300 Horror Science Fiction Films Reviewed: Realms of Terror

By Steve Hutchison

Steve Hutchison reviews 300 horror science fiction films and ranks them. Each article includes a picture of the main antagonist, a release year, a synopsis, a star rating, and a review.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steve Hutchison
• Release date: Feb 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9781778871061

Steve Hutchison

Artist, developer and entrepreneur in film, video games and communications Steve Hutchison co-founded Shade.ca Art and Code in 1999, then Terror.ca and its French equivalent Terreur.ca in 2000. With his background as an artist and integrator, Steve worked on such games as Capcom's Street Fighter, PopCap's Bejeweled, Tetris, Bandai/Namco's Pac-Man and Mattel's Skip-Bo & Phase 10 as a localization manager, 2-D artist and usability expert. Having acquired skills in gamification, he invented a unique horror movie review system that is filterable, searchable and sortable by moods, genres, subgenres and antagonists. Horror movie fans love it, and so do horror authors and filmmakers, as it is a great source of inspiration. In March 2013, Steve launched Tales of Terror, with the same goals in mind but with a much finer technology and a complex engine, something that wasn’t possible initially. He has since published countless horror-themed books.

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INTRODUCTION

Steve Hutchison reviews 300 horror science fiction films and ranks them. Each article includes a picture of the main antagonist, a release year, a synopsis, a star rating, and a review.

#1

Gremlins

1984

A high-maintenance creature gives birth to an army of small devils after being exposed to water.

8/8

Gremlins is a highly superior cinematographic experience in image and sound. It is meant for children and adults alike, but is rather oriented at the former. It’s a horror movie that avoids violence and death using creative detours, and, simply put, instead plays on the fears of ugliness and propagation. This all happens around Christmas time and the odd resulting ambiance is a delight.

The film is virtually flawless and an obvious fruit of effort. With some of the best animatronics, puppetry and creature design to ever hit the screen, it’s a nicely packaged story supported by lovable characters and spiced up by a dream team of performers who are wisely directed and scripted. Everybody on board seems aware of the fact that they have one of the best gimmicks in film history.

Gremlins is about a cute creature whose allergies trigger self-duplicating terror and destruction. In the context of Christmas, under keen lighting, when wrapped in comedy then glitter, and supported by an immersing score, this otherwise sinister film becomes a fantasy of its own before your entertained eyes. It belongs to all genres, yet none, and is unarguably one of the best pictures ever made.

#2

Ghostbusters

1984

Three unemployed supernatural investigators start a ghost hunting business.

8/8

Here’s a perfect mix of comedy, horror and fantasy that will get straight to your heart and guts. In a way, it is also a light superhero story. Because it is perfectly suitable for a child as much as the general audience, Ghostbusters is eerie, makes you jump, shiver, but features virtually no gore. There are monsters, though, and plenty of them. The effects are amazing and one of a kind.

The score and soundtrack play a big role in delivering a fun supernatural aura that penetrates the screen. While some of the creature effects are a little cheap, most of the ghost effects blend well with the picture. This one isn’t all about visuals. The characters and the story are compelling and the dialogue is catchy.

The actors are perfect in their roles and their performances are close to flawless. Ghostbuster isn’t shy on effects, making use of animatronics, rubber suits and an abundance of color keying. Get ready to be entertained all the way through; sucked in a surreal New York that gets increasingly sinister as subplots converge.

#3

Gremlins 2: The New Batch

1990

An innocent allergic creature gives birth to a hoard of morphing monsters inside a commercial skyscraper after being exposed to water.

8/8

Gremlins 2 starts with a short Bugs Bunny gag as if to establish it is now a perked version of itself. It’s slightly more suitable to a younger audience but it’s dark enough to please anyone. It still feels like horror fantasy but it behaves much more like a sadistic cartoon. The previous protagonists aged a bit and their paths all happen to converge to a specific block in New York City.

Most of the plot takes place in a prestigious high-tech high rise used for business, commerce and science, giving Gremlins 2 a prestigious stature. None of it is taken seriously and it’s hilarious. When things go bad; worse than they’ve been so far, the makers’ ambition and skills shine through. The creatures are now fully lit, revealing more and even better animatronics than 1984’s Gremlins’.

