Hulu is to horror what Netflix is to rom-coms, which is in a word, revitalizing. Hulu has slowly cultivated a one-of-a-kind collection of both short and long-form horror, from TV shows to big-budget movies, paying extra care to the genre with numerous originals.
In recent years, Hulu has taken to revitalizing beloved horror IP, which further cemented a place for the originals to be more widely available while giving Hulu access to time-proven content for its subscribers. That, plus its plethora of add-on streaming options, allows viewers to sort between even more tantalizing delights rather than needing to pay for a more niche streaming service. With all of this to sort from, here are Hulu’s best of the best if all things spine-tingling and scary.
Updated on August 4th, 2023, by Amanda Minchin: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
14 Aliens (1986)
Aliens could easily fit in the action, sci-fi, or horror genres, though there's no arguing the visual scares of this gruesome, epic 1986 sequel to Ridley Scott's Alien. Written and directed by James Cameron, Aliens is a favorite among the ever-evolving franchise, for good reason. While the first film's spin on a haunted house in space was certainly original, the sequel took the time to flesh out its special effects and characters. This included the franchises leading lady Ripley, played by the incomparable Sigourney Weaver.
Aliens takes place 50-plus years after the original, following Ripley's time drifting alone in space. Picked up by a salvage ship, she warns anyone who will listen about the dangers of alien eggs on LV-426. She embarks with a crew of space marines to investigate a colony on the planet with deadly consequences. Whereas its predecessor was an atmospheric slow-build, this sequel amps up the action, making it one of the franchise's most memorable. Its deep dive into Ripley’s character and overall themes of motherhood and feminism help this creature feature truly stand out.
13 Prey (2022)
2022’s Prey cemented itself as an instant classic the second it became the highest-watched premiere on Hulu at the time. The film is a continuation of the Predator series, though this iteration looked to the past for inspiration. It took place in 1719 and followed a Comanche tribe in North America. The main hero is a warrior woman in training who struggles to prove her worth to her comrades and herself amidst encroaching colonization… and now alien warfare, of course.
Easily one of the most successful Hulu franchise reboots to date, this film took great pains for the sake of authenticity. This historically accurate film was shot in both English and Comanche to avoid the “Hunt for Red October” effect of a harsh transition in language. The Predator itself got in on the action, sporting a bone-like suit and weapons more fitting of the ‘prey’ of the time. The film also made several references to the originals, from the revamping of direct Arnold lines to the advantageous use of swamp muck.
12 Fresh (2022)
Fresh is a film best taken on an empty stomach. The movie stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Noa, a woman who thinks she finally met a nice guy through online dating, so she decides to go away with him for a weekend escape. Sebastian Stan plays her new love interest, though she soon discovers that he's actually a man with a discerning taste for the meat of young women.
This film saw the directorial debut of Mimi Cave alongside a stellar script by Lauryn Kahn, who was inspired to create a film for both horror fans and scaredy cats alike. A disturbingly provocative take on modern dating, this movie about cannibalistic horror and violent misogyny has been dubbed one of the best of 2022.
11 Hellraiser (2022)
While Hulu doesn't have the original film, it does have the remake of Hellraiser, which proved to be a revitalization of the franchise when it premiered in 2022. In it, a woman recovering from drug addiction and struggling to find her place in the world comes across a mysterious puzzle box with the ability to summon Cenobites, humanoids who thrive on the pleasure of pain. In doing so, she unleashes a cataclysmic series of events that will change not just the course of her life, but the lives of those who have chosen to stay by her side.
While the incomparable Clive Barker was not as involved in this 2022 iteration, the changes to the cast, the effects, and the story were much-needed updates. Needless to say, this monkey paw portrayal of tortured characters in an increasingly tortured world is not for the faint of heart, but it's a phenomenal portrait of drug use and obsession.
10 Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
Spiral: From the Book of Saw is the ninth installment of the Saw series. This popular franchise follows a twisted serial killer and his copycat proteges who test the will of their victims with ‘games’ of increasingly lurid physical and psychological torture. This installment follows police efforts to stop a Jigsaw copycat killer and features Chris Rock, Max Minghella, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Spiral arguably attempted to bring the series back to life in 2021, and was in some ways a success, crossing the $1 billion mark at the global box office. Of course, there is more to come with the franchise with the release of Saw X in 2023, so fans can easily catch up thanks to Hulu's horror offerings.
9 Little Monsters (2019)
Not to be confused with the classic 1989 Fred Savage vehicle, Little Monsters features Lupita Nyong'o as a school teacher stuck on a field trip during a zombie outbreak. Playing alongside her are Alexander England and Josh Gad, and, of course, a whole crew of youngsters.
