13 Spookiest Movies on Netflix for Oct. ’18

Grab your popcorn, comfort blanket, and sit tight. It’s the best time of the year to watch the spookiest flicks streaming right now. Whether your more on the Hocus Pocus(sidetone: no Hocus Pocus on Netflix–but it’s playing at El Capitan Theatre ALL of October) side or wish to take a chance with the cringeworthy, there are plenty of options to chose this fall.

1. Hold the Dark

Hold the Dark will leave you with your fair share of chills, and not just because it’s set in Alaska. Jeremy Saulnier’s psychological thriller stars Westworld‘s Jeffrey Wright as a retired wolf expert who receives a disturbing letter from a grieving mother (Riley Keough), pleading with him to investigate the wolves that she thinks killed her son in their small Alaskan village. He agrees to go but soon finds himself tangled up in a web far more dangerous than he ever could have expected

2. Veronica

In Veronica, which is based on true events, a high-schooler decides to experiment with a Ouija board with some of her classmates but ends up getting followed home by an evil spirit. As her and her siblings’ sanity begins to crumble due to the haunting, you’ll find yourself questioning what’s actually real and what’s in Veronica’s imagination.

3. Malevolent

A brother and sister earn a living by faking scary paranormal occurrences for cash, but when they’re tasked with investigating some strange phenomena at a supposedly haunted estate, things take a turn for the worse.

4. The Ravenous

This is actually a pretty introspective and beautiful movie, as far as films in the zombie genre go. That being said, watching a small group of desperate survivors attempt to navigate the aftermath of a zombie-like outbreak in rural Quebec is going to come with some nauseating moments.

5. The Conjuring

If you haven’t seen modern-day horror classic The Conjuring yet, I’m honestly a little jealous you get to experience the film’s excellent thrills and chills for the first time. It’s a superb entry into the genre, following a family of young women possessed by the demonic spirit of a murdered witch who used to live on their property and the paranormal investigators who set out to help them.

6. Children of the Corn

Even Stephen King’s short stories translate to terrifying, full-length pictures. Children of the Corn is about a group of murderous children, so expect to say goodbye to restful sleep for a bit.

7. The Haunting of Hill House

No, Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House isn’t a movie. But I would be remiss if I didn’t include the upcoming 10-episode series, which is just as scary as any of the streaming giant’s selection of horror movies. Billed as a “reimagining” of Shirley Jackson’s iconic 1953 novel, the show follows five siblings who grew up in America’s most famous haunted house and how the home’s deadly secrets are still plaguing them decades later. Mike Flanagan (Hush, Oculus, Gerald’s Game) is on board as director and executive producer, while the cast is led by Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, Timothy Hutton, Elizabeth Reaser, Kate Siegel, McKenna Grace, and more.

8. Apostle

Occult horror-thriller Apostle stars Beauty and the Beast‘s Dan Stevens as Thomas Richardson, who returns home to London in 1905, only to discover that his sister has been captured by a cult led by the dangerously charismatic Prophet Malcolm (Michael Sheen) and is being held for ransom. Thomas sets out to rescue his sister, infiltrating the cult’s island community and eventually uncovering an evil secret.

9. Hush

Easily one of the best horror movies to come out of Netflix’s original slate, 2016’s Hush follows a deaf writer over the course of one night as she’s hunted by a masked maniac. Prepare for multiple people getting shot by a crossbow — King Joffrey-style.

10. Train to Busan

This South Korean zombie movie was a box office hit, for good reason. The terrifyingly claustrophobic horror film centers on a father and daughter who must survive a gory outbreak of the undead on a lengthy train journey to the country’s only remaining safe city.

11. The Reaping

Hilary Swank stars as a former missionary who loses her faith after the tragic deaths of her family members and now makes a living debunking religious phenomena. That’s what brings her to the Louisiana swamp, where a series of biblical plagues are destroying a small town with evil at its center.

12. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch — The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Netflix gives Sabrina the Teenage Witch a very, very creepy new makeover in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which sees the titular witch (Mad Men‘s Kiernan Shipka) on the cusp of celebrating her 16th birthday when she has to sign her soul away to the devil. The trailer evokes old-school horror movies like Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, so even though familiar faces like Harvey Kinkle (Ross Lynch), Aunt Hilda (Lucy Davis), and Aunt Zelda (Miranda Otto) make appearances, this is going to be a totally different series than the one Melissa Joan Hart starred in years ago.

13. The Shining

A writer’s decision to spend the Winter at a deserted hotel with his wife and son majorly backfires when it becomes clear that they’re definitely not alone in the grand building — but they’re not accompanied by the living, either.

Enjoy the feature and beware!

Captions and content Curated by PopSugar, Simplified by us.

