What’s New to Stream on Hulu for January 2021

Crossing the Streams is our monthly look at all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month, and this time we’re checking out the new Hulu arrivals for January 2021. This month’s titles are light on new movies, but they still include plenty of old favorites from Stephen King, the 90s, Mike Myers, and more!

Keep reading to see what’s new to Hulu for January 2021!

Hulu Pick of the Month for January 2021

The comedic stylings of Mike Myers were never universally adored, but the years have been even more unfair to some of his past gems. A case in point is his spy spoof trilogy that too many scoff at these days. All three films — Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) — are new to Hulu this month, and while a marathon would probably be a bit too much I do recommend giving them a spin. There are highs and lows, obviously, but if you just let yourself relax and enjoy the smartly crafted idiocy it’s a revisit worth making. Myers and Jay Roach poke masterful fun and James Bond and others, the gags come fast and furious, the opening title song and dance numbers are choreographed perfection, and the entirety has no deeper goal than to entertain.

More More More!

Most films hit the screen as the completed vision of their directors, but sometimes a filmmaker has more to say that they couldn’t fit it for one reason or another. Enter the inconsistent joy that is director’s cuts! It’s typically name directors who get the privilege, and that’s certainly the case for the three hitting Hulu this month.

First up is Bernardo Bertolucci’s extended cut of 1900 (1976) which, atypically, was actually the cut he initially released. Its 317-minute running time was trimmed to 247 minutes for a US release, though, before being restored in the years that followed. The longer cut is the one presented here, and if you have five hours to spare it remains an epic in more ways than one as it explores class, crime, family, and friendship through the lens of the early 20th century in Italy. Robert De Niro and Gérard Depardieu headline (obviously), and the film charts through relationship through years both glorious and tumultuous. And did I mention Ennio Morricone provides the score?

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) was shafted on its initial release, much like John Carpenter’s The Thing that same year, but history recognizes it as a science fiction masterpiece. (Again, like Carpenter’s film.) That hasn’t stopped Scott from fiddling with it, though, and over the years we’ve seen a few different cuts. The last, called The Final Cut, was released by WB in 2007, and while it runs the same length as the initial theatrical version, the differences leave viewers with a different tone and ending. Is it better? That’s debatable, but removing voice-over narration is almost always an improvement.

The differences made to Michael Mann’s The Last of the Mohicans (1992) from theatrical release to Director’s Cut aren’t nearly as dramatic, but the few extra minutes do add nuance and character touches. The film’s narrative trajectory remains the same and every bit as powerful as Daniel Day-Lewis’ Hawkeye leads a heroic effort amid the carnage of the French and Indian War. It’s still one hell of a historical drama complete with romance, action, and suspense.

A Stephen King Triple Feature

Stephen King adaptations enjoyed something of a resurgence recently, but it’s important to revisit the classics too. The 80s remain his biggest decade prior to the 2010s, and now two of those under-appreciated films are new to Hulu alongside a lesser film from 1990!

Cujo (1983) is a tight, claustrophobic adaptation of one of King’s meaner novels, and director Lewis Teague does fantastic work tightening the screws through to the very end. The rabid dog entered pop culture long ago, but the film keeps things serious and deadly while recognizing the tragedy of this pup’s transformation into a mad killing machine. Dee Wallace gives an intense performance as the woman at the center of it all trying desperately to protect her son, and while the film softens King’s ending considerably it’s still an effective one.

David Cronenberg entered the King game with his adaptation of The Dead Zone (1983), and while it’s far from flashy it’s exactly what you’d expect from the filmmaker. No, not body horror, but there is a chilliness throughout as Cronenberg brings to life King’s tale of a psychic given the chance to prevent the end of the world. Christopher Walken’s lead performance is rightfully subdued and emotionally affecting as loss and duty fuel him towards action. It’s a terrific and somber thriller.

While those two films are legitimately fantastic, the same can’t really be said for Graveyard Shift (1990). It’s straight trash horror as a mill becomes infested with killer rats, and while King’s short story is an effective one-note hit the film suffers a bit stretching it to feature-length. Still, it’s a killer rat movie, so there’s still plenty to love for fans of sweaty, dirty, bloody genre fare.

It’s Always the Right Time for ’90s Thrillers!

We get the occasional throwback now and then, but 90s thrillers remain a subgenre unto themselves. Take Internal Affairs (1990), for example. Recently revisited in some ways by Fatale (2020), Mike Figgis’ steamy film sees a violent relationship take hold between three people as Andy Garcia’s Internal Affairs agent begins to investigate Richard Gere’s corrupt cop — with the agent’s wife (Nancy Travis) caught in the middle. It’s a mean, twisty good time and delivers some stellar back and forth action between Gere and Garcia.

Jonathan Mostow’s Breakdown (1997) is just simple thriller perfection across the board. Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan play a couple on a cross country drive who cross paths with killers led by the eternally great J.T. Walsh. She’s abducted, and Russell sets out to find her, and it’s just a brilliantly suspenseful ride populated with practical stunts, solid performances, and a highly satisfying end. Watch it. Re-watch it. Love it.

Writer/director Kasi Lemmons’ Eve’s Bayou (1997) isn’t your typical 90s thriller, but I’m including it here as the film is always worth highlighting and celebrating. A young Jurnee Smollett plays little Eve, but it’s the adults who play deceitful games including Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitfield, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and more. It’s a terrifically constructed dramatic thriller with tinges of something more, and both sharp writing and compelling performances push it towards a memorable climax.

The Complete Hulu List for January 2021

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