HULU’S WEEKEND OF PROBLEMATIC FAVES
If you were hoping for a wholesome weekend of streaming, think again. Hulu has curated a lineup for January – that feels less like “Netflix and Chill” and more like a tour through Hollywood’s most chaotic PR nightmares. The streamer is dropping a mix of new releases and “classics” that feature some of the most polarizing figures in the industry right now. We are talking about actors who have been cancelled, un-cancelled, and dragged through the mud of public opinion.
The headline attraction is the return of Mila Kunis in Bad Moms, a movie that hits very differently in a post-Danny Masterson world. Watching Kunis play a “perfect” mom gone rogue feels like a cruel joke after she was caught defending a convicted predator in real life. But she isn’t the only one with baggage. Dylan O’Brien is back in Twinless, a movie with a plot so manipulative and twisted it makes Saltburn look like a Disney movie.
And then there is Josh Hutcherson, the meme-lord himself, in a throwback flick that reminds us of a simpler time before TikTok ruined everything. Hulu is practically begging for hate-watches this weekend. We are diving deep into the real-life drama, the on-set secrets, and the cringeworthy context that makes these three movies a minefield of celebrity scandal.
‘TWINLESS’: THE SICKEST CATFISH STORY EVER TOLD?
Let’s start with the new blood. Twinless () has arrived, and the premise is absolute nightmare fuel for anyone who has ever dated in Los Angeles. The film stars James Sweeney and heartthrob Dylan O’Brien, but don’t let the “dramedy” label fool you. This is a story about sociopathic manipulation disguised as a romance. The plot revolves around Dennis (Sweeney) meeting Rocky (O’Brien), falling in love, and then getting ghosted because Rocky just wanted a quick hookup. Classic LA behavior.
But then Rocky dies in a car accident. Instead of moving on like a normal human being, Dennis decides to crash a support group, meet Rocky’s surviving twin brother Roman (also O’Brien), and lie about having a dead twin just to get close to him. It is sick. It is twisted. It is the ultimate “catfish” scenario, but in real life.
“I watched Twinless and I feel dirty. Lying about a dead sibling to hook up with someone? That is serial killer behavior. Dylan O’Brien looks good but the vibes are atrocious.”
Critics are calling it “introspective,” but we call it a red flag manual. The film glorifies the kind of toxic obsession that usually ends with a restraining order. Dennis lies, manipulates, and infiltrates a grieving family just to get a shot with the “better” twin. Hulu is marketing this as a quirky romance, but it plays like a psychological horror film about a stalker who refuses to take “no” for an answer.
DYLAN O’BRIEN: THE COMEBACK KID’S RISKY GAMBLE
For Dylan O’Brien, this role is a massive risk. The actor has been tiptoeing back into the spotlight ever since his horrific on-set accident during The Maze Runner franchise years ago. Remember when his face was essentially smashed in by a stunt car? He disappeared for a while, dealing with severe trauma and physical recovery.
Now, he is taking on a dual role that requires him to play both the “toxic hookup” brother and the “grieving straight” brother. It is a showcase of his range, sure, but is it “queerbaiting”? The dynamic of a straight character being pursued by a gay man who is lying to him is a trope that Twitter (or X, whatever) usually tears apart. O’Brien is walking a fine line here.
There is also the “shady” nature of the film’s message. Twinless suggests that lying about trauma is a valid way to form a connection. In an era where celebrities fake apologies and influencers fake lifestyles, do we really need a movie that romanticizes faking a death in the family? O’Brien’s charm is doing a lot of heavy lifting to make this watchable without vomiting.
‘BAD MOMS’: THE MILA KUNIS APOLOGY TOUR FLOPS
Next up on the “Problematic Playlist” is the hit Bad Moms. On the surface, it is a raunchy comedy about mothers breaking the rules. But you cannot watch Mila Kunis in without thinking about the massive scandal that nearly torpedoed her career. We are, of course, talking about the Danny Masterson letters.
