The 20 Best Thrillers on Hulu That'll Make You Sleep with One Eye Open

Don't sleep on Hulu, dear readers. While the streaming platform is known for its impressive roster of original shows, it also boasts some of the most terrifying movies you'll ever see. If you get a kick out of suspenseful stories that spike your adrenaline or challenge your psyche, then this list of the best thrillers on Hulu is just for you.

Maybe you're searching for a star-studded action flick that'll get your heart racing, like Denzel Washington's The Siege. Or perhaps you're leaning more toward a creepy, slow-burn thriller that'll make you question everything, like Aneesh Chaganty's Run. Then, of course, there are timeless classics like The Shining, which is packed with tension and nightmarish scenes. Regardless of your preference, you can count on Hulu to deliver the best of the best—and I've hand selected a few favorites to make your selection process even easier.

So, grab a few snacks, kick back and prepare to be scared out of your wits with 20 of the best thriller movies on Hulu right now.

1. Boston Strangler (2023)

• Cast: Keira Knightley, Carrie Coon, Alessandro Nivola, Chris Cooper
• Rating: R
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 68% | IMDb 6.5/10

If you're into films like Seven or Zodiac, you'll enjoy this gripping true-crime film, which depicts the true story of the Boston Strangler—a mysterious serial killer who murdered 13 women during the '60s. The case is revealed through the lens of two talented female reporters as they spearhead the investigation, and Knightley delivers an incredible performance as the determined McLaughlin.

Directed by Matt Ruskin, Boston Strangler received an Emmy nod for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. While chatting with Deadline about his decision to spotlight the journalists in the film, he said, "During the course of [McLaughlin]'s reporting, she gave the Boston Strangler his name. I love journalism stories and journalism movies and I have tremendous respect for good journalism, which is as important now as ever. So I thought that would be a really interesting way to revisit this story."

2. Hold Your Breath (2024)

• Cast: Sarah Paulson, Amiah Miller, Annaleigh Ashford, Alona Jane Robbins
• Rating: R
• Run Time: 94 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 45% | IMDb 5.3/10

Getting trapped in a sandstorm would easily be one of my worst nightmares come to life, so, just the premise of this psychological thriller, directed by Karrie Crouse and Will Joines, makes me shudder. Set in 1930s Oklahoma, the movie follows a mother who suspects that an ominous presence is targeting her family with severe dust storms.

As for how Joines and Crouse managed to make those storms look so real, they revealed that it was all because Paulson was down to film the tougher sequences. While speaking with ScreenRant, director Joines recalled, "Sarah said, 'No, I want it to look right. I want it to feel right. Let's do this thing.' So, I think we really had a really strong, game cast who were down to have these huge, 20-foot Ritter fans blowing clouds of dust and dirt at them...having a cast that was willing to get out there, get dirty and get into it made all the difference."

3. No One Will Save You (2023)

• Cast: Kaitlyn Dever, Zack Duhame, Ginger Cressman, Geraldine Singer
• Rating: PG-13
• Run Time: 93 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 82% | IMDb 6.3/10

Dever stars as Brynn, a seamstress who has been shunned by her community and resides in an isolated home in the forest. Unfortunately, when aliens suddenly invade her home and small town, she must fend for herself. Fun fact: There are only five words of dialogue spoken throughout the entire film—but Dever still manages to capture my attention from start to finish.

Director Brian Duffield revealed that he wanted to take a unique approach with this alien invasion movie. He told IndieWire, "I hadn’t seen a movie where these guys had traveled lightyears to get here and they’re hiding out. And I thought ‘If they came this far, walking into this girl’s house is not a big deal for them.’ It’s kind of like if we’re hiding from ants in our backyard. It doesn’t make sense in a galactic scale. So that was the impetus: they should just walk in and she should deal with this problem."