September 20, 2018October 1, 2018

Best Shows To Binge Watch On Netflix

Netflix has achieved cultural dominance in part because it’s so easy to binge episode after episode for hours on end, creating a never-ending stream of twists and turns that make you feel like you have to find out what happens next.

But like any pleasurable activity that can root you to the couch, there are times when you may want to limit your consumption. So we put together the best shows you can binge without throwing away your entire weekend — “single sitting” means different things for different people, of course, but these shows are self-contained to the point that a single season takes less time than your average workday. As always, binge with caution.

Alias Grace

Fans of The Handmaid’s Tale, rejoice! Another Margaret Atwood classic, based on the true story of a Canadian maid who was convicted of murdering her employer in 1843, is upon you. (Atwood also writes stories that aren’t about maids, for the record.) American Psycho director Mary Harron helms every installment of this series, which stars Sarah Gadon as the convict under psychiatric evaluation, and Anna Paquin as another maid who incites a fire lurking within Grace. With six episodes at a manageable 45 minutes each, you’ll burn through this show before you can say “dystopian allegory for our current cultural crossroads.”

Black Mirror

Each installment of Charlie Brooker‘s addictive anthology takes a current techno-social phenomenon — topics that range from hashtags to five-star ratings — to its extreme and asks whether human nature can coexist with it. Part satire and part (unintentional) prophecy, the series presents an appropriately grim view of the future, one that will definitely make you worry for the next generation and maybe even galvanize you into action. You can take in one episode at a time, or digest an entire six-episode season without batting an eye. The latest season from Netflix takes the series episode count up to 20, but we still think you can swing this in one (somewhat miserable) day.

Castlevania

Adapted from Konami’s 30-year-old video game franchise by revered comic writer Warren Ellis, Castlevania is Netflix’s first, vicious stab at adult action animation. With visuals lifted from eons of anime (not to mention the series’ own PlayStation sequel Symphony of the Night), instincts that err on the side of disembodiment, and a dramatic triangle that positions Dracula, our drunken, ex-monster-hunter hero Trevor Belmont, and a church of merciless clergymen in a battle royale for ideological domination, Castlevania is a fine excuse to watch illustrated swordsmen cut each other’s throats and dark magicians disintegrate victims with the flick of the fireball. Ellis can’t give the 2-D characters the dimensionality of Game of Thrones, but he can crank out four deliriously sadistic half-hour cartoons.

The Characters

Eight comedians, one episode each. Such talents as Lauren Lapkus, Natasha Rothwell, and Tim Robinson all get a shot to unveil their best — you guessed it! — characters in 30ish minutes. Each episode is a different flavor, making for a nice blend of weird, fucked up, and side-splitting. There’s something in here for everyone, and you’ll have a good time passionately arguing with your friends about the MVP. (Spoiler alert: It’s obviously John Early.) [Editor’s Note: No, it’s definitely Robinson.] [Other Editor’s Note: No way. It’s Kate Berlant, you idiots.

Dear White People

Writer-director Justin Simien stretched his own feature debut and Sundance breakout, Dear White People, into a 10-episode Netflix series — all of which clock in the 25-to-30-minute range — and the result is even more cunning, tense, and consistently hysterical than the original. Race relations on the campus of Winchester University are boiling after a group of white students throw a blackface party, and each member of the black student union reacts in his or her own fashion. Dear White People weaves through the perspectives of class leaders, local rebels, the college newspaper reporter, and Sam, host of the provocative “Dear White People” radio show (who also happens to have a white boyfriend). Familiar college-age behavior breathes life into the political and social questions, and Simien raises the stakes to heart-pounding intensity in the fifth episode, just when you wonder what else it can say.

*The End of the F***ing World*

This isn’t your average teen drama. The show, adapted from the popular Charles Forsman graphic novel of the same name, follows a 17-year-old named James as he tries to become the psychopath he thinks he is. Though it sounds a little bit like Dexter Jr., it’s really more of a fucked-up love story sans the cliché six-packs and twee romances — something somewhere between Juno and Twin Peaks. In this series’ twisted world, to murder means to mature. It’s dark and creepy, but it also offers enough humor and tenderness to make what turns into a chaotic road trip endearing. Or, as showrunner Jonathan Entwistle told us, “It’s an angsty teen story, but with an adult execution” — the word “execution,” in this case, carrying particular weight. Binge it.

Five Came Back

Adapted from Mark Harris’s comprehensive book of the same name, this film — chopped into three episodes for maximum binge-iness — explores the lives of five Hollywood directors who exited the emerging Hollywood scene to aid their country during World War II. Through filmmaking, John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra, and George Stevens played pivotal roles in shaped the American understanding of WWII, and after the war subsided, they too were changed by the experience. With interviews from names like Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, and Guillermo del Toro, Five Came Back is a historical epic for every Netflix-subscribing movie-lover.

