Hulu top 10 movies — here's the 3 worth watching now

Hunter Schafer in "Cuckoo" (2024)
(Image credit: Universal Pictures UK)

The best streaming services, including Hulu, come with deep content libraries. While that's great, because we get endless hours of TV shows and movies, it can be a bit of a struggle to figure out what to watch. Luckily, Hulu has a top 15 shows and movies collection that gives you a look at what’s trending on the platform.

This week, like in recent weeks there are a ton of movies to choose from in the top 10. Unsurprisingly, Will Ferrell's beloved Christmas movie "Elf" continues to dominate the list, but there are some new movies from this year as well. A pair of movies just hit the streaming service, including a movie about escaping an underwater plane crash and a new horror movie starring Hunter Schafer, and both are surging up the top 10.

So without further ado, here are the top movies worth watching right now in Hulu’s top 15. If you're looking for more to watch, check out our guide to Hulu's top shows.

This is based on the Hulu top 15 movies and shows as of Thursday, December 19.

BEST MOVIES IN THE HULU TOP 10

'Elf' (2003)

Elf (2003) Official Trailer #1 - Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel Christmas Movie HD - YouTube Elf (2003) Official Trailer #1 - Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel Christmas Movie HD - YouTube
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"Elf" stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised by Santa's elves as one of their own. He came to the North Pole after crawling into Santa's sack as a baby at an orphanage and always assumed he was just a large elf. One day though, Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) informs Buddy that his birth parents are humans Walter Hobbs (James Caan) and Susan Wells, and that his mother gave him up for adoption shortly before dying.

So Buddy heads to New York City to meet his father, who runs a children's book publisher and has no idea he has a son who thinks he's an elf. Once Buddy is in NYC, hijinks ensue in what is a classic fish-out-of-water comedy. If you haven't seen it before, or haven't in a while, definitely watch one of this century's most beloved Christmas movies.

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'No Way Up' (2024)

NO WAY UP | OFFICIAL TRAILER | Altitude Films - YouTube NO WAY UP | OFFICIAL TRAILER | Altitude Films - YouTube
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There are plane disaster movies, and then there are thriller movies set in the water. But "No Way Up" is both, and you'll never leave your seatbelt unbuckled on a plane again after watching the trailer.

This survival thriller movie stars Sophie McIntosh as Ava, a politician's daughter headed to Cabo for a vacation with her boyfriend (Jeremias Amoore) and a few others. But the plane hits a bird midflight and crashes into the Pacific Ocean, leaving them stranded underwater. Luckily, also on board is Ava's personal bodyguard Brandon (Colm Meaney). Will he be enough help to get them to safety? Or will the arrival of a great white shark doom them all?

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'A Sudden Case of Christmas' (2024)

Cuckoo Trailer #2 (2024) - YouTube Cuckoo Trailer #2 (2024) - YouTube
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"Cuckoo" stars Hunter Schafer as Gretchen, a teenager who moves to the German Alps with her father (Marton Csokas) and his family following her mother's death. Her father has gone to build a new hotel owned by the mysterious Herr König (Dan Stevens) but things quickly take a disturbing turn once guests start vomiting and her half-sister Alma (Mila Lieu) starts to suffer seizures.

Reviews from critics have been largely positive, though reviews from audiences have been more mixed. Still, it seems like Schafer and Stevens earn near-universal praise for their performances, even if the movie itself isn't as cohesive as it could be.

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HULU TOP 15 MOVIES AND SHOWS RIGHT NOW

  1. "Elf"
  2. "The Polar Express"
  3. "General Hospital"
  4. "No Way Up"
  5. "Cuckoo"
  6. "National Lampoon Christmas Vacation"
  7. "What We Do in the Shadows"
  8. "Love Island: Australia"
  9. "The Christmas Break"
  10. "A Sudden Case of Christmas"
  11. "Christmas with the Cranks"
  12. "Nutcrackers"
  13. "Bob's Burgers"
  14. "Fred Claus"
  15. "Twilight"

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Malcolm McMillan
Senior Streaming Writer

Malcolm McMillan is a senior writer for Tom's Guide, covering all the latest in streaming TV shows and movies. That means news, analysis, recommendations, reviews and more for just about anything you can watch, including sports! If it can be seen on a screen, he can write about it. Previously, Malcolm had been a staff writer for Tom's Guide for over a year, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), A/V tech and VR headsets.

Before writing for Tom's Guide, Malcolm worked as a fantasy football analyst writing for several sites and also had a brief stint working for Microsoft selling laptops, Xbox products and even the ill-fated Windows phone. He is passionate about video games and sports, though both cause him to yell at the TV frequently. He proudly sports many tattoos, including an Arsenal tattoo, in honor of the team that causes him to yell at the TV the most.