4. The Shining (1980)

• Cast: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers
• Rating: R
• Run Time: 144 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 83% | IMDb 8.4/10

Based on Stephen King's 1977 novel of the same name, The Shining tells the story of Jack, an aspiring writer who takes a new job as a caretaker at an isolated hotel. While settling there with his family, however, he uncovers a few dark secrets and starts to drink again, causing him to terrorize his wife and kids. Nicholson is seriously terrifying as Jack, and the constant buildup of tension feels like a masterclass in suspense.

An equally scary sequel called Doctor Sleep—also based on King's novel—was released in 2019. In 2020, Max had plans to release a spin-off entitled Overlook, and it even entered development, but the streamer eventually passed on the project. Netflix also reportedly bid on the spin-off but ultimately decided not to move forward with it.

5. Panic Room (2002)

• Cast: Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, Dwight Yoakam
• Rating: R
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 76% | IMDb 6.8/10

Directed by David Fincher (known for Zodiac, Gone Girl and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Panic Room revolves around a recently divorced mother and her diabetic daughter, who are forced to hide out in a panic room after their new home gets invaded by burglars. Thanks to the stellar script, solid performances and honest approach to themes of survival and motherhood, the film grossed a whopping $197.1 million worldwide.

Believe it or not, Nicole Kidman was originally cast as the mother, but she had to leave the project due to an injury. Per IMDB, the movie was shot over a period of 120 days, and the shot of Sarah's medical bag sliding outside the panic room took over 100 takes.

6. Run (2020)

• Cast: Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen, Onalee Ames, Pat Healy
• Rating: PG-13
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 89% | IMDb 6.7/10

If you think your mom is too overprotective, chances are she doesn't hold a candle to Diane in Run. In the film, Chloe, a disabled teenager, lives a quiet and isolated life with her mom, Diane. However, when she accidentally learns a disturbing secret, she begins to suspect that her mother is hiding something.

Aneesh Chaganty directed the psychological thriller, and it explores quite a few important themes, from paranoia and obsessive love to the effects of trauma. It's no wonder the critically acclaimed film became Hulu's most successful original film after its release.

7. What You Wish For (2023)

• Cast: Nick Stahl, Tamsin Topolski, Randy Vasquez, Penelope Mitchell
• Rating: NR
• Run Time: 101 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 81% | IMDb 6.7/10

Meet Ryan. He's a promising young chef who jets off to Latin America to escape his massive gambling debts. When he arrives, he finds refuge in the home of his pal Jack, who happens to be a wealthy and famous chef. But in a cruel twist of fate, Ryan gets the opportunity to assume his friend's identity and take over his life. But there's just one problem: Jack was hiding a dark secret.

Stahl, who plays Ryan, chatted with Cinema Daily and called the film a "really clever thriller," adding that it has "great twists and turns in the story and doesn’t really go where you think it might [go]."

8. 12 Hour Shift (2020)

• Cast: Angela Bettis, Chloe Farnworth, Nikea Gamby-Turner, Kit Williamson
• Rating: NR
• Run Time: 86 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 77% | IMDb 5.5/10

If you could use a side of laughter with your thrills, then consider 12 Hour Shift. The movie follows a troubled nurse who finances her drug addiction by harvesting the organs of dead patients. Unfortunately, chaos ensues when the nurse and her cousin have to find a replacement kidney for an organ trafficker.

While speaking with SciFiNow about the film's seamless blend of horror and comedy, Arquette, who starred in and produced the film, said, "It’s really unique storytelling and this world [Brea Grant] has created is kind of trippy. There’s this really wild vibe to it. Chloe [Farnworth] is a really incredible actress and [her and Angela] together just start going down this rabbit hole of trouble."

9. Resurrection (2022)

• Cast: Rebecca Hall, Tim Roth, Grace Kaufman, Michael Esper
• Rating: R
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 82% | IMDb 5.9/10

Resurrection tells the story of Margaret, a single mother and businesswoman who's horrified to learn that her controlling and abusive ex-boyfriend, David, has returned. Margaret's paranoia and fear are so palpable throughout the film, thanks to Hall's brilliant performance.

