Sci-fi is a genre full of horror movies, though some of these space-faring gems have managed to fly under the radar. Films like those that can be found in the Alien franchise have dominated the genre for decades, and because of this, many horror science fiction movies haven't received the same level of attention. Despite this lack of attention, plenty of these sci-fi films have achieved a certain cult status, garnering a rabid collection of fans despite either bombing at the box office or lacking the right marketing strategies.
When it comes to science fiction, there are so many different ways that horror can go since science fiction is such a broad term. There is something uniquely terrifying about horror that takes place in outer space, placing both the characters of the film and the viewer in an alien environment where humanity was never meant to be. Because of the special challenges that come with this sort of horror film, they are often the scariest and most tense.
10 Apollo 18 (2011)
Apollo 18 is a sci-fi horror film that takes place in a revisionist history where the Apollo 18 mission was never canceled and instead made it to the moon, but the crew never returned. The movie shows the found footage of the mission as it retells the story of the secret mission headed to the moon to install a defensive payload for the U.S., but they soon discover they're not alone.
Director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego
Release Date July 20, 2011
Studio(s) Dimension Films
Distributor(s) The Weinstein Company , Dimension Films
Writers Brian Miller , Cory Goodman
Runtime 86minutes
Budget $5million
Apollo 18 takes place in an alternate version of the past where the Apollo 18 mission actually launched, but none of the crew came back alive. The film is supposedly the found footage of this event, recovered after the fact. It is discovered that the Apollo 18 crew didn't perish because of the normal perils of space exploration like lack of oxygen or the vacuum of space, but rather a group of hostile alien monsters living in the rocks on the moon.
Although the film does have its own issues with the depictions of its monsters and how scary they are, the personal feeling that the found footage film evokes makes it deeply frightening.Apollo 18 really gives off the feeling that the viewer is watching something left behind by the astronauts, and if one suspends their disbelief enough, the feeling that it could be real adds to the horror. Because of the found footage boom that occurred during the time of its release in the 2010s, it is generally forgotten, as this was the era of Paranormal Activity.
9 Saturn 3 (1980)
Robots Bring The Horror To Science Fiction
Saturn 3 is a science fiction horror film directed by Stanley Donen. Starring Kirk Douglas, Farrah Fawcett, and Harvey Keitel, the story is set on a remote Saturn moon base where two scientists, isolated from Earth, encounter a psychotic Earth officer and his malevolent robot, leading to a battle for survival. The film explores themes of isolation, artificial intelligence, and human psychology.
Director Stanley Donen , John Barry
Release Date February 15, 1980
Writers Martin Amis , John Barry
Cast Farrah Fawcett , Kirk Douglas , Harvey Keitel , Ed Bishop , Roy Dotrice , Stephanie English , Jill Goldston , Vera Goulet
Runtime 88 Minutes
Character(s) Alex , Adam , Benson , Harding , Technician , Small Brunette Woman on World Spaceways Ship
Main Genre Sci-Fi
Having been released all the way back in 1980, Saturn 3 is a great early example of a science fiction horror film about robots. When a robot, the first of its kind, is prepared to begin working with the crew of the Saturn 3 through a complicated neural link, the robot accidentally receives the bloodthirsty nature of one of the crew members. The crew is able to dismantle the robot, but it manages to not only put itself back together, but also go on to take complete control of the ship.
However, despite being laughable at times, the film touches on the evils that humans commit every day, reflected and compounded by humanity's own creation.
When Saturn 3 initially released, it was a box office bomb. Critical reception of the film was generally poor, citing sloppy production and uninspired scripting as issues with the movie. However, despite being laughable at times, the film touches on the evils that humans commit every day, reflected and compounded by humanity's own creation.
8 Moontrap (1989)
Beloved Actor Bruce Campbell Stars In Another Horror Gem
Starring horror regular Bruce Campbell, Moontrap is an experimental and often bloody science fiction picture about a fictional NASA mission to the moon. Colonel Jason Grant and Ray Tanner, both astronauts, discover cybernetic life on the moon and bring it back to Earth, but when it is found to be hostile, the two go on a mission back to the moon in order to destroy what is left on the moon. It is there that the two discover the ruins of an ancient human civilization and are quickly taken captive.
A successor to
Moontrap
called
Moontrap: Target Earth
was released in 2017.
Despite the fact it is a genuinely exciting movie from beginning to end with moments of great suspense, Moontrap initially received negative reviews. Even with the negative reviews, the crazy plot is still beloved by fans. There were even plans for a sequel film to be set on Mars instead of the moon, but this film was eventually scrapped.
7 Life (2017)
Life Flew Under The Radar, Even With An All-Star Cast
Set in the near future on a spaceship returning from a mission to Mars, Life follows the crew of the ship as they inadvertently awaken an alien lifeform in one of their Martian soil samples. Not only intelligent but extremely hostile, the alien begins to attack the crew, who end up in a fight for their lives as they attempt to eliminate the threat their ship now poses to Earth. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson, Olga Dihovichnaya, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Ariyon Bakare.
Director Daniel Espinosa
Release Date March 24, 2017
Writers Paul Wernick , Rhett Reese
Runtime 104 Minutes
Budget $58 million
Detailing the experience of the crew of the International Space Station after finding life on Mars, Life is a film that evolves just as rapidly as its alien threat. After the astronauts shock the small life form in an attempt to wake it up, it not only attempts to escape, but also begins to attack the crew. What follows is a bloody hunt to stop the new discovery as it evolves and begins killing off the members of the crew.
With a cast that includes stars like Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson, and Jake Gyllenhaal, it is hard to believe that Life ever flew under the radar in the first place. It is also innovative, taking the genre it was made for and making something that feels fresh and new. Life turns several science fiction tropes on their heads, making this suspenseful watch as unpredictable as it is satisfying.
6 Sunshine (2007)
The Film Is Inspired By Alien And Solaris
Sunshine, directed by Danny Boyle, follows a team of astronauts on a mission to reignite a dying sun with a massive nuclear bomb. Set in 2057, the film stars Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, and Michelle Yeoh, encapsulating their struggle against both physical and psychological challenges. As the crew ventures deeper into space, they confront unexpected dangers that threaten the mission and their survival.
Director Danny Boyle
Release Date July 27, 2007
Runtime 107 minutes
Budget $40 Million
Set decades in the future, a group of astronauts undertakes a harrowing mission to save the sun as it begins to die. Things quickly begin to go wrong as members of the crew are lost to the depths of space, dying on their way to save the sun by detonating a stellar bomb inside of it. This quickly begins to wear on the crew, slowly causing their state to deteriorate even further.
Sunshine
often feels claustrophobic, with spectacular science fiction scenes that, while originally panned for being inaccurate, can be quite fun at times.
The inspirations from beloved films such as Alien, Solaris, and the classic 2001: A Space Odyssey are clear to see in this movie.Sunshine often feels claustrophobic, with spectacular science fiction scenes that, while originally panned for being inaccurate, can be quite fun at times. It even won an award for its technical achievement, showing the hard work that went into creating the anxiety-inducing feel of this movie.
5 Pandorum (2009)
This Horror Film Brings Paranoia To Science Fiction
Written and directed by Christian Alvart, with help from Travis Milloy, Pandorum is a Sci-Fi and Horror film that sees a group of people feeling the Earth in an attempt to colonize an Earth-like moon, only to be attacked by a group of strange and cannibalistic entities.
Director Christian Alvart
Release Date September 25, 2009
Studio(s) Overture Films
Distributor(s) Overture Films
Writers Christian Alvart
Cast Dennis Quaid , Ben Foster , Cam Gigandet
Runtime 108minutes
Budget $33 million
Steeped in paranoia, Pandorum is a film about the last surviving humans and their mission to find a new home. However, the mission to this new planet, Tanis, is supposed to take over 100 years. After spending so long in hibernation, the crew must contend with a space-related disease named Pandorum that causes psychosis, as well as the members of humanity that have lost themselves to insanity in the years that have passed.
Few movies utilize aspects of only one genre in their stories, and some of the best sci-fi films include elements of horror and suspense.
Another unfavorable box-office flop, Pandorum has received criticism for its bloated plot. However, it has also been described as the "finest interstellar horror in years" by SFX, recognized for its incredible way of building tension as well as its twist ending. It is a great horror film, perfect for any fan of science fiction.
4 Dead Space (1991)
This Horror Film Came Before The Dead Space Game Series
Before the popular video game series became synonymous with the name Dead Space, the 1991 movie Dead Space is a remake of the 1982 science fiction horror movie Forbidden World. In an attempt to cure a dangerous disease, scientists on the planet Phablos accidentally create an even more deadly virus. This virus turns the people it infects into monsters, who then begin to attack the other scientists.
