Hulu Originals Worth Obsessing Over

"Crush"

"Crush" is the sweet sapphic coming-of-age romance we all deserve — not least because it's a queer romance where the lead couple is portrayed by openly queer actors. Complete with awkward slip-ups, a fiercely supportive best friend (out actor Tyler Alvarez), and teenage pining, this film is about Paige (Rowan Blanchard), whose long-term crush on a girl at her school named Gabby leads her to try out for the track team. When it's clear that Paige lacks any of the natural skills required, the team coach assigns Gabby's sister, AJ (Auli'i Cravalho), to train her. Their track lessons blossom into a wonderful friendship-turned-feelings situation, which of course complicates everything Paige thought she wanted in life. "Crush" is a sublime teen romance that is sure to brighten up your day.

"Fire Island"

The queer cinematic experience leveled up the day "Fire Island" dropped. What a joy to have this stunning cast explore the adventures of a friend group on the iconic island from an Asian American perspective. The screenplay is a "Pride and Prejudice" reimagining by SNL's Joel Kim Booster, who stars alongside Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, Margaret Cho, and a sea of very hot, mostly shirtless, phenomenal queer actors. It's silly and sexy, but serious about queer family and the importance of friendships. Every member of the cast will charm their way into your heart forever — and so will the soundtrack.

"Love, Victor"

"Love, Victor" has all the warm, emotional, heart-warming fun we love to see in a coming-of-age story — and the added magic of a queer teenager at its center. Victor Salazar (the endlessly charming and impossibly endearing Michael Cimino) experiences so many moments of growth, and so do his family, friends, and peers at school. This show does an excellent job of exploring what it's like to come out, and everything that happens afterwards "Love, Victor" also discusses true allyship, complex parental relationships, and the realities of living openly as a queer person of color. This gorgeous show glows up with each season, and you'll be missing out by not diving into it.

"The Great"

"The Great" is bursting at the seams and bubbling over with delight. Its satirical portrayal of Russian history starts out kind of true, and devolves gloriously into something entirely untrue but riotously fun. It's worth watching for Nicholas Hoult's excellent performance as himbo Emperor Peter III, whose wife is determined to overthrow and/or kill him, unless she can find a better use for him. Elle Fanning is superb as Empress Catherine II. We follow her rise from outsider to the royal ruler they call (at her request, of course) Catherine The Great. Between the laugh-out-loud ridiculous things the couple say to and about each other, and their beautiful period costumes, "The Great" never fails to entertain and surprise audiences.

"The Handmaid's Tale"

For many, this award-winning show will feel even more significant as a representation of legalized terror on women's bodies and fertility now than it did when it first released. "The Handmaid's Tale" is a difficult watch, for the trauma it depicts and the oppressive circumstances it portrays, but it's powerful and shocking in how sharply it illustrates the reality of how many women, queer people, and minorities are treated all around the world. Samira Wiley and Alexis Bledel in particular deliver poignant, staggering performances as queer people under severe rule.

"Hellraiser"

"Hellraiser" is a modern take on the horror classic created by master of the genre and out gay man Clive Barker, who was inspired by BDSM culture and the underground leather bars of his youth. It's unabashedly queer, dripping with blood, and filled with openly queer actors breathing new (but still disturbing, twisted, terrifying) life into the original. Trans actor Jamie Clayton is fantastic as the iconic villain Pinhead; out actors Brandon Flynn and Adam Faison play a queer couple in this gory, magnificent ode to horror history.

"Rosaline"

"The greatest love story ever told was missing a chapter..." Rosaline's. You know, the person Romeo was still dating and said he was enamored with right before he met Juliet and his life changed forever? That Rosaline. So, of course Rosaline must do everything she can to break Romeo and Juliet up, and of course hijinks ensue. Kaitlyn Dever is hilarious as Romeo's determined, jilted ex; Juliet is played with a wonderful naïveté by Isabel Merced; and Spencer Stevenson plays Paris, Rosaline's gay bestie.

"Woke"

Lamorne Morris stars as Keef Knight, a successful cartoonist on the verge of gaining even more success when the police mistakenly charge at him in the street instead of their actual suspect, purely based on the color of his skin. The inventive storytelling — Keef's cartoons come to life and challenge the way he's been ignoring his Blackness and the reality of society's racism in a way that he can't escape — makes for super compelling television. Sasheer Zamata portrays Ayana, a queer journalist who helps guide Keef towards a path of using his influence and talent for genuine, effective good.

