100 Hidden Gem Movies on Hulu

The Villainess

(Photo by © Well Go USA)

Hulu’s catalogue of high-quality movies is deep and broad; while the service is not as known for its original films in the same way Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are, its collection of non-original titles is huge – the kind of hit-after-hit collection that could have you rabbit-holing for days. Which is kind of what we did to come up with this list of hidden gem movies available on the streamer.

Here, you’ll find movies you may not have heard of, movies we feel didn’t get quite the level of attention they deserved, as well as a few nostalgic favorites you might be surprised to see available on Hulu. The movies didn’t have to be Fresh – we went to bat for a few Rotten faves, too – but the majority are critically lauded, with a bunch earning the Certified Fresh stamp of approval.

We broke the list into genres, to help you jump to exactly what you’re in the mood for. Scroll though and you’ll find winning comedies (Hearts Beat Loud, Support the Girls), incredible action flicks (The Villainess), moving dramas (BPM, Monsters and Men), and plenty to scare the s–t out of you (The Lodge, Southbound). Hulu has a particularly strong documentary collection, and we’ve highlighted some choice picks among those, too.

If you’re after the very best movies available on Hulu, we’ve got a guide for that, too, along with the best Hulu series and hidden gem series on Hulu if you’re in the mood for a binge. But if you’re looking for something a little more off-the-beaten track, add one of the movies below to your queue.

Found a hidden gem on Hulu that’s not on our list? Let your fellow fans know in the comments.

#21

Adjusted Score: 90.679%

Critics Consensus: The Art of Self-Defense grapples compellingly with modern American masculinity — and serves as an outstanding calling card for writer-director Riley Stearns.

Synopsis: After he’s attacked on the street at night by a roving motorcycle gang, timid bookkeeper Casey (Jesse Eisenberg) joins a… [More]

#20

Adjusted Score: 60.688%

Critics Consensus: The role of a lifetime for Matthew McConaughey, The Beach Bum is set apart by Harmony Korine’s distinctive style, but that isn’t always enough to offset the unfocused story.

Synopsis: THE BEACH BUM follows the hilarious misadventures of Moondog (Matthew McConaughey), a rebellious rogue who always lives life by his… [More]

#19

Adjusted Score: 65.181%

Critics Consensus: The Boy Downstairs finds a few fresh moments in its familiar setup and benefits from Zosia Mamet’s charismatic performance, both of which are enough to keep viewers interested.

Synopsis: Diana (Zosia Mamet) moves back to New York City after a few years abroad and finds the perfect Brooklyn apartment… [More]

#18

Adjusted Score: 67.266%

Critics Consensus: Absurd yet anchored in knotty real-world themes, The Day Shall Come adds another bleakly funny satire to director/co-writer Christopher Morris’ filmography.

Synopsis: An impoverished preacher who brings hope to the Miami projects is offered cash to save his family from eviction. He… [More]

#18

Adjusted Score: 91.808%

Critics Consensus: Colossal’s singular strangeness can be disorienting, but viewers who hang on may find that its genre-defying execution — and Anne Hathaway’s performance — is well worth the ride.

Synopsis: Gloria is an out-of-work party girl who, after getting kicked out of her apartment by her boyfriend, is forced to… [More]

#17

Adjusted Score: 83.223%

Critics Consensus: Greener Grass is far from the first comedy to skewer suburbia — but it might be among the most bizarre and surreally distinctive.

Synopsis: In a day-glo-colored, bizarro version of suburbia where adults wear braces on their already-straight teeth, everyone drives golf carts, and… [More]

#16

Adjusted Score: 98.193%

Critics Consensus: Thoroughly sweet, comfortably familiar, and elevated by the chemistry between Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons, Hearts Beat Loud offers feel-good father-daughter drama.

Synopsis: Widower and aging Brooklyn hipster Frank starts a band with his teenage daughter Sam just before she leaves home to… [More]

#15

Adjusted Score: 89.565%

Critics Consensus: Juliet, Naked’s somewhat familiar narrative arc is elevated by standout work from a charming cast led by a well-matched Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke.

Synopsis: Annie (Rose Byrne) is stuck in a long-term relationship with Duncan (Chris O’Dowd) — an obsessive fan of obscure rocker… [More]

#13

Adjusted Score: 57.059%

Critics Consensus: Lemon succeeds in its aim as a tart satire, but audiences may find this foray into abrasiveness too sour to swallow.

