Here Are 42 Bone-Chilling Horror Films Now Streaming On Hulu
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These are the best horror movies on Netflix right now.
1.28 Days Later (2002)
Is it too soon to start watching movies about infectious diseases let loose on the general population that cause countless people to die and leave the survivors in a state of panicked horror as they struggle to stay alive and also pick up the pieces of their society? I guess at least there aren’t zombies in the real world (YET!). This pandemic/zombie flick from the mind of Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation) is terrifying for how real it all seems. This was also the breakout film for Cillian Murphy, so if you liked him clamoring around the docks in A Quiet Place 2, you’ll love him here, dealing with a different kind of monster.
Watch it on Hulu.
2.The Amityville Horror (1979)
It’s not every day that you make a small independent horror film for less than $5 million and then end up spawning one of the most lucrative franchises in film history with over 30 films. But such is the case with The Amityville Horror, which was based on a novel supposedly based on real-life experiences: a mass murder committed in a home (and the evil spirits that now live there). In each film, the evil spirits wreak havoc on a new group of innocent inhabitants. An OG haunted house saga, this old-school horror film still holds up.
Watch it on Hulu.
3.Bad Hair (2020)
This satirical comedy-horror film was directed, produced, and written by Justin Simien, the creator of Dear White People. A look at the toxic culture, prejudice, and racism surrounding natural Afro-textured hair, the film follows Anna (Elle Lorraine) as she receives a weave to fit in with the image of her company, only to find out the weave is (dun-dun-dun) demon-possessed and thirsty for blood! The film is an indictment of race-based hair discrimination, which is still alive and well in most states. The CROWN Act, which prevents such discrimination, has passed in only 13 of them so far.
Watch it on Hulu.
4.The Blair Witch Project (1999)
If you needed any more reason to avoid a) lonely camping trips or b) potentially satanic locations, then this horror game changer is here to remind you yet again. The film, which stirred up the found-footage craze, seems to be entirely filmed on a camcorder that a trio of film students take with them on a trip into the forest to investigate the legend of the Blair Witch. Things obviously don’t go well, and as their anxiety rises, the filming grows more erratic, further ratcheting up the tension. The movie was famously made for next to nothing and became such a phenomenon that it spawned several sequels. The original remains the very best of the bunch.
Watch it on Hulu.
5.Body at Brighton Rock (2019)
It is a scientific law of nature (and this is something I learned from, like, a biologist or something) that if you go into the woods alone, there is a 100% chance that you will find yourself in a highly traumatic life-or-death situation that involves a bear, a dead body, or no map. And that is why I use the buddy system. In this indie horror film, however, Wendy (Karina Fontes), a fledgling park ranger, goes into the woods alone, finds a dead body, and then must stay with it overnight while she waits for help. Every force imaginable besets her, and it just reminds me why I moved to New York.
Watch it on Hulu.
6.Children of the Corn (1984)
This cult classic focuses on a group of Nebraska children who, entranced by a demonic force in the cornfields, murder and ritually sacrifice the town’s entire adult population. Three years later, a pair of traveling motorists stumble upon the town and must fight for their lives. One of the motorists is played by The Terminator’s Linda Hamilton, whom you may remember from the impressive biceps she recently showed off as a 60-plus-year-old woman in Terminator: Dark Fate. If only she’d brought her missile launcher with her, these corn kids would have been no trouble.
Watch it on Hulu.
7.Crawl (2019)
Look, nothing good has ever happened in the crawl space under a house. I (a writer, not an architect) am still flummoxed by why a house would even need such a space as an obvious haven for homicidal clowns, serial killers, and evil demon–possessed grandparents. In Crawl, however, it is hungry alligators that are infesting the nether regions of horror. Haley (Kaya Scodelario) has to save her dog and unconscious father during a Florida hurricane and quickly realizes the flooding has brought all the alligators to her front door. THIS IS WHY YOU EVACUATE WHEN A HURRICANE IS COMING, PEOPLE! Forget drowning. I just don’t want to be chewed in half.
