The best horror movies on Hulu
When you're in the mood for an adrenaline rush — but not in the mood to unstick yourself from your couch — there are ample options on Hulu, where the streamer has stockpiled a collection of some of the most exciting films in the horror genre. Whether you're craving the housebound frights of The Night House and Run, or seeking unconventional love stories led by cannibals or cars, the titles on this list are sure to shock. Here are the most frightening films currently streaming on Hulu, as of June 2023.
Slash/Back (2022)
In the Inuit hamlet of Pangnirtung, Maika (Tasiana Shirley) and her friends see their idyllic summer interrupted by a sudden alien invasion in this underrated Canadian sci-fi horror. Luckily, the group is well-equipped to tackle these unwanted guests, possessing an arsenal of weapons and a keen understanding of horror movie tropes. Slash/Back delivers strong cultural commentary on top of its thrills, as Maika grapples with her own identity. The film debuted at the 2022 South by Southwest Festival, where it earned rave reviews for director Nyla Innuksuk's ability to craft this compelling and specific thriller with a low budget. —Kevin Jacobsen
EW grade: N/A
Director: Nyla Innuksuk
Cast: Tasiana Shirley, Alexis Wolfe, Nalajoss Ellsworth, Chelsea Prusky, Frankie Vincent-Wolfe, Rory Anawak, Kristian Bruun, Shaun Benson
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It (2017)
Tackling Stephen King's mammoth 1986 novel was a huge undertaking — so much so that director Andy Muschietti had to split it into two movies. The first installment centers on a group of outcasts known as the Losers Club, who must stare down the face of a murderous sewer-dwelling clown — as well as their own personal fears. 2017's It was a massive pop culture phenomenon, raking in over $700 million worldwide and reviving Pennywise the Dancing Clown as a Halloween costume staple. Bill Skarsgård's take on this embodiment of evil is transfixing, fully committing to a character who only becomes more terrifying the more fun he seems to be having. —K.J.
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Andy Muschietti
Cast: Jaeden Martell, Bill Skarsgård, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer
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The Last Exorcism (2010)
Operating as The Exorcist for the found footage era, this 2010 chiller follows a preacher (Better Call Saul's Patrick Fabian) who has lost his faith but continues to perform sham exorcisms using smoke and mirrors. He gets more than he bargained for after one local father requests his services, realizing that something may actually be possessing the man's teenage daughter. Filmed in a mockumentary format, The Last Exorcism was released in a post-Paranormal Activity world — ultimately netting stronger reviews than others in the genre. As EW's Owen Gleiberman wrote, "The movie shrewdly exploits our voyeurism, all built around the teasing question of whether there's actually anything supernatural going on." —K.J.
Watch The Last Exorcism on Hulu
EW grade: B (read the review)
Director: Daniel Stamm
Cast: Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr, Louis Herthum, Caleb Landry Jones
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Spree (2020)
The perils of social media obsession are taken to a new level in this zany horror satire. Joe Keery — Stranger Things's Steve Harrington — stars as a rideshare driver who, aspiring to become a viral sensation, live-streams killing his passengers with poisoned bottles of water. He is soon labeled "the Rideshare Killer" as the police pursue him. Keery explained what attracted him to Spree in an interview with EW in 2020, relating it to his meteoric rise to stardom as a cast member on a hit streaming series. "Over the beginning of Stranger Things, I've been withdrawing from social media. Subconsciously, I think that was kind of one of the reasons why I was interested in exploring this movie. It's so embedded in our culture. It's a critique that hasn't been represented yet." —K.J.
EW grade: N/A
Director: Eugene Kotlyarenko
Cast: Joe Keery, Sasheer Zamata, Mischa Barton, John DeLuca, Josh Ovalle, Lala Kent, Frankie Grande, Kyle Mooney, David Arquette
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American Psycho (2000)
Christian Bale elevated his career to a new level with his committed portrayal of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. The film centers on Patrick, an investment banker immersed in the empty consumerism of the corporate world, whose jealousy and lust for power leads him to murder. As EW's Owen Gleiberman wrote in 2000, "Mary Harron's American Psycho is a merry-prankster nightmare — a cheerfully irreverent drawing-room slasher movie." While the film was ultimately a box office disappointment, time has been kind to American Psycho; its depiction of a social-climbing yuppie with anxiety over how other people perceive him makes him eerily relatable — just hopefully without the whole serial killer part. —K.J.
