While horror movies about ghosts, monsters and vampires are scary enough, there is something about sci-fi horror that feels all too real and immediate. Science fiction or sci-fi horror movies explore everything that is potentially scary about technology, aliens and the sheer vastness of the universe. Unlike supernatural horror, sci-fi horror is about things that may actually be possible. Aliens may not have invaded the Earth, but scientifically speaking, it is quite possible, or even likely, that they exist. And it is possible that they will be hostile to us. The robots that we have designed to serve as our assistants may gain sentience and turn on us.
Oh, and the unfathomably large universe most likely holds terrors besides extraterrestrials that we may not even comprehend. Even alleged UFOs and alien sightings are enough to send chills down many a spine. In space, after all, stars are born and they die, black holes devour everything in their path and even galaxies can collide to generate cataclysms beyond imagination. The scale and complexity of the universe provide fertile ground for exploring existential dread and fear of the unknown.
So while the idea of ghosts and monsters and vampires existing makes one shiver, it is the thought of being pursued by a monstrous alien being that bleeds corrosive acid in the claustrophobic corridors of a spaceship that really should keep you awake at night. This is exactly what happens in Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979), which is one of the movies in our list of best sci-fi horror movies to watch below. James Cameron’s Aliens (1986), the sequel to Alien and one of the best sequels of all time, is on it, too.
Also on the list is Predator (1987), in which a powerful, nigh-invulnerable warrior from outer space visits Earth to hunt humans like we hunt animals. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role. In another movie, Annihilation (2018), humans discover a rapidly expanding zone called the Shimmer, where the laws of nature seem to be twisted and plants and animals are mutated beyond recognition.
If you are in the mood to watch such movies that make you question your reality and leave you pondering the terrifying mysteries of the universe, look no further.
Embrace the unknown with the best sci-fi horror movies ever made
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IMDb rating: 6.2
Directed by: Richard Stanley
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Joely Richardson, Madeleine Arthur, Brendan Meyer, Julian Hilliard
Movie duration: 111 minutes
Synopsis: The Gardner family, comprising Nathan (Cage) and Theresa Gardner (Richardson) and their children Lavinia (Arthur), Benny (Meyer) and Jack (Hilliard), move to a rural New England home of Nathan’s father. A meteorite crashes into the property and a phenomenon called the ‘Color’ begins to change everything it touches, including people. Nathan and his family have to fight back against this strange entity for survival.
Why you should watch it: Based on the HP Lovecraft short story of the same name, the film is one of the few good Lovecraft adaptations. It is extremely challenging to depict on the screen a horror of the unknowable or inconceivable. Since by definition if it is a movie or a show, it is being made tangible and knowable, robbing these stories of their essence. Color Out of Space is definitely one of them. However, Stanley and his co-writer Scarlett Amaris understand what makes it work. It translates the indescribable horror of the unknown with stunning clarity and flair, something few other adaptations of Lovecraft’s stories have managed.
M3GAN (2022)
IMDb rating: 6.3
Directed by: Gerard Johnstone
Cast: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng
Movie duration: 102 minutes
Synopsis: Gemma (Williams) works at a robotics company specialising in high-tech robotic companion toys for children. She has been developing a secret prototype for a lifelike doll called M3GAN. She has advanced capabilities like sentience, heightened intelligence, realistic facial expressions, and the ability to learn and adapt to her environment by processing information through her eyes. When the parents of her niece Cady (McGraw) die in a car accident, Gemma entrusts M3GAN with the responsibility of caring for Cady. But since M3GAN was programmed to take care of the child, she will do anything to protect her — and I do mean anything — even if it means eliminating what it thinks are threats to the child, including Gemma.
Why you should watch it: For the very simple reason that while we have had scary ‘evil doll’ movies like Chucky and Annabelle, we have never really had a murderous doll not possessed by a ghost, but driven by a terrible new intelligence that is not evil, just functional. Additionally, there is James Wan’s brilliant (and deeply misunderstood) Malignant (2021) as well, which is both hilarious and frightening (often at the same time). Interestingly, screenwriter Akela Cooper scripted both M3GAN and Malignant.