Watch it on Hulu.
8.The Dead Zone (1983)
There is no one more prolific in the realm of horror than the lord and savior of my cold, dead heart, Stephen King. Naturally, therefore, his books get the Hollywood treatment fairly often — Doctor Sleep, The Outsider, and The Stand being the most recent examples. Seemingly 500 adaptations ago, however, Christopher Walken played a teacher who awakens from a coma to discover he now possesses magical psychic powers, and as with all Stephen King properties, the madness follows. (Also, this is not a zombie movie, even though that’s what I incorrectly assumed based on the title.)
Watch it on Hulu.
9.The Gift (2000)*
Not to be confused with Joel Edgerton's 2015 film of the same name, this film, directed by Sam Raimi and written by actor Billy Bob Thornton (who starred in FX's Fargo and this famous photo), is a thriller-mystery with a supernatural twist. Cate Blanchett plays a clairvoyant fortune teller, while Katie Holmes plays the fiancé of a local principal who suddenly vanishes. When Blanchett's psychic powers kick in and she has a vision of the corpse in a pond, the police investigation unfolds in this star-studded thriller packed with the likes of Keanu Reeves, Hilary Swank, and J.K. Simmons. If only the psychics were more help in real-life cases. Can we get someone on the Michael Peterson case? I want to know if the owl did it.
Watch it on Hulu.
10.Hannibal Rising (2007)
And how about another cannibal, if you don’t mind? This prequel to The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, and Red Dragon sees the maniacal Dr. Hannibal Lecter in his younger years (this time played by Gaspard Ulliel). While Hannibal is, of course, best known for Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of the serial killer who enjoys eating other humans, here we rewind the clock to see how such a monster was created. Turns out it is the Nazis’ fault (they really do ruin everything). Watch this film to witness Hannibal’s slow turn from vengeful Nazi killer to serial murderer.
Watch it on Hulu.
11.Hereditary (2018)
Dare I say this innovative supernatural film from Ari Aster is...a masterpiece? Where do you even begin to describe such a magnum opus? Perhaps with the gut-wrenching performances by the shrieking Toni Collette (“I AM YOUR MOTHER”) or the dead-eyed, sweaty Alex Wolff or the deceptively kind Ann Dowd? Perhaps with the mid-movie plot twist involving a telephone pole that bulldozes you off-kilter? Perhaps with the film’s final chaotic battle throughout the immaculately designed house at the film’s center? Perhaps with the looming, dissonant score? Or perhaps I'll just say I'll never look at a treehouse in quite the same way. #HailPaimon
Watch it on Hulu.
12.The Host (2006)
South Korea really knows how to turn in a good, suspenseful feature film, and nowhere is that more apparent than in this 2006 monster film directed by Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) and starring Song Kang-ho (the dad in Parasite). A giant monster — possibly the host to a terrible virus and with a penchant for swallowing and then regurgitating its victims — kidnaps Song’s daughter, and so he must attempt to rescue her. And if you’re worried you won’t be into this film because it’s in Korean, I’ll just say that at one point it was the highest-grossing South Korean film of all time — so, like, a few people liked it.
Watch it on Hulu.
13.The Hunt (2020)
This film's original release was scrapped because of a frenzied outcry from conservative media in the wake of dual shootings on Aug. 3, 2019. The satirical horror film was eventually reintroduced to the lineup after more careful consideration for a squeeze-it-in-before-the-theaters-shut-down premiere. The plot focuses on a bunch of “deplorables” (i.e., conservatives) being hunted for sport by a posse of liberal elites. Betty Gilpin (Glow) takes center stage as a wily Army veteran, but the cast is stuffed with your favorite comedic actors as Ike Barinholtz (Blockers), Emma Roberts (Scream Queens), and Glenn Howerton (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) all pop up. Ultimately, there was an unfounded amount of hype and hand-wringing over a fun little satire.
