The 25 Best Sci-Fi Horror Movies

Trapped in space with an apex predator hunting down and killing all the members aboard the USCSS Nostromo, Alien uses perfect pacing, unrelenting dread, and one of the most haunting and legendary alien creatures to give audiences an experience they won't ever forget. Created by Sci-Fi master Ridley Scott, Alien beautifully mixes elements of both the science fiction and horror genre by fully fleshing out its futuristic world to appear to be something that could actually be. The immense sense of realism, even future realism, helps ground the film while the Xenomorph simply sheds a terrifying light on the hubris and curiosity of man. 

John Carpenter delivered one of the most prolific, poignant, and incredible stories about rampant consumerism in the light of an alien invasion the world has ever seen in They Live! With Roddy Piper and Keith David at the helm, this incredibly strange but masterfully crafted film dives deep into ideas and themes of what man truly needs, and how we all live in a world, where it is not the same for everyone. With some of the most memorable alien designs in the history of cinema, They Live! has a plethora of themes and messages to unpack, but at the end of the day, it is simply an incredibly made film that is fun and frightening, plus that way too long fight sequence is simply a work of art. 

Not only one of the greatest science fiction horror films ever created, but arguably one of the best films of all time, John Carpenter's The Thing is a masterclass in suspense, dread, terror, and unease as a group of scientists are stranded in Antarctica while a monstrous Alien who can disguise itself as one of them is on the loose. With a pulse-pounding score and a whiff of paranoia steep in the air, The Thing excels as a horror film by putting audiences smack in the middle of the action, as we too are terrified to learn who has become one of those things. With one of the most haunting and devilish alien designs in history, the film is as close to a masterpiece as one could hope for.

Drastically different than its 1979 predecessor, Aliens opts to become more of an action sci-fi horror film, rather than a slow-burning horror film with sci-fi elements, and while such a drastic change could have been disastrous, in the hands of director James Cameron, it was sensational. The fast-paced, dangerous tone of the film mixed beautifully with the slow-burning terror and suspense of the first as audiences knew exactly how dangerous these creatures were, and even if the beloved space marines were slowing them down, the Xenomorphs always were the bigger threat. With Sigourney Weaver delivering the performance of a lifetime, Aliens is one of the most beloved films of all time for good reason, it is simply that good.

With so many beloved lines, standout performances from Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the introduction of one of the most legendary aliens in the history of cinema, Predator hit all the right buttons to become one of the premier action sci-fi horror masterpieces. A film that, on paper, should not work nearly as well as it does, a bunch of butch men hunting down an alien is a fairly basic premise, but the top-tier action, terrifying hunting scenes, and gorgeous sci-fi elements helped make the film an instant classic when it released in 1987. 

Director David Cronenberg is the absolute master of blending surreal science fiction and haunting horror on the big screen, and he may have no greater accomplishment in this than with his hit 1986 film, The Fly. Using the scientific elements to create the horror, Jeff Goldblum shines in this disgusting and masochistic look at the quite literal decay from man to beast, and how painstakingly horrid the process is. Showcasing some of the vilest and most incredible practical effects in the history of horror, the slow and agonizing transformation scene will seer itself into the minds and souls of audiences everywhere, and the final reveal is what nightmares are made of.