7 good movies to watch on Hulu to celebrate fall
By Renee Hansen
Many people long for fall after the heat and humidity of summer. Now seems like the perfect time to enjoy some outstanding movies on Hulu that will get you into the season. While many opt for horror during what is dubbed "spooky season," others prefer a calm, casual-themed movie they can sit back and enjoy. Check out just a sampling of incredible films available on the streamer.
Little Women (2019)
Directed by Greta Gerwig, the 2019 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is a wonderful movie that spans years and seasons. It is a great movie to curl up to with a hot cup of coffee or tea and enjoy. The all-star cast comprising Eliza Scanlen, Emma Watson, Timothée Chalamet, Saoirse Ronan, Meryl Streep, and Florence Pugh do justice to their characters. Gerwig proves her immense talents in this fabulous adaptation.
Palm Springs (2020)
Max Barbakow's Palm Springs is a movie where the two main characters find themselves in a time loop, reliving Nov. 9 repeatedly, but gives the premise a fresh take. Starring Andy Samberg, who co-produced the film, and Cristin Milioti, the movie sets itself apart with a refreshing new spin on the time loop genre.
It is a romantic story at its heart and is filled with comedic elements, both sweet and crude, making it a fantastic movie whose main characters' on-screen chemistry hits just right. The film also stars Tyler Hoechlin, J.K. Simmons, Camila Mendes, and Dale Dickey.
Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
The Julia Roberts-led Mona Lisa Smile features Roberts as Katherine Ann Watson, a free-thinking art teacher at the all-girls Wellesley College in the 1950s. Upon her arrival, she begins to teach girls in her classes that they have the power within themselves to become so much more.
Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Ginny Goodwin portray some of the students, each with their own ideals of what they want their futures to look like. While Katherine's new ideas excite many students, she also sets other members of the student body and facility on edge. The movie also stars Dominic West, Topher Grace, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Krysten Ritter, who were little-known at the time.
Dead Poet's Society (1989)
The Peter Weir-directed Dead Poet's Society is another movie based on a school campus that gives wonderful fall vibes. This one is set in the 1950s at the all-boys prep school, Welton Academy, a prestigious school in Vermont. Robin Williams gives a stellar performance as newly assigned English teacher, John Keating. His teaching methods are unorthodox for the Episcopalian school as he encourages the boys to "Carpe Diem" —seize the day.
This is frowned upon by the majority of the stuffy faculty but many of the boys are drawn to the man who gives them a much different perspective on life. It is a heartwarming and heartbreaking story. The cast also includes Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles, and Kurtwood Smith.
A Haunting in Venice (2022)
A good whodunit is always a fun way to enjoy the beginnings of fall. A Haunting in Venice, which is directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars, is based on Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie, so you know the story is exceptional.
It is the third film to feature Branagh as Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, with this story set in Venice where he has settled down in retirement. His invite to a Halloween party which includes a séance, when someone is murdered, pulls Poirot back into his former job as a detective. The movie also stars Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Michelle Yeoh.
See How They Run (2022)
Another great whodunit and Agatha Christie adaptation is See How They Run, which stars Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, Ruth Wilson, Reece Shearsmith, Harris Dickinson, and David Oyelowo. Set in London in the 1950s, the movie follows the cast and crew who are in the production phase of turning Christie's play "The Mousetrap" into a movie.
When a crew member is killed, production halts as hardened Inspector George Stoppard (Rockwell) and the eager-to-please Constable Stalker (Ronan) begin their investigation which puts both their lives at risk.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent doesn't necessarily invoke feelings of fall, but we're adding this to the list because it is a fantastic movie, recently released to Hulu. It stars Pedro Pascal and Nicolas Cage as a fictionalized version of himself. It is one of those movies whose self-awareness makes its storyline so over the top that it just works.
In the movie, Javi Gutierrez (Pascal) offers Nic Cage $1 million to attend his birthday party in Majorca. Cage is then recruited by the CIA to infuriate Javi's home, believing him to be an arms dealer and mastermind behind a kidnapping. The movie also stars Sharon Horgan, Ike Barinholtz, Alessandra Mastronardi, Jacob Scipio, Neil Patrick Harris, Tiffany Haddish, and Caroline Boulton.
Can you really call yourself a Nic Cage fan if you haven't watched this movie?