Watch it on Hulu.
14.I Am Legend (2007)
If you somehow lived the last 15 years without seeing or knowing the spoilers of this film, let me just warn you that I would not watch it if you are an animal lover. Skip this one and go watch the debauched vampire-priest movie instead. If you are okay with sobbing in the middle of a Will Smith "I’m the only person left in New York because of zombies" movie, though, then be my guest. The movie is riveting and extremely well done. Just buy the waterproof mascara.
Watch it on Hulu.
15.The Invisible Man (2020)
It may have had an abbreviated theatrical run due to the pandemic, but this taut sci-fi thriller is living its best life scaring people in the comfort of their own home on streaming. In this film from Leigh Whannell (Saw), Elisabeth Moss’s husband died by suicide…or did he? Perhaps he only faked his death so he could torment her dressed up in a high-tech bodysuit that renders him invisible. The floating knives and mysterious footprints start as unsettling but ramp up to a full-on nightmare by the film’s riveting climax. And while it's a great horror film, it is also a startling representation of the gaslighting women endure even in the #MeToo era.
Watch it on Hulu.
16.It (2017)
Touted as the relaunch of mainstream horror, this adaptation of Stephen King’s evil-clown novel scored megabucks at the box office and sent producers scrambling to snatch up more King properties. Stranger Things meets John Wayne Gacy, this film sees a band of misfit kids (“losers,” if you will) cycling around Derry, Maine, trying to vanquish a homicidal clown. As a personal plug, I will say this is my favorite King novel (weird orgy scene notwithstanding), and I WEPT while finishing it, so if you’ve got a 36-hour train ride in your future, might I suggest you buy a copy of the 1,000-plus-page tome?
Watch it on Hulu.
17.It: Chapter Two (2019)
The book is so long, they obviously couldn’t fit it all into one movie. So while the book intercuts the present-day adult plotline with the childhood Pennywise encounters, the films split the two timelines in half, giving the second movie almost entirely to the adult posse, which includes Bill Hader (as the delightfully gay Richie) and Jessica Chastain. A reliably spooky double feature for you.
Watch it on Hulu.
18.Let the Right One In (2008)
It’s basically Twilight if Twilight was all in Swedish and Edward, instead of being a hot, sparkly teenage boy, was a young girl vampire who massacres half of a Stockholm suburb to survive after befriending a bullied 12-year-old boy. Okay, so maybe not quite Twilight, but there is a vampire! This adaptation of a 2004 novel won countless awards and was later turned into a US film starring Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloë Grace Moretz in the leads. I know it may be tempting to just watch the English-language version, but trust me, the Swedish edition is better.
Watch it on Hulu.
19.Little Monsters (2019)
So you probably saw Us, Lupita Nyong’o’s other 2019 horror film, but did you see her zombie comedy about a kindergarten teacher who must protect her class during a zombie apocalypse? Yes, her students are safe for the time being, but there are hordes of undead schoolchildren (the little monsters) chasing them around. It’s funny. It’s scary. It’s a delight. Also, it really shows — yet again! — that Nyong’o is the most talented person in the game and needs all the leading roles we can give her.
Watch it on Hulu.
20.The Nest (2020)
While bodily horror is certain terrifying, there is often something far more unsettling about the slow dread of psychological horror. That is what Sean Durkin’s follow-up to Martha Marcy May Marlene brings as Jude Law drags Carrie Coon and their two kids out to a manor house in the English countryside. As the family simmers alone in the creaky old house and secret pasts are revealed, a string of unconnected incidents leaves them unraveling. Is the house haunted or is it just in their minds?
Watch it on Hulu.
21.Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The human flesh–craving army of the undead is now such a staple in film that it’s hard to imagine when it was a new idea, but this George Romero film was the first where zombies were reanimated cannibalistic corpses. In this black-and-white horror classic, zombies beset a group of people stranded at a rural farmhouse. Who will survive the night? You have to watch to find out.
