Recent Movies on Hoopla
Looking for the latest cinematic gems to stream without spending a dime? Hoopla has become a treasure trove for film enthusiasts seeking recent releases, from acclaimed independent dramas to powerful documentaries that have captivated audiences worldwide. This carefully curated selection highlights 21 of the newest movies on Hoopla from the last five years, showcasing the platform's impressive catalog of contemporary cinema. Whether you're drawn to award-winning international features, intimate character studies, or groundbreaking documentaries, you'll find fresh additions that deserve your attention. Hoopla's library continues to expand with critically acclaimed films that might have slipped under your radar during their theatrical runs, offering everything from festival favorites to bold directorial visions. These recent movies on Hoopla represent some of the most compelling storytelling in modern cinema, spanning multiple genres and countries while maintaining the high quality that discerning viewers expect. With regular updates to reflect the latest additions, you can count on discovering films that push creative boundaries and deliver unforgettable viewing experiences—all available through your library card.
In the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol during the early months of Russia's 2022 invasion, journalist Mstyslav Chernov and his Associated Press team documented some of the war's most harrowing moments. This Oscar-winning documentary stands as an essential historical record and a masterwork of frontline journalism. Chernov's unflinching camera captures the bombing of a maternity hospital, the desperation of civilians trapped without food or water, and the tireless efforts of medical workers treating casualties in overwhelmed facilities. The film's power lies not in sensationalism but in its clear-eyed witness to atrocity and human resilience. As one of the last international press teams remaining in the city, Chernov understood the weight of his responsibility to show the world what was happening. The result is devastating, vital filmmaking that refuses to let these 20 days be forgotten or dismissed.
Boris Lojkine delivers a powerful humanistic drama that follows a young Guinean delivery courier navigating Paris's gig economy while concealing his undocumented status. Abou Sangaré gives a revelatory performance as Souleymane, bringing quiet dignity and determination to a character constantly calculating risk in everyday interactions. Lojkine employs a documentary-like aesthetic, following his protagonist through the city streets with an urgent, handheld camera that places viewers directly into Souleymane's precarious existence. The film avoids melodrama, instead finding tension in mundane moments—a police checkpoint, a lost phone, a customer complaint—that carry potentially life-altering consequences. The supporting cast, many non-professional actors, adds authenticity to this portrait of contemporary immigrant experience. This is urgent, empathetic cinema that illuminates invisible lives without reducing its subject to victimhood. Essential viewing.
In contemporary London, director Mike Leigh presents an unsparing yet compassionate portrait of Pansy, a middle-aged woman whose anger and bitterness poison her relationships with everyone around her. Marianne Jean-Baptiste delivers a powerhouse performance as the perpetually furious protagonist, capturing both her character's cruelty and the deep pain driving it. Leigh's naturalistic approach allows the film to observe Pansy's interactions with family, strangers, and service workers with uncomfortable intimacy, never excusing her behavior while gradually revealing its sources. Michele Austin provides a grounding presence as Pansy's sister Chantelle, whose patience and warmth contrast sharply with her sibling's volatility. The film doesn't offer easy resolutions or transformative redemption arcs; instead, it presents mental health struggles and family dysfunction with honest complexity. Leigh finds moments of unexpected humor and tenderness within the darkness, and the result is a challenging but deeply human exploration of how suffering can metastasize into cruelty, and how families persist despite profound dysfunction.
Director Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière bring fresh energy to Alexandre Dumas's classic revenge epic with this handsomely mounted French adaptation. Pierre Niney commands the screen as Edmond Dantès, the wrongfully imprisoned sailor who transforms himself into the wealthy and mysterious Count to exact elaborate vengeance on those who betrayed him. The film wisely streamlines the novel's sprawling narrative while retaining its emotional core, making the complex web of revenge plots accessible without dumbing them down. The period details are sumptuous without overwhelming the story, and the pacing keeps the nearly three-hour runtime moving briskly. What elevates this version is its attention to the psychological toll of revenge, allowing Niney to show the cost of Dantès's single-minded quest. The supporting cast brings depth to characters who could easily be one-dimensional, and the action sequences deliver genuine thrills. It's a thoroughly satisfying costume drama that proves this tale of betrayal and retribution still resonates.