Ghoul

This supernatural Indian horror miniseries, a co-production with Blumhouse, unfolds in three episodes that run around 45 minutes each. Think of it as a movie you watch in three parts. Focusing on trainee interrogator Nida Rahim (Radhika Apte), Ghoul takes place in a dystopian version of India, where the government has instituted harsh crackdowns on dissidents. The twist is that a terrorist Rahim interrogates wants to summon the titular ghoul, which is not good, folks! The metaphors may be a bit heavy-handed, but it remains a fun and spooky way to kill a little more than two hours.

House of Cards

No, not the Netflix original, but the British original from 1990. You’ll get to digest the source material in four one-hour-long episodes, so there’s no risk of watching the show go completely off the rails by adding absurd twist after absurd twist. Instead, you’ll watch coldblooded Francis Urquhart manipulate the British political system in the wake of Margaret Thatcher’s resignation as prime minister — and yes, this Francis also talks directly to the camera.

The IT Crowd

Fans of The Office must check out this British sitcom, which nearly earned the same remake treatment from NBC in 2007. (The network decided some things are better off not remaking.) Starring a pre-Bridesmaids Chris O’Dowd, nerd idol Richard Ayoade, and UK staple Katherine Parkinson, each episode of The IT Crowd descends into the basement of a British industrial corporation to find out how a trio of tech assistance specialists averted actual work. Like any great sitcom, the laughs come from sticky situations of the bumbling crew’s own design, which they solve enough to hold on to their desks. Things get absurd; later in the show, The Mighty Boosh‘s Noel Fielding pops up as a vampiric IT professional who lurks in the maintenance closet. With 24, 25-minute episodes spread out over four seasons, you can breeze through this classic in a day.

Knights of Sidonia

Space opera aficionados have no excuse to skip Knights of Sidonia, especially if they enjoy their sci-fi fairly action-packed. Young Nagate Tanikaze being made to pilot a robot to fight for humanity’s survival, pushed to the brink by an alien species called Gauna and drifting through space in the Sidonia colony, might sound like a very standard premise. But the bleakness that Tsutomu Nihei, author of the original manga, is known for gives Knights a special flair, as do the myriad of societal and technological curiosities introduced to give unique texture to the setting. While the 3-D character acting leaves a bit to be the desired, the gorgeous lighting and ambitious action set pieces justify the path this adaptation took. Watching its first two seasons while waiting for the third and perhaps final one to land seems like a very good use of your time.

Luther

Idris Elba looks really good in a suit. There are plenty of reasons to watch Luther, but The Wire actor’s calming sartorial presence has to be what draws most fans into this psychologically rich British detective drama — the first season is six hourlong episodes, followed by two seasons with four episodes, and a mini-season of two episodes. The Affair‘s Ruth Wilson also impresses as Alice Morgan, a manipulative murderer who becomes an obsession for Elba’s weary cop John Luther. It’s a cat-and-mouse game worthy of Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling. Plus, the whole Idris Elba-in-suits thing.

Marcella

Do you like British mystery shows that wrap up over the course of eight tightly wound, 45-minute episodes? This one is for you. Starring Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies) as a London detective bouncing back from a nasty split and a turbulent entry into single motherhood, the hard-nosed series pairs serial killer investigation with familial struggle, which only intensifies when the main mystery connects to Marcella’s husband’s current employers. If this summer sun is too much for you, enter the overcast, grim world of Marcella.

Planet Earth

Five years in the making, and at the time in 2006, ranking as the most expensive nature documentary ever commissioned by the BBC, Planet Earth changed the way we look at the world around us. From microscopic observations of insect mandibles to underwater vistas most of us would never have seen in our earthbound existences, the high-definition miniseries turned scenes from the animal kingdom into Lord of the Rings. The years have seen sequels and spinoffs (The Blue Planet, The Hunt, Life, Africa, Frozen Planet, and Planet Earth II, all on Netflix, too), but the original, backed by David Attenborough’s studious narration, holds up — and you can watch it all in six hours.

Sherlock

Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Sherlock Holmes, albeit in the present day, solving crimes with the refined intelligence characteristic of Arthur Conan Doyle’s hero, and accompanied by his sidekick, Dr. Watson. With three hour-and-a-half-long installments in each series, you can solve a single mystery in the course of a single night — or, if you’re more ambitious, you may find yourself glued to the couch for an entire weekend, trying to catch up with the rapid wit and near-impossible intellect of one of fiction’s legendary characters.

Spies of Warsaw

This British miniseries assigns a French military attaché (David Tennant) in Poland to keep tabs on German intentions in the lead-up to WW2. Spoiler alert: Germany eventually invades, but the central tension in the years before 1939 paints a complicated picture of world politics that constantly rearrange themselves, with a love triangle thrown in for good measure. You won’t see much of James Bond in the quiet exploits of Tennant’s Jean-Francois Mercier, but the suspense of a pre-war fuse will help you burn through the whole series in short order.

