The best movies on Hulu right now (April 2023)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) new

Genre Thriller, Action, Drama, Science Fiction

Stars James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto

Directed by Rupert Wyatt

The Planet of the Apes franchise has gone through a few different incarnations, but the modern reboot, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, is a cut above the rest.

Andy Serkis stars as Caesar, a remarkably intelligent chimpanzee who lives with his adoptive father, Dr. William Rodman (James Franco). Will’s attempt to cure Alzheimer’s disease has catastrophic results for the world, but it also greatly enhances the intelligence of apes. And when Caesar is locked away with this fellow apes, he takes the initiative to lead a revolution.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Official Trailer (HD)

Lincoln (2012) new

Genre History, Drama

Stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn

Directed by Steven Spielberg

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Steven Spielberg’s superlative biopic, Lincoln, covers a very specific time in the life of President Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis). In the waning months of the Civil War, Lincoln faces the very real prospect that his Emancipation Proclamation may be overturned, and the Thirteenth Amendment to ban slavery is not yet in the books.

It’s a political drama at heart, as Lincoln figuratively moves mountains to make it happen, even as the viewer realizes that the clock is ticking on his own life as well.

Lincoln | #TBT Trailer | 20th Century FOX

Dredd (2012) new

Genre Action, Science Fiction

Stars Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey

Directed by Pete Travis

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As comic book movies go, Dredd has a pretty low-budget. But the action and intensity more than makes up for the lack of dazzling effects. In the near future, Judges act as law enforcement figures in Mega-City One. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) and rookie judge, Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), attempt to take down a local crime lord, Madeline “Ma-Ma” Madrigal (Lena Headey).

However, Dredd and Anderson soon find themselves trapped in a residential building controlled by Ma-Ma, with a bounty on their lives that even some of their fellow judges attempt to collect. Thirlby is really engaging as Anderson, but Urban is the perfect Dredd in every way. He is the law!

Despicable Me (2010) new

Genre Family, Animation, Comedy, Crime

Stars Steve Carell, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier

Directed by Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud

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The original Despicable Me introduced viewers to Gru (Steve Carell), a delightfully evil super-villain who has big dreams of stealing the moon and showing up his rival, Vector (Jason Segel). With his hilariously bizarre Minions in tow, Gru makes an elaborate plan that involves adopting three orphan girls, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Elsie Fisher).

Much to Gru’s surprise, the girls quickly accept him as their adoptive father and show him love and affection. And even Gru’s cold heart can’t help but love them in return, even if it threatens his ambitions.

The Cable Guy (1996)

Genre Comedy, Drama, Thriller

Stars Jim Carrey, Matthew Broderick, Leslie Mann

Directed by Ben Stiller

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The Cable Guy stars Jim Carrey as Ernie “Chip” Douglas, the titular field service technician who wreaks havoc on the life of one Steven Kovacs (Matthew Broderick) when the latter bribes Chip to give him some movie channels for free. This single, under-the-table transaction quickly devolves into a whirlpool of mayhem when Chip begins showing up unannounced in Steve’s day-to-day life. Hoping for nothing more than a friendship, Chip’s approach isn’t exactly subtle, and Steve’s attempts to disconnect prove comedically futile. While not the box-office sensation of other mid-’90s Carrey hits like Ace Ventura and The Mask, The Cable Guy has established a more-than-healthy cult following over the last few decades.

Something in the Dirt (2022)

Genre Science Fiction, Mystery

Stars Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Sarah Adina Smith

Directed by Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson

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An exciting example of the kind of narrative ingenuity that only a worldwide pandemic can foster, Something in the Dirt is the latest film from writer-director duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (The Endless, Synchronic), and is arguably the most primitively fascinating work of these two collaborators. Shot over the course of a year with a crew of just 12, our story follows Levi and John, apartment-dwelling neighbors who decide to make a documentary about a range of supernatural events occurring in their Los Angeles residence. But as the two men discover that these kinds of extraordinary happenings are taking place all over L.A., their findings lead them to a combative exchange of theories and calculations.

