10 Terrifying Horror Movies Set in Space That Aren’t From The Alien Franchise

Space has long been the perfect backdrop for horror: the isolation, the vastness, and the simple fact that no one can hear you scream make it prime territory for filmmakers looking to terrify audiences. While the Alien franchise might dominate discussions about space horror, numerous other films have successfully captured the terror of cosmic dread. From psychological nightmares to monster-filled mayhem, these space-set horror films prove there are plenty of reasons to fear what lurks beyond our atmosphere.

10It! The Terror From Beyond Space

Often seen as an inspiration for Alien, the 1958 film It! The Terror From Beyond Space follows a rescue mission to Mars. They pick up the lone survivor of a previous expedition, along with an uninvited, murderous stowaway. As the creature begins to eliminate crew members one by one, the survivors find themselves trapped in a claustrophobic spaceship with limited weapons and nowhere to run. While this black-and-white B-movie might seem quaint compared to modern horror, its core concept of being stuck in a metal tube with something that wants to kill you created a template that countless space horror films would follow for decades. It proves that effective horror isn’t about fancy effects but about tapping into our primal fears.

9Planet of the Vampires

Mario Bava’s 1965 film Planet of the Vampires might look a bit dated by today’s standards, but its atmosphere and influence on later space horror are undeniable. After crash-landing on a strange planet, astronauts start turning on each other, possessed by an unseen force that can reanimate corpses. Bava’s unique vision blends Gothic horror vibes with space opera aesthetics, creating a technicolor nightmare that clearly inspired elements of Alien years later. Despite working with pocket change for a budget, the Italian director’s horror expertise allowed him to craft an eerie, fog-drenched alien landscape that filmmakers still reference today.

8Apollo 18

The found-footage horror Apollo 18 (2011) plays on the conspiracy theory that NASA conducted a hush-hush lunar mission after the official Apollo 17. The film presents itself as recovered footage from this classified mission, showing astronauts stumbling upon evidence of a Soviet landing and subsequently discovering exactly why nobody should be hanging out on the moon. The limited perspective of helmet cameras and lunar module footage cranks up the claustrophobia as the astronauts face an unknown threat that might explain previous mission “failures.” By mixing real-world space history with horror elements, Apollo 18 creates a creepy “what if” scenario that’ll have you side-eyeing those moon landing photos.

7Europa Report

Europa Report (2013) takes the found footage approach to chronicle a doomed mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa in search of alien life. The documentary-style filmmaking gives an unsettling authenticity to this tale of scientific curiosity gone terribly wrong, as the crew finds evidence of something living beneath the moon’s icy surface. What makes this film work so well is its commitment to scientific plausibility while gradually building toward pure cosmic horror. Instead of cheap jump scares, Europa Report creates a mounting sense of dread through isolation and the slow, terrible realization that humanity is completely unprepared for what it’s about to discover. The realistic portrayal of spaceflight makes the terrifying revelations hit that much harder.

6Pitch Black

Before Vin Diesel became the face of the Fast & Furious franchise, he gave us his breakout performance as the badass antihero Riddick in 2000’s Pitch Black. After a transport ship crash-lands on a scorching hot planet, the survivors realize they’ve got bigger problems than getting a sunburn because the world is home to vicious nocturnal creatures that come out during rare eclipses, which (wouldn’t you know it) are about to happen. Director David Twohy crafts a nail-biting survival horror where light becomes the most precious resource, and Diesel’s morally ambiguous character keeps you guessing almost as much as the creatures do. The film’s distinctive visual style and creature design help it stand out in the crowded space horror landscape.

5Sunshine

Danny Boyle’s 2007 film Sunshine follows a crew on what’s essentially a suicide mission to reignite our dying Sun with a massive nuclear payload. The psychological weight of being humanity’s last hope combined with the discovery of an abandoned ship creates an atmosphere that’ll have you chewing your nails off. While it starts as more of a sci-fi thriller, it gradually morphs into something much darker as the team faces both external threats and their own crumbling mental states. The film’s stunning visuals and philosophical undertones turn what could’ve been just another space movie into something that’ll haunt you long after watching.

4High Life

Claire Denis’ 2018 film High Life takes a more arthouse approach to space horror, following a group of death row inmates shipped off on a one-way mission toward a black hole to harvest its energy. With Robert Pattinson leading the cast, the film dives deep into isolation, sexuality, and the complete breakdown of social norms in a sterile spacecraft environment. The nonlinear storytelling gradually reveals how the ship’s community falls apart through exploitation and violence, particularly through Juliette Binoche’s disturbing experiments. High Life balances its bleak outlook with well-developed characters, creating a psychological horror piece that’s as thought-provoking as it is unsettling.

3Life

Somehow 2017’s Life managed to do well worldwide yet still fly under the radar for many horror fans. Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds star as members of the International Space Station crew who discover what initially seems like an amazing scientific breakthrough, a living organism in Martian soil samples. Their excitement quickly turns to terror as the creature proves to be wickedly intelligent and hell-bent on destruction. What makes Life particularly unsettling is how it draws from actual biological phenomena, making the threat feel disturbingly possible. And that ending? Easily one of the bleakest in recent horror cinema.

2Pandorum

In Pandorum (2009), two crew members wake up from hypersleep with a serious case of space amnesia, they have no clue who they are or what they’re supposed to be doing on this massive spaceship. As they stumble around the seemingly abandoned vessel, they discover it’s overrun with these horrific cannibalistic humanoids hunting down whatever passengers remain. Beyond the monster madness, the film digs into “pandorum,” a nasty form of psychosis triggered by deep space travel and extended hypersleep. Fun fact: the story came from smashing two different screenplays together, resulting in a surprisingly layered tale about isolation, evolution, and how quickly your mind can unravel when faced with cosmic emptiness.

1Event Horizon

Released in 1997 to a lukewarm box office reception, Event Horizon has since grown into a cult classic that perfectly blends sci-fi with supernatural horror. The film follows a rescue team investigating a distress signal from the Event Horizon, a ship that vanished during its maiden voyage only to mysteriously reappear years later. What they find is pretty messed up, the experimental engine basically created a gateway to hell, unleashing nightmarish forces that drive people to insanity and brutal violence. Sam Neill and Laurence Fishburne deliver standout performances, and the film’s atmospheric tension and graphic imagery have cemented its reputation as one of the most disturbing space horror films you’ll ever see.

fact checked by
Alex Alvarez