At its core, this is a story about the brutal cost of ambition and the tenuous nature of civilized society at the frontier. Director Nikolaj Arcel's historical epic follows Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen), a retired military captain who attempts to cultivate the inhospitable Danish heath in the 1750s, seeking the reward of nobility promised by the king. Mikkelsen delivers a characteristically intense performance as a man whose single-minded determination brings him into conflict with the ruthless local landowner Frederik De Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg). The film explores themes of class struggle, colonialism, and the human capacity for both creation and destruction. Amanda Collin and Melina Hagberg provide emotional depth as women who join Kahlen's unlikely settlement. Arcel balances sweeping landscapes with intimate character moments, creating a visually striking film that never loses sight of the human stakes. The result is a gripping period drama that examines what people will sacrifice—and what they'll become—in pursuit of their dreams.
Sean Durkin directs this powerful biographical drama about the Von Erich family, whose sons became wrestling legends in the 1980s while tragedy repeatedly struck their lives with devastating frequency. Zac Efron delivers a career-best performance as Kevin Von Erich, the surviving brother who carries the weight of his family's dreams and losses, transforming himself physically and emotionally for a role that demands both athletic credibility and genuine vulnerability. The supporting cast, including Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Stanley Simons as Kevin's brothers, creates a believable family unit whose bonds are tested by their domineering father's ambitions and the cruel hand fate deals them. Durkin handles the true story's inherent darkness with sensitivity, never exploiting the family's suffering while honestly depicting how toxic masculinity, parental pressure, and the wrestling industry's demands created a perfect storm of tragedy. The wrestling sequences are visceral and authentic, but the film's real strength lies in the quieter moments between brothers, and in Efron's devastating portrayal of survival and guilt. This is emotionally gutting material handled with respect and craft, resulting in one of the finest sports dramas in recent memory.
At the Polish-Belarusian border, desperate refugees find themselves trapped in a nightmarish limbo, caught between hostile border guards and an unforgiving landscape. Director Agnieszka Holland crafts a urgent and compassionate drama that puts human faces to the European refugee crisis, following several interconnected stories of migrants, activists, and border patrol agents. The film's strength lies in Holland's refusal to simplify—she shows the complexity of each position while never losing sight of the fundamental humanitarian tragedy. The ensemble cast delivers naturalistic performances that feel documentary-like in their authenticity, particularly in the harrowing sequences depicting the physical and psychological toll of survival in the forest. Holland's direction is both unflinching and deeply empathetic, creating a politically engaged work that transcends polemic to achieve genuine emotional and moral power. Essential viewing for understanding one of Europe's ongoing crises.
This documentary hybrid from director Kaouther Ben Hania reconstructs the radicalization of two Tunisian sisters through a remarkable blend of testimony, performance, and interrogation of storytelling itself. The film brings together the sisters' mother and two remaining sisters, who narrate and occasionally reenact their family history, confronting how two young women were drawn into extremism. Ben Hania's approach is formally adventurous, breaking down the fourth wall and acknowledging the impossibility of fully capturing truth through any single method. The participating family members become both subjects and collaborators, wrestling with their own grief, anger, and incomprehension. What emerges is a portrait not just of radicalization but of the family members left behind to make sense of choices that shattered their world. The film asks profound questions about how we tell stories about those we love when their actions become incomprehensible, creating a documentary that's as much about narrative itself as its specific subject.
Contemplative and visually stunning, Pham Thien An's debut feature follows a man returning to his Vietnamese village after his sister-in-law's sudden death, reluctantly agreeing to care for his young nephew. This meditative slow-cinema experience unfolds at a deliberate pace, with long takes that allow viewers to absorb the rural landscape and the protagonist's internal journey. The narrative expands into a spiritual quest as the uncle travels to retrieve his brother, encountering various characters who prompt philosophical discussions about faith, family, and existence. Cinematographer Dinh Duy Hung captures the Vietnamese countryside with painterly composition, where light filtering through trees or reflecting off water becomes as important as dialogue. At nearly three hours, the film demands patience and active engagement, but rewards attentive viewers with moments of profound beauty and genuine emotional resonance. Pham demonstrates remarkable confidence for a first-time director, trusting his audience to find meaning in stillness and silence. For those willing to surrender to its unhurried rhythm, this offers a transcendent cinematic experience.
This compelling documentary follows Russian opposition figure Ivan Zhdanov as he continues Alexei Navalny's anti-corruption work from exile following the imprisoned activist's poisoning and imprisonment. Directors TJ Martin and Daniel Lindsay craft an intimate portrait of resilience and determination, capturing Zhdanov as he investigates Putin's regime while processing grief, fear, and the weight of carrying forward a movement. The filmmakers gained extraordinary access, resulting in candid moments that reveal both the personal toll of opposition work and the meticulous nature of exposing government corruption. What elevates the film beyond standard political documentary is its focus on the human cost of standing against authoritarianism—the paranoia, the separation from homeland, the impossible choice between safety and principle. Martin and Lindsay structure the narrative with thriller-like pacing while never losing sight of the real-world consequences at stake, creating an urgent and deeply moving portrait of courage.