The Valet (2022)

Genre Comedy, Romance

Stars Eugenio Derbez, Samara Weaving, Max Greenfield

Directed by Richard Wong

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In The Valet, Eugenio Derbez and Samara Weaving star as Antonio and Olivia, a dedicated valet driver and a Hollywood starlet that “hires” Antonio to act as her new boyfriend when the actress is accidentally photographed with the man she’s actually seeing (Max Greenfield), who just so happens to be married. As the mass media aims the spotlight more and more at the fake couple, it’s only a matter of time before the news breaks that the romance is fabricated. It’s a heartfelt comedy with attention paid to character development and earnest performances, something that is often lacking in many of today’s bigger-budget comedies.

The French Dispatch (2021)

Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance

Stars Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton

Directed by Wes Anderson

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Following the sudden death of editor Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray), his will demands that publication of his magazine, The French Dispatch, be terminated immediately, with the exception of one last issue. Using this setup as a means for anthological storytelling, writer-director Wes Anderson delivers four cinematic vignettes that are actually filmed renditions of The French Dispatch’s swan song. Everything everyone loves about Wes Anderson arrives and performs as expected, but there’s something a little bit more mature, even melancholy, about the world of The French Dispatch.

Better Days (2019)

Genre Drama

Stars Zhou Dongyu, Jackson Yee, Yin Fang

Directed by Derek Tsang

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Based on the Chinese young adult novel In His Youth, In Her Beauty, Better Days stars Zhou Dongyu as Chen Nian, a bullied high school student who crosses paths with Xiao Bei (Jackson Lee), a street thug. As the two youths start to form an alliance, one of Chen’s bullies turns up dead, and the investigating authorities believe that Chen and Xiao could be the killers. Better Days is a gripping bit of melodrama that leans heavily on the humanity of its core characters, delivering an elevated tale of what it’s like to be entering adulthood both on and off your own terms.

War Dogs (2016)

Genre Comedy, Crime, Drama

Stars Miles Teller, Jonah Hill, Ana de Armas

Directed by Todd Phillips

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Co-written and directed by Todd Philips, and based on a 2011 Rolling Stone article and Efraim Diveroli’s 2016 memoir Once a Gun Runner, War Dogs stars Jonah Hill and Miles Teller as a pair of longtime pals who have the opportunity to rake in gigantic piles of cash by becoming multinational arms dealers. Enjoying their lives of newfound riches, reality comes crashing down on the boys after they land a $300 million contract to supply Afghan troops with weaponry. A fun thrill ride concerned less with authenticity and more with narrative bravado, War Dogs is the kind of movie that excites at every turn, even if what we see on-screen is only a fragment of the true story the film is based upon.

Ultrasound (2022)

Genre Science Fiction

Stars Vincent Kartheiser, Chelsea Lopez, Breeda Wool

Directed by Rob Schroeder

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In director Rob Schroeder’s Ultrasound, Mad Men alum Vincent Kartheiser stars as Glen, an unassuming everyman who just so happens to encounter some car trouble on a dark and stormy night. Seeking some help, he knocks on the door of a perfectly kind stranger named Arthur (Bob Stephenson), leading the former down an uncanny rabbit hole of deceit and mind control. Presenting a nail-biter of a story without diving into carnage and other typical screen grabs, Ultrasound does its best work as a quietly curious foray into a world that’s hard to pin down.

The Worst Person in the World (2021)

Genre Drama, Comedy, Romance

Stars Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum

Directed by Joachim Trier

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In The Worst Person in the World, Renate Reinsve stars as Julie, an Oslo-based medical student, and it follows the course of four years throughout her personal life and career. It’s the kind of meditative and hard-talking dark comedy that only comes around once in a while, but The Worst Person in the World is one of those rare cinematic home runs that doesn’t need to act big and tall to stand out from the crowd. And thanks to Reinsve’s down-to-earth performance, it’s a film that’s easy to get on board with.

The Last Tourist (2021)

Genre Documentary

Stars Elizabeth Becker, Sangduen Lek Chailert, Costas Christ

Directed by Tyson Sadler

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When traveling somewhere tropical and off-grid, we typically view these vacations as nothing more than personal getaways for us and those we love. But there’s a whole other side of the tourism coin that doesn’t get talked about — until director Tyson Sadler came along, that is. Through his eye-opening documentary The Last Tourist, Sadler paints a much different picture of tourism’s impacts on the parts of the world that need extra care and protection from humanity’s grip, while also discussing the positive aspects of worldly excursions. In the end, the audience is left with an important message that may have you thinking twice about your next venture to somewhere distant and remote.

