The last couple of decades have been a great time for fans of sci-fi and horror, two genres that blend perfectly together given mankind's ongoing fear of the unknown that goes hand in hand with our desire for exploration of the world and the technology we create to facilitate that quest that leads to its own fears.
This leads to a number of amazing movies in the sci-fi horror genre that have been released in the 21st century that continue to explore the ideas of space exploration and the possible threats that exist, as well as humanity's own self-destructive natures and attempts to survive horrors both alien and technological that we'll be exploring further today.
Updated on October 11, 2021 by Mark Sammut: Sci-fi horror is a genre with endless potential as it frees creators to envision horrifying situations that go beyond the scope of realism or solely supernatural threats. Individually, each genre produces plenty of yearly releases, but they don't cross streams all that frequently. Alien and The Thing represent the pinnacle of what the union of sci-fi and horror can produce, and these classics continue to be admired and watched to this day. Since the turn of the century, quite a few great sci-fi horror films have been released, and this list has been expanded to celebrate a few more of the best ones. Just in time for Halloween.
14 The Platform (2019)
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The Pit is a huge tower split into hundreds of levels each carrying two people, and the residents are randomly assigned a room every month. Each day, a platform carrying food moves down the levels so that the inhabitants can eat; consequently, those at the top get to feast on what they want while those at the bottom have to deal with the scraps (if that).
The Platform uses its stellar premise to tell a harrowing tale of human selfishness while exploring socio-political themes. The film does not shy away from going to some extremely dark places, and it is all the better for it.
13 Pitch Black (2000)
When a passenger transport ship crashed on an unknown alien planet in 2000's Pitch Black, the prisoner known as Riddick (Vin Diesel) escaped the law chasing him, though he was soon forced to rejoin the survivors as the alien planet revealed the real horrors.
Not only were there vicious alien creatures who only came out at night, but the planet's night lasted for years and was about to settle over the planet. Pitch Black ushered in a new era of sci-fi horror and launched the successful Chronicles of Riddick franchise that extended to books, comics, and games.
12 The Mist (2007)
Frank Darabont adapted Stephen King's novella The Mist in 2007, which explored a small town trapped in a supermarket when a strange, thick mist filled with dangerous monsters envelops the town.
The supermarket quickly descends into chaos while the monstrous creatures pick off the survivors one by one, leaving a father and his son to attempt to make it in the mist alongside others. The Mist impressed fans when it was released and still has one of the most shocking and horrifying twist endings of any sci-fi horror film.
11 Dark Skies (2013)
2013's Dark Skies explored the sometimes terrifying phenomenon of alien visitations and abductions when a typical suburban family finds themselves targeted by a mysterious alien presence that has dark intentions for their children.
Dark Skies has a number of horror elements that would be right at home in a haunted house movie with the added alien threat to provide another creepy layer for fans to enjoy, though they'll never wish for a close encounter again.
10 Underwater (2020)
Kristen Stewart starred alongside an ensemble cast that included Vincent Cassel and T.J. Miller in 2020's Underwater, which featured a team of underwater researchers struggling to escape a damaged deep-sea facility.
While the terrors of being in a failing underwater facility bring enough horror for most fans, the survivors soon discovered they were also under attack by deadly underwater creatures with an eldritch connection that will appeal to fans of Lovecraftian horror.
9 Possessor (2020)
Possessor crawls under the viewer's skin, which is fitting considering the subject matter involves an assassin who completes their missions by taking control of another person's body. A psychological study on the mental stress such an operation would take on a person, Possessor chronicles Tasya's struggle to retain her identity as she repeatedly leaves behind her life to temporarily lead somebody else's.
Possessor is an uncomfortable sit, blending unapologetically violent moments with nuanced acting from a strong cast. The film can be streamed on Hulu.