Synopsis: Isaac Lachmann has seen better days. His acting career is tanking, while his colleagues succeed; his blind girlfriend of 10… [More]

#12

Adjusted Score: 91.497%

Critics Consensus: Let the Sunshine In pairs a powerful performance from Juliette Binoche with a layered drama that presents director Claire Denis at her most assured.

Synopsis: Juliette Binoche delivers a luminous performance in the deliciously witty, sensuously romantic new film from acclaimed director Claire Denis (White… [More]

#11

Adjusted Score: 81.161%

Critics Consensus: Like a favorite song you know by heart, Military Wives offers few surprises — but its pleasures are no less formidable for their familiarity.

Synopsis: Military Wives centers on a group of women from different backgrounds whose partners are away serving in Afghanistan. Faced with… [More]

#10

Adjusted Score: 66.375%

Critics Consensus: Mister America misses a number of its targets, but fans of Tim Heidecker’s unique brand of comedy will find moments worth savoring in this dry political satire.

Synopsis: A freshman filmmaker follows Tim Heidecker during the final month of his campaign for district attorney. What begins as a… [More]

Adjusted Score: 92.922%

Critics Consensus: Well-acted and sharply written, Non-Fiction finds writer-director Olivier Assayas working in a comedic vein that channels classic forebears while remaining utterly fresh.

Synopsis: Juliette Binoche and Guillame Canet reunite with acclaimed director Olivier Assayas for this wry, slyly seductive tale of sex, lies,… [More]

Adjusted Score: 66.13%

Critics Consensus: The Oath draws on hyper-partisan modern politics for a pointedly funny satire that hits its targets hard and often enough to more than achieve its desired discomfort.

Synopsis: A controversial White House policy turns family member against family member in THE OATH, a savagely funny dark comedy about… [More]

Adjusted Score: 99.413%

Critics Consensus: Oh Lucy! roots its narrative quirks in universal themes and deep empathy for its characters, all brought to life by strong performances from a talented cast led by the thoroughly charming Shinobu Terajima.

Synopsis: Setsuko is a single, emotionally unfulfilled woman, seemingly stuck with a drab, meaningless life in Tokyo. At least until she’s… [More]

Adjusted Score: 87.499%

Critics Consensus: Witty and unpredictable, The Overnight benefits from writer-director Patrick Brice’s sure-handed touch and strong performances from a talented cast.

Synopsis: Alex (Adam Scott), Emily (Taylor Schilling), and their son, RJ, have recently moved to Los Angeles’ Eastside from Seattle. Feeling… [More]

Adjusted Score: 27.006%

Critics Consensus: Practical Magic’s jarring tonal shifts sink what little potential its offbeat story may have — though Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock’s chemistry makes a strong argument for future collaborations.

Synopsis: The two Owen sisters from a small Massachusetts are normal siblings – except they are actual witches. They use their… [More]

Adjusted Score: 95.467%

Critics Consensus: The Sisters Brothers rides familiar genre trails in occasionally unexpected ways – a satisfying journey further elevated by its well-matched leading men.

Synopsis: From acclaimed director Jacques Audiard (Rust and Bone, A Prophet), and based on the novel by Patrick deWitt, THE SISTERS… [More]

Adjusted Score: 97.147%

Critics Consensus: Support the Girls handles serious themes with wit and humor, and provides a strong showcase for Regina Hall and a talented ensemble cast.

Synopsis: Lisa Conroy is the last person you’d expect to find in a highway-side «sports bar with curves,»– but as general… [More]

Adjusted Score: 101.556%

Critics Consensus: Tangerine shatters casting conventions and its filmmaking techniques are up-to-the-minute, but it’s an old-fashioned comedy at heart — and a pretty wonderful one at that.

Synopsis: A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. (C) Magnolia… [More]

Adjusted Score: 89.754%

Critics Consensus: Familiar in form but winsome in its execution, Top End Wedding takes audiences on a romantic road trip with an appealing view.

Synopsis: Engaged and in love Lauren and Ned have just 10 days to reunite her newly separated parents and pull off… [More]

Adjusted Score: 81.274%

Critics Consensus: Before We Vanish finds Kiyoshi Kurosawa working within well-established genre guidelines to take a poignant, surprisingly sincere look at the human condition.