Hellraiser (2022)

Genre Horror, Mystery

Stars Odessa A'zion, Jamie Clayton, Adam Faison

Directed by David Bruckner

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It’s about time the world of Hellraiser received some much-needed reimagining. For years now, the franchise has seen sequel after sequel, and while Cenobite fans are always pleased to see Doug Bradley donning his Pinhead garb, the series has certainly run into its fair share of cinematic duds. But director David Bruckner has come along to get the saga on track once more. The 2022 remake stars Odessa A’zion as Riley, an on-the-mend drug addict who comes into the possession of a runic puzzle box — a mysterious device that summons an armada of hellish entities. Led by the Hell Priest (Jamie Clayton), Odessa is plunged into a fight for survival when the demonic visitors begin wreaking havoc in the real world. Bruckner’s Hellraiser reboot may not satisfy all of the saga’s diehards, but when you consider it as a gruesome yet polished homage to Clive Barker’s source novella and first batch of films, the 2022 version more than gets the job done.

I Think We're Alone Now (2018)

Genre Science Fiction, Drama, Mystery

Stars Peter Dinklage, Elle Fanning, Paul Giamatti

Directed by Reed Morano

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Have you ever heard of the classic Twilight Zone episode “Time Enough at Last” about a book-loving bank teller who finds solace in a post-apocalypse rid of humanity, but filled with plenty of excellent reading material? While the “last man on Earth” narrative has received plenty of cinematic attention over the years, each stab at the formula may be traced back to Burgess Meredith’s Twilight Zone episode, with 2018’s I Think We’re Alone Now serving as yet another homage to it. Peter Dinklage stars as Del, a man who embraces a life of solitude in the wake of a global pandemic that has seemingly eradicated the rest of mankind. That is until one fateful day, when a woman named Grace (Elle Fanning) arrives, disrupting Del’s idyllically quiet day-to-day. In I Think We’re Alone Now, director Reed Morano creates a world where isolation is less a curse and more a blessing, where companionship begins as an adversarial force and slowly unravels into something potentially more meaningful.

Derek DelGaudio's In & Of Itself (2020)

Genre Documentary

Stars Derek DelGaudio, Hal Schulman, Marina Abramović

Directed by Frank Oz

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We all ponder over the great existential questions of life from time to time. Who are we? Why are we here? Where are we going next? And while cinema is often used as a philosophical medium through which we can explore such inquiries through fiction and nonfiction lenses, such introspection has never been captured like it has in Derek Delgaudio’s mesmerizing documentary/stage spectacle In & Of Itself. Directed by Frank Oz, Delgaudio’s work combines elements of traditional stage performance and unconventional narrative structure to deliver a filmic spectacle that is hard to describe but impossible to forget.

The Last Duel (2021)

Genre Action, Drama, History

Stars Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer

Directed by Ridley Scott

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When it’s a multi-million-dollar historical blockbuster you need, Ridley Scott is the man that you call for the job. And in 2021, 20th Century Studios beckoned for the British savant to deliver his auteur magic for a major motion picture called The Last Duel. The ensemble cast includes Adam Driver, Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, and Ben Affleck, and the time and place is France during the Hundred Years’ War. When respected noble Jacques Le Gris (Driver) makes unwanted advances on the wife (Comer) of a cherished knight (Damon), the warrior’s spouse doesn’t remain silent, rallying the kingdom and setting off a chain of events that all lead up to the last-recorded duel in French history. Defiantly acted and beautifully shot, The Last Duel treads narrative waters we’ve all seen before. But with Scott at the helm, a certain kind of sincerity and narrative intelligence rise to the surface.

This Mountain Life (2018)

Genre Documentary

Stars Simon Beck, Martina Halik, Tania Halik

Directed by Grant Baldwin

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This Mountain Life is the kind of documentary film that exposes viewers to treacherous, isolated environments where geographically remote livelihoods are par for the course and tundra survival is as second-nature as putting milk in your cereal. Released in 2018, director Grant Baldwin’s thought-provoking film explores the lives of British Columbia residents living in and around the region’s mountainous landscapes. The subjects include a mother and daughter pairing who are looking to undertake a significant traversing of the local Coast Mountains area. A philosophical deep-dive into what it takes to be one with your land and hills, This Mountain Life is up there with the best deeply-pondered Herzog nature docs and National Geographic specials.

