The recent releases of Freaks (review) and The Platform (review) on Netflix serve as a solid reminder that few genres pair as well together as sci-fi and horror. Granted, there’s no genre that horror doesn’t complement well, but there’s something about the broad range of sci-fi that allows for maximum creativity and chills.
The extreme isolation of deep space, creatures from other worlds or dimensions, man’s hubris causing dire consequences, dystopian nightmares, science experiments that lead to body horror, and so much more bring memorable entries of sci-fi horror.
If you’re already well versed in the classics and caught up on Netflix’s latest, here are ten great sci-fi horror movies you might have missed…
Altered States
Ken Russell’s 1980 sci-fi classic is by no means underrated, and it’s easily the most well-known on the list. Still, it’s not a title that seems to come up in discussion as much anymore and seems to have fallen a little bit into obscurity. In his feature film debut, William Hurt plays Eddie Jessup, a Harvard scientist who conducts experiments on himself with a hallucinatory drug and sensory deprivation chamber. His attempts to trigger altered states of consciousness might be causing him to regress on a genetic level. Strange, trippy, and dramatic, it’s among Russell’s best.
The Sender
The directorial feature debut of Roger Christian, an Academy Award winner for set decoration on Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. The plot follows a young man suffering amnesia after a suicide attempt. After being sent to a mental hospital, his assigned doctor starts suffering from bizarre visions and nightmares. She realizes it might be connected to the patient, but helping him proves dangerous. The Sender veers into slow burn territory, but it’s a unique standout with a creepy atmosphere.
Turkey Shoot
Violent Ozploitation set in a near dystopian future where social deviants are sent to concentration camps for reeducation. Ruthless camp master Charles Thatcher chooses five prisoners every year to be loosed into the wilderness for twelve hours as the prey for an outfitted hunt. “The Most Dangerous Game” gets an exploitation sci-fi twist, starring Olivia Hussey (Black Christmas) and Steve Railsback (Helter Skelter). From director Brian Trenchard-Smith (Dead End Drive-In, Night of the Demons 2, Leprechaun 3).
Prospect
Less outright horror and more western sci-fi thriller, Prospect offers fantastic world-building. Moreover, it demonstrates you don’t need a massive budget to deliver great sci-fi, favoring character work over special effects-driven spectacle. As for the plot, a teen girl and her father land on a remote alien moon on a job contract to harvest rare gems. Between rival prospectors, the moon’s ruthless inhabitants, her father’s greed, and the atmosphere’s poisonous spores, survival becomes a daunting concept for the teen. Prospect stars Pedro Pascal, Sophie Thatcher, and Jay Duplass.
I Married a Monster from Outer Space
A fun lesser-known ‘50s gem in the vein of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Meaning that it’s not quite as campy as the title suggests. A year into her new marriage, Marge begins to suspect something is seriously wrong with her husband, Bill. He’s become emotionally distant and cold, and their dog hates him. Of course, that’s because Bill’s been replaced by an alien doppelganger. He’s not the only man in town this has happened to, either. While mostly derivative of typical body snatcher fare, this one is well done and offers some creepy moments.
The Hidden
Law-abiding citizens with no criminal records are turning to violent crime in Los Angeles, stumping police. Detective Thomas Beck (Michael Nouri) partners up with FBI Agent Lloyd Gallagher (Kyle MacLachlan) to get to the bottom of the violent phenomena. The real culprit is a body-hopping alien fugitive, wanted on multiple planets. Part creature feature, part action-horror hybrid, The Hidden is pure entertainment. MacLachlan absolutely nailed his performance as a quirky FBI agent with a heart of gold, just a few years ahead of his iconic turn in Twin Peaks.
Europa Report
A found footage film that recounts the fictional tale of a space crew’s mission to Jupiter’s fourth-largest moon. Simplistic and measured in pacing, Europa Report favors claustrophobic tension. Minimalism at its best, with a bleak narrative befitting of deep space stories where everything can and does go wrong. Think The Blair Witch Project meets The Abyss, which means this will be riveting for some and a snooze for others, mainly depending on your mindset toward found footage films. For those looking for something wholly unique and underseen, though, this delivers.
Screamers
A long-running war between a mining company and an opposing group called the Alliance has reduced their planet into a ravaged wasteland and exhausted both armies. A stalemate opens the doors to peace negotiations, but the artificially intelligent machines that were built as self-replicating assassins have become sentient. Known as “Screamers,” the machines have evolved and are plotting to destroy both sides. Based on Phillip K. Dick’s “Second Variety,” Peter Weller stars as Commander Joseph A. Hendricksson, an Alliance officer that sets off across dangerous terrain to secure a truce. Borrowing a page from The Thing, paranoia becomes the name of the game when the core party discovers that Screamers can look like anything or anyone.
Save the Green Planet!
Byeong-gu believes Earth is on the verge of an alien invasion, and that he’s the only one who can save it. With the help of his loyal girlfriend, he kidnaps and brutally tortures corporate execs and politicians he believes to be aliens in disguise. A complete genre mashup, from sci-fi to comedy to horror with extreme violence, Save the Green Planet! also has a lot of heart and unexpected twists.
The Fury
Brian De Palma’s immediate follow up to Carrie tends to be overlooked by comparison, and it likely doesn’t help that both revolve around telekinesis. Based on the 1976 novel of the same name, The Fury follows a former CIA agent (Kirk Douglas) on his quest to save his kidnapped son from terrorists that wish to use his telekinetic powers for evil. Amy Irving plays a young psychic with a telepathic link to the son, and John Cassavetes is the film’s big bad. Conspiracy thriller meets psychological sci-fi horror, and it all culminates in one memorable finale.