Synopsis: In his twentieth film, acclaimed horror director Kiyoshi Kurosawa reinvents the alien movie as a unique and profoundly human tale… [More]

Adjusted Score: 62.938%

Critics Consensus: A better-than-average sci-fi shoot-em-up with a satirical undercurrent, Demolition Man is bolstered by strong performances by Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, and Sandra Bullock.

Synopsis: The plot of this action film begins in 1996, with Los Angeles in a violence-crazed conflagration. One of the LAPD’s… [More]

Adjusted Score: 84.076%

Critics Consensus: A grounded superhero story with more on its mind than punching bad guys, Fast Color leaps over uneven execution with a single Gugu Mbatha-Raw performance.

Synopsis: Hunted by mysterious forces, a young woman (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) with supernatural abilities must go on the run when her powers… [More]

Adjusted Score: 105.969%

Critics Consensus: Fearlessly ambitious, scathingly funny, and thoroughly original, Sorry to Bother You loudly heralds the arrival of a fresh filmmaking talent in writer-director Boots Riley.

Synopsis: In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, black telemarketer Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield) discovers a magical key to professional success,… [More]

Adjusted Score: 87.89%

Critics Consensus: The Villainess offers enough pure kinetic thrills to satisfy genre enthusiasts — and carve out a bloody niche for itself in modern Korean action cinema.

Synopsis: Since she was a little girl, Sook-hee was raised to be a deadly assassin. She gladly accepts the chance to… [More]

#24

Adjusted Score: 101.861%

Critics Consensus: Led by a powerhouse performance from Julia Garner, The Assistant offers a withering critique of workplace harassment and systemic oppression.

Synopsis: «The Assistant» follows one day in the life of Jane (Julia Garner), a recent college graduate and aspiring film producer,… [More]

#24

Adjusted Score: 96.19%

Critics Consensus: A Taxi Driver brings a ground-level perspective and a refreshingly light touch to a fact-based story with sobering implications.

Synopsis: In this powerful true story set in 1980, a down-on-his-luck taxi driver from Seoul is hired by a foreign journalist… [More]

#23

Adjusted Score: 89.76%

Critics Consensus: Empathetic and powerfully acted, Beach Rats takes a clear-eyed yet dreamlike look at a young man’s adolescent turmoil.

Synopsis: On the outskirts of Brooklyn, Frankie, an aimless teenager, suffocates under the oppressive glare cast by his family and a… [More]

#22

Adjusted Score: 102.95%

Critics Consensus: Moving without resorting to melodrama, BPM offers an engrossing look at a pivotal period in history that lingers long after the closing credits roll.

Synopsis: In Paris in the early 1990s, a group of activists goes to battle for those stricken with HIV/AIDS, taking on… [More]

#21

Adjusted Score: 92.315%

Critics Consensus: Rising on the strength of Rebecca Hall’s gripping performance, Christine offers an empathetic look at its subject’s public career and painful private life.

Synopsis: Rebecca Hall stars in director Antonio Campos’ third feature film, CHRISTINE, the story of a woman who finds herself caught… [More]

#19

Adjusted Score: 84.298%

Critics Consensus: Destroyer’s grueling narrative is as uncompromising as Nicole Kidman’s central performance, which adds extra layers to a challenging film that leaves a lingering impact.

Synopsis: Destroyer follows the moral and existential odyssey of LAPD detective Erin Bell who, as a young cop, was placed undercover… [More]

#19

Adjusted Score: 94.684%

Critics Consensus: Detroit delivers a gut-wrenching — and essential — dramatization of a tragic chapter from America’s past that draws distressing parallels to the present.

Synopsis: From the Academy Award winning director of THE HURT LOCKER and ZERO DARK THIRTY, DETROIT tells the gripping story of… [More]

#18

Adjusted Score: 95.408%

Critics Consensus: A small-scale drama rich with meaning, Diane offers audiences an uncommonly empathetic and wise look at life — and stellar work from Mary Kay Place in the title role.

Synopsis: For Diane (Mary Kay Place), everyone else comes first. Generous but with little patience for self-pity, she spends her days… [More]

#24

Adjusted Score: 99.938%

Critics Consensus: Gleefully uncomfortable, Force Majeure is a relationship drama that’s hard to watch — and just as difficult to ignore.