The concept of metamorphosis is pushed further and turned into an ongoing joke. The actors are given intricate roles and are a colorful delight. The animation techniques used have evolved. The production quality is higher, too, and the sets are very atmospheric. Perfect gateway to horror for kids, Gremlins 2 chooses to be fun, surrealist and comedic but doesn’t forget its more sinister roots.

#4

The Fly

1986

A scientist in love gradually turns into a fly after experimenting with a teleportation method he discovered.

8/8

The Fly is one of the best body horror movies ever made. As such, it succeeds where most werewolf films failed and features grander effects and make-up. The visuals are astonishingly elaborate and get increasingly disgusting as the story unfolds. The transformation sequence spans over several scenes and the tragedy is deeply felt because the two leads convey a wide range of emotions over time.

Dialogue is meticulously calculated. There is an aura of remorse and regrets that the hook foreshadows. 1986’s The Fly remakes a 1958 film by the same title that can use the update. The plot is roughly the same, but this one is much scarier and more intense. It is a perfect mix of psychological and physical horror; terrifying, gory, and often both at the same time for maximum shock value.

It is arguably David Cronenberg’s best directorial and screenwriting portfolio piece at this point in his career. Despite its extreme premise, the film is never surreal or complicated. The characters are well-written, natural, compelling. Thriller tropes meet lycanthropy in this instant classic that will surely leave its mark. It is unique and close to perfection on all levels.

#5

The Faculty

1998

Six students find out their teachers are from another planet.

8/8

A splendid cast is introduced very early on, including the protagonists who are presented through character cards right after an epic prologue. There are obvious Body Snatchers and Scream influences, here. It’s no coincidence that Kevin Williamson, of Scream fame, is screenwriting. The Faculty is punctuated by an amazing rock soundtrack just when you think the film couldn’t get any cooler.

The students, in The Faculty, are mentally and physically abusive, from the get go, so we’re not sure exactly what they become when they’re possessed, and that’s a grey zone that never gets addressed. Some of the infected become more aggressive and some more passive. All characters are right out of a comic book and the acting is irreproachable. In fact, the film itself is almost perfect.

The Faculty is as mainstream as horror films get, but horror buffs will see it from a particular angle. It’s an alien invasion, a slasher, a whodunit and, well, it’s teen horror. What else is there to like? The actors are amazing: Josh Hartnett, Famke Janssen, Robert Patrick, Laura Harris, Salma Hayek, Piper Laurie, Usher Raymond and Elijah Wood, to name a few.

#6

Jurassic Park

1993

The owners of a theme park hosting cloned dinosaurs lose control of their security system.

8/8

Terminator 2 set the bar so high in terms of 3D and compositing effects that nothing comparable came out until Spielberg’s next blockbuster: Jurassic Park. Like Jaws, it’s a lively and watered down horror movie that focuses much more on its ensemble cast then the antagonists; in this case angry and hungry Dinosaurs. Jurassic Park is suitable for most age groups and means to entertain any audience.

It’s a nearly perfect movie that is only flawed because it is experimental and ground-breaking. It features effects previously unattempted and destined to age well. The dinos aren’t abundantly shown and barely lit in order to scare. The violence is limited but present. While it contains extensive scenes of suspenseful action, it mostly takes its time with a layered script that never lets you down.

The jungle backdrops are as peaceful as they are alienating once all hell breaks loose. The performances are loud, fun, lively, but are sometimes surpassed by chroma keying effects they can’t ad-lib with. Here’s a safe scare for children with semi-fantastic but plausible animals. Mixed with a smart science-fiction plot and a unique gimmick, they make this one of the best genre crossovers ever.

#7

Aliens

1986

The survivor of a space invasion awakened from stasis by her employer is asked to assist a troop of soldiers in hunting aliens.

8/8

Ripley, played by returning actress Sigourney Weaver, is offered a promotion if she resumes her nightmare. She accepts, curiously, but for the good of a franchise’s birth. This time, her friends have big guns! They are not pencil pushers stuck in space; they’re tough soldiers on a kamikaze mission. Aliens is more military and borrows from action flicks, as well as horror and science-fiction.

Everything is bigger, more frantic, rougher. There is sporadically elongated group dialogue and the movie has many crowded, elaborate battle scenes. It also behaves like a slasher film, as the support characters meet their end in dark corners. There is plenty of room for character exposition and it significantly pays off when things get tense and out of control as the bodies start piling up.