This sensitive coming-of-age drama from director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren explores gender identity through the eyes of an eight-year-old child spending the summer in the Basque countryside with their mother and extended family. The film takes its time observing how the child, assigned male at birth, navigates an environment filled with strong women while grappling with questions about their own identity that the adults around them struggle to understand or accept. Sofía Otero gives a remarkable performance in the lead role, conveying complex emotions with naturalistic grace that never feels coached or exploited. Urresola Solaguren's direction is patient and observational, trusting the audience to engage with difficult questions without providing easy answers. The beekeeping that runs through the film serves as both literal livelihood and metaphor for the diverse ways of being that exist in nature, creating a tender, thoughtful work that respects both its subject and its audience.
Matthew Rankin plays Matthew, a bureaucrat who returns to his snow-covered hometown of Winnipeg in this whimsical and visually distinctive film. Director Matthew Rankin crafts a peculiar narrative that blends Persian cinema aesthetics with Canadian absurdism, creating something genuinely unique. The story follows Matthew's encounters with two children searching for a lost banknote, weaving together multiple storylines in a deadpan style reminiscent of directors like Aki Kaurismäki and Roy Andersson. The film's deliberate pacing and offbeat humor won't be for everyone, but those who appreciate unconventional storytelling will find much to admire. Rankin's approach transforms everyday Winnipeg into an almost dreamlike landscape where Persian and French dialogue intermingle naturally. While some sequences meander, the film's commitment to its singular vision and visual inventiveness make it a rewarding watch for adventurous viewers seeking something different from typical indie fare.
This French comedy takes aim at bureaucracy and cultural clashes when Totone (Swann Arlaud), a farmer in financial trouble, hires Hakim (Medi Sadoun), who's working community service, to help save his struggling operation. Director Louise Courvoisier finds both humor and heart in their unlikely partnership as they attempt to navigate agricultural regulations and revitalize the farm. The film explores the disconnect between rural communities and distant administrative systems with a light touch, never becoming preachy while making its points about the challenges small farmers face. The chemistry between Arlaud and Sadoun drives the story, with their developing friendship feeling earned rather than forced. While the plot occasionally relies on convenient coincidences and the resolution ties things up a bit too neatly, the film's genuine warmth and the likability of its characters make it an enjoyable crowd-pleaser that celebrates human connection across cultural divides.
This documentary follows four Black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York City as they share their experiences navigating survival, identity, and community. Director D. Smith crafts an intimate portrait that centers the voices of Daniella Carter, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell, and Dominique Silver, allowing them to speak candidly about their lives, dreams, and the realities of existing at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities. The film's strength lies in its unflinching honesty and the charisma of its subjects, who discuss trauma and joy with equal openness. Smith employs a straightforward interview-based approach with striking black-and-white cinematography that keeps the focus squarely on the women themselves. While the documentary occasionally feels structurally loose, the raw authenticity of these conversations and the profound dignity afforded to its subjects make it a valuable addition to trans cinema that deserves attention.
Set in a boarding school nestled in the Himalayan foothills, this coming-of-age drama examines adolescent female sexuality and mother-daughter relationships with refreshing honesty. Director Shuchi Talati's debut feature centers on a teenage girl navigating her awakening desires while managing her mother's own romantic complications. The film captures the specific pressures of its setting—where traditional expectations collide with young women's emerging independence—without reducing its characters to symbols. Lead performances feel authentic and unforced, particularly in scenes exploring the protagonist's confusion and curiosity about her changing feelings. Talati avoids sensationalism, treating teenage sexuality with appropriate seriousness and sensitivity while acknowledging the humor and awkwardness inherent to adolescence. The mountain setting provides both beauty and a sense of isolation that mirrors the protagonist's internal experience. While the pacing occasionally lags, the film's willingness to explore uncomfortable territory and its nuanced portrayal of the mother-daughter dynamic distinguish it from more conventional coming-of-age stories. It's an assured directorial debut that announces Talati as a filmmaker to watch.
In this documentary, director Lisa Cortés traces the revolutionary life and career of Little Richard, positioning him not just as a rock and roll pioneer but as a queer Black artist whose influence on popular culture cannot be overstated. The film does excellent work contextualizing Richard's flamboyance and sexual fluidity within both the restrictive norms of mid-century America and the Black church tradition that shaped him. Through archival footage and interviews with artists like Mick Jagger, Billy Porter, and Tom Jones, we see how Richard's wild performances and unapologetic self-presentation paved the way for generations of performers who followed. Cortés doesn't shy away from the contradictions—Richard's lifelong struggle between his queerness and his religious faith, or how white artists often gained more commercial success from his innovations. The documentary makes a compelling case that Richard's marginalization from the rock and roll narrative is both racial and homophobic erasure. It's an overdue corrective that celebrates Richard's genius while examining why mainstream culture has been reluctant to fully acknowledge his foundational importance.
