You won’t be able to stop at just one episode.

The 24 best thrillers on Hulu to keep you on the edge of your seat

You won't be able to stop at just one episode.

and Kevin Jacobsen

April 28, 2026 2:00 p.m. ET

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Chris Rock as Loy Cannon on 'Fargo'; Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage, Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora, and Martin Short as Oliver Putnam on 'Only Murders in the Building'; Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings on 'The Americans'. Credit:

FX; Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu; Patrick Harbron/FX

Nothing is better for a binge-watch than a good thriller series. Deliberately crafted to make the audience anticipate what's coming next, these are shows that tease us with an irresistible cliffhanger and leave us hungry for more.

Hulu is among the best streamers for thrillers, including such homegrown titles as *Paradise* and *Only Murders in the Building*, network TV favorites like *Lost* and *24*, and addictive cable sagas like *Damages* and *True Blood*. Each is packed with powerhouse performances, a heightened sense of drama, and plot twists you won't see coming,

Ahead, we recommend 24 great thriller series on Hulu for your binging pleasure.

Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer on '24'. Everett Collection

All nine seasons of Fox's long-running, real-time thriller series are available on Hulu, so you can binge-watch the nine eventful days from the life of Kiefer Sutherland's CTU agent, Jack Bauer (until, unlike Jack, you're finally felled by sleep). In each nail-biting season, Jack took on a seemingly unstoppable terrorist threat against the U.S. with the help of his many uncanny resources. Along the way, a myriad of nefarious plots were revealed, allies became foes, and Jack barely had time to breathe as he pulled off one unbelievable stunt after another.

Back when the series premiered in 2001, EW's critic enthused, "The idea of combining Jack's professional and personal crises and placing them within a pressure-cooker time frame (a digital clock showing elapsed time punctuates the start and finish of each commercial break) gives the series a momentum that's both emotional and action oriented." —*Gwen Ihnat*

Where to watch *24*: Hulu

**EW grade:** B+

**Cast:** Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Carlos Bernard, Dennis Haysbert, Elisha Cuthbert

The Act (2019)

Patricia Arquette as Dee Dee Blanchard and Joey King as Gypsy-Rose Blanchard in 'The Act'. Brownie Harris/Hulu

This true crime miniseries tells the harrowing story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, a teenager who was duped into constant medical assistance she didn't actually need by her mother, Dee Dee. Upon learning she had been lied to, Gypsy and her boyfriend hatched a plan to murder her mom. The gripping eight-episode series delves into how Gypsy executed this act behind Dee Dee's back while also navigating her burgeoning sexuality and exploring the real world outside her mother's grasp. Joey King's triumphant turn as Gypsy is arguably her best performance yet, while Patricia Arquette won an Emmy for playing the manipulative Dee Dee. —*Kevin Jacobsen*

Where to watch *The Act*: Hulu

**Cast: **Patricia Arquette, Joey King, AnnaSophia Robb, Chloë Sevigny, Calum Worthy

Alien: Earth (2025–present)

A Xenomorph on 'Alien: Earth'.

*Alien* has been a wildly successful multimedia franchise since the first film terrified moviegoers in 1979, but it took until 2025 for those sinister Xenomorphs to come to television. Thankfully, sci-fi veteran Noah Hawley proves the right auteur to expand the saga on the small screen, with *Alien: Earth* following a group of young synthetic humans investigating a space vessel that has crash-landed on our planet. As you might expect, the vessel contains some alien menaces, but the show's strengths lie in its exploration of a dystopian future for humanity and the existential threats that may await us. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Alien: Earth*: Hulu

**Cast:** Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Adarsh Gourav, Timothy Olyphant

The Americans (2013–2018)

Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings on 'The Americans'. Patrick Harbron/FX

