Stay – Movie Review | Hulu (2/5)

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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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