W/ Bob & David

The sketch titans behind Mr. Show reunited for this small dose of hilarity, replete with the absurdity, creativity, and genre-bending that made viewers love them so much so many years ago. Under normal circumstances, the fact that W/ Bob & David has only four 30-minute episodes would be a drawback, but if you’re looking for a quick, fun binge, it’s ideal. (Hurry up, guys.)

Wormwood

Netflix wooed perhaps the greatest living documentarian, Errol Morris, to the streaming platform to tell the story of Frank Olson, a government scientist who supposedly committed suicide in the 1950s. His son, Frank, has made it his life’s mission to find out the truth, which was substantially muddied when the CIA in 1975 claimed Olson had been a victim of the MK Ultra program, which slipped LSD to unwitting civilians. The answers clearly don’t end there, but what unravels over the course of six easily digestible episodes (clocking in around 40 minutes each) is more about human knowledge and how we make meaning than it is about secret government programs — though there’s plenty of the latter to fuel conspiracy theorist dreams for years to come.

Story courtesy of Thrillist.

September 14, 2018

The Most Binge-Worthy TV Shows On Hulu

We know your habits. After a long day, and with an endless well of streamable television to choose from, you hit the couch and flip on Law & Order: SVU reruns. Not a jab at Law & Order (love you, ‎Olivia Benson), but there’s so much out there! And for TV junkies, few destinations are as expansive as Hulu. Here are the shows — and only the stickiest series, with enough episodes to get you totally hooked, and plenty of fresh plotlines to keep you guessing over the course of a single weekend — just waiting to be discovered by your random scrolling.

30 Rock (2006-2013)

Fans of Liz Lemon and Co. likely let out a brief gasp when 30 Rock disappeared from Netflix, where it had been a staple of the streaming platform for years. Fortunately, Hulu subscribers can still watch the zany antics of this late-night spoof — breeze through those seven seasons while you have the chance.

Adventure Time (2010-2018)

Adventure Time is a masterpiece in its surprisingly deep exposition of a seemingly straightforward premise. The heroic duo of Finn the human and Jake the shape-shifting dog traverse Ooo, a post-apocalyptic landscape full of monsters, dungeons, and races of kingdoms that covers everything from candy people to cats under boxes with drawn-on faces. The kids’ show that’s not really a kids’ show at all cultivated a multigenerational cult following as it explored the backstories of Ooo and its (sometimes interdimensional) inhabitants in its eight-year lifespan, which just wrapped up in a bittersweet finale.

Alone Together (2018-present)

Freeform series can be hit or miss (and mostly miss), but this comedy series following best friends and comic hopefuls — the enormously basic Esther and the unmotivated Benji who mooches off his wealthy older brother — in LA nails what it means for two obnoxious people to be meant for each other. Those eulogizing Difficult People will find relating to the two’s mishaps among SoCal’s luxury set a comfortable task.

best tv shows on hulu - arrested development — FOX

Arrested Development (2003-2006)

There’s always money in the banana stand, and there are always laughs to be found in Arrested Development, Mitchell Hurwitz’s sly, self-aware family sitcom. Though you’ll have to jump to Netflix for the most recent season, the show’s original run still satisfies. Arrested Development established a freewheeling comic sensibility that many of your favorite sitcoms — Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, Community, Archer, Kroll Show— were influenced by. Don’t hold the show’s obnoxious fans against it. After watching a few episodes, you’ll be quoting Tobias Fünke, too.

Atlanta (2016-present)

After stints writing for 30 Rock, starring in Community, and rapping as Childish Gambino, Donald Glover found time to create, star in, write, and direct several episodes of this half-hour series. Atlanta is a rare species: a deeply funny show offering pointed social commentary. Whether it’s casting a black actor as Justin Bieber, lambasting social media obsessives, or just making a freaking great rap song, Glover’s massive endeavor manages to feel effortless, capturing a specific mood and experience with wit and precision.

Baskets (2016-present)

Comedians Zach Galifianakis and Louis C.K. created Baskets, which casts the former as a clown struggling in the California suburbs. Galifianakis’ Chip Baskets is a dunce, and if it weren’t for the harsh reality and morose filmmaking style employed in the series, he’d have us in stitches. But the FX show refuses to be that digestible. Pratfalls roll-jump into — ta-da! — existential dread. Wordplay gags loop from comical to manic to funny again. As Chip’s mother, Louie Anderson parades around in a muumuu but plays the role entirely straight. Baskets is a breakthrough work of parody, heartbreaking, hilarious, and odd — everything a portrait of a sad clown should be.

best tv shows on hulu - battlestar galactica — SYFY

Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

When Star Trek: The Next Generation writer Ronald D. Moore first took over this beloved sci-fi property, fans worried that his politically subversive approach would dampen the original’s hokey legacy. Now, even with a shaky finale and a nonessential spinoff, the remake stands as the perfect example of how to to do genre stuff right: smart writing, great action, and compelling characters. No space opera has soared this high since — and few likely will.

