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Hulus January Arrivals Clearly Want Us to Party Like Its 1999

For cinephiles with more refined tastes than mine, theCriterion Collection’s mass exodus from Hulu to FilmStruckmight be truly traumatic. But Hulu’s not dead yet:its January offerings, which include seemingly every movie released in 1999, make it clear that the streaming platformunderstands me now more than ever.In fact, it seems that Hulu has figured outour new year’s resolutions.We should find commonality inconcentrated orange juice; we should build unlikely partnerships justas we feel like ending it all; we should find a way to dream, if onlyfor a moment, that the men who hacked our election were actually a bunch of young Matthew Brodericks. So as the year turns over, and auldacquaintances beforgot, enjoy these stories of unruly computers, Kevin Bacon dancing, Nic Cage drinking, and Woody Allen being neurotic. Lucky for us, the Ryan Phillippe/Sarah Michelle Gellar masterpiece Cruel Intentions hasnt been added to the Criterion Collection yet. Perhaps 2017 wont be so terrible after all.

Amlie (2001)

With a little #hashtagtivism and some creative accounting, surreal beat out fascism for Merriam-Websters 2016 Word of the Year. What better way to celebrate than with asurrealistic rom-com? Amlie (Audrey Tautou) is a young woman with a strange childhood who sets out to change the lives of the people around her. We can all use a strange, lovely escape sometimes.

Annie Hall (1977)

If you’ve always wondered why your parents swear by the guy behind Curse of Jade Scorpion and that weird Amazon show with Lindsey Lohan, watching Annie Hall could finally answer your question. Woody Allen’s neuroses have become a clich, but his signature style plays perfectly and feels fresh in this story of a love affair gone wrong. Also, Diane Keaton won a Best Actress Oscar for her role as Annie Hall.

Cruel Intentions (1999)

The incredibly 90s reimagination of Les Liaisons Dangereuses stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe as wealthy, oversexed, and conniving stepsiblings. The plot, as in the original, is driven by a bet: if Phillippe cant deflower their New York prep school headmaster’s innocent daughter of (Reese Witherspoon), he has togive his stepsister the keys to his Jaguar. Come for the rich kids acting badly, stay for Joshua Jackson with bleached hair!

Footloose (1984)

When Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon) shows up in a small Midwestern town, he is shocked to learn that rock music and dancing have been outlawed by the local minister (John Lithgow). If you like extravagant choreography, street-racing, small-town clichs, or beautiful preacher’s daughters, youre in luck. If not, it’s still worth watching just to sharpen your Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon skill set.

King Kong (1976)

Ahead of next year’s release of Kong: Skull Island, it’s time to revisit all the Kongs (well, except the truly insaneKing Kong Lives). The 1933 Kong was groundbreaking, and while no one would describethis remake that way,watching a young Jeff Bridgesand Jessica Lange is plenty of fun so long as you can lean into the campiness.

Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Nicolas Cage won the Oscar for Best Actor for this performance. Do you really need another reason to watch this movie?

All the Lethal Weapons (1987-98)

Die Hard holds the crown for Best Christmas Action Movie (and Best Los Angeles Holiday Film), but Shane Black’s original Lethal Weapon is right on John McClanes bruised and cynical tail. Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is on the verge of retirement when hes partnered with Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), a wild-eyed, more-than-half-crazy widower with a death wish. Together, the unlikely pair tries itsbest to get along and crack a drug-smuggling ring. The sequels never reach the brilliance of the original, but theyre all fun.

Mission Impossible (1996)

There’s a very real possibility that Tom Cruise was grown in a lab specifically to play the part of Ethan Hunt. Say what you want about Cruise, but the man can sell a stunt, wear a tux, and ride a motorcycle. Brian De Palma’s adaption of the 1960s TV seriesamounts to little more than some great action sequencesbut when that music starts playing, we defy younot tohave fun.

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

This retelling of the legend of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman sits at the peak ofTim Burtons Lesser Filmsor, depending on how you see the (visually eccentric) world, is the simply the worst of his best. Regardless, its refreshing to watch a pre-Jack Sparrow Johnny Depp, still full of lifethat striking face not yet covered with half-tint glassesacting alongsidethe consistently, wonderfully weird Cristina Ricci.

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)

Trey Parker and Matt Stone got some bad reviews for the latest season of South Park, but no one wouldargue against their track record as provocateurs. The unlikely musical, released moments before the Bush Era began, tells an all-too-familiar story about political correctness, small-town uprisings, and international conflict. The film that brought us thisnevereclipses the genius of Book of Mormon, but it’s stilla damn good movie musical.

Trading Places (1983)

In the interest of resolving a nature vs. nurture argumentand settling a bettwo wealthy brothers scheme to pull a prince-pauper shell game with atrader at their commodities brokerage firm (Dan Aykroyd) and ahomeless man he’s had arrested, Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy). Hard to believe Murphy was just 22 when this John Landis classic sparkedhis legendary mid-80s movie run.

The Untouchables (1987)

While it’s impossible to know for sure, chances are Lauryn Hill wasn’t actually beefing with Robert DeNiro when she said, “So while youre imitating Al Capone, Ill be Nina Simone/And defecating on your microphone.” DeNiros portrayal of the legendary Chicago bootlegger is great, and worth checking in on ahead of Tom Hardys upcoming Capone imitation. But the real gem in this film is Sean Connery as the veteran cop who takes Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) under his wing.

WarGames (1983)

A young computer wiz (Matthew Broderick) hacks into government computers, altering the geopolitical landscape and nearly setting off World War III. The hopefully-not-ripped-from-future-headlines plotmay feel a bit too close to home right now,but it’s still a can’t-miss.