In the streaming realm,Huluoften plays third fiddle to Netflix and Amazon—but it shouldn’t. Hulu is home to a number of fantastic library film and TV titles, but also a robust library of ambitious original series of its own. While few Hulu original series have broken out in the way thatStranger ThingsorFleabaghave, they run the gamut from critically acclaimed dramas to sci-fi comedies to twistyStephen Kingadaptations. There’s a lot that’s worth your time, which is why we’ve assembled a list of the best Hulu original series you may watch right now.
And for a longer list of recommendations, check out our rundown ofallthe best TV shows available on Hulu.
Castle Rock
Created by:Sam Shaw and Dustin Thompson
Cast:Andre Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Bill Skarsgard, Sissy Spacek, Lizzy Caplan, Paul Sparks, Barkhad Abdi, Elsie Fisher, and Tim Robbins
Castle Rockis a quasi-anthology show that takes place in the universe of Stephen King’s novels, specifically focusing on the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine and all of the supernatural-as-balls things that seem to happen there on a regular basis. I say “quasi-anthology” because while the two seasons that have aired tell completely separate stories with entirely new casts (including a particularly excellent performance byLizzy Caplanin Season 2), the stories wind up connecting in a few surprisingly major ways.Castle Rockisn’t a direct adaptation of any of King’s work, but if you’re a King fan, or just a fan of weird fiction and cosmic horror in general, you need to order several pizzas and binge both seasons in their entirety ASAP. Plus, there’s an added bonus layer of Easter eggs for well-read King fans that’s just icing on the cake. The only negative thing I can say is that Season 2 just ended and we still don’t know if there will be a Season 3. –Tom Reimann
Creators: Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, Sam Zvibleman
Cast: Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, Melora Walters, Taylor Nichols, Mutsuko Erskine Dallas Liu, Dylan Gage, Taj Cross, Anna Pniowsky, Sami Rappoport
It’s hard to imagine a coming-of-age comedy set in the early ‘00s following two 7th grade girls (played by adult series co-creators and starsMaya ErskineandAnna Konkle) could be both hilariously raunchy and supremely heartwarming. But, alas, if you think that’s true, then you haven’t seen Hulu’s incredible original seriesPEN15yet — and it’s imperative you watch it ASAP if that’s the case.
Beginning on the first day of school in the year 2000, we follow childhood besties Maya Ishii-Peters (Erskine) and Anna Kone (Konkle) as they embark on what they hope will be a life-changing year in middle school. Over the course of 10 extremely bingeable episodes,PEN15shows the very funny, very honest, and very uncomfortable ways in which Maya and Anna grow up together and apart. Whether it’s discovering the joys of masturbation or trying to navigate the tricky waters of passive-aggressive racism while putting together a group project for school, Maya and Anna come up against it all. Plotlines are drawn from Konkle and Erskine’s own experiences, making their performances as fictionalized preteen versions of themselves even richer.PEN15also benefits greatly from the fact that Konkle and Erskine are actual friends. Watching them work off one another onscreen and knowing this tidbit makes for an more rewarding, more emotionally-compelling viewing experience.
PEN15shouldn’t work if only because Erskine and Konkle are grown-ups playing twelve-year-olds but, the gambit pays off and after a few minutes, you forget all about it and end up cheering for them by Episode 2. The stellar writing combined with Erskine and Konkle as an unbeatable pair and the specificity of the pop culture references (aimed squarely at elder Millennial audiences) should equal you pausing your entire life, heading to your couch, and pressing “Play” onPEN15immediately. –Allie Gemmill
Veronica Mars
Creator:Rob Thomas
Cast:Kristen Bell, Enrico Colantoni, Jason Dohring, Max Greenfield, Ken Marino, J.K. Simmons, Patton Oswalt
Controversy! Outrage! Sorry, but I loved it! More than a decade afterVeronica Marsended with a cliffhanger that left fans in crisis, about five years after the Kickstarter-funded feel-good movies that answered all your leftover questions, but didn’tquitefeel like the old series we loved,Veronica Marsreturned for Season 4 as a Hulu original series and it wasquitean experience. What comes after the happy ever after of theVeronica Marsmovie?? Well if you know your noir, you know it’s probably pretty dark.
