For almost as long as the concept ofscience fictionhas existed, the genre has flirted, to varying degrees of success, with the world ofhorror. Science fiction was basically invented by Mary Shelley with her novel Frankenstein, which was originally classified as horror but gave way to the subgenre of sci-fi. Some of the most highly regarded and successful movies of all time fall into the sci-fi horror genre. Ridley Scott’sAlienand James Cameron’sTerminatorhave made it ontomany ‘greatest of all time’ film listsand set the standard for the genre moving forward, whileJohn Carpenter’s work in the genreon movies likeThe Thing,andThey Livehave earned him the status of a cult hero amongst genre fans worldwide.
Update June 20, 2025: This article has been updated with even more great sci-fi horror films of the 2020s.
During the 80s, it seemed as if every other movie was a sci-fi horror flick, but in recent years, it seems that the genre has died down a little, despite us living in what seems like a sci-fi horror for the last 2 years! While both horror and science fiction are still going strong as stand-alone genres, finding a truly thrilling, engaging, and horrifying sci-fi horror mash-up has become slightly more of a challenge. Here are the best science fiction horror films of the decade so far.
15The New Mutants (2020)
The New Mutantsis a spin-off in theX-Menfilm series and the thirteenth and final installment in the franchise. Directed by Josh Boone from a screenplay he wrote with Kate Lee, the film follows a group of young mutants held in a secret facility as they fight for their lives. While it wasn’t a huge critical success, it was nice to see a superhero movie give some horror spice to it.
Certainly nothing ground-breaking, the cast more than makeup for a lack of originality with solid performances all round from the likes of Maisey Williams, Ana Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Raga, Blue Hunt and Henry Saga, although at this stage, the less said about Marilyn Manson’s involvement, the better, probably.
14Underwater (2020)
Kristen Stewart rarely surprises audiences with groundbreaking performances, which is a damn shame considering she did such a great job inUnderwater. This awesome sci-fi flick includes multiple elements of Lovecraftian horror. The story is directed by William Eubank, with a script by Brian Duffield and Adam Cozad. The cast includes Stewart, Vincent Cassel, and Jessica Henwick. The story follows a group of researchers trapped in an underwater facility after an earthquake destroys their station.
The movie delivers a tense narrative as the survivors can grasp what they face and don’t understand how the earthquake surprised them. The crew struggles to survive the treacherous depths while discovering they are not aloneand must confront a new species of deadly aquatic creatureswho want them gone by any means. The claustrophobic setting and intense action sequences are enough to keep you hooked. verify to give this one a try.
13The Call (2020)
Some of the best sci-fi horrors explore scenarios that come out of the blue without explaining how the events are taking place. Those kinds of films can make for a good watch, as they subvert your expectations and leave you asking hard questions.The Callis a movie written and directed by Lee Chung-hyun, with the assistance of Kim Young-seo. The casting features Korean mainstays such as Park Shin-Hye, Jun Jong-Seo, and Kim Sung-ryoung.
The Callis a story about two women connecting across time through a mysterious phone call. As they talk, they uncover a shared past and attempt to change their fates. Both characters become entangled in a deadly game with surreal consequences.The film manages to get a hold of your attentionwith its atmospheric visuals, strong performances, and thought-provoking plot while exploring themes such as destiny and predestination.
12Sputnik (2020)
There are great horror stories set in the past to be explored, especially given the advancement of science over the past four decades.Sputnikis a Russian film exploring the aftermath of the Sputnik space trip. The movie is directed by Egor Abramenko and written by Oleg Malovichko with the assistance of Andrei Zolotarev. The film is set in the 80s at the height of the Cold War era, where secrecy was rampant.
The solid cast features the talents of Oksana Akinshina, Pyotr Fyodorov, and Fedor Bondarchuk. The film followsa psychologist tasked with evaluating a cosmonautafter he returns from a space mission. As the plot unfolds, we suddenly realize the cosmonaut carries a mysterious extraterrestrial creature inside him. It’s up to the medical professional to unravel the secrets of the cosmonaut while becoming entangled in a web of conspiracies.
11Boss Level (2020)
Some films go beyond known narratives while exploring familiar concepts. The time loop is not a new narrative; it has been explored in films such asDoctor StrangeorEdge of Tomorrow.Boss Levelis a smaller-scale film, but it presents an interesting narrative. The movie is written and directed by Joe Carnahan, with the assistance of Eddie Borey.The solid cast features the talents of Frank Grillo, Mel Gibson, and Naomi Watts.
In Boss Level, we follow a former special forces agent who suddenly finds himself stuck in a time loop where he relives the same day, which always ends with his death. The agent must fight to survive while figuring out how to break the loop. As he digs deeper into his situation, he uncovers a conspiracy filled with government trials and a vast array of people willing to kill him to prevent the truth from coming to light.
10Oxygen (2021)
Sci-fi horror can take audiences for a spin by planting them in a tense situation from the first frame of the film.Oxygendoes that and aces every minute of the movie as we experience the pain, desperation, and disorientation of a woman who suddenly wakes up locked in a cryogenic chamber while running out of oxygen. The movie is directed by Alexandre Aja and written by Christie LeBlanc, and it’s one of the best sci-fi horror films made in France.
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The movie centers solely on Mélanie Laurent, as she wakes up from cryogenic sleep without remembering who she is or how she got there.As she struggles to escape the pod before her oxygen runs out, the woman must unravel the truth about her identity and why she was confined in the first place. It’s a claustrophobic movie with an incredibly tense setting and gripping suspense that breaks the mold of these types of stories.
8Black Box (2020)
Released as an Amazon Prime exclusive and billed as the second installment in the anthologicalWelcome to the Blumhousefilm series.Black Boxfocuses on Nolan Wright, played with aplomb by Mamoudou Athie, a man struggling with amnesia after surviving a tragic car accident. He agrees to undergo an experimental treatment in order to attempt to retrieve his lost memories but ends up experiencing a series of horrific visions which become increasingly difficult to decipher from reality. While the sci-fi elements may seem a little overly familiar to some, a genuinely eerie and unnerving atmosphere is masterfully crafted throughout writer-director Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour’s debut.
7PG: Psycho Goreman (2020)
If the name doesn’t make it obvious enough,PG:Pyscho Goremanis not meant to be taken entirely seriously. In fact, it is utterly ludicrous, from the over-the-top campy alien designs reminiscent of early 90sPower Rangervillains to the obnoxious dialogue delivered by its child protagonist Mimi played by a particularly bratty Nita-Josee Hanna.
While the story plays second fiddle to the over-the-top set pieces and gory violence, it does involve enough aliens and intergalactic themes to be considered sci-fi and (just) enough scares to fall into the horror category, but in reality, it’s a mash-up of a whole heap of influences all played off with its tongue firmly in cheek.
6Meander (2020)
The last few years have seen international cinema and television finally getting the recognition in the States it so rightfully deserves. Kicking the doors down and opening the floodgates was Bong Joon-ho’shistory-making and Academy Award-winning2019 masterpieceParasite,and proving that it was not a one-off were the uber successful Spanish seriesMoney Heistand the ubiquitous South Korean Netflix showSquid Game.
Unfortunately,Meander, Mathieu Turi’s criminally underrated French language film, has not received the same kind of attention despite being a masterclass in creating palpable tension. While thematically it does bear a passing resemblance to theCubefranchise,Meanderis original, exciting, and creative enough to stand out as a great addition to the sci-fi horror genre.