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Mary Harron
Cast: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Samantha Mathis, Matt Ross, Bill Sage, Chloë Sevigny, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, Guinevere Turner, Reese Witherspoon
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I Saw the Devil (2010)
An intelligence agent seeks revenge on a serial killer who murdered his fiancée in this gripping South Korean horror-thriller. Lee Byung-hun plays the agent gone rogue, while Oldboy star Choi Min-sik sinks his teeth into the juicy role of bus driver/serial killer Jang Kyung-chul. As the agent gets closer to avenging his fiancée's death, he starts to take on some depraved tendencies of his own. Lisa Schwarzbaum noted in her review, "Somewhere in all the blood (sickening realism is a selling point), a question is posed: When does the one fighting a monster become a monster himself?" The film asks us to grapple with moral quandaries such as this, while also providing a pulse-pounding examination of humanity's capacity for brutality. —K.J.
EW grade: B (read the review)
Director: Kim Jee-woon
Cast: Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik, Oh San-ha, Kim Yoon-seo, Jeon Gook-hwan, Chun Ho-jin
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Watcher (2022)
Julia, an American woman living in Bucharest, finds herself being watched by a man in a neighboring building in this Rear Window-inspired voyeur thriller. It Follows star Maika Monroe plays Julia, who watches the watcher and investigates whether he may be the reported serial killer in the area. A growing sense of dread overtakes Julia (and the audience) as she seeks to confirm her suspicions, while questioning her own sanity. Watcher earned positive reviews out of the Sundance Film Festival in 2022, with praise for its anxiety-driven atmosphere, meticulous production design, and Monroe's central performance. —K.J.
EW grade: B (read the review)
Director: Chloe Okuno
Cast: Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, Burn Gorman
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The Night House (2021)
Grief can manifest in mysterious ways, as explored in this eerie, atmospheric horror drama from David Bruckner about a widow who deals with strange occurrences around the house she shared with her deceased husband. She tries to reach out to those around her, but most dismiss her concerns, leading her to investigate the origin of these happenings. "Though the bag of tricks that Bruckner (V/H/S, The Ritual) digs through — the jump scares and shadow figures, the eerily suspended rules of gravity and physics — are familiar," wrote Leah Greenblatt in her review, "he uses them to build a kind of clanging, feverish atmosphere." Star Rebecca Hall earned near-universal acclaim for her multi-layered performance as the troubled widow. —K.J.
EW grade: B (read the review)
Director: David Bruckner
Cast: Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg, Evan Jonigkeit, Stacy Martin, Vondie Curtis-Hall
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The Exorcist III (1990)
Critically panned upon its release in 1990, The Exorcist III found new life over the years thanks to devoted horror fans who were willing to reframe the film's overacting and fruitless philosophical tangents into positives, rescuing the franchise from train-wreck territory (via the second movie) by introducing this now-cult classic. Written and directed by William Peter Blatty (who also wrote The Exorcist novel and the first film's Oscar-winning screenplay), our reviewer notes the filmmaker's tendency to describe the gore rather than depict the violence onscreen — a questionable choice given the visual medium of it all. We may have given the movie an F, but like many cult horror darlings, whether that F stands for failure or fun is a judgment call for you to make after watching. —Andrew Walsh
Watch The Exorcist III on Hulu
EW grade: F (read the review)
Director: William Peter Blatty
Cast: George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Jason Miller, Scott Wilson, Nicol Williamson, Brad Dourif
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John Dies at the End (2012)
Based on the comedic horror novel written by David Wong (also the name of the film's narrator), John Dies at the End follows the escapades of professional slackers John (Rob Mayes) and Dave (Chase Williamson) after both consume a street drug known as "soy sauce" that sends users on trips across time and space. After John and Dave realize this interdimensional travel has left the world vulnerable to a supernatural invasion, it's up to these two college dropouts to save humanity. With a cast that includes Paul Giamatti as the skeptical reporter Arnie and Clancy Brown as the guys' paranormal advisor Dr. Albert Marconi, John Dies at the End is a bizarre, surrealist romp designed to make even the soberest of individuals feel like they're midway through a psychedelic trip. Come for the comedy, stay for the real star of the show: Bark Lee the rescue dog. —A.W.
