When you’re looking for thrills and chills with substance.

The 15 best horror movies on Hulu right now

When you're looking for thrills and chills with substance.

By Kevin Jacobsen

and Andrew Walsh

February 21, 2026 11:00 a.m. ET

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Maika Monroe as Lee Harker in 'Longlegs'; Sebastian Stan as Steve in 'Fresh'; Georgina Campbell as Tess in 'Barbarian'. Credit:

Neon; Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures; Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

When you're in the mood for a scary movie, there are so many possibilities that it's hard to know what to choose. Even if you narrow it down to schlocky slashers or chillers with strong social commentary, there are loads of horror movies produced every year, and streamers like Hulu have a huge catalog of options.

That's where ** comes in, pointing you towards Oscar-winning films like *Black Swan* (2010) and new, grotesque discoveries like *The Ugly Stepsister* (2025). Each movie we recommend delivers desired primal scares, in addition to some strong thematic elements that allow them to linger in audiences' minds for weeks after watching.

Here are our picks for the 15 best horror movies streaming on Hulu for your next fright night.

The Babadook (2014)

Essie Davis as Amelia Vanek and Noah Wiseman as Samuel Vanek in 'The Babadook'. Matt Nettheim/IFC Films

Modern horror movies don't often become instantly canon-worthy, but *The Babadook* is a rare exception. This unnerving Australian indie follows a single mother and her troubled young son, whose lives are fundamentally changed forever upon discovering a pop-up book called *Mister Babadook*. The titular monster soon torments the family, who then discover how hard it is to rid themselves of him. "*The Babadook* is a profoundly *unsettling* movie," writes EW's critic. "By comparison, *The Exorcist* looks like a triumph of the human spirit." —*Kevin Jacobsen*

Where to watch *The Babadook*: Hulu

**EW grade:** B+

**Director:** Jennifer Kent

**Cast:** Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney

Barbarian (2022)

Georgina Campbell as Tess in 'Barbarian'. 20th Century Studios

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)

Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers in 'Black Swan'. Niko Tavernise/Fox Searchlight

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

The First Omen (2024)

Nell Tiger Free as Margaret in 'The First Omen'.

20th Century Studios

*The Omen* has spawned (demon spawned?) numerous sequels since its 1976 release, but this prequel is by far the most well-received among them. Nell Tiger Free stars as a young novice who works at a Catholic orphanage plagued by mysterious, disturbing circumstances. She soon finds out about a plot to bring about the Antichrist, with one of the young girls of the orphanage expected to be its mother. Artfully directed and chock-full of gruesome deaths, *The First Omen* is a rare horror prequel that's worthy of the classic on which it's based. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The First Omen*: Hulu

**Director:** Arkasha Stevenson

**Cast:** Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, Bill Nighy

Fresh (2022)

Sebastian Stan as Steve in 'Fresh'. Searchlight Pictures

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)

Jamie Clayton as Pinhead in 'Hellraiser'.

Hulu/Courtesy Everett Collection

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 flick. 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. This *Hellraiser* 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

Late Night With the Devil (2024)

Ingrid Torelli as Lilly D'Abo, David Dastmalchian as Jack Delroy, and Laura Gordon as June Ross-Mitchell in 'Late Night With the Devil'.

IFC Films & Shudder

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

Little Monsters (2019)

Josh Gad as Teddy McGiggle and Lupita Nyong'o as Miss Audrey Caroline in 'Little Monsters'. Neon/Hulu

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, in which 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

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Longlegs (2024)

Maika Monroe as Lee Harker in 'Longlegs'.

It's easy to see the influences that inspired writer-director Osgood Perkins in *Longlegs*, from the dark religious themes of *The Omen* (1976) to the creepy thrills of *The Silence of the Lambs *(1991). 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 unnerving titular 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)

Kaitlyn Dever as Brynn in 'No One Will Save You'. Sam Lothridge/20th Century Studios

What if you could only rely on yourself to defend against an 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 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

Presence (2025)

Callina Liang as Chloe Payne in 'Presence'.

Courtesy of Sundance Institute

In Steven Soderbergh's chilling horror drama, the unwelcome presence haunting a house in the suburbs...is us. Told entirely from the perspective of a ghost, the film centers on a married couple and their kids, who move into a new house where an invisible presence lurks. As the presence takes a curious fixation on teenage Chloe (Callina Liang), a moving story of grief and trauma unfolds. EW's critic calls *Presence* "the kind of haunting ghost story that’ll linger with you long after you’ve closed the front door." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Presence*: Hulu

**Director:** Steven Soderbergh

**Cast:** Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, West Mulholland

Run (2020)

Sarah Paulson as Diane Sherman in 'Run'. Allen Fraser/Hulu

From *Searching* (2018) 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 *(1976), 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

**Director: **Aneesh Chaganty

**Cast: **Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen

Together (2025)

Alison Brie as Millie and Dave Franco as Tim in ‘Together’.

Body horror and trauma are common in today's scary movie landscape, but this horror drama mashes these elements together in delightfully gnarly ways. Real-life spouses Dave Franco and Alison Brie star as a couple who move to the countryside and find themselves gradually being fused — literally — upon interacting with a mysterious cave. Literalizing themes of codependency and fear of commitment, *Together* cleverly sells its message while gleefully committing to the twistedness of it all. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Together*: Hulu

**Director:** Michael Shanks

**Cast:** Dave Franco, Alison Brie

The Ugly Stepsister (2025)

Lea Myren as Elvira in 'The Ugly Stepsister'.

Marcel Zyskind/Memento Films International/Courtesy Everett Collection

If you were to combine the classic tale of Cinderella with the satirical body horror of *The Substance* (2024), it might look a little something like *The Ugly Stepsister*. This Norwegian grotesquerie centers on Elvira (Lea Myren), a young woman whose perceived unattractiveness is a thorn in her vain mother's side. To improve their fortunes, her mother forces Elvira to undergo a series of brutal cosmetic surgeries with the goal of wooing a wealthy prince...but the procedures have unintended side effects.

Packed with numerous squirm-worthy scenes and strong commentary on impossible beauty standards, this film is best watched when the clock strikes midnight. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Ugly Stepsister*: Hulu

**Director:** Emilie Blichfeldt

**Cast:** Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp, Flo Fagerli

The Wailing (2016)

Kim Hwan-hee as Hyo-jin and Kwak Do-won as Jong-goo in 'The Wailing'.

Well Go USA/Courtesy Everett

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

- Horror Movies

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Horror”