In a career filled with movies both great and flawed in interesting ways,the question of whatRidley Scott’sgreatest movieis might well be up for debate. Among the contenders, one that will often be right up there - and a potential winner in the eyes of many - would be 1979’sAlien, which is as straightforward a sci-fi/horror movie as its simple one-word title implies. There are people on board a spaceship, there’s an alien that’s loose, and all the characters are thrust into a battle for their lives.
It didn’t invent the idea of a movie taking place in a confined location while pitting characters against a strange and powerful foe, but it might’ve perfected that sort of premise. As such, it’s easy to see its influence on other films that also present sci-fi and/or horror stories with plenty of tension and alarming sequences designed to keep viewers on edge. Some of these comparable films are outlined below, and though few are as great asAlien, they can potentially scratch the same itch, for anyone wanting to see more sci-fi and/or horror films of the sort.
1’Event Horizon' (1997)
Event Horizonhas its flaws for sure, but as far asscary science fiction moviesgo, it’s pretty effective in parts. It takes place in the 2040s and follows a crew that travels into space to locate the titular ship which has been missing for seven years. The film unfolds slowly but steadily, revealing the truth behind the ship’s disappearance and the horrors contained within it, with things getting progressively more unsettling scene by scene.
WhenEvent Horizoncombines intense violence with unsettling visuals/sets and even some religious horror influences for good measure, it can be very effective and unsettling. Other aspects haven’t exactly aged well, and thefilm was infamously impacted by studio interference, though some of its more striking elements shine through and ensure it’s a horror movie set in space that’s worth exploring.
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2’The Thing' (1982)
R-rated horror movies don’t get much betterthanThe Thing. Though it’s set on Earth instead of in space, it’s undeniably up there as a sci-fi/horror classic that can measure up toAlien, which had been released just three years earlier. The premise is similarly straightforward and effective, asThe Thingsees a group of characters targeted by a lethal shape-shifting creature from space that’s dead set on killing and assimilating them all one by one.
The setting of Antarctica may as well be space for the isolation it forces the film’s characters to contend with, given freezing weather and faulty communications keep them from easily escaping the titular thing. It’s a movie that’s tense from beginning to end, expertly crafted by directorJohn Carpenter, and features a hauntingly sparse score byEnnio Morricone, overall being an extremely effective and nail-biting horror movie.
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3’Jaws' (1975)
While the aforementioned movies might well have taken influence fromAlien,Jawswas a movie that could well have influencedAlien, seeing as it came out earlier. It may not be a science fiction movie, but it does provide the same sort of slow-burn narrative, a consistently intense final act, and a battle of survival against a terrifying monster thatAliengives its audience in spades.
The monster here is a shark, but one so large and deadly that it can almost feel as though it’s an alien creature at times, or some sort of out-of-this-world monster.Jawsremains arguablySteven Spielberg’sgreatest thriller, and the fact the director made it before he turned 30 is remarkable. White-knuckle horror/thriller movies don’t get much better than this, withJawsultimately being one of the all-time great creature features.
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4’Annihilation' (2018)
Several years before unsettling anddividing audiences with the folk horror movie,Men,Alex Garlandblended science fiction and horror to dizzying effect withAnnihilation. It bridges the gap between that aforementioned horror movie and Garland’s directorial debut,Ex Machina, which could be very tense, sure, but is definable as a science fiction movie rather than a horror or sci-fi/horror film.
Annihilationfollows a group of women who venture into a strange and otherworldly zone on a dangerous expedition, encountering all sorts of bizarre sights and creatures along the way. It builds tension slowly and eventually becomes a movie that’s all about a desperate fight for survival, adding a certain surreal element to the proceedings that helps it stand out from other movies - both classic and newer - that aim to blend sci-fi with horror.
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5’The Descent' (2005)
AlongsideJaws,The Descentis another non-sci-fi movie worth highlighting as something that manages to hit the same kind of notesAliendoes.It’s a classic 2005 horror movieabout a woman who, in the wake of a great tragedy, goes on a trip with some friends where they venture into a deep, dark cave. It’s meant to be an escape from the grief the main character’s been experiencing, but it ends up turning into a nightmare when the group gets attacked and stalked by strange, cave-dwelling creatures.
