There was no better decade to be a science fiction fan than the 1980s. While the 2020s have emerged as a new golden age for sci-fi movies, they can’t quite compete with the 1980s. The decade solidified the blockbuster era and established the genre’s iconic, lasting cultural impact with films like Back to the Future, Blade Runner, and The Empire Strikes Back. Fans hoping to revisit some of those films can now stream two of the best sci-fi movies from the ‘80s on Hulu after the titles arrived on the platform amid anticipation for another sequel.
As fans await news on the planned Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire sequel, they can stream the 1984 classic and its 1989 sequel on Hulu. Both Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II joined the Disney-backed streamer on February 1st. The two movies star Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis as three eccentric parapsychologists who run a ghost-catching business. Nearly the complete Ghostbusters franchise will be available to stream on Hulu later this month after Ghostbusters: Afterlife joins the platform on February 16th. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is already streaming on Hulu, meaning the platform will only be missing the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot.
Ghostbusters Blended Sci-Fi and Comedy To Launch One of the Best Sci-Fi Franchises Ever
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There’s really so much to love about the original Ghostbusters. The movie redefined what a blockbuster comedy could be by blending irreverent comedy with high-concept science fiction and elements of horror and action in a formula that proved to be a massive mainstream success. The movie’s groundbreaking practical effects, miniatures, and stop-motion that brought the film’s iconic monsters to life and still hold up today helped bridge the gap between serious sci-fi and comedy and created absurdly comical lasting pop-culture icons. The high-stakes, imaginative story was perfect for audiences of all ages and extremely entertaining even by today’s standards, and the film boasted an unmatched ensemble cast whose characters helped make the movie a cultural phenomenon.
Ghostbusters’ success was undeniable. The movie not only became the second-highest-grossing film of 1984 with a $282 million box office haul but easily solidified its status as one of the best sci-fi movies of the decade. It ultimately launched what would become one of the most iconic sci-fi franchises of all time that has spanned film and TV and is still going strong in the 2020s with a string of modern sequels that began with Afterlife in 2021 and is set to continue with an upcoming Frozen Empire sequel, though details on that movie are scarce aside from Aykroyd’s confirmation in November that another movie is on the way.
What’s New on Hulu?
Hulu’s February lineup features dozens of streaming titles that subscribers will want to add to their watchlists. The roundup includes everything from Django Unchained to Pretty Woman, with other titles like Fool’s Gold, I, Robot, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and The Smurfs now streaming.
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