Hulu is releasing a ton of exciting original television this September, from new seasons of Atlanta, The Handmaid's Tale, The Cleaning Lady, and Ramy, to exciting new shows like Best in Dough, Reasonable Doubt, and Tell Me Lies. There's a complete absence of original movies, however. While this is disappointing to some, the streaming platform is making up for it with a long list of older or more recent movies being released throughout the month.

Hulu will have newer films like The Last Victim and The Dark Knight, along with slightly older ones like the American Pie movies and the Meet the Fockers trilogy. They'll be streaming '80s classics like the Young Guns movies and Big, and even recent international hits on the film festival circuit, like Petite Maman, Ernest & Celine, and Cuttputlli. In short, Hulu's adding a diverse array of films to its streaming service in September, and these are some of the best.

The Fisher King

Though Time Bandits and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas often get the most attention of Terry Gilliam's great filmography, the director's masterful 1991 movie The Fisher King should not be overlooked. A heartbreaking but darkly comedic masterpiece, the film follows a bitter, rude radio shock jock (played by Jeff Bridges) whose on-air insults and diatribes prompt a listener to go on a murderous rampage and then take his own life.

Years later, the depressed, drunken radio host encounters a schizophrenic homeless man on one suicidal night (played by Robin Williams in arguably his best performance), and the two dance between filthy reality and grand, absurdist fantasy on an Arthurian quest for the Holy Grail. It's a perfectly directed film, using Gilliam's penchant for wild and weird imagery to make a strong, emotional point about its characters' headspace.

The Darjeeling Limited

Another dark comedy filtered through a whimsical lens, the much more colorful and symmetrical film The Darjeeling Limited is presented in typical Wes Anderson style — bright colors, despondent upper-class characters in incongruous situations, an astounding slew of great needle drops, and perfectly photographed slow-motion cinematography.

Related: Every Wes Anderson Movie Ranked By Their Soundtrack

All these things combine to tell the story of three estranged brothers (played by Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman, all doing some of their most subtle but best work) who travel by train looking for their mother (an ethereal, authoritative Anjelica Huston) in India. One of Anderson's most visually sumptuous films, thanks in large part to the gorgeous setting, The Darjeeling Limited really solidified his place as one of the best American directors of his time.

The Last Duel

The story behind The Last Duel is pretty unfortunate. In any previous decade, it would have been a smash hit; directed by Ridley Scott, written by the great Nicole Holofcener with help from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (Oscar-winning writers themselves), starring them, Adam Driver, and Jodie Comer with a $100 million budget, it seemed set to be huge. The Last Duel had the misfortune of being released in October 2021, battling against low turnout from Covid-19 and a release schedule of many big films which were going straight to streaming that year.

It only grossed $30 million, less than a third of its budget, and was lampooned at the Oscars when Regina Hall teased, "Now, I’ve got the screener for a never-before-seen film, not even by the director," before referencing The Last Duel. That's a shame, because the snubbed movie deserved better. With an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, the historical epic was appreciated by the few who did see it as a lavishly produced, well-acted deconstruction of male ego, fueled by good action sequences and a seductive, psychosexual plot.

High-Rise

A weird, dark satire about class warfare, High-Rise is based on the J.G. Ballard novel of the same name about a skyscraper apartment building that gets more elitist and upper-class the further one climbs. As the world begins to end, the building becomes a kind of allegory for societal collapse and the threat of proletariat violence; yes, it sounds like a vertical Snowpiercer, but Ballard's novel came out before that film and the graphic novel upon which it's based. The excellent British director Ben Wheatley brings his usual touch of weird humor, random violence, and stylized dialogue in a really underappreciated, difficult-to-describe film.

A Chiara

Jonas Carpignano delivered his third film in a loose trilogy about a Calabrian town in Southern Italy with the quasi-gangster story A Chiara, following Mediterranea and A Ciambra. The hypnotic, quiet film is a masterpiece of sociocultural observation, detailing the ways in which a community (and a family) relates with itself, especially in the context of diverse beliefs and backgrounds. The film follows the Guerrasio family (all played by the Rotolo family, six non-actors) the way A Ciambra followed the Amato family; here, the teenage daughter of the recently vanished Guerrasio patriarch discovers that her family may have mafia ties, and are certainly hiding something.

True Lies

Arguably one of the best action-comedies ever made, True Lies helped set the modern template for many action flicks with a rom-com twist, such as Mr. and Mrs. Smith or the more recent The Lost City. It may not be the best or most beloved Arnold Schwarzenegger film, but it's probably the best he's ever acted in a film. He's convincingly charming here, a little goofy, and actually pretty romantic alongside a fantastic Jamie Lee Curtis, who more than holds her own in this playful movie about double lives and secret identities.

True Lies was the first film with a budget of over $100 million, so of course it was directed by James Cameron; the filmmaker instinctively knew Schwarzenegger's style by this point and actively brought out the best in the actor with a movie that's both extremely fun and critically acclaimed.

Open Water

2022 has been a big year for shark attack movies, as The Reef: Stalked and Maneater premiered in back-to-back months, along with Beneath the Surface and next year's The Meg 2: The Trench. Open Water from 2003, however, may be the best shark film since Jaws. A harrowing, minimalist masterpiece, Open Water tells the true story of a couple on their scuba diving trip who get left behind as their boat sails on. Stranded in the water, all they can do is tread and wait, but how long can they really stay afloat, especially with sharks circling? It's a terrifying, tragic film with two amazing performances from Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis.

Related: Maneater Review: A Silly Shark Attack Movie

Stripes

One of the best comedy movies of all time, Stripes found director Ivan Reitman at the height of his comedic abilities, positioned in between the looser Meatballs and the tighter Ghostbusters. Stripes was Reitman at perhaps his most balanced, a brilliant combination of improvisatory hang-out moments with big plot development and character motivations.

A movie about cynical slackers who join the military played with and even defused some tension surrounding the Cold War, as audiences couldn't help but fall in love with the great ensemble cast (Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, John Candy, Bill Paxton, John Larroquette, and Judge Reinhold). A wonderful Elmer Bernstein score and great cinematography from Bill Butler (Jaws, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Grease, Deliverance) help make this already great comedy into an all-time great movie.