Indeed, Season 4 catches up with Veronica as an adult, trapped back in Neptune, working with her dad on the ol’ PI beat, when a terrorist comes to town and starts bombing the spring breakers. That puts Mars Investigations on the case and puts Veronica in one of the scariest mysteries of her very scary life, all the while dealing with an unexpected downturn in her dad’s health, her ongoing and always complicated romance with Logan (Jason Dohring), and a general identity crisis as she comes to terms with who she’s become rather than who she thought she’d be.
While the new season, particularly its devastating finale, alienated much of the fanbase, I was a huge fan of the bold swings the series took towards a much more adult, tragic tone. Plus, that includes an incredible dynamic betweenEnrico Colantoniand newcomerJ.K. Simmons, one of the series’ best-ever “Veronica and Keith in peril” scenes during a breathless late-season shootout that had me literally screaming at the TV, and all the snappy banter we’ve come to know and love fromVeronica Mars. –Haleigh Foutch
Created by:Bridget Carpenter
Cast:James Franco, Sarah Gadon, Lucy Fry, George McKay, T.R. Knight, Daniel Webber, Josh Duhamel, and Chris Cooper
If you’re looking for a relatively easy binge with a beginning, middle, and end, the limited series11.22.63is a solid choice. Based on theStephen Kingnovel of the same name, theJ.J. Abrams-produced series starsJames Francoas an English teacher who is given the chance to travel back in time to 1960 in order to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy, which in turn is supposed to fix all the world’s problems that occurred after that event. It’s got a great sci-fi premise, but the story itself is very much a period piece and Franco anchors this thing well. At eight episodes it’s not a massive investment, and it’s absolutely compelling throughout. For history buffs who are also fans of time travel, with aMad Men-esque spin, this one is lots of fun.–Adam Chitwood
High Fidelity
Created by:Veronica West and Sarah Kucserka
Cast:Zoe Kravtiz, Jake Lacy, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Inspired by the film of the same name (out in 2000), which itself is based on the 1995 British novel by Nick Hornby,High Fidelity(developed by writers Veronica West and Sarah Kucserka) centers on Rob Brooks (Zoë Kravitz, who’s also an executive producer), a female record store owner in the gentrified neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. As Rob revisits past relationships through music and pop culture, in the hopes of understanding why her relationships continue to fail, she realizes that she may have to eventually face some harsh realities, if she’s ever going to truly sort out her life.
Zoë Kravitz stepping into the lead role in this story is an inspired choice, especially fresh off of her great run on two seasons ofBig Little Liesand before we get to see her take on Catwoman inThe Batman, as a female take on the character played in the movie by John Cusack. And if that’s not enough of a draw, on its own, the show also has a kick-ass soundtrack with a huge range of genres that create even more of a mood to illustrate the story being told.– Christina Radish
Creators:Aidy Bryant, Alexandra Rushfield, Lindy West
Cast:Aidy Bryant, John Cameron Mitchell, Lolly Adefope, Luka Jones, Ian Owens
A straight shot of pure feel-good vibes, Hulu’sShrillis all about self-acceptance, self-love, and most importantly, turning those things into self-empowerment.Saturday Night Livescene-stealerAidy Bryantgets to take the lead here as Annie, an aspiring writer with a bright spirit, big ambitions, and a lifetime of self-loathing as a plus-sized girl, until a run-ins with online trolls, body positivity communities, and the opportunity to tap into her sensuality leads her to a pivotal moment of self-empowerment.Shrillis all about the hilarious, messy journey to getting there; from the sloppy but sexy relationship with her oaf-with-a-heart-of-gold boyfriend (a transformative moment of how plus-size sexuality has been depicted on screen) to her evolving friendships, and a season 1 pool party that is one of the most outright celebratory, free, and fearless acts of revolutionary body positivity on TV.
It’s funny, breezy, and Bryant is charming to boot (not to mentionLolly Adefopeas Annie’s BFF andJohn Cameron Mitchellas Annie’s boss, both of which deserve their own spinoffs), but it’s also a powerful assertion that all bodies and all people deserve the right to claim their space and the right to a happy life, no matter how you, or society, feels about their body type. –Haleigh Foutch
Creator:Alex Garland
Cast:Sonoya Mizuno, Nick Offerman, Alison Pill, Jin Ha, Cailee Spaeny, Zach Grendier, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Karl Glusman
The newest show on this list and the first show to launch the FX on Hulu mantle,Devsis only half-way through its run of episodes, but having seen all eight hours ahead of writing my review, I can confirm what you probably already know:Devsis an exceptional piece of sci-fi storytelling. Written and directed byEx MachinaandAnnihilationfilmmakerAlex Garland, the series furthers his track record of dense, character-driven sci-fi with just enough WTFery to keep you guessing – not to mention, all the rich existential themes to keep you questioning the nature of your reality the whole way through.