Bob’s Burgers (2011-present)

What a treat. The earliest episodes of Loren Bouchard’s pun-, song-, and fart-filled family sitcom toon are aging like a fine wine, and the new ones rarely disappoint. Though the title would have you believe this show is all about the ever-schlubby Bob (deadpanned by H. Jon Benjamin), it’s become way bigger than that. As the show’s writers have learned what makes their world tick, it’s become increasingly populated with quirkily relatable side characters, relationships, and problems. Watching this show, no matter the episode, is always a fun and immersive — if only for a bit — experience.

The Bold Type (2017-present)

The Bold Type is to media as Younger is to publishing: batshit plotlines that do not at all reflect the reality of the industry it’s portraying, and yet we can’t stop watching. Jane, an implausible up-and-coming writer, Kat, the glass-ceiling breaking biracial and bisexual head of social media, and Sutton, a girl with an innately on-brand fashion sense, are best friends working at the women’s magazine Scarlet, a facsimile of Cosmopolitan — unsurprising, since the show was produced closely with people from the magazine, including former editor-in-chief Joanna Coles. For all its crazy hyperbole, The Bold Type manages to talk about important women’s issues, from sexuality and fertility to gun rights, with unexpected finesse. The pitch-perfect karaoke scenes, however, are pure fantasy.

broad city abbi jacobson ilana glazer — COMEDY CENTRAL

Broad City (2014-present)

While plenty of shows revolve around 20-something BFFs living in New York City, Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer’s madcap buddy comedy is the freshest and funniest take on city life we’ve seen in eons. If the friendship between these two lovable, sex-positive, stoner Jewesses is the heart of the show, NYC is the third bedfellow in their platonic love triangle — with Bed Bath & Beyond standing in as their heaven and Penn Station as their purgatory.

the best shows on hulu - buffy the vampire slayer — WARNER BROS. TV

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)

A sacred text of geek culture debuted on March 10, 1997, almost two years before The Sopranos kicked off the much-lionized “difficult men” period of Golden Age television. But if you were clued in to Joss Whedon’s wickedly subversive WB (and later, UPN) action-drama from the start, you knew the revolution of modern television was already under way long before Tony and his ducks. Anchored by Sarah Michelle Gellar’s star turn, the show got deeper and darker as it went, turning a comedic riff on horror-movie tropes into a soulful meditation on the nature of bravery. Plus, it’s got werewolves and stuff.

Castle Rock (2018-present)

Hulu’s new original Stephen King-inspired series tells the story of Henry Deaver (Andre Holland), a lawyer who returns to his childhood home after a mysterious prisoner, named “The Kid” (Bill Skarsgård), is found trapped in a cage underground. His return to the city sets off a chain of events, unleashing clues to the town’s sordid past, which also brings Deaver’s own personal demons to the surface. Castle Rock is stuffed with King references galore, bringing his canon of work to a singular creep show.

Casual (2015-2018)

Michaela Watkins, after getting booted from Saturday Night Live, finally got to show off in Casual, the Jason Reitman-produced series about an idiosyncratic family in the vein of Transparent and Parenthood. The series is funny, but also heavy, tackling subject matters like cancer and death. Watkins is excellent as a single mother raising her daughter after a family scandal, and Tommy Dewey, as the charming but romantically inept brother she moves in with, is a scene-stealer, too. Casual may not be flashy, but it tells very human stories with a unique tenderness. Its fourth and final season, which just dropped on Hulu, puts an understated, but perfectly satisfying end to the show’s run.

the best tv shows on hulu - cheers — NBC

Cheers (1982-1993)

For the days when you want to hang out at the bar without changing out of pajamas. Starring Ted Danson as the ex-Red Soxxer and reformed alcoholic slinging drinks, Cheers had a long run — 273 episodes! — so you’ll invest a ton of time if you’re a completist, but luckily, you’ll feel like a regular in no time.

Daria (1997-2001)

America’s most apathetic teen brought sarcasm into fashion in the late ’90s. Daria’s acerbic commentary will strike a chord with anyone who’s had to endure high school. (That’s you.)

deutschland 83 best tv shows on hulu — SUNDANCE TV

Deutschland 83 (2015-present)

In this stylized German-language series, set in its titular country and year, an East German officer poses as a West German in order to gather intel. It’s a thematic sibling to espionage dramas like The Americans or The Lives of Others — but with comedy, color, and romance to lighten the mood. Its sequel, Deutschland 86, will get an American debut on Sundance TV on October 25.

difficult people best tv shows on hulu — NBC

Difficult People (2015-2017)

In this Hulu original, Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner are mean-spirited and petty New Yorkers who live by the “no hugging, no learning” Seinfeld-ian code, which makes them our favorite kind of platonic power couple. But with every exploitative adventure anchored by their best friendship, the jokes they make at the expense of others (interns, New Jerseyans, Method Man) seem downright sympathetic.

