The relationship between horror and science fiction has always been natural and strong. Both genres delve into the mystery of the unknown, and are known for creating expansive world-building with regard to such mystery and the effect of it. However, science fiction gives filmmakers the freedom to imprint a piece of their imagination, and horror requires something much more tangible and specific.
When sci-fi and horror step together into the vastness of space, all bets are off. The greatest mystery of humankind lies in that void of darkness, and horror makes great use of this. Out there, everyone is vulnerable. No technology can make you completely safe, and since the birth of cinema, this lack of autonomy has been put to use by auteurs who tap into the unsettling feeling of space to portray horror adventures.
These are the best horror films that dare to go into space.
10Aliens (1986)
Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the sole survivor from the original Alien, is awakened after 57 years of drifting through space, her stories disbelieved by Company executives who tell her that the aliens' planet is now inhabited and colonized. When contact is suddenly lost with the colonists, Ripley returns to the planet with a squad of marines, an android (Lance Henriksen), and a Company executive (Paul Reiser) with a mission of his own. Once on the planet, no survivors can be found except for Newt, a little girl who awakens motherly instincts in Ripley just in time for the acid-blooded aliens to attack in what quickly becomes a one-sided battle for sheer survival.
InAliens, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece, Ellen Ripley has been rescued after spending some time drifting in space. However, corporate moguls convince her to go back to the moon where the Nostromo picked up the monster, because communications have been lost with the human colony that settled there. More ammo, more manpower, and more aliens - the sequel delivered it all.
Why It Is a Great Example of Space Horror
One ofJames Cameron’s best films,Aliensis an action horror film that gets rid of most of its sci-fi. However, one of the things it retains fromAlienis the space element that’s mostly featured in the first act, and it’s heavily associated with the mysterious creature that seems to have evolved. Of course, Cameron made a special effects extravaganza that, in some ways, is superior to Ridley Scott’s. Yeah, it’s up for debate.
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9Event Horizon (1997)
Event Horizon
Paul W.S. Anderson madeEvent Horizonin 1997 and gave life to a genre that most had thought to be over after films likeScreamersandLeviathanfailed to make an impression. In the film, a rescue mission is sent to the far reaches of the galaxy to see what happened to a spaceship called theEvent Horizon, whose crew had stopped responding. What they find is a spine-chilling mystery that leads them into unknown aspects of reality. Featuring one ofSam Neill’s best performances, this film is an underrated gem of horror.
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Few films blend horror and sci-fi well, because few filmswantto blend horror and sci-fi.Event Horizonis a fascinating sci-fi film that respects the tropes up to a point, but quickly it turns into a horror ride as audiences learn about the fate of the crew. A malicious presence navigates through the ship and terrorizes the crew in an underrated horror feature whose cult status speaks for itself. This is one of thescariest sci-fi horror films from the ’90s.
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8Sunshine (2007)
Danny Boyle’s sci-fi epicSunshinetells the story of an astronaut crew sent to outer space to jumpstart the sun using nuclear fission. As absurd as that sounds, there’s more. The crew of theIcarus IIfinds that the mission of their predecessors onIcarus Ifailed because part of the crew went insane — and this doesn’t bode well for them.
Sunshineis one of themost underrated movies of the century. It’s an appropriately scary space horror film, but Boyle, being the drama director that he is, doesn’t release the characters into chaotic territory where everything will be solved in an effects-ridden third act.Sunshineis a slow-burn mystery with hints of religion and existentialism that make it all the more mysterious and unique.
RentSunshineon Prime Video or Apple TV+
72001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey is one of Stanley Kubrick’s most well-known films. A science-fiction epic, the film tells the story of the journey of Discovery One, a spacecraft operated by a group of scientists, astronauts, and a sentient computer, on a mission to Jupiter to investigate a mysterious monolith. Considered one of the greatest films ever made, Kubrick combines sparse dialogue with the heavy use of scoring and ambiguous imagery to create something that eschews conventional filmmaking.
If you think of space horror,2001: A Space Odysseyis not the first movie that comes to mind. However, as it usually happens with Kubrick’s filmography, the horror element is there — succinct and subtle, but in elemental form. Kubrick’s epic film tells a sweeping story of humankind, with part of the film following people as they attempt to explain an alien monolith that shows up on Jupiter. As you may be aware, the film’s also a tale about what makes us human.
In horror, the threat can usually be measured, whereas in sci-fi, we’re always in the hands of something we usually can’t explain or understand. Kubrick’s magnum opus is not full-blown horror, but certain moments are terrifying enough to make you question your own existence in a matter of seconds. The specific infamous sequence in which the astronaut Dave tries to argue with the AI machine HAL 9000 is hair-raisingand very relevantto today’s relationship between society and technology. This one will make you look a little more closely at your smartphone.
