The streaming platform Hulu (formerly branded as Hulu Plus) offers a huge range of movies from production sources including Disney (incorporating Sony Pictures properties from now through 2026), Lionsgate, DreamWorks Animation, and other studios, and television series from networks such as CBS, ABC, NBC, and FX – as well as original content. (These are the most binge-worthy series you can stream right now.)
To determine the best movies to watch on Hulu in March, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of February 2022, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies with at least 5,000 audience votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes, and ruled out documentaries. (Data on streaming availability, current as of this month, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood, and directorial credits are from IMDb.)
The No. 1 movie is Sergio Leone’s seminal 1968 spaghetti western “Once Upon a Time in the West,” starring Henry Fonda cast against type as a cold-blooded killer, and Charles Bronson as the anti-hero known as “Harmonica.” It has an IMDb user rating of 8.5/10 and Rotten Tomatoes audience and Tomatometer scores of 95%. (For more cowboy fare, see the best classic westerns available to stream from home.)
At No. 2 is “L.A. Confidential,” a 1997 American neo-noir crime film based on James Ellroy’s 1990 novel of the same name. It stars Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe as two crusading cops in Los Angeles in the 1950s. The No. 3 movie is “Whiplash” from 2014. It’s the story of an ambitious drummer, played by Miles Teller, and his harsh music instructor, played by J. K. Simmons – who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role.
The most recent movies here are from 2020: “Palm Springs,” “Love and Monsters,” and “Nomadland.” The earliest movie on the list, in contrast, is “To Catch a Thief,” from 1955. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, it stars Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. (If this is your kind of cinematic fare, check out the best classic movie released every year since 1950.)
50. Three Days of the Condor (1975)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (52,010 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (11,762 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (47 reviews)
> Directed by: Sydney Pollack
49. The Nice Guys (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (299,978 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (56,468 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (320 reviews)
> Directed by: Shane Black
48. Booksmart (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (106,360 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (4,116 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (376 reviews)
> Directed by: Olivia Wilde
47. The Squid and the Whale (2005)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (81,225 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (79,097 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (154 reviews)
> Directed by: Noah Baumbach
46. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (276,644 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (256,148 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (211 reviews)
> Directed by: Wes Anderson
45. 500 Days of Summer (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (488,439 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (397,183 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (235 reviews)
> Directed by: Marc Webb
44. Deadpool 2 (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (517,779 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (32,213 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (420 reviews)
> Directed by: David Leitch
43. Tombstone (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (136,036 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (195,590 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (46 reviews)
> Directed by: George P. Cosmatos
42. Garden State (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (211,487 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (330,130 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (192 reviews)
> Directed by: Zach Braff
41. Nomadland (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (126,891 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (573 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (416 reviews)
> Directed by: Chloe Zhao
40. The Raid 2 (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 8/10 (118,592 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (24,310 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (175 reviews)
> Directed by: Gareth Evans
39. Black Swan (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 8/10 (724,171 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (178,225 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (318 reviews)
> Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
38. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (472,231 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (313,001 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (293 reviews)
> Directed by: J.J. Abrams
37. Prisoners (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (637,815 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (108,697 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (253 reviews)
> Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
36. Love and Monsters (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 7/10 (107,648 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (54 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (107 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Matthews
35. Sideways (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (185,184 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (197,759 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (233 reviews)
> Directed by: Alexander Payne
34. Leave No Trace (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (55,265 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (4,960 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (240 reviews)
> Directed by: Debra Granik
33. The Warriors (1979)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (97,861 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (76,187 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (45 reviews)
> Directed by: Walter Hill
32. Snatch (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (811,774 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (394,711 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (142 reviews)
> Directed by: Guy Ritchie
31. 127 Hours (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (360,403 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (95,966 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (238 reviews)
> Directed by: Danny Boyle
30. La La Land (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 8/10 (537,558 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (71,726 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (464 reviews)
> Directed by: Damien Chazelle
29. A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (4,791 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (327,694 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (21 reviews)
> Directed by: Bill Melendez
28. Midnight in Paris (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (402,967 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (82,703 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (224 reviews)
> Directed by: Woody Allen
27. To Catch a Thief (1955)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (69,121 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (52,106 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (50 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
26. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (632,802 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (424,606 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (293 reviews)
> Directed by: Francis Lawrence
25. Skyfall (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (648,708 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (374,338 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (381 reviews)
> Directed by: Sam Mendes
24. Juno (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (503,178 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (549,586 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (217 reviews)
> Directed by: Jason Reitman
23. Dead Man Walking (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (91,822 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (61,910 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (61 reviews)
> Directed by: Tim Robbins
22. Arrival (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (633,887 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (83,786 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (434 reviews)
> Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
21. Love, Simon (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (106,016 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (7,815 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (239 reviews)
> Directed by: Greg Berlanti
20. Moneyball (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (391,423 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (92,018 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (267 reviews)
> Directed by: Bennett Miller
19. Deadpool (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 8/10 (948,399 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (188,078 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (349 reviews)
> Directed by: Tim Miller
18. Palm Springs (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (130,989 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (2,596 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (241 reviews)
> Directed by: Max Barbakow
17. Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (127,249 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (65,419 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (27 reviews)
> Directed by: Don Siegel
16. The King of Comedy (1982)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (96,294 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (27,126 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (62 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
15. Moon (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (345,533 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (100,903 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (194 reviews)
> Directed by: Duncan Jones
14. Blue Velvet (1986)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (189,207 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (77,108 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (76 reviews)
> Directed by: David Lynch
13. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (454,829 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (427,295 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (218 reviews)
> Directed by: Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton
12. Almost Famous (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (264,947 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (325,177 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (174 reviews)
> Directed by: Cameron Crowe
11. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (461,303 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (1,033,117 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (60 reviews)
> Directed by: Tim Burton
10. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 8/10 (818,017 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (1,155,878 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (289 reviews)
> Directed by: Danny Boyle
9. Airplane! (1980)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (224,550 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (292,094 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (69 reviews)
> Directed by: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker
8. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
> IMDb user rating: 8/10 (203,627 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (73,974 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (73 reviews)
> Directed by: Roman Polanski
7. Sense and Sensibility (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (109,172 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (130,924 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (64 reviews)
> Directed by: Ang Lee
6. Glory (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (129,766 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (60,300 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (44 reviews)
> Directed by: Edward Zwick
5. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (72,528 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (23,742 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (48 reviews)
> Directed by: John Ford
4. The Princess Bride (1987)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (408,278 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (527,843 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (78 reviews)
> Directed by: Rob Reiner
3. Whiplash (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (763,755 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (70,602 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (297 reviews)
> Directed by: Damien Chazelle
2. L.A. Confidential (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (551,824 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (150,890 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (115 reviews)
> Directed by: Curtis Hanson
1. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (314,446 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (65,906 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: Sergio Leone