3 great Hulu movies you need to stream this weekend (January 3-5)

Ideally, the first weekend of 2025 would be a nice, long three-day holiday. But since New Year’s Day fell on a Wednesday, we’re stuck with an ordinary two-day weekend. Thankfully, Hulu can keep you entertained with its fantastic lineup of newly added films. To narrow things down for you, we’ve chosen the three great Hulu movies that you need to stream this weekend.

First up is one of the best action films of the 21st century, and that is not an exaggeration. Additionally, we’re throwing the spotlight on a crime thriller that will turn 30 in late 2025, as well as a selection that’s suitable for everyone in your household, from the young to the young at heart.

We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.

John Wick (2014)

Summit Entertainment

John Wick, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, is the movie that reestablished Keanu Reeves as an action star. It’s the heartwarming tale of a grieving man who finds a new reason to live following the death of his wife, Helen (Bridget Moynahan). She arranged for John (Reeves) to adopt a dog and give it all of his love … right up until some punk gangsters attack him, kill the canine, and steal his car.

Iosef Tarasov (Game of Thrones star Alfie Allen) doesn’t know how badly he screwed up by leaving John for dead without finishing him off. John is the most feared assassin of his era, and this little jerk pushed him out of his retirement and into a bloody rampage of revenge that will only end when both Iosef, and his crime lord father, Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), are just as dead as Mrs. Wick.

Watch John Wick on Hulu.

Heat (1995)

A young Robert De Niro sitting at a table in a restaurant with another man, looking unimpressed in a scene from Heat. — Warner Bros.

Writer and director Michael Mann put together an extremely impressive cast for his 1995 crime epic, Heat, including Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Ashley Judd, Natalie Portman, William Fichtner, Dennis Haysbert, Hank Azaria, Danny Trejo, and more. But this film was all about the two men at the top of the credits: Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

Mann placed The Godfather Part II co-stars on opposite sides of the law. De Niro plays an aging thief, Neil McCauley, who is under intense pressure following a robbery gone wrong. Pacino portrays an LA cop, Lieutenant Vincent Hanna, who is driven to bring Neil and his crew down. Heat memorably brought both actors together on-screen for the first time, but it’s more than just a gimmick. Pacino and De Niro brought their A-games to the film and made Heat an instant classic.

Watch Heat on Hulu.

Paddington (2014)

Paddington bear looking up in a red hat and blue coat in Paddington. — StudioCanal

How’s this for tonal whiplash? Going from Heat to Paddington may not seem like the obvious double feature, but the latter is a fantastic film in its own right and it’s also very family-friendly if you want to watch it with children. There’s an easy way to tell who the bad people are in this movie. If they don’t like Paddington Bear (Black Doves star Ben Whishaw), then don’t trust them.

Nicole Kidman’s Millicent Clyde fails the Paddington test (she wants to have him stuffed for her collection). Meanwhile, Paddington charms Henry (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary Brown (Sally Hawkins), as well as their children. The Browns take Paddington in after he arrives in England, and they’ll have to ensure that he stays in one piece after Millicent sets her sights on him.

Watch Paddington on Hulu.