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6Moon (2009)
The veryunderrated sci-fi horror filmMoontells the story of Sam Bell, an astronaut worker who’s isolated in a moon facility, where he does his best to send an essential substance back to Earth. Sam’s run will be over after three years, and just as he goes on his last mission, he meets another astronaut where no one is supposed to be. The problem is that the astronaut looks exactly like Sam, and like him, he has tons of questions.
Sam Rockwell’s performance in Duncan Jones’Moonis superband the best of his career. It’s a crucial role for getting in tune with Jones' sci-fi epic, which slowly turns into psychological horror with a mind-blowing twist that transforms the entertaining film into a dark single-man show. As vast as space is, sometimes it’s more about the claustrophobic sense of facilities that often feel like death traps. The use of the threat and isolation of space inMoonis outstanding.
RentMoonon Prime Video
5Gravity (2013)
Gravity, the sci-fi thriller epic that changed the way space films were set, is a groundbreaking movie about an astronaut who gets stranded in outer space. Her only chance at surviving lies in her ability to cope with extreme isolation and grasp her few chances of survival. Needless to say, we are still recovering from watching that frightening experience.
Alfonso Cuaron’s excellent film is a modern sci-fi masterpiece with a depiction of space that feelsrealistic and terrifying. While not typically classified as horror, the tension and dread are so gripping that it easily fits into the genre of space horror. The film doesn’t pull any punches as it subjects its main character, played superbly by Sandra Bullock, to a nightmarish ordeal which starts in the first 10 minutes and doesn’t relent until the end.
RentGravityon Prime Video or Apple TV+
4Solaris (2002)
Solaristells the story of Dr. Kelvin, a psychologist whose friend Dr. Gibarian lets him know that he needs to come to a space station to make some sense of the strange events taking place. The space station orbits the star Solaris, and the executives of the company convince Kelvin to go and investigate why the astronauts don’t want to return to Earth. When Kelvin arrives, he realizes that things are not what they seem on the space station, and hallucinations he and the crew experience are the result of the planet having some sort of effect on them all.
We’re aware of Andrei Tarkovsky’s version being superior in many ways, but Steven Soderbergh’sremake ofSolarisis much more of a grounded experience in psychological horror and doesn’t dig deep into the existential themes explored in the 1972 film. In Soderbergh’s version, starring George Clooney as Chris Kelvin, science falls secondary to the somber psychological attack that the man experiences. This is what horror feels like from an emotional perspective.
StreamSolaris (2002)on Hulu
3Apollo 18 (2011)
Terriblyunderrated found footagefilmApollo 18tells the story of what would have happened if Flight 18 of the Apollo mission had gone to the moon. Apparently, it was all a coverup by the government because the astronautsdidgo, but never returned, and this film tells that story.
Released during a prolific era of found footage films, the movie went mostly unnoticed because of a lukewarm reception by critics. But in reality,Apollo 18is a solid exploration of a fascinating premise that had remained untouched by producers. The film is scary, very well-shot, and uses the moon’s landscape as a perfect residence for an unimaginable threat.
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2High Life (2018)
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.
In Claire Denis' high-concept sci-fi horror filmHigh Life, criminals are the ones in charge of investigating how close we can get to black holes. However, it’s not their only punishment. They’re also the subjects of a series of experiments involving human reproduction, sexual practices, and emotional resilience.
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Denis' film is a fantastic take on space horror, but the film doesn’t rely cheap jump scares or alien creatures. This is all about humankind’s capacity to visit its darkest nature and exercise power in the most brutal of fashions, when they reside in the most hostile environment ever. Needless to say, this won’t make you feel any good after watching it.Mia Goth’s performancein the film is one of her best.
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1Alien (1979)
Alienis, by far,the best space horror film. In Ridley Scott’s late ’70s masterpiece of science fiction and horror, the crew of theNostromorespond to a distress call coming from a nearby planet. When they land to see if there’s anyone there, one of them gets attacked and comes back with a creature stuck on its face. Of course, that creature infects the man, and bursting out of him comes an acidic monster that won’t stop until it exterminates everyone.
Why It Is the Best Example of Space Horror
Alienis a classic of the genre — it might have even defined it. It really doesn’t get better than this, as Scott’s feature is a great exploration of space as a hostile environment that humans shouldn’t be in. If you think about it, there are some boundaries that, perhaps, shouldn’t have been crossed. They really should have paid attention to Ripley and not landed. But, if that had been the case, we wouldn’t have the horror spectacle that isAlien.
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To keep celebrating the genre, here’s a video that highlights some horror films with far too many jump scares:
