Hulu‘s film library substantially grew in May, thanks to the arrivals of a slew of classic and contemporary films, including four installments of Hollywood’s most iconic and beloved franchise. Some of the streamer’s other additions this month include the 2006 thriller that finally netted director Martin Scorsese some Oscar glory and a 2010s crime drama that partly heralded the arrival of two of Hollywood’s most prolific creators of the last decade: Director Denis Villeneuve and writer-showrunner Taylor Sheridan.
Here are the three best movies new to Hulu that you can stream this weekend.
“Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)
Hulu added four “Star Wars” movies to its platform this month, including all three installments of the franchise’s Original Trilogy and the fan-favorite 2016 spin-off “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Of those films, there is no question that 1980’s “Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back” stands above them all.
Featuring a screenplay co-written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan and impeccable, artistic direction from filmmaker Irvin Kershner, “The Empire Strikes Back” is one of the most daring, entrancing and visually striking sci-fi films ever made. It may be the best sequel Hollywood has ever produced — a fairy tale sci-fi adventure that makes you feel wonder, awe, fear, surprise and suspense in equal measure.
“The Departed” (2006)
One of the most audacious, violent and blackly comic crime films ever made, 2006’s “The Departed” is, perhaps, best known for being the movie that finally scored director Martin Scorsese his long-overdue Oscar in 2007. While “The Departed” is not an achievement on the same artistic level as “Taxi Driver,” “Goodfellas” or “The Irishman,” though, the film is one of the most purely entertaining and shocking movies that Scorsese has yet crafted.
Running high on the frenzied pace of William Monahan’s sneakily screwball screenplay and the manic onscreen energy of stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg, “The Departed” is not a slow spiral into moral depravity but a cannonball dive right into the black heart of corruption and greed. It’s a helluva ride.
“Sicario” (2015)
Speaking of brutal crime thrillers, 2015’s “Sicario” is a masterful exploration of morality and a gripping example of directorial control. Directed by “Dune” filmmaker Denis Villeneuve and penned by “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan, “Sicario” tells its story, of an FBI agent (Emily Blunt) who ends up caught in a dangerous and legally dubious mission to combat the Mexican drug cartel trade, with a patience that allows the film’s overarching tension to wind tighter and tighter across its two hours.
Anchored by an astonishing, enigmatic lead turn from Benicio del Toro, “Sicario” is a thriller roiling with intense emotions and which is unafraid to look human evil in the eye. It is a stunner, and still one of the best cases for Villeneuve’s artistic versatility and near-unrivaled understanding of his craft.
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