There’s never been a better time to be a horror fan. The past few years have been a great period for the genre, defined by a thriving box office with a great slate of hits like Hereditary, A Quiet Place, and Ryan Coogler’s blockbuster Sinners. With Halloween just around the corner, now is the perfect time to dive into recent horror hits, and horror fans can now stream one of the decade’s best movies.

As horror circles continue to buzz about director Zach Cregger’s Weapons, fans can check out the filmmaker’s first foray into the horror genre on Hulu. Barbarian, Cregger’s “Certified Fresh” at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes horror movie that earned over 10 times its production budget, started streaming on Hulu on October 1st. Not only one of the most shocking horror movies of the past decade but also one of the best, Barbarian is a twisted tale about a rental property in a dilapidated neighborhood that harbors a shocking secret. Unsettling, tense, and funny, the film is a perfect watch during spooky season.

Why You Should Watch Barbarian

Barbarian, which marked Cregger’s solo screenwriting and directorial debut, is one of the most original horror movies to hit theaters in recent memory. Broken into distinct sections that successfully blend together to create a rollercoaster horror that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, the movie plays out like two different horror movies pieced together alongside an origin story. Each story slowly unravels the dark history of the house at the center of the film, and the movie constantly subverts audience expectations – from the bait-and-switch intro centered around a woman arriving at an Airbnb only to find it double-booked to the shifting point of view – effectively upending any sense of familiarity and security audiences may have.

Barbarian’s cast alone is enough of a draw to warrant a watch. Matthew Patrick Davis expertly portrays “The Mother,” a grotesque creature who is ultimately revealed to be a sympathetic monster and the product of monstrous cruelty rather than a pure horror, the character serving as a vehicle for exploring themes of abuse, trauma, and misogyny. The rest of the cast, made up of horror veterans Bill Skarsgård and Justin Long, as well as Georgina Campbell, deliver convincing performances that sell the terror that unfolds in the film.

Other Horror Movies Now on Hulu

Horror fans curating spooky seasonal watches definitely need to stop by Hulu. The streamer has been stocking dozens of horror titles in its streaming library the past few weeks, and Barbarian is just one of them. In addition to titles from the Saw and Scream franchises, Hulu subscribers can now watch Halloween (2018), Nightmare Alley, Sinister, The Last Witch Hunter, and The Sixth Sense.

There are still several horror additions set to arrive this month. On October 16th, The Cabin in the Woods will drop on Hulu, followed by 40 Acres the next day. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (2025) is scheduled to join the lineup on October 22nd, with The Exorcism slated for an October 28th arrival.

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