10 classic movies streaming on Hulu for your next movie night in

Jordan HoffmanFri, May 1, 2026 at 9:00 PM UTC

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Tom Hanks rescues a soldier, Nicolas Cage steals a baby, Sally Field puts the moves on James GarnerCredit: Everett (3)

Hulu is more than just a fun thing to shout if you are in an echoey canyon. (Try it.) It’s one of the finer streaming services, with great new movies and access to terrific television shows, some of which are produced in-house.

But if you look a bit further under the hood, you’ll find a deep well of offerings, including a surfeit of what I like to call modern classics. (The not-very-strict definition of which is: a beloved movie that hit theaters at some point after my birth.)

Naturally, how “classic” these movies may seem depends on your age. For some of you, you were already a thriving member of the workforce when these films debuted. For others, your parents hadn’t even met yet. Or maybe they met… at one of these movies? Wow, that would bring this all full circle.

Anyhow, the good news is that right now, there are several classic movies waiting for you to stream on Hulu. Here are 10 recommendations.

Beaches (1988)

Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey have a philosophical argument about post-Labor Day fashion in 'Beaches'Credit: Everett Collection

This is more than just a delivery method for the ubiquitous ballad “Wind Beneath My Wings.” This much-beloved story follows Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey as C.C. and Hillary, two women who couldn’t be more different but have been BFFs since childhood. Well, minus the times when they aren’t speaking to one another — but that volatility is what makes the whole thing work.

C.C. is a showgirl, Hillary is a human rights lawyer, and they both have ups and downs with romantic partners and careers. Please keep a box of tissues handy for the ending, as Garry Marshall plunges into hardcore weep mode during the final segments. “Flyyyyyy… flyyyyyyyyyyy awayyyyyyyyy!”

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Robin Williams sizes up a desk that he wants to pounce on (like a cat) in 'Dead Poets Society'Credit: Everett Collection

“O Captain! My Captain!” Somehow, in 1989, a movie about privileged rich kids at a private school made sense as a celebration of nonconformity.

Starring Robin Williams at his most sincere and directed by the great Australian auteur Peter Weir, this modestly budgeted tale exploded into a major box-office hit, and introduced wide audiences to Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Josh Charles.

Did it kickstart a youth craze for poetry recitations? Well, let’s not go that far, but it did get a lot of kids to stand up on their desks in search of a different point of view.

The Insider (1999)

CBS News gets journalistically compromised in the midst of a corporate merger. No commentCredit: Everett Collection

If, when you do something for the first time, it makes you heave and cough, it is clearly bad for you. That said, the tobacco industry did all it could for a very long time to convince consumers to ignore common sense. Michael Mann’s slick journalism thriller The Insider is a fascinating look at the individuals who worked to prove just how insidious the economics of poison can be.

Russell Crowe is phenomenal as troubled whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand, Al Pacino is at his short-fused best as television producer Lowell Bergman, and Christopher Plummer rattles the room with gravitas as the face of righteousness, 60 Minutes anchor Mike Wallace.

La Bamba (1987)

First 'The Buddy Holly Story,' then 'La Bamba.' How about some justice for the Big Bopper?Credit: Columbia Pictures/Everett

Released nearly a decade after The Buddy Holly Story, La Bamba sheds light on one of the other stars who perished on “The Day the Music Died,” Ritchie Valens.

Mexican-American pop icons were few back in the 1950s, but Valens’ rise to success on the backs of the crooner hit “Donna,” dance number “Come On, Let’s Go,” and, most importantly, an arrangement of the Mexican folk song “La Bamba,” makes for a thrilling and heartfelt musical biopic.

The movie launched Lou Diamond Philips’ career, while Los Lobos’ recording of the title song became a surprise sensation, helping sustain the already terrific group on their decades-long career.

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Murphy’s Romance (1985)

James Garner likes Sally Field, he really likes her in 'Murphy's Romance'Credit: Everett

This romantic comedy starring Sally Field and James Garner was quietly revolutionary for its time, a rare Hollywood production that showed characters “of a certain age” that were still capable of being romantic and sexy. Set on an Arizona horse farm, the film stars Field as a struggling divorced mother and Garner as the local pharmacist, a widower.

There aren’t many explosions or chase sequences, just lived-in characters, terrific dialogue, and damn fine acting, which made this one of the more beloved unexpected hits of the era. Also keep your eyes open for Carole King in a small role (she’s also on the soundtrack).

Predator (1987)

Still no match for Arnold SchwarzeneggerCredit: 20th Century Fox/courtesy Everett

Thought experiment: Imagine knowing nothing about this movie, missing the opening minute or two of the landing spaceship, and watching this thinking it’s just about a group of mercenaries in Central America … until they start disappearing thanks to a ferocious alien beast! You would have so many questions. (Some will never be answered, like why Arnold Schwarzenegger is called “Dutch” and not “Austrian.”)

The special effects in this film are only matched by the muscles from Arnold, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, and more. After watching this you will never order someone into a helicopter the same way again.

Pretty Woman (1990)

Julia Roberts in an outfit that is only allowed at polo matches or the Kentucky DerbyCredit: Ron Batzdorff/Touchstone

This $14 million movie made nearly half a billion in early ’90s dollars, proving that no one can truly predict what makes a hit.

Richard Gere is at his most charming as a wealthy but emotionally detached businessman who hires the services of a “woman of the night” and ends up falling in love. She is played, of course, by Julia Roberts, who rode this film directly into America’s heart, becoming a household name as the adorable damsel who needs rescuing from her life of disreputable work.

It would be interesting to watch this with a politically active 22-year-old to get their take. For many, though, it’s pure nostalgia.

Raising Arizona (1987)

This cop and this crook would make mighty fine parents. They'll even steal a baby to prove itCredit: Everett Collection

Everything about this zany comedy is perfect, from Nic Cage’s hair to Holly Hunter’s accent, from the yodeling to the opening credits not showing up until the 11-minute mark, and the camera flying around like crazy during a heist-chase involving… diapers?

Raising Arizona proved the Coen brothers’ first independently produced film, Blood Simple (1984), was no fluke. These were filmmakers with a singular perspective who packed every frame with energy and wit. Howling John Goodman emerging from the mud after a jailbreak remains one of the finest moments in cinema.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

*whispering to date while watching 'Saving Private Ryan' when Private Ryan appears on screen*: 'That's Private Ryan'Credit: Everett

Some cinephiles may disagree, but there are movies that may be best watched at home, and Saving Private Ryan is potentially one of them, particularly if you have any anxiety issues. The opening Normandy Beach landing sequence is rightly celebrated, but it’s also… a little intense!

Nearly three decades later, though, that scene and the other battles still pack a punch, as do the in-between stretches where people are not blowing one another up. Credit is due to the remarkable performances by Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Ed Burns, Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel (yes, that’s right, Vin Diesel), Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies, Adam Goldberg, and more.

There’s Something About Mary (1998)

Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller (sort of) in 'There's Something About Mary'Credit: Everett Collection

Never say a comedy can’t be instructive. I don’t know a single male who doesn’t take zippering their fly a lot more seriously after watching this film. Anyhow, this Ben Stiller-led tale of obsession, featuring Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Chris Elliot, and, uh, Jonathan Richman, became an instant shock classic. While it certainly remains funny and heartfelt it, um, uh, might be a candidate for the “you can’t make this today” list.

Oddly enough, one half of its filmmaking duo, Peter Farrelly, later made the Oscar-winning Green Book (2018), proving that nothing is as unpredictable as a Hollywood career.

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