Does Hulu have good horror movies?
Did you know that Hulu is an acronym for “Horror: Unnerving, Loathsome, and Unrelenting”?
We’ve scoured the depths of Hulu’s horror vault and collected our 13 favorite scary movies on the service—or, for SEO purposes, the best horror movies on Hulu to stream right now in 2024 (update).
Some are genuinely chilling, others lean comical, and one is kinda romantic (until it’s not). Let’s get freaked out.
Appendage (2023)
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). —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer
Censor (2021)
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. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer
Crawlers (2020)
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. —Bill Frost, Senior Staff Writer
Enys Men (2023)
Mark Jenkin’s Enys Men (Cornish for “Stone Island”) is more dream than film. For much of its 91-minute run time, we’re alone with an unnamed wildlife volunteer (Mary Woodvine) living on England’s Cornish coast in 1973. As she keeps daily logs on the growth of a rare flower, she encounters mysterious ghosts/people who may represent important figures in her life. It’s often unclear what’s happening in Enys Men, but it instills a creeping dread similar to The Wicker Man (1973—coincidence?). Recommended for audiences who enjoy slow arthouse horror stories with skeleton casts and minimal dialogue that leave you confused—but strangely, and truly, satisfied. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer
False Positive (2021)
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. —Bill Frost, Senior Staff Writer
The First Omen (2024)
Arkasha Stevenson’s prequel to Richard Donner’s iconic The Omen (1976) shares a conceptual kinship with Immaculate, another devil-baby movie recommended here. In The First Omen, we anticipate the arrival of Damien Thorn—The Antichrist and centerpiece of the Omen movies—through yet another mysterious and sinful conception. However, this prequel shifts the focus to Damien’s mother, Margaret (Nell Tiger Free), unveiling the dark forces orchestrating his imminent birth. After being let down by the sequels’ lack of suspense and chills, we were pleasantly surprised to find that The First Omen captures much of the original’s horror effectively. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer
Fresh (2023)
If you’re looking for something a little different, Fresh is a thriller about Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a woman weary of the douchebags the dating apps serve up. One night in the produce section, Noa meets the charming Dr. Steve—who happens to be a gourmet chef. Slump over! Right? Nope. Dr. Steve’s skill combo should be a bright red flag, ‘cause he’s an enterprising butcher with plans carved out for Noa. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer
The Host (2006)
In Oscar-winner Bong Joon-ho’s (Parasite, Snowpiercer, Okja) The Host, a negligent, carless, corporate leader orders a subservient underling to dump 200 bottles of excess formaldehyde into the sea. Of course that creates a gargantuan, ravenous sea monster, and now a hapless father must embark on a quest to save his daughter from the beast. Both terrifying and humorous, The Host appeals to fans of blockbuster creature features like Godzilla and Jaws while also captivating cinephiles eager to explore Joon-ho’s early work. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer
I Saw the Devil (2010)
Serial killer Jang Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik, Exhuma) gruesomely dismembers the daughter of a National Intelligence Service chief. The anguished father covertly orders subordinate Kim Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun), the victim’s fiancé, to exact vengeance. Soo-hyun tracks down Kyung-chul, kicks his ass, and makes him swallow a tracking device for some rinse-repeat action. It’s all great revenge-flick fun until the hero behaves more like the villain. That’s intentional. Kim Jee-woon (The Quiet Family, A Tale of Two Sisters) wants us to come for the revenge, but stay for the deep sense of conflict. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer
Immaculate (2024)
Here’s a second helping of devil-baby cinema on Hulu. Sydney Sweeney stars as Sister Cecelia, a neophyte nun newly wed to Christ. Cecelia arrives at an Italian convent that seems sketchier by the day. Cecelia fits in until she’s suddenly, magically, pregnant. Now she’s a celebrity, doted on by all because—gasp!—they believe she carries the second coming of Satan. Granted, Immaculate isn’t the most original devil-baby story, but it hits all the right buttons as Cecelia tries to escape the convent and her twisted fate. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer
Infinity Pool (2023)
With Infinity Pool, Brandon Cronenberg (Possessor) demonstrates that he has inherited his father David’s (the mastermind behind Videodrome, Scanners, and Rabid) penchant for weaving unsettling tales. Set in a decadent resort nestled in a fictional, corrupt nation, novelist James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) and his wife cross paths with the enigmatic Gabi (Mia Goth), who professes her admiration for James’ sole literary work. In true film noir fashion, the femme fatale lures James into a swirling vortex of crime, cloning, vice, and murder. We’re along for the fascinating, perilous, trippy ride, which will have even the strongest stomachs doing flip-flops. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer
Prey (2022)
In true Predator fashion, Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey asks what happens when humans lose their spot as apex hunter to an alien warrior with murder tech and an ugly face—or at least that’s what I love about the series. Prey brings a fresh feel to a classic horror series, and the underdog matchup of Naru, a Comanche healer and hunter, with the alien brute holds its ground more than you might expect.
You may think alien technology would pulverize anyone in the year 1719, but Naru has some (actually) believable tricks up her sleeve. If you like the head-to-head slaughter and action of the series, you’ll appreciate what Prey brings to the timeline. —Aaron Gates, Deputy Editor
When Evil Lurks (2023)
Originally titled Cuando acheca la maldad, Argentinian director Demián Rugna’s (Terrified, aka Aterrados) story of demonic possession is particularly chilling in our ever more secular 21st century world. It reframes the supernatural affliction as a contagious disease, tapping into contemporary pandemic fears. So we get chilling occult horror and squishy body/outbreak horror—spiritual and physical torment—all in one tight little film. Ultimately, When Evil Lurks seems to comment on the uncertain times, and how we must safeguard ourselves against infection in an increasingly confusing, panicky world. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer
Willy’s Wonderland (2021)
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. —Bill Frost, Senior Staff Writer