If you’re a big fan of the Tauri Articles Unnecessarily Reiterating Information (T.A.U.R.I. for short), you’ll recall thatI mentioned Hulu being in limbo since the Disney/FOX merger. Since Hulu is a US-only service, there is a tug-of-war between the once FOX-owned platform and the internationally distributed Disney Plus service. Many of the R-rated films that would have gone exclusively on Hulu are becoming available on Disney Plus around the world.
This has presented a wonderful opportunity to get your grown-up swears, sex, and sensible slice-of-life films on the same platforms you watch nostalgicDisney animations. It’s the golden age of streaming! Especially for anyone who jumped onto the newDisney Plus with Hulu Bundle. Here are some great titles for the Bundle Bill-Paying adults to get the most out of their subscriptions.
For more recommendations, check out our list of thebest movies on Disney+, thebest movies on Hulu, and thebest R-rated movies on Netflix.
‘Deadpool’ (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes: 85% | IMDb: 8.0/10
Time to kick this article off with my own fourth-wall break! I’m pumped forDeadpool & Wolverine, and you should be too! Now that Disney Plus allows swears and jizz jokes in their R-Rated content, you and I can pop into the app to catch up on that good, good Deadpool content.Deadpoolis the first in the trilogy, though not the first time audiences got to seeRyan Reynolds(X-Men Origins: Wolverine) as the Merc with the Mouth. The film is both an origin story for the character Wade Wilson and a love letter to the profane killer created byFabian NiciezaandRob Liefeld. It’s the platonic ideal of a live-action comic book movie — it perfectly captures the vibe of the source material, there are cheeky references all over the place, and there is reverence (and irreverence) in every frame.
Watch on Disney+
‘Deadpool 2’ (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes: 84% | IMDb: 7.6/10
Deadpool 2
And…onto the next one!Deadpool 2picks up shortly after the first, with Wade Willson (Ryan Reynolds) and Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) living happily in their small apartment until a tragedy strikes that sends Deadpool into a depressive spiral that puts the future of the entire world at risk. In addition to upping the stakes, this sequel also fills the cast to the brim with comedic talent that shoot their hilarity all over the screen. The biggest standouts joining the X-Force areZazie Beetz(Atlanta),Julian Dennison(Hunt for the Wilderpeople), andRob Delaney(Catastrophe). Not to mentionJosh Brolin(Avengers: Infinity War), who is the perfect foil to the flurry of bits — fully embracing the ultimate straight-man archetype to let these comedians shine.
‘Logan’ (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 8.1/10
Referenced in the opening ofDeadpool 2,Loganis a comic book film that rests on the polar opposite side of the comedy-drama spectrum. This bleak drama inspired by Westerns of yesteryear followsPatrick Stewart(X-Men) as an aging Charles Xavier andHugh Jackman(X-Men) as Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine, in what was thought to be his last time donning the claws — that is untilDeadpool & Wolverinewas announced. (See, it came back around). As the tenth film in the FOX X-Men Film franchise, it serves as a bittersweet goodbye to the version of the X-Men Universe that many have grown up with while delivering a touching story about a found family and sacrificing for the next generation. This concludes my fourth-wall breaking, as this film will be the last one you need to enjoy the upcoming Deadpool movie. The rest of this will be a normal article…as normal as I get, anyway.
‘Poor Things’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 7.9/10
Poor Things
Based on the novel byAlasdair Gray,Poor Thingsis a sexual comedy about bodily autonomy starringEmma Stone(La La Land),Willem Dafoe(The Lighthouse), andRamy Youssef(Ramy). Taking inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this fantastical Victorian tale revolves around a reanimated woman who has had her brain replaced with an infant’s brain. Fully subverting the “Born Sexy Yesterday” trope, the audience is treated to an evolution of thought as Stone grows her character from a mute sex object to a self-actualized woman with wants and ambitions. In addition to telling a great story, the film is visually dynamic, as directorYorgos Lanthimos(The Lobster) utilizes vivid, colorful scenes contrasted with desaturated black-and-white sequences that flow together seamlessly.
Watch on Disney+ with Hulu
‘BlackBerry’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDb: 7.4/10
BlackBerry
Just like the phones raised the bar for telecommunications technology,BlackBerrytakes the emergent “corporate origin drama” genre to the next level. The film is a loose retelling of how the BlackBerry was created and the storm of corporate greed and betrayal that would follow. Though the cast is bursting with character actors, the two leads,Jay Baruchel(How to Train Your Dragon) andGlenn Howerton(It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), steal the show. Anyone who is familiar with Howerton’s work knows that he is a master at crafting charming, borderline psychopathic characters, so it makes sense that he would take on the role of Canadian business tycoon Jim Balsillie — a man who desperately tries to squeeze every cent he can get from Baruchel’s Mike Lazaridis, who just wants to make a cool phone.