Just a couple of years ago, Kunis and her husband Ashton Kutcher were public enemy number one after it was revealed they wrote character letters to a judge asking for leniency for their That ‘s Show co-star, who was convicted of rape. The “apology video” they released afterward—looking like hostages in front of a gray wall—was widely mocked as one of the worst PR moves in Hollywood history.
Now, watching Kunis play Amy Mitchell, a mom fighting for what’s right, feels incredibly hypocritical. In the movie, she quits the PTA to stand up against toxicity. In real life, she used her celebrity privilege to vouch for a convicted felon. The irony is suffocating.
Hulu putting this movie on the front page is a bold choice. Are they banking on the public’s short memory? Or are they counting on the hate-watchers? Either way, seeing Kunis act like the moral compass of the film is a tough pill to swallow for anyone who remembers the victims she seemingly ignored.
KRISTEN BELL’S OVERSHARING NIGHTMARE
It’s not just Kunis who brings the drama. Her co-star Kristen Bell has spent the last few years making headlines for her absolutely bizarre parenting admissions. From admitting her young daughters drink non-alcoholic beer to revealing they still slept in the same room as her and Dax Shepard well past the “normal” age, Bell has become the poster child for TMI.
In Bad Moms, she plays the timid Kiki, a mom who is controlled by her husband. In reality, Bell is the one controlling the narrative, constantly feeding the tabloids stories about her kids’ bowel movements and sleeping habits. It is exhausting.
“I used to love Kristen Bell but now every time I see her I think about O’Douls and diapers. She ruined her own image by talking too much.”
And let’s not forget Kathryn Hahn. She is the MVP of this movie, playing the wild Carla. But even Hahn hasn’t escaped the Hollywood chaos. Fans are still bitter about the endless delays of her Marvel spinoff, Agatha All Along, which felt like it was in development hell for a decade. At least in Bad Moms, she gets to be the fun drunk aunt we all wish we had—minus the real-world baggage.
‘LITTLE MANHATTAN’: THE LOSS OF INNOCENCE
Finally, we have Little Manhattan (). This movie is supposed to be a sweet, innocent rom-com about kids falling in love in New York City. But looking back at the cast now is a grim reminder of how Hollywood destroys its young stars.
Josh Hutcherson plays the -year-old lead, Gabe. Back then, he was a fresh-faced child actor with a bright future. Today? He is the face of the “Whistle” meme on TikTok, a viral edit that turned him into a thirst trap joke for Gen Z. He is also the guy from Five Nights at Freddy’s, a movie about possessed animatronics killing people.
Watching him scoot around NYC in Little Manhattan is like watching a ghost. It was before the Hunger Games fame, before the memes, before the industry chewed him up. It is almost tragic. The innocence on display in this film is something none of these actors possess anymore.
THE CYNTHIA NIXON DISASTER
And we have to talk about Cynthia Nixon, who plays Hutcherson’s mom in the film. In , she was Miranda Hobbes, a respected actress. In ? She is the woman who unleashed Che Diaz on the world in And Just Like That.
Nixon’s reputation took a nosedive after the Sex and the City reboot, where she essentially hijacked the character of Miranda to play out her own midlife crisis. Between her failed run for Governor of New York—which ended in a humiliating defeat—and the absolute cringe-fest of her recent TV work, seeing her in Little Manhattan is a jarring experience.
The movie portrays a Manhattan that doesn’t exist anymore, filled with people who haven’t been cancelled yet. It is a time capsule of a Hollywood that hadn’t yet imploded under the weight of its own scandals.
CLIFFHANGER: WHO SURVIVES THE WEEKEND?
So, there you have it. Hulu wants you to spend your weekend with a gaslighting twin, a cancelled apologist, and a politician who ruined Sex and the City. It is a minefield of “yikes” moments.
Will Twinless launch Dylan O’Brien back onto the A-list, or will the creepy plot turn fans off? Will Mila Kunis ever fully recover from the letter scandal, or is Bad Moms a reminder of the career she used to have? And can Josh Hutcherson ever escape the “Whistle” meme? Fire up your accounts, grab the popcorn, and prepare to judge everyone on your screen. This weekend, the drama isn’t just in the movies—it’s in the subtext.
