The Top 17 Sci-Fi Horror Movies of All Time: A Definitive Ranking
When you’re talking about the best films of a category, it’s not always about the biggest, most bombastic box office commercial success, and the use of the latest advanced CGI to create realistic visual effects. Sometimes it does concern all those things, but the key criteria often involve the importance of said film to the category, or genre, at large. Movies are not like most consumer goods, such as electronics or a pair of socks, of which newer are usually better. And the same thing applies to what’s largely regarded as sci-fi horror best of all time. Although we’ve seen the proliferation of the genre in movie streaming services in recent years, we always refer to some older titles–the movies that actually defined what sci-fi horror should be. In this blog, we will provide the definitive rankings of the top 17 sci-fi horror movies of all time.
Re-Animator (1985)
An adaptation of Lovecraft’s short story “Herbert West-Reanimator” published in 1922, the film tells the story of a sinister young man to bring his professor back from the dead. The experiment comes back all wrong, and the side effects lead to many sleaze and violence. Think of Re-Animator as the 1980s’ take on the original mad scientist tale of Victor Frankenstein.
Splice (2009)
There’s still a heavy influence of the mad scientist trope in Splice, but the outcome of which is presented in a much more horrifying image. Whereas Re-Animator is best enjoyed if you’re not taking it too seriously, Splice is truly a jaw-dropping imagery of monstrosity. Combining the DNA of animals and humans doesn’t always give you a cute beast like in fairy tale stories.
The Endless (2017)
Two brothers used to be members of a group known as Camp Arcadia. Now that they’re grown-up men, they haven’t heard of the camp or from any of the members in years. Based on video evidence that they’ve just received, the camp hasn’t changed at all; even the members don’t seem to age a day. The brothers decide to revisit the camp, only to discover the dreadfulness of the time loop.
The Invisible Man (2020)
Loosely based on a novel of the same name by H. G. Wells, the story of The Invisible Man involves yet another mad scientist–described as an optics engineer–who has perfected the formula to make him practically invisible to other people. Since he also is a sociopath and control freak, he uses “invisibility” to stalk his former girlfriend.
Annihilation (2018)
An all-female group of scientists is on a mission to investigate a strange zone that has just popped up across Florida following an asteroid impact. This peculiar zone, called Shimmer, proves to be far stranger and more extraterrestrial than space itself. Mutated animals and fungal humanoids roam free in the zone.
A Quiet Place (2018)
Planet Earth being ravaged by an extraterrestrial species is nothing new in the realm of sci-fi horror. But what if the aliens hunt down humans based solely on sound? Everybody should be spared from horrifying murder if they stay silent. A friendly reminder, if you’re not comfortable with jump scares, A Quiet Place might just be too challenging to watch.
Possessor (2020)
Directed by Brandon Cronenberg, son of sci-fi horror legend David Cronenberg, you’ll see signs of the inheritance pretty clearly through Possessor. The story concerns an assassin blessed with the ability to take control of the bodies of others. The result is presumably one of the most brutal cases of identity crisis ever put on screen. Blood splatter and gore of the utmost caliber are all there for the taking.
Nope (2022)
Emerald and Otis find themselves disturbed by an unidentified flying object. As the siblings take on an investigative journey to figure out what’s happening, other people are keen to deal with the mystery face to face, only to suffer horrible consequences. The violence and gore are kept under moderation here. The suggestion of horror turns out to be just as effective to fuel nightmares.
Pulse (2001)
Back in 2001, Japanese filmmakers once again proved that they’re ahead of the curve to incorporate popular culture into the horror genre. Take Pulse as an example; its depiction of the Internet being a source of evil to make people disappear was pretty much spot on, both figuratively and literally.
The Fly (1986)
With body horror, David Cronenberg knows exactly what it’s all about. You get a mad scientist hellbent on inventing a teleportation device. Some mishaps happen during a test run, in which an actual fly enters the transmitter pod. As you probably expect, the resulting human-fly hybrid goes through some of the most terrifying metamorphosis ever captured on camera.
