Do you need to feel something in the mind-numbing hellscape that is this year? Well, look no further than the treasure trove of terror currently lurking on Hulu.
In 2020, the streaming service has classics like Evil Dead 2 (1987), My Bloody Valentine (1981), and The Last House on the Left (1972) running alongside hidden gems like The Devil’s Doorway (2018) and massive hits like A Quiet Place (2018). They’ve also got horror series, like American Horror Story, Castle Rock, and The Purge — plus the killer short films debuted as part of Hulu’s annual “Huluween” film festival.
We’ve combed through Hulu’s horror catalogue (assuming you have no premium add-ons, of course), and selected the 13 best horror movies available to get you started. Happy haunting!
13. Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)
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Texas Chainsaw 3D is without question the worst of the Leatherface films. (Don’t you dare drag the wildly misunderstood Next Generation into this!) Still, there’s something uniquely fun about revisiting a movie sandwiched between the late 2000s reboot-and sequel-centric horror and mid- to late-2010s horror excellence. Alexandria Daddario stars as a heavily eyeliner-ed property inheritor in this super soapy, extra stupid, so-bad-it’s-great sequel. “Do your thing, cuz!”
How to watch: Texas Chainsaw 3D is now streaming on Hulu.
12. The Last House on the Left (1972)
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Wes Craven’s directorial debut isn’t a particularly easy watch. But as far as landmark exploitation horror goes, The Last House on the Left is worth seeing at least once to round out your education on the genre and better understand Craven’s career. The story of two young women kidnapped and tortured by escaped prisoners raised the bar for on-screen terror, and still delivers of the most satisfying finale scenes in the genre. But be warned, it’s brutal.
How to watch: The Last House on the Left is now streaming on Hulu.
11. Wounds (2019)
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Wounds really isn’t as good as I’d like it to be. That said, director Babak Anvari — known for the exquisite Under the Shadow (2016) — delivers an inventive enough premise through a compelling enough cast that watching this graphic, psychological thriller never feels like a waste. Armie Hammer stars as an easy-living, unbothered bartender who, opposite Dakota Johnson, must navigate a stomach-churning descent into cockroach-infested hell.
How to watch: Wounds is now streaming on Hulu.
10. The Devil’s Doorway (2018)
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Northern Irish director Aislinn Clarke’s The Devil’s Doorway is in no way the first horror film to indict the Catholic church for its history of abuse allegations. Still, Clarke’s found-footage approach paired with the historic subject matter — Magdalene Asylums of the 1960s — proves to be a particularly impactful combination. Some startling jump scares and a brief runtime qualify it as a hidden gem.
How to watch: The Devil’s Doorway is now streaming on Hulu.
9. Hellraiser (1987)
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There are two camps of horror fans: those who really, really, really like Hellraiser, and those who do not. Make up your own mind by rewatching writer-director Clive Barker’s interdimensional, sadomasochistic nightmare. At best, you’ll have a new 10-film franchise to devour. At worst, you’ll get a better handle on the legendary Pinhead and the importance of puzzling responsibly.
How to watch: Hellraiser is now streaming on Hulu.
8. My Bloody Valentine (1981)
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In this spectacularly splattered slasher, director George Mihalka places a terrifying killer — hardened by a cannibalistic mining accident(?) years before — in a small town ripe for terrorizing at the time of the Valentine’s Day dance. Awesome practical effects, like a dude getting his face boiled off and human hearts showing up in seasonally themed chocolate boxes, make for tons of classic scenes. It’s all tied together by a fun cast, high energy, and pure ’80s nostalgia.
How to watch: My Bloody Valentine is now streaming on Hulu.
7. Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
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Paranormal Activity’s 2011 prequel doesn’t deliver a narrative that’s particularly compelling or believable. And yet the unbridled rampage of terror this flimsy horror story holds together is so good, I can’t help but give it a pass. Some of the most iconic scenes in the franchise occurred in Paranormal Activity 3. It’s more of the same, but if you’re into that, you’ll like it just the same.
How to watch: Paranormal Activity 3 is now streaming on Hulu.
6. Crawl (2019)
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Director Alexandre Aja combines action-packed disaster horror with some particularly spiteful alligators in this gloriously intense thrill-ride. Kaya Scodelario stars as a young woman who, along with her father and family dog, becomes trapped in a Florida house by a devastating hurricane. As the house begins to flood in a race against the clock, our heroine fights the large reptilians attempting to eat her family in a journey that’s surprisingly captivating and full of teeth.
How to watch: Crawl is now streaming on Hulu.
5. Overlord (2018)
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Few things make me as happy as fast as watching Mathilde Ollivier, Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, and the rest of the Overlord cast kick some zombie Nazi ass. This World War II horror flick, set on the eve of D-Day in Germany, is a thing of revisionist history dreams, with Jed Kurzel’s epic soundtrack, exquisite cinematography, some of the best zombie makeup in the biz, and Pilou Asbæk (aka Euron Greyjoy of Game of Thrones) as a villain you’ll love to hate.
How to watch: Overlord is now streaming on Hulu.
4. Let the Right One In (2008)
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Swedish director Tomas Alfredson’s heartbreaking vampire tale changed the game for 2000s horror. An expertly executed but surprisingly restrained affair, Let the Right One In follows a young boy, bullied in school, who befriends another kid with a mysterious need to feast on blood. The resulting romance is one of a kind — tonally unique and hauntingly impactful.
How to watch: Let the Right One In is now streaming on Hulu.
3. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
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Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods is so good that it’s genuinely shocking it didn’t take the top spot on this list. (John Krasinski and Sam Raimi just can’t be beat!) Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison, Jesse Williams, Fran Kranz, and a just breaking-out Chris Hemsworth star as some unlucky college students who must take on a “Zombie Redneck Torture Family” as part of a centuries-old ritual managed by characters played by Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford. Oh, and Sigourney Weaver gets the “bit part” of the century.
How to watch: The Cabin in the Woods is now streaming on Hulu.
2. A Quiet Place (2018)
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Yes, it’s first-time horror director John Krasinski’s beloved sci-fi success. Krasinski and real-world wife Emily Blunt play a couple living on an Earth invested by predatory aliens who hunt only by sound in this edge-of-your-seat fright fest. Full of transporting world-building and tremendous acting, the story of the couple’s efforts to protect their children, portrayed by impressive talents Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe, is one we’ll surely be burning a torch for someday.
How to watch: A Quiet Place is now streaming on Hulu.
1. Evil Dead II (1987)
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Ash! Gets! His! Chainsaw! A “sequel” that’s more of a remake, Evil Dead II sees director Sam Raimi re-examine the Book of the Dead through a comedic lens that would entirely reshape the franchise. Unleashing deadites on horror legend Bruce Campbell once more, Evil Dead II takes us back to that same cabin but in ways that are so much more entertaining they’ll make your head explode.
How to watch: Evil Dead II is now streaming on Hulu.
Honorable mention: Into the Dark
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Hulu’s monthly series Into the Dark didn’t make this list since it’s technically classified as a television anthology. Still, the feature-length terrors brought to life in this consistently clever series are well worth your time. You won’t like ’em all, but they’re a great resource for finding which horror style or subgenre will intrigue you next. I’m an Uncanny Annie kinda gal rn.
How to watch: Into the Dark Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Hulu.