Watch John Dies at the End on Hulu
EW grade: N/A
Director: Don Coscarelli
Cast: Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown, Glynn Turman, Doug Jones, Daniel Roebuck
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V/H/S (2012)
Among the most creatively structured films on this list is V/H/S, a horror anthology made up of five disparate found footage short films, each created by a different director, and all linked using one narrative through-line. The film begins with an anonymous source hiring a criminal gang to break into a house and retrieve a VHS tape, but when the gang arrives at the house, they find themselves distracted by other tapes, each containing a short film more terrifying than the last. Featuring the work of directors Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, and Joe Swanberg, the films' premises include a non-consensual amateur porn shoot gone wrong, a honeymoon that turns deadly, a trip to the lake with friends whose purpose is more sinister than the invitation suggests, an apartment haunted by something that isn't quite supernatural, and a Halloween party where the guests never arrive. —A.W.
EW grade: N/A
Director: Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Radio Silence
Cast: Various
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Little Monsters (2019)
Apocalypse movies are breeding grounds for unlikely posses, and this Australian zom-com from writer-director Abe Forsythe is no exception. Man-child Dave (Alexander England) wants to impress his nephew's teacher, Miss Caroline (Lupita Nyong'o), and volunteers to chaperone a kindergarten class trip. But, when a zombie escapes a nearby military base, Dave, Miss Caroline, and a popular children's television host (Josh Gad) must band together to protect the young and fight off the walking dead. A sunnier take on the zombie genre, fans of Warm Bodies and Shaun of the Dead will love sinking their teeth into this offbeat horror comedy. Gad is a standout as the hilariously amoral Teddy McGiggle. But, according to EW critic Leah Greenblatt's review, the real star of the show is the guitar-wielding Nyong'o. "She's both a warrior queen and a fallible, believable human woman — and never not a movie star in every scene." —A.W.
EW grade: B (read the review)
Director: Abe Forsythe
Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Alexander England, Josh Gad, Kat Stewart
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The Vigil (2019)
Desperate for money after leaving his Hasidic community, Yakov Ronen (Dave Davis) agrees to work overnight as a paid shomer, keeping vigil over the body of a recently deceased Holocaust survivor. During his watch, he is terrorized by a malevolent force searching for its next victim. But Yakov will have to make peace with his personal demons if he hopes to defeat the one after his soul. A religious horror in the vein of The Exorcist, this low-budget, supernatural thriller uses its tiny row house setting to maximum effect. Its roots in Jewish folklore offer fresh imagery, while the strong performances from Davis and Lynn Cohen keep the film emotionally grounded. This is one to watch with the lights on. —A.W.
EW grade: N/A
Director: Abe Forsythe
Cast: Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig, Malky Goldman, Fred Melamed, Lynn Cohen
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Amulet (2020)
Harry Potter alum Imelda Staunton goes to the nunnery in Amulet as Sister Claire, a London nurse who helps a refugee and ex-soldier named Tomaz (Alec Secareanu) find lodging after the building where he's staying catches fire. Sister Claire brings Tomaz to live with Magda (Carla Juri), a young woman caring for her sickly mother. But, the longer Tomaz lives with them, the more he realizes their family secret is more hellish than the war he survived. Written and directed by Romola Garai, Amulet embraces some of the trope-ier elements of the genre, but executes them in a way that feels congruent with Garai's penchant for lingering shots and aesthetic world-building. Amulet is, as EW's Leah Greenblatt writes, capable of casting a "grim sort of spell; a brooding, stifled dread that creeps in quietly from the margins, and lingers long after the last triumphant frame." —A.W.
EW grade: B (read the review)
Director: Romola Garai
Cast: Carla Juri, Imelda Staunton, Alec Secareanu
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Possessor (2020)
In Possessor, Andrea Riseborough plays Tasya Vos, an assassin who kills by possessing innocent people's bodies and controlling their minds. Tasya struggles to separate her home life from her work life, and when her handler (Jennifer Jason Leigh) assigns her a high-profile hit, Tasya loses control of the host body (Christopher Abbott) she has possessed to complete the assignment. A sci-fi thriller with some thematic similarities to Apple TV+'s Severance, Possessor was directed by Brandon Cronenberg (son of body horror legend David). The director told EW the idea for the script came to him during his publicity tour for his last film, Antiviral (2012). He said he felt the effects of performing for the media day after day and "I was finding it hard to see myself in my own life. I was getting up in the morning and feeling like I was sitting up into someone else's life." —A.W.
