Horror on Hulu for the jolly month of December

Interestingly, a handful of horror movies being added to Hulu in December are also being offered on Amazon Prime. But, there are several series and movies that sound really good, I am looking forward to watching them.

12/1:

Killing Eve – A British television series produced for BBC America, Killing Eve stars Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri, a security operative who is hunting down a female psychopath. The series has a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and sounds really intriguing.

Beverly Hills Vamp – This 1989 comedy/horror flick tells the story of three nerds who shop a script in Hollywood. While the script is being reviewed, the nerds go sight-seeing and visit a call-girl service where all of the girls are vampires.

Blue Velvet – Written and directed by David Lynch, Blue Velvet is a cult classic. Starring Kyle McLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper and Laura Dern, the story begins with Jeffrey (McLachlan) finding a severed ear in a vacant lot. It just gets weirder (and more wonderful) after that.

Blue Velvet – Courtesy of De Laurentis Entertainment Group

The Exorcist – Based on the 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist  tells the story of young Regan, who becomes possessed, and of her mother’s effort to make her well again by bringing in two priests to perform an exorcism. It’s one of the highest-grossing films in history, and the first horror film to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Even if you have never seen the film, you have most certainly heard about it. And, if you haven’t seen it yet, here’s your chance!

The Firm – More a thriller than an actual horror film, The Firm still deserves mention in this article. It is tense, and keeps you on your toes. It stars Tom Cruise, Jean Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Holly Hunter, and Ed Harris (among others), and is based on the best-selling novel by John Grisham. Cruise plays a young, up and coming lawyer, who joins a very prestigious law firm. It soon becomes apparent that the firm has a very dark side, and is up to something sinister.

Gargoyles: Wings of Darkness – This movie originally aired on Sci Fi (before it became Syfy), and opens in Romania in 1592. Terrorized villagers seal an evil creature in a tomb, where it remains until an earthquake frees it in 2004. When some brutal murders start piling up, a pair of CIA agents begin investigating.

Halloween VIII: Resurrection – The fourth Halloween movie to include an appearance by Jamie Lee Curtis (briefly), Resurrection also features Busta Rhymes. Three years after the events of Halloween H20, Michael finds Laurie Strode before returning to Haddonfield to terrorize attractive young people filming a reality show.

Halloween VIII – Courtesy of Dimension Films

Harry Brown – Described as an action-thriller, this one stars Sir Michael Caine as a Royal Marines veteran. After his friend is murdered by a gang, he sets out to seek revenge.

Krampus Unleashed – Krampus movies seem to be the most popular choice for holiday horror in recent years.  In this film, a group of fortune hunters unleash Krampus. For those who are not familiar with this fun-loving fellow, he is described by Wikipedia as a “horned, anthropomorphic half-goat, half-demon, who, during the Christmas season, punishes children who have misbehaved.”

Righteous Kill – Wow, does this movie feature a strong cast! Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Carla Gugino, Brian Dennehy, John Leguizamp and Donnie Wahlberg all appear in this thriller about two NYC detectives trying to figure out who is executing criminals who have managed to escape justice.

Silent Tongue – This horror/western was written and directed by Sam Shephard. Talbot (played by River Phoenix) is grief-stricken by the death of his Kiowa Indian wife, and sits under a tree with her body, waiting for his own death. In an effort to help him, Talbot’s father kidnaps a new wife for him. Silent Tongue holds an approval rating of only 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, so take from that what you will.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street  – Tim Burton directed this film version of the Stephen Sondheim / Hugh Wheeler stage musical. Starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter and the late, great Alan Rickman. Barber Todd sets up a shop in London, in partnership with Mrs. Lovett (who has a way with a pie).

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Courtesy of DreamWorks

Switchback  – Dennis Quaid plays an FBI agent trying to find the serial killer who killed his babysitter and kidnapped his son. I remember liking this movie a lot when I saw it, and it certainly has a good cast. In addition to Quaid, the movie also stars Danny Glover, Jared Leto and R. Lee Ermey.

Trucks – Based on the Stephen King short story of the same title (and the movie Maximum Overdrive), Trucks is set in small-town America. Quite suddenly, trucks start coming to life, seemingly to destroy everything and kill people. The townspeople have to work together to destroy the trucks before they themselves are destroyed.

With a Friend Like Harry – This French thriller won Cesar Awards for Best Actor, Best Director and Best editing, and was also nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2000. When Michel runs into his old high school friend, Harry invites himself over for a drink. Soon thereafter, things start to turn sinister.

12/7:

Into the Dark – Pooka! – The third installment of Hulu’s monthly holiday-inspired horror anthology tells the story of an actor who gets a Christmas job dressing as the hottest-selling toy of the season. Turns out, the toy has a mind of its own.

12/13:

I Am Not a Serial Killer – Based on the 2009 novel by Dan Wells, this film deals with John Wayne Cleaver, a teen who has been diagnosed as a sociopath. Working with a therapist, he controls his dark urges. When a serial killer strikes his Midwestern town, he attempts to hunt the killer down while still dealing with his own issues. I think this is one of the more interesting sounding movies on the list.

I Am Not a Serial Killer – Courtesy of Floodland Pictures

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Let’s Be Evil – A woman is hired to chaperone a group of gifted children who wear virtual reality glasses. In the secure, underground facility, the children start to exhibit some disturbing behavior.

12/15:

Along Came the Devil – In a film apparently inspired by The Exorcist, a young girl dabbles in the supernatural, and becomes possessed.

12/19:

The Killing (seasons 1-4) – This series originally aired on AMC. After its second season, AMC announced its cancellation, but had a change of heart and renewed it for a third. When it was cancelled a second time, Netflix picked it up for a six-episode fourth season to wrap things up for fans of the series. After the body of 17-year-old Rosie is found in the trunk of a car, the police investigate and her family struggles through grief.

12/22:

The Devil’s Doorway – In 1960, two Irish priests are sent to a home for “fallen women” to investigate a statue of the Virgin Mary said to weep blood. Their investigation reveals supernatural forces, Satanism, and possession.

12/28:

Into the Dark : New Year, New You – Not a lot of information has been released about the New Year’s inspired installment of the monthly Hulu series, but it looks like it deals with a group of young women playing a game of Never Have I Ever that goes very wrong.

So, it looks like Hulu has a lot of horror to offer during the month of gift-giving! Which of these terrifying offerings are you most looking forward to?

Hulu subscriber? Looking forward to any of this creepy content in December? Let the other scary streamers know what you think in the comment section below.