While the premise may sound gimmicky — married KGB spies living in America at the height of the Cold War with a next-door neighbor who happens to work for the FBI — this nuanced drama series is anything but. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys delivered some of TV's best performances of the 2010s as Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, whose commitment to their cause was tested over six riveting seasons, especially when it came to their unsuspecting kids. While there was plenty of fun to be had between the espionage and the many, many wigs, the best part of *The Americans* is its slow-burning dramatic tension, rewarding patient viewers tenfold. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Americans*: Hulu

**EW grade:** B+

**Cast: **Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Holly Taylor, Keidrich Sellati, Noah Emmerich

Castle Rock (2018–2019)

Lizzy Caplan as Annie Wilkes on 'Castle Rock'. Dana Starbard/Hulu

"For [Stephen] King fans, the world of *Castle Rock* will be inescapably familiar," describes EW's critic. "Spending time here feels, in many ways, like coming home — with all the excitement and dread such a visit entails." The two-season Hulu series wove in various elements from King's own multiverse — with Shawshank Prison at the heart of it all — into new narratives, like Castle Rock-born defense attorney Henry Deaver returning to defend a Shawshank inmate, or the disturbing backstory of *Misery'*s Annie Wilkes.

The multitude of King elements — including impressive turns by Sissy Spacek (*Carrie*) and Tim Robbins (*The Shawshank Redemption*) — makes for a series that's a sure bet for genre fans, even when they're not spotting the many Easter egg nods to the "King of Horror." —*G.I.*

Where to watch *Castle Rock*: Hulu

**EW grade: **A–

**Cast: **André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Bill Skarsgård, Jane Levy, Sissy Spacek

Cruel Summer (2021–2023)

Olivia Holt as Kate Wallis on 'Cruel Summer'. Freeform/Bill Matlock

The first season of Freeform's *Cruel Summer,* cleverly told across the span of three years, focused on two teens who, at first, couldn't appear to be more different: golden girl Kate Wallis and nerdy wannabe Jeanette Turner. Then, Kate disappeared, and Jeanette ascended to her place in the social strata. But did Jeanette actually have anything to do with Kate's disappearance? Therein lies the joy of watching this series, as EW's critic notes, "...creator Bert V. Royal (*Easy A*) presents a twisty, suspenseful thriller by using the concept to illuminate the characters — not the other way around."

*Cruel Summer* shuffles its datelines to tantalizingly unfurl various parts of the story while luring you into its central mystery; if you can walk away without binge-watching the whole first season, you're stronger than we are. —*G.I.*

Where to watch *Cruel Summer*: Hulu

**EW grade: **B+

**Cast:** Olivia Holt, Chiara Aurelia, Froy Gutierrez, Harley Quinn Smith, Brooklyn Sudano

Damages (2007–2012)

Rose Byrne as Ellen Parsons and Glenn Close as Patty Hewes on 'Damages'.

Giovanni Rufino/DirecTV/Everett Collection

You don't want to mess with Patty Hewes. Glenn Close starred on this gripping legal thriller show as the merciless lawyer who does battle with big corporations and doesn't like to lose. At the start of the series, Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) is Patty's new protégée, who becomes wise to her boss' ruthless behavior and eventually goes toe to toe with her. While the season-long cases are compelling, the heart of the show is the twisted relationship between Patty and Ellen and how it evolves throughout five seasons. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Damages*: Hulu

**Cast: **Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, Željko Ivanek, Tate Donovan, Ted Danson

Fargo (2014–present)

Chris Rock as Loy Cannon on 'Fargo'. FX

Inspired by the 1996 Coen brothers film of the same name, this anthology series starts in the snowy titular town and eventually branches out to 1950s-era Kansas City before swinging back to North Dakota and Minnesota circa 2019. Each season involves a long-seething family resentment, probably a crime syndicate, and an unexpected incident that quickly spirals out of control. (See: quaint married couple Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons getting in way over their heads in season 2; and Chris Rock as a crime boss trying to align with the Italian mob in season 4.)

