There’s a lot to watch on Hulu in June. Aside from new releases like Predator: Killer of Killers, the streamer has a substantial library of classic movies like Wall Street with Michael Douglas and The Thin Red Line with Sean Penn.
Hulu also has a lot of underrated movies you may not know about.
Watch With Us has watched hundreds of movies and selected these three underappreciated films that are worth your time and attention this week. The first is the biopic with Warren Beatty, the second is a raunchy comedy with Elisha Cuthbert and the last selection is a sci-fi sequel.
‘Bugsy’ (1991)How can a 10-time Oscar-nominated movie be considered “underrated”? Widely praised at the time it was released, Bugsy is mostly forgotten about today. That should be a crime, since it’s an entertaining gangster picture, a biopic, a romance and an origin story all rolled into one glamorous package.
It’s 1941, and Bugsy Siegel (Warren Beatty) is an East Coast gangster who has been tasked to work in Los Angeles. There, he falls in love with starlet Virginia Hill (Annette Bening), who is attracted to Bugsy’s criminal lifestyle. She supports him as he pursues his dream of building a city in the Nevada desert that specializes in legalized gambling (and other illegal activities). But no one believes in Bugsy’s dream of Las Vegas, and the gangster’s violent past threatens to destroy his attempts to make his idea of a sin city a reality.
Bugsy plays fast and loose with some facts, but it doesn’t matter when a movie is this engrossing and seductive. Directed by Barry Levinson, the movie showcases his attention to character and detail. As the two lovers, Beatty and Bening generate so much chemistry in their scenes together that it’s not surprising to discover they married each other shortly after filming.
‘The Girl Next Door’ (2004)“They don’t make movies like that anymore” is an overused phrase, and it’s a bit bizarre to apply it to a teen sex comedy about a high school student’s relationship with a porn star. But it’s also accurate when talking about The Girl Next Door, a lowbrow comedy that plays better today than it did 20 years ago.
Senior Matthew Kidman (Emile Hirsch) just got into Georgetown University, but can’t afford it. Depressed, he turns his attention to new neighbor Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert), who harbors a secret — she used to be a famous adult film actress. The two bond, but when Danielle’s former life catches up with her, their budding romance threatens to crumble. Can Matthew see Danielle for who she is now rather than who she used to be? And how the hell will he be able to afford college?
The Girl Next Door’s humor is about as mature as its lead teen protagonist. That doesn’t mean it’s not funny, though, and the film frequently cracks enough jokes to keep you entertained. Hirsch and Cuthbert are a charming rom-com couple, and Paul Dano stands out as Matthew’s comedically dorky best friend, Eli, who has a hidden talent that is an unexpected solution to a third-act problem.
The Girl Next Door is streaming on Hulu.
‘Predator 2’ (1990)
With the recent release of the critically acclaimed Hulu movie Predator: Killer of Killers, the venerable sci-fi franchise is stronger than ever. One of its lowest periods was in 1990, when Predator 2 disappointed audiences and critics by failing to mimic the original’s testosterone-fueled jungle action. But the sequel is secretly great, and might be the best entry in the entire series.
Set in a then-future 1997, Predator 2 focuses on a group of heroic LAPD detectives as they try to stop a gang war between Jamaican and Colombian drug cartels. They get more than they bargained for when they discover a Predator hunting both gangs, solving one of their problems but creating another, more serious one. Now, Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) must find a way to battle an alien species that’s seemingly unkillable.
Predator 2 is streaming on Hulu.
