10 terrifying sci-fi horror films where no one can hear you scream

The Cloverfield franchise is one of the most varied in the genre, starting with a hit 2008 found footage monster movie before returning almost a decade later with the claustrophobic psychological thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane. There’s even a third (convoluted, messy) entry into the series, Cloverfield Paradox, but thankfully, this one stands on its own with no prior (or follow-up) viewing required. 

The film finds a young woman played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead wake up in an underground bunker after a car crash. The bunker’s owner (a positively menacing John Goodman) tells her the world has essentially ended above, and staying in the bunker is her only way to survive. But is he lying? That’s the question at the heart of the story, and one that will keep you incredibly uncomfortable and terrified until you learn the answer.

Ridley Scott has made a laundry list of great films, but it’s hard to argue any are better than his 1979 sci-fi horror opus Alien. Sure, it kicked off a franchise that’s still going strong to this day, and made Sigourney Weaver an action star for the ages, but more than anything, Scott gave us one of the first films that truly paid off on the potential terror of the unknown that’s inherent with the prospects of space exploration. 

The story follows a small transit crew as they investigate a mysterious distress call and come to discover one of the deadliest, most frightening creatures ever put to film. It’s tense, gross-out horrifying, and even asks some fascinating questions about corporate greed and artificial intelligence — all while being absolutely terrifying from start to finish.

The story behind the release of this acclaimed sci-fi horror flick is almost as interesting as the movie itself. Written and directed by Alex Garland, who had earned a good bit of faith after his acclaimed sci-fi thriller Ex Machina, the release of this movie ran into trouble when factions at producing partner Skydance got cold feet after seeing just how methodical and cerebral a story Garland was telling. A story about a team of researchers (Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny) exploring an odd, reality-shifting infestation on Earth known as “the shimmer,” Garland leaned hard into the surreal, psychological horror aspects — crafting a truly unique, often terrifying story. But it was also different, feeling more like an experimental indie film at times than a would-be blockbuster. After some back and forth battles around the final cut, the film eventually received a mixed streaming release on Netflix and theatrical release from Paramount, but it didn’t take fans long to find and fall in love with what Garland was doing. 

This R-rated, original sci-fi story from Paul W.S. Anderson was a critical and box office failure upon release, but later earned a cult following and has since become one of the most beloved horror films of the genre. Set in the not-so-far-flung future of 2047, a space ship distress call leads to an investigation. They find a ship that has effectively become a living nightmare, serving as a conduit for Anderson to imagine all types of hellish visuals and creative swings to terrorize the crew.

What makes it all the more unsettling is that the film stars Sam Neill in one of the freakiest roles of his career, which is such a far cry from the Jurassic Park gig that made him so beloved. The film is the quintessential spaceship horror film, unafraid to be weird and ambitious when it comes to finding new ways to scare us.

Dropping right in that late ‘90s sweet spot, The Faculty is one of the rare alien invasion stories that doesn’t focus on the top level view of government leaders dealing with the crisis or military heroes battling invaders. Instead, we follow a few outcast teens at an Ohio high school, as they slowly start to realize things are off with some of their teachers and fellow students. Turns out, alien parasites have slowly been taking over the town, and it all comes to a head in a creepy tale that feels like a super-sized Twilight Zone episode.

The film also features a who’s-who of stars of the era (Josh Hartnett, Jordana Brewster, Elijah Wood) and some hilarious supporting roles when viewed in hindsight (namely The Daily Show veteran Jon Stewart, who shows up as a high school science teacher).

Starring A-listers Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, and Rebecca Ferguson, this 2017 space-set horror flick was a bit of a box office dud and quickly fell off the radar after its release. But it’s still well worth finding, and is the perfect mix of near-future space thriller mixed with the horror of stumbling across something truly alien. Here, a team of astronauts are tasked with bringing back a mysterious sample that could contain alien life. Turns out, it does, and it doesn’t appreciate being brought aboard the International Space Station. It’s an action-packed horror story that does an amazing job capturing the claustrophobia inherent with modern space travel. That feeling of being isolated, alone, and so far from help — trapped in orbit with something they don’t understand and can’t stop.

Even before M3GAN hit the big screen and streaming, she was already famous for her viral TikTok dances and iconic poses led by a creative ad campaign. But thankfully, they weren’t just selling sizzle — this recent tech thriller has plenty of substance. The story follows a young roboticist (Allison Williams) who takes in her niece (Violet McGraw) after the sudden death of her parents. The only problem is that the cutting-edge AI doll she gives her becomes a bit too protective and decides she needs to kill to keep her new owner close.

The visuals are what really set this one apart, as the effects and stunt work turns M3GAN into something weirdly familiar and creepily alien with the way she moves. From running on all fours like a feral animal to dancing her way through a hallway murder spree, M3GAN quickly landed in the pantheon of creepy doll killers alongside Chucky, Annabelle, and the like. For maximum scares? Check out the unrated cut, which adds in even more blood.

Before helping bring The Walking Dead to the small screen, director Frank Darabont put together one of the best, most underrated Stephen King adaptations. The film stars Thomas Jane as a man trapped in a town being engulfed by a mysterious, thick mist, which only serves to mask some mysterious creatures hiding in the shadows. But instead of focusing solely on the threat, the film deftly zeroes in on how it affects the citizens of this town cut off from the world and stalked by a threat none of them understand. As they hide out in a grocery store, factions emerge as survivors try to find ways to either escape or survive. The film is tense and terrifying on its face, but the ending is where it comes together. It’s one of the most shocking, brutal finales in any film, sci-fi or otherwise. An ending like that? It’s true terror.

This is admittedly a controversial pick, considering it was both a critical and commercial bomb to wrap up the late ‘90s, but if you’re looking for some ambitious sci-fi horror, you can do far worse than Sphere. Based on Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name, Sphere is about a small team of scientists (Samuel L. Jackson, Sharon Stone, and Dustin Hoffman) who are sent to investigate a futuristic spacecraft discovered on the bottom of the ocean floor. It’s that unique pitch that helps Sphere ratchet up the terror on two fronts — not only are they investigating something mysterious and alien, but they’re isolated on the ocean’s floor.

The ship itself holds many terrifying mysteries, and the film is not afraid to take some big swings in regards to psychological horror, as the crew starts to unravel psychologically the longer they’re isolated and exposed to whatever is aboard this crashed spaceship.

One of John Carpenter’s greatest films, The Thing stars a young Kurt Russell and is centered around a small team of scientists in a remote Antarctic research facility that run afoul of an ancient alien parasite that can look like anyone or anything. Carpenter mines the concept for everything it’s worth, crafting a taut thriller that takes paranoia to the absolute brink. The film also pioneered some of the most spectacularly frightening and gory practical special effects ever put to film, with grand and frightening designs for the alien creature. If the jump scares don’t get you, the effects will. The story keeps you guessing all the way to the end, with a final scene that is still hotly debated among cinephiles to this day, decades later.