But between its separate story lines, *Fargo* always boasts an unfailingly impressive cast of heavy hitters, including Billy Bob Thornton, Uzo Aduba, Ewan McGregor (playing twins), Jon Hamm, and Juno Temple, to name just a few. —*G.I.*

Where to watch *Fargo*: Hulu

**Cast: **Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Martin Freeman

Fringe (2008–2013)

Anna Torv as Olivia Dunham and Joshua Jackson as Peter Bishop on 'Fringe'.

Liane Hentscher/FOX

Numerous sci-fi thriller series were mounted in the wake of *Lost*'s monster success in the mid-2000s, but few proved as smartly written as this Fox cult favorite. *Fringe* centers on a trio of investigators working for a special department of the FBI dedicated to fringe science cases. Diving headfirst into the worlds of paranormal activity and alternate universes, the series refuses to insult the audience's intelligence. EW's critic writes, "*Fringe* is fearless — at a time when it's assumed that cutting-edge television is supposed to be dark/edgy/pessimistic — about asserting the notion that life is a never-ending wonder, capable of healing souls and bringing people together in inexplicable ways." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Fringe*: Hulu

**Cast:** Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo

Homeland (2011–2020)

Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison and Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson on 'Homeland'.

Erica Parise/Showtime

One of the defining TV thrillers of the 2010s, *Homeland* went in numerous directions over the course of its run, but Claire Danes' fully committed performance as Carrie Mathison remained its north star. The series began with the maverick CIA official suspecting a war veteran (Damian Lewis) of being turned by al-Qaeda, leading to a gripping cat-and-mouse tale — further complicated by Carrie's bipolar disorder and the effect it had on her personal and professional life.

An immediate hit with critics and audiences with its first season, *Homeland* took home multiple Emmys, including two for Danes, one for Lewis, and Best Drama Series, and it remained one of Showtime's most popular shows through eight seasons. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Homeland*: Hulu

**EW grade:** A–

**Cast:** Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Mandy Patinkin, Morena Baccarin, David Harewood

How to Get Away With Murder (2014–2020)

Viola Davis as Annalise Keating (center) on 'How to Get Away With Murder'.

Nicole Rivelli/Walt Disney Television/Getty

The title of this deliciously soapy ABC drama isn't just about winning difficult legal cases — as the law students of Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) know far too well, it also applies to their own lives. After Annalise takes a select group of five students under her wing to intern at her firm, they become entangled in a plot to cover up the murder of Annalise's husband, with many twists and turns from there. Some of it may be far-fetched, but it's undoubtedly a thrill to go along for the ride with this group of messy characters, and Davis' Emmy-winning performance lends gravitas to it all. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *How to Get Away With Murder*: Hulu

**Cast:** Viola Davis, Billy Brown, Jack Falahee, Aja Naomi King, Matt McGorry

Lost (2004–2010)

Jorge Garcia as Hugo 'Hurley' Reyes, Dominic Monaghan as Charlie Pace, and Terry O'Quinn as John Locke on 'Lost'.

Mario Perez/ABC

Yet another series benefiting from the binge model is the iconic *Lost*, which certainly took its own sweet time delving into the various fates of the Oceanic Flight 815 crash survivors left stranded on a deserted island. Remember the Dharma Initiative? The smoke monster? The various *Wizard of Oz* references? Yes, the series is still a bit of a stumper, but we have to admit, it's a pretty fun one that kept TV audiences riveted for years. And the chance to follow up one puzzling episode immediately with another is also pretty addictive. When you figure it all out on a second viewing, fill us in, won't you? —*G.I.*

Where to watch *Lost*: Hulu

**Cast:** Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, Terry O'Quinn, Naveen Andrews

A Murder at the End of the World (2023)

Jermaine Fowler as Martin, Emma Corrin as Darby Hart, Ryan J. Haddad as Oliver, Pegah Ferydoni as Ziba, and Joan Chen as Lu Mei in 'A Murder at the End of the World'.

