28 Horror TV Shows on Hulu That Will Make You Scream — Trust Us

It only lasted one season, but 1995's American Gothic is a cult classic thanks its mix of supernatural storytelling and stellar performances (long before she was an American Horror Story regular, Sarah Paulson played the doomed Merlyn). Set in the small town of Trinity, South Carolina, the series centers on a corrupt sheriff with supernatural powers who is trying to gain control over his biological son, who may be the only person capable of bringing him down.

Watch American Gothic on Hulu.

Thanks to FX on Hulu, Hulu subscribers now have access to every grisly, disturbing season of Ryan Murphy's hit series American Horror Story. Each season of the anthology series is set in a different time period and riffs on genre tropes like sleepaway-camp massacres, reality TV, and haunted houses. After nine seasons of scares, the show's greatest asset remains its troupe of regulars, including Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Kathy Bates, and the great Jessica Lange.

Watch American Horror Story on Hulu.

High school is hell, and no one knows that better than the teens of Sunnydale, CA. Joss Whedon's iconic teen drama flips the final-girl trope on its head by making former cheerleader Buffy Summers the one person in all the world chosen to fend off the forces of darkness. Whether she's just trying to survive her homecoming dance or taking on a demonic principal, Buffy finds the humanity in even the most outlandish of situations.

Watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu.

The Stephen King multiverse comes to life on Castle Rock, an eerie series that unites characters from the horror maestro's greatest works in one incredibly scary town. While season one of the series was entertaining, the show really comes into its own in season two with the arrival of Lizzy Caplan as a pre-Misery Annie Wilkes.

Watch Castle Rock on Hulu.

This short-lived Fox series is far scarier than any network TV show should be. The story follows three priests dealing with cases of demonic possession, so if The Exorcist movie creeps you out, get ready to multiply that fear factor times three. Thankfully, the show includes a terrific cast to help all those exorcism scenes go down a little bit easier, including Alfonso Herrera, Kurt Egyiawan, Geena Davis, and John Cho.

Watch The Exorcist on Hulu.

Lasting just one all-too-short season, The Fades is part apocalypse-averting supernatural fun and part teen drama. When Paul (Iain De Caestecker) begins having strange visions, he and his nerdy friend Mac (Daniel Kaluuya) become embroiled in a war between the living and the dead. In addition to Kaluuya and De Caestecker, the cast also includes Natalie Dormer, Joe Dempsie, and a pre-Lucifer Tom Ellis.

Watch The Fades on Hulu.

Fear the Walking Dead, the original The Walking Dead spinoff, gets off to a bit of a slow start. But if you stick with the show during the earliest days of the zombie — err, make that walker — apocalypse, then you'll be rewarded with a richly layered story of survival with a strong focus on character drama. Be forewarned though, this show is every bit as brutal when it comes to killing off beloved characters as its predecessor.

Watch Fear the Walking Dead on Hulu.

All of your childhood nightmares come true in the Hulu original Light as a Feather, in which a group of teen girls play the classic sleepover game and begin dying one by one. With their harmless night of Halloween fun becoming deadly, the surviving pals are left with a mystery to untangle before they're all picked off by an evil supernatural force.

Watch Light as a Feather on Hulu.

Ever wished The Breakfast Club came with a side of rampaging mutants? Then Freakish is the show for you. Across two seasons, a group of students in detention must work together to survive after a freak accident at a chemical plant leads to dangerous mutants taking over their town.

Watch Freakish on Hulu.

In the Flesh is a soulful zombie show that's far more interested in exploring the humanity of its undead characters than running away from them. Set in a future where scientists can save zombies (also known as those with Partially Deceased Syndrome), the undead are able to return to society, which leads to one teen struggling to find his place among his living family and to forget the horrors he faced during the war between the living and the undead.

Watch In the Flesh on Hulu.

Inside No. 9 is an anthology show with a twist: every episode takes place in a house, room, or building marked with the number nine. Each episode varies in tone from darkly funny to terrifying, with the show spinning twisted tales of witch hunts that get out of hand, babysitting jobs that aren't what they seem, and robberies that go horribly wrong.

Watch Inside No. 9 on Hulu.

Before Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown starred in Intruders, a spooky one-and-done series about a group of immortals who survive by taking over other people's bodies. In the series, Brown shows off her acting chops by playing an immortal who takes possession of a little girl and proceeds to wreak all kinds of havoc.

Watch Intruders on Hulu.

Based on the novel of the same name by Joe Hill (Stephen King's son), NOS4A2 is a chilling story of a vampire that preys on children. The evil Charlie Manx (Zachary Quinto) feeds on the souls of his young victims before leaving them in Christmasland, a place where happiness is outlawed and it is Christmas every day. His reign of terror is left unchallenged until a woman named Vic McQueen crosses his path.

