7 Horror Movies to Watch on Hulu This Weekend (March 20th)

When the world feels like a scary place, some people will choose to consume as much lighthearted content as possible to distract them from their fears, while horror fans know how much of a relief it can be to tune in to a much more horrifying narrative to take comfort in immensely intense storylines to offer catharsis from our real-world stress. Even if relieving stress isn’t something you require, with the number of public spaces currently closed, plenty of us are finding ourselves with hours of free time and we’ll likely be turning to our favorite streaming services this weekend to keep us entertained.

Luckily, Hulu has a number of exciting genre films to check out, including genre classics that are worth a revisit and under-seen indie hits that might have flown under subscribers’ radars.

Scroll down to see some of our picks for what to watch on Hulu this weekend and hit up Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to share your own recommendations and thoughts about the films!

Overlord (2018)

On the eve of D-Day, a group of American paratroopers are dropped behind enemy lines to carry out a mission crucial to the invasion’s success, but as they approach their target, they begin to realize there is more going on in this Nazi-occupied village than a simple military operation. They find themselves fighting against supernatural forces, part of a Nazi experiment.

The genre film combined Nazis, the occult, and horrifying science experiments, which are all tried and true staples of the horror world. What made Overlord such a success was the ways in which all of these elements were blended together, as well as the tension of the storyline and the chemistry between the performers. 

Despite borrowing many familiar horror themes, Overlord felt wholly original, able to exist as its own isolated story yet with enough intrigue that we won’t be surprised to see a franchise emerge from the war-based horror story.

Children of the Corn (1984)

After a couple’s car breaks down in a seemingly deserted town, they discover that the entire community is only inhabited by young children with no adults anywhere in sight. As the children begin to offer “help,” the couple continue to ask about the lack of adults, only for a literal interpretation of a religious text to present the terrifying answers.

Understandably, Children of the Corn has become a go-to reference when describing nefarious youngsters, though the story has little to do with the dangers of these children and more to do with religious fanatics taking staunch beliefs that pose a threat to those around them. Based on a story by Stephen King, the core concept of the film is reflected in our society every day, even if fanatics across the world aren’t necessarily carrying out evil deeds for the sake of a supernatural force.

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Joss Whedon built a devout following for himself thanks to the ways he blended genre elements with humor in TV series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, with The Cabin in the Woods, which he co-wrote with director Drew Goddard, managing to not only meets those expectations from his longtime fans, but completely surpass anything we could have imagined.

When a group of friends goes on a seemingly innocent vacation to a cabin in the woods, the audience begins to discover they are merely pawns of a much bigger scheme at play, all leading towards an immensely satisfying conclusion that satiated the wishes of all manner of horror fans.

Not only was the film an entirely entertaining experience, filled with both laughs and effective horrors, but what truly made the film stand out was its metatextual themes. Seasoned horror fans have seen countless stories unfold about college kids in the woods, with the film managing to address the well-worn elements of the genre to both satirize them while fully embracing them.

Body at Brighton Rock (2019)

On a routine afternoon, Wendy (Karina Fontes) becomes disoriented and gets lost in the woods, only to discover a body. With no rescue in sight, the ranger must battle not only the elements, but her own paranoia, if she hopes to make it out of the woods with her life and her sanity.

Fontes’ performance is charming and relatable, making for a rare teen-centered horror movie where you can sympathize with her situation and actually want her to survive. Additionally, Body at Brighton Rock uses everyday threats that would be a hiker’s worst nightmare to keep all of the terror grounded in reality.

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

Struggling to make a living as a horror host, Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) discovers a relative of hers has died and left her a house in a small Massachusetts town. After moving into her new home, Elvira draws both desired and unwanted attention, with some residents becoming enamored with the Mistress of the Dark while prudish members of the community seek her removal. 

The film delivers audiences everything an Elvira fan would want, from countless double entendres to jokes about horror movie icons, in addition to reminding viewers that horror hosts used to be so popular that they could star in their own films.

Starfish (2019)

As if the death of her best friend wasn’t horrible enough, a woman awakens to an apocalyptic event having unfolded in her town. Luckily, her best friend left her a series of clues and mixtapes that could hold the answer to salvation for herself and the rest of the world.

Of the many effective trends of horror in 2019, one of the more effective ones was surely the infusion of emotional horrors permeating otherworldly events, with Starfish being another powerful example of the concept. The film offered audiences a number of traditional frights, but what was truly shocking was its depictions of the monsters that live within us and what it takes to defeat them once and for all.

Tragedy Girls (2017)

Two high school girls who run a true-crime blog in their small town realize that they aren’t gaining a following as quickly as they’d likely, forcing them to take matters into their own hands to get more material. The deadly duo manage to kidnap a serial killer that has been targeting their town, continuing his murder spree and offering their readers exclusive coverage of the grisly events.

When people worry about younger generations becoming desensitized to violence and trauma, you’ll find few films that offer a better cautionary tale than Tragedy Girls, which unfolds like Scream for the Snapchat generation.