Hulu, which began as a joint venture into streaming by the companies that run the country’s main broadcast television networks, has never been short of programming. Despite the growing fragmentation of the streaming market, Hulu offers it everything, from reality TV shows to indie films. Despite the fact that all three of the major corporations that helped create Hulu (News Corporation, NBC Universal, and Disney) have since launched their own streaming services (Peacock, FXNow, and Disney+), there is still a commitment to keep Hulu’s offerings top shelf. When you navigate to any category on the service, you’ll be greeted with a barrage of titles of varying renown and quality. To enhance their chances of getting seen, titles are frequently filed under as many categories as possible. While this is useful for bulking up specific areas, it might obscure the actual treasures in each genre.
When it comes to film genres, horror and thriller are the most difficult to distinguish. Their mutual emphasis on suspense to tease and titillate, punctuated by violent or terrifying times, makes them more difficult to distinguish. Thrillers are frequently divided into three types: man on the run, man on the hunt, and mystery. They’re thrilling and engaging without being overbearing or overly reliant on fear as an emotional manipulative weapon. There are various subgenres that go under the banner of “thriller,” and it frequently crosses over with action, horror, and science fiction. Despite a clear definition, thrillers are frequently ambiguous in appearance and categorisation. We looked through Hulu’s current offerings to compile a list of the top thrillers available on the streaming service right now.
Arrival (2015)
Few films can match Arrival’s level of originality, mood, and emotionality in under two hours. It’s about communication and experience, and it’s one of the most moving contemporary science fiction films ever made. Arrival follows a linguist entrusted with assisting in communication with extraterrestrial visitors after several UFOs emerge over seemingly random locales. While attempting to comprehend the aliens’ artful illustrated language, Amy Adams sputters out rapid-fire discourse in an attempt to calm the military officers who hired her. In a film that favors explanation over example, clever cutting communicates complex concepts. As the humans constantly try to engage with their enigmatic new acquaintances, the suspense is maintained by foreboding, loud music. It’s deep and thought-provoking, but it’s balanced out by a touching story and message about life’s beauty.
Black Swan (2010)
In Black Swan, the danger lies within yourself. Nina (Natalie Portman), a ballet dancer, begins to lose her sanity after years of being repressed by her abusive mother in Darren Aronofsky’s nerve-wracking drama (Barbara Hershey). While Nina believes she has everything under control and that her hard work will be rewarded, her worldview is shattered when a new dancer (Mila Kunis) joins her group and steals the show. This new dancer isn’t concerned with technique, and her life isn’t centered on ballet. Despite this, the new dancer steals the show that was intended to be Nina’s, leading to a dark and vengeful path for the young woman. Aronofsky produced a terrifying psychological thriller about sexual inhibition and the search for one’s identity by delving deep into the world of ballet. The fact that this is one of Portman’s greatest performances to date is just the icing on the cake.
Clovehitch Killer (2018)
Charlie Plummer (Looking for Alaska) must confront his suspicions that his father, a community and religious figurehead, is the infamous Clovehitch Killer in The Clovehitch Killer. More than ten years before the start of the film, the Clovehitch Killer preyed on the community. Since his or her period of inactivity, they have become a scar on the collective awareness of the community. When Tyler Burnside (Plummer) discovers a hidden hoard of his father’s (Dylan McDermott) spit, he begins to wonder he doesn’t know everything there is to know about his illustrious forefather. While Plummer learns a disturbing number of bizarre secrets tucked away within their home, McDermott portrays the ol’-pal-dad to perfection. The Clovehitch Killer, directed by Duncan Skiles and written by Christopher Ford (Spider-Man: Homecoming), is more on Tyler’s belief that his father is innocent than the mystery surrounding Dylan McDermott’s guilt. It’s all about the face we see versus the intentions that lie beneath it. It’s one of the most austere, grounded looks at the dual nature of a predator who hides among its prey, and it’s a receptacle for Tyler’s emotional battle throughout the film.
