Table of ContentsTable of ContentsThe Silent Hour (2024)American Star (2024)My Penguin Friend (2024)For the middle of January, Hulu has added a handful of movies from last year that didnt make waves in theaters when they were released. Not every film was made to be a blockbuster, and this trio certainly wasnt. But they are our picks for the three great Hulu movies that you need to stream this weekend.Our first two choices are both crime thrillers, but in different ways. The second pick kind of reminds of Lost in Translation, if Bill Murrays character was a hit man. Finally, our remaining pick is so family-friendly thats practically a Disney movie.Recommended VideosNeed more recommendations? 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,andthe best movies on Disney+.RelatedRepublic PicturesSilence isnt golden for Joel Kinnamans character in The Silent Hour. After an accident left him barely able to hear, Detective Frank Shaw (Kinnaman) is having trouble finding reasons to keep going. His proficiency in sign language leads the police to bring him back as an interpreter for Ava Fremont (Sandra Mae Frank), a deaf woman who is a former junkie.Ava witnessed a murder outside of her apartment building, and the killer, Mason Lynch (Mekhi Phifer), wants to silence her for good. Franks arrival saves Avas life, but now theyre both trapped in her building as Masons men close in on them. And Franks hearing is getting even worse by the second.Watch The Silent Hour on Hulu.Vertigo ReleasingAfter letting Keanu Reeves get most of the action in the John Wick films, Ian McShane steps into the role of a hit man in American Star. Wilson (McShane) is an aging assassin who doesnt have the same inner fire that he used to have. After venturing out to the Canary Islands to take out a target, Wilson is surprised when the person hes been sent to kill isnt there.That leads Wilson to take an impromptu vacation on the island while he awaits his targets return. As a surprise even to himself, Wilson befriends a bartender, Gloria (Nora Arnezeder), as well as a young orphan boy named Max (Oscar Coleman). Wilson is practically a new man around the people on the island, but its a transformation that cant last forever. Hes got a job to do, and human connections just get in the way.Watch American Star on Hulu.Roadside AttractionsLeon: The Professional star Jean Reno really plays against type in My Penguin Friend. Joo Pereira de Souza (Reno) is Brazilian fisherman who has been emotionally closed off since the death of his son. By chance, Joo stumbles upon a penguin who has been trapped by an oil spill after losing his way during migration.Joo takes the bird whom he names DinDim into his home and into his heart as he dotes on his new companion. Even releasing DinDim back in the wild cant end their friendship, as he returns year-after-year. DinDim helps Joo feel alive again, now he just needs to rebuild his emotional connections with the people around him.Watch My Penguin Friend on Hulu.Editors Recommendations