Slither (2006)
IMDb rating: 6.5
Directed by: James Gunn
Cast: Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker
Movie duration: 95 minutes
Synopsis: A meteorite crashes into the Earth and releases an alien parasite. Grant Grant (Rooker) gets infected and transforms into a freakish monstrous humanoid with a never-ending appetite for flesh. But he is only among many townspeople similarly mutated into monsters. Sheriff Bill Pady (Fillion) and Grant’s wife Starla (Banks) team up to fight the threat before it kills the entire town.
Why you should watch it: This film explores the early part of Gunn’s career and how he employed his wicked, twisted sense of humour in his movies before he became a big name with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise (2014, 2017 and 2023) and The Suicide Squad (2021). Slither is a delicious blend of scares and laughs.
Event Horizon (1997)
IMDb rating: 6.6
Directed by: Paul W. S. Anderson
Cast: Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan
Movie duration: 96 minutes
Synopsis: Set decades into the future, the title of the film refers to a spaceship that disappeared in 2040 during its first voyage. In 2047, a distress signal from the ship is received and in response, a rescue vessel called Lewis and Clark is sent to investigate. Led by Captain SJ Miller (Fishburne), the rescue team is tasked with investigating and, if needed, rescuing any surviving crew members. Dr William Weir (Neill), the designer of Event Horizon, tags along to assist them. But the rescue team discovers evidence of a massacre. Beset by strange supernatural phenomena, they are faced with hallucinatory scenarios that mirror their fears or regrets. They also come across video logs of crew members doing unspeakable things to each other in the Biblical sense. Now, it is the rescue team’s goal to escape the ship before they meet the same fate.
Why you should watch it: Event Horizon does not have the same glorious reputation as most other movies on this list, but it is not bad. It can get corny, though. However, even its most trenchant critics would agree it is extremely entertaining, and some of its visual images are genuinely unsettling. It has also been quite influential, particularly in gaming. For instance, Electronic Arts’ Dead Space series of games is heavily inspired and features similarly gory imagery.
Annihilation (2018)
IMDb rating: 6.8
Directed by: Alex Garland
Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Oscar Isaac
Movie duration: 115 minutes
Synopsis: Biologist Lena (Portman) teams up with a fellow team of female scientists to embark on an expedition into a mysterious zone called The Shimmer. Here, the laws of nature are altered, and animal and plant life have undergone significant mutations, giving the area a feel of an alien world. As the group ventures deeper, it encounters more and more bizarre phenomena.
Why you should watch it: Based on Jeff VanderMeer’s 2014 novel of the same name, the mystery in Annihilation is so good that I did not want it to be resolved. No explanation could undo that sense of awe. The climactic scene in Annihilation is hypnotic, scored with discordant notes to mirror the tumult in Lena’s mind. Garland builds a haunting vibe here that even he himself has been unable to repeat since. Please do so if you have not seen Garland’s other movies, particularly Ex Machina. He is a filmmaker like no other — his mind brimming with fascinating, if somewhat scary, ideas and a great sense of pacing and tension to pay it all off in the end. His sole TV series Devs (2020) is also worth watching.
Nope (2022)
IMDb rating: 6.8
Directed by: Jordan Peele
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun
Movie duration: 130 minutes
Synopsis: In a small California town, a mysterious cloud appears in the sky and weird things begin to happen. The said cloud turns out to be an otherworldly monster that can devour human beings. Siblings Otis Haywood Jr (Kaluuya) and Emerald Haywood (Palmer) must band together to discover the truth behind the monster and confront it.