Deep Water (2022)
Deep Water, one of the most anticipated films of the year, reunites former real-life pair Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas to play fictitious couple Vic and Melinda in a sexual thriller that proves to be a wild journey. This is aided by the fact that the picture is directed by Adrian Lyne, one of the best directors in the genre, who returns in a way only he could after an almost two-decade absence. Vic has been getting irritated that his wife Melinda is sleeping with other guys, according to the account. Their stormy connection begins as an agreed-upon open relationship, but quickly transforms into something more sinister. This is due to the rising suspicion among those closest to the pair that Vic is out for vengeance against all of these men. Deep Water is defined by a particularly horrifying performance by Affleck, yet there is still enough of eccentricity and dark absurdity to be discovered in the film, which makes it all the more enjoyable the longer it runs. It reaches unforeseen heights of drama and tension, testing the bounds of logic in a twisted trip that defies all expectations.
False Positive (2021)
Throw everything you’ve heard about False Positive out the window because you won’t truly understand it until you see it for yourself. Even though it is riddled with flaws, there is something weird and intriguing at its core that is unlike anything else seen in recent memory. It revolves around Lucy (Ilana Glazer), who is attempting to conceive but has the uneasy feeling that something isn’t quite right with her doctor, Dr. Hindle (Pierce Brosnan). However, because her husband Adrian (Justin Theroux) appears to think everything is good, she initially agrees. Everything else that happens after that is both frightening and unexpected, bringing you on a wild rollercoaster to an entirely unexpected finish.
Fresh (2022)
This is the first time love has tasted quite like this. Fresh is a dark comedy about a woman named Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) who is sick of going on horrible dates and just wants to meet the right guy. She meets Steve (Sebastian Stan) while grocery shopping, a good-looking, unmarried, and gregarious man who tries his hand at flirting with Noa. They hit it off right away and decide to go on a romantic weekend vacation. However, things take a dark turn when Noa discovers that the guy of her dreams isn’t who he claims to be, and that every second she spends with him is a second closer to death. Fearful and despairing, Noa must do everything she can to get out of her nightmare predicament.
Jack Reacher (2011)
After a 12-year hiatus, Christopher McQuarrie returned to direct Tom Cruise in the unstoppable action hero thriller Jack Reacher. Jack Reacher is a veteran and investigator sent in to uncover the suspect and motivation in a mass shooting, based on a character from a book series of the same name. Along with a compassionate and forceful Robert Duval and a surprise visit by Werner Herzog, Cruise’s tough-guy performance is on full show. Christopher McQuarrie’s time as a writer in the industry was clearly spent learning about the filmmaking process. The action in the style of Jason Bourne is fast and furious, and what the action sequences lack in passion, they make up for in inventiveness. A significant episode that establishes Reacher’s mortality is the confined and hilarious clash in the suburban home that evolves into a vehicle chase. It’s no surprise that Cruise and McQuarrie would reunite for four more Mission Impossible movies. It’s vibrant and gritty, with a compelling mystery, and it features several memorable action sequences that set it apart from other films of the era.
Lords of Chaos (2018)
Lords of Chaos’ narrative is so harsh and graphic that it reads like parental propaganda designed to keep young children away from metal’s siren melody. In all of their mayhem, these toxic young men formed a musical style and way of stage presentation that has influenced musical acts for decades. Mayhem’s and Norwegian black metal’s origins are disturbingly depicted in the film. The band members’ performative machismo and gatekeeping lifestyle are a perfect example of the worst kind of metalheads. Euronymous, played by Rory Culkin, is Mayhem’s guitarist. Euronymous is an egotistical, attention-seeking musician who wants to make “evil” songs. His constant persona as a scary satanist attracts nazi followers, killers, and church-burners as buddies looking for his favor. Their persistent attempt to outdo one another results in nonstop mayhem throughout the two-hour film. While parts of Emory Cohen’s (The Place Beyond The Pines) Varg’s facts are in question with the genuine Christian “Varg” Vikernes, the film is a devastating representation of the poison of living life on someone else’s terms.