Chris Saunders/FX

This psychological thriller miniseries unfolds like a page-turning, if contemplative, whodunit novel. Emma Corrin stars as Darby, an amateur sleuth/computer hacker/author who takes a special interest in female murder victim cases. Tech billionaire Andy Ronson (Clive Owen) invites her and eight others to a retreat, where, on the first night, one of the guests winds up dead. Darby then leads an investigation into what she suspects is a murder, which is further complicated as more dead bodies turn up. Corrin makes for a compelling Lisbeth Salander-esque lead as Darby grapples with the brutality all around her, as she — like the series itself — takes care to emphasize the victims' lives lost over the killer who took them. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *A Murder at the End of the World*: Hulu

**Cast:** Emma Corrin, Brit Marling, Harris Dickinson, Joan Chen, Clive Owen

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Nine Puzzles (2025–present)

Kim Da-mi as Yoon E-na on 'Nine Puzzles'.

When criminal profiler Yoon E-na (Kim Da-mi) was in high school, she unwittingly became the prime suspect in her uncle's murder. Left next to her uncle's body was a puzzle piece, and now, many years later, more murders have occurred with the same mysterious token. This absorbing mystery thriller series from South Korea follows E-na as she investigates the murders while grappling with her past, teaming up with a detective who is still suspicious of her involvement in her uncle's death. It's an intriguing premise that only deepens as the season goes along. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Nine Puzzles*: Hulu

**Cast:** Kim Da-mi, Son Suk-ku

The Old Man (2022–2024)

Jeff Bridges as Dan Chase on 'The Old Man'. Kurt Iswarienko/FX

Like Liam Neeson and Clint Eastwood before him, Jeff Bridges proves remarkably capable as an action star of an older age. On this FX thriller series, the grizzled actor plays Dan Chase, a retired CIA operative whose life off the grid is interrupted when he kills an intruder who enters his home, leading him to go on the run as he fears the past is catching up with him. What that past entailed is gradually revealed over the course of the first season, involving an FBI official, a daughter he's trying to keep safe, and his experience as a soldier in the Soviet-Afghan War.

What starts as your standard action hero on the run story settles into a compelling drama about living with past actions and how they inform the present. Both seasons are available to binge now. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Old Man*: Hulu

**Cast:** Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, E.J. Bonilla, Alia Shawkat, Amy Brenneman

Only Murders in the Building (2021–present)

Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage, Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora, and Martin Short as Oliver Putnam on 'Only Murders in the Building'. Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu

Longtime collaborators Steve Martin and Martin Short team up with Selena Gomez as Charles, Oliver, and Mabel, three neighbors who produce a true crime podcast about cracking the various cases of their historic New York City apartment building, the Arconia. The suspects in *Only Murders *rotate as fast as any Agatha Christie mystery, while the charming banter between the three leads (as well as an inspiring collection of autumnal coats and sweaters) keeps you riveted.

In season 2, Amy Schumer called *Only Murders in the Building**'*s meta podcast "cozy murder," which is really the perfect description of the series overall. Plus, the star-fueled cameos and guest spots are never less than exemplary, featuring Tina Fey, Nathan Lane, Shirley MacLaine, Jane Lynch, Sting, Paul Rudd, Meryl Streep, Renée Zellweger, Logan Lerman, and more. —*G.I.*

Where to watch *Only Murders in the Building*: Hulu

**EW grade:** B

**Cast:** Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton

The Other Black Girl (2023)

Ashleigh Murray as Hazel-May McCall, Sinclair Daniel as Nella Rogers, and Amber Reign Smith as Kiara on 'The Other Black Girl'. Wilford Harwood/Hulu

Deftly mixing corporate drama and biting satire with a thriller edge, *The Other Black Girl* is an incisive look at racism within the cutthroat world of publishing. Sinclair Daniel plays Nella, an editorial assistant who also happens to be the only Black woman in her office...until the arrival of Ashleigh Murray's Hazel. What starts with a sense of relief and camaraderie soon shifts when Nella starts to notice strange happenings around the office, from a threatening note to a face reflecting in her computer screen that isn't her own. Then there's Hazel, whose wishy-washy behavior and by-any-means-necessary ambitions add to Nella's uneasiness.

Adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name by Zakiya Dalila Harris, *The Other Black Girl* finds its thrills in real fears, unraveling like a yarn as Nella discovers the disturbing truths at the heart of her workplace. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Other Black Girl*: Hulu

**Cast: **Sinclair Daniel, Ashleigh Murray, Brittany Adebumola, Bellamy Young, Eric McCormack

Paradise (2025–present)

Sterling K. Brown as Xavier Collins and James Marsden as Cal Bradford on 'Paradise'.

Disney/Ser Baffo

Sterling K. Brown plays a Secret Service agent looking into the murder of the President of the United States on this engrossing thriller drama created by Dan Fogelman. Of course, anyone who knows Fogelman's work (*This Is Us*; *Crazy, Stupid, Love.*) would assume there's probably more to the story than this simple yet evocative premise...and they would be right, as the end of the premiere recontextualizes all that came before. Teeming with dynamic performances and cliffhangers aplenty, *Paradise* is an intriguing place to spend some time in. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Paradise*: Hulu

**Cast:** Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, James Marsden, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom

The Patient (2022)

Steve Carell as Dr. Alan Strauss in 'The Patient'. Suzanne Tenner/FX

Following the success of *The Americans*, co-creators Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg developed this psychological miniseries about a therapist named Alan (Steve Carell) who is held hostage by a serial killer patient, Sam (Domhnall Gleeson). Sam is intent on curbing his killer instincts, chaining Alan to the floor of his basement and forcing him to conduct therapy sessions while detained. From there, a game of cat and mouse unfolds, with Alan trying desperately to find a way out without letting Sam on, for fear of retaliation.

Carell and Gleeson's delicate back-and-forths make for increasingly compelling television as each episode plays out like a chapter of a great suspense novel, giving the viewer just enough information at just the right time. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Patient*: Hulu

**Cast: **Steve Carell, Domhnall Gleeson, Linda Emond

Revenge (2011–2015)

Emily VanCamp as Emily Thorne and Josh Bowman as Daniel Grayson on 'Revenge'. Richard Cartwright/ABC/Getty Images

"When everything you love has been stolen from you, sometimes all you have left is revenge," explained our protagonist in the pilot. This juicy primetime soap centered on a young woman named Emily (Emily VanCamp), whose arrival at the Hamptons is motivated by a desire to get back at the people who framed her late father for a crime he didn't commit. She set her sights on Victoria (Madeleine Stowe), the matriarch of the influential Grayson family who led the betrayal, setting in motion a rollercoaster of events with many wild twists and turns along the way.

EW's critic muses: "At its best, the show suggests a kind of *Lost*-ification of Bravo's *Real Housewives* franchise: It conjures up a world where social homicide might actually turn into actual homicide." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Revenge*: Hulu

**Cast: **Madeleine Stowe, Emily VanCamp, Gabriel Mann, Henry Czerny, Ashley Madekwe

Top of the Lake (2013; 2017)

Elisabeth Moss as Robin Griffin on 'Top of the Lake'. Lisa Tomasetti/See-Saw Films/SundanceTV

While on hiatus between seasons of *Mad Men*, Elisabeth Moss turned in a hypnotic performance as Robin Griffin, a detective in a small New Zealand lakeside village searching for a missing 12-year-old pregnant girl. While she poked and prodded the secrets of the uneasy, tight-knit small town, long-hidden incidents from her own traumatic past also came to light.