"Extraordinary"

You don't know it yet, but you're about to fall in love with a cat named Jizzlord (named for exactly the thing you're thinking about). "Extraordinary" is set in a world where everyone gets a specific superpower when they turn eighteen, but we spend our time with Jen (Máiréad Tyers), who, at the age of twenty-five, still hasn't got hers. This terrific comedy is a love letter to friendship, to outsiders, and to anyone who still hasn't got life figured out. It's absurd and delightful, edgy and quirky, and it's one of the funniest shows streaming right now. A bonus: Jen's mom is played by "Derry Girls" fan favorite nun, Siobhán McSweeney.

"Welcome to Chippendales"

We know the men in bowties, and we love their sensual moves. Kumail Nanjiani leads this entrepreneurial journey turned murder show, inspired by actual events, that will suck you in right from the start. "Welcome to Chippendales" is a glamorous, gritty story about ambition, privilege, and how far you'll go to chase the American dream. "The White Lotus" star Murray Bartlett, "Yellowjackets" star Juliette Lewis, and Broadway star Annaleigh Ashford of "Kinky Boots" fame are among the killer cast in this rich, twisty story filled with handsome, much-less-than-half-naked men.

"The Dropout"

Amanda Seyfried absolutely nails the role of a lifetime in "The Dropout," a wild ride inspired by the story of Elizabeth Holmes, her company, Theranos, and the tragedies she left in her wake. Queer actor Nicky Endres guest stars as queer trailblazer Ana Arriola, and out actor Stephen Fry stars as painfully memorable Ian Gibbons; both characters play an integral role.

"High Fidelity"

Hulu's "High Fidelity" is an excellent, inclusive, modern reimagining of the story that was first a novel by Nick Hornby, and then a film starring John Cusack. Its protagonist, record store owner Rob (Zoë Kravitz), is an effortlessly cool bisexual disaster. Rob narrates her life to us while running her store in Brooklyn, feeling heartbroken, hanging out in her apartment, and chasing down her exes to find out specifically why her relationships keep ending. One of those exes is a woman; another is "Gossip Girl" reboot star Thomas Doherty.

"Not Okay"

What a thrill it is to watch an unhinged person lie their way through life! This film follows Danni Sanders (the impeccable Zoey Deutch), who lies about attending a writing retreat in Paris to make herself seem cool when talking to her crush, a bleached-blonde tatted-up weed influencer played by Dylan O'Brien. She photoshops her way through the silly prank on social media, which is all harmless until she wakes up in her apartment and hears there was a terror attack in Paris while she slept safely at home in America. You or I may come clean about the lie at this point; Danni takes her lies even further, which leads to her suddenly gaining all the attention she's been craving, but for all the wrong reasons. "Not Okay"'s representation of social media filtering into our everyday lives is simply... chef's kiss.

"Only Murders in the Building"

"Only Murders" is an award-winning cozy murder mystery with modern flair and intergenerational banter, beautiful coats and extravagant apartments, and cliff-hangers galore! It's a gripping mystery wrapped up in a charming, unlikely friendship between three people who live in the same apartment building (played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez). This is a really fun show to watch with the whole family, speculating who did what and why at every shocking twist. Cara Delevingne guest stars as a love interest (slash potential suspect) for Selena Gomez's very casually queer character, Mabel, in Season Two.

"Darby and the Dead"

Magnetic queer actor Auliʻi Cravalho is hilarious and heart-warming as Capricorn, a popular teenager who dies at school in the most chaotic, iconic way possible: Holding her curling iron in her hand while dissing a classmate. When she shows up as a ghost, unpopular classmate Darby (Riele Downs) can see and hear her, which Darby finds very annoying. But she has committed to helping ghosts pass over to the other side, and Capri needs her help. Capri is determined to throw the big party she planned before dying, so it's time for some classic teen makeover magic to make Darby seem cool enough to convince the popular crew (Capri's friends) to throw the party and allow Capri's soul to find peace. Of course, things don't work out the way either of the girls want it to...

This article is sponsored by Hulu.