Watch it on Hulu.
22.Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
My parents always told me that the Ouija board is an evil vehicle STRAIGHT from the devil. If someone ever got one out at a birthday party, I was to call home IMMEDIATELY and get out of there because Satan was not to be messed with. Well, if only the characters in this supernatural horror film had been so smart. But no. They just had to go and start using a Ouija board in their fake séances, and wouldn’t you know it, the daughter gets possessed. The prequel to the 2014 film Ouija is set in 1960s Los Angeles and details the grizzly details surrounding Lina's (Annelise Basso) demon-via-board-game origin. Honestly serves the family right. Hell, I’d refuse to even touch the box in an aisle at Walmart. Who knows how the demons are transferred!
Watch it on Hulu.
23.Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
After the shockingly massive success of Paranormal Activity and the underwhelming response to Paranormal Activity 2, the franchise bounced back with this highly praised third installment, which serves as a prequel to the first two films. With its night-vision, home-video found footage, the film is a master class in creeping suspense that my friends and I screamed our way through drunkenly in college. The Paranormal Activity franchise, it should be noted, was also the first big hit for Blumhouse Productions, which would go on to make loads of other deliciously dark horror films.
Watch it on Hulu.
24.Parasite (2019)
If you have seen one Korean film, it is probably this Bong Joon-ho–directed dark-comedy thriller, which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2019 (the last great prepandemic moment). The film, which took the world by storm, stars Song Kang-ho as he and his family infiltrate a wealthy household as the family's tutors, housekeeper, and driver. Beneath the beautiful, clean-lined, modern home, however, lies something much more sinister. I won’t give away anymore plot points, because this film is best when you go in blind, but if you’ve been avoiding it because of a subtitle fear, you should give it a try. I promise it’s not that hard to read words and watch a movie at the same time.
Watch it on Hulu.
25.Personal Shopper (2016)*
What a glamorous life Kristen Stewart leads in this haunting Parisian jaunt. As the titular personal shopper, she wanders from boutique to boutique down quaint French streets picking up designer dresses for her celebrity client. The only catch is that she is being haunted by the ghost of her dead twin brother. She's receiving text messages from an unknown number, and a specter appears in her boss's apartment. The film from Olivier Assayas (director of the magnificent K. Stew feature The Clouds of Sils Maria) trades in a simmering, chic creepiness that culminates in a pair of final scenes that left me with goosebumps.
Watch it on Hulu.
26.Pet Sematary (2019)
And we’re back again with another Stephen King adaptation (and this is the third film based on this novel!). If there is one takeaway to be gathered from horror movies, it is that animals cannot be trusted. They will mess you up if possible, and the magically reanimated corpse of Churchill the cat is no exception. Perhaps more of a drama than a straight horror film, this disturbing tale forces viewers to ponder the barrier between life and death and what they’d be willing to sacrifice to stay “alive.” (Also, I'd watch John Lithgow in anything.)
Watch it on Hulu.
27.Piranha 3D (2010)
Underwater monsters and ill-fated vacationers seem to be a trend here — and might I suggest another? In Piranha 3D, a very scientifically accurate earthquake releases hordes of prehistoric piranhas on a lake during spring break, and the locals have to figure out how to stop the beasts before all the bikini babes get eaten. It’s pure B-movie camp, and perfect if you’re looking to be a little scared but mostly just laugh at ridiculousness. There are many shades of "best," as this movie proves.
Watch it on Hulu.
28.Pledge (2018)
As someone who pledged a fraternity in my straight days, *hides face* I am at the very least thankful no one ever strapped a hungry rat to my stomach or branded me with a hot poker (small victories). This little-known horror film that launched with a Kickstarter campaign takes a look at the dark underbelly of fraternities as a group of well-intentioned rushes are hazed in obscene and graphic ways. Honestly, the tagline “Few get in. None get out.” is genius enough that you should all give the film a chance just for that.
