August might be slipping away like a bottle of wine, and unfortunately, these movies are about to slip away from Hulu in August 2022. We’ve brought together a list of the best movies that are about to leave the streaming service. The films featured include Best Picture nominees, action favorites, comedy classics, and a double dose of Jim Broadbent for good measure. You can quit scrolling– check out our list of the best movies on the streaming service before they’re gone.
An Education (2009)
Leaves August 31st
Director: Lone Scherfig
Writer: Nick Hornby
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper, Emma Thompson
Carey Mulligan stars in this coming-of-age film as a girl who dreams of becoming an adult and attending Oxford University. That’s put into jeopardy when she meets a handsome older man (Peter Sarsgaard) who introduces her to a world outside of academia and her own sexual awakening during the early 1960s. When it’s revealed that he’s not who he appears to be, Jenny has to decide whether he’s worth the risk of giving up her education. Nominated for Best Picture, An Education is a pleasing watch for its era of fashion and the standout performance from Mulligan early in her career.
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Leaves August 31st
Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Paddy Considine, Olivia Colman
If you’ve never seen an Edgar Wright movie, make Hot Fuzz a priority! The second of Wright’s Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, Hot Fuzz stars Simon Pegg as Nicolas Angel, a cop who’s relocated to a seemingly peaceful village where he and his new partner (Nick Frost) investigate a series of gruesome deaths. The film competes tonally with the action greats like Bad Boys and Point Break while being endlessly entertaining.
What makes Hot Fuzz stand out from other action films is that it actually makes being a good cop look cool– following due process, filling out paperwork, and being above reproach. For a genre filled with action stars featuring law enforcement constantly breaking the rules, here’s a hero who is put down because he’s great at his job. There’s a lot more to this action comedy than meets the eye, so give Hot Fuzz a watch before it leaves the streaming service.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Leaves August 31st
Director: Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan
Writer: Simon Beaufoy
Cast: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Madhur Mittal
Don’t let your Dev Patel summer end without revisiting his feature debut in Slumdog Millionaire. The film tells the story of Jamal as he competes in the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Through a series of flashbacks, audiences learn how he and his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) grew up on the streets of Mumbai and show how his experiences on the streets helped him answer questions correctly on the game show. The film is also a love story of how Jamal and his childhood crush Latika (Freida Pinto) find their way back to each other. Though the film offers an inspiring story of overcoming the odds, it’s important to note that since its release the Best Picture winner has received a number of criticisms regarding its Westernized view of India, including the depiction of poverty and alleged exploitations of the child actors.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Leaves August 31st
Director: Adam McKay
Writer: Will Ferrell and Adam McKay
Cast: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Amy Adams
Enter the fast-paced world of NASCAR in this Adam McKay-directed sports comedy before it speeds off Hulu! Will Ferrell stars as the titular Ricky Bobby, a racing superstar who loses everything after a Formula One driver (Sacha Baron Cohen) steals his thunder. During the height of the Ferrell-McKay comedies of the 2000s, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a testament to their comedic genius. With memorable scenes like Ricky’s prayer to Baby Jesus or driving in a car with a cougar, the comedy has its foot on the gas pedal, never letting up on the laughs.
Taken (2008)
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Leaves August 31st
Director: Pierre Morel
Writer: Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen
Cast: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, Katie Cassidy, Famke Janssen
Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), a former CIA agent, is up against the clock when his daughter (Maggie Grace) is abducted by human traffickers after she and her friend (Katie Cassidy) arrive in Paris. Taken keeps you on the edge of your seat as Bryan races through Paris to find his daughter before she’s sold to the highest bidder. This film transformed Neeson’s career into an action star, even spawning a trilogy out of Taken. Though the sequels slip in quality, the original Taken movie is well-worth revisiting for its action and the relentless nature of a father trying to bring his daughter home safely.
The Wedding Singer (1998)
Leaves August 31st
Director: Frank Coraci
Writer: Tim Herlihy
Cast: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Christine Taylor, Allen Covert, Angela Featherstone, Steve Buscemi, Alexis Arquette
If you’re looking to get your 1980s fix without re-watching Stranger Things, check out the Adam Sandler rom-com The Wedding Singer, his loving homage to the decade. After his heart is broken by his fiancé (Angela Featherstone), a local wedding singer meets a waitress, played by Drew Barrymore, and helps her plan her wedding. Along the way, the two begin to fall for each other. The rom-com is filled to the brim with cheesy yet fond references to the 80s (no Kate Bush if you’re looking for a break!) wrapped up in a sweet love story. Plus, this is the first of three rom-coms starring both Sandler and Barrymore, so you can turn this into a marathon by watching 50 First Dates and Blended.
The Young Victoria (2009)
Leaves August 31st
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Writer: Julian Fellowes
Cast: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Mark Strong, Jim Broadbent, Miranda Richardson
The Young Victoria focuses on one of the United Kingdom’s longest-ruling monarchs during the tumultuous early years of her reign. Emily Blunt stars as Victoria, a young princess caught up in the machinations that come with the line of succession and governing an empire. The film also explores her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert, played by Rupert Friend. Through the onscreen chemistry between Blunt and Friend, the film leans heavily into exploring their devotion to each other as others try to manipulate and dissuade them. The Young Victoria is one of the more underrated period dramas, yet it will sweep you away with its performances and the love story that anchors it.