Though a lot of horror films occur here on Earth, there have been plenty set in outer space, successfully merging with sci-fi to explore the unknown. One of the genre's most praised writers, H.P. Lovecraft, penned stories that dealt with the terrifying ancient gods of the cosmos. Outer space can be a bleak, cold, and unforgiving place. As the tagline for Ridley Scott's Alien says, "In space, no one can hear you scream." Here is a list of our favorite sci-fi/horror films.
Fire in the Sky
Fire in the Sky is based on one of the most famous alien abduction cases, that of Travis Walton, a logger who went missing for days in the Pacific Northwest woods after his crew stopped their trucks to investigate a strange light in the forest. Directed by Robert Lieberman, the film stars D.B. Sweeney as Walton and Robert Patrick as Walton's best friend and co-worker, Mike Rogers. Sweeney and Patrick give standout performances.
The film works on a number of levels, both as a drama and an alien abduction story. The scenes where Walton undergoes horrific experiments at the hands of gray aliens are truly the stuff of nightmares and pushes the film into some unsettling horror territory. The scenes when Walton returns, struck by PTSD over what he endured, are just as effective. The movie is also very much about a small town and how it handled such a famous story. After watching this, you won't look at maple syrup the same way again.
Fire in the Sky is available to rent on Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, and Google Play Movies.
Event Horizon
Imagine if you took scenes from Dante's Inferno and placed them in space, specifically upon an abandoned spaceship suddenly rediscovered. Well, that's essentially the premise of Paul W. S. Anderson's cult favorite Event Horizon, a film that includes 90s superstars like Laurence Fishburne as Captain Miller and Sam Neill as Dr. William Weir.
The film is named after the spaceship that's suddenly found after seven years. A team of scientists learns the crew died in grisly ways. Oh, and there's a sinister presence lurking on board. Event Horizon apparently had a director's cut that was even gorier and more horrific, but it's unlikely we'll ever see it in full.
Event Horizon is currently streaming on MGM + and Prime Video.
Alien
Fans of the Alien franchise typically pick Alien or Aliens as their favorite in the saga. For me, Ridley Scott's Alien will always be my favorite. You barely see the xenomorph, and I think that's more effective and far more suspenseful. Alien is very much a straight-up horror film, with POV shots akin to a slasher. The film also includes the nefarious android Ash (Ian Holm), the politics of an evil company that views human workers as disposable, and of course, Sigourney Weaver as the incredible Ripley.
James Cameron's Aliens may have the most quotable lines of any film in the franchise, but it's very much a Reagan-era film that favors action a bit more than suspense and horror. For me, the first film still reigns supreme.
Alien is currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
Sputnik
The Russian film Sputnik sort of flew under the radar upon its release in 2020 due to COVID. It was set to debut in the U.S. at the Tribeca Film Festival, but then the pandemic occurred. Despite its troubled release schedule, it's a creepy film that's still finding its audience. Directed by Egor Abramenko, the creature feature stars Oksana Akinshina. She plays a young doctor recruited by the Soviets to assess an astronaut who survived a mysterious space accident. It turns out that he returned to Earth with a dangerous organism living inside of him.
The movie has some really great practical effects, along with some gross-out moments. It's also good at building a sense of dread, like a lot of the films on this list. If you've slept on Sputnik, definitely correct that.
Sputnik is currently streaming on Shudder, Prime Video, Philo, and Sling TV.
Jason X
Jason X is definitely not my favorite of the Friday the 13th franchise. Still, it's a silly good time, a perfect summer watch. It features uber Jason, and it's a heck of a lot of fun. By the new century, the long-running franchise needed to do something different. So, they shot the Camp Crystal killer deep into space, many years into the future. He even fights an android, and for as goofy as this entry is, it does feature one of the best kills. It's also the last time Kane Hodder has played Jason to date.
Jason X is available to rent on Prime Video, Google Play Movies, and Apple TV.