STAY on Hulu is a new supernatural thriller or horror-drama. It’s part of Hulu’s 2025 Huluween releases. Unfortunately, it’s just not very good. The story is forced and extremely predictable. Read our full Stay movie review here!

STAY is a new Hulu movie released as part of their 2025 Huluween programme. This feels much more like a thriller or a horror-drama than a movie that ought to be released as part of their Halloween focus.

The actors do what they can, and I absolutely relate to their grief and struggles. It’s just that the core storyline is full of red herrings served right alongside huge hints about what’s truly going on. Also, it did not need a runtime of nearly an hour and a half.

Continue reading our 2025 Stay movie review below. Find it on Hulu now.

Together… in a house

Stay begins as a story about Kiara (Megalyn Echikunwoke), who is packing up her home and getting ready to move out. She’s a PhD author of African spirituality.

In flashbacks, we see that she’s been in a happy relationship with Miles (Mo McRae), a former MMA fighter turned gym owner.

The present is a far cry from their beautiful love story and strong marriage. A marriage where he focused on his gym and was the breadwinner while she wrote her book, which would go on to be a hit. Something he expected, so she could then be his sugar mamma.

Basically, all was good, and they had a healthy relationship. Then something happened, which you will have to wait until the final act to find out. Before we get to the “big reveal”, hints clumsily and forcefully disguised as something else have been dropped several times.

Getting to the reveal of their downfall comes after they’ve been forced to stay together inside their house. The entire building has somehow locked down and refuses to let them out until they work out their issues.

Like Together, but in a house, and now they have to connect. Emotionally, not in the wild ways of Together.

A Huluween Original movie?

Again, I have to say that I have no idea why Hulu opted for making Stay (2025) part of their Halloween theme “Huluween” for 2025. If anything, it does the movie a huge disservice. It will attract horror fans, who can only (for the vast part) be disappointed.

Watching a movie is very much about anticipation and having your entertainment match your expectations. If I decide to watch a Huluween Original movie released as part of Hulu’s Halloween release schedule, then I expect horror… and probably something kitch.

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Check out some of the other Huluween releases from past years >

With Stay, it’s much more about relationship drama and struggles originating from trauma and grief. Something we’ve seen done extremely well with movies like The Man in My Basement or The Holy Boy (do check that out when it’s coming to Shudder in 2026).

How can people not be disappointed? I mean, had the movie been amazing, then maybe they would still enjoy it, but you’ve built some huge hurdles for viewers to get past before this is even possible.

Watch the 2025 Huluween movie Stay on Hulu now

Jas Summers is the writer and director of Stay, which has an interesting premise, but I just did not enjoy the execution of the story. Much more of a relationship drama than horror for Halloween, which is a damn shame.

Also, those red herrings and very forced plot twists did nothing good. Even the actual ending of Stay (2025) was so easy to predict because it is perhaps one of the biggest tropes.

Maybe I’m just bitter that this was released as a Huluween movie, but even without that label, this still isn’t good storytelling. I hate to be so negative, but here we are.

STAY premieres on Hulu on October 8, 2025.

Details

Director: Jas Summers
Writer: Jas Summers
Stars: Megalyn Echikunwoke, Mo McRae, Brandon Firla

CONTROL FREAK on Hulu is a new horror movie that has a very physical impact on its viewers. It certainly resulted in an itch for me. Kelly Marie Tran was amazing and brutal in the lead role. Read our full Control Freak movie review here!

CONTROL FREAK is a new Hulu Original. A horror movie that’s bound to make you feel an itch that is impossible not to scratch. It was for me, anyway. In fact, I struggle to ignore the itch even thinking about this movie.

It has a very physical impact on its viewers. From start to finish almost, which was quite exhausting – and extremely impressive. Kelly Marie Tran stars in this movie and has wonderful co-stars, but it truly is all about her character.

Continue reading our Control Freak movie review below. Find it on Hulu from March 13, 2025.

Try not to scratch that itch

Control Freak is all about control – as heavily indicated by the title – but in the sense that sometimes you don’t have it. And for the title character, this is just about to drive her absolutely insane.

Valerie (or just “Val”) is an extremely successful motivational speaker with a secret. She has a very aggressive and relentless itch on the back of her head. The kind that she cannot stop herself from scratching until it bleeds.

And then she keeps scratching.

She scratches her scalp as she sleeps as well, which makes it very difficult to stop or avoid. Not that she doesn’t try. In fact, she manages to get quite creative with DIY projects to keep herself from going at that itch all night long.

Nothing seems to help, so instead, she wants to figure out the source of it.

