October brought a lot of new movies to Hulu, offering plenty for horror aficionados and scaredy cats alike. The service went all out on scary movies this month, folding in an iconic franchise and some of the best horror films of the 2020s. There are also several films waiting for the fear-averse, including a Best Picture nominee from Guillermo del Toro and a classic from Tim Burton.
Here are the seven best new movies you can watch on Hulu this October.
“Barbarian”
Before “Weapons,” Zach Cregger made a name for himself in the horror space with 2022’s “Barbarian,” an Airbnb-set gonzo horror film that shocked unsuspecting audiences. There’s a lot of magic to be found in “Barbarian” — an expert blend of horror and humor, a brilliant deployment of Bill Skarsgård and a gut-busting bit involving Justin Long and a tape measure, to name a few. More than anything, “Barbarian” announced that Cregger was a horror voice to watch going forward. His stock has only risen since.
“The Cabin in the Woods”
Another horror/comedy, Hulu added Drew Goddard’s “The Cabin in the Woods” just in time for the Halloween season. “The Cabin in the Woods” takes a page from the “Scream” franchise’s book and makes a horror film that actively lampshades the genre’s biggest clichés. While it’s fun to watch the movie ape tropes found in forest-set films like “The Evil Dead,” “The Cabin in the Woods” truly shines when it focuses on the mundanity of its office-bound antagonists (Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford). “The Cabin in the Woods” is an easy, fun watch for spooky season, one that’s both rewarding for horror fanatics and approachable for novices.
“Die Hard”
If you’re not looking for something Halloweeny to watch this October, there are few better places to turn than “Die Hard.” The film is evergreen, a tightly constructed action masterpiece that (deservingly) inspired iteration upon iteration upon iteration in its wake. Not a single moment in the film is wasted, with every shot and line of dialogue in some way serving the audience’s understanding of the film’s characters, criminal plot and, above all, sense of location. It feels as if you can map out every inch of Nakatomi Plaza after watching “Die Hard,” making the stellar action set pieces all the more rewarding. After “Die Hard,” you can also watch the next three movies in the franchise on Hulu in October — or, if you’re a fan of Bruce Willis, you can follow the actor to “The Sixth Sense” for a more Halloween-appropriate offering.
“Edward Scissorhands”
“Edward Scissorhands” is, in many ways, the ultimate Tim Burton movie — the story of an outsider (clothed in a goth aesthetic) struggling to fit in under the weight of suburbia. The titular protagonist is one of the signature characters of Burton’s career, put excellently on the page by Caroline Thompson. Like the best Burton movies, “Edward Scissorhands” features astounding production design, with Edward’s gothic world delightfully clashing against the too-perfect exteriors of suburban life. This movie is a reminder of what Burton can be at his best.
“The Empty Man”
“The Empty Man” is a solid (though underseen) horror movie from 2020, the feature directorial debut of longtime David Fincher making-of documentarian David Prior. The film, based on a graphic novel by Cullen Bunn and Vanesa R. Del Rey’s, features a compelling, twisty mystery with several genuine scare moments.
Yet the strongest aspect of “The Empty Man” is the movie’s beginning — and that’s not a critique. Prior’s debut features an absolutely terrifying cold open where a group of hikers stumble upon a giant skeleton and are subsequently stuck in a nightmare situation. The opening, which plays as a mini horror movie unto itself, is a little H. R. Giger, a little Lovecraft and a lot of pure terror.
“Nightmare Alley” (2021)
If you should watch “The Empty Man” for its first scene, you should watch Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” for its last. The 2021 film adapts William Lindsay Gresham’s novel of the same name (which had already been put to screen starring Tyrone Power in 1947), following the rise and fall of a trickster carny (Bradley Cooper) who works his way through the depths of show business. The entire film is solid, bringing the same commitment to craft found in del Toro’s fantastical features to a more real-world setting. The final scene, however, is one of the great moments of both del Toro and Cooper’s respective careers — and worth the price of admission alone.
“Saw II”
True horror fanatics can crawl through the initial seven-movie run of the “Saw” franchise on Hulu this October, digging through swaths of disgusting traps laid by the villainous Jigsaw. While the first film in the franchise is undeniably the strongest, Darren Lynn Bousman and Leigh Whannell’s follow-up, “Saw II,” has a lot to offer.
A lot of what would make the “Saw” franchise great has strong roots in the first sequel. In introducing the Nerve Gas House, “Saw II” gives the franchise its first true puzzle maze, placing people in a building filled with various “Saw” traps (a concept returned to in various sequels). This film also gives a greatly expanded role to John Kramer (Tobin Bell), the Jigsaw Killer who, though present in the first movie, would become more and more memorable through later installments, many after his death.
There are many hallmarks of the “Saw” franchise perfected in the second movie. The film features some of the most visceral traps (the needle pit comes to mind) and one of its strongest twists. “Saw II” may not be the most revered in the franchise, but it gives “Saw,” “Saw VI” and “Saw X” a run for their money.
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