Isn’t spending an entire day on Hulu kind of like browsing through a giant warehouse that has all your online shopping in it? After a while, you either decide to call it a day or find a movie that you’ve seen a dozen times before. But now and then, you hit the jackpot—a movie that’s so good that you can’t wait to share it with your friends.
If you’re past the usual blockbuster crowd and looking for movies that will make you the friend with the best taste, then you’re in luck. Here are the top ten hidden gems on Hulu, from number 10 down to the must-watch.
10. Crush (2022)
Think you know all the teen rom-com tropes? Crush defies them all. Rowan Blanchard stars as Paige, a quirky outsider who reluctantly joins the track team and finds herself in a love triangle that’s hilarious, touching, and completely authentic. The queer romance is so natural and easy-going—it doesn’t need a “big reveal” moment; it’s just a story where love is love.
9. Monica (2022)
This is the type of movie that will sneak up and quietly shatter your heart. Trace Lysette stars as Monica, who moves back home to take care of her estranged, terminally ill mother. It’s a raw, intimate, and often messy movie that is full of moments that feel like they could happen in your own family.
8. BlackBerry (2023)
Before iPhones dominated the planet, there was BlackBerry—and this movie documents its meteoric birth and collapse with quick wit and high energy. A blend of technology history and corporate mayhem, it’s both a time capsule and an object lesson.
7. All of Us Strangers (2023)
Eerie and deeply moving, this drama follows Adam (Andrew Scott), a lonely screenwriter who reconnects—literally—with his long-deceased parents. Throw in a charged romance with his neighbor (Paul Mescal), and you’ve got a film that lingers in your head long after the credits.
6. Sanctuary (2022)
One night, two individuals, and a struggle for power and lust. Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott engage in this hot, wired two-hander that is half psychological game of chess, half dark comedy.
5. Slums of Beverly Hills (1998)
Natasha Lyonne shines in this bittersweet teen coming-of-age tale of a teenage girl crashing from one low-rent apartment to another with her zany family. It’s witty, humorous, and packed with cringeworthy teen reality.
4. American Woman (2019)
A slowly building drama of survival and resilience. In ten years, a mother (Sienna Miller) is trying to find her lost daughter while raising her grandson, turning loss into inner strength.
3. Yes, God, Yes (2019)
Teenage hormones collide with Catholic school repression in this sly, cringeingly funny comedy. Natalia Dyer nails the combination of curiosity, shame, and rebellion in a comedy about sorting yourself out.
2. The Contestant (2023)
Half-documentary, half-psychological horror, this is the real-life account of Nasubi—a Japanese comedian stuck in a strange reality show experiment. Alone, naked, and living off sweepstakes winnings, he becomes an unwitting pop culture sensation.
1. Eileen (2023)
Dark, fashionable, and seething with tension, Eileen reunites Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway in a 1960s Boston thriller about an unlikely bond that descends into madness. The third act will leave you gasping.
The next time you’re hard in the Hulu scroll and lacking inspiration, bypass the easy choices. These movies might not have been the biggest box office hits when they came out, but they’re well worth your time—and could make you the most sought-after movie recommender in your social circle.