10 Best Hulu Original Movies, Ranked According To IMDb

Hulu has been somewhat quietly making excellent original movies for several years now. Not all of them are winners, but the majority at least have their merits. And, if the trajectory continues, the movies are only going to get more star-studded, prestigious, and notable.

With a score of 5.4, Adrian Lyne’s Deep Water, starring Ana de Armas and Ben Affleck, didn’t make the cut of the streaming service’s best. However, it was a big title for the streamer and serves as encouragement that the service can pick up other major projects that IMDb voters will like. Furthermore, it’s becoming a streamer to watch for major horror films. 2022 alone will see the release of a Stephen King adaptation, The Boogeyman, as well as continuations of the Hellraiser and Predator franchises.

10 Little Monsters (2019) – 6.3

Easily one of the most bizarre zombie films ever made, it’s easy to see why director Abe Forsythe has been given the keys to the RoboCop kingdom.

The film is a genre blend, and it strikes the balance well. The great Lupita Nyong’o portrays a school teacher who must do what she can to protect the little ones from the flesh-gnawing beasties. It’s a film that knows it’s silly and leans into it, resulting in a movie that’s more funny than scary, but it does actually manage to provide legitimate scares.

9 Vacation Friends (2021) – 6.3

IMDb voters would have no problem calling Vacation Friends one of John Cena’s best movies. The general consensus is that he stole the show, which is impressive considering the cast is rounded out by the consistently funny Lil Rel Howery, Meredith Hagner, King Bach, and Yvonne Orji.

The light comedy follows Orji and Howery’s couple as they vacation in Mexico. Things get fun when they meet Hagner and Cena’s duo, but some friendships are temporary by design. However, the latter pair crash the former’s wedding, and it only gets more stressful from there.

8 The United States Vs. Billie Holiday (2021) – 6.3

Lee Daniels’s The United States vs. Billie Holiday received mixed reviews pretty much across the board. And while its score on IMDb is nothing to scoff at, the general consensus is that the film can be a bit jumbled. however, it features a standout performance from Andra Day, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

The title of the film refers to the United States’s narcotics charge against her, and how the court case was titled as such and felt just the same, especially considering Holiday’s own lawyer refused to attend the proceedings. Even with Holiday being a celebrity in the private eye, her case was over before it began. Daniels’s film is timely, especially given the racial imbalance in narcotics arrests.

7 Happiest Season (2020) – 6.6

At the very least, Happiest Season is great to stream both on Valentine’s Day as well as over the year-closing holiday season. It’s also one of Hulu’s most star-studded originals to date, with greats like Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Kristen Stewart, Dan Levy, Mackenzie Davis, and Mary Steenburgen lining the cast.

It’s a sweet and relatable story about a woman going home for the holidays to come out to her especially conservative parents. The film was directed by Clea DuVall, who has been seen in front of the camera in projects such as The Faculty and Veep.

6 Plan B (2021) – 6.7

The best coming-of-age movies like Plan B tend to go places that ring true for anybody who’s gone through their teens. Natalie Morales (Parks and Recreation) directed Hulu’s 2021 addition to the subgenre, and it received overall positive ratings from IMDb reviewers and sterling critical reviews.

Positive remarks were pointed at the movie’s appropriate handling of its timely message: the attack on women’s legal reproductive rights. There was also praise geared towards Morales’s direction and the performance from the central cast members.

5 Run (2020) – 6.7

Run is a psychological thriller released during the last quarter of 2020, and it ended up setting a viewership record for the streamer. As well-liked and highly discussed as it was on Twitter, the movie managed to be an even bigger hit with critics.

The plot follows Diane Sherman (Sarah Paulson) and her seemingly wheelchair-bound daughter, Chloe (Kiera Allen). However, not everything is as it seems, and Diane harbors some dark secrets that run both women’s lives.

4 Fresh (2022) – 6.7

Fresh was one of Hulu’s biggest original releases for March 2022 and it did very well with IMDb voters considering how hard it can be to watch. It’s not the average date night comedy-thriller, but it’s certainly memorable.

The film follows Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who has a chance encounter at a grocery store with Steve (Sebastian Stan), a seemingly perfect guy. However, Steve is actually a genuine monster, and the things he’s done are nothing short of grotesque.

3 Boss Level (2020) – 6.8

Joe Carnahan directed Frank Grillo in Boss Level, which is assuredly one of the most fun action movies of the past few years.

One of several time-loop movies well worth watching on the streaming service, the sci-fi action hybrid feels like a throwback to excessive ’80s classics like Commando all while taking place in a particularly violent Groundhog Day-like future. It also has a stacked cast, rounded out with fun performances from Michelle Yeoh, Mel Gibson, and Naomi Watts.

2 Big Time Adolescence (2019): 7.0

Big Time Adolescence follows Monroe “Mo” Harris (Griffin Gluck), a 16-year-old boy who remains friends with his big sister’s ex, Zeke (Pete Davidson). Mo’s parents aren’t thrilled with the dynamic, but the pothead hard drinker isn’t as awful an influence as he initially appears.

Critics found the film well-cast and mostly well-acted, with Gluck, in particular, receiving praise. Furthermore, the most positive reviews pointed at the movie’s fair balance of heart and humor.

1 Palm Springs (2020) – 7.4

Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg led Palm Springs, a time-loop movie that is easily one of the best romantic comedies of the past 10 to 15 years.

Produced in part by The Lonely Island, the film follows Milioti’s Sarah Wilder, who is currently at her half-sister’s wedding. She meets a strange man named Nyles (Samberg), who takes her for a walk on the beach only to be assaulted by a man with a crossbow (J.K. Simmons). Wilder then finds herself following Nyles into a cave, but he begs her to stay away. By ignoring him, Wilder guarantees that her life will be forever changed, even if it could simultaneously prove to be the ultimate stagnance.

About The Author

Ben Hathaway
(298 Articles Published)

Ben Hathaway is a Senior Writer (Lists) for Screen Rant. A former Therapeutic Day Treatment counselor, Ben is now a career writer. When not working, he is writing and self-publishing (on Amazon) novels under the name Scott Gray. In his spare time, he’s reading on the porch or watching every film under the sun. Ben can be contacted at [email protected].

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