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The best classic movies on Hulu right now (October 2022)

How do you feel about the classics of cinema? It may sound strange, but there are some film lovers whose affection for the medium doesn’t extend beyond the 21st century. Conversely, we suggest that it’s a mistake for anyone to limit themselves to what they’re willing to watch. The films of the 20th century gave us some of the all-time classics and chronicled the rise of movies as we’ve known them. Sadly, Hulu’s lineup of classic films is a bit sparse at the moment. Regardless, there are still some cinematic gems from yesteryear that deserve to be rediscovered by a new generation. To begin your film education, check out our latest picks for the best classic movies on Hulu right now.

We’ve also curated a guide to the best movies on Hulu and the best movies on Netflix if you’re looking for additional recommendations.

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Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

Peggy Sue Got Married
75%
6.4/10
pg-13
103m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Stars
Kathleen Turner, Nicolas Cage, Helen Hunt
Directed by
Francis Ford Coppola
Watch on Hulu
Not quite as a classic in age as most on this list, Peggy Sue Got Married is as classic as it gets when it comes to fantasy, time-travel, romance comedies. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the story follows the titular Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner), a middle-aged mom in 1985 whose high-school sweetheart husband (Nicolas Cage) turns out to be not so sweet and the couple has separated. Things get wacky at Peggy Sue’s high school reunion, though, when she passes out on stage and wakes up in 1960 during her senior year and has a chance to do it all over again. Will she make the same mistakes or will she change her future life forever? 

A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969)

A Boy Named Charlie Brown
7.3/10
g
86m
Genre
Family, Animation, Comedy
Stars
Peter Robbins, Pamelyn Ferdin, Glenn Gilger
Directed by
Bill Melendez
Watch on Hulu

Charles M. Schultz started producing his beloved Peanuts comic strip in 1950, and this animated musical comedy is the first feature film based on his works. The story is classic Charlie Brown — our forever hard-done-by hero, always convinced that he’s the worst at everything, enters the school spelling bee. When he actually wins, Charlie Brown feels the pressure as he heads to New York City to compete at the nationals. Full of all the characters we know and love, including Snoopy and Woodstock, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, and more, this classic Peanuts cartoon is a must-watch for fans of Schultz’s timeless comics. 

The Princess Bride (1987)

The Princess Bride
77%
8.1/10
99m
Genre
Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance
Stars
Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin
Directed by
Rob Reiner
Watch on Hulu
The Princess Bride has earned its reputation as one of the most beloved films ever made. Cary Elwes stars as Westley, a young man who is hopelessly in love with a woman he can never have: Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright). But when Buttercup is forcefully engaged to be married to Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), Westley recruits the outlaw, Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), and a gentle giant named Fezzik (Andre the Giant) to help him rescue his true love. Even the framing sequence for the film is great, with Peter Falk as a grandfather who relates the story to his sick grandson (Fred Savage).
The Princess Bride - 30th Anniversary Trailer - In Cinemas Oct 23

Hondo (1953)

Hondo
79%
7/10
pg
83m
Genre
Western
Stars
John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond
Directed by
John Farrow
Watch on Hulu
John Wayne made his name in Westerns, and Hondo is one of his best. In the film, Wayne plays Hondo Lane, an army cavalry member who befriends Angie Lowe (Geraldine Page) and her young son, Johnny (Lee Aaker). The local Apache tribe respects Angie and her son, but they give her a deadline to take a husband from their people if her own missing husband does not return. To save Hondo’s life, she tells the Apache that he is her husband. However, the rising tensions between the army and the Apache put Hondo and Angie in a very difficult situation. And there is no way to avoid bloodshed when the two sides converge.
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Michael Bizzaco

Michael Bizzaco has been selling, installing, and talking about TVs, soundbars, streaming devices, and all things smart home for the better part of 15 years. He even knows a thing or two about how to fix this stuff when it starts misbehaving (because no tech is perfect!).

Mike has been writing for Digital Trends and several other publications since 2020. Fortunately, he’s still able to write after he got his index finger stuck in a vending machine at the Ramada Inn the summer before fourth grade! From hands-on reviews to best-of roundups, Mike does his best to share his expertise in a friendly and informative way with all readers, and loves staying on top of the latest AV and smart home trends.