June Squibb stars as Thelma Post, a feisty 93-year-old grandmother who refuses to play the victim after falling for a phone scam, instead embarking on a determined quest across Los Angeles to confront the con artists and reclaim her stolen money. Director Josh Margolin, making his feature debut, draws inspiration from his own grandmother to craft an action-comedy that treats its elderly protagonist with dignity while mining genuine humor from the physical challenges of her unlikely mission. Squibb is absolutely delightful, bringing both comic timing and emotional depth to a character who could have easily become a one-note joke, while Richard Roundtree provides wonderful support as her reluctant accomplice. The film smartly plays with action movie tropes, staging set pieces around mobility scooters and retirement community obstacles without ever condescending to its characters or audience. It's a charming, surprisingly touching comedy that celebrates resilience and agency at any age.
Elegiac and intimate, this character study showcases Jessica Lange in one of her finest recent performances as a legendary Broadway actress facing the early stages of dementia. Director Michael Cristofer, working from Elizabeth Dimon's script, creates a delicate portrait of a woman whose identity has been so thoroughly entwined with performance that the loss of memory becomes an existential crisis. Lange brings remarkable vulnerability to Lillian, capturing both the fear of forgetting and the muscle memory of an actress who can still summon her craft even as other faculties fade. Kathy Bates provides strong support as Lillian's longtime friend and confidante, and the scenes between these two veterans crackle with lived-in authenticity. The film occasionally veers toward sentimentality but mostly maintains its dignity and restraint, honoring both the reality of cognitive decline and the power of art to provide meaning even in diminishment. It's a showcase for Lange that she meets with grace and ferocity.
Director Jang Jae-hyun delivers an intricately plotted supernatural thriller that blends Korean shamanism, geomancy, and family curses into something genuinely unsettling. The film follows a team of spiritual practitioners—a shaman, a funeral director, and a geomancer—hired to relocate a wealthy family's ancestral grave, only to unleash something malevolent. Choi Min-sik anchors the ensemble with his commanding presence, while Kim Go-eun brings fierce determination to her role as the young shaman. What distinguishes "Exhuma" from typical horror fare is Jang's serious engagement with Korean spiritual traditions and the way he builds dread through careful investigation rather than cheap scares. The film's structure reveals information gradually, letting each discovery raise the stakes and deepen the mystery. The production design authentically recreates the rituals and settings, grounding even the most supernatural elements in cultural specificity. It's an ambitious, atmospheric thriller that respects both its genre and its cultural roots, delivering genuine chills alongside thoughtful exploration of historical trauma.
At its heart, this is a story about learning to trust others after loss has made isolation feel safer than connection. Writer-director Charlotte Regan's debut feature follows twelve-year-old Georgie (Lola Campbell), who's been living alone in her North London tower flat since her mother's death, scraping by through petty theft. When her absent father Jason (Harris Dickinson) unexpectedly returns, their tentative relationship becomes the film's emotional center. Regan brings a naturalistic touch to what could have been miserably grim material, finding humor and grace in Georgie's resourcefulness and her friendship with neighbor Ali (Alin Uzun). Campbell's performance is extraordinary—unsentimental but deeply affecting, capturing both childhood resilience and the vulnerability beneath Georgie's tough exterior. The film's visual approach matches its emotional honesty, shooting the estate with affection rather than condescension. Regan understands that healing doesn't happen through grand gestures but through small moments of showing up, and she's crafted a genuinely moving portrait of makeshift family and hard-won hope.
When elderly humanitarian Nicholas Winton's long-hidden rescue of 669 children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia is unexpectedly revealed, his quiet life is upended by recognition for actions he never sought to publicize. Director James Hawes structures this biographical drama around two timelines, with Anthony Hopkins portraying the aged Winton confronting his past while Johnny Flynn plays his younger self orchestrating the dangerous rescue operation in 1938-39. The film avoids the typical pitfalls of "inspirational" Holocaust dramas by focusing on Winton's methodical determination and bureaucratic problem-solving rather than manufactured suspense. Hopkins brings his considerable skill to depicting a man uncomfortable with hero worship, while the historical sequences effectively convey the urgency and moral clarity that drove Winton's mission. The result is a moving tribute to an unsung hero that honors both his remarkable achievement and his essential humility.