EW grade: N/A
Director: Brandon Cronenberg
Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Rossif Sutherland, Tuppence Middleton, Sean Bean, Jennifer Jason Leigh
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Run (2020)
From Searching director Aneesh Chaganty, Run follows doting mother Diane Sherman (Sarah Paulson), who has maintained meticulous control over the life of her daughter Chloe (newcomer Kiera Allen) for 17 years. Once the time comes for Chloe — a wheelchair user with multiple ailments — to leave for college, she soon becomes a prisoner in her own home as dark secrets are uncovered. Run is a taut thriller that feels like an elevated Lifetime movie in all the right ways. Chaganty sets the action primarily in the Sherman house, creating an environment that feels both intimate and suffocating. In preparation for the role, Paulson told EW that she channeled Piper Laurie's eerie matriarch in Carrie, saying, "There's an element of control, there's obviously an extreme codependent situation at work there, where you have a young person who is slowly coming into their own and what that causes the parent to feel." —A.W.
EW grade: B– (read the review)
Director: Aneesh Chaganty
Cast: Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen
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Censor (2021)
In the 2021 film Censor, even the British Board of Film Classification can't bleep out the terrors that lurk within. This British psychological horror stars Niamh Algar as Enid Baynes, a censor working in 1985 to clamp down on rampant violence within film. But Enid has her own violent past to deal with, namely her sister Nina who has been missing since the girls were little. Enid believes Nina is still alive, and sets out to find her, but struggles to determine the difference between her real life and the movies. Released during Sundance 2021, Censor is a well-reviewed addition to the British horror movie canon with admirable style (the film was primarily shot on 35mm film, interspersed with some Super8 and VHS footage). If you're in the market for a scary movie with elegant execution, look no further than Censor. —A.W.
EW grade: N/A
Director: Prano Bailey-Bond
Cast: Niamh Algar, Nicholas Burns, Vincent Franklin, Sophia La Porta, Adrian Schiller, Michael Smiley
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Titane (2021)
One of EW's best horror films of 2021, Titane, by writer-director Julia Ducournau (Raw), follows Alexia (Agathe Rousselle), a serial killer and car show model whose fetish for motor vehicles leads to her pregnancy by a Cadillac sedan (yes, you read that right). After a particularly gruesome killing spree, the soon-to-be mother goes into hiding and assumes a new identity, willing to do anything to survive. Sex with a car, motor oil lactation, and murder by hairpin are just a few things the first 30 minutes has in store. This Palme d'Or winner could have easily been a less-aware exercise in camp, but instead develops into a suspenseful meditation on gender, empathy, and grief. The neon-soaked body horror of Titane is a wild, unpredictable ride that will leave your mouth hanging open throughout its hour and 48 minutes of mayhem.
EW grade: B+ (read the review)
Director: Julia Ducournau
Cast: Agathe Rousselle, Vincent Lindon, Garance Marillier, Laïs Salameh
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Fresh (2022)
A nuanced examination of the horrors of modern dating, first-time feature-length director Mimi Cave's Fresh follows the meet-cute turned meat-cute between budding lovers Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Steve (Sebastian Stan). When Steve turns out to be more Hannibal Lecter than Prince Charming, their relationship takes an unappetizing turn. A dash of American Psycho, a sprinkling of Blood Diner, with a pinch of When Harry Met Sally for flavor, this horror comedy is held together by the killer chemistry between its two leads. Edgar-Jones imbues Noa with a final girl's quiet strength and sharp intellect, making you hope she'll survive the main course. On the flip side, Stan brings Steve's psychopathy just the right amount of disarming goofiness to keep him from being a one-note villain (as seen in his audition video where he dances with a kitchen knife). One suggestion: You may want to eat before you hit play. —A.W.
EW grade: B (read the review)
Director: Mimi Cave
Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jojo T. Gibbs, Andrea Bang
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