Grotesquerie and the best horror movies and shows on Hulu right now

It’s officially fall, meaning for us Halloween and horror fans, it’s spooky season. As the high temperatures from summer start to cool down and we feel a brisk chill in the air, we can’t help but crave some horror content to go along with the changing seasons. For me, it’s horror season all year round — though fall is when I can truly thrive as everyone celebrates Halloween. Hulu has so many great horror movies and shows to watch year-round, but if you’re starting to browse their horror lineup now ahead of the holiday, we have recommendations for you!

From a brand-new FX on Hulu show called Grotesquerie to some older favorites like Alien, these are the 10 best horror movies and shows available to watch right now on Hulu.

Grotesquerie

As mentioned, Grotesquerie is a new show that premiered on FX on Sept. 25. New episodes air on Thursdays and stream the next day on Hulu. Created by Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken, it might be easy to mistake the series for another season of American Horror Story, but this is a standalone title. Amid a series of crimes committed in a small town, a nun and detective work together to try to uncover the truth in Grotesquerie.

The series’ vibe is reminiscent of David Fincher's Zodiac and even the more recent film Longlegs by Oz Perkins. Niecy Nash, Lesley Manville, Courtney B. Vance, Micaela Diamond, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Raven Goodwin, and Travis Kelce star.

Jennifer’s Body

One of my favorites on this list is Jennifer’s Body, the 2009 horror-comedy written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama. The feminist film follows two best friends in high school who, after surviving a deadly fire, have their world turned upside down. Jennifer (Megan Fox) becomes possessed that night, and the movie follows her dynamic with best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) as she preys on boys at school.

Jennifer’s Body was ahead of its time when it was released 15 years ago and has since become a cult classic. 

American Horror Story

It wouldn’t be a spooky season without American Horror Story, now would it? Although we won’t be getting a new season of the Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk-created anthology series in 2024, we still have 12 seasons we can watch and rewatch anytime on Hulu. The show premiered in 2011, and though seasons have varied in quality since then, it’s revolutionized horror television and brought the genre into the mainstream. 

Some of the strongest seasons include the very first Murder House, along with Asylum, Coven, and Apocalypse. Incorporating elements of the supernatural, religion, haunted houses, serial killers, and more, AHS never fails to surprise you with how far it's willing to go. Though I haven’t been as impressed with the recent seasons, I still always look at this show with fondness for how great it can be. 

Some frequent cast members in American Horror Story include Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Frances Conroy, Lily Rabe, Denis O'Hare, Kathy Bates, Leslie Grossman, Emma Roberts, and more familiar faces.

Castle Rock 

If you’re a fan of Stephen King’s works, you’ve got to check out Castle Rock, Hulu’s horror anthology series that I wish went on longer. The two-season show incorporates many of King’s stories, weaving together different characters and plot points to create a really engaging narrative set in the town of Castle Rock, Maine. The first season follows an attorney who returns to his hometown after receiving an anonymous phone call, while the second is about Annie Wilkes’ impact on the town pre-Misery.

Castle Rock was created by Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason and premiered on Hulu in 2018. Some of the cast members include André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Bill Skarsgård, Sissy Spacek, Jane Levy, Lizzy Caplan, Elsie Fisher, Tim Robbins, and Barkhad Abdi.

Infinity Pool

My favorite horror movie on Hulu right now has got to be Infinity Pool, Brandon Cronenberg’s twisty 2023 film that stars Mia Goth, Alexander Skarsgård, and Cleopatra Coleman. As a fan of David Cronenberg’s son, I was very excited to see this movie when it hit theaters, and it definitely met my expectations. Infinity Pool follows a married couple vacationing at an exotic resort, who, after hitting it off with another couple, accidentally kills a man while driving intoxicated. 

The couple then sees first-hand how dark and dangerous their surroundings are, which terrifies the wife but seduces the husband. I absolutely love how Infinity Pool is shot and the experimental aspect of the storytelling. It’s a fantastic option if you’re looking for something different. 

The First Omen

The newest movie on the list is The First Omen, Arkasha Stevenson's 2024 prequel to The Omen (1976). I was very hesitant about this movie when it was first announced, as returning to one of the great horror classics could’ve been a major miss, but The First Omen was totally a pleasant surprise for me when I saw it in theaters.