‘Get Out’ (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 7.8/10
Comedian and auteur directorJordan Peele(Nope) defies genre by creating a satirical thriller that can be a comedy or a horror film, depending on the viewer.Get Outpeels back the layers of the concept of neoliberalism to reveal striking commentary on the racism and microaggressions beneath the “post-racial” sheen. Leading this harrowing tale that combinesMeet the ParentsandThe Stepford WivesisDaniel Kaluuya(Judas and the Black Messiah) as Chris, a young Black photographer traveling with his white girlfriend to meet her “progressive” family. Kaluuya’s performance as he navigates the niceties of this suburban home as a dark underbelly lurks below is a masterclass in acting. This cerebral suspense fest will make you want to stay in.
‘Anatomy of a Fall’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 7.7/10
Anatomy of a Fall
Directed and co-written byJustine Triet(Sibyl), the award-winning French legal dramaAnatomy of a Fallis pure tension in a bottle. The film followsSandra Hüller(The Zone of Interest) as Sandra Voyter, a novelist who becomes the focus of a murder investigation when her son finds the dead body of her husband splayed out on the ground after a gruesome fall. The procedural aspect of the film shines a light on the ways that our judicial processes, mixed with the ways the media sensationalizes death, often create an environment where a person’s innocence or guilt takes a backseat to public perception, altering their lives forever. Trigger warning for this one, as with the ambiguity of the husband’s death, there is a heavy theme surrounding suicide. So proceed with caution if that’s a tough subject for you.
‘Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 86% | IMDb: 7.6/10
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, written and directed byQuentin Tarantino(Pulp Fiction), is a star-studded affair that weaves a fictional tale through real events that took place during the tumultuous transition from the Golden Age of Hollywood to the Hollywood Renaissance. Tarantino shows off his love for old Hollywood as he recreates 1960s Los Angeles and dives behind the scenes of studio productions from the perspective of an aging actor and his stuntman, played byLeonardo DiCaprio(Titanic) andBrad Pitt(Fight Club) respectively. And it wouldn’t be a Tarantino joint without a heaping helping of profanity and death, so buckle up for a wild ride through the hyperbolic annals of the movie business.
‘Heathers’ (1988)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 7.2/10
With the recent passing ofShannen Doherty(Beverly Hills, 90210), it is a good time to revisit the classic dark teen comedy where she got to play a mean girl before becoming the poster girl for the prim and proper preppy girls.Heatherstakes theJohn Hughes(The Breakfast Club) aesthetic of high school and twists it into a cynical death fest that explodes with angst.Winona Ryder(Beetlejuice) takes on the role of Veronica, a popular girl at the bottom rung of her clique who falls for a chaotic young man, played byChristian Slater(Very Bad Things), who escalates their mutual hatred for the top dog at school into murder. This film inspired a musical, a series, and a movie-musical, all good in their own right, but this is where the magic started.
‘Triangle of Sadness’ (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 72% | IMDb: 7.3/10
Triangle of Sadness
Written and directed byRuben Östlund(The Square) in his English-language debut,Triangle of Sadnessis an award-winning triumph of satire. The film takes place on a luxury cruiser and follows the staff as they attempt to keep their pampered clientele happy — no matter what is asked of them. In the same vein asThe MenuandGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Östlund presents a story that pokes a hole through the veil over the wealthy that perpetuates the myth that more money equates to being a better person. The movie basks in the absurdity of overindulgence while showing how often ill-equipped the rich are for survival situations outside their mansions.
‘Worst Person in the World’ (2021)
The Worst Person in the World
Danish directorJoachim Trier(Oslo, August 31st) brings us the third in his Oslo Trilogy of standalone films, withAnders Danielsen Lie(Reprise) taking the lead. This Norwegian-language romance is a grounded slice of life that doesn’t shy away from the messiness of relationships and the hurt that can be just as strong as love. Though Danielsen Lie is the recurring presence in the trilogy, the true POV character is brought to life byRenate Reinsve(Presumed Innocent) in her breakout role that she nails from top to bottom. Reinsve captures a rare vulnerability that feels so authentic you might forget you’re watching a movie. So it makes sense that when on screen together, Danielsen Lie and Reinsve are so electric your TV might short out.
‘Titane’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 90% | IMDb: 6.5/10
Titaneis a wild ride! I say that not just as a joke you will understand as you watch it but also as a genuine reaction to this bonkers psychological thriller. This French-language erotic drama followingAgathe Rousselle(Stranger) as a murderous car model with a titanium plate in her head is a gonzo fusion ofDavid Cronenberg’sCrashandThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Despite having its flaws, writer and directorJulia Ducournau(Raw) delivers a jaw-dropping spectacle with a masterful command of color and breathtaking shot composition. Of the trilogy of subtitled films I just presented, this one will require the least amount of reading and a high dose of vibes.