This Jane Campion creation was slow-moving but still fraught with tension, especially when Robin crossed paths with enigmatic guru GJ (Campion's Oscar-winning *The* *Piano* star, Holly Hunter). As you admire the idyllic landscape and Moss' strong performance, *Top of the Lake* will almost lull you into peaceful complacency...before jolting you right out of it. The acclaimed first season was followed by another that moved the action to Australia, *Top of the Lake: China Girl, *featuring Nicole Kidman. —*G.I.*

Where to watch *Top of the Lake*: Hulu

**Cast:** Elisabeth Moss, David Wenham, Peter Mullan, Thomas M. Wright, Holly Hunter

True Blood (2008–2014)

Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse and Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton on 'True Blood'. Jaimie Trueblood/HBO

A lot has been said about *True Blood* over the years, from the appeal of its Southern gothic setting to its propensity for gore to its inconsistent writing. Either way, the HBO drama had us hooked from the start, between Sookie (Anna Paquin) and vampire Bill's (Stephen Moyer) tumultuous love story and the various murders, kidnappings, and mayhem soon to come. While few would argue that the fantasy horror series lost its way in later seasons, the first five are a nonstop thrill ride full of dirty, sexy fun. Let's also not forget that it made a star out of Alexander Skarsgård, who quickly became a fan favorite for his performance as the charismatic vampire Eric Northman. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *True Blood*: Hulu

**Cast:** Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Alexander Skarsgård

Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)

Andrew Garfield as Det. Jeb Pyre in 'Under the Banner of Heaven'. Michelle Faye/FX

Andrew Garfield starred in this acclaimed miniseries as (fictional) Det. Jeb Pyre, whose devout Mormon faith was shaken to the core as he investigated the (real-life) murders of Brenda Lafferty and her 15-month-old daughter, related to a dangerously radical religious sect. Based on Jon Krakauer's 2003 nonfiction bestseller, the chilling series even provides depictions of Joseph Smith's founding of Mormonism.

The story hit close to home for showrunner Dustin Lance Black, who grew up in the church, telling EW, "How did the past plant the seeds of a crime that would take place in the '80s? The founders of this faith in the 19th century decided on the laws and the rules, and how did that turn to bloodshed later?… I had to present not just the Lafferty story, but also the history of the Mormon church and how that's pertinent in terms of solving the case in 1984." —*G.I.*

Where to watch *Under the Banner of Heaven*: Hulu

**Cast: **Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Denise Gough, Wyatt Russell

Underground (2016–2017)

Aldis Hodge as Noah and Jurnee Smollett as Rosalee on 'Underground'.

Skip Bolen/WGN America/Courtesy Everett Collection

This underrated two-season drama starring Jurnee Smollett and Aldis Hodge follows the high-stakes journey of Black, enslaved persons making their way along the Underground Railroad in pre-Civil War Georgia. Their arduous trek to freedom can be difficult to watch given the brutality of the era, but it's hard not to get invested as the sprawling series takes care to give its characters complexity beyond their shared hope of a better future. The series also features anachronistic modern music to bring a saga set nearly 200 years ago bracingly into the present. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Underground*: Hulu

**Cast:** Jurnee Smollett, Aldis Hodge, Jessica De Gouw, Alano Miller, Christopher Meloni

The X-Files (1993–2002; 2016–2018)

Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully and David Duchovny as Fox Mulder on 'The X-Files'. Shane Harvey/FOX

This supernatural cult favorite series offered unparalleled thrills and chills with each episode, as government agents — cynical Scully (Gillian Anderson) and truth-seeker Mulder (David Duchovny) — probed the existence of aliens and other otherworldly creatures. *The X-Files* stoked its conspiracies over several seasons, powered by Mulder's search for his sister and elusive characters like the Cigarette Smoking Man. But we still have trouble scrubbing memorable "monsters of the week" like Flukeman, the Darkness Mites, and that "Home" family from our brains. The Friday night Fox series provided loads of nightmare fuel for grade-schoolers, and now it's ready to spook a whole new generation with ideal sleepover binge viewing. —*G.I.*

Where to watch *The X-Files*: Hulu

**Cast:** David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Robert Patrick, Annabeth Gish, Mitch Pileggi

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Original Article on Source

Source: “EW TV”