As a motivational speaker (or life coach, if you will), it shouldn’t be a problem. Her entire career is about taking control of any situation or bad habit. So why is it this itch cannot be controlled or stopped?

Could it be a parasitic demon from her homeland?!

Kelly Marie Tran is perfectly cast

I was very happy to see Kelly Marie Tran (The Last Jedi) in this all-important and very big leading role. In Control Freak, she plays the title character with all the flaws and struggles necessary to make the story believable and efficient.

Val (Kelly Marie Tran) is a successful young woman who knows that she could lose everything if she gives up control. So she fights like hell to maintain it. Even at the cost of everything else.

Val’s husband, Robbie, is portrayed wonderfully by Miles Robbins (Daniel Isn’t Real), who tries to help her. However, she is a control freak, so he isn’t allowed to help very much. In fact, they may be married, but he also works for her – and it feels like he never gets a day or even an hour off.

As Val’s father, Sang, who is currently a monk, we have Toan Le. Also, Kieu Chinh is in the core cast as her Aunt Thuy. These two characters help Val in their own way – often by also helping themselves, which is symptomatic of Valerie’s experience with family.

Watch Control Freak on Hulu (and Disney+ later)

Control Freak was directed and written by Shal Ngo, who you may already be familiar with from his work from The Park. This new feature film is based on the short film “Control” which was part of the 2021 Huluween anthology Bite Size Halloween.

The short was released as part of season 2 and was also written and directed by Shal Ngo. He then developed the feature from this initial short. Camille Chen (Renfield) starred as Val in the short.

Hulu has amassed a very respectable horror slate over recent years. This includes horror titles like Appendage, The Mill, Clock, and Carved. As indicated by the titles, these Hulu horror movies tend to have stories with visceral horror.

Control Freak is no exception. In fact, it may just be the most visceral so far!

Control Freak premieres on Hulu on March 13, 2025. It’s slated to be released on Disney+ internationally at a later date.

Details

Director: Shal Ngo
Writer: Shal Ngo
Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Miles Robbins, Toan Le, Kieu Chinh

Photo credit: WorthenBrooks/Hulu

CARVED on Hulu is a new horror-comedy about Halloween seen from the POV of a pumpkin. Well, not entirely, but we understand why this pumpkin is so vengeful. A horror-comedy full of wonderful practical effects. Read our full Carved movie review here!

CARVED is a new Hulu horror-comedy about a pumpkin that has become aware. And yes, don’t worry, there is a reason for this, which is part of a nice backstory. Well, not “nice” but certainly imaginative.

It’s a feature-length version of a short film, and I’m sorry to say that it shows. The first two acts worked well for me, but then there’s a lull ahead of the final act which is a shame. Still, the gorgeous practical effects and overall kitsch and campy vibe help save the experience.

Continue reading our Carved movie review below. Find it on Hulu from October 21, 2024.

A sentient and vengeful pumpkin

It seems like the perfect plot for a Halloween horror movie to have a pumpkin be the killer. And when we see a pumpkin carving contest from the POV of the pumpkin, you can understand why the need for revenge would arise.

Before we get that far, we’re introduced to the very human character of the small town that already has some difficult history. I won’t get into it here. A reporter supposedly covering the historic reenactment village made for Halloween covers that.

Anyway, among the main characters are a heartbroken teenage playwright, her younger brother, and the heartbreaker himself. We follow these three along with the other few survivors. They make up quite a diverse team fighting the pumpkin who wants them dead!

“Ripe for Revenge”

The tagline for Carved is “Ripe for Revenge” which sets the tone for this Hulu horror comedy wonderfully. This really is about the pumpkin and the trauma experienced from watching humans carve into its kin.

Overall, what Carved does so well is to create likable (or entertaining) characters while focusing on practical effects. That just makes for a solid starting point and the effects are pretty damn delicious in that yucky way perfect for horror comedy.

The cast includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Corey Fogelmanis (Ma), and Wyatt Lindner as the three core characters. However, the supporting cast is absolutely amazing. They may not get much screen time, but they are memorable.

From Carla Jimenez, Matty Cardarople (Stranger Things), and Jackson Kelly (Teacup) to Sasha Mason and Chris Elliott. Plus the wonderful DJ Qualls (Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities), who ends up becoming the heart of the story in many ways, along with Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur.

Also, it all begins with the reporter portrayed by Elvis Nolasco who played the title character in Mr. Crocket, another Hulu Halloween (or “Huluween”, if you will) movie released in 2024.

Watch Carved on Hulu now!

Carved was directed by Justin Harding and is based on a short film by the same name. Justin Harding also wrote and directed the short for Huluween Film Fest. For this feature film version, he teamed up with writer Cheryl Meyer.

