripping, fictionalized account of the 10-year international manhunt for Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda and mastermind behind the September 11 attacks. While the film is based on true events, Jessica Chastain’s CIA analyst character Maya is fictional and the events are dramatized for the screen.
When Maya uncovers crucial intelligence about bin Laden’s location, a strike force moves in to capture the terrorist. “Zero Dark Thirty” sparked significant controversy when it came out in 2012, drawing criticism for its historical inaccuracies, stereotypes, political biases, and its portrayal of torture. Whatever side you fall on, the film remains a riveting chronicle of a major moment in American history.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Watch it now on Hulu