Drunk History (2013-present)

Since its inception a decade ago, Jeremy Konner and Derek Waters’ Emmy-winning web series-turned-TV hit has paired blasted comedian narrators with top-tier actors to recreate our country’s most iconic moments, making for one of the smartest dumb shows in recent memory. If you’re unsure where to start, take a look at our favorite segments, all of which are available on YouTube and Hulu for your bingeing pleasure.

Empire (2015-present)

In this record-industry Dynasty, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the Lyon family’s batshit schemes. Thanks to constantly shifting power dynamics, Taraji P. Henson’s scene-stealing (and Golden Globe-winning!) performance as meddling matriarch Cookie, a catchy Timbaland-produced soundtrack, and countless music-world cameos, the seasons will fly by.

The Eric Andre Show (2012-present)

Comedian Eric Andre has nothing but contempt for late-night talk-show conventions. While Jimmy Fallon and James Corden have turned network TV’s late-night landscape into a glad-handing frat-party singalong, Andre has carved out his own punk nightmare gabfest on Adult Swim. Whether he’s making Lauren Conrad squirm, dressing up as a cop for absurd man-on-the-street bits, or trading one-liners with co-host and fellow comedian Hannibal Buress, Andre filters everything through his own surreal vision. You’ll never look at a talk-show desk the same way again.

The Exorcist (2016-present)

FOX’s spiritually fucked-up reboot takes the movie’s soul-saving concept and turns it into something like a more serious Ghostbusters TV show. In Season 1, two badass priests — one in better standing with the church than the other — try to prevent one family from descending into total hellish chaos. It’s a riveting and surprisingly touching roller-coaster ride. It’s also extremely, and lovably , gross. In Episode 2, one of the protagonists barfs what looks like two bottles of Green Machine and then yanks a near-never-ending centipede out of her mouth — almost like the Santa Clarita Diet pilot without comic relief. The rest of the show takes after its big-screen predecessor — with more contemporary makeup and effects — to show that head-spinning demonic possession can do the body a lot of bad.

Fargo (2014-present)

Noah Hawley’s bold adaptation of the perfect 1996 movie sometimes tries too hard to shoehorn in allusions to the source material and other Coen brothers films, but a crackerjack premise and an inspired performance by Billy Bob Thornton elevated Season 1 well above mere facsimile. The impressive casting holds the convoluted plot together so well that you’ll quickly forgive Hawley for choosing to hinge a major moment on the sudden arrival of an alien spacecraft.

Futurama (1999-2003; 2008-2013)

Understandably, Futurama looks and feels like a little sibling to Matt Groening’s Simpsons. The sci-fi toon imitates its big bro with a similar penchant for wordplay, pop-culture parody, political satire, and visual gags. But after a seven-season run, the story of Fry, a New York City pizza guy who becomes an interplanetary delivery worker after he’s transported from 1999 to 2999, has come to boast an immersive, outrageously fun universe all its own.

the best tv shows on hulu - the good wife — CBS

The Good Wife (2009-2016)

Look past the fact that this serialized drama is on CBS, home to NCIS, CSI, and other shows your parents adore. The Good Wife is potent, pressurized, and constantly zigzagging in new directions. The saga of Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) began with a wife reeling from her district attorney husband’s affair and subsequent scandal. And it ended as a full-blown opera, full of deception, moral quagmires, and vibrant friendships. Give The Good Wife a few episodes and you’ll fall in love with its characters.

The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-present)

After racking up several Emmys, including for Best Drama Series and Lead Actress, Drama (Elisabeth Moss), this adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel showed Hulu means business. Now’s your chance to see what had the Emmy voters all worked up over a dystopian world in which women are kept as childbearers for a wealthy, oppressive elite.

Harlots (2017-present)

Hulu’s original programming doesn’t get the same amount of attention as that of Netflix or Amazon, because not as many people subscribe to Hulu. But you shouldn’t overlook Harlots, which has perhaps the best production design and and premise of any Hulu original (yes, including The Handmaid’s Tale). Centered on 18th-century British brothels, Harlots is much more than a titillating show about sex, though that’s in there too; it delves deep into life on the outside of “acceptable” society, tackling questions of sex, gender, class, and taboos along the way. Don’t sleep on Harlots.

