It Feeds’ Lands on Hulu August 1 — Ashley Greene Returns in a Twisted New Role

Indie horror flick earns strong reviews from critics despite mixed audience buzz; Twilight star plays clairvoyant psychiatrist haunted by her own visions

Horror season might be a few months away, but Hulu isn’t waiting for Halloween to start unsettling viewers.

On August 1st, the streaming platform will debut It Feeds, an indie horror film that’s already drawn critical praise and more than a few curious looks — especially from longtime Twilight fans. Why? Because front and center in the eerie, slow-burn thriller is none other than Ashley Greene, who played the ever-optimistic Alice Cullen. This time, though, she’s swapped premonitions about prom for something much darker.

A clairvoyant psychiatrist, a haunted past

In It Feeds, Greene plays Cynthia Winstone, a psychiatrist with a seemingly useful but deeply disturbing clairvoyant gift. What starts as a clinical investigation into a series of violent patient episodes spirals into a nerve-rattling descent into supernatural terror — where Cynthia’s visions aren’t just warnings, but clues to something ancient and unrelenting.

The film leans into psychological tension more than jump scares. Reviews describe a slow, dread-soaked atmosphere that grows heavier with every scene. And Greene? Critics say it’s her best work in years.

“She sheds the shimmer of Alice Cullen for something brittle and wounded,” wrote one early reviewer. “You can see the fear behind her eyes. That’s not easy to fake.”

Not a box office smash, but not a flop either

Released in select indie cinemas earlier this summer, It Feeds didn’t exactly break ticket records. The rollout was modest — a handful of art-house screens, a few college town premieres, and limited marketing.

But it wasn’t ignored. The critics noticed.

The film currently holds an 88% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 26 published reviews. For a low-budget horror film without major studio backing, that’s more than respectable.

Audiences, though, seem split. The audience score sits at 63% — not terrible, but clearly more polarizing. Some say the pacing dragged. Others wanted more action. A few found the ending too ambiguous.

Then again, that’s often the divide with horror films that don’t spoon-feed the audience.

What critics and fans are saying

The early reactions to It Feeds have sparked a small but intense debate online. Fans who love it, love it. Those who don’t? Let’s just say they’re more vocal.

Here’s a quick peek at the feedback so far:

• “Haunting and cerebral. Greene is phenomenal.”

• “Too slow. Nothing really happens for 40 minutes.”

• “Felt like a cross between The Babadook and Session 9 — in a good way.”

• “Needed one more big scare. Still worth watching.”

The film’s visual style has drawn particular praise, with cinematographer Niko Perakis earning shoutouts for his moody palette and unnerving camera work. There are long stretches of silence punctuated by bizarre audio cues. The lighting? A clinical mix of hospital whites and shadow-drenched corridors that feel like something’s always just out of sight.

Greene’s comeback moment?

For Ashley Greene, It Feeds marks a meaningful return to the genre that helped launch her career. While she’s had roles in indie dramas, romantic comedies, and a few lesser-known thrillers over the past decade, nothing has clicked quite like her Twilight days.

And yet, she isn’t coasting on old fame here.

“She’s doing work here that feels really lived-in,” said one industry watcher. “This isn’t a stunt casting. She’s carrying the movie.”

Sources close to Hulu say Greene’s name was a major factor in the streamer acquiring the rights to It Feeds for exclusive release. Horror + nostalgia + a star with unfinished business? That’s a bet they’re willing to take.

Streaming strategy and Hulu’s horror play

It Feeds comes as part of a wider Hulu push into genre cinema. The platform has quietly become a hub for horror fans, with recent additions like:

• No One Will Save You

• Clock

• Appendage

• Into the Dark (anthology series)

This August drop isn’t random. Hulu execs reportedly timed the release to hit the “back to school” stretch when younger audiences are indoors, binging darker content.

Here’s how Hulu’s horror originals have performed in the past 12 months:

What to expect (no spoilers)

If you’re heading in expecting another gore-fest or jump-scare marathon, you might want to reset your expectations. It Feeds takes its time. It creeps, it builds, and it refuses to explain everything.

There are whispers of a sequel, depending on how well it performs on Hulu. No confirmations yet, but the final scene does leave room for more.

And while Greene hasn’t publicly said whether she’d return to horror full-time, she has hinted at wanting to explore “more psychological roles with teeth.”

Sounds like this might be the beginning of a new chapter, not just a one-off throwback.