Watch NOS4A2 on Hulu.

Just like in the horror films on which it's based, The Purge is set on the one night of the year when all crime in the United States is legal. The show follows a group of disparate characters as they band together to survive and to face their own demons as America descends into chaos around them.

Watch The Purge on Hulu.

Set against the backdrop of 1692 Salem, MA, Salem explores the politics and the complex family dynamics of the infamous town as a man named John Alden (Shane West) returns home from war. His return should be a reason for town elder Mary Sibley (Janet Montgomery) to celebrate, but her old love's homecoming threatens to expose her witchy secret.

Watch Salem on Hulu.

Fans of fantasy television need this miniseries in their life if for no other reason than to see Lucifer play Arya Stark's dad. Luckily, The Secret of Crickley Hall isn't just expertly cast, but it's also a heartbreaking and spooky story of a family that relocates to a haunted house after the disappearance of their son. The fact that it stars Tom Ellis, Maisie Williams, and Suranne Jones is just a happy bonus.

Watch The Secret of Crickley Hall on Hulu.

Oh Scream Queens, we hardly knew ye. Still, the two seasons of satirical scares that Fox and Ryan Murphy served up are well worth revisiting. Set on a college campus dealing with a string of murders, the show follows a group of sorority sisters who are determined not to have their college experience ruined by a devil-mask-wearing serial killer.

Watch Scream Queens on Hulu.

Ichabod Crane, of Sleepy Hollow fame, being transported to the modern era to solve a mystery with roots in America's founding is an undeniably weird idea for a TV show. However, the outlandish plot makes for a fun series thanks to leads Tom Mison and the excellent Nicole Beharie.

Watch Sleepy Hollow on Hulu.

After 172 demons are unleashed on the town of Williard's Mill in retribution for a centuries-old witch burning, the town's new and old sheriffs join forces to keep it safe from the sudden influx of supernatural threats. Mixing humor with scares, this horror-comedy is already an under-the-radar cult classic.

Watch Stan Against Evil on Hulu.

The Strain sets the sexy vampire movement back decades thanks to its downright creepy portrayal of the classic bloodsuckers. The series follows Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll) as he and his team investigate a viral outbreak with roots in vampirism.

Watch The Strain on Hulu.

Each season of the anthology series The Terror begins with a real historical event — a lost expedition in the Arctic, America's Japanese internment camps — and then adds a layer of supernatural horror on top of the real-life trauma. So far, the formula has yielded two seasons of frightening television that just dare you to look away from the horror unfolding in front of you.

Watch The Terror on Hulu.

It's hard to imagine many of the shows on this list existing if not for the brilliance of The Twilight Zone. More than 60 years after its premiere, Rod Serling's classic anthology series remains one of the best and most essential horror shows ever made. (And if you're looking for a place to jump in, try "Time Enough at Last," "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street," "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," or "Eye of the Beholder.")

Watch The Twilight Zone on Hulu.

There's no denying that Twin Peaks was way ahead of its time. The strange story of the apparent murder of a high-school homecoming queen is anything but straightforward, thanks to bizarre dream sequences, possession plots, and a log lady, among other oddities. While season two goes a little (a lot) off the rails, this influential horror show shouldn't be missed.

Watch Twin Peaks on Hulu.

Wayward Pines is a direct descendant of Twin Peaks, right down to its lackluster second season. However, the first season of the series, which finds a secret-service agent trapped in the titular town after he attempts to search for two missing FBI agents, is tightly plotted, atmospheric, and a creepy pleasure to watch.

Watch Wayward Pines on Hulu.

What We Do in the Shadows isn't a scary horror show, but it is a hilarious one. If you're looking to laugh at a group of vampire roommates totally failing to take over New York, then this Emmy-nominated comedy is going to be your new favorite show.

Watch What We Do in the Shadows on Hulu.

Another series that was canceled way too soon, The Witches of East End is the story of the Beauchamp family, a quartet of women with magical gifts. As they come into their powers, the Beauchamps' quiet, small-town life is turned upside down forever.

Watch The Witches of East End on Hulu.

Mulder and Scully are two of TV's most iconic characters for good reason: their simmering chemistry and ability to investigate all manner of weirdness with a straight face. While the two reboot seasons were a misfire, the original The X-Files is the gold standard of supernatural television, and a show that modern hits like Lost, Supernatural, and even Game of Thrones, with its labyrinthine plot, owe a great debt to.

Watch The X-Files on Hulu.