Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes are both back on Hulu this month after a short hiatus while they were on other streamers. But for the sake of everyone’s sanity, neither will be featured among the three sci-fi movies on Hulu that you need to watch in October. The Planet of the Apes reboot movies are great, but we’ve written about them so many times that it’s a good opportunity to turn our attention to some of Hulu’s other sci-fi flicks.
Our picks for October are all sci-fi/horror films, which is only fitting since Halloween is just a few weeks away. But all three are very distinct stories, and you’ll find different kinds of scares from each of them.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new movies to stream this week, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Underwater (2020)
Underwater has the distinction of being the last movie made by 20th Century Fox before the studio was rebranded as 20th Century Studios by its new owner, Disney. And this is a very un-Disney-like sci-fi horror film, although it did get a PG-13 rating. Kristen Stewart headlines the movie as Norah Price, a mechanical engineer on a deep-sea research facility, Kepler 822.
Following an unexpected earthquake, Kepler 822 is decimated and the escape pods are deployed while Norah, Captain Lucien (Vincent Cassel), Emily Haversham (Jessica Henwick), and other survivors are left behind to ponder their next move.
They soon discover creatures that defy everything they thought they knew about life under the ocean. But there’s a much bigger threat waiting for them outside of the facility that resembles a terrifying creature from the stories of a famous horror writer. That’s all we’re going to tell you about that.
Watch Underwater on Hulu.
The Fly (1986)
A word of advice before watching The Fly: Don’t eat anything immediately before or during the movie. It’s a David Cronenberg movie, and he didn’t skimp on the body horror in one of his most famous films. This is actually a remake of the 1958 film of the same name, but taken to some much more gruesome places as a man and a fly become one.
Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) brought this fate on himself. He came up with the technology for teleportation units, but neglected to keep a fly from going into the chamber with him during a test. At first, Seth thinks the machine has made him into a perfect physical specimen, and he celebrates with his girlfriend, Veronica “Ronnie” Quaife (Geena Davis).
They’re both a lot less happy when he is grotesquely transformed into a human/fly hybrid. And despite his genius, Seth may have backed himself into a corner from which there is no escape.
Watch The Fly on Hulu.
No One Will Save You (2023)
No One Will Save You is a terrific film that deserved more than just a direct-to-Hulu release. It’s also a great blend of sci-fi and horror, with very minimal dialogue throughout the film. Kaitlyn Dever stars as Brynn, a young woman who is an outcast in her small town. While living alone with her despair, Brynn is attacked by an alien invader. Although Brynn survives the initial assault, she’s far from lucky as most of the other residents have been replaced by alien doppelgangers.
Without any other recourse, Brynn fortifies her house for a second alien assault. But she won’t live through the night if she can’t overcome her internal emotional struggles.
Watch No One Will Save You on Hulu.