Dinner in America (2022)

Genre Comedy, Drama, Music

Stars Kyle Gallner, Emily Skeggs, Pat Healy

Directed by Adam Rehmeier

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It’s not often that you see the punk rock music genre getting any kind of cinematic limelight (sans films like Her Smell and Green Room), but even less so when the film genre of choice is an indie rom-com. Such is the case, though, with writer-director Adam Carter Rehmeir’s 2020 film Dinner in America, and the results are pretty great. Starring Kyle Gallner and Emily Skeggs as a singer and his band’s devoted fan, our story follows the star-crossed lovers as they travel around the lesser-seen suburbs and pervading urban sprawl of the American Midwest. If you’ve seen Garden State or Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, picture these two films being tossed into a blender with a healthy bit of rated-R this and that for extra punch, and you’re probably at least halfway to the look, feel, and budgetary, off-the-cuff sensibilities of Dinner in America.

The Act of Killing (2012)

Genre Documentary

Stars Anwar Congo, Herman Koto, Syamsul Arifin

Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn

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When it comes to documentary filmmaking, The Act of Killing stands as one of the deepest-cutting uses of the genre’s conventions, unpacking a subject that may not be easy to talk, look, or think about. But director Joshua Oppenheimer and his creative team did the hard work of getting the topic on-screen. The subject: the mass execution of accused Indonesian communists from 1965 to 1966. And perhaps most disturbingly, the film explores the prolific rise of the executors, observing the various layers of corruption and extortion that these individuals are responsible for. It’s not an easy watch, but if you’re looking for something that’s insightful and emotionally complex, The Act of Killing more than fits the bill.

Pig (2021)

Genre Drama, Thriller

Stars Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin

Directed by Michael Sarnoski

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In Pig, Nicholas Cage stars as Robin Feld, a truffle forager living off the grid in the backcountry of the Pacific Northwest. With a day to day composed of seeking out and selling rare fungi to a local restaurant supplier named Amir (Alex Wolff), Feld is content to go about a simple life of living off the land, that is until a posse of malcontents steal his truffle-foraging swine. Teaming up with Amir to track down the thieves, Robin must go to great lengths to infiltrate the locales and social circles he left behind to regain the animal he loves. A stirring blend of arresting performances and a unique narrative, Pig is the kind of independent film that makes a quiet but powerful impact before fading into the greater ephemera of bigger-budget pictures. That being said, catch it while you can — you won’t be disappointed.

The Bob's Burgers Movie (2022)

Genre Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Stars H. Jon Benjamin, Kristen Schaal, John Roberts

Directed by Loren Bouchard, Bernard Derriman

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The Bob’s Burgers Movie is like the distantly-related cousin of the similarly titled 2007 film The Simpsons Movie. Both flicks are the feature-length descendants of two widely popular and long-running TV series, each backed by a bountiful collection of awards, endless amounts of merchandise, and fueled-up fanbases always looking for more. And just as The Simpsons Movie was an excellent (but somewhat unnecessary) addition to The Simpsons canon, so too is The Bob’s Burgers Movie to its own namesake series. The story follows the Belcher family, idiosyncratic restauranteurs faced with an interesting challenge — how to get patrons into the burger shop with a massive sinkhole in front of the entrance. The narrative begins here, and like the show, branches out into all sorts of misadventures. The Bob’s Burgers Movie is a dish tailor-made for the show’s legion of supporters, but it’s an awesome watch for new viewers, too.

Prey (2022)

Genre Science Fiction, Action, Thriller, Horror

Stars Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg

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Serving as a centuries-ago prequel to the 1987 film Predator, Prey gives us the story of a Comanche warrior named Naru (Amber Midthunder) who aspires to be the mighty protector of her Great Plains tribe. One day, a powerful new foe descends on her clan, forcing Naru and her fellow Comanche to summon up all their wits and strength to thwart the combatant extraterrestrial. Prey is a propulsive and blood-soaked nail-biter of an action film, and one that could effectively stand alone as a singular entity. But in this case, it’s a new entry in a much-loved franchise, and it’s one we’re betting will make plenty of fans happy.