8 Slither (2006)
James Gunn directed 2006's sci-fi horror black comedy Slither which starred Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, and Michael Rooker as small-town residents dealing with an evil alien parasite that infects and impregnates locals with terrifying and disgusting slugs that threaten to spread and infect the rest of the town.
Despite a poor showing in theaters, Slither became a cult favorite due to its dark humor and gory kills, which even earned the record for highest body count making this a must-watch for sci-fi horror fans.
7 Life (2017)
2017's Life starred Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Rebecca Ferguson as astronauts aboard a space station orbiting Earth that begin to study an alien cell discovered on Mars that quickly begins to grow and adapt to its surroundings.
The alien creature quickly became a threat to both the astronauts trapped in the station with it and the citizens oblivious to the danger on Earth below. Life is a fast-paced alien creature feature that highlights the advanced special effects of the 21st century that made the deadly alien named Calvin so terrifying to fans.
6 Happy Death Day (2017) & Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
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Take Groundhog Day and smash it into a slasher movie and the result would be Happy Death Day. A dark comedy with creative deaths, a proactive lead, and a decent mystery regarding the killer's identity, this 2017 slasher flick is a gory romp that delivers excitement and laughs.
Happy Death Day 2U ramps up the sci-fi elements almost to the point of ditching the horror. It is slightly more self-aware than its predecessor and even funnier. These films are perfect for a sci-fi horror double feature.
5 The Invisible Man (2020)
Bringing H. G. Wells's classic story to modern audiences, The Invisible Man is a chilling tale about obsession, fear, and isolation. Cecilia Kass escapes from an abusive relationship and later on learns that her (rich) ex has committed suicide. However, she comes to believe that is not truly the case.
The Invisible Man puts Cecilia at the forefront, focusing on her emotional turmoil as she finds the reality of her world falling apart. Elisabeth Moss delivers a fantastic performance as the lead, grounding the sci-fi horror film in the process.
4 28 Days Later (2002)
Danny Boyle directed 2002's terrifying 28 Days Later, which took place in a world struggling to deal with the lethal outbreak of a deadly virus that transformed the infected into rage-afflicted monsters that quickly tore through society.
While 28 Days Later can easily fall within the zombie genre that can cross into other horror and fantasy realms, the creation of the rage virus that spreads across London firmly places Boyle's hit movie in the sci-fi horror genre and even led to a follow-up with 2007's 28 Weeks Later.
3 Cloverfield (2008)
A new giant monster arrived on the scene by tearing its way through Manhattan in 2008's Cloverfield, which was a found-footage sci-fi horror film that followed a group of friends at a going-away party that witnesses the first attack from the creature before they find themselves struggling to survive and escape the city from the aquatic monster.
Cloverfield surprised fans with the new take on the classic kaiju film and launched a successful anthology film series that left fans dying to see more of the fan-favorite "Clover" monster, though it has only briefly reappeared once since the original movie.
2 Annihilation (2018)
Alex Garland adapted Jeff VanderMeer's Annihilation series into a single film that was released on Netflix in 2018, despite initial plans to hit theaters worldwide. Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh starred in the adaptation as scientists sent by the military to investigate a mysterious area known as the Shimmer.
The Shimmer formed after a comet landed on Earth in a lighthouse and had already taken a team. The mind-bending sci-fi tale managed to both terrify and impress fans of both the book and the director with surreal body horror scares that will keep fans talking long after the credits roll.
1 A Quiet Place (2018) & A Quiet Place Part 2 (2021)
2018's A Quiet Place from director John Krasinski featured the actor alongside Emily Blunt as they struggled to keep their family alive in a post-apocalyptic world plagued with vicious alien monsters that are lightning quick with razor-sharp teeth and claws that hunt with their extreme sensitivity to sound.
The sci-fi horror holds a unique place in the genre due to both the starring role of deaf actor Millicent Simmonds and the use of American Sign Language throughout the majority of the usually silent film, which only intensified the tension and terror of the alien threat. The sequel is also just as good as its predecessor.