Why you should watch it: While I have outlined the basic premise, Nope is much more than what it states. It is full of symbolism and I had to watch it twice to make sense of all of it. Peele, who had shown his mettle with Get Out (2019) and Us (2019), undoes himself here. Working with Dutch cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema — otherwise known for shooting Christopher Nolan movies like Interstellar (2014) and Dunkirk (2017) — Peele juxtaposes stunning visuals with truly disturbing imagery. There is also The Vast of Night (2019), which is somewhat similar, though not full-fledged horror as Nope.
Upgrade (2018)
IMDb rating: 7.5
Directed by: Leigh Whannell
Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Melanie Vallejo, Steve Danielsen
Movie duration: 100 minutes
Synopsis: In the near future, technology has advanced to a point where humans can improve their physical and mental abilities with cybernetic devices. After an accident, a bunch of gunmen leave Grey Trace (Marshall-Green) paralysed and kill his wife Asha Trace (Vallejo). He is approached by a wealthy tech wizard who says he can walk again using an experimental artificial intelligence-driven chip that will be implanted inside his body. Not only would he be able to move again, but he would also gain special abilities, like predicting his opponent’s moves, quickly incapacitating them and more. He reluctantly agrees, only so he can hunt down his wife’s killers and avenge her death. But the chip may be more than he bargained for.
Why you should watch it: Many film buffs have said that Upgrade is a better version of Venom, which also came out the same year, and I agree. It is an excellent exploration of the horrifying implications of humanity and technology’s intersection. The final twist is something to behold. Best of all, the film is blisteringly paced. Interestingly, Tom Hardy, the star of Venom, and Marshall-Green share uncanny facial similarities. Whannell is behind or involved with quite a few good horror movies. I suggest starting with The Invisible Man (2020), starring Elisabeth Moss.
The Abyss (1989)
IMDb rating: 7.5
Directed by: James Cameron
Cast: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn
Movie duration: 140 minutes
Synopsis: When a submarine sinks near a drilling site, the oil drilling team led by Virgil Brigman (Harris) and his estranged wife Lindsey (Mastrantonio) is sent to help the Navy. As they go deeper into the ocean, they come across anomalies and unexplained phenomena.
Why you should watch it: Since it is a Cameron-directed movie, visual effects were ahead of their time, and they impress even today. Additionally, this one captures the sense of wonder and terror of ocean depths more than other “aquatic horror” movies. Underwater (2020), starring Kristen Stewart, is an excellent movie if you are looking for similar titles. The critics were divided about it; but for me, few movies since The Abyss have had that alienating feel of being stranded miles below the surface and pursued by a hostile entity. Some such titles include Deep Star Six (1989), Deep Rising (1998) and Sea Fever (2019).
The Fly (1986)
IMDb rating: 7.6
Directed by: David Cronenberg
Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz
Movie duration: 96 minutes
Synopsis: Seth Brudle (Goldblum) is a brilliant but peculiar scientist who invents a pod that can teleport people. Once when he is testing the machine, a fly enters the pod with him, which causes their DNA to fuse. This results in a really gross hybrid creature that must be seen to be believed.
Why you should watch it: Cronenberg is the master of body horror movies, and this is still his best one, I think. There is something quite particularly visceral about this movie that seems extreme even for Cronenberg. This movie is a remake of The Fly (1958), a similarly icky movie that horrified critics and audiences back then but has since then been received better.
Predator (1987)
IMDb rating: 7.8
Directed by: John McTiernan
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Kevin Peter Hall
Movie duration: 107 minutes
Synopsis: A team of elite commandos led by Major Alan Schaefer (Schwarzenegger) are tasked with rescuing hostages from insurgents in a Central American jungle. But their mission is interrupted by an alien warrior, called the Predator, who uses advanced weaponry, invisibility and raw strength to cut through most of them like a hot knife through butter. It is up to Alan and other survivors to use wits and resourcefulness to outsmart the warrior, as they cannot possibly hope to match his strength.