Anyone who’s not deeply afraid of the dark might well find themselves with such a fear after sitting throughThe Descent, because the constant darkness means anything can jump out at the characters at any time. Once things start going wrong, the film never stops being stomach-churning and borderline traumatic to watch. Still, though it’s not easy to get through, it’s undeniably effective as a horror movie with high stakes, constant terror, and a queasily confined setting.
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6’Sunshine' (2007)
Beyondhis various collaborations withChristopher Nolanand the TV showPeaky Blinders,Cillian Murphyis perhaps most recognizable as the protagonist of the 2002 zombie classic28 Days Later. That film was written by Alex Garland and directed byDanny Boyle, with that writer/director pair also being behind 2007’sSunshine, which stands as another tense sci-fi/thriller movie with Cillian Murphy in the lead role.
Sunshineis about a dangerous mission undertaken by a crew of astronauts to revive the sun, which is in the process of dying and could lead to the end of all life on Earth if the team isn’t successful. It’s not quite a horror movie, but it’s certainly a highly tense sci-fi movie that also might well count as a psychological thriller/drama film. It’s overall an exciting watch, and given it’s about saving the world and all of humanity, the stakes couldn’t really be higher.
7’Life' (2017)
LikeEvent Horizon,Lifemight not be a particularly great sci-fi/horror movie, but it does feel like it owes a good deal toAlienandother movies about isolation in spacethat came before. The setting is the International Space Station and the cast is overall limited, with it narratively centering on the disasters that unfold when the characters begin examining what’s said to be the first evidence of extra-terrestrial life.
When it comes toLife, it feels like it plays by the rule of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” There is nothing broken about the central premise of people in space fighting against alien life, and soLiferuns with it to moderate success. It’s not great, and it’s definitely not fresh, but it provides sci-fi thrills and scares all with characters who are far from Earth, so that has to count for something.
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8’The Mist' (2007)
Understandably,Frank Darabontwill always be best known for directing theclassic prison drama,The Shawshank Redemption, but his other directorial efforts shouldn’t be overlooked. One such movie is 2007’sThe Mist, which is about a group of people who get trapped inside a supermarket after a strange mist envelops their town, bringing with it countless strange creatures who quickly prove threatening and even deadly.
It’s a film with some occasionally clunky dialogue and rough special effects, but its shortcomings are easy to overlook thanks to whatThe Mistmanages to do right. It’s a film with a constant sense of dread and an undeniably eerie atmosphere,with everything building to an infamous endingthat arguably makes (or, perhaps to some, breaks) the entire movie. It’s definitely one of the most unsettling horror movies of the past couple of decades, and does wonders with its unique and limited setting.
9’Nope' (2022)
One of thebest horror movies of the 2020s so far,Nopefeels like it takes what works aboutJawsbut sets in the desert and gives it all a distinctly sci-fi spin. The narrative follows various people who are all impacted by a sighting of what could be an alien vehicle or creature in different ways, with some realizing too late the danger this whole incident could put them in.
Jordan Peelehad already made two very compelling horror movies beforeNope- 2017’sGet Outand 2019’sUs- with this 2022 film adding science fiction elements to the mix and having a bigger scope/budget than his earlier efforts. Whether this is a case of bigger being better might be a matter of opinion, but it’s hard to deny that at its best,Nopeoffers spectacle and some genuinely terrifying moments, making it a greatly effective blend of sci-fi and horror.
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10’The Cloverfield Paradox' (2018)
Okay, one final sci-fi/horror movie likeAlienthat’s nowhere near as good asAlien: 2018’sThe Cloverfield Paradox. This is a movie that few - if any - would rank amongthe greatest sci-fi movies of all time, but its influence from sci-fi/horror movies of old is undeniable, with its premise centering on a team of scientists in space who are plunged into a waking nightmare while trying to develop a solution to an ongoing energy crisis.
The Cloverfield Paradoxmight get the job done for those looking for some horror movie thrills in space while not being too concerned about whether such thrills are contained within a great movie. Of the movies that contain the word “Cloverfield” in the title, it’s certainly the weakest, but it feels like it’s trying to put on a modern spin onAlienat times, and as such, it is indeed (sort of) likeAlien.