There is a lot of good in this movie, but the final act almost resulted in a lower rating. This was when I thought this feature film felt like it should’ve been a short film. I hadn’t read up on it before watching but I wasn’t surprised when I realized that it was originally a short film.

We don’t do half ratings here at Heaven of Horror, but this is closer to 2½ than 3. The reason we drag it up to a 3 instead of down to 2 is due to the acting and the gorgeous practical effects. Also, I can imagine watching this again for Halloween another year and that’s a good sign.

Carved is out on Hulu from October 21, 2024.

Details

Director: Justin Harding
Writers: Justin Harding & Cheryl Meyer
Cast: Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Corey Fogelmanis, Wyatt Lindner, Carla Jimenez, Sasha Mason, Jonah Lees, DJ Qualls, Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur, Elvis Nolasco, Matty Cardarople, Jackson Kelly, Chris Elliott

THE MILL on Hulu is a sci-fi horror movie starring Lil Rel Howery who is the only person on the screen for a long time. It works because both he and the story works. The plot could’ve been an episode of the iconic BLACK MIRROR anthology, so it’s quite dark. Read our full The Mill movie review here!

THE MILL is a new Hulu sci-fi horror movie being released in the month of Halloween. As such, it’s a perfect addition to “Huluween”, because despite this being labeled “sci-fi thriller”, it has plenty of brutal horror in it. The very core of the movie feels like something out of Black Mirror. And I do mean for this to be a huge compliment.

I should warn you that this is indeed a very dark story. Just like some of the Black Mirror episodes. Hopefully, it’s make you reflect a bit on your own life in a positive way. Though I’m sure many will also simply watch this and relate to the main character – portrayed wonderfully by Lil Rel Howery – in a way that might make you feel quite depressed. Sorry about that, but you really should watch this.

Continue reading our The Mill movie review below. Find the very dark story on Hulu from October 9, 2023.

A very dark Hulu Original

The Mill (2023) is a Hulu Original and a very dark one at that. We meet the successful businessman (Lil Rel Howery) as he wakes up beside an ancient grist mill. He is still wearing a very nice suit but is on the ground next to this ancient-looking mill. It’s placed in the middle of an open-air prison cell, and he has no idea how he got there.

Via very simple projection on the prison wall, he is told the time and the rounds he needs to push the mill to meet his quota. He’s also informed that it is indeed his own place of work that runs this place. Given just a tiny sandwich and some water, he is expected to do hard physical labor.

Actually, he is told right off the bat that “meeting his quota” isn’t even enough. Because at this company, you have to exceed all goals at all times. He isn’t even there alone, which is also learned early on. Along with the fact that whoever does the least rounds with the grist mill on any given day will be terminated.

Being terminated sounds extremely brutal, so you do not want to be the one with the fewest mill rounds. For our guy, Joe, there’s one huge reason why he needs to be the best and escape; His wife is very pregnant and he absolutely has the be there for the birth of his child.

So many important messages

As the story in The Mill unfolds, Joe (Lil Rel Howery) goes through a lot. All the stages of grief really, as he is both (understandably!) in denial and anger, tries to bargain with the forces in control, gets depressed, and appears to accept his circumstances. Not that he accepts being there, but he seems to acknowledge that he needs to put in the work to get out.

Of course, it’s never as simple as “putting in the work” as the quotas change and Joe simply does not pay attention to the man in his neighboring cell. The guy tries to tell him what to do while also being honest that he cannot help him too much, but he will not listen.

Before The Mill is over, subjects such as the need for unions and finding out what’s most important to you are touched upon.

It does become a bit long and the ending will not be for everyone. Overall, the setting and story are bleak and tap into something most of us are able to relate to; Why do we work so much that it becomes our life? Who are we breaking our backs for and do they even care? Also, is there even such a thing as work/life balance once you’ve started indebting yourself?!

Yeah, fun stuff, I know.

Watch The Mill on Hulu!

The Mill is directed by Sean King O’Grady (We Need to Do Something). The screenplay comes from Jeffrey David Thomas (All American: Homecoming, Titans), and I like the way his mind works. It does go very dark, but it works for this story. In fact, it’s necessary for it to work. You cannot let up if you want to get the point across and it most certainly gets across in The Mill.

I loved Lil Rel Howery in The Mill, but then again, I do tend to always enjoy him in these darker stories with important messages. Jordan Peele’s Get Out is another obvious example. He was an absolute hero in that movie, and while he tries to do the same here, it’s a very different situation. Still, Lil Rel Howery delivers exactly what this story needs. Also, Pat Healy has a small role and is great as always.

The subjects of The Mill are so extremely universal and important for our happiness that I hope viewers will pick up on most of it.