The movie follows an American nun named Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) who relocates to Italy to work in a Catholic orphanage. As she gets to know the girls, she starts to discover sinister plans at play that put them in harm’s way. What makes matters worse is when she realizes how she’s connected to it all.

Free is fantastic in the leading role; she’s a great up-and-coming horror actress I absolutely loved in the Apple TV+ show Servant. Ralph Ineson, Charles Dance, and Bill Nighy also have roles. The First Omen features really strong scenes and callbacks to other horror classics, such as 1981’s Possession. 

If you’ve been on the fence about The First Omen, I recommend you give it a shot this Halloween season.

Alien

If you've watched this year's Alien: Romulus and loved it, there's no time like the present to watch the full Alien movie franchise, starting with Alien! The 1979 sci-fi horror movie directed by Ridley Scott is one of the best movies in the genre of all time.

Following a crew traveling in space who investigates an abandoned spaceship, it doesn't take long for them to realize they're not actually alone. An alien, known in the movie series as a Xenomorph, hunts them down and tries to pick them off one by one. Alien was a box office success and won an Academy Award for visual effects, making a sequel (and more after that) a no-brainer.

The cast of Alien is made up of John Kurt, Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto, Veronica Cartwright, and last but not certainly least, Sigourney Weaver — the latter of whom went on to star in multiple sequels and become a horror icon with her role as Ripley. Though most of the Alien movies are great watches, you definitely can't go wrong with the first one.

All of the Alien movies, including the two Alien vs Predators, are available to watch on Hulu.

Scream Queens

The short-lived horror-comedy series Scream Queens ran on Fox from 2015 to 2016 and definitely made an impression. Though I wish it got more seasons, the first two are great rewatches, especially during the fall time. The hilarious slasher show follows a group of sorority college girls who are targeted by a serial killer dressed as the school mascot. Starring Emma Roberts, Ariana Grande, Billie Lourd, and Abigail Breslin, all playing characters with the name Chanel, Scream Queens is a satirical take on teen horror tropes.

The cast of Scream Queens also features other familiar faces, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Niecy Nash, Lea Michele, Nick Jonas, Taylor Lautner, and Glen Powell. Though the show can be dark at times, it is meant to be funny, so it'll make you laugh more than you'll be getting nightmares. The whodunnit storyline keeps you on your toes, while the ridiculous plot points and bits of dialogue keep things fresh.

Us

Jordan Peele's 2019 psychological horror film Us isn't the best in his filmography, but it's still a great watch if you're looking to get creeped out. Taking place during a family beach vacation, the Wilsons are stalked and terrorized by people who look just like them. As they learn more about their doppelgängers, the family discovers that these mysterious people are the "Tethered" versions of themselves, and they're there to "untether" themselves.

Us features great performances, particularly from Lupita Nyong'o, who many horror fans believe was snubbed out of prestigious award recognition from the likes of the Oscars or Golden Globes. Alongside Nyong'o in the cast are Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Elisabeth Moss, and Tim Heidecker. The film has been criticized for some uneven storytelling and potential plot holes, but the intriguing storyline, awesome cinematography, and undeniably strong performances make Us worth the watch.

American Horror Stories

A spinoff of American Horror Story, FX on Hulu anthology series American Horror Stories premiered in 2021 and consists of three seasons so far. Though not as strong as its predecessor, American Horror Stories is a unique take on the genre, using the anthology format for each episode. This means every episode is its own standalone story, which is pretty cool. But because of that, the quality definitely varies from episode to episode. Some are awesome, while others are forgettable. Like American Horror Story, American Horror Stories was created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.

American Horror Stories tackles horror topics like urban legends, the supernatural, satanism, serial killers, and more. Some of the episodes are connected to American Horror Story, which is fun for fans of the original series. The spinoff also sees some of the original's cast members portray new roles, with familiar faces like Billie Lourd, Cody Fern, Denis O'Hare, Naomi Grosman, and others showing up.

If you're looking for something you can easily jump into, American Horror Stories might be just for you this Halloween season!

What will you be watching on Hulu this fall? Did we miss any of your favorites?