Horror on Hulu: 9 Scary Movies to Stream Now

Hulu has all five Omen movies available to stream. The only one you must see is numero uno: The Omen (1976), directed by Richard Donner. It doesn’t match the scares or shocks of the Satanic panic film that started it all (1973’s The Exorcist), but The Omen—the tale of a diabolical tyke who may be the Antichrist incarnate—instills in the viewer a creeping, queasy dread while delivering its share of gut-punch shocks. Now, while you don’t have to watch the Omen sequels, you also don’t have to skip ‘em. You might like the other films and, with The First Omen coming out on April 5, 2024, it’s a good time to have an Omen marathon.

Writer-director Anna Zlokovic’s psychological body-horror flick (a Hulu Original) is about what happens when you believe your negative inner voice. Young fashion designer Hannah’s (Hadley Robinson) personal turmoil manifests as an evil twin that grows from her abdomen, eats her bad feels, and intends to replace her. Some might find this metaphor for spiraling into depression too on-the-nose, a clumsy attempt at elevated horror. Others will take Zlokovic’s message to heart (hang in there, friends)—they’ll get the most from the film. But everyone should dig Appendage’s unique creeps, which evoke Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case (1982) and Brain Damage (1988).

A squad of British soldiers on a training mission in the Scottish Highlands finds their rival squad slaughtered. Then someone or something comes after them. A young zoologist leads the men to a farmhouse, where they must fight off towering, chillingly intelligent lycanthropes trying to breach the home. Neil Marshall (The Descent, Hellboy reboot) directs this one, which frequently lands on werewolf-movie best-of lists for its taut plot, fast action, and kickass practical effects—including some of the scariest howlers this side of The Howling.

In Willy’s Wonderland, Nicolas Cage stars as a scruffy drifter trapped overnight in an abandoned family fun center, battling demon-possessed animatronic mascots—cue the “Take my money!” meme. Cage’s nameless character has no backstory or dialogue, just 88 solid minutes of furry ass-kicking and grim smirks. It’s best to not think too hard and just enjoy the Willy’s Wonderland ride.

George A. Romero’s followup to the original zombie classics Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Dawn of the Dead (1978) is a classic in its own right. The plot pits brains vs. brawn as soldiers clash with the scientists they’re meant to protect. Bleak, exceptionally gruesome (thanks, effects master Tom Savini!), and stuffed with social commentary, it’s one of Romero’s best. And let’s shout out to Bub, the big ol’ zombie who proved there’s still some humanity left in the undead.

Part of Hulu’s Into the Dark horror anthology series, Crawlers might be the only St. Patrick’s Day alien-invasion flick ever made (the Leprechaun franchise doesn’t quite count). When aliens begin taking over the bodies of drunken college bros in a pub crawl, it’s up to a trio of coeds (including a snarky vlogger capturing it all) to save them. The green beer is optional.

In the mid-’80s, Enid (Niamh Algar) works as a content censor for the British Board of Film Classification, cracking down on extreme and violent “video nasty” exploitation movies. When she sees a horror flick whose plot eerily resembles the disappearance of her sister, Enid spirals to the point where she can’t discern reality from fantasy, with grisly results. Censor is a taut psychological thriller that’s as unpredictable as it is viscerally frightening.

Expect the unexpected when comedy people dabble in the horror genre—or a baby, in the case of False Positive. Director John Lee (Wonder Showzen, Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday) puts Lucy (Illana Glazer, Broad City) through maternity hell with a fertility doctor (Pierce Brosnan) who for sure has evil intentions. Lucy finally has a healthy baby girl with her husband Adrian (Justin Theroux), but she’s still determined to find out the sinister truth about Dr. Hindle. Hint: ick.