Set on a tech campus where a genius billionaire (Nick Offerman) is developing a mysterious project that could change our understanding of the world,Devsmakes room for murder mystery, romance, mind-bending science-fiction, gorgeous visual artistry, disarming score work, and a flourish of avant-garde existentialism. It’s another win for FX, another win for Garland (who takes to the serialized format with relish), and boasts one of the most relentlessly fascinating characters of the year inAlison Pill’s mysterious Katie. Spooky, meditative, and utterly unpredictable,Devsis easily one of the best Hulu exclusives to date and almost certain to endure as one of the best TV shows of 2020. –Haleigh Foutch
The Awesomes
Created by:Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker
Cast:Seth Meyers, Ike Barinholtz, Emily Spivey, Taran Killam, Kenan Thompson, Paula Pell, Bill Hader, and Josh Meyers
Did you know thatSeth Meyersco-created an original animated superhero series that ran for three seasons on Hulu? That’s okay, not many people did either. ButThe Awesomesis well worth your time and attention if you’re looking for an escape from the ordinary and a break from the same-old superhero story.
The Awesomesfollows the title team of comic book-inspired superheroes led by the son of the greatest superhero of them all, Mr. Awesome, as they attempt to fill the sizable shoes of the heroes they’re replacing. The voice cast alone is worth watching for, including ::deep breath::Seth Meyers, Bill Hader, Kenan Thompson, Taran Killam, Bobby Moynihan, Rachel Dratch, Maya Rudolph, Will Forte, Amy Poehler, Kate McKinnon, Colin Quinn, Fred Armisen, Tina Fey, Andy Samberg, Chris Kattan, Cecily Strong, Vanessa Bayer, Noël Wells, Nasim PedradandAidy Bryantas well asSNLwritersSteve Higgins,Emily Spivey,Paula Pell,Tim Robinson,Alex BazeandJohn Lutz.The Awesomesalso fills that niche between the squeaky-clean Disney-fied superhero stories of the Marvel Comics universe and the very-adult stop-motion animated adventures ofSuperMansion,so while it’s not exactly family-friendly, it’s perfectly suited for teens and above. Check it out today if you missed out on the off-kilter adventures back in the halcyon days of the mid-2010s!- Dave Trumbore
The Handmaid’s Tale
Created by:Bruce Miller
Cast:Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Alexis Bledel, Ann Dowd, Bradley Whitford, and Samira Wiley
Talk about a show arriving at the right time. The first season of this ambitious adaptation of theMargaret Atwoodnovel of the same name arrived in the wake of the 2016 presidential election, andThe Handmaid’s Tale’s themes of misogyny, male-dominated power structures, and abuse resonated deeply. The show became the first streaming series to ever win the Emmy award for Best Drama Series, and has continued to expand on Atwood’s source material to build out a full-onHandmaid’s Taleworld. –Adam Chitwood
Future Man
Created by:Kyle Hunter, Ariel Shaffir, and Howard Overman
Cast:Josh Hutcherson, Eliza Coupe, Derek Wilson, Ed Begley Jr., Glenne Headly, Keith David, and Haley Joel Osment
Future Manis a comedy series with the hard sci-fi antics ofRick and Morty, R-rated humor of films likeNeighborsandThis Is the End, and serialization of something likeStranger Things. Executive produced bySeth RogenandEvan Goldberg, the series starsJosh Hutchersonas a lonely janitor at a scientific research facility who beats an unbeatable video game, only to be visited by two warriors from the future played byEliza Coupe(Happy Endings) andDerek Wilson(Preacher). The game was sent back in time to find the savior that can change the course of history and prevent a terrifying dystopia, but the warriors are surprised to find that their “savior” is just a lazy dude who’s good at video games and very bad at fighting. The show has a lot of fun with its sci-fi premise and really digs deep into time-travel to hilarious and compelling results, but the relationships between the characters also blossom in surprisingly emotional ways.Future Manis incredibly funny, chock-full of movie references, and super duper nerdy.–Adam Chitwood
