There are some awesome sci-fi movies out there. There are some amazing horror movies as well. What do you get when you combine both? The brilliant sci-fi horror. Sci-fi horror is one of those genres where they mix in the wonder of science fiction and the scares of horror to create a beautiful masterpiece of a film.
Plenty of wonderful sci-fi horror movies exist out there, from classics like Alien to newer releases like A Quiet Place, but there is always something for everyone. If you’re looking for a new scary movie to watch, check out these sci-fi horror movies that are streaming right now.
Alien (Amazon Prime)
This classic movie is exactly what the title infers - aliens. Alien is about the space crew that is aboard the commercial space tug, Nostromo. While in space, they encounter a strange alien, one that is terrifying and hungry for their flesh, as it is set loose on the ship.
Alien is the godfather of all sci-fi horror movies, at least the ones we see now. While there were others before it, there’s just something about Alien that tickles me the right way. Whether it’s the brilliant Alien cast or the fantastic badass acting from Sigourney Weaver, becoming an iconic scream queen, I’ll never know. But what I do know is that nothing will stop me from sitting down and watching it if it is on the TV screen.
Stream Alien on Amazon Prime.
Rent Alien on Apple TV.
Annihilation (Paramount Plus)
Moving on to a more recent release, Annihilation follows a group of explorers who are traveling into a quarantined part of the world, overrun by radioactive creatures and plant life due to an extraterrestrial presence in the area.
You know, it’s such a shame that this did as poorly as it did at the box office, because Annihilation had all the makings of what a classic horror sci-fi could be about. It had a brilliant storyline, wonderful performances from its star-studded cast, including names like Natalie Portman, Gina Rodriguez, and more, and the scares were excellent. But sadly, it didn’t get the love that it deserved. But now you can praise it all you want from the comfort of your home.
Stream Annihilation on Paramount Plus.
Rent Annihilation on Amazon.
Under The Skin (Showtime)
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Under the Skin tells the story of a woman who preys on men in Scotland, except she isn’t a normal woman - she’s from some other world, using the guise of a beautiful woman to be able to eat their flesh.
Again, I feel like these movies deserve so much more attention than what they were given back then, considering this also didn’t do as well at the box office. Scarlett Johansson acts her ass off here and gave a performance that was worthy of awards, and the scares were even better. Something I also particularly liked about this movie was the score - it’s hauntingly beautiful from start to finish and one score I regularly listen to.
Stream Under the Skin on Showtime.
Rent Under the Skin on Amazon.
Scanners (HBO Max)
In this sci-fi horror movie, Scanners is all about people who have telekinetic powers as well as telepathic ones, but because of these strange abilities, people are starting to rise up and cause wars to gain power.
While it’s not my personal favorite sci-fi horror movie, I can appreciate Scanners for its well thought-out plot and its creative idea of what ‘scanner’ actually means. It’s a very different sci-fi idea from just a crazy scientist or some alien coming down from the sky. Plus, the special effects department did a number on this film. I don’t think I can ever forget that one scene, if you’ve seen it. If not, prepare yourself.
Stream Scanners on HBO Max.
Rent Scanners on Amazon.
The Mist (AMC+)
You knew somewhere on this list you’d see Stephen King. The Mist, directed by Frank Darabont and adapted from the Stephen King novel of the same name, is about a strange storm that suddenly blows in this mist that covers a village in Maine. But within this mist is something terrifying that begins to kill people off, one by one.
The Mist is definitely one of Stephen King’s better adaptations, in my opinion. The idea of just this strange mist covering everything, unable to really outrun it - that scares the crap out of me. What also does it for me is that the cast is fantastic and performs expertly. Is the ending my favorite? Nah, because I cry every time - but it’s still a great sci-fi horror.
Stream The Mist on AMC+ through Amazon.
Rent The Mist on Amazon.
The Thing (Starz)
The Thing is probably the most realistic sci-fi horror movie here. In The Thing, a group of scientists who live in a snow-covered base are suddenly invaded when a parasite that takes over human and animal bodies and kills the people from inside starts to hunt them down. Now, they must figure out who the monster is.
The first time I watched The Thing, I felt more unease in my body during a horror movie than I'd ever experienced. The Thing is horrifying because there’s this idea that you literally can’t trust anyone. Your closest friend could be this monster that’s just waiting for its moment to strike, but you wouldn’t know because they look totally normal. That’s a real fear of what a parasite could do and a real fear I could see people having outside of a movie. I know it terrified me to think about it. Plus, the visual effects are fantastic, and John Carpenter’s direction makes it even better.
Stream The Thing on Starz.
Rent The Thing on Amazon.
Cloverfield (HBO Max)
In Cloverfield, we follow a group of New York City residents when a strange monster that is massive in size starts to attack the city, and now it’s up to them to try and survive while everyone else around them is getting killed.