Memories of Murder (2009)
In this David Fincher-style Korean serial killer thriller, crime, comedy, and color reign supreme. Memories of Murder is based on a series of murders that occurred in the Korean countryside in the 1980s, and it follows two investigators as they attempt to apprehend the perpetrator. Detective Park (Kang-ho Song) is a local cop who is slow to accept new ideas about criminal psychology and ethical law enforcement. He’s partnered with Kim Sang-Kyung, a federal detective from Seol who has been appalled by the increasing number of gruesome deaths in the small Korean town. When faced with repeated failure, their determination to find the killer pushes them in opposite paths. Memories of Murder is no exception to Bong Joon Ho’s practice of incorporating a political or social message into his films. Every interrogation and every crime scene investigation includes criticism of police training, practices, and mindset. The grim tone is broken up by cracks of humour, which are common in Bong Joon Ho’s work, but even the comedy is directed at the cops or their victims. The breathtaking and scenic Korean countryside—including one of the most beautiful title cards in film history—isn’t enough to detract from the film’s weird visual darkness.
Mother (2009)
Bong Joon Ho returned to the murder/mystery genre with Mother after The Host. Not to be confused with the film Mother by Darren Aronofsky! Mother, released in 2009, is a story about maternal love and sorrow. Yoon Do-joon (Won Bin) is arrested in a small Korean village on charges of rape and murder. In violation of law enforcement’s wishes and evidence, his mother (Hye-ja Kim) sets out to solve the case in order to prove her son’s innocence. As the titular Mother in search of the truth, Hye-ja Kim demonstrates her versatility. In her commitment to her son’s well-being, she is intelligent, caring, calculated, and compassionate. The mystery revolves around a whodunnit that is steeped in suspicion. It is tonally similar to Memories of Murder, but is less critical of police procedure and more focused on the fundamental conflict.
Nightmare Alley (2021)
Boys and girls, please take a step forward! Nightmare Alley is a brilliantly produced neo-noir film from visual filmmaker Guillermo del Toro that addresses difficult issues like fear, insecurity, avarice, and identity through the prism of its many misfit characters. It is based on the 1946 novel of the same name by William Lindsay Gresham. Stanton Carlisle, a humble, disturbed carnival worker seeking to realize his goals of becoming a performing and world-renowned psychic, is played by Bradley Cooper. As he rises through the carnival ranks, he meets other outcasts such as clairvoyant Madame Zeena (Toni Collette), carnival owner Clem (Willem Dafoe), and performer Molly (Rooney Mara). Stanton is forced to devise a complex scheme to retain his skin in the game as a tenacious psychologist, Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), seeks to expose him as a phony.
Parasite (2019)
The 2019 Academy Award winner for best picture, Parasite, is the fourth and final Bong Joon Ho thriller on the list. It’s odd, it’s sad, and it’s a biting critique of capitalism and classism disguised as a film about two families—one wealthy, the other impoverished. Desperation and greed tempt the low-income family to make unethical, immoral actions that undermine their entire being, while the wealthy family happily subscribes to their services, blissfully unaware of the fraud. The unpredictability of Parasite adds to the drama. The major tension for the core cast of characters scrambling to accumulate enough wealth to live comfortably is decisions, repercussions, and the fear of secrets being revealed. It’s humorous and sophisticated, and it doesn’t praise, but rather explains, the Kim family’s awful actions. By the end of the film, there are no good people left—the free market forest has turned us all into animals.
Personal Shopper (2016)
Personal Shopper is not only one of Kristen Stewart’s best films, but also one of filmmaker Olivier Assayas’ best. It’s an intriguing yet compelling ghost story that defies easy categorization. The film focuses on Stewart’s Maureen, who is struggling with a severe loss while still working as a personal shopper, and effortlessly shifts between genre and tone. In the midst of all of this, she discovers her powers as a medium, allowing her to communicate with individuals who have passed away. The film is a great character study of a person in mourning who is merely trying to patch her life together while it appears to be coming apart. It is eerie yet enthralling. The more you surrender to it, the more it utterly enslaves you.