Dead Space had incredible technical effects for the time, making its monsters feel as real as possible. While not on the same level as movies such as The Thing, the film is still successful at making viewers second guess themselves. It even featured actor Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad fame in one of his earliest movie roles, making the film all the more worth watching.
3 Pitch Black (2000)
Vin Diesel Added Expertise To This Sci-Fi Horror Film
Pitch Black is the first installment in the Chronicles of Riddick franchise. Vin Diesel stars as Richard B. Riddick, a criminal with artificially enhanced eyes who helps a group of survivors fight off a race of aliens after crashing on a desert planet.
Director David Twohy
Release Date February 18, 2000
Studio(s) Universal Pictures
Distributor(s) Universal Pictures , Focus Features
Writers David Twohy , Ken Wheat , Jim Wheat
Runtime 109 minutes
Budget $23 million
Beginning in the middle of space on a ship full of people transporting a criminal to a maximum security prison, Pitch Black chronicles the story of Richard B. Riddick, a career criminal with surgically modified eyes. When the ship encounters unexpected comet debris, it is forced to crash-land on what initially appears to be an empty desert planet. However, when the sun sets, the group is attacked by bloodthirsty, hungry alien creatures.
Pitch Black
is the first installment in
The Chronicles of Riddick
franchise, which as of now consists of two other movies:
The Chronicles of Riddick
and
Riddick.
Although the film itself initially received middling reviews, Vin Diesel's performance was almost universally praised. The slow build up to nighttime is expertly crafted, and the monsters feel threatening while also feeling like realistic extraterrestrial animals. The film set the foundation for the franchise that would follow, with Riddick: Furya set to release sometime in the future.
2 High Life (2018)
Watch Robert Pattinson's Sci-Fi Debut Before Mickey 17
High Life, directed by Claire Denis, stars Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche in a science fiction story about a group of criminals sent on a mission to extract energy from a black hole. As the journey unfolds, the crew confronts the isolation of deep space while struggling with their pasts and the manipulative intentions of those in charge.
Director Claire Denis
Release Date September 26, 2018
Studio(s) Wild Bunch , Arte France Cinéma , Pandora Film , Andrew Lauren Productions , Alcatraz Films , The Apocalypse Films , Madants , ZDF , BFI
High Life takes place on an expedition towards a dangerous black hole, detailing the lives of the criminals using this mission to serve out their sentence. While on board, the criminals are forced to partake in scientific experiments.Many of these experiments have to do with human fertility, as the scientist, Dibs, is obsessed with creating a child for herself.
As a film, High Life is an expertly crafted non-linear narrative, unnerving in the way it tackles science fiction and black holes with unforgiving accuracy. Compared to many other sci-fi horror movies, it received incredibly favorable reviews, though it is typically overlooked because it is an indie film. Despite this, the film is evocative of other science fiction classics such as Christopher Nolan's Interstellar,deeply human in the best and worst ways.
1 Event Horizon (1997)
This Hellish Science Fiction Horror Film Is One Of The Forgotten Best
Paul W. S. Anderson steps further into the world of sci-fi horror with Event Horizon, a movie set in the future following a crew of Astronauts attempting to locate a missing ship known as the Event Horizon. When the crew finds the ship floating near Neptune, the distress signal relayed is haunting, followed by the discovery what awaits the rescue team isn't the crew of the missing ship but something far more sinister.
Director Paul W.S. Anderson
Release Date August 15, 1997
Studio(s) Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures
Writers Philip Eisner
Runtime 96 minutes
Budget $60 million
After a crew of astronauts set out to find the missing ship, the Event Horizon, they discover it has suddenly reappeared around the planet Neptune. However, once they enter the ship to investigate, they realize that the ship's entire crew has been slaughtered by a mysterious force. The rescue crew is then subject to bloody hallucinations, slowly turning on each other as they try to figure out what the Event Horizon brought back with it.
Given the popularity of some science fiction movies, it is surprising that they never received sequels. Sometimes, a sequel is just what fans need.
Though the film was a box office failure, Event Horizon has since cemented its legacy in the pop culture zeitgeist through its rabid cult following. The film has since been heavily referenced in other media, with Interstellar even recreating a short scene in which a pen is used to explain the science behind wormholes. Though it has begun to gain recognition over the years, Event Horizon is certainly a sci-fi horror that deserves more recognition from the general public.
Image by Debanjana Chowdhury
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