The 15 scariest horror movies on Hulu

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

Alien: Romulus (2024)

This seventh installment in the Alien franchise is a welcome return to form, evoking some of the same thrills and chills of the 1979 original. In fact, Alien: Romulus takes place in the aftermath of that first film, centering on a group of highly motivated space colonists looking to escape their indentured servitude on the dark planet LV-410. They find some hope in the form of a run-down space station, with a ship that could take them to a more utopian planet. Waiting for them on board, however, is the alien species we’ve come to know and fear, and it becomes a battle for survival. “It is bleak and grimy and nauseating, but somehow manages to be a lot of fun,” writes EW’s critic. —K.J.

Where to watch Alien: Romulus: Hulu

EW grade: B+

Director: Fede Álvarez

Cast: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu

Barbarian (2022)

The horror of double booking is just the tip of the iceberg in Zach Cregger’s audacious solo directorial debut. Georgina Campbell stars as Tess, a woman who arrives at the Airbnb she’s rented, only to discover she’s not alone: A mysterious man named Keith (Bill Skarsgård) is already staying there. After accidentally locking herself in the basement, Tess and Keith soon discover a frightening secret we’d rather not spoil. Just take our word for it that Barbarian will leave you disturbed and exhilarated in equal measure. —K.J.

Where to watch Barbarian: Hulu

Director: Zach Cregger

Cast: Georgina Campbell, Justin Long, Bill Skarsgård, Richard Brake, Matthew Patrick Davis

Black Swan (2010)

At what point does dedication to one’s craft become too much? Director Darren Aronofsky explores this (among other themes) in Black Swan, in which Natalie Portman portrays Nina, a sheltered ballerina whose drive to play the lead in a production of Swan Lake causes her to have a psychological breakdown. Nina soon finds herself behaving erratically, experiencing hallucinations, and awakening the darkness within herself. As EW’s critic writes, “Black Swan is lurid and voluptuous pulp fun, with a sensationalistic fairy-tale allure.” All these years later, it’s hard not to be enraptured by its blending of gothic horror and high art. —K.J.

Where to watch Black Swan: Hulu

EW grade: B+

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Cast: Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder

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. —Andrew Walsh

Where to watch Fresh: Hulu

EW grade: B

Director: Mimi Cave

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

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

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Some movies are frustratingly misunderstood by the public at the time of their release. Such is the case with Jennifer’s Body, which was originally marketed around Megan Fox’s sex appeal but has since been reclaimed for its biting commentary on the impossible standards of being a woman in contemporary times. Fox, in her defining performance, plays Jennifer, a high schooler who is sacrificed by a group of men in a Satanic ritual, only to come back from the dead with the urge to kill her male classmates. Costarring Amanda Seyfried as her best friend, Needy, the film also cleverly explores female friendship and desire. —K.J.

Where to watch Jennifer’s Body: Hulu

EW grade: B+

Director: Karyn Kusama

Cast: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris, Adam Brody

Late Night With the Devil (2024)

Nothing is more terrifying than a late-night host desperate to boost ratings. Case in point, Late Night With the Devil takes place on a chilling Halloween night in 1977, during which a series of horrifying events occurred on an episode of a live talk show. David Dastmalchian, in a fiercely committed performance, plays Jack Delroy, the show’s smarmy host who invites a child psychologist and a possessed girl among his guests. Suffice it to say, the night takes a decidedly wrong turn. Directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes have a lot of fun with the concept, evoking the raw analog vibe of ’70s television in all its charming yet unsettling glory. —K.J.

Where to watch Late Night With the Devil: Hulu

Directors: Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes

Cast: David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Georgina Haig, Josh Quong Tart

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, as EW critic’s observes, 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

Director: Abe Forsythe

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

Longlegs (2024)

It’s easy to see the influences that inspired writer-director Osgood Perkins in Longlegs, from the dark religious themes of The Omen to the creepy thrills of The Silence of the Lambs. But, as EW’s critic writes, “What’s most impressive is how Perkins collects his simple component parts and somehow transforms this into such an unnerving film.” Set in the 1990s, the film centers on a young FBI agent (Maika Monroe) who investigates a series of disturbing murders connected by highly specific commonalities. Imbued with dread, Longlegs will get under your skin, as will the image of Nicolas Cage as the titular unnerving villain. —K.J.

Where to watch Longlegs: Hulu

EW grade: B

Director: Osgood Perkins

Cast: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt

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

Ready or Not (2019)

Before they took the reins of the Scream franchise, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett directed this gleefully gory horror comedy about a newlywed tormented by her husband’s cursed family. Samara Weaving plays Grace, the young bride who learns of the family’s wedding night ritual, drawing the dreaded “Hide-and-Seek” card and subsequently being hunted down for reasons we won’t spoil here. Suffice it to say, Ready or Not is crafted with entertainment in mind first and foremost, though it also touches on potent themes regarding the upper class’ hell-bent desire to retain their obscene wealth. —K.J.

Where to watch Ready or Not: Hulu

EW grade: B+

Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Cast: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O’Brien, Elyse Levesque, Nicky Guadagni, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell

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–

Director: Aneesh Chaganty

Cast: Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen

The Wailing (2016)

A mysterious stranger comes to a small South Korean village, bringing with him a curse in this effectively sinister horror-thriller. As the curse causes the infected villagers to become violently murderous, police officer Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won) tries to get to the bottom of it, personally motivated by his daughter’s own transformation. EW’s critic ranks The Wailing as one of the best Korean horror films of all time, writing, “Some movies just have a malevolent aura about them, and The Wailing is one of them.” —K.J.

Where to watch The Wailing: Hulu

Director: Na Hong-jin

Cast: Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min, Jun Kunimura, Chun Woo-hee, Kim Hwan-hee

World War Z (2016)

This pulse-pounding action horror thriller about a zombie apocalypse may diverge from Max Brooks’ best-selling book of the same name, but its virtues are plenty. Brad Pitt stars as Gerry Lane, a former investigator for the United Nations who searches the globe for a cure to the deadly outbreak. Of course, with the outbreak spreading at an accelerated pace, it’s a race against the clock as Gerry navigates perilous environments on his quest. “World War Z turns the prospect of the end of our world into something tumultuous and horrifying and, at the same time, exciting,” writes EW’s critic. “It’s scary good fun.” —K.J.

Where to watch World War Z: Hulu

EW grade: A–

Director: Mark Forster

Cast: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, Matthew Fox, Elyes Gabel