Hulu’s library is stacked with several new releases, so some of the big movies from recent years tend to get buried. This weekend you can choose between a wordless animated film that’s heartbreaking, a British drama about a man facing his own mortality, and a genre-defying, one-man show that makes magic feel kind of like therapy. Each of these choices deserves every bit of its acclaim.
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Robot Dreams (2023)
genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama
IMDb: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
The dog lives alone in 1980s Manhattan until he builds himself a robot companion, and the two spend a summer forming a simple, joyful friendship in the city. Everything changes one day on the beach when the robot malfunctions and is left behind, setting off a chain of events that neither of them can undo.
This film captures the bittersweet reality of relationships without a single word of dialogue, letting animation and music carry every emotion. I am expecting something nice and left completely wrecked by a story where the silence hits even harder. It’s one of the most purely emotional movies I’ve seen in years, animated or otherwise.
You can watch Robot Dreams on Hulu.
Life (2022)
genre: Drama
IMDb: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Mr. Williams (Bill Nighy) has spent decades burying papers as a mid-level bureaucrat in 1950s London. His dull routine breaks when he receives a terminal cancer diagnosis. He realizes that he has barely experienced life and decides to finally change his ways. So he sets out to face everything he’s been avoiding and become someone who actually matters before his time is up. This underrated film is a remake of Kurosawa’s Ikiru, set in post-war England with a script by Kazuo Ishiguro.
Bill Nighy earned his first Oscar nomination here, and it’s easy to see why. He delivers an absolute masterclass in subtle acting, conveying decades of bottled-up regret with just a slight shift in his attitude. I found myself deeply moved by the film’s ending, and I bet you’d be rethinking your own daily priorities when the credits roll.
You can watch Living on Hulu.
Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself (2021)
genre: Documentary film
IMDb: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Illusionist Derek DelGaudio brings his famous stage show to the screen in this unique documentary. He stands on a small New York stage and shares deeply personal stories about his past. He weaves these vulnerable anecdotes together with clever magic tricks. The entire performance challenges the audience to explore the complex nature of human identity.
I love how DelGaudio uses simple tricks to expose how quickly we judge ourselves. It is difficult to categorize this project because it is not a standard magic show. Don’t get me wrong, the illusions are pretty impressive, but in my eyes they serve as a means to deliver a larger philosophical purpose. Either way, you’re in for a treat!
You can watch In & Of Itself on Hulu.