Watch it on Hulu.
29.Pure (2019)
Okay, you nitpicking nitpickers, I’ll admit it! Yes, this is technically an episode of an anthology television show called Into the Dark, BUT it is 86 minutes long and has a stand-alone plot, so I’m counting it as a film. And this FILM (get off my back) is about a creepy purity ball that these creepy patriarchal men force their daughters into to celebrate their virginity. When a ritual to summon Lilith goes awry and some of the girls revolt against their fathers, all hell breaks loose on the retreat. Moral of the story: Stay away from purity balls and also ANY KIND OF SÉANCE/SPIRIT POSSESSION. Put down the Ouija board and RUN!
Watch it on Hulu.
30.Ready or Not (2019)
Now, readers, THIS is a romp of a horror film. The aristocratic family rich off a board game empire invoke a sick demonic ritual to keep their fortune that forces them to hunt down and murder a new bride in their manor house. What follows is 95 minutes of grisly, unadulterated fun. We’ve got crossbows. We’ve got a battle-ax. We’ve got throwing knives. Samara Weaving is exquisite as the bloody bride the family is hunting, and the ending is….explosive.
Watch it on Hulu.
31.The Rental (2020)
Who’s ready for a creepy Airbnb film that will reinforce your trust in the Hyatt loyalty rewards program? This horror film, directed by Dave Franco and starring his wife, Alison Brie, along with Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey for too few seasons), follows two couples who rent a remote seaside property. What seems like a fun, idyllic getaway quickly devolves into chaos when footage of an affair is caught on a secret shower cam, and the vacationers start disappearing. The film premiered during the pandemic and made me thankful I wouldn’t be staying anywhere but my apartment for quite some time.
Watch it on Hulu.
32.Saint Maud (2019)
One of the newest entries on this list, this A24 psychological horror film examines the intersection of faith, trauma, and delusion. When Katie (Morfydd Clark), a nurse, fails to save a dying patient, she begins to unravel, changing her name to “Maud” and becoming entrenched in Roman Catholicism. Obsessed with saving the soul of a new patient under her care, Maud descends into deeper and deeper levels of madness in a search for God and meaning, dragging those around her into a pit of delusion as well. More unsettling than scary, and perhaps more horrifying because of it, Saint Maud is not for someone who wants jump scares, but it's perfect if you’re looking to be psychologically tormented.
Watch it on Hulu.
33.Saw (2004)
The horror genre likes to pivot every few years, and wow, did the genre take a wild turn in the early aughts when Saw arrived on the scene. Gone were your casual slashers and hauntings, and in their place were gory torture-porn extravaganzas. How gruesome can we make every death, and who will be able to endure the horrific bloody trauma to actually finish the film? While many of the sequels and franchise imitators sacrificed substance for 30-liter buckets of corn syrup blood, this original combined substance with torture. The film's twist is incredible, the reverse bear trap will forever live in our minds, and then there is the question of all questions: Could you saw your own leg off to escape certain death?
Watch it on Hulu.
34.Spree (2020)
Ummmmm, no. Of course I didn’t watch this movie solely because I have a crush on Joe Keery. Why would you ask such a rude question? I am a journalist! I watched this because I am a patron of the arts! And while I was watching this (for the plot), I learned that it is a horror satire of social media, which follows Joe’s character (and great hair) as he attempts to go viral by murdering passengers he’s driving in his Uber. Former Saturday Night Live funny woman Sasheer Zamata also stars, and in the most random twist of this entire list, it was produced by Drake. Like as in "Hotline Bling." What a wild time to be alive.
Watch it on Hulu.