John Dies at the End (2013)

Genre Horror, Comedy

Stars Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Doug Jones

Directed by Don Coscarelli

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Based on the David Wong novel of the same name, John Dies at the End is a kaleidoscopic horror-comedy of epic proportions. Chase Williamson stars as David, your typical everyman protagonist, and the story follows his mind-altering adventures alongside his gang of friends. At the center of these otherworldly jaunts is a mysterious new drug called “Soy Sauce,” a nightmarish substance accidentally injected by David that allows him to jump through time and space, into and out of alternate dimensions. The end result for us viewers? A wild trek of a film that will leave your brain hovering somewhere over a triple rainbow in a distant universe.

Flee (2021)

Genre Documentary, Animation

Stars Amin Nawabi, Daniel Karimyar, Fardin Mijdzadeh

Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen

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Flee is one of those movies that fully commands the power of documentary filmmaking to tell an unbelievable true story. With jaw-dropping animation as our visual medium of choice, director Jonas Poher Rasmussen unpacks the emotionally arresting past of one Amir Nawabi, a refugee from Afghanistan (operating under an alias) who recounts his experience of fleeing his native country close to two decades ago. Heartfelt, beautifully constructed, and filled with frame after frame of immersive imagery, Flee is an important bit of storytelling you don’t want to miss.

Apollo 11 (2019)

Genre Documentary, History

Stars Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins

Directed by Todd Douglas Miller

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The idea behind Apollo 11 is engaging archival footage and audio recordings in a way that weaves and threads an inspiring narrative. Chronicling the 1969 Apollo mission, the documentary negates the traditional talking-head format in favor of cinéma vérité-style 70mm behind-the-scenes footage of the historical space mission and its primary crew — specifically Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and a host of mission engineers providing Earth support to the trio of astronauts. “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” is a phrase that is deeply engrained in the fabric of humanity, and this powerful documentary is a monolithic reminder of the many grand triumphs that man is capable of discovering.

Sundown (2022)

Genre Drama

Stars Tim Roth, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Iazua Larios

Directed by Michel Franco

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In Sundown, Tim Roth is Neil Bennet, the emotionally and financially domineering patriarch of a high-class family. Vacationing in Mexico with his sister Alice (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her two children (Samuel Bottomley and Albertine Kotting McMillan), Alice receives distressing news about a death in the family. Planning to travel home, Neil makes up an excuse at the last second to stay in Acapulco, where he indulges in a series of cheap thrills in an effort to distance himself from his sister, the death, and anything else that could pester the quiet and miserly gentleman. A bleak drama, Sundown is propelled by the chameleon-like performance of Tim Roth at its center, portraying a man who has it all but would seemingly give it all up if it meant disappearing was a possibility.

Three Identical Strangers (2018)

Genre Documentary

Stars David Kellman, Robert Shafran, Lawrence Wright

Directed by Tim Wardle

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Joining the ranks of Hulu’s jaw-dropping documentaries, Three Identical Strangers traces the story of Edward Galland, David Kellman, and Robert Shafran, identical triplets who were separated at birth and reunited years later after a chance meeting in New York. After spending time together and learning about each other’s lives, the three brothers unravel a deep-seated mystery that changes everything they knew about each other, themselves, and the clinical details of their adoptive upbringings. This is a documentary that screeches into huge hairpin turns, forcing its viewers to question the nature of reality and what it means to have your life altered without your knowledge or consent.

Death on the Nile (2022)

Genre Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Stars Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

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Kenneth Branagh’s star-studded Death on the Nile is a sequel to 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express, and sees Branagh returning to the director’s chair and performing once again as one Hercule Poirot, a Belgian detective that stumbles upon another grand murder-mystery. After boarding a river steamer in celebration of a couple’s nuptials, the glamorous trek becomes a nightmare when foul play is unearthed. Once more, Poirot must go to work to discover who amongst the aristocratic movers and shakers is the suspect of this new, horrific crime. A dazzling, powerhouse ensemble piece, Death on the Nile is propelled by the unbeatable talents of its sprawling cast, with Branagh being particularly excellent as the hard-nosed Poirot.