Synopsis: A critical favorite and word-of-mouth sensation at this year’s Cannes Festival, where it took the Jury Prize in Un Certain… [More]

#17

Adjusted Score: 74.62%

Critics Consensus: A kaleidoscopic neo-noir, Gemini is a visually striking murder mystery with a convoluted but largely compelling plot and an impressive showing from Lola Kirke.

Synopsis: A heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a tenacious personal assistant (Lola Kirke – MISTRESS AMERICA, MOZART IN THE… [More]

#16

Adjusted Score: 101.383%

Critics Consensus: Sleek, well-acted, and intelligently crafted, The Guilty is a high-concept thriller that wrings maximum impact out of a handful of basic – and effective – ingredients.

Synopsis: When police officer Asger Holm (Jakob Cedergren) is demoted to desk work, he expects a sleepy beat as an emergency… [More]

Adjusted Score: 85.056%

Critics Consensus: Violent, darkly comic, and full of strong performances, Killer Joe proves William Friedkin hasn’t lost his touch, even if the plot may be too lurid for some.

Synopsis: When 22 year-old drug dealer Chris (Hirsch) has his stash of drugs stolen from him by his mother, he has… [More]

Adjusted Score: 81.555%

Critics Consensus: Loro uses the larger-than-life exploits of an infamous public figure to present a messily compelling snapshot of how power attracts — and corrupts.

Synopsis: Seduction, glamour, corruption, drugs and raucous poolside parties: the life and times of scandal-plagued Silvio Berlusconi have long-demanded a screen… [More]

#15

Adjusted Score: 97.137%

Critics Consensus: As unconventional and unwieldy as the life and legacy it honors, Love & Mercy should prove moving for Brian Wilson fans while still satisfying neophytes.

Synopsis: LOVE & MERCY presents an unconventional portrait of Brian Wilson, the mercurial singer, songwriter and leader of The Beach Boys…. [More]

#14

Adjusted Score: 96.489%

Critics Consensus: Luce brings a stellar ensemble to bear on a satisfyingly complex story that addresses its timely themes in thought-provoking fashion.

Synopsis: It’s been ten years since Amy and Peter Edgar (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth) adopted their son from war-torn Eritrea,… [More]

#13

Adjusted Score: 92.041%

Critics Consensus: Smart, tightly wound, and solidly acted, Margin Call turns the convoluted financial meltdown of ’08 into gripping, thought-provoking drama.

Synopsis: Set in the high-stakes world of the financial industry, Margin Call is an entangling thriller involving the key players at… [More]

#13

Adjusted Score: 89.548%

Critics Consensus: Moving at a contemplative speed unseen in most westerns, Meek’s Cutoff is an effective, intense journey of terror and survival in the untamed frontier.

Synopsis: The year is 1845, the earliest days of the Oregon Trail, and a wagon train of three families has hired… [More]

#12

Adjusted Score: 86.666%

Critics Consensus: Well-acted and visually stylish, Monsters and Men tells its timely story with enough compassion and complexity to make up for occasionally uneven execution.

Synopsis: One night, in front of a bodega in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood, Manny Ortega witnesses a white police officer wrongfully gun… [More]

Directed By:

#11

Adjusted Score: 99.016%

Critics Consensus: As fleshy as it is funny, Bong Joon-Ho’s Mother straddles family drama, horror and comedy with a deft grasp of tone and plenty of eerie visuals.

Synopsis: Hye-ja is a single mom to 27-year-old Do-joon. Her son is her raison d’être. Though an adult in years, Do-joon… [More]

#10

Adjusted Score: 64.337%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In this riveting dramatic tale, gay teens Naz and Maalik are friends, classmates, business partners and lovers. As the two… [More]

Adjusted Score: 96.047%

Critics Consensus: The Nightingale definitely isn’t for all tastes, but writer-director Jennifer Kent taps into a rich vein of palpable rage to tell a war story that leaves a bruising impact.

Synopsis: THE NIGHTINGALE is a meditation on the consequences of violence and the price of seeking vengeance. Set during the colonization… [More]

Adjusted Score: 75.864%

Critics Consensus: Anchored by a sensitive performance from Tobey Maguire, Pawn Sacrifice adds another solidly gripping drama to the list of films inspired by chess wiz Bobby Fischer.

