My argument: horror cannot be set in space
— Elle Hunt (@elle_hunt) April 6, 2021
My favorites ranked in accordance to their horror effectiveness…
#8. Pandorum
Two crew members of a spaceship wake up from hypersleep to discover that all their colleagues are missing. Despite this, it appears that they are not alone. (imdb.com)
#7. Sunshine
In the not-too-distant future, Earth’s dying sun spells the end for humanity. In a last-ditch effort to save the planet, a crew of eight men and women ventures into space with a device that could revive the star. However, an accident, a grave mistake and a distress beacon from a long-lost spaceship throw the crew and its desperate mission into a tailspin. (rottentomatoes.com)
#6. Aliens
After floating in space for 57 years, Lt. Ripley’s (Sigourney Weaver) shuttle is found by a deep space salvage team. Upon arriving at LV-426, the marines find only one survivor, a nine year old girl named Newt (Carrie Henn). But even these battle-hardened marines with all the latest weaponry are no match for the hundreds of aliens that have invaded the colony. (rottentomatoes.com)
#5. Pitch Black
A commercial transport ship and its crew are marooned on a planet full of bloodthirsty creatures that only come out to feast at night. But then, they learn that a month-long eclipse is about to occur. (imdb.com)
#4. Solaris
A psychologist is sent to a station orbiting a distant planet in order to discover what has caused the crew to go insane. (imdb.com)
#3. Dark City
A man struggles with memories of his past, which include a wife he cannot remember and a nightmarish world no one else ever seems to wake up from. (imdb.com)
#2. Event Horizon
When the Event Horizon, a spacecraft that vanished years earlier, suddenly reappears, a team is dispatched to investigate the ship. Accompanied by the Event Horizon’s creator, William Weir (Sam Neill), the crew of the Lewis and Clark, led by Capt. Miller (Laurence Fishburne), begins to explore the seemingly abandoned vessel. However, it soon becomes evident that something sinister resides in its corridors, and that the horrors that befell the Event Horizon’s previous journey are still present. (rottentomatoes.com)
#1. Alien
After a space merchant vessel receives an unknown transmission as a distress call, one of the crew is attacked by a mysterious life form and they soon realize that its life cycle has merely begun. (imdb.com)
Agree? Disagree? What did I miss?
Yep, that’s a pretty good list.
I would have added two that deserve to be on it.
“Riddick”, the last instalment of the series was awesome.
And “Prometheus” definitely deserves to be on the list. ( The self abortion scene alone qualifies it to be on the best horror movie list of all time).
I’m chilled by a concept that came up a couple times in the Three Body Problem trilogy, not for being exotic but for explaining so much of the past, present, and future. “When adrift in space, the time to totalitarianism is five minutes.”
How about 2017’s Life. While it’s pretty pedestrian in its humanity underestimates the intelligence of alien life storyline, the twisty ending still sticks with me four years later.
I agree with Pitch Black which was not only terrifying but plausable. I couldn’t watch Event Horizon all the way through, although I love Sam Niell. Alien always scared me even tho I watched it more than once. The rest, I’m not familiar with. But I’m sure they were good choices.
I agree with you! Space is damn scary with or without aliens.
I have never seen Dark City. I did not like either Sunshine or Solaris. The other films I have seen and agree with as being gems for space horror, especially Alien (my all time favorite SciFi / Space Horror film)
I agree with you about Alien/Aliens. I know “Prometheus” has huge plot holes but I did enjoy it. It’s kind of my guilty secret.. The cinematography is wonderful. I love the part, as the first, were the alien drinks that liquid and breaks apart to seed the Earth. Just beautiful!
I would add “The Thing” (the one with Kurt) to your list. “The Thing” is kind of a Christmas movie for me. Yes, I know how weird that sounds.
“Pitch Black” would be on my list, as well as “Riddick”.
Is the “Matrix” considered horror? If so, put that movie on the list. The first one is was shocking the first time I saw it.
I’m not a fan of “Event Horizon”. All that crazy stuff gets to me. Can’t stand “Jacob’s Ladder” for that reason, too.
I saw ALIENS when it first came out in the theaters. I still have nightmares that reference that movie. Since then, “if” I watch a science fiction horror movie I’ll watch it on the tv – it minimizes the drama and I can distract myself with a video game on my phone.
The Aliens movies are the scariest movies I’ve ever seen. Period.
I am more of an old school, black and white film girl. To that end, the original The Day the Earth Stood Still gives me the creeps no matter how many times I’ve seen it. Gort’s almost unlimited power over Earth is terrifying. The whole concept of space invaders keeps me awake at night. Add a well played theremin for sound effects and I’m quivering jelly.