The 20 best horror movies on Hulu

Cars (of the sexy variety) and flesh-eating monsters (living and undead) are just a few of the tasty terrors on our menu of the must-watch 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 housebound frights like 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 April 2024.

Alien (1979)

Featuring one of the most frightening taglines of all time ("In space, no one can hear you scream"), Ridley Scott's original Alien film is a masterpiece of sci-fi horror. Like many great classics of the genre, the film is in no rush to reveal its big bad, building dread as your mind runs wild imagining what fresh hell awaits the crew aboard the Nostromo starship. EW rates the film as the quintessential alien horror movie, noting that "As terrifying (and brilliantly designed) as the alien itself may be, the film is still so unnerving — and frequently spun-off and adapted — because of Scott's measured and impressive direction." Plus, Sigourney Weaver makes for an excellent addition to the "final girl" trope, launching her into stardom and becoming the (human) face of the franchise. —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch Alien: Hulu

Director: Ridley Scott

Cast: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto

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The Babadook (2014)

"If it's in a word, or if it's in a book,
you can't get rid of the Babadook."

A widowed mother learns this the hard way in Jennifer Kent's widely acclaimed indie horror film. Essie Davis plays Amelia, who struggles to raise her 6-year-old son, Sam (Noah Wiseman), as he's tormented by the titular humanoid storybook monster. The Babadook's power comes from readers becoming aware of his existence, and after Amelia reads the book to Sam, she too begins to endure horrific experiences of her own. Before every artful-minded modern horror film became about grief and trauma, The Babadook explored these themes with authenticity, deftly weaving in Amelia's grief over the loss of her husband and her inability to control her son with traditional horror tropes. As EW's critic writes, "In an age when horror movies have mostly become lazy and toothless, here's one with ambition and bite." —K.J.

Where to watch The Babadook: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Jennifer Kent

Cast: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney, Daniel Henshall, Barbara West, Ben Winspear

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The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

This clever deconstruction of slasher horror tropes plays like the best Scream movies, serving thrills of its own as much as it satirizes its genre. A quintet of college students staying at a remote cabin find themselves unwilling participants in a ritual beyond their control. Little do they know that they are being watched by engineers in an underground lab, who have assigned them classic horror character archetypes (the Virgin, the Athlete, the Whore, the Fool, the Scholar) and are able to surreptitiously manipulate the group's environment. As the friends are picked off one by one, the mystery of why this is all taking place comes into focus. The Cabin in the Woods received very positive reviews upon its release, with praise for its committed cast, unpredictable twists, and commentary on the state of horror in the early-2010s. —K.J.

Where to watch The Cabin in the Woods: Hulu

EW grade: B– (read the review)

Director: Drew Goddard

Cast: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford

Related content: Cabin in the Woods: Making the monsters

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. —Andrew Walsh

Where to watch Censor: Hulu

Director: Prano Bailey-Bond

Cast: Niamh Algar, Nicholas Burns, Vincent Franklin, Sophia La Porta, Adrian Schiller, Michael Smiley

Related content: Stephen King on violence at the movies

Day of the Dead (1985)

This third installment of George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead franchise finds the world fully overrun by zombies, leading the remaining human survivors to seek safety in an old missile bunker. Within this shelter, scientists seek solutions to the outbreak, hoping to find a cure for the virus, while one experiments on the undead to try and domesticate them somehow. Dubbed a "genuine horror masterpiece" by EW, Day of the Dead is not only satisfying as a zombie movie but as a commentary on human behavior, speaking to what happens when a society crumbles and we're left to pick up the pieces of what remains. —K.J.

Where to watch Day of the Dead: Hulu

Director: George A. Romero

Cast: Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joe Pilato, Jarlath Conroy, Richard Liberty

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The Descent (2006)

This British horror film brilliantly places the action in a dark, terrifying cave, where six women are trapped with no clear exit. The spelunkers try to find a way out, only to be met with humanoid creatures known as crawlers — and they aren't exactly friendly. The women determine that the creatures are blind and only respond through sound, a precursor to the alien species in 2018's A Quiet Place. The Descent earns its scares through claustrophobic imagery and anxiety-inducing tension. EW's critic praises the film as "made with a connoisseur's love of muck, blood, inky darkness, and equal parts elegance and ewwww." —K.J.

Where to watch The Descent: Hulu

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Neil Marshall

Cast: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, Nora-Jane Noone, MyAnna Buring

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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.

Where to watch Fresh: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Mimi Cave

Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jojo T. Gibbs, Andrea Bang

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Hellraiser (2022)

There are a lot of ways to categorize 2022's Hellraiser — it's the 11th installment in the franchise, and also the second adaptation of Clive Barker's original text — but, most importantly, it stands on its own as a great horror film. The film centers on Riley (Odessa A'zion), a woman recovering from drug addiction who inadvertently unleashes the demonic Cenobites on her brother, causing him to disappear. Riley sets about trying to bring her brother back, but as the Cenobite leader (Jamie Clayton) proposes, only if she makes a pair of sacrifices. The film deftly uses horror as a metaphor for Riley's addiction, while providing some genuine scares through Clayton's chilling performance as "the Priest." As EW's critic writes in ranking it the third-best Hellraiser film, "The real casting coup here is Jamie Clayton, whose terrifying portrayal of the film's Pinhead helps elevate [David] Bruckner's movie above the chain of subpar franchise entries." —K.J.

