As we step into 2026, Hulu returns with a refreshed and impressive lineup that promises to captivate audiences all over again.

Whether you’re in the mood for side-splitting comedies, engaging mockumentaries, intricate character explorations, or avant-garde independent films, Hulu’s diverse offerings ensure there’s something to suit every taste.

This week, Watch With Us is spotlighting three standout films that have earned a remarkable 90 percent or higher on Rotten Tomatoes. These films are not just critically acclaimed; they are also personal favorites of ours.

Discover which highly-rated movies should be on your watchlist for the perfect movie night this week.

Though the calendar has turned to a new year, Hulu’s commitment to delivering a broad spectrum of entertainment remains unchanged. January 2026 kicks off with a bang as Hulu rolls out several high-profile series. Leading the Watch With Us recommendations is “The Beauty,” among other anticipated releases.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 98 percent

Afghan refugee Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) struggles to rebuild her life in Fremont, California, after working in Afghanistan as a translator for the United States Army. Now writing fortunes for a Chinese fortune cookie company, Donya deals with insomnia, loneliness and survivor’s guilt, and starts attending therapy sessions with Dr. Anthony (Gregg Turkington). Eventually, in an effort to find happiness, Donya tries an unconventional way of finding love: she puts her phone number in a fortune cookie.

An indie highlight at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, Fremont is a quiet, moving portrait of human isolation and depression, carried by a low-key tour de force performance from Zada. Powerfully understated and flanked by additional standout performance from Turkington and The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White, Fremont will sneak up on you with its lingering meditations on love and human connection.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90 percent

Does Borat really need any introduction? If you’ve been living under a rock for the past twenty years, Borat is a mockumentary-style film starring comedian Sacha Baron Cohen as the titular mischief-making Kazakhstani reporter who travels to the United States to make a film about what makes America such a great place. There, he manages to offend just about everyone, become unhealthily obsessed with Pamela Anderson, and at the end of the day, learns exactly who Americans are.

It’s got its healthy share of controversies, but Borat ultimately endures to this day as a top-notch takedown of American prejudices, as Borat’s backwards, uncomfortable behaviors expose the simmering xenophobia and hypocrisies that persist in much of the country. In addition to being a surprisingly effective social satire, Borat is also just hilarious, full of memorable line readings like “My wife!” that have become forever cemented in pop culture.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94 percent

Criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) lives and dies by one credo: “Don’t get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.” That all changes when McCauley meets Eady (Amy Brenneman), and the pair bonds over their mutual feelings of isolation from society. However, McCauley’s newfound love is complicated by Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), a cop who will stop at nothing to put McCauley away, and McCauley’s own dangerously rogue crewmember, Waingro (Kevin Gage).

Winter still has at least two months to go, but Hulu‘s comedy movies have already had a spring cleaning. Most of Hulu’s best comedies went the way of Christmas flicks on December 31, and it may take some time to build up the library again. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Please […]

Michael Mann’s moody, languid crime thriller has gone on to influence countless media since its release, and its mark can be felt on movies like The Dark Knight, The Town, Baby Driver and Den of Thieves; even the video game franchise Grand Theft Auto bears unmistakable similarities. You watch Heat, and you understand exactly why it has such an ardent critical and fan following — masterfully written, beautifully acted and with that singular Michael Mann direction, it’s less like a crime story and more like one of the best dramas of the late 20th century.