Need something new to watch on Hulu this October? Naturally, it’s a horror-heavy month with Halloween just around the corner, but Hulu doesn’t just have a library full of spooky season classics; it’s also got a handful of fresh 2024 horror movies in the crop, from the celebrated indie possession film “Late Night With the Devil” to a brand-new, ooey-gooey original Halloween horror-comedy, “Carved.”
There’s always an endless amount to scroll through, so we’ve put together a curated list of the best new movies streaming on Hulu this month. And don’t worry, you don’t need the Disney+ bundle to watch any of these.
“Edward Scissorhands” (1990)
Streaming On: Oct. 1
If “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has you in the mood for more Tim Burton, you can’t go wrong with his 1990 classic “Edward Scissorhands,” which the filmmaker made coming off of “Beetlejuice” 1998 and “Batman” in 1999 — a heck of a three-year run. Johnny Depp stars as the title character (an obvious and admitted cipher for Burton himself in one of his most personal films), a Frankenstein-esque outcast with blades for hands, who tries to make an unexpected home for himself in suburbia. All about the heartbreak of being misunderstood, “Edward Scissorhands” is one of Burton’s loveliest films, foundational to his signature aesthetic with a knockout cast that includes Winona Ryder, Diane Wiest, Kathy Baker and even Burton’s childhood idol, Vincent Price.
“Barbarian” (2022)
Streaming On: Oct. 1
There’s a bit in “Barbarian” that might be the hardest I’ve ever laughed at a horror-comedy, a genre I adore, but often fails to accomplish both halves of that label. Don’t worry about “Barbarian”. You’ll get plenty of both Zach Cregger’s Airbnb horror, which stars Georgina Campbell as a young woman who checks into her rental to find it’s already occupied — and finds a lot more, way weirder horrors after that. “Barbarian” has a real sense of fun and trickster energy about it, never going where you expect and always paying off its promises with horrific absurdity.
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“Hold Your Breath” (2024)
Streaming On: Oct. 3
Nobody does frantic, stretched to the breaking point, and somehow still elegant, quite like Sarah Paulson. She settles right into another horror role with Hulu’s “Hold Your Breath.” Set in 1930s Oklahoma, where the Dust Bowl has rolled in like a dry, hacking nightmare and Paulson’s Margaret Bellum unravels under the belief that an insidious force is coming for her and her children. Handsomely crafted, though it fumbles a bit at the finish line, filmmakers Karrie Crouse and William Joines create a nightmarish but beautiful dirt-drenched hellscape, intercut with chilling visions, all built around the backbone of Paulson’s performance as a woman desperately trying to keep her family together in impossible circumstances. This is one for folks who like their scares slow-burn and grounded.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975)
Streaming On: Oct. 1
The groundbreaking B-movie musical that has inspired a counterculture community for decades, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is best seen at a midnight screening with a lively crowd, but watching it at home where you can jump to the left and step to the right all you want is second best. Tim Curry stars as the iconic Dr. Frank-N-Furter, an alien mad scientist hellbent on creating the perfect plaything. Discard the discourse, embrace the message of radical self-acceptance, and you’ll be on the right wavelength for a horror-comedy musical full of devilish and deranged deeds, iconic imagery and some of the best, proudest film freaks of all time.
“Sting” (2024)
Streaming On: Oct. 11
If you’re in the mood for a fun creature feature, check out the Australian giant spider pic “Sting,” which largely slipped under the radar this year. Alyla Browne (“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”) stars as Charlotte, a 12-year-old who secretly raises a pet spider … that turns out to be an alien arachnid, quickly growing into a giant man-eater. Though the film is a bit slow to get to the good stuff, it’s an ooey-gooey blast once it gets going, making the most of its contained setting and amping up the gruesome mood without teetering into excess.
“Late Night With the Devil” (2024)
Streaming On: Oct. 19
One of the buzziest horror movies of the year, “Late Night With the Devil” debuted back in March, but it’s still the highest-rated horror movie of the year on Rotten Tomatoes. And the Shudder film makes its way to an even bigger streaming audience this month when it debuts on Hulu. A found media throwback horror, “Late Night With the Devil” wisely gives David Dastmalchian (“The Suicide Squad”) his long overdue first leading film role as Jack Delroy, a late-night host desperate to revive his ratings, who accidentally unleashes evil when he plans a special Halloween episode.
“Carved” (2024)
Streaming On: Oct. 21
If you’re looking for a brand-new Halloween movie that’s as silly as it is sticky with fake blood, “Carved” might hit the spot. The new Hulu original horror-comedy pits a group of survivors in a historical reenactment village against a man-eating pumpkin on Halloween night. It’s a bit of a “Treevenge” for Halloween, and likewise, knowingly embraces both the B-movie and seasonal vibes.
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