September turns a leaf but sunlit days are still here. In an increasingly hot land, the differentiations of time become less obvious. These seven films out on Hulu this month, spanning genre and time period, have one thing in common: the desire to survive and an acknowledgment of the risks that survival can take. So without further ado, here are the seven best movies coming this month to Hulu.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Available: September 1
Director: Gil Junger | Run Time: 97 minutes | Genre: Teen Rom-Com
Cast: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Not your typical enemies to lovers narrative nor high school drama, 10 Things I Hate About You stands out for its moving performances by Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles. Patrick’s teaser-cum-lover journey is a marvel; so is watching Kat realize her adolescent pains can be healed through loving herself and others.
Big (1988)
Available: September 1
Director: Penny Marshall | Run Time: 104 minutes | Genre: Fantasy Dramedy
Cast: Elizabeth Perkins, Tom Hanks, Robert Loggia
Marshall’s drama comedy feels ahead of its time (I remember being 6 or so when I saw it and mostly feeling the comedy aspects). The premise is straightforward - a child wakes up in the body of an adult - and Big takes up a thoughtful evaluation of this metaphysicality. A definite late 80s rewatch.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Available: September 1
Director: Christopher Nolan | Run Time: 152 minutes | Genre: Superhero
Cast: Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Christian Bale
The Joker jerkily stumbling out of a hospital after planting fire and havoc is an iconic villain moment (the reason, perhaps, why Spirit Halloween sold this particular costume that 2008 Halloween). Heath Ledger’s sinister, psychologically f-ed up Joker fed both sides of the ID coin and darkened the forces of everyone in Gotham.
Fight Club (1999)
Available: September 1
Director: David Fincher | Run Time: 139 minutes | Genre: Psychological Thriller
Cast: Brad Pitt, Helen Bonham Carter, Edward Norton
I am realizing this lusty, chaotic cauldron of a film was released right before the big 2 0 0 0 happened, which lends ingenuity to an already smart film about time, regret, and what, next? Brad Pitt is formidable as Tyler; Edward Norton, as Narrator, makes you want to weep and shake him; and Helena Bonham Carter is, literally, perfect from head to psychological toe.
Philadelphia (1993)
Available: September 1
Director: Jonathan Demme | Run Time: 126 minutes | Genre: Legal Drama
Cast: Denzel Washington, Antonio Banderas, Tom Hanks
Philadelphia is more than a courtroom drama and love (and friendship) story. Never feeling polemical, the story of a man fired because of his AIDS diagnosis is a tour de force in emotional rights. Denzel Washington as the lawyer, Tom Hanks as the defendant, and Antonio Banderas as the defendant’s boyfriend, are all stars here.
Wasted! The Story of Food Waste (2017)
Available: September 2
Director: Anne Chai, Nari Kye | Run Time: 90 minutes | Genre: Documentary
Cast: Anthony Bourdain, Mario Batali, Massimo Bottura
A welcome narrative into caloric consumption, this documentary is partly a love letter to chefs making magic in the kitchen but is mostly a how-to for people who want to contribute less to food waste and participate more in ecological sustenance, through food making. Watching this, you will learn how to reimagine what you call waste - and how to create.
The Cove (2009)
Available: September 7
Director: Louie Psihoyos | Run Time: 87 minutes | Genre: Documentary
Cast: Richard O’Barry, Louie Psihoyos, Hardy Jones
This documentary uncovers the slaughter of dolphins near Taiji, Japan. Revealed as animal abuse and endangerment of human health, with the participation of a dedicated dolphin trainer, the film exposes the backstory of the slaughter. The Cove is a call to action for social awareness and civic responsibility to support systems that prioritize both animal and human health.