Fresh (2022)

Genre Horror, Thriller

Stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jonica T. Gibbs

Directed by Mimi Cave

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Noa (Daisy-Edgar Jones) is sick of swiping through dating apps to find a true companion. Lucky for her, she seems to have run into the man of her dreams, Steve (Sebastian Stan) at the local grocery store. After quickly warming up to each other, Noa’s new suitor invites her on a weekend retreat. But it’s not long before the idyllic, romantic outing devolves into a horrific fight for survival. A brilliantly brutal riff on the horror-comedy, Fresh is a bombastic amalgamation of familiar genre tropes that we can’t get enough of.

Spencer (2021)

Genre Drama

Stars Kristen Stewart, Jack Farthing, Sally Hawkins

Directed by Pablo Larraín

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Spencer offers a fresh take on the introspective turmoils of Princess Diana, portrayed by the grounded and arresting Kristen Stewart. With her marriage to Prince Charles in a tumultuous place, the two nobles have agreed to keep the peace through the Christmas season. But as the holiday festivities ensue, Diana’s inner demons begin to boil over, as she considers what life could be as an ex-communicate of the royal family. A moving character study with powerful performances and thoughtful storytelling at its core, Spencer does its due diligence in paying homage to the tragic Princess through a lens of harmonious self-discovery.

No Exit (2022)

Genre Horror, Thriller

Stars Havana Rose Liu, Danny Ramirez, Dennis Haysbert

Directed by Damien Power

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When Darby (Havana Rose Liu) discovers her mother is in critical condition, she escapes from her rehabilitation center, hoping to return home to tend to her ailing parent. But when a powerful blizzard puts a monkey-wrench into Darby’s homecoming, she’s forced to take shelter at a highway rest-stop. There she meets a group of fellow travelers, all stranded by the storm. After wandering outside, Darby discovers something in a parked van that initiates a deadly game of cat-and-mouse between her and the rest stop’s other inhabitants. A taut thriller that treads familiar waters, No Exit moves forward, full-steam ahead, dropping one thrill after the other.

Deep Water (2022)

Genre Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Stars Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas, Grace Jenkins

Directed by Adrian Lyne

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A Hulu original, Deep Water stars Ben Affleck and Mary Ana de Armas as Vic and Melinda Van Allen, a married couple that has entered an unsettling part of their relationship. As their love wanes, the troubled husband and wife engage in a tantalizing set of mind games with each other, a psychological battle that ropes in more casualties than just the wedded pair. Based on the 1957 Patricia Highsmith novel of the same name, Deep Water is a slow-burning thriller with blistering performances from both Affleck and de Armas. They’re cinematic waters that have certainly been trodden before, but director Adrian Lyne delivers a rich, if at times troubled, adaptation of Highsmith’s source material.

The Assistant (2020)

Genre Drama

Stars Julia Garner, Matthew Macfadyen, Makenzie Leigh

Directed by Kitty Green

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The Assistant stars Julia Garner as Jane, the new hire at a laurel-touting production company. Serving as the assistant to a powerful executive, Jane’s day-to-day errands and responsibilities become increasingly strenuous as the young woman learns about the sinister underbelly of the production house. But will Jane end up taking action? A grim and realistic take on the significant #MeToo events of recent years, The Assistant is a searing drama led by an understated performance from Garner.

Nightmare Alley (2021)

Genre Crime, Drama, Thriller

Stars Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette

Directed by Guillermo del Toro

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A reimagining of the 1947 noir film of the same name, Nightmare Alley is director Guillermo del Toro’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning film The Shape of Water. Bradley Cooper stars as Stanton Carlisle, a traveling carnival go-getter that happens upon the talents of Zeena (Toni Collette) and Pete (David Straithairn), a husband and wife clairvoyance act. Learning their secrets, Stanton employs their mesmerizing parlor tricks to gain enormous wealth and recognition. But the mighty can only rise so high before they fall. A muted and morbid story of corruption, ego, and madness, Nightmare Alley is a shocker you won’t soon forget.