Inside Amy Schumer (2013-present)

Known for slyly subversive takes on gender, relationships, and the irritating rhythms of Aaron Sorkin’s writing, this series from the Trainwreck star is the rare sketch-comedy show that’s actually consistent. If you’ve only been watching the viral sketches on YouTube, you’ve missed out.

it's always sunny in philadelphia best shows on hulu — FX

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-present)

Few shows make us consistently laugh-cry like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a dark cringe-comedy about a group of depraved jerks (comedy heavyweights Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito) doing horrible things to each other and the people around them. There are 11 seasons available here, but don’t worry about binge-watching — It’s Always Sunny is the perfect show to drop in and out of. Even decade-old episodes keep the lovable dirtbags of Paddy’s Pub up to recognizable, juvenile antics. It’s a show about physical harm, drinking until puking, and wantonly setting things on fire.

Key and Peele (2012-2015)

Over the course of five seasons, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele created some of the funniest, smartest, and most visually striking sketch comedy of the new millennium.

Lost (2004-2010)

Long before Damon Lindelof’s The Leftovers bludgeoned viewers with its bracing emotional intensity, or J.J. Abrams became the crown prince of Wookieepedia, there was a show called Lost. While it has become increasingly hip to condemn the show’s later seasons for any number of faults ranging from mawkish sentimentality to an over-dependence on wonky sci-fi tropes to gooey Touched by an Angel spirituality, the show itself retains all its brilliant power when viewed in a streaming hatch, free of recaps, fan theories, and backlash. If you’ve never seen it, there’s no better time to get wrapped up in its mysteries. And if you have — well, as Jack would say, we have to go back!

My So-Called Life (1994-1995)

If Daria doesn’t have enough teen feelings for you, try out this short-lived angsty ’90sdrama that made big names out of Claire Danes and Jared Leto. You’ll feel like you’re right there with Angela in the girls’ bathroom as you follow all the trials and trivialities of sophomore year’s fracturing friendships, family tension, and awkward romance.

Nathan For You (2013-present)

Is “the thinking man’s Punk’d” a reality show? A clever Shark Tank parody? A dark, existential narrative about an ambitious anti-hero who will do anything to get rich and find love? It’s all of the above and more, with the most recent season finale even revered by goddamn Errol Morris. Most episodes are about host Nathan Fielder meeting a small-business owner around Los Angeles who is struggling to get by. He makes them a pitch: Follow my proposed plan and I’ll improve your business. He’s here to make dreams come true. The only problem? The proposals are often overly elaborate and borderline insane. Cringe and learn, people.

The O.C. (2003-2007)

Thanks to Hulu, the only high school reunion you’d ever want to attend is streaming 24/7. Witness the early ’00s charm and chemistry that won over a nation of tweens, courtesy of leads Mischa Barton, Rachel Bilson, Adam Brody, and Ben McKenzie. The first season is a veritable work of soap opera art, from “Welcome to the O.C., bitch” to Seth and Summer’s first kiss; things fall apart as Marissa inches closer to death (spoiler alert), but we’re hopelessly sucked in nonetheless. Sandy Cohen’s eyebrowsare the icing on the cake.

The Office (U.K.) (2001-2002)

Fans of Dunder Mifflin have Ricky Gervais’s David Brent to thank for the genesis of Michael Scott. Tim (Martin Freeman) and Dawn (Lucy Davis) are the first Jim and Pam. This show’s the OG, in other words. Though it only ran for two seasons, Gervais’ British The Office paved the way for a new wave of awkward comedy, turned banal jobs into fertile ground for producing side-splitting workplace laughs, and inspired the US The Office‘s Greg Daniels and Michael Schur to be their best.

Party Down (2009-2010)

Before becoming Amy Poehler’s main squeeze on Parks and Recreation, Adam Scott was a down-on-his-luck actor stuck working as a caterer in this beloved cult comedy. Luckily, he was joined by a killer supporting cast — Ken Marino, Lizzy Caplan, Martin Starr, and more — that made this show way more fun than any actual food-service job.

Preacher (2016-present)

Season 3 of AMC’s irreverent soul-busting romp sends the titular preacher Jesse to Angelville, the Louisiana plantation where he was raised, to reckon with his past before finding God. But before you start the latest installment, you can catch up on the first two installments on Hulu. Get preachin’!

Prime Suspect (1991-2006)

This British series — primarily known for making Helen Mirren a star (again) — breaks a murder mystery into two feature-length movies. Like The Night Of, the show demonstrates how the police institution creates as many roadblocks as a crafty murderer. The seven seasons (comprised of 15 episodes and roughly 25 hours) are all solid, but start with the 1991 original, where Mirren’s Jane Tennison assumes the role of senior investigating officer of a serial killer, much to the chagrin of her male colleagues. Mirren imbues the been-there-done-that format with movie-star bravado, and as the show charts Tennison’s rise up the chain of command, her material only gets meatier.