Hall told Newsweek, "I was watching a lot of NXIVM documentaries, Bad Vegan, and it always made me think about cult mentality, and how damaging that is. I see Resurrection as a cult of one story. Ultimately it's retribution and an outcry of rage against being trapped and controlled like this."

10. Clock (2023)

• Cast: Dianna Agron, Jay Ali, Melora Hardin, Saul Rubinek
• Rating: TV-MA
• Run Time: 91 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 80% | IMDb 5/10

This one will hit home for anyone who has dealt with meddling family members asking invasive questions about their love life and family plans. In this chilling psychological thriller, a 39-year-old woman feels compelled to undergo a risky clinical trial to repair her "broken" biological clock after her peers and loved ones pressure her to become a mother.

While addressing the film's core message, Agron told Nylon, “We're not saying that you shouldn't have a child. We're not saying that a woman should have a child. All we're saying is that if somebody is making a personal choice and you care about that person, you would hope that the first impulse would be to support them and to understand them, and to not put pressure on them to change their mind.”

11. How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022) 

• Cast: Ariela Barer, Kristine Froseth, Lukas Gage, Forrest Goodluck, Sasha Lane, Marcus Scribner
• Rating: R
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 95% | IMDb 6.9/10

This high-stakes heist thriller follows a group of young environmentalists as they work together to blow up an oil pipeline in Texas. It features several complex characters that I can't help but root for, and it addresses themes like climate issues, democracy and questionable activist tactics. The film is inspired by Andreas Malm's 2021 book of the same name and was directed by Daniel Goldhaber.

In an exclusive interview with PureWow, Scribner said, "It was the messaging behind the film, standing up for what you believe in is what drew me to it. Also, with Shawn, I honestly felt more of a kinship to Shawn than I have with many of my past characters, he just aligns with who I think I am as a person now."

12. Blood for Dust (2023)

• Cast: Scoot McNairy, Josh Lucas, Kit Harington
• Rating: R
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 78% | IMDb 5.2/10

When Cliff, a struggling salesman, loses his job, he forms a risky new partnership in a desperate attempt to provide for his family. However, he gets entangled in a dangerous web after trying to run cocaine across Montana—and it's virtually impossible to get away unscathed.

The slow-burn thriller has a gloomy and ominous tone that'll send chills down your spine, and the performances are solid. In fact, Game of Thrones fans will also get a kick out of seeing Jon Snow—er, Kit Harington—embody the ruthless Ricky. Blood for Dust was met with several positive reviews and won the award for Best Feature at the 2023 San Diego International Film Festival.

13. Paranormal Activity (2007)

• Cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs, Amber Armstrong
• Rating: R
• Run Time: 86 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 83% | IMDb 6.3/10

A young couple, Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat, are excited to settle into their new home—but things quickly go south when they learn that they’re not the only residents. To get to the bottom of the matter, they set up a camera to document what's been haunting them—and the footage is seriously terrifying.

The iconic film popularized the found footage trend, inspiring other major titles like The Last Exorcism and The Devil Inside. Plus, it became one of the most successful horror thrillers ever made, grossing $194.2 million at the box office and spawning a 2010 sequel, called Paranormal Activity 2.

14. Stir of Echoes (1999)

• Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Illeana Douglas, Liza Weil, Kevin Dunn
• Rating: R
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 68% | IMDb 6.9/10

Bacon stars as Tom Witzky, a family man who gets hypnotized by his sister-in-law, Lisa. As a result, he develops a psychic connection with his son, Jake, who can speak to ghosts. And on top of this, he begins to have disturbing hallucinations of a missing teenager named Samantha. Determined to find her, he starts to rely on his visions and embarks on a search.

A sequel called Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming was released in 2007, although there aren't too many connections to the original film.