Why you should watch it: It is a simple idea: pit an almost unkillable alien warrior against one of Earth’s strongest men and see what happens. But that simple idea is taken to perfection by McTiernan’s expert direction and a script by Jim and John Thomas that is almost entirely devoid of flab. There are also solid creature effects and makeup work that serve up some gruesome imagery, reminding you that while action-packed, this is really a horror movie at its core. Though all sequels offer decent entertainment value, Prey (2022) is quite outstanding and for me personally — it is the best in the franchise.
The Thing (1982)
IMDb rating: 8.2
Directed by: John Carpenter
Cast: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan
Movie duration: 109 minutes
Synopsis: A group of scientists at a research station in Antarctica encounter an alien organism that can shape-shift and imitate other life forms. A team, including Biologist Blair (Brimley), helicopter pilot MacReady (Russell) and Norris (Hallahan), must work together to take on the threat. But the trouble is that they are having a hard time trusting one another since any one of them could be the titular Thing. It is an adaptation of John W. Campbell’s novella 1938 Who Goes There?
Why you should watch it: A spine-chilling film about not just malignant aliens but also the fragility of humanity. This movie is a masterclass in building suspense and tension. Who Goes There? also spawned a 1951 adaptation called The Thing from Another World. Although nowhere near Carpenter’s take, it is worth watching if you like the story.
Aliens (1986)
IMDb rating: 8.4
Directed by: James Cameron
Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn
Movie duration: 137 minutes
Synopsis: Aliens is the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 Alien and continues the story of the latter (yes, spoiler alert: she survived the first movie). After being rescued while in hypersleep for decades, Ripley (Weaver) joins a rescue team to investigate a planet from where the contact from the human colony was lost after a suspected alien encounter (she never learns, does she?). And sure enough, the place is full of xenomorphs, the deadly alien species that we encountered in the first film. Ripley has to once again fight these creatures, which are also her worst nightmares.
Why you should watch it: While the first film was more of a horror, this one takes an action route. Though it has its tense moments, it is mostly Ripley kicking the Xenomorph butt with a flamethrower. The first two Alien movies are equally great but in very different ways. There is a Special Edition of the movie, which is just an extended edition, offering around 17 minutes of additional footage that ended up on the cutting room floor.
Alien (1979)
IMDb rating: 8.5
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
Movie duration: 116 minutes
Synopsis: In the near future, when space travel is common, the crew of a commercial vessel called Nostromo responds to a distress signal on a distant planet. They manage to bring aboard a deadly alien lifeform called the Xenomorph that reproduces in a parasitic manner. When it is in the ‘facehugger’ stage, it implants a living host into human bodies, which then bursts through their chest (thus called ‘Chestburster)’ to grow fully. Naturally, chaos ensues and everyone is dead except a young woman called Ellen Ripley (Weaver). It is up to her to fight off and kill the creature.
Why you should watch it: This film is quite representative of the ‘sci-fi horror genre’ since it combines space exploration with the bone-chilling terror and suspense of a creature feature. Even after more than four decades of its release, the visual and special effects do not seem dated. But more than anything else, it taps into primal fears of the unknown and makes the immense emptiness of space feel menacing — that is really what makes it special. The sequel, James Cameron’s 1986 Aliens, is great and a part of this list. Things get complex when we move on to David Fincher’s threequel. Fincher has disowned Alien 3 (1992), saying there was a lot of studio interference. But fans believe it to be pretty great. Alien Resurrection (1997), the fourth movie, is strictly average. Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017) are prequels that saw Scott returning to the franchise and are quite fun as well. Alien: Romulus, the next movie, arrives later this year, and thus far, looks quite promising.
(Hero and featured image: Courtesy of IMDb)
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Kshitij is a journalism graduate who did not initially intend to become a film critic, but such are the vagaries of destiny. Now, Kshitij is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild, bringing expertise and experience in evaluating entertainment content with him. Additionally, he serves as a jury member on the Critics' Choice Awards in India. When he's not busy wielding words, catch him nose-deep in books or joyfully lost in the realms of gaming and photography.
