The 3 Best Movies on Hulu This Weekend

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”

There are many good movies in the “Planet of the Apes” franchise. The first movie is an all-time classic, “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” has one of the boldest endings in film, “Escape from the Planet of the Apes” turns the series on its head in a fascinating social commentary.

Yet no film before or since quite reached the heights of Matt Reeves’ “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.” This second entry in the 2010s iteration of the series sees Andy Serkis return as Caesar, the leader of a hyper-intelligent group of apes that has splintered off from mankind. Humanity, meanwhile, clutches at survival as the virus that granted apes their awareness has all but wiped humans off the planet.

In “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” Reeves showcases his excellent ability for directing action at a massive scale without losing a beat of strong character work. Serkis, Toby Kebbell and Gary Oldman (in a much smaller role) deliver exceptional performances that help make this one of the greatest blockbusters of the century so far.

“Little Miss Sunshine”

“Little Miss Sunshine” celebrated its 20th anniversary at Sundance this January, marking two decades since Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ directorial debut first graced the festival. This makes now a perfect time to revisit the movie — as if an excuse is ever needed.

Hilarious and bursting with heart, “Little Miss Sunshine” is a delightful and memorable feature that stands among the film festival’s best. The movie contains a number of stellar performances, including two Oscar-nominated turns from Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin. It’s a joy from top to bottom, one that’s always worth a rewatch.

“Spider-Man 2”

Sam Raimi returned to theaters this weekend with “Send Help,” his first feature since “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” — and his first original movie since 2009’s “Drag Me to Hell.” Raimi is a beloved filmmaker for a reason, with his missteps rare and a lack of clear voice even rarer (hello, “Oz the Great and Powerful”).

It’s amazing how much Raimi shines through even some of his biggest blockbusters, with “Spider-Man 2” standing out as possibly the director’s greatest achievement. Here, he shows an even stronger understanding of his central hero than in his already incredible first film. The amount of care and focus Raimi places on Peter Parker (rather than his web-slinging alter ego) elevates what could be a standard superhero follow-up into a foundational text for Marvel’s most iconic hero. A scene where Aunt May speaks to Peter in a backyard proves just as thrilling (if not more so) as one of the most technically precise action sequences in superhero cinema.

Along for the ride in this film is Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius (later known as Doc Ock). In this character, Molina and Raimi create one of the greatest supervillains ever put to screen, a tortured and tragic antagonist who’s fallen victim to his own invention. Doc Ock is fun and menacing in equal measure, with a tentacle-laden hospital sequence in particular becoming a delightful fusion of filmmaker and blockbuster material.