The 7 Best Movies on Hulu in May

Spy

As Paul Feig comedies go, “Spy” is definitely in the upper tier. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law, Jason Statham and more, this movie will bring you some much needed laughs.

It tells the story of Susan Cooper (McCarthy) a CIA agent who never went into the field so she could remotely help out her partner, Bradley Fine (Law). But when Fine is seemingly KIA, she sets out to complete his mission, and maybe avenge him along the way. It sounds like your typical spy movie, but remember, this is a Melissa McCarthy and Paul Feig joint. You’ll find tropes, yes, but you’ll find them in the form of Jason Statham’s overly committed Rick Ford, who’s intensity is at once confusing, terrifying and outright hilarious.

Though Feig doesn’t often do sequels (his first was “Another Simple Favor,” and there’s one in the works for “The Housemaid”), “Spy” is one that is arguably most deserving.

Camp Rock

Thanks to having Disney as a parent company, Hulu gets some solid DCOMs (Disney Channel Original Movies) this month, and among them is “Camp Rock.” And of course we’re going to put “Camp Rock” on this list.

It centers on Mitchie (Demi Lovato), an aspiring singer who successfully begs her parents to send her to Camp Rock, a summer camp that’s kind of self-explanatory. There, she meets actual music star Shane Gray (Joe Jonas) and, like two teens absolutely would in this kind of setting, they eventually fall for each other. And it’s all backed by some truly peak 2000s musical numbers.

Unfortunately, this is a film where you have to live with the knowledge that, behind the scenes, things were a bit tumultuous for its stars. But, standing on its own, it’s a very fun movie.

Whether you’re a parents whose kids are out of school and actually headed to summer camp, or a millennial who just needs a hit of nostalgia dopamine, this movie is going to be what you need.

Plus, a third “Camp Rock” is on the way, so you might want to refresh yourself on the originals.

Send Help

If you missed it in theaters, “Send Help” is now streaming, and it’s certainly worth checking out this month.

Heading into the summer months, the island setting fits the vibe, but more importantly, this movie is extremely classic Sam Raimi. Rachel McAdams stars as an undervalued employee who gets stranded on a desert island with her heinous boss, played by Dylan O’Brien. As a longtime “Survivor” hopeful, she quickly takes over, especially as her boss proves how privileged his life has been.

It’s comedy, horror and survival drama all wrapped up into one, and it’s also an original story concept, not just more IP. Depending on how tolerant you are of scary-ish movies, maybe watch this one in daylight with a friend, but still, watch it!

Summer of 69

Don’t be fooled by the title, this movie does not take place in 1969, nor does it use the Bryan Adams song of the same name. This title is an explicit reference to the sexual innuendo, and it’s key to the story.

The premise is simple: Abby (Sam Morelos) is a senior in high school who wants to finally make a move on her longtime crush. To do so, she hires a sex worker (Chloe Fineman) to teach her how to “69” said crush, as she’s pretty sexually inexperienced herself.

What follows is actually a genuinely funny and incredibly sweet coming-of-age story that, as TheWrap’s William Bibbiani wrote, deserved better than a purely streaming release. “Summer of 69” is a clear cut argument for letting women write coming-of-age stories for women more often.

For a directorial debut, Jillian Bell outright crushed it.

Buffaloed

Zoey Deutch looks back on her run of playing “scammer girls” as a bit of an “overcorrection” after doing so many comedies early on in her career, but even so, those girls are fun to watch. Most of them are actually streaming on Hulu right now, but I’m going to recommend “Buffaloed” in particular.

In it, Deutch stars as Peg Dahl, a convict on parole who turns into a debt collector when she realizes just how much money there is to be made in that field (and also needs to erase her own debt). But she quickly learns just how shady the debt-collecting business is, and strikes a deal with the police to bring down some of the worst ones in her area.

It’s truly one hell of a performance from Deutch, spot-on accent and all, and (light spoilers) ends with Peg literally burning some debt — an idea that may feel wonderful to daydream about at this particular moment in time.

Plus One

We are fast approaching wedding season, and while there are plenty of movies like “27 Dresses” to watch at this point, “Plus One” is what we’re going to recommend.

 The movie follows two longtime single friends, played by Jack Quaid and Maya Erskine, who agree to be each other’s plus one for every wedding they’re invited to. Things start innocently enough, with the duo agreeing to help each other meet a real partner, but lest we forget, this is a rom-com. Of course, they have their own chemistry, and of course, they eventually fall for each other.

The banter between Quaid and Erskine’s character is one of the highlights of the film, perfectly executing the friends-to-lovers trope. Will it work for you in real life this wedding season? Who knows! But it’s fun to dream, isn’t it?

Rental Family

With a fourth installment of “The Mummy” on the way, the Brennaisance that began with Brendan Fraser’s turn in “The Whale” is seemingly getting a second wave. With this one, make sure you don’t miss “Rental Family.”

Inspired by a real-life business model, the film sees Fraser star as a struggling actor in Japan, who finds himself hired to play parts in people’s real lives. From a journalist writing a fake biography of an aging movie legend, to a little girl’s father, he finds himself struggling with the implications of playing a role so personal to these people, but also getting legitimately attached to them.

It’s an incredibly sweet story, if admittedly a bit saccharine at times, with a supporting cast that keeps right up with Fraser. At the very least, this will give you some warm fuzzies for a few hours.