Synopsis: In a gripping true story set during the height of the Cold War, American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire)… [More]

Adjusted Score: 93.611%

Critics Consensus: Premature transcends its familiar trappings with sharp dialogue and a strong sense of setting that further establish Rashaad Ernesto Green as a gifted filmmaker.

Synopsis: On a summer night in Harlem during her last months at home before starting college, seventeen-year-old poet Ayanna (Zora Howard)… [More]

Adjusted Score: 94.146%

Critics Consensus: Professor Marston & The Wonder Women winds a lasso of cinematic truth around a fascinating fact-based tale with strong performances from its three stars.

Synopsis: In a superhero origin tale unlike any other, the film is the incredible true story of what inspired Harvard psychologist… [More]

Adjusted Score: 96.078%

Critics Consensus: Elevated by outstanding work from Elisabeth Moss, Shirley pays tribute to its subject’s pioneering legacy with a biopic that ignores the commonly accepted boundaries of the form.

Synopsis: Renowned horror writer Shirley Jackson is on the precipice of writing her masterpiece when the arrival of newlyweds upends her… [More]

Adjusted Score: 108.396%

Critics Consensus: Understated yet ultimately deeply affecting, Shoplifters adds another powerful chapter to director Hirokazu Koreeda’s richly humanistic filmography.

Synopsis: After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At… [More]

Adjusted Score: 66.039%

Critics Consensus: The Sound of Silence occasionally struggles to control its tone and convey its message, but it benefits from compelling performances and intriguing ideas.

Synopsis: There are a symphony of almost undetectable sounds that make up a moment of silence, and Peter Lucian (Peter Sarsgaard)… [More]

Adjusted Score: 86.112%

Critics Consensus: Tom of Finland honors its subject with an empathetic, even-handed, and above all entertaining look at the pioneering art he produced from private turmoil.

Synopsis: Touko Laaksonen, a decorated officer, returns home after a harrowing and heroic experience serving his country in World War II,… [More]

Adjusted Score: 71.37%

Critics Consensus: Intriguing albeit flawed, Vox Lux probes the allures and pitfalls of modern celebrity with intelligence, visual style, and an assured Natalie Portman performance.

Synopsis: VOX LUX, A 21st Century Portrait, begins in 1999 when teenage Celeste (Raffey Cassidy) survives a violent tragedy. After singing… [More]

Adjusted Score: 99.911%

Critics Consensus: There’s no shortage of star-is-born stories, but Wild Rose proves they can still be thoroughly entertaining — and marks its own transcendent moment for lead Jessie Buckley.

Synopsis: WILD ROSE tells the complicated story of Rose-Lynn, a woman on a quest to become a country music star, while… [More]

#15

Adjusted Score: 105.395%

Critics Consensus: Brilliantly capturing a remarkable performer near the peak of her prodigious power, Amazing Grace is a thrilling must-watch documentary for Aretha Franklin fans.

Synopsis: Concert footage from 1972 of Aretha Franklin performing songs from the best-selling gospel album at the New Temple Missionary Baptist… [More]

Directed By:

#14

Adjusted Score: 94.645%

Critics Consensus: Uplifting, educational, and entertaining, The Biggest Little Farm is an environmental advocacy documentary with a satisfying side dish of hope for the future.

Synopsis: A testament to the immense complexity of nature, The Biggest Little Farm follows two dreamers and a dog on an… [More]

Starring:

#13

Adjusted Score: 98.939%

Critics Consensus: A hard-hitting documentary with imagery as powerful as its message, The Cave poses heartbreakingly urgent questions — and leaves them for the viewer to answer.

Synopsis: Oscar nominee Feras Fayyad («Last Men in Aleppo») delivers an unflinching story of the Syrian war with his powerful new… [More]

#12

Adjusted Score: 85.271%

Critics Consensus: As an investigation into a real-life tragedy, Cold Case Hammarskjöld might struggle with discipline — but it remains an intriguing, entertaining jumble of ideas.