Cloverfield sort of blurs the line between sci-fi horror and monster horror, but I’ll consider it more sci-fi horror because no one really knows where the heck this monster came from. I mean, there’s this giant alien thing (and smaller, terrifying creatures) just straight up destroying everything, but the found-footage movie focuses its attention on the characters trying to survive. A direct sequel is coming, and thank God because I want to know what the heck this monster truly is.
Stream Cloverfield on HBO Max.
Rent Cloverfield on Amazon.
Frankenstein (Amazon)
Based on the novel by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein is an old and classic sci-fi horror that tells the story of Dr. Frankenstein and the monster he creates in his laboratory from using decrepit parts of dead bodies.
While I do say that Alien is a godfather of sci-fi horror, I’d say Frankenstein is one as well, if not for the emergence of the genre as a whole. Alien capitalized on its visual effects and genuine terrifying scares, but Frankenstein was what really introduced the genre as a whole to audiences way back when, and if it wasn’t for movies like this, I don’t know if we would have the sci-fi horror genre today. It truly is a work of its time and a great one at that.
The Fly (Paramount Plus)
In this sci-fi horror movie, The Fly follows a scientist, who’s interesting and has a very active mind, but when one of his experiments goes horribly wrong and he accidentally fuses his body with a fly, he starts to morph into a fly-hybrid creature.
Yeah.... don’t watch this one on a full stomach. The Fly is a fantastic sci-fi horror movie. The cast is great, led by a fantastic performance from Jeff Goldblum, the scares are effective, and the score is impressive, with plenty of memorable quotes. But what really gives The Fly the advantage is the effects. Oh god, those effects. I’m gagging just thinking about it. They’re amazing and abhorrent at the same time. Just be prepared, is all I’m saying.
Stream The Fly on Paramount Plus.
Rent The Fly on Amazon.
Slither (Peacock)
Directed by James Gunn, Slither is another sci-fi horror film that follows an alien parasite, in this case, as it starts to infest a small town and kill the people off one by one, following a group of survivors as they try to kill off every single parasite.
Slither isn’t the most original sci-fi horror movie by any means, but I still believe it to be entertaining as heck thanks to James Gunn's brilliant directing. The story is paced well, jumping right into the action and getting you into that horror atmosphere mixed in with some really cool special effects. It’s definitely worth the watch if you haven’t seen it.
Stream Slither on Peacock.
Rent Slither on Amazon.
Prometheus (Amazon Prime)
Directed by Ridley Scott, the same director of Alien, Prometheus is the title of a spaceship a crew is on, traveling across the galaxy to discover the existence of the human race. But when their ship takes them to a world that might threaten all of humanity, it’s up to them to try and stop it.
Prometheus is actually a part of the Alien franchise, further expanding that world and adding more mythology to it than ever before, and honestly, I personally think Prometheus is almost as good as Alien. I think the set design is brilliant, the cast was awesome, and its special effects were out of this world (pun intended). The story can be a bit flawed at times due to its fast pace, but I still think it’s an enjoyable horror movie that anyone could enjoy with that fun sci-fi lore that we all love.
Stream Prometheus on Amazon Prime.
Rent Prometheus on Apple TV.
Underwater (HBO Max)
Underwater is a 2020 horror sci-fi starring Kristen Stewart, following workers who are employed at a drilling facility at the bottom of the ocean. But when an earthquake ends up doing major damage to the place, they end up encountering monsters that will take them out one by one.
Cthulhu is already a pretty horrifying mythical monster to think of, but add that in with the scariness of the ocean and you have yourself a really good sci-fi horror movie. The cast is fantastic, but what really makes this is the scenery. Like I said, we as humans know so little about the ocean, already making this movie frightening, but adding on this depth of horrible creatures mixed in with the idea of trying to survive them while under water with barely any oxygen? That’s a recipe for greatness.
Stream Underwater on HBO Max.
Rent Underwater on Amazon.
A Quiet Place Movies (Paramount Plus)
Last up, we have The Quiet Place movies. Starring John Krasinski and Emily Blunt. These movies take place in a post-apocalyptic world where alien creatures have descended on earth completely blind, but have an acute sense of hearing, and if they hear you, you will be dead in an instant.
A Quiet Place, as well as its sequel, are stunning pieces of cinema. Those two films in recent years are some of the only horror movies that have truly made me shut up in the theater to listen to all the sounds around them. The sound design is done to perfection, luring you into these suspenseful moments that will make you jump out of your seat but beg yourself not to scream. Hopefully A Quiet Place 3 happens, so I think now would be the perfect time to watch them.
Stream the Quiet Place movies on Paramount Plus.
Rent the Quiet Place movies on Amazon.
There are so many cool-looking upcoming horror movies, but sometimes, I just want to look back and revisit the classics, and that includes these amazing sci-fi horror movies. Whether you’ve seen most of these or haven’t, you can’t go wrong with the genre. And maybe, you’ve found yourself a new horror movie.
