Hulu into the streaming battlefield
The algorithms of watching something on an electronic device have deviated greatly. Long gone are the days when we would joyously frolic to the nearby DVD store to buy or borrow films/series with hall print and boy, were we content with that.
Fast forward to today and the age of streaming entertainment is upon us. From watching shows such as Stranger Things or the newest game-to-TV adaptation in The Witcher, Netflix has attracted an amalgamation of devotion and fanatical piety from its legions of fans. They clamour for more exciting series, films, documentaries, and literary adaptations to be streamed directly on Netflix, and the streaming giant has been happy to oblige.
Netflix burst into the scene in Bangladesh in 2016 and has been a top contender for all our attention, especially during the weekends—in the case of students, the nights before exams. A little streaming never did really harm us.
The global streaming battle has raged on with Disney+ and Amazon Prime coming into direct competition. One of the alternative streaming services whose shows and documentaries usually go under the radar due to the overshadowing nature of Netflix here is Hulu, another streaming network that unfortunately has not made inroads in countries outside the United States.
One of the biggest takeways from Hulu is the quality of the content being produced on the platform. Now, while we do not have direct access to Hulu, its shows and documentaries leave a deeply etched feeling amongst those who watch their content through…other means. Hulu’s documentaries offer new, refreshing and nuanced perspectives—be it through the prism of Batman’s uncredited creator Bill Finger in the heartfelt and redemptive documentary, Batman and Bill, to the journey of a professional rock climber in Solo, to the effect Barbie has had on the body image of young girls in the beautifully crafted Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie.
Hulu might be nowhere in the content streaming game yet, but it certainly does have some jewels to offer to bookworms and film/series addicts alike, with brilliantly executed book adaptations like Margaret Atwood’s classic The Handmaid’s Tale and the complex story of a Muslim American in Ramy for which Ramy Yousef won a Golden Globe. His beguiling role of a millennial Muslim American was iconic and refreshing, but Hulu can take some of the credit for greenlighting the show in the first place. Both The Handmaid’s Tale and Ramy are trendsetters and are one of the best shows of the last few years.
While Amazon Prime and Netflix have both created a quality roster of films, shows, and documentaries, Hulu provides something refreshing for a change in its original canon. With Hulu’s acquisition by Disney, there have been rumours in some circles that Hulu will wake up from its long slumber and finally live up to its potential.