Possessor (2020)
Possessor is one of the most unique and well-crafted science fiction thrillers of the recent decade. Possessor has its own atmosphere, with vintage automobiles, new vapes, and flip phones. The tale of a corporate assassin who kidnaps people’s bodies and uses them as murder vessels is both innovative and trippy. It’s a dissection of self-awareness and control buried beneath layers of practical effects. Colin Tate’s (Christopher Abbot) mental battle for control of his body is scary and strange. Wild mind-melding portions are created using trippy editing and fantastic special effects to depict the process of integrating with and dominating one’s mind. Tassia Vas (Andrea Riseborough) stalks and executes her targets, and the hallucinogenic intermissions are intermittently interspersed. Every violent interaction is graphic in nature. The explicit and horrifying scenes may be too much for some viewers, but Possessor is a really unique sci-fi experience for those with steely guts.
Predators (2010)
Predators, 20 years after Predator 2 “graced” the screen, was the franchise’s first mainline entry. Predators is directed by Nimrod Antal (Armored) and produced by Robert Rodriguez. It follows a group of armed-to-the-teeth badasses who are hunted for sport by an alien warrior race. Adrien Brody (The Pianist), Laurence Fishburn (The Matrix), Walton Goggins (Justified), Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), Danny Trejo (Machete), and others are among the badasses mentioned. John Debney’s score pays respect to Predator’s strange percussive orchestration, and it adds to the tense action thriller’s mood. Alex Litvak and Michael Finch’s script reads like a love letter to the franchise, complete with allusions to memorable lines and situations. The film is accessible to new viewers thanks to its diverse cast, sci-fi premise, and frenzied action.
Prisoners (2013)
Dennis Villeneuve’s debut English-language film was an immediate classic in the spirit of Seven or Zodiac. Dennis Villeneuve’s film Prisoners may be his most underappreciated. It’s heavy, like a wet coat, and driven forward by the dramatic reactions of the people in this missing child thriller who are trapped in the veil of mystery. The film’s heaviness is reinforced by excellent performers, melancholy music, and a dreary setting. Jake Gyllenhaal portrays the meticulous investigator Loki, who is tasked with piecing together old cold cases, missing children, and a body. Hugh Jackman and Terrence Howard transform into two desperate men as they kidnap the man (Paul Dano) they believe is responsible for their daughters’ disappearance. It’s a bleak tale of faith, resolve, and morality in which a community is driven to its emotional breaking point. In the world of convicts, there is little reprieve from the horror, as each sight adds to the mystery and agony surrounding the disappearance of two children.
Red Eye (2005)
Put Red Eye at the top of your list of “excellent movies to avoid watching on a plane.” Red Eye examines the horrific possibility of being on an enclosed plane with a wicked seatmate, yet it isn’t the same type of slasher horror that Wes Craven is known for. Craven never runs out of ideas for how to keep the premise running, and Red Eye is a master at raising the stakes in under 90 minutes. Cillian Murphy lulls you in with his first appeal, while Rachel McAdams is a different type of final lady.
Run (2020)
A mother-daughter relationship unlike any other The intriguing thriller Run follows homeschooled high school senior Chloe Sherman (Kiera Allen), who is excited to go to college and be on her own for the first time. Chloe utilizes a wheelchair and suffers from asthma as a result of difficulties at a young age. Diane (Sarah Paulson), her protective mother, has looked after her since she was born and maintains a strict academic and medical routine. However, the more Chloe considers life outside of her house, the more she suspects that her mother is causing her more harm than good. Run, don’t walk, to Hulu to catch up on the bizarre events.
Safe (2012)
It’s hard to think that Boaz Yakin directed an action film that stands the test of time in a post-John Wick world 12 years after directing Remember the Titans. Safe undoubtedly stands the test of time since Chad Stahelski (John Wick Chapter 2, John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum) worked on it as an action choreographer, supervising stunt coordinator, and second unit director just a few years before directing John Wick alongside David Leitch (Deadpool 2). The film is a combination of talent accumulated on and off-screen, since it was produced by a conglomerate of action movie producers, with music by Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo, and photographed by Stefan Czapsky (Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns). The collective effort results in visceral, amazing action set against a grainy, brightly lighted backdrop. The editing and stunt work prove that style is the word of the game. It’s basically an Americanized version of The Man From Nowhere, missing the Korean action classic’s delicious knife battle at the end.
