Looking at everything new on Hulu in August, the streaming service is going to be the go to platform next month for action-packed blockbusters as it has come out on top as one of the most popular movie genres with new additions.
Hulu is already one of the best streaming services and now it's superior still when it comes to catering for fans of action movies and all of its sub-genres. For August, there are five new Hulu movies that stood out as the must-sees this month and each pack their own unique approach on the genre. Recent release Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) steps into the sci-fi side of action, while movies The Woman King (2022) and The Mask of Zorro (1998) show action, adventure at its very finest.
You should see this as the perfect opportunity to check these off your watchlist when they arrive in August, or even your chance to start exploring the action genre if you've never dipped into it before. Hopefully our list below will help you decide which direction to take, but with that said, you can also see our list of all the best Hulu movies for more ideas.
The Mask of Zorro (1998)
RT Score: 84%
Age rating: PG-13
Length: 136 minutes
Director: Martin Campbell
Arriving on: August 1
Starring two Welsh cinema legends Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Campbell's action adventure feature is based on the fictional character Zorro, the secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega. After being in prison for 20-years, Zorro (Hopkins) escapes after hearing his old enemy Don Rafael Montero (Stuart Wilson) has returned. While Zorro takes it upon himself to train potential successor Alejandro Murieta (Antonio Banderas), Montero devises a plan to steal all of California's gold – hiding the fact that he's been raising Zorro's daughter (Zeta-Jones) as his own.
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
RT Score: 91%
Age rating: R
Length: 157 minutes
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Arriving on: August 1
Set in the backdrop of the events of September 11 2001, the film depicts the nearly decade-long manhunt for Osama bin Laden. Being one of the most-wanted people on the planet, the scale of his search catches the attention of the White House and two presidential administrations. CIA Analyst Maya (Jessica Chastain) is then appointed in the manhunt, leading to the discovery of bin Laden's location where the US military raid will seal his fate.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
RT Score: 80%
Age rating: PG-13
Length: 145 minutes
Director: Wes Ball
Arriving on: August 2
A very recent cinema release from May 2024, Wes Ball's next installment in the sci-fi and action franchise – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – comes to Hulu this month. If you haven't seen the trailer, the movie follows the events of the previous Planet of the Apes reboot movies – here's a more thorough rundown of the film's timeline, setting and cinematic universe from Ball. Ball's action-packed feature is set years after Caesar's reign where apes are now the predominant species casting humans aside. Young ape Noa (Owen Teague) sets out on a mission to uncover the truth of the past which could alter the future of ape and human co-existence, all while a new authoritarian ape leader is on the rise.
The Woman King (2022)
RT Score: 94%
Age rating: PG-13
Length: 135 minutes
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Arriving on: August 13
Viola Davis is electrifying as the lead role, bringing this inspiring story of true events to the big screen. Set in the early 1800s, The Woman King tells the story of an all-female tribe called the Agojie – the protectors of the African Kingdom of Dahomey. The tribe's General Nanisca (Davis) gears up to train the next generation of warriors, preparing them to fight against an enemy whose desire to destroy the livelihood of the tribe turns into a plan of attack. It's an epic quest and one of three action flicks with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes that we previously recommended.
The Courier (2020)
RT Score: 85%
Age rating: PG-13
Length: 111 minutes
Director: Dominic Cooke
Arriving on: August 25
The Courier is different from other action films in our list, as this steps into thriller, mystery territory. Inspired by true events, Benedict Cumberbatch is businessman Greville Wynne who is recruited by the Secret Intelligence Service in the 1960s, where he forms a partnership with Soviet officer Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze). This partnership soon proves to be a dangerous move, as Wynne uses Penkovsky to obtain information which could put a stop to the Cuban Missile Crisis and put a stop to a nuclear conflict.