15. The Siege (1998)

• Cast: Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Bruce Willis, Tony Shalhoub
• Rating: R
• Run Time: 116 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 44% | IMDb 6.4/10

Edward Zwick's action thriller revolves around Anthony, an FBI anti-terrorism expert, who teams up with CIA agent Elise to investigate a trio of devastating terrorist attacks. When the assaults continue, the U.S. government responds by declaring martial law, and chaos ensues.

FYI, Jodie Foster was originally slated to join the star-studded cast, but she turned down the role and it ultimately went to Bening. Also, per IMDB, Willis was treated to a crash course at the Pentagon to prepare for his role.

16. Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

• Cast: Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan, Jack Thibeau, Roberts Blossom, Danny Glover
• Rating: PG
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 97% | IMDb 7.6/10

Inspired by the incredible true story of three inmates who broke out of a maximum-security prison on Alcatraz Island in 1962, this captivating thriller chronicles their escape, while also offering an honest glimpse at prison life. (Trust me when I say the suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat.)

FYI, the movie's screenplay was initially rejected by several literary agents, who claimed the film had poor dialogue and lacked a romantic storyline. Fortunately, Richard Tuggle found a clever way to get his script to director Don Siegel, who instantly agreed to work on it. This turned out to be a wise choice, because the movie grossed $34 million at the box office, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 1979.

17. The Peacemaker (1997)

• Cast: George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Armin Mueller-Stahl
• Rating: R
• Run Time: 124 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 46% | IMDb 6/10

This intense thriller revolves around Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Devoe and his supervisor, Dr. Julia Kelly, as they race to track down stolen Russian nuclear weapons before terrorists can get to them. Though critics had mixed reviews, Mimi Leder's political action thriller was a box office success, grossing an impressive $110.4 million. It tackles quite a few important themes, like terrorism, nuclear attacks and war.

Clooney said in an interview, "What we tried to do through the whole film was never let it slip into Die Hard. There's nothing wrong with Die Hard—in fact, I really love that movie, but...this kind of a film, it has to be a thriller. The story has to stay real."

18. Down (2019)

• Cast: Christina Leone, Matt Lauria
• Rating: TV-MA
• Run Time: 81 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 70% | IMDb 6.4/10

Leone and Lauria play two coworkers who suddenly get trapped together on an elevator before Valentine's Day weekend. At first glance, it seems like they're bound to develop a romance, but things take a surprisingly sinister turn when they start to reveal their true identities. Down is technically a horror episode from the Hulu anthology Into the Dark, but it totally works as a standalone film. It's genuinely fascinating to see how both characters navigate certain challenges and how their dynamic shifts in the process.

19. No Exit (2022)

• Cast: Havana Rose Liu, Danny Ramirez, David Rysdahl, Dale Dickey
• Rating: R
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 63% | IMDb 6.1/10

Based on Taylor Adams's thriller novel of the same name, No Exit follows Darby, a college student who gets trapped at a mountain rest stop while driving through a blizzard. While there, she is mortified to discover that a stranger she befriended is holding a child hostage. Can she rescue the child and escape?

While speaking about the film's message, director Damien Power told Ashley & Company, "This is not a film about a character or characters who go on a journey and grow and change. It's really a film about how true character is revealed under pressure. That applies to every single character in that room. Darby asks, 'Who are you?' And the film asks that question of the characters all the time."

20. Alone (2020)

• Cast: Jules Willcox, Marc Menchaca, Anthony Heald, Jonathan Rosenthal
• Rating: R
• Run Time: 98 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 94% | IMDb 6.2/10

Mark my words: Watching Alone will make you appreciate all the times your parents lectured you about not talking the strangers. While driving through the mountains alone at night, Jessica, a recent widow, gets kidnapped by a deranged and homicidal stalker. He attempts to trap her in a remote cabin, but when she manages to escape, she must brave the wilderness and find a way to outrun her captor. The edge-of-your-seat survival thriller is seriously captivating, and the performances are top-notch.