Top 10 Horror Movies Set in Space

The concept of “Event Horizon” is so good that it trumps the movie’s somewhat shoddy execution. This movie perfectly captures the unknowable aspects of space and correctly gauges what makes it so terrifying. The spaceship Event Horizon mysteriously reappears around Neptune, having previously been taken and possessed by some type of Lovecraftian space entity. We truly don’t know what’s out there, and “Event Horizon” takes full advantage of our boundless imaginations. Maybe there’s nothing, but maybe there’s something malicious and unimaginable just waiting to prey on us puny humans. The movie also has a great sense of atmosphere and some memorable visuals. All of this has turned “Event Horizon” into a cult classic, which betrays its initial commercial and critical failure.

Coming just two years after “Alien,” it’s obvious where “Galaxy of Terror” got its inspiration. But no matter how much it may mirror what came before, “Galaxy of Terror” finds its own sense of fun. The movie was produced by Roger Corman, a prominent independent filmmaker who became known for cheap and schlocky B-movies. James Cameron also worked on the film as its production designer and second unit director, and his creative innovations helped give “Galaxy of Terror” an air of sophistication. Thanks to Cameron, it looks far more expensive than its $1.8 million budget would suggest. The movie also directly influenced Cameron while making “Aliens.” It’s silly schlock, yes, but smart and influential silly schlock.

Don’t you just love the titles of old horror movies? And even though it bears resemblance, no, this has nothing in common with Stephen King’s “It.” Believe it or not, this movie also has a direct link to “Alien,” in that screenwriter Dan O'Bannon basically, um… borrowed from it. In this movie, a spaceship travels to Mars and receives a rather unfriendly stowaway. Said stowaway then begins slaughtering the ship’s inhabitants. It even dies when the survivors put on spacesuits and open an airlock, exposing the monster to the vacuum of space. Does this all sound familiar? This little movie from 1958 is a smart and well-made piece of sci-fi horror, and its influence on the genre is simply undeniable.

This animated film served as a companion piece to the successful video game “Dead Space.” Released that same year, EA’s game was widely praised and is now considered one of the best survival horror games ever made. EA gave director Chuck Patton complete creative control, and he crafted a great little movie that can proudly stand on its own. Like the game on which it’s based, “Downfall” has a terrific sense of atmosphere - especially when it comes to the unimaginable horrors of space. It also carries over the game’s incredibly graphic violence, and it’s in this violence that the movie finds most of its scares. It’s certainly not a pleasant film to watch, but a great one for those interested in space-based horror.

The “life” in this movie’s title refers to a malevolent lifeform found on Mars. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station begin experimenting on said lifeform, which quickly grows from a dormant cell within a soil sample to a fully-grown monster. Yes, it’s basically yet another ripoff of “Alien,” but “Life” manages to work thanks to some strong filmmaking. The script from Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick is quite smart, and director Daniel Espinosa mines enough suspense to make viewers forget that this is a familiar premise. Add a great cast consisting of Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds, and “Life” certainly takes on a life of its own, despite its obvious influence.

We didn’t really need a prequel to “Alien,” but we’re glad we got one! Penned by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof and once again directed by Ridley Scott, “Prometheus” beautifully mixes alien horror with some meaningful philosophy. The movie is filled with rich themes centered around humanity and is wide open to personal interpretation, yet it also works as a straightforward horror movie. It’s a technical marvel, filled with first-rate production and art design, cinematography, and visual effects. It also contains a fantastic performance from Michael Fassbender, whose David instantly became one of the most interesting characters in the “Alien” franchise. And yes, it’s very scary to boot. One has to commend the movie’s scope and ambition.

This Mario Bava film was yet another major influence on, you guessed it, “Alien.” “Planet of the Vampires” is a fantastic mixture of alien and zombie horror. When spaceships crash land on an unexplored planet, the bodies of the deceased are possessed by the planet’s disembodied inhabitants. Said alien zombies then go on a killing spree, and Bava shows why he was called the Master of the Macabre. The movie has long been noted for its fantastic photography. It still looks like no other piece of sci-fi horror, even though it influenced one of the genre’s shining achievements. Years later, screenwriter Dan O'Bannon would admit that he “stole” some aspects from “Planet of the Vampires” while writing “Alien,” including some of its more striking visuals.

This thriller from Danny Boyle is a unique hodgepodge of different space subgenres. The first two-thirds are a more introspective “Armageddon,” as astronauts attempt to save Earth from a dying sun by jump-starting it with a stellar bomb. Just go with it. The last third is, wouldn’t you know it, “Alien.” Yet another home run from Danny Boyle, “Sunshine” mixes philosophy with some great genre thrills. It looks fantastic and is filled with a great cast led by the always entertaining Cillian Murphy. And when the movie turns into a slasher in its latter third, it does so effectively and with a healthy dose of chills. It’s a thrilling bit of ambitious storytelling, and it has the budget and talent to pull it off.

There’s one thing that “Pitch Black” is remembered for, and that’s introducing Riddick to the cinematic landscape. More of a horror movie than its numerous successors, “Pitch Black” sees a group of astronauts getting picked off by deadly alien creatures during a solar eclipse. The concept is a ton of fun, as the eclipse twist sprinkles some fun originality onto its time-tested story. The movie also contains a ton of nightmarish visuals and some great world-building, and yes, Vin Diesel shines as antihero Riddick. This little horror movie that could launched an expanded franchise, but it also works as a solid standalone horror movie.

And finally, we come to the movie at the very center of the sci-fi horror genre. It took what came before and perfected the formula, and it greatly influenced many movies that came later. Even to this day, large numbers of space-based horror movies are taking cues, plot points, themes, and visuals from Ridley Scott’s masterpiece. It’s as great a horror movie as “Aliens” is an action movie, and that’s saying something! If anything, “Alien” proves that movies are far more than their stories. “Alien” is quite simplistic in story but exceptional in execution. Everything about this film is top-notch, including its famous monster and grungy production design. “Alien” may forever stand tall as the shining example of the sci-fi horror genre.