Keeping children calm under the best of circumstances is challenging enough, but this film amps that danger up to a cool million watts with the emergence of the undead and the fall from grace of a beloved childhood critter. Either way, this multi-genre horror-musical-comedy is certainly sure to please.
8 Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil (2010)
Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil poses the ultimate slasher movie conundrum. What if the creepy guys in the woods didn’t do it? This film features the star powers of Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine as two hapless but well-meaning off-gridders who are mistaken for serial killers by a group of preppy college kids.
The line between killer and victim becomes steadily unclear as those who suspect their guilt begin to slowly die at their own unassuming hands. At the risk of having too many horror comedies on this list, Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil deserves a spot for the sheer brilliance of its unraveling of classic horror troupes.
7 Willy’s Wonderland
Willy’s Wonderland pairs an abandoned family fun park with, of all things, Nicolas Cage. Needless to say, it's a match made in heaven. There's just something so ridiculously Cagean about this film. In it, he plays a silent drifter forced to work the overnight shift as a janitor at the facility. However, he soon discovers that the forgotten mascots are still alive… and decidedly homicidal.
While by no means the first film to prey on the unease of animatronics, Willy’s Wonderland amps up this innate fear tenfold. Loosely inspired by Five Nights at Freddy’s, this part thriller-part horror venture is reminiscent of an offbeat '80s slasher, with an impressive kill count to boot. While not a masterpiece of cinema by any stretch of the imagination, this whimsical romp is as entertaining as it is underrated.
6 Barbarian (2022)
As if traveling alone wasn't scary enough, Barbarian adds a new fear to anyone planning to rent an Airbnb for some quiet time away. The unique horror film follows a young woman on her way to a job interview who stops at an Airbnb for the night, only to discover it's already occupied.
Written and directed by Zach Cregger in his first solo venture, Barbarian stars Georgina Campbell, Justin Long, and Bill Skarsgård, the appearance of whom should instantly dissuade viewers of the notion that this is anything but a horror movie. With a 93% on the Tomatometer and a slew of positive reviews to boot, its twisty turney killer ending will have Scream Queen fans salivating for more.
5 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)
Honestly, the name says it all. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a revisionist history of this beloved President’s quest to the White House and beyond that revisits the War Between the States. In this Civil War retelling, Lincoln, played by Benjamin Walker, is a secret hunter of the undead who fights against a group of vampiric slave owners.
The cast is rounded out by the likes of Anthony Mackie, Dominic Cooper, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Based on the novel of the same name by Seth Grahame-Smith, who also wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies would be turned into a film as well.
4 Censor (2021)
Censor, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, is a cheeky take on grotesque '80s horror. The main character Enid takes pride in her work as a film censor who safeguards the viewing public from all sorts of nasty nonsense in the form of blood, guts, and gore. The same cannot be said, however, for her inability to remember the day her sister went missing.
Shortly after her sister is declared dead in absentia, Enid stumbles across a startling tape that begins to unlock memories of that fateful time. Heralded as a step forward for British horror, this pick comes highly nominated from across the globe with a Tomatometer reading of 89%.
3 Piggy (2022)
Piggy, which was also released as Cerdita, is a modern Spanish/French take on high school revenge films. Much in the vein of movies like Carrie, Piggy follows an overweight teen who is mercilessly bullied by a clique of girls. When she finds out they’ve been kidnapped, she’s forced to choose between saving them or staying quiet for her newfound helper.
Piggy is based on a short by director and screenwriter Carlota Pereda, who made her feature film debut with this movie. With a haunting performance by Laura Galán, this film stands apart as both an ethical conundrum and a demanding and direct take on fat-shaming.
2 Run (2020)
Run is part horror, part thriller, and intensely psychological. This play on Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy features Sarah Paulson as caretaker to Kiera Allen’s Chloe. Arguably Hulu’s follow-up to 2019’s The Act, Run was directed by Aneesh Chaganty, who wrote the film alongside co-creator Sev Ohanian.
The call’s coming from inside the house in this inverse of the Rear Window troupe, where each scene just continues to build on the last. The pulse-pounding tension in this movie is nothing short of palpable, with plenty of hidden secrets and close run-ins to keep viewers guessing. It’s no wonder the Tomatometer gives this film a cool 89%!
1 Infinity Pool (2023)
Infinity Pool is a rather recent addition to Hulu's horror roster. Featuring freshly acclaimed Scream Queen Mia Goth alongside Alexander Skarsgård and Cleopatra Coleman, the film follows a young couple hell-bent on enjoying an all-inclusive vacation.
Things go terribly awry after a tragic accident when they discover there is a zero-tolerance policy for crime. Written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg, this film showcases a perverse subculture of hedonism alongside some fairly deadly straights… for those who can't pay, that is.