Rick and Morty (2013-present)

Problematic fandom aside, this dark, dimension-spanning cartoon from Dan Harmon (Community) and Justin Roiland (Channel 101) follows an alcoholic mad scientist and his dimwitted grandson as they travel through space-time in order to save humanity. It adds up to an alternate reality that’s incredibly confusing and emotionally resonant all at once. No, the resemblance to Back to the Future‘s Doc and Marty is not a coincidence. Yes, it’s as insane as it sounds.

Runaways (2017-present)

Marvel Cinematic Universe alert! If you’re a Marvel fan, you are required by law to sign up for Hulu to prove your fandom is real. This Hulu original tracks six teens who try to take down the supervillain group known as Pride… which incidentally is composed of the teens’ parents. How’s that for awkward dinner conversations?

Saturday Night Live (1975-present)

There are 19 seasons — that’s 393 episodes — of Saturday night sketch comedy available on Hulu. Are all of SNL‘s eras good? Not really, but it’s fine to put on if you need something to half-watch while you’re cleaning your apartment!

Seinfeld (1989-1998)

The genre-defining “show about nothing,” now exclusive to Hulu, is worth the subscription fee alone. Whether you’re new to the sitcom that put writer Larry David on the map, or watching Kramer burst through that door for the thousandth time, we advise you watch all nine seasons and become master of situation comedy’s domain.

the best tv shows on hulu - the shield — FX

The Shield (2002-2008)

The Wire had more to say about the drug trade. The Sopranos‘ anti-hero was more psychologically rich. Breaking Bad won more Emmys. But there’s perhaps no show of TV’s prestige golden age with as much white-knuckle tension as The Shield, creator Shawn Ryan’s occasionally trashy masterpiece of moral compromise and macho arrogance. Vic Mackey, played with simmering rage and dark humor by Michael Chiklis, led an incredible cast of cops, including future Justified standout Walton Goggins, through a series of challenges that culminated in one of the most perfectly realized endings in TV history. Watch it now.

South Park (1997-present)

South Park still reigns as one of the longest-running and most consistently potent animated sitcoms — where The Simpsons has largely exited the contemporary water cooler conversation, South Park is as relevant as ever. The green streaming service has every episode, from Season 1 to 21 (yeah, even the new ones the morning after they air). Though the show has evolved and experimented with continuity over the last few years, it looks like the current season is getting back to its self-contained roots. Come for the social satire, stay for the Alexa pranks.

Taboo (2017-present)

Bona fide movie star Tom Hardy stops by FX to play James Delaney, a top hat-wearing shipwreck survivor who’s determined to thwart the many Londoners seeking to steal his inheritance circa 1814. The actor’s relentlessly intense performance elevates a show that intertwines maritime trade, the War of 1812, and incest into a cracking yarn. Binge it immediately — the top-hat industry demands it.

best tv shows on hulu - top chef — BRAVO

Top Chef (2006-present)

In a world where new cooking shows pop up faster than hip molecular gastronomy-based tapas bars, Top Chef is a rare achievement: tasteful, imaginative, and perfectly prepared. What’s the secret ingredient? Smart hosts and talented contestants. It’s really that simple.

best tv shows in hulu - the twilight zone — CBS

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

Every lauded sci-fi movie or television show owes Rod Serling residuals. Over 156 episodes, Serling speculated and dreamed, refracting his present day through the trippiest scenarios to ever beam through mild-mannered American homes. The Twilight Zone’s visual prose took us to jungles, to space, to 20,000ft, and to the sunny block from every person’s childhood, where the worst existential revelations tended to lurk. The Twilight Zone still speaks volumes. Buckle up and fly into a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind.

best tv shows on hulu - twin peaks — ABC

Twin Peaks (1990-1991; 2017)

David Lynch and Mark Frost’s detective series is often credited with instilling television with artful potential. Without Twin Peaks, there’d likely be no Mad Men or Breaking Bad (both shows nodded to the ABC series). And yet, the show’s dreamy, saturated look is really a cherry on top. Twin Peaks is a steady stream of oddball characters and fantastical twists, encountered by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) as he hunts for the murderer of a small-town teenager. Your weird friends love this show. You should, too. It’s finally time to understand those Log Lady Halloween costumes — and get you ready to binge the 25-years-in-the-making third season, available on Hulu with a Showtime subscription.

The X-Files (1993-2002)

Hulu is the best place to catch up on Mulder’s paranoia, Scully’s sleuthing, and the burning chemistry that launched a thousand GeoCities sites. The streaming site offers both the original 201-episode run of Fox’s paranormal investigation drama and the recent miniseries revival. If nine and a half seasons is too much to binge, cherry-pick the classics. We made it easy by ranking the entire series.

Younger (2015-present)

Love triangles, sassy sidekicks, and book publishing — much to enjoy on this not-really-guilty guilty pleasure, which you will find almost dangerously bingeable. Now is the time to get acquainted with the surprisingly cutthroat world of book publishing!

Story by Thrillist.