Everybody likes a little excitement now and again. October (or should I say AHHctober) is a month-long excuse to indulge in some excitement via some truly terrifying cinema. The best part is that there are all types of horror movies for all types of tastes. If you’re looking for some thrilling horror flicks with a science fiction twist, I’ve got you covered. Here are my top five sci-fi horror films…
5.) The Terminator (1984)
Terminator 2: Judgement Day is often regarded as one of the greatest sequels ever made. Because of this it can be easy to overlook the greatness of its smaller, scarier predecessor. The Terminator is an intense thriller that looks like an action movie on the outside but functions as a horror movie underneath. Here Director James Cameron captures the true-to-life terror of being hunted by an relentless and highly advanced killing machine from the future. It’s so good that it launched a franchise that, much like its titular villain, just won’t quit.
4.) The Mist (2007)
Based on the Stephen King short story, The Mist is a harrowing and horrifying creature feature that pits the scary nature of human desperation against primal forces from another world and begs the question “Which is worse?” Director Frank Darabont sharply offers up a cast of complex characters with nail-biting uncertainty behind every corner as well as one of the most disturbing and traumatizing endings ever in a movie.
3.) Alien (1979)
Much like The Terminator, Alien too often gets overlooked by its successor, another one of the greatest sequels ever made in Aliens (funny enough both ‘T2’ and Aliens are directed by James Cameron). Still, Ridley Scott’s 1979 original is a classic frightener that plays a lot like Jaws in space and introduced the Xenomorph into the pantheon of pop-culture’s favorite movie monsters.
2.) The Fly (1986)
If you’re looking for a more intimate character study this Halloween, look no further than David Cronenberg’s emotionally stirring and visually impressive remake of The Fly. Jeff Goldblum gives his career best performance as a scientist who accidentally combines his DNA with that of a fly’s while experimenting with teleportation. Thus begins a slow, gut-wrenching transformation into some grotesque hybrid that feels as agonizing to watch as it is to undergo.
1.) The Thing (1982)
My pick for the number one sci-fi horror movie is another remake, this time of 1951’s The Thing from Another World. Tastefully shortened to The Thing, John Carpenter retells the rather simple story of a shape-shifting monstrosity from space that crash lands in Antarctica and starts feeding on a small group of researchers lead by Kurt Russel. Part action, part monster movie and part murder mystery, The Thing is entirely a good time from start to finish and employs some of the gnarliest practical effects the 80s has to offer.
What do you think of this list and what would your top five sci-fi horror movies be? I want to hear from you so hit me up in the comments below!
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