In addition to Hulu adding Mr. & Mrs. Smith to its catalog to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the comedic action thriller, Hulu is adding several more movies that are touching, shocking, and at times… mind-bending. Last month, Hulu added A Real Pain starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin, written and directed by Eisenberg. Culkin and Eisenberg have both received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Screenplay, respectively. If you’re into dramas and thrillers that might have a touch of science-fiction, this is the month to check out the new movies that Hulu has to offer. Read on to find out which one is the best fit for you!

‘In the Summers’ (2024)

This semi-autobiographical drama centers on two sisters traveling from California each summer to spend time with their father, Vicente (René Pérez). In the Summers is written and directed by Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio in her debut feature film, inspired by her own experiences as a child as she visited her father in Columbia every summer. The movie is broken up into four parts, during which sisters Eva (Sasha Calle) and Violeta (Lio Mehiel) navigate their relationship with their distant father. In the first act, the sisters both seem to enjoy their visit, bonding over normal parent-child activities, but in the second act, there’s an accident caused by drunk driving which injures Violeta. The third and fourth acts of the movie showcase how both sisters respond to their father’s behaviors and lifestyle. In the Summers is a “slice of life” movie that allows you to experience how another family navigates situations like separation, grief, guilt, and love. The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury Prize Dramatic Award and the U.S. Dramatic Award for Directing, Screenwriting, and Editing.

In the Summers

Release Date

January 22, 2024

Runtime

95 minutes

Director

Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio

Writers

Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio

‘Omni Loop’ (2024)

Omni Loop is a touching science fiction drama that follows quantum physicist Zoya, portrayed by Weeds star, Mary-Louise Parker, who learns she has a black hole in her heart and only a week to live. She then begins to take time travel pills that she discovered when she was 12 years old, allowing her to go back in time by five days. Frustrated with repeating the same loop with no positive results, she contacts Paula (played by The Bear’s Ayo Edibiri) a research assistant who studies time. As her supply of pills dwindles, she begins to fear that she is wasting too much time trying to stop the inevitable and not spending enough time with her family. While not as dark as the 2006 Darren Aronofsky film, The Fountain, this movie echoes the human aspect of refusing to accept the reality and balance between life and loss.

In the Summers

Release Date

January 22, 2024

Runtime

95 minutes

Director

Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio

Writers

Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio

‘Bad Genius’ (2024)

This movie is a remake of the 2017 Thai film of the same name, in which high schooler Lynn is granted a scholarship for her academic achievements to attend a prestigious school before college. Her father (Benedict Wong) earns a modest income and would not be able to afford tuition without this scholarship. Soon after starting at her new school, Lynn befriends Grace (Taylor Hickson) and her boyfriend Pat (Samuel Braun), who struggle academically but come from wealthy backgrounds. Grace convinces Lynn to help her cheat during an exam, which then leads to her asking to help her boyfriend as well. Bank (Jabari Banks), another student, notices and reveals them to the school board, resulting in the revocation of Lynn’s scholarship and chances for an international scholarship to college. When Grace and Pat ask Lynn to help them prepare for an international standardized test, she agrees because it could potentially lead to a huge amount of money for everyone involved. To do so, she has to ask Bank to join her in pulling off one of the largest scholarship heists of all time. Lynn is played by Callina Liang, who most recently starred in the supernatural thriller, Presence.

Omni Loop

Release Date

March 13, 2024

Runtime

107 Minutes

Director

Bernardo Britto

Writers

Bernardo Britto

‘Things Will Be Different’ (2024)

Stated to be “a film you’ll want to rewatch as soon as it ends,” Things Will Be Different follows estranged siblings Joseph (Adam David Thompson) and Sidney (Riley Dandy) as they meet up at a bar with $7 million in cash after a botched robbery. Joseph suggests they hide at a remote farmhouse nearby that can transport them to an alternate timeline if they follow the instructions in a notebook. With the police closing in behind them, they decide to risk it and discover they are now tasked with following further instructions sent by a mysterious voice through a tape recorder. They are told to wait 14 days before returning to their original timeline, but the longer they wait, the instructions become more dangerous. They are told an unknown visitor will approach them at the farmhouse and that they must kill the visitor before they reach the front door. If they fail to follow the rules exactly, they might be stuck in this time loop forever.

‘Ghostlight’ (2024)

Ghostlight is a drama that follows the Mueller family after the unexpected suicide of Brian, son of Dan (Keith Kupferer) and Sharon (Tara Mallen) and brother to Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer). In their grief, Dan and Sharon pursue a lawsuit against Brian’s girlfriend, whom they blame for his wrongful death. After an emotional and physical outburst at his work, Dan is put on mandatory leave. The incident was witnessed by Rita (Dolly de Leon), who acts at a community theater across the street. She invites him to join her for a script reading, and he becomes enthralled with the stage production of Romeo and Juliet. As he begins to commit more of his time to the production, his wife and daughter suspect he has started an affair, but when they learn the truth, the Mueller family can finally begin to reconnect and bond over their shared grief and loss.

Ghostlight

Release Date

June 14, 2024

Runtime

110 Minutes

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  Katherine Mallen Kupferer

‘Dead Money’ (2024)

Dead Money is a high-stakes thriller starring Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) as professional poker player, Andy, who hosts a game at his home, only to be robbed by Jack (David Keith) and his team of hired thugs. After losing roughly $30,000 from the robbery, he finds an opportunity to steal the money back, with additional money, amounting to $200,000. When Jack discovers the double theft, he takes Andy’s girlfriend, Chloe (India Eisley) as a ransom, forcing Andy to partake in the most important and dangerous poker match of his life. By the end of the night, he has to come up with $500,000 to save his life and Chloe’s.

Dead Money

Release Date

September 13, 2024

Runtime

100 minutes

‘Fresh Kills’ (2024)

Written and directed by Jennifer Esposito (Blue Bloods), Fresh Kills revolves around an organized crime family in late 1980s New York. The movie focuses on the women within the family, who are (at the time) meant to be seen and not heard, and above all– to be loyal to the men who provide for them. Esposito stars as the wife of Joe (Domenick Lombardozzi), a rising kingpin, and mother to two daughters, Rose (Emily Bader) and Connie (Odessa A’zion), as they navigate the balance between luxuries provided to them and the ethical conflict of what Joe does to make a living. Rose struggles with this reality and wishes to break free and run off with her boyfriend, while Connie embraces and accepts the terrible things her father has done to create the lifestyle she enjoys. The movie is inspired by Esposito’s experiences growing up in Staten Island and marks her directorial debut. While she originally struggled to get financing for the film due to a lack of male lead actors, she was able to fund the project through an international public offering (IPO), or stock launch, which included investments from fans worldwide.

Fresh Kills

Release Date

June 14, 2024

Runtime

120 Minutes