Synopsis: In 1961, United Nations secretary-general Dag Hammarskjöld’s plane mysteriously crashed, killing Hammarskjöld and most of the crew. With the case… [More]

#11

Adjusted Score: 99.654%

Critics Consensus: Dina presents a clear-eyed and uncommonly detailed view of one couple’s relationship, offering insights as broadly illuminating as they are compassionate.

Synopsis: Dina’s getting married in a few weeks and there’s still so much to do. She has to move her boyfriend,… [More]

Starring:

#10

Adjusted Score: 96.327%

Critics Consensus: Jawline uses one man’s bid for online stardom to offer a compassionate, clear-eyed view of the risks and seductive allure of social media.

Synopsis: The film follows 16-year-old Austyn Tester, a rising star in the live-broadcast ecosystem who built his following on wide-eyed optimism… [More]

Adjusted Score: 97.972%

Critics Consensus: Life, Animated offers a heartwarming look at one family’s journey, and a fascinating message that’s more than enough to outweigh its unanswered questions.

Synopsis: The inspirational story of Owen Suskind, a young man who was unable to speak as a child until he and… [More]

Adjusted Score: 90.555%

Critics Consensus: Meeting Gorbachev plays to filmmaker Werner Herzog’s endlessly inquisitive strengths — and reveals the fascinating story of a pivotal political figure.

Synopsis: Werner Herzog and André Singer’s riveting documentary, filled with unforgettable archive materials and based on three long interviews, provides incredible… [More]

Adjusted Score: 104.43%

Critics Consensus: Minding the Gap draws on more than a decade of documentary footage to assemble a poignant picture of young American lives that resonates far beyond its onscreen subjects.

Synopsis: Compiling over 12 years of footage shot in his hometown of Rockford, IL, in MINDING THE GAP, Bing Liu searches… [More]

Starring:

Adjusted Score: 95.56%

Critics Consensus: As sharp, funny, and scathingly irreverent as its subject, Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins pays entertaining tribute to a brilliant writer.

Synopsis: RAISE HELL is a documentary about the celebrated national political columnist and Texan, Molly Ivins who used her razor sharp… [More]

Starring:

Adjusted Score: 94.469%

Critics Consensus: An environmental advocacy documentary with the suspense of a thriller, Sea of Shadows exposes lawlessness on the high seas — and promotes efforts to thwart it.

Synopsis: A looming disaster in one of the most spectacular environments on Earth sparks a rescue mission unlike any other in… [More]

Adjusted Score: 91.587%

Critics Consensus: Spaceship Earth achieves liftoff as an engaging behind-the-scenes record of an audacious experiment — and settles into orbit as poignant proof of the power of a shared dream.

Synopsis: Spaceship Earth is the true, stranger-than-fiction, adventure of eight visionaries who in 1991 spent two years quarantined inside of a… [More]

Starring:

Adjusted Score: 104.261%

Critics Consensus: Surreal and surprising, Three Identical Strangers effectively questions the nature of reality and identity.

Synopsis: Three strangers are reunited by astonishing coincidence after being born identical triplets, separated at birth, and adopted by three different… [More]

Starring:

Adjusted Score: 100.694%

Critics Consensus: Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am honors its acclaimed subject with a comprehensive, illuminating, and fittingly profound overview of her life and work.

Synopsis: This artful and intimate meditation on the legendary storyteller examines her life, her works and the powerful themes she has… [More]

Adjusted Score: 100.844%

Critics Consensus: Whose Streets? takes a close-up look at the civil unrest that erupted after a shocking act of violence in Ferguson, Missouri – and the decades of simmering tension leading up to it.

Synopsis: Told by the activists and leaders who live and breathe this movement for justice, Whose Streets? is an unflinching look… [More]

Starring:

Adjusted Score: 71.47%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: It started with a silent black and white surveillance video uploaded to YouTube that depicted a child sleeping peacefully. Until… [More]

Starring:

#18

Adjusted Score: 101.894%

Critics Consensus: Thrilling, unpredictable, and brilliantly acted, Border (Gräns) offers a singular treat to genre fans looking for something different.

Synopsis: Customs officer Tina is known for her extraordinary sense of smell. It’s almost as if she can sniff out the… [More]

#18

Adjusted Score: 91.354%

Critics Consensus: Wringing a seemingly impossible amount of gripping drama out of its claustrophobic premise, Buried is a nerve-wracking showcase for Ryan Reynolds’ talent.

