Isolation Media 101: Hulu
I feel like a lot of people know about Hulu just fine, but it seems to mostly be considered the perfect place for television shows. If you don’t have cable and don’t mind watching shows a bit after they air, it’s a pretty sweet setup.
However, many overlook the solid selection of movies the site offers. I decided to take on a handful of films that caught my eye on the streaming service - as well as a show called Future Man (weird sci-fi/raunchy comedy show starring Josh Hutcherson which is decent, but not as good as I had hoped). Between documentaries, some critically acclaimed offerings and a few flat out fluff movies, there is surprisingly a movie for everyone on this site.
I get my access to the app through my Spotify Premium account - so if you’re paying for music, you may be able to get free Hulu on top of it (granted, with ads). And honestly, I’m thrilled I have it, because there are a lot of things on there you can’t see elsewhere.
The Inventor
I had listened to the podcast about Theranos and was baffled by it and had hoped to get some more understanding as to just why people were happy to give this woman millions of dollars for a company that could prove literally nothing. So while I still don’t see the appeal of her, I was fascinated by the documentary and loved getting more insight into this total insanity. It was extremely well done and very interesting.
The Verdict: 4/5
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
This had been a movie on my to-watch list for literally years and I’m so glad I finally spent the time in this film. I had built it up a bit in my mind so it fell a bit short, but that’s definitely on me. I had no idea about Marston, and that the same person who helped perfect the lie detector created Wonder Woman - and hid a lot of kinky/sexual innuendos in his comics that reflected on his real life - and the women he loved.
The Verdict: 3.5/5
I, Tonya
One of my biggest movie-based regrets over the last couple years is that it took me so long to watch this movie. I was overwhelmed and impressed by how creative, funny and fascinating this story was made. I was also devastated that it didn’t win more awards than it did. Every actor (Margot Robbie, Allison Janney and Sebastian Stan to name a few) was doing some of their best work and I can see myself revisiting this movie time and again.
The Verdict: 4.5/5
The Escort
The cover of this movie on streaming is so provocative, it quickly catches the eye, so I wasn’t actually prepared for it to basically be a formulaic romantic comedy. I wasn’t disappointed really, but it was not what I expected. I appreciated that it was the perfect length (not even a full 90 minutes) and was paced out perfectly, but this movie wasn’t anything special. But sometimes, isn’t that what you want? A movie you can figure out every step of the way can be a bit soothing at times.
The Verdict: 2.5/5
Downsizing
I don’t know what I expected this movie to be but it wasn’t what it turned out to be. This movie wasn’t bad, by any means, but it’s far too long in my opinion and there’s a point where the plot is no longer, “Huh, look how interesting it is when you make people small - and here are the darker sides of it that you may not realize,” and instead somehow turns into a confusing potential world ending. I don’t think this one was for me, but I know it could work for many - so if you don’t have to spend money on it, it could be worth the watch.
The Verdict: 2.5/5
Blinded By the Light
I’d watched the Beatles movie, the Elton John movie and the Queen movie, so naturally I had to check out the Bruce Springsteen movie. And this was a really fun watch. I felt it had a better plot than some other singer based films, and it’s definitely thanks to it being based on a true story. The music is an enjoyable throwback and the main character and his close friends are incredibly charming. Throw in a surprise role for Hayley Atwell, and this was a good way to spend two hours.
The Verdict: 3/5
Lady Macbeth
All I knew about this movie was that it was a period drama staring Florence Pugh, and I figured I could get the gist of her character from the title. And frankly, that was all there was to it. I couldn’t find Pugh’s character endearing in any way and her relationships were all very unbelievable. They focused so much on channeling the Scottish play in her characteristics that the plot itself was lacking, making the ending a pretty unsatisfying conclusion.
The Verdict: 2/5
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
I’d heard nothing but lovely things about this movie, and when isolation times pushed up its release to streaming, it was at the top of my watch list. It was incredibly beautiful to watch, a lovely romantic story and a well acted and written tale. It is subtitled, but so much of the story is played out just on the screen through looks and small touches that the dialogue just adds to this truly stunning film.
The Verdict: 4/5
Margaret Atwood: A Word after A Word…
I think I went into this hoping that I could learn a lot more about Atwood’s inspiration in writing The Handmaid’s Tale and its recent sequel The Testaments but this focused on so much more of Atwood’s life that it felt kind of shoved to the end, and mostly covered in relation to the recent television show. Now, Atwood is an incredible writer, so learning about her life is fascinating, but I was bummed I didn’t get to understand more about her most popular properties.
The Verdict: 2.5/5
Vice
Since I was fairly young when most of the Bush Jr regime was in charge, I didn’t know that much about the details surrounding 9/11 and the administration. Since this movie was done by the same guy who brought us The Big Short, it was a really interesting way to learn a bit more about something that was one of the biggest events in my life. The acting is phenomenal and the hints of fourth-wall breaking and snark really adds something to a truly despicable story and makes it surprisingly enjoyable to watch.
The Verdict: 4/5
Future Man
Disclaimer: I did only watch this show because it stars Josh Hutcherson. However, even though this turned out to be not my kind of show, it was far from a waste of time. This 34 episode show (with episode lengths half an hour or so) is a sci-fi, time travel comedy that is unlike anything I’ve ever watched. Especially since it was produced by Seth Rogen. If you’re looking for a unique fully completed show that’s a great way to spend to spend a couple of days, it’s worth checking out.
The Verdict: 3/5
Hillary
Maybe watching this documentary during this isolation period was not my best plan, but honestly, I’m thrilled I got to devote four hours to learning more about Hillary Clinton. Most of what I had known prior had been second, or even third, hand information and it was fascinating to hear it all from her mouth, or from her husband or the many people that had worked with them over the years. It definitely makes your mind wander to what this world may have looked like if she had won in 2016.
The Verdict: 4/5
Pride & Prejudice (BBC)
I’ll be the first to admit that I have a deep love of the Keira Knightley movie adaptation of Austen’s novel and that has played a big part in why I hadn’t watched the miniseries version of this tale. I have quite a few issues with it - including a lack of any kind of subtlety (this series does not believe in show don’t tell) and a - in my opinion - questionable cast. Colin Firth is as charming as I could have hoped, and it does contain mostly dialogue from the book itself, but I think I’ll be sticking to my movie version of my favorite novel.
The Verdict: 3/5
Since the world seems to be continuing in this holding pattern for a little bit, I think I’ll journey over to Prime next and see what all I can watch there in a week.