The ongoing joys of being a horror fanatic are endless. Studios typically run at the opportunity to produce a combination of recycled horror content (remakes and sequels) as well as emerging stories, especially in the current boom of elevated horror. Since countless production companies understand that if the content is somewhat good, tickets and streaming numbers will the whole endeavor worthwhile; earning back initial budget costs (which are usually low for horror movies) plus more is the least of these film studios worries. Essentially, streaming services like Shudder are just throwing horror movies at the wall to see if they stick, because there is very little to lose.
What fellow horror fanatics many not know, is that streaming service Huluproduces a wide range of fresh and organic original content, not to confuse fresh and organic with poultry. Back in the beginning of 2011, Hulu started to branch out and produce its own exclusive content, adding to the endless list of what to watch with their already syndicated material available to view. Hulu movies are easy to access and meant to be enjoyed from the confines of a viewer’s own home, as opposed to traveling to a sometimes crowded theater on opening weekends. As of now, the multi-billion dollar provider has distributed over thirty-five original horror films and television shows, with viewership up by 32 million people as of 2022’s first two months alone. Take a look at some of the best movies on Hulu for some of the scariest content the streaming service has for fans of independent horror movies. That is, if any readers dare to…
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6 The Lodge
Neon, Sony Pictures
The Lodge will invoke a series of emotions in the viewer, from anger, to sheer terror, to satisfaction with its jaw-dropping ending. In the midst of a family retreat to a secluded winter cabin for the holidays, Richard (Richard Armitage) is forced to abruptly depart for work, leaving his two children in the care of his fiancé Grace (Riley Keough), a mentally disturbed young woman whom Richard left his wife for.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
As viewers, it’s somewhat difficult to watch Richard so nonchalantly be ok with leaving his children under the care of a woman who has had a past filled with instability, being the only survivor of a cult’s mass suicide. With his first-hand knowledge of Grace’s past and how it has deeply impacted her mental and emotional state, why would Richard feel so confident with bringing that energy and baggage onto his children? Every aspect about him and his relationship with Grace just seems eerie and flat out creepy, and once the kids find out about Grace’s past, they begin to taunt her, unleashing a series of strange and petrifying events in this excellent, highly-anticipated Hulu movie.
5 Parasite
CJ Entertainment
The South Korean, genre-defying thriller Parasite tells the story of two families who are divided by greed and class discrimination. Its premise displays a poor family, the Kims, infiltrating the lives of a wealthy family, the Parks, after becoming their new employees. Although Bong Joon-ho’s movie could be considered a dramatic thriller, it also segues into sheer horror at several unpredictable, violent, and shocking moments. At the same time, there are also occasions where comedy is depicted naturally. The hot sauce scene is a memorable favorite, a scene stemming from the Kim family’s plan targeting the Parks’ current housekeeper, scheming to convince Mrs. Park that the housekeeper has been deceitful about her claim of being diagnosed with tuberculosis. Food, like almost everything else in the film, is cleverly used as “a violent weapon of class struggle,” according to Vice. Horror or otherwise, this remains one of the best movies on Hulu.
4 The Other Lamb
IFC Films
Born into an all-female cult led by the male Shepard (Michiel Huisman), a young Selah (Raffey Cassidy) begins to question everything instilled by the vicious leader. The heightened levels of isolation and seclusion that Selah feels as a character is reflected organically onscreen in The Other Lamb. She’s not able to freely speak of her doubts and concerns publicly because her fellow cult sisters will inform Shepard of her betrayal, leading to punishment. Selah’s character stands out amongst the modern day female revolt against a patriarchal system which oppresses women, and is the highlight of this dark, tense movie on Hulu.
3 Spree
RLJE Films
Both creepy and downright awkward, Spree follows a quite frankly disturbed twenty-something Uber driver, Kurt Kunkle (Joe Keery), as he desperately tries to become a YouTube influencer. Finding work through a fictional rideshare app, Spree, Kurt places a series of go-pro cameras into his car and begins to livestream each ride as he starts to pick up passengers, drugging them with poisoned bottles of water and later killing them. The horror layout and main performance of this film is psychologically terrifying, and thanks to this movie on Hulu, just the thought of hopping into a ridershare now evokes goosebumps. When fear sets in, always rely on Uber black.
2 False Positive
Hulu, A24
The horror film False Positive, from a screenplay by John Lee and Ilana Glazer, takes viewers on a whirlwind of emotions from start to finish. Lucy Martin (Glazer, from the hilarious Broad City), a New York-based copywriter, lives alongside her husband Adrian (Justin Theroux) in Manhattan. Trying to conceive for years, the couple decides to seek the help of Dr. John Hindle, Adrian’s former instructor and one of the world’s most acclaimed fertility doctors. Lucy quickly becomes pregnant after Dr. Hindle inseminates her with a technique he invented, but things go from good to bad with Dr. Hindle (a damn creepy Pierce Brosnan) once Lucy uncovers his dark and malicious truth. The anxieties of pregnancy (which also worked so well for Rosemary’s Baby) and technology are fiercely reflected in this nasty little horror movie on Hulu.
1 I Trapped the Devil
Snuggle under the covers with a crucifix, a bottle of holy oil, and a shot of tequila (only if over 21, sorry). Matt and his wife Karen arrive at the home of Matt’s estranged brother, Steve (an excellent Scott Poythress), to celebrate Christmas together. Though the two initially hoped for a peaceful family reunion, Matt and Karen are shocked to find that Steve has been holding a man hostage in his basement, claiming he is the devil. Yes, things go downhill from there as all hell starts to break loose (literally), though that is exactly what Steve is trying to prevent. I Trapped the Devil is bathed in the beautiful neon glow of Christmas lights and has a truly artistic feel to it, while the performances from the only three actors make it feel like an incredible play. When looking for what to watch for Christmas or Halloween, somehow I Trapped the Devil covers all bases.
