Hulu has change into the most effective locations to stream motion exhibits, with a library that spans the whole lot from genre-defining classics to fashionable thrillers. These sequence ship high-stakes chases and explosive fights whereas additionally constructing worlds the place hazard feels fixed and survival hinges on each determination.
In the event you’ve exhausted the best action shows on Netflix, and even the best action shows on Prime Video, then Hulu is your subsequent cease. Hulu’s library is full of community tv each previous and new that stand toe-to-toe to even the most important budgeted exhibits on TV at the moment.
10
Firefly
2002, 1 Season
When Firefly premiered in 2002, it fused space-western journey with found-family storytelling. Captain Malcolm Reynolds, a former soldier turned smuggler, leads the crew of Serenity throughout fringe worlds, dodging Alliance management and harmful jobs. Episodes combine snappy banter, tight hand-to-hand fights, and small ethical dilemmas because the crew survives by wits and hustle.
Its attraction endures as a result of the characters are completely drawn. River’s thriller, Zoe’s steadiness, and Jayne’s self-interest create energetic friction, whereas creative set items maintain the momentum going. Hulu makes the sequence straightforward to find, and although it’s the prime instance of a sci-fi TV show canceled too soon, it’s so good that it’s stood the take a look at of time 23 years later.
9
Angel
1999–2004, 5 Seasons
A spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel carved its personal identification as a darker, extra brooding supernatural drama. Centered on the vampire cursed with a soul, the sequence adopted Angel as he units up a detective company in Los Angeles, taking over demons, corrupt firms, and his personal struggles with redemption.
The best Angel episodes just like the rise of Wolfram & Hart and the introduction of memorable allies raised the narrative stakes from street-level circumstances to battles with systemic evil. Fights carried actual urgency, however much less violent moments of redemption and sacrifice actually differentiated it from Buffy.
8
Smallville
2001–2011, 10 Seasons
Lengthy earlier than streaming platforms, Smallville was testing how far Clark Kent’s origin story might stretch on community TV. The sequence started with a teen attempting to mix in at highschool in rural Kansas, solely to find powers that set him aside. Ten seasons later, it has change into a superhero TV show must-watch from start to finish.
Clark wrestled with on a regular basis selections, like friendship and romance, honesty, whereas slowly transferring towards his Superman future, and it by no means rushed his early life. That stability of human-scale rigidity and larger-than-life set items gave the present its pulse, to not point out Michael Rosenbaum’s stellar Lex Luthor efficiency as the right foil to Tom Welling’s Clark.
7
Graceland
2012–2015, 3 Seasons
One of many best USA Network TV shows, Graceland adopted a bunch of undercover brokers from totally different federal businesses dwelling collectively in a seized Californian beachfront mansion. Every episode blended procedural twists with the non-public lives of operatives juggling fabricated identities. At its core was the stress of belief, each within the subject and inside the home they referred to as house.
Graceland stood other than different procedurals of that period as a result of it dipped into psychological drama. Missions usually blurred ethical traces, asking how lengthy somebody might stay underneath a lie earlier than dropping themselves, and it affected how these characters reacted of their private lives. Today, it performs like an neglected time capsule of early 2010s motion tv.
6
Burn Discover
2007–2013, 7 Seasons
When Burn Discover premiered in 2007, it established itself as one of many best American spy shows of all time. Michael Westen wasn’t saving the world; he was caught in Miami with no assets, reduce off from the company that educated him. The present turned that setup right into a intelligent engine for weekly tales, the place surveillance cameras and avenue smarts grew to become his new arsenal.
The key to its attraction wasn’t solely the explosions or elaborate cons; it was the voice guiding them. Michael’s dry narration turned spy jargon into one thing sharp and humorous, whereas the rapport with Fiona and Sam grounded the motion in loyalty and wit. Burn Discover is much less like disposable summer season TV and extra like a playful transforming of the spy style.
5
Jail Break
2005–2009, 5 Seasons
Fox’s Jail Break didn’t waste time easing into its premise. From the pilot, viewers noticed Michael Scofield stroll into Fox River Penitentiary carrying an escape plan mapped throughout his tattoos. His mission: rescue his brother Lincoln earlier than execution. This one motivation mixed intricate plotting with the fixed risk of discovery contained in the jail’s violent ecosystem.
A part of the joys got here from how briskly Michael’s plan might go south. A lacking instrument or one overheard dialog might topple months of preparation, and that precarious stability made the early Prison Break seasons so thrilling. Whereas later storylines expanded past the jail partitions, the unique escape arc stays the benchmark.
4
Station 19
2018–2014, 7 Seasons
A Gray’s Anatomy spin-off won’t sound like a pure match for motion tv, however Station 19 proved in any other case. Set inside a Seattle firehouse, the sequence follows firefighters balancing emergencies with private turmoil. Every Station 19 episode drops viewers into high-stakes rescues whereas additionally exploring the bonds and conflicts inside the close-knit group.
One of many clearest demonstrations of the present’s depth got here in season 3 episode 12, “I’ll Be Seeing You,” when a storage facility hearth trapped a number of crews inside collapsing flooring. The sequence performed out with blockbuster depth and flashbacks, but it surely additionally deepened Andy Herrera’s arc as she was compelled to take command underneath unimaginable circumstances.
3
Sons Of Anarchy
2008–2014, 7 Seasons
Kurt Sutter’s Sons of Anarchy ran for seven seasons, monitoring the outlaw biker membership SAMCRO because it navigated loyalty and violent clashes with rival gangs. On the heart was Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam), torn between the legacy left by his father and the bloody realities of the life he’d inherited.
Few scenes captured the present’s mixture of adrenaline and consequence higher than arguably the best Sons of Anarchy season, the season two finale, which culminates in a “Crimson Marriage ceremony” kind of state of affairs that’s thrilling for the viewers, however devastating for the characters. Sons of Anarchy additionally spawned the Mayans M.C. spinoff, so there’s much more to compensate for after the ultimate episode.
2
Justified
2010–2015, 6 Seasons
FX’s Justified follows U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, a lawman whose old-school strategy usually blurred the road between justice and vengeance. Set in Harlan County, Kentucky, the sequence constructed a world of coal-town crime, household feuds, and shifting alliances, with maybe Timothy Olyphant’s best TV show character anchoring it by means of appeal and sharp timing.
Olyphant’s regular cool gave Raylan a pointy, distinctive presence, whereas Walton Goggins delivered considered one of TV’s best villains in Boyd Crowder, a person equal elements preacher and previous good friend turned nemesis. Past the rest, Justified is solely the most effective Western exhibits ever made, so in case you haven’t watched it, what are you ready for?
1
24
2001–2010, 9 Seasons
Few community thrillers captured early-2000s anxiousness and planted that feeling onto the viewers like 24. Starring Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer, the sequence unfolded in actual time, every 24 season chronicling a single day throughout 24 tense hours. Counterterrorism threats, political maneuvering, and private sacrifice collided in a format that stored audiences guessing proper as much as the ultimate tick of the clock.
Sutherland’s relentless depth stored us all invested, however the ensemble deepened its affect. Instantly from season one, an iconic actor’s stunning flip stays considered one of TV’s nice betrayals, a twist that also stings on rewatch. That blend of tight pacing, explosive set items, and performances keen to go to extremes made 24 a genre-defining motion sequence.