Where to watch Hellraiser: Hulu

Director: David Bruckner

Cast: Odessa A'zion, Jamie Clayton, Adam Faison, Drew Starkey, Brandon Flynn, Aoife Hinds, Jason Liles, Yinka Olorunnife, Selina Lo, Zachary Hing, Kit Clarke, Goran Višnjić, Hiam Abbass

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Infinity Pool (2023)

Brandon Cronenberg's latest sci-fi horror concoction tells the story of novelist James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) and his wife (Cleopatra Coleman) vacationing in a country with a unique system of law enforcement. James learns this the hard way after accidentally killing a pedestrian with his car, discovering that his punishment is death. However, for an exorbitant price, he can undergo a cloning procedure after which his double will be executed. Unfolding with dread and a sick sense of humor, Infinity Pool doubles down on its premise as James' plight continues to escalate, and you'll either be in or out depending on your stomach for body horror. —K.J.

Where to watch Infinity Pool: Hulu

Director: Brandon Cronenberg

Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman

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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 the EW critic'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.

Where to watch Little Monsters: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Abe Forsythe

Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Alexander England, Josh Gad, Kat Stewart

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Mandy (2018)

Nicolas Cage goes on the warpath to avenge his girlfriend in this psychedelic action horror thriller. Cage plays Red, a lumberjack whose peaceful existence with girlfriend Mandy (Andrea Riseborough) is interrupted by a religious cult whose leader is obsessed with her. After the cult takes Mandy from him, Red takes it upon himself to get back at not only them, but the cannibalistic biker gang with whom they are in cahoots. While only released in 2018, the film is destined for cult classic status, between its phantasmagorical visuals, Cage's go-for-broke performance, and the hellish, original landscape created by director Panos Cosmatos. EW's critic labels it "a twisted funhouse ride that slowly builds its way to a higher plane beyond language until it becomes a sort of freaky horror nightmare." —K.J.

Where to watch Mandy: Hulu

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Panos Cosmatos

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache, Ned Dennehy, Olwen Fouéré, Richard Brake, Bill Duke

Related content: Watch the trailer for Nicolas Cage's Mandy soundtracked by Barry Manilow's 'Mandy'

No One Will Save You (2023)

What if you could only rely on yourself to defend against alien invasion? No One Will Save You imagines such a scenario, with Kaitlyn Dever starring as a young woman who has become a recluse after a mysterious incident in her past that led to her being ostracized by her town. Her quiet existence is disturbed by a humanoid alien invading her country home, whom she proceeds to kill — but this is far from her last alien encounter. Dever fearlessly leads the film all on her own, communicating so much without speaking a word. Writer-director Brian Duffield's choice to not include any dialogue save for one key moment proves effective, demonstrating the power of well-thought-out cinematography, editing, and sound design to create a tense horror experience. —K.J.

Where to watch No One Will Save You: Hulu

Director: Brian Duffield

Cast: Kaitlyn Dever

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The Omen (1976)

If there's anything horror movies have taught us over the years, it's that children are creepy and cannot be trusted. Fine, maybe not all children, but horror has certainly found plenty of scares in Evil Child cinema, with The Omen being one of the more notable titles that may have caused some parents to think twice before naming any offspring "Damien." Gregory Peck stars as Robert, a father whose son dies soon after his wife Kathy (Lee Remick) gives birth to him; while Kathy doesn't know, Robert is informed and decides to secretly adopt another baby boy and pretend it's their biological son. They name him Damien, and through subsequent years the family is plagued by a series of traumatic events, for which Damien might just be responsible. While reviews were mixed after its 1976 release, the benefit of time has allowed The Omen to age well as a tense thriller centering on real-life anxieties, with one hell of a creepy performance from Harvey Stephens as Damien. —K.J.

Where to watch The Omen: Hulu

Director: Richard Donner

Cast: Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, Harvey Stephens, David Warner, Billie Whitelaw

Related content: Why Harvey Stephens scares us in The Omen

A Quiet Place Part II (2021)

John Krasinski proved his horror movie bona fides with his jump-scare-filled breakout hit A Quiet Place, and the inevitable sequel did not disappoint. Set in a postapocalyptic world where a blind, extraterrestrial species with sensitive hearing has ravaged humanity, A Quiet Place Part II follows the Abbott family's continued survival as they are forced to retreat from their destroyed home. Armed with the knowledge of the creatures' vulnerability to high-frequency feedback, the family sets out into dangerous territory and reunites with a family friend, Emmett (Cillian Murphy), who discovers another weakness that could help them defeat the species. The sound design is once again a highlight in Part II as Krasinski broadens the scope of the universe he created, with EW's critic praising, "Krasinski manages to render relatively straightforward tasks — nursing a baby, tuning a radio, walking through a train car — harrowing." —K.J.

Where to watch A Quiet Place Part II: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: John Krasinski

Cast: Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Djimon Hounsou, John Krasinski, Okieriete Onaodowan

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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.

Where to watch Run: Hulu

EW grade: B– (read the review)

Director: Aneesh Chaganty

Cast: Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen

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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. —K.J.

Where to watch Slash/Back: Hulu

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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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. —A.W.

Where to watch Titane: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Julia Ducournau

Cast: Agathe Rousselle, Vincent Lindon, Garance Marillier, Laïs Salameh

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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 feature 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.

Where to watch V/H/S: Hulu

Directors: Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Radio Silence

Cast: Various

Related content: The best found-footage horror movies to watch right now

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.

Where to watch The Vigil: Hulu

Director: Abe Forsythe

Cast: Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig, Malky Goldman, Fred Melamed, Lynn Cohen

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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.

Where to watch Watcher: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Chloe Okuno

Cast: Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, Burn Gorman

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Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.