Skyfall (2012)
A film franchise reaching its 24th installment is extremely rare, and it’s even rarer for that installment to be a series highlight in terms of performance, action, and story. Skyfall combined the suspense and stakes of Casino Royal with Christopher Nolan’s artistry and size. The assault on MI6, Madam M (Judy Dench), and Bond’s childhood home make the fight feel personal for OO7, but it checks all the necessary Bond boxes—jaw-dropping opening action sequence, enigmatic villain, beautiful women, sweet car—but the assault on MI6, Madam M (Judy Dench), and Bond’s childhood home make the fight feel personal for OO7 (Daniel Craig). As the instantly famous villain Silva, Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) is electrifying. Like a comic book villain, he’s unpredictable and vicious, yet his tragic past and raw humanity make him terrifying and pathetic. His goals are tinged with anguish and rage. The characters are grounded and emotionally driven, making this the most fascinating Bond film of the new millennium.
Super Dark Times (2017)
The title of the film, Super Dark Times, is accurate—it is really dark. It’s a cautionary tale about emotional boundaries and seeing red flags. It all begins with a simple but disturbing premise: a bunch of youngsters playing with blades inadvertently stab and kill one of their buddies. They promise to keep the body hidden and keep the secret, but a child’s psyche can only take so much. The on-screen chemistry between Owen Campbell and Charlie Tahan creates a believable and beautiful friendship that is rapidly deteriorating due to the shame of their acts. The persistent tension of fear over the discovery of their deception pervades the painful splintering of friendships under increasing stress. It’s both tense and terrible. The film’s ambiance is enhanced by the somber synth soundtrack, foggy town, and depressing tone. Fans of The Dirties may find Super Dark Times to be a more cinematic take on the same material.
The Deep House (2021)
The Deep Mansion is a film that makes the most of its original premise, following a young influencer couple who go diving to explore an underwater house and end up getting more than they bargained for. With oxygen levels dropping and terrors spreading throughout the house, the couple will have to race against the clock to make it out alive. The sluggishness with which the divers travel through the water makes it all the more alarming when they need to move fast while in danger. The way everything is framed to enhance the claustrophobia becomes so suffocating that you yourself feel as if you can’t breathe as the house and everything in it begins to turn against them. It’s a film in which the environment becomes a major component of the tale, washing over you with each new twist until you’re irrevocably glued to your seat.
The Wailing (2016)
The Wailing may more frequently cross the line from thriller to horror than any other film on this list, but it is no less deserving of praise or attention. The Korean mystery follows a detective as he tries to figure out what is causing an increase in the number of homicides in his small town. The dark, oppressive tone of the evil ravaging the village is broken up by beautiful landscape images strewn throughout, yet the mystery of the spike in violence is buried in biblical metaphors and Korean folklore. It’s a film about spirits, sin, and fate, all of which are determined by blood and a body count. It’s long, noisy, and stressful throughout, despite its length. The Wailing will remind fans of Bong Joon Ho’s work depicting the hilarity, mundanity, and horrors of being a small-town detective.
Titane (2021)
It’s hardly hyperbole to claim that Titane is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, and that it’s impossible to be unaffected by it. The story concerns a young lady who must disguise herself as a guy in order to avoid being apprehended by the police after committing a crime. While that may sound like a simple plot, Titane is practically cliched. Julia Ducournau, a French filmmaker, was able to tackle the social creation of genre identities, the automotive enthusiast subculture, the human ability to customize their own body, and non-genetic familial love in a single film. Titane also contains enough homoerotic energy to make any straight man uneasy and aroused at the same time. Furthermore, the body horror of a woman being impregnated by a car will most likely scar your mind for the rest of your life. Titane truly is a one-of-a-kind creature.
You’re Next (2011)
You’re Next is a brutal and spectacular slide into violence about a wedding anniversary party gone horribly wrong when those in attendance are attacked by a mystery squad of mask-wearing assassins. When Erin (Sharni Vinson) begins to fight back and piece together what led to his seemingly unprovoked attack, they get more than they bargained for. The excellent Adam Wingard directed the picture with an eye for the gritty, and it never stops moving with an abundance of both action and dread in every moment. Prepare yourself; it is both startling in terms of the increase in violence and continually surprising in terms of its disclosures. But it’s all done in the most professional manner possible.