Event Horizon (1997)
Extensively dismissed on release, Event Horizon has slowly but surely gained fame and widespread acceptance in recent years. Some contemporary reviews even put it at a respectable place among the industry’s sci fi horror best. It touches on many topics like wormholes, warped space, and hyper drives, as the story grows into a tale of a haunted spaceship.
28 Days Later (2002)
Humanity is ravaged by a virus that turns them into zombies. A simple premise indeed, but 28 Days Later stays away from the typical gore-fest by focusing instead on loneliness following societal collapse. With a character-driven storyline and fast-running zombies, the film is credited with playing a massive role in reinvigorating the genre a decade after its release.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
A remake of the original 1956 film, Invasion of the Body Snatchers delivers a crushing social commentary on the divorce boom of the 70s through an enjoyable sci-fi horror narrative. Here, aliens are replacing humans in every way imaginable, but they have one noticeable drawback: it turns out that aliens lack emotions.
The Thing (1982)
Antarctica proves to be the ideal place to serve as the backdrop of sci-fi horror, as seen in John Carpenter’s all-time classic, The Thing. A blend of alien invasion, trust issues, and a little claustrophobia are presented to you in a bombardment of unforgettable displays of body horror.
Slither (2006)
If the poster alone can send chills down your spine, chances are you want to avoid watching the movie unless you’re ready for the adrenaline spike that’s certain to come. Slither is about a plague of alien parasites with the power to turn infected humans into abominations. Of course, the transformation needs to go through gory metamorphosis and some buckets of green goo as well.
Aliens (1986)
James Cameron refused to do a hypothetically simple “Alien 2” but he will take the job given the permission to take things wilder and bigger. His idea was to use the backdrop of space and Vietnam, where a swarm of extraterrestrial monsters could terrorize everyone. Some purists might not like the idea, but it was exactly the right movie for the time to carve the pathway that should keep the franchise alive for decades to come.
Alien (1979)
We guess everyone saw this coming: the original Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, is still to this day the definitive sci-fi horror film. It’s the most recognizable work of the genre, and has become an inspiration for countless others that followed. In simple words, an alien infiltrates a spaceship full of unprepared crew. And the depiction of everything that goes down afterward is second to none. The killings, the struggle, the monsters, the gore, the violence, and the rise of a heroine are the ultimate sci-fi horror fest.
We think John Carpenter has always been right all along with its hot take about “horror” being a universal language. He further elaborated that humans were born afraid, and we’re all afraid of something, be it death, losing loved ones, disfigurement. With that in mind, we also have to say that humans are fascinated with technologies and science–even the speculative and imaginative ones–whether aliens, space exploration, genetic manipulation, medical experiments, the Internet, and all the rest of it. And the best sci-fi horror best should be able to give that blend of science fiction and horror to encapsulate the sense of wonder, bewilderment, and terrors in a neat packaging to entertain our fear of the unknown.
Is there a sci-fi horror movie that blends alien invasion and zombie subgenres? Can you name every episode of Star Trek (from every series) that’s actually sci-fi horror? We’d love to hear from you.
Other Things You Might Want to Know
Some animated horror movies to revisit:
Belladonna of Sadness (1973)
Watership Down (1978)
Heavy Metal (1981)
Plague Dogs (1982)
Perfect Blue (1997)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Corpse Bride (2005)
Blood Tea and Red String (2006)
Tales of the Black Freighter (2009)
Coraline (2009)
Resident Evil Vendetta (2017)
The Wolf House (2018)
Umbilical World (2018)
To Your Last Death (2019)
Kill It and Leave This Town (2020)
Cryptozoo (2021)
Mad God (2021)
The Spine of Night (2021)
What movies in the Alien franchise are directed by Ridley Scott?
The original Alien (1979) was directed by Ridley Scott, and so were two films of the prequel series: Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017). He also directed the 2017 short film, Alien: Covenant — Prologue: The Crossing.
Is there any upcoming Alien movie?
Considering how popular the franchise is, it’s hard to say that there would be no new film in the future, whenever it might be. What we do know for sure is that there’s going to be a new TV series called Alien: Earth, scheduled for release in 2025.