When he’s not thanking his father for dislodging his finger from that vile vending machine in New Jersey, Mike enjoys playing guitar, reading, and indulging in horror films with his girlfriend.

Blair Marnell

Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek Monthly, SYFY Wire, Superhero Hype, Collider, DC Universe, and the official sites for Star Trek and Marvel. He also lends his pop culture expertise to Digital Trends on a variety of TV, movie, and streaming features.

Derek Malcolm

Derek Malcolm is a contributing editor and evergreen lead for the A/V and Home Theater section of Digital Trends. Derek joined the DT team in 2020, spending his days wrangling the movie and TV streaming guides before getting the chance to nurture his obsession with the latest audio/video gear. A former musician and practicing vinyl nerd, his passion for sound can be found in his writing, whether it’s a guide to the best speakers and turntables, or a review of a party speaker that’ll blow your roof off.

Derek studied journalism at Toronto’s Humber College, graduating in 1999. He started his career writing about music, movies, and TV, back when people still read things on paper, working at such magazines as TV Guide and celebrity mag Hello! Canada. Derek counts Matt Damon, Britney Spears, and Coldplay among his favorite interviews.

From 2006 to 2018 Derek was the editor-in-chief of Canadian tech and entertainment magazine Connected, where he steered the publication through the invention of the iPhone and the rise of streaming to the demise of BlackBerry and the print industry.

One of two Canucks on the Digital Trends A/V team, Derek is based in Toronto where he lives with his wife, daughter, two cats, and his prized vintage Marantz stereo receivers.

When Derek isn’t cussing at the labyrinthine setup menus of the latest projectors, he can be found at home listening to records or counting the days to ski season.

You can find Derek on Threads and sharing his vinyl exploits on Instagram.

The best sci-fi movies on Hulu right now
Jake Gyllenhaal and Jena Malone as Donnie and Gretchen at the movies sitting besides a giant rabbit in Donnie Darko.

The three pillars of 20th Century Studios' sci-fi movies are the Alien, Predator, and Planet of the Apes franchises. The same is true for Hulu, even though it's very easy to get tired of all of those titles when the streamer doesn't offer other alternatives. Thankfully, Hulu does have a variety of options at the moment, including the unconventional sci-fi thriller, Donnie Darko.

Meanwhile, The Fly is a sci-fi/horror story that's just as disturbing in 2024 as it was in 1986. And to close out this month's new additions, J.J. Abrams' Super 8 takes all of the 1980s sci-fi tropes out for a fresh spin. Other films from the 20th Century Studios lineup round out our selections for the best sci-fi movies on Hulu right now, which you can find below.

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The best hidden gems on Netflix right now
Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson in Detroiters.

Who has time to watch all of their favorite shows on Netflix? That's hard enough to pull off for even seasoned TV watchers. Inevitably, some great shows fall by the wayside because no single person can catch everything that Netflix puts out until someone invents a way for us to watch television while we sleep. Even then, it might still be too much TV.

The best hidden gems on Netflix are the shows off the beaten path that deserve more attention from the streaming audience. This month, Netflix's latest additions to our list include a short-lived Comedy Central sitcom called Detroiters, as well as The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox, which gives sports fans a chance to look back at the team that turned around Boston's fortunes after more than eight decades of failure.

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The best anime on Amazon Prime Video right now
Goku striking an action pose in Dragon Ball Daima.

With Amazon Prime Video's new monthly content, even anime fans have plenty of shows and movies to pick from. Fans have even more options since the streamer added Crunchyroll as an optional premium channel. This addition expands Prime's catalog exponentially, giving users access to both platforms' anime content in one package.

The cost is ultimately the same as subscribing to both individually, but it undoubtedly makes Prime's anime library more accessible to new and longtime fans. Convenient as it is, this library can overwhelm uninitiated audiences. That's where this guide comes in, as the list is updated monthly and focuses on the best anime on Prime Video right now. This includes Prime's native library and the premium Crunchyroll channel.

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