The players are vivid, cartoonish, superficial but purposely and not more than your average video game character. The effects range from rear projection to puppetry; all taken to gigantic proportions, this time. The detailed sets match those of the original. Elements that were left unexplored the first time around are given a meaning and a purpose. This certainly lives up to the original!

#8

Starship Troopers

1997

Recruits of a young generation of space warriors face an increasing alien invasion.

8/8

Starship Troopers is an unlikely genre and subgenre cross-over made by people in perfect knowledge and control of their craft. No aspect of the making is undershot and the CG is great. The result is a virtually flawless production that meets Hollywood standards but not its conventional narrative script structure. It can be called an epic despite the fact that it doesn’t take itself seriously.

It’s a mix of war and science-fiction with scenes and antagonists right out of a horror movie. Aside some jump scares and monstrous creatures, it isn’t exactly scary. The characters are impervious to fear, resilient to pain and their pride and dedication makes them detached from potential danger, but they are vulnerable to the small things: fun, sadness, friendship, love, jealousy, envy…

The beasts look great and are a memorable conceptual design. They are the center of this ground-breaking masterpiece. The actors, their performances and their character are a homogeneous combined delight. Their illustrated chemistry comes out as authentic. Their coming of age is an ironically plausible depiction of a blooming cynical generation born during an alien invasion.

#9

Alien

1979

An ore harvesting crew discovers a dead alien and large unidentified eggs inside an abandoned spaceship.

8/8

From stasis cages and poorly lit tunnels to the deep isolation of space, and considering how small the sets appear to be, Alien is vividly claustrophobic. It succeeds both on the horror and science-fiction levels. It’s disorienting from the start and confinement isn’t even the horror of it all. There is a giant extra-terrestrial aboard the ship and it’s more a monster than a cute humanoid.

The beast is gradually revealed but never fully. Mystery and build-up are some of the many strengths of the well-paced script. There is unifying rigor in the creature and ship design. The rooms aren’t just atmospheric; they are conveniently built, from the storyboard phase, to inspire distress. In a way, after all, this is a slasher taking place in space with, for victims, bored public workers.

The cinematography is a delight; always mastered, always vibrant. The effects are something else. If you needed a reason to fear alien invasion, this is it. They are depicted as smart but too savage, too animalistic to negotiate. Dense in detail and scientific procedural, Alien is high caliber sci-fi that’s virtually flawless on all aspects and speaks to a rather intellectual niche.

#10

Blade

1998

A vampire hybrid protects the human race against the pure-blooded of his kind.

8/8

Blade is the condensed adaptation of a vampire universe owned by Marvel Comics. Wesley Snipes plays a strong and agile superhero who confronts a whole vampire council practically solo. Martial arts are his thing, so this is first and foremost an action flick with big effects, exciting choreography, breath-taking stunts and intricate camera work. The pacing is tight and the build-up palpable.

Blade, like most blockbusters, is a nicely packaged and saturated concoction of subgenre tropes. The fights are massive, unique and usually supported by enticing techno trance tracks; a curious vibe we are introduced to early on, courtesy of Traci Lords. She, horror pillars Udo Kier and Stephen Dorff play key vampires. They are impervious to pain, taboos and are so cold they appear genderless.

The film is crafted by masters of their arts. The directing and photography are impeccable; occasionally hindered by post-production constraints but not distractedly. The gimmick is strong, the script brilliant but dumbed down to remain accessible. 1998’s Blade is representative of its time. Arrogant, aggressive yet classy, it immortalizes short but memorable trends of the dying millennium.

#11

Predator

1987

Commandos on a rescue mission in a jungle are ambushed by an invisible beast.

8/8

Because predator is a horror movie strongly inspired by creature films from the realms of science-fiction and action, it presents protagonists with caricatural courage, big muscles, big guns and bad tempers rather than frail individuals. Arnold Schwarzenegger is, as usual, a man of few words. His stoic presence is all we need. The rest of the cast is also rather purposely downplayed.

The first act would have you think this is a war movie, but then greatness ensues... Predator is all about the alien, really, and what a great creature design we’re treated with! The effects aren’t always crisp and photographically seamless, but they bring something new to the audience. The jungle is a character of its own. The whole film is spent there and the makers make the most of it.