In that particular sense, The Mill did remind me a lot of the Netflix movie The Platform. An absolutely brilliant movie as well, so do check it out if you haven’t already. If you’ve watched The Platform on Netflix and enjoyed it, you absolutely must watch The Mill on Hulu as well. Enjoy! Or, well, you know, take from it what you can and be happy you’re not in Joe’s place. At least, I hope you’re not.

The Mill is on Hulu on October 9, 2023.

Details

Director: Sean King O’Grady
Writer: Jeffrey David Thomas
Cast: Lil Rel Howery, Pat Healy, Karen Obilom, Patrick Fischler

APPENDAGE on Hulu is a new horror movie with elements of comedy, fantasy, drama, and mystery. The plot deals with self-doubt and very dark inner thoughts that physically manifest on a person’s body. Hadley Robinson stars in the all-important lead role. Read our full Appendage movie review here!

APPENDAGE is a new Hulu horror movie that’s kicking off this year’s “Huluween” – Hulu’s own Halloween theme. This particular horror movie also uses lots of other genres. Including comedy, drama, fantasy, and mystery. The whole mystery element becomes apparent as the main character has no idea what’s happening and needs to desperately find answers.

Many fans of classic horror will undoubtedly love the fact that practical effects are used in this horror movie. It’s kitsch, quirky, and absolutely amazing. It does also lend an extra element to the comedy of this movie as the “appendage” turns out to be an actual creature. The runtime is only 1 hour and 34 minutes, but the story evolves in many curious ways before it’s all over.

Continue reading our Appendage movie review below. Find the movie on Hulu from October 2, 2023.

Embrace your inner demons

The tagline for Appendage is actually “Embrace your inner demons”, which makes perfect sense as soon as the movie begins. You won’t have to watch much of this movie before seeing how the life of Hannah, a young fashion designer, is spiraling into a very dark place. She is extremely hard on herself.

So much so that her darkest inner thoughts physically manifest into something gruesome. And it will not stop growing!

Overall, Hannah is constantly doing her very best to make everyone happy, while being quite sad and depressed herself. As soon as she gets a positive experience – and she does actually – it takes so very little for her to get knocked down again. Unlike that Chumbawamba song, Hannah does not get back up again.

Instead, she beats up on herself. I found it brutal to watch, and the fact that this self-doubt (and even hate) manifests into a physical appendage made perfect sense. But what can Hannah do? Obviously, she can’t just have a weird appendage thing. This is where the story of Appendage turns into a mystery.

It turns out, Hannah isn’t alone with her experience!

A tour de force from Hadley Robinson

Hadley Robinson plays the all-important lead role in Appendage, but she’s supported by a very strong cast of supporting actors. The supporting actors are extremely important for this story to work as well as it does, but (of course!) Hadley Robinson is the one who has to carry the brunt of the work.

Fortunately, Hadley Robinson is absolutely mesmerizing here. You probably know her already as she has had several intriguing roles these past few years. She was in The Pale Blue Eye (2022) with Christian Bale and played the roles of twins in the Utopia (2020) series.

The supporting cast includes Emily Hampshire (The Rig) who plays a very important role, as another person who is dealing with an appendage situation of her own. As the two most important people in Hannah’s life, we see Brandon Mychal Smith (Horror Noire) and Kausar Mohammed (Lucky). The two portray her boyfriend, Kaelin, and her very best friend and colleague, Esther.

Watch Appendage on Hulu!

Anna Zlokovic is the writer and director of Appendage. This is her feature film debut and I loved it. Interestingly, Anna Zlokovic directed a season 2 episode of the Bite Size Halloween horror anthology. In fact, that episode was titled “Appendage” and was the short story that this new feature film was adapted from.

WATCH THE SHORT FILM VERSION FOR FREE

On YouTube, Hulu added the short film version of Appendage last year for Huluween – find it here >

As mentioned initially, I absolutely loved that Appendage used practical effects. This is a Huluween Original Movie and using practical effects somehow just feels perfect for the Halloween season.

One of my go-to movies for Halloween is always the Halloween Horror anthology Trick ‘r Treat which also uses practical effects much more than CGI. For the record, this new Hulu movie isn’t a Halloween-themed movie, but that just means you can get to know it now and then rewatch it whenever.

Appendage is on Hulu from October 2, 2023. 

Details

Director: Anna Zlokovic
Writer: Anna Zlokovic
Stars: Hadley Robinson, Deborah Rennard, Emily Hampshire, Brandon Mychal Smith, Kausar Mohammed, Desmin Borges, Pat Dortch, Annie Pisapia, Craig Kolkebeck