Synopsis: A man is caught in a desperate race against time in this claustrophobic thriller from director Rodrigo Cortés. Paul Conroy… [More]

***

#17

Adjusted Score: 76.531%

Critics Consensus: The Clovehitch Killer patiently dials up the tension with a story that makes up for a lack of surprises with strong performances and a chilling wit.

Synopsis: A shocking revelation turns a teenage boy’s world upside down in this chilling look at the evil that can lurk… [More]

#16

Adjusted Score: 88.894%

Critics Consensus: Ghost Stories offers a well-crafted, skillfully told horror anthology that cleverly toys with genre tropes while adding a few devilishly frightful twists.

Synopsis: Experience three spine-tingling tales of terror to haunt your dreams. A debunker of all thing paranormal, Professor Phillip Goodman (Andy… [More]

#15

Adjusted Score: 91.485%

Critics Consensus: Smartly constructed and powerfully acted, Hounds of Love satisfies as a psychological thriller with a few nasty surprises — and marks writer-director Ben Young as a promising talent.

Synopsis: In suburban Perth during the mid 1980s, people are unaware that women are disappearing at the hands of serial killer… [More]

#14

Adjusted Score: 70.413%

Critics Consensus: Knives and Skin’s daunting ambitions occasionally elude its grasp, but this remains a powerfully written and uniquely timely coming-of-age thriller.

Synopsis: What happened to Carolyn Harper? Part suburban nightmare, part neon-soaked teenage fever dream, this tantalizing mystery traces the wave of… [More]

#13

Adjusted Score: 76.478%

Critics Consensus: The Limehouse Golem offers old-school Hammer-style horror anchored by rich period detail and strong work from a solid cast.

Synopsis: The city of London is gripped with fear as a serial killer – dubbed The Limehouse Golem – is on… [More]

#12

Adjusted Score: 72.404%

Critics Consensus: Little Joe’s unorthodox approach may baffle horror fans lured in by its premise — but like its title character, the end result exerts a creepy thrall.

Synopsis: Alice, a single mother, is a dedicated senior plant breeder at a corporation engaged in developing new species. She has… [More]

#11

Adjusted Score: 85.02%

Critics Consensus: Led by typically outstanding work from Lupita Nyong’o, Little Monsters is a horror/rom-com hybrid that proves the zombie genre still has fresh brains to savor.

Synopsis: Little Monsters follows Dave (Alexander England), a washed-up musician who volunteers to chaperone his nephew’s kindergarten class field trip after… [More]

#10

Adjusted Score: 81.72%

Critics Consensus: Led by an impressive Riley Keough performance, The Lodge should prove a suitably unsettling destination for fans of darkly atmospheric horror.

Synopsis: A bone-chilling nightmare from the directors of GOODNIGHT MOMMY, THE LODGE follows a family who retreat to their remote winter… [More]

Adjusted Score: 74.555%

Critics Consensus: Lords of Chaos presents a grimly compelling dramatization of a real-life music scene whose aggressively nihilistic aesthetic spilled over into fatal acts of violence.

Synopsis: A teenager’s quest to launch Norwegian Black Metal in Oslo in the 1980s results in a very violent outcome. Lords… [More]

Adjusted Score: 80.219%

Critics Consensus: Mom and Dad’s gonzo premise serves as an effective springboard for a wickedly dark, bloody comedy – and an appropriately over-the-top performance from Nicolas Cage.

Synopsis: A strange disorder suddenly causes parents to violently turn against their own children, forcing a suburban teen (Anne Winters) and… [More]

Adjusted Score: 82.578%

Critics Consensus: Pyewacket builds its atmospheric, patiently encroaching chills on a well-told story concerned more with emotional trauma than supernatural threats.

Synopsis: When you’re dealing with demons, be careful what you wish for… In this ultra-unsettling occult nightmare, teenage Leah (Nicole Muñoz)… [More]

Adjusted Score: 92.604%

Critics Consensus: Rare Exports is an unexpectedly delightful crossbreed of deadpan comedy and Christmas horror.

Synopsis: It’s the eve of Christmas in northern Finland, and an ‘archeological’ dig has just unearthed the real Santa Claus. But… [More]

Adjusted Score: 81.186%

Critics Consensus: Southbound doesn’t entirely avoid the jarring shifts common to anthology films, but thanks to some thrilling twists and turns, this horror road movie is a surprisingly smooth ride.