Although Predator could rightfully be labeled slasher, it mostly bathes in a heroic military score that keeps us away from a clichéd victimization of the cast. The structure isn’t unlike that of most action-thriller movies of the time. Well shot, frantically paced and skillfully directed, this is an instant classic that was allocated the big budget its premise deserved.

#12

The Thing

1982

In Antarctica, a group of scientists comes in contact with a hostile alien parasite that lurks inside their camp.

8/8

This is a remake of the movie The Thing from Another World, a 1951 John W. Campbell story adaptation. The actors are all male and all geared up to face the worst conditions; more specifically, here, an upcoming battle against a powerful being that wraps itself in mystery. The Thing can hardly be summarized with words and doesn’t communicate the way we do.

The Thing establishes suspense like few horror films do; by laying down the facts, raising questions that may never find answers, then offering you so much more than the many outcomes you could possibly imagine. It uses perfectly paced sequences leading to unexpected jump scares. The animatronics are one of the kind and among the best and scariest ever seen in the genre.

The lighting is always just right; not revealing too much or too little. The thick ambiance is reinforced by an ongoing storm that implicitly restricts and locks the protagonists in; therefore accommodating the creature and forcing the victims to find creative ways to survive. Fortunately, they have big muscles, free access to a large arsenal and aren’t the scared type...

#13

11.22.63

2016

A time traveler attempts to prevent John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

8/8

Who has never felt the deep desire to fix today’s problems yesterday; to go back in time and erase critical mistakes. The film explores this question more in-depth than Back to the Future did. 11.22.63 is easily one of the best time travelling stories ever adapted to screen. It’s a mini-series, so it requires involvement, but every second is worth it. You should jump in head first!

11.22.63 is a science-fiction story and a supernatural drama. It contains horrific scenes, but in the midst of it evolves a touching love story. This is also one of Stephen King’s most political tale, and one of his most mature work despite the colorful premise. In this mini-series, a time traveler; James Franco’s character, attempts to prevent John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.

This feature is dialogue-oriented. Though not everyone is a big star, all actors are highly competent. Those who are reluctant to see James Franco in the protagonist’s shoes will surely reconsider. He is amusing and extremely sympathetic. His character deserves to achieves his goals but fails at every step. You see, the past doesn’t want to be changed. The past is the ultimate villain, in fact…

#14

The Stand

1994

A bacterial apocalypse polarizes two groups of survivors.

7/8

This is right up there, in the upper tier of King’s filmography. It is one of his best mini-series. Though we experience a wide range of emotions, this is, first and foremost, one of his saddest novel adaptations. It is the quintessential apocalyptic film, but with a dominant supernatural angle. It’s about one percent of the population surviving and being separated in two groups; good and evil.

You couldn’t do the story justice with a feature film. Making an epic was the way to go. It’s a tale that must simmer to have its full effect. The casting is stellar. Shooting landscapes in a way to simulate a post-apocalyptic world the way Mick Garris did must’ve taken extra effort and ingenuity. This is one of his best productions. The dialogue and photography, though, have their ups and downs.

This picture has a touching and perfectly suited soundtrack. The score is immersive. The Stand is an adventure. The way it polarizes two teams, like oil and water; vignette by vignette, is astonishing. There’s a myriad of characters, and the story is easy to follow regardless. It’s about friends, lovers, enemies, about hope, despair, war, sickness and death. It’s a hearth-breaking tale. Enjoy!

#15

Darkman

1990

Soon after inventing synthetic skin, a scientist brutalized by a mob avenges himself by using his discovery to fool his assailants.

7/8

Darkman is both a horror and superhero movie because the protagonist fights an affliction and the criminals responsible for it at the same time. While it is doctors that manage to keep him alive, the masks he engineers allow him to take his revenge, but with limited means and a time limit. Only Sam Raimi can come up with a dark but lively concept that works for most people.

The story is dense but never feels cluttered, thanks to skillful writing. Events stack up but complement each other, allowing for a quick pace and ominous suspense. The cinematography, on paper and during the execution, is pure genius. Every shot is more captivating than the previous, even when taking into account the couple of forgivable cheap effects.

The characters are colorful, well developed and brilliantly performed. Rarely has an action flick been so gory and heavy on practical effects while remaining within the