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.
To determine the best movies to watch on Hulu this February, 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 January 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 and cast credits are from IMDb.)
The No. 1 movie is Sergio Leone’s 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 “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 No. 3 movie is Rob Reiner’s 1987 cult classic “The Princess Bride,” starring Robin Wright and Cary Elwes as the romantic leads. (For more of this genre, see the best romantic comedies of all time.)
The list spans almost 70 years of cinematic history in all, from the 1952 John Ford classic “The Quiet Man,” starring John Wayne, to a couple of 2020 movies – the apocalyptic adventure film “Love and Monsters” and the sci-fi-inflected romantic comedy “Palm Springs” (in which J.K. Simmons also has a major role).
Look, too, for westerns, animated films, a Woody Allen movie, a James Bond thriller, and representatives of the Deadpool, Star Trek, and Hunger Games franchises – among many other things.
50. 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
49. A Soldier’s Story (1984)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (9,609 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (6,518 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (24 reviews)
> Directed by: Norman Jewison
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. Monos (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (15,880 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (33 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (150 reviews)
> Directed by: Alejandro Landes
46. 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
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. 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
41. 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
40. 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
39. 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
38. The Shootist (1976)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (23,342 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (9,640 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: Don Siegel
37. 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
36. 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
35. 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
34. The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (16,707 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (10,170 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (13 reviews)
> Directed by: Henry Hathaway
33. Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (39,050 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (22,745 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (170 reviews)
> Directed by: Mark Burton & Richard Starzak
32. 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
31. 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
30. 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
29. Ordinary People (1980)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (49,514 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (23,252 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (55 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Redford
28. The Hate U Give (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (33,599 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (4,519 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (225 reviews)
> Directed by: George Tillman Jr.
27. 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
26. 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
25. 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
24. 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
23. 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
22. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (225,257 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (301,866 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (51 reviews)
> Directed by: Lasse Hallström
21. Gone Girl (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (908,882 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (128,693 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (365 reviews)
> Directed by: David Fincher
20. 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
19. 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
18. 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
17. 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
16. The Quiet Man (1952)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (36,647 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (30,453 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (45 reviews)
> Directed by: John Ford
15. 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
14. The French Connection (1971)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (115,761 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (44,428 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (83 reviews)
> Directed by: William Friedkin
13. El Dorado (1966)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (25,687 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (12,709 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: Howard Hawks
12. 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
11. 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
10. The Conversation (1974)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (105,754 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (35,231 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (57 reviews)
> Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
9. 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
8. Logan (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (688,052 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (93,272 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (423 reviews)
> Directed by: James Mangold
7. Se7en (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,517,067 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (468,879 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (82 reviews)
> Directed by: David Fincher
6. Fight Club (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (1,940,882 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (1,093,796 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (179 reviews)
> Directed by: David Fincher
5. The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (82,141 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (4,708 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (220 reviews)
> Directed by: Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz
4. 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
3. 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
2. 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
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