35.Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
I know what you’ve all been asking: Yeah, yeah, yeah, Matthew, this list is great, but WHERE ARE THE HORROR MUSICALS? Well, my dears, I’m happy to announce that Hulu can scratch that itch for you. Here we have Tim Burton’s horror musical adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim show in which a British barber kills his patrons, and his evil accomplice grinds the corpses into pies (yes, another cannibal plotline). So, sure, we got slit throats and people eating people, but we also got musical numbers!
Watch it on Hulu.
36.The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Jason Voorhees. Michael Myers. Freddy Krueger. Leatherface. These are the distorted faces that sit upon the Mount Rushmore of slasher villainy. And Leatherface, the chainsaw-wielding murderer with a mask made of human skin and furniture made of bone, makes his first appearance in this horror classic. He will go on to menace the casts of seven more films (with a new one headed to theaters soon), but the original is especially terrifying. Oh, and often overlooked by culture is that Leatherface is part of a cannibal family. Cheery, right?
Watch it on Hulu.
37.Thirst (2009)
And we’re back to South Korea, and we’re back with Song Kang-ho. In this erotic horror film, Song plays Sang-hyun, a Catholic priest who signs up for a medical experiment and turns into a vampire (lots of vampires on this list as well, it turns out). Oh, and did I mention that despite being a priest (i.e., celibate), he’s in love with his best friend’s wife?!?!?! If you are a priest, which is gonna get you banished first: drinking people’s blood or your horny thoughts for a parishioner?
Watch it on Hulu.
38.Train to Busan (2016)
*DJ Khaled voice* Another one. I promise that the South Korean Film Society is not paying me. The country just has a lot of really great films, including this zombies-on-a-train flick. When a zombie apocalypse breaks out, a group of survivors must band together as their high-speed train from Seoul to the titular Busan begins to fill up with overeager flesh eaters. Honestly, given the choice, I’d take snakes on a plane any day of the week.
Watch it on Hulu.
39.Underwater (2020)
Kristen Stewart is here to prove that she can literally rock any haircut imaginable, including a blonde buzz. She is also here to prove that the bottom of the ocean is a terrifying place. In this Alien-but-make-it-underwater film, Stewart & Co. are in a research and drilling facility on the ocean floor when it is attacked by some kind of aquatic monster. As the crew scramble to get to the escape pods, they are killed off one by one by the nemesis lurking in the dark water. Be forewarned: This movie may crush your desire to ever go scuba diving again.
Watch it on Hulu.
40.We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
There are movie horrors (zombie cats, zombie train passengers, zombie kindergartners), and then there are real-life horrors. This Tilda Swinton–led film, which launched the career of Ezra Miller, focuses on the latter: what happens when someone’s mind is predisposed to violence rather than love. We slowly watch Eva (Swinton) come to the sickening realization that there is something wrong with her son Kevin (Miller), and that all the motherly affection in the world won’t be able to fix him. This movie is a disturbing look into the mind of a sociopath and those who have to live with one.
Watch it on Hulu.
41.What Lies Beneath (2000)
I don’t know about you, but my mind is filled with images from the trailers I saw as a child for scary movies I couldn’t watch because I was too young. Now I have dozens of bone-chilling snippets floating around in my mind. One such snippet is from the sinister tub in this Harrison Ford–Michelle Pfeiffer two-hander about a house haunted by a dead woman. Is the tub scene actually all that scary as an adult? No. Was I traumatized for years about accidentally drowning? Yes, 100%.
Watch it on Hulu.
42.Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)
The highly anticipated sequel to the 2009 apocalyptic comedy, this film reconnects viewers with their favorite zombie-hunting gang. Rather than homing in on that end-of-the-world, we-could-be-eaten-at-any-moment dread, this vehicle for Abigail Breslin, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Emma Stone focuses on the humorous side of cannibal monsters (and yes, there is a humorous side). As the four search out a nonzombie oasis, one-liners, pratfalls, and recurring bits help to distract from the fact that 98% of the population died horrible deaths.
Watch it on Hulu.
* The title has been newly added for July.
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