Hud

Looking for a drama that respects your time, available in the US on Kanopy and Hoopla? Hud is a real answer. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch it for Paul Newman — one of the stronger performances out there right now. Available now on Kanopy — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Hud arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Hud trusts its audience to sit with discomfort instead of resolving it too quickly. Hud Bannon is a ruthless young man who tarnishes everything and everyone he touches. Hud represents the perfect embodiment of alienated youth, out for kicks with no regard for the consequences. There is bitter conflict between the callous Hud and his stern and highly principled father, Homer. The performances from Paul Newman and Melvyn Douglas give it more weight than the premise alone would suggest. Hud came out in 1963. What elevates Hud is a refusal to let any character off the hook too easily. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, Hud delivers. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Paul Newman carries the material with a performance that rewards close attention. Worth starting sooner rather than later.

Hud was released in 1963, directed by Martin Ritt. The full 112-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.