Neon Nightmares: The Most Iconic 80s Sci-Fi Horror Films

If you think the 1960s and the 1970s were great decades for a blend of cinematic terror and science fiction, the 80s sci-fi horror films were even better. In fact, many concepts introduced to the genre in the decade are still going strong with the Hollywood of today. Here are just several examples of the most iconic ones, neon nightmares of the 80’s.

The Thing (1982)

One of the greatest sci-fi horror films of all time, The Thing, tanked at the box office for one simple reason: it just couldn’t compete with the lure of E.T. Despite the lack of commercial success at the time of the release, The Thing became a major landmark of the film industry, still exerting influences to the genre until today. John Carpenter took the directorial role in the film, and many people simply assumed it was a remake of the 1951 classic of the same name. It might look like a remake, but the truth of the matter was that Carpenter implemented a different approach and ended up creating a fresh adaptation of the same source material (Who Goes There? novella). Adopting the same trick as what Alien did a few years earlier, Carpenter combined some intense body horror with claustrophobic sci-fi elements to deliver the sense of dread and paranoia.

The Terminator (1984)

With its low-budget, a typical slasher premise, and a small portion of science fiction trappings, The Terminator was supposed to be nothing more than a run-of-the-mill B-movie in just about every aspect. When you watch it today, that the film was low-budget probably never crossed your mind. But it was in fact regarded as a low-budget movie by any means, produced on a relatively low $6 million budget. And then it exceeded all expectations, grossing more than $78 million at the Box Office. It was innovative and original when it was first launched. The Terminator was (and still is) gruesome, chilling, relentless, and bombastic.

Aliens (1986)

The 1980s decade was a decade for sequels. Along with the highly anticipated The Empire Strikes Back and Star Trek II, there was another sequel about to spark a lengthy debate: Aliens, also directed by James Cameron. There has been a longstanding debate among fans and critics whether the sequel is better than the original, or in any way improved on the predecessor at all? Thankfully, it’s a debate where everybody is happy to chime in and sing praises to both. Unlike the original film where Ridley Scott waited until about an hour into the storyline to kick off the military vs. alien battle on a spaceship, Cameron opted for a more generic progression by slowly tightening the tension before all hell breaks loose. And from a technical standpoint, the range of practical effects used in the film would leave traces of invaluable lessons even modern filmmakers can learn from.

The Fly (1986)

You can’t help but notice how the term “masterpiece” gets thrown around when people are talking about big name directors like Coppola, Spielberg, Scorsese, Carpenter, and yes, Cameron. It’s strange that David Cronenberg seems to be the one often missing from the list, although the subversive master has quite a handful of grand achievements as well. For 80s sci-fi horror, it just makes little sense not to mention The Fly, presumably Cronenberg’s greatest hit and one of the genre’s best of all time. Cronenberg comfortably adopted the same premise as the original 1958 film, but he turned everything else upside down to make an allegory about (at the time) rampaging AIDS.

Predator (1987)

Thanks to his role as the T-800 in The Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger had already been an established action star when he portrayed Major Dutch in Predator. This time, he’s the protagonist, a leader of a small paramilitary rescue team encountering a hostile force in the middle of nowhere. The hostile in question is the Predator, an ancient hunter species from outer space, with an even bigger posture than the action hero himself. Predator has been reappraised many times over the years and considered a true classic of the genre. Like The Terminator, the plot line is speedy, and the action is unrelenting all the way to the end credit.

We think the true beginning of model sci-fi horror happened in the 1950s with low-budget – and understandably inferior quality – productions, followed by a lot of experimental yet viable efforts in the 1960s. What came next was the subversive era of the 1970s, as reflected by several movies from the era. But the 80s sci-fi horror films differed from before; they took a lot of inspirations from pure science fiction features like Star Wars and Star Trek and then implemented the design and visual effects into a horror storyline.

Between Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986), which is the better film? What do you think is the ultimate James Cameron movie? We’d love to hear from you.

Other Things You Might Want to Know

Ridley Scott’s filmography as director, not including short films:

The Duellists (1977)

Alien (1979)
Blade Runner (1982)
Legend (1985)
Someone to Watch Over Me (1987)
Black Rain (1989)
Thelma & Louise (1991)
1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)
White Squall (1996)
G.I. Jane (1997)
Gladiator (2000)
Hannibal (2001)
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Matchstick Men (2003)
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
A Good Year (2006)
American Gangster (2007)
Body of Lies (2008)
Robin Hood (2010)
Prometheus (2012)
The Counselor (2013)
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
The Martian (2015)
Alien: Covenant (2017)
All the Money in the World (2017)
The Last Duel (2021)
House of Gucci (2021)
Napoleon (2023)
Gladiator II (2024)

What is the life cycle of Xenomorph?

Xenomorph, the alien creature from the Alien franchise, has a life cycle comprising several stages. First is the egg, which hatches a larval form known as facehugger. The new stage involves a victim, which can be human or another species, for the facehugger to impregnate with an embryo. The resulting abomination is then called the chestburster.

What is the origin of the Predator species?

It is said that the species originates from the Yautja society on the Planet Yautja Prime. The society divides the predators into several social classes. Sitting at the bottom of the hierarchy is Unblooded Predator, which subsequently becomes Young Blood following combat training. Young Blood steps up into Blooded after making the first Xenomoprh kill. They continue to climb up the ladder – by killing other dangerous species, of course – until they’re granted the status of Elite Predator. Killing a Xenomorph Queen will grant them the position as Predator Elders.

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