New month, new movies, and with the weekend upon us, it’s usually the peak time to tune into some new streaming titles. And what with it being just a few days before Halloween, you better believe Hulu has some great new horror movies to stream this month. But that’s not all they’ve got in store, so scaredy-cats need not worry.
We’ve selected five of the best new movies streaming onHuluin October 2019 from the brand-new zom-comLittle Monstersto the essential 90s actionerFace/Off. So if you’re looking for something new to watch, spare yourself the endless scroll through the queue and check out our picks below.
Little Monsters (2019)
This delightful zombie comedy hails from Australian filmmakerAbe Forsythe(Down Under) and starsLupita Nyong’oas an ass-kicking kindergarten teacher who winds up trapped in a zombie apocalypse with a classful of kids, a deadbeat volunteer chaperone (Alexander England), and a self-obsessed children’s TV star who brings nothing to the table but ego (Josh Gad). Throw in the world’s cutestStar Warsfan in the offensively adorableDiesel La Torraca, a few rounds of Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off”, and an absolutely slaying Nyong’o in the midst of zombie action, and you’ve got a crowd-pleasing horror-comedy just in time for Halloween.
Collider’sPerri Nemiroff described in her review, “Little Monstersknows exactly what it is and what it’s working with, and it plays into those qualities very well, keeping the energy sky-high from start to finish, and also slowly slipping in some real emotion. It’s a delightfully crude, wild ride with a standout performance that continues to prove Nyong’o can do no wrong, and also serves as a nice reminder of the importance of a great teacher. And as an added bonus,Little Monstersalso rocks one of the bestStar Warsreferences I’ve ever seen in a movie.” And she ain’t lyin' – as heartfelt as it is foul,Little Monstersis delightful and breezy zom-com boosted by Nyong’o’s magnetic star power. –Haleigh Foutch
Cloverfield (2008)
While the found footage schtick soured some toCloverfield’s charms upon release, time has favored the film and revealed the homegrown American Kaiju thriller as a keen, cleverly executed genre piece with enduring 9/11 allegory. AsGodzillawas born from the ashes of Japan’s grief and anxiety over World War II,Cloverfieldwas a monster metaphor for the panic and terror that flooded America after the 9/11 attacks, and directorMatt Reeves, working from a script byDrew Goddard, pulled no punches with the allusions; bloodied NYC citizens stumble through the streets, coated in the ashes and rubble of the destroyed city, a group of friends unite to save a friend trapped in a crumbling skyscraper, even the shaky-cam aesthetic evokes memories of the ground-level videos that flooded the internet in the aftermath of the attacks.
Fortunately, Reeves is also very clever with his monster action and he knows exactly the bring the escapist, fantastical thrills to the forefront instead of conjuring the trauma of that terrorist assault too directly. Ultimately,Cloverfield’s found footage works because it’s not just a gimmick or a flashy show of technique, it’s the format that’s best suited to the allegorical undertones of the story and one that makes for a refreshing spin on the giant monster subgenre. –Haleigh Foutch
Hellraiser (1987)
As the saying goes, sticks and stones may break my bones but whips and chains Cenobite me. The iconic crew of extra-dimensional S&M enthusiasts led byDoug Bradley’s Pinhead make their first appearance here, in horror maestroClive Barker’s twisted directorial debut,Hellraiser. Skinless reanimated corpses, mystical puzzle boxes, and leather-clad demons who make you so horny that youdie? Yupp, this is a Barker joint through and through, one so disturbingly entertaining it’s no wonder it spawned seven sequels. Definitely put a pin in this one the next time you’re scrolling through Hulu looking for a bloody good time. –Vinnie Mancuso
What ifJohnTravoltaandNicolas Cageswitched faces? If that’s not enough to get you to streamFace/Offimmediately, I don’t want to know you.John Woo’s Hollywood fever dream masterpiece is a wild freaking ride. Cage, as you might expect, is fully unhinged from his first appearance. And when he and Travolta’s character — a terrorist and an FBI special agent, respectively — switch their damn faces, both actors get the chance to really let their freak flags fly.
The movie’s a perfect cocktail of 1990s American action movie tropes and quirks with Woo’s typically balletic action choreography. It’s the kind of movie where the bad reviews, such asBarbara Shulgasser’s takedown for theSan Francisco Gate, are sneakily good reviews: “Woo is clearly an imaginative man, and there is no doubt that he can concoct six ways to do any given piece of business… A good director would choose the best of the six ways and put it in his movie. Woo puts all six in.” With respect to Shulgasser, “putting all six in” is exactly whyFace/Offworks so well.
Ghost World
Thor BirchandScarlett Johanssonstar inGhost World,Terry Zwigoff’s adaptation of the beloved graphic novel fromDaniel Clowesabout two wry and intelligent teenage outcasts who find their friendship unraveling after high school graduation. When the pair set their sights on what lies ahead – boys, college, career – none of it seems to match anymore, and Zwigoff endows his characters with wonderful complexity and rich inner lives, punctuated by Birch’s scathing eye rolls and Johansson’s cutting monotone. Throw in an all-time performance fromSteve Buschemiand Zwigoff’s occasionally uproarious beats of dry humor, andGhost Worldproves itself a one-of-a-kind film that’s as offbeat and endearing as its characters. –Haleigh Foutch