I, Tonya (2017)

Genre Drama

Stars Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Julianne Nicholson

Directed by Craig Gillespie

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In director Craig Gillespie’s riveting biopic I, Tonya, Margot Robbie stars as the titular figure skater. On her way to Olympic stardom, Tonya’s reputation is steamrolled when her ex-husband carries out a malicious attack on Tonya’s skating rival, Nancy Kerrigan (Caitlin Carver). Not for one second does Gillespie’s sports-drama pretend to be like the rest, opting for a fourth-wall-breaking, larger-than-life approach to Tonya’s rise and fall. Where the storytelling goes through waves of experimentation in the two-hour runtime, Margot Robbie’s performance as the lime-lit Tonya is what most viewers are arriving for, and it’s certainly one of the major reasons you’ll want to stay.

In the Earth (2021)

Genre Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller

Stars Joel Fry, Ellora Torchia, Hayley Squires

Directed by Ben Wheatley

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After a deadly virus has ravaged much of the world, Martin Lowery (Joel Fry), a scientist, and Alma (Ellora Torchia), a park ranger, are tasked with transporting equipment through the woodlands to a research center. En route, Martin sustains a serious injury after he and Alma are attacked at their campsite. Taken in by a man named Zach (Reece Shearsmith), Martin and Alma are thankful for the rescue — until they realize the mysterious man may have an ulterior motive for rescuing them. A hallucinatory indie sci-fi from the talented mind of writer-director Ben Wheatley, In the Earth landed in cinemas mid-pandemic, making for a perfect cinematic allegory on the state of the world and how we contend with disease and the madness of humanity.

The Obituary of Tunde Johnson (2019)

Genre Drama, Thriller

Stars Steven Silver, Spencer Neville, Nicola Peltz

Directed by Ali LeRoi

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Blending cultural awareness with a sci-fi-laced narrative bedrock, The Obituary of Tunde Johnson follows the titular character (portrayed by Steven Silver), a gay Nigerian-American man. Out driving, Tunde is pulled over by a disgruntled police officer who pulls his weapon and ends Tunde’s life. Immediately after the trigger is pulled, Tunde awakens, finding himself trapped in a time loop with his inevitable death facing him repeatedly. Leaning on the big trope of such memorable hits as Groundhog Day, The Obituary of Tunde Johnson pushes the typical light footing of the time loop sub-genre aside in favor of a more character-driven approach, a feat more than accomplished by director Ali LeRoi and Steven Silver’s grounded approach to the lead role.

The Vigil (2020)

Genre Horror, Thriller, Mystery

Stars Dave Davis, Lynn Cohen, Menashe Lustig

Directed by Keith Thomas

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In writer-director Keith Thomas’s The Vigil, Dave Davis stars as Yakov Ronen, a displaced Orthodox Jew residing in the Hasidic Borough Park area of New York. After accepting an offer from his former rabbi to be the overnight guardian of a deceased community member, a horrific entity begins haunting Yakov. Combining traditional Jewish folk influences and the glories of shoestring filmmaking, Thomas succeeds in building a dread-laden atmosphere with earnest performances, close-quarters cinematography, and clever storytelling.

Wander Darkly (2020)

Genre Romance, Drama

Stars Sienna Miller, Diego Luna, Beth Grant

Directed by Tara Miele

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After a traumatic incident, Adrienna and Matteo (Sienna Miller and Diego Luna), a struggling young couple, are sent to the hospital. Confined to rehabilitative quarters, the once-happy pair are transported to an otherworldly realm of surreal memories. While each of them is forced to confront the hazy beginnings of their fizzling romance, their out-of-body paths will cross in bizarre and unexpected ways. Visually, Wander Darkly lives in an elevated plane of awareness, but the emotionally laden performances of both Miller and Luna help to anchor the film in a grounded and often relatable reality.

Another Round (2020)

Genre Comedy, Drama

Stars Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Lars Ranthe

Directed by Thomas Vinterberg

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With an original Danish title of Druk (“binge drinking”), co-writer and director Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round follows a group of four high school teachers with a wild plan. Facing unenthused students, trouble at home, and other midlife hardships, the foursome agrees to test the theories of psychiatrist Finn Skårderud in the workplace. More specifically, the colleagues want to see if maintaining a constant blood-alcohol level of 0.5 will improve their creativity and overall mood. Truly more than another midlife boozer flick, Another Round sees Mads Mikkelsen in top form as Martin, the de facto onscreen leader who attempts to gain more out of his day-to-day through mild intoxication. It’s funny, at times dark, and tactfully hard-hitting.

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