Synopsis: On a desolate stretch of desert highway, weary travelers-two men on the run from their past, a band on their… [More]

Adjusted Score: 71.339%

Critics Consensus: Kevin Bacon’s acting is so genuine that it’s creepy and director David Keopp knows how to create true suspense.

Synopsis: In this supernatural thriller, Tom Witzky (Kevin Bacon) is a fairly typical working-class guy living in Chicago with his wife… [More]

Adjusted Score: 98.773%

Critics Consensus: Thelma plays with genre tropes in unexpected ways, delivering a thoughtfully twisty supernatural thriller with a lingering impact.

Synopsis: Thelma, a shy young student, has just left her religious family in a small town on the west coast of… [More]

Adjusted Score: 85.249%

Critics Consensus: Tragedy Girls injects familiar teen tropes with just enough up-to-the-minute commentary — and pitch-black humor — to work as an irreverently entertaining diversion.

Synopsis: Best friends Sadie and McKayla are on a mission to boost their social media fandom as amateur crime reporters hot… [More]

Adjusted Score: 87.081%

Critics Consensus: Led by a quartet of strong performances, Villains offers genre fans a delightfully dark thriller with a sharp comic streak.

Synopsis: When a pair of amateur criminals break into a suburban home, they stumble upon a dark secret and two sadistic… [More]

Adjusted Score: 72.67%

Critics Consensus: We Are What We Are is elevated horror that combines family drama and social politics, with plenty of gore on top.

Synopsis: A middle-aged man dies in the street, leaving his widow and three children destitute. The devastated family is confronted not… [More]

Adjusted Score: 87.774%

Critics Consensus: Working with admittedly familiar ingredients, Abominable offers audiences a beautifully animated and overall engaging adventure that the whole family can enjoy.

Synopsis: When teenage Yi (Chloe Bennet, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) encounters a young Yeti on the roof of her apartment building… [More]

Adjusted Score: 103.148%

Critics Consensus: Chicken Run has all the charm of Nick Park’s Wallace & Gromit, and something for everybody. The voice acting is fabulous, the slapstick is brilliant, and the action sequences are spectacular.

Synopsis: A comedy drama set on a Yorkshire chicken farm in 1950s England, the story follows the turbulent romance between Rocky… [More]

Adjusted Score: 73.177%

Critics Consensus: Curious George is a bright, sweet, faithful adaptation of the beloved children’s books.

Synopsis: The naughty little monkey from Margret Rey and H.A. Rey’s beloved children’s stories makes the leap to the big screen… [More]

Adjusted Score: 91.11%

Critics Consensus: Led by a winning performance from Isabela Moner, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a family-friendly adventure that retains its source material’s youthful spirit.

Synopsis: Having spent most of her life exploring the jungle with her parents, nothing could prepare Dora (Isabela Moner) for her… [More]

Adjusted Score: 80.048%

Critics Consensus: It misses perhaps as often as it hits, but Jim Carrey’s manic bombast, Cameron Diaz’ blowsy appeal, and the film’s overall cartoony bombast keep The Mask afloat.

Synopsis: Hyperactive mayhem results when a mild-manned banker discovers an ancient mask that transforms him into a zany prankster with superhuman… [More]

Adjusted Score: 84.683%

Critics Consensus: The Prince of Egypt’s stunning visuals and first-rate voice cast more than compensate for the fact that it’s better crafted than it is emotionally involving.

Synopsis: «My son, I have nothing I can give, but this chance that you may live.» With these words, Yocheved, a… [More]

Adjusted Score: 94.853%

Critics Consensus: Rango is a smart, giddily creative burst of beautifully animated entertainment, and Johnny Depp gives a colorful vocal performance as a household pet in an unfamiliar world.

Synopsis: Rango is a sheltered chameleon living as an ordinary family pet, while facing a major identity crisis. After all, how… [More]

Adjusted Score: 73.262%

Critics Consensus: A visually stunning film that may be too predictable and politically correct for adults, but should serve children well.

Synopsis: Screenwriter John Fusco returns to the Western themes of his previous films Young Guns and Thunderheart with this animated children’s… [More]

—
Rotten Tomatoes