Horror is designed to terrify and, to an extent, belittle an audience’s understanding of their security, to expose them to creatures, creations, or concepts that make them feel weak and vulnerable. Few subgenres within horror are as adept and effective at achieving this as cosmic horror. Also often referred to as Lovecraftian horror, given how influential the work of authorH. P. Lovecrafthas been on the genre,cosmic horror typically revels in the fear of the unknown, doing so with an eye towards humanity’s insignificance in the context of the galaxy and a petrifying focus on beings incomprehensible to the human psyche.
The idea of such horror has long been effective in literature, but it has also transcended to the screen to visceral effect. Cosmic horror movies are often imbued with a license to indulge in the full breadth of possibilities available to cinema as a visual art form. Exploring both the intergalactic beauty and graphic brutality of the subgenre,these cosmic chillers can terrify audiences like few other films.
10’Event Horizon' (1997)
Despite ending its theatrical run as a critically derided box office flop,Event Horizonhas gradually amasseda notable following to become a true cult classicof ’90s cinema. As it stands, it’s also one of the most unsettling and menacing cosmic horror movies of all time. It follows the crew of the rescue vessel Lewis and Clarkas they venture beyond Neptune to investigate the mysterious return of the starship Event Horizon, which disappeared during its maiden voyage seven years earlier. They soon realize the ship has brought an evil presence back with it, and find themselves in a desperate fight for survival as one of them submits to the Event Horizon’s sinister presence.
Directed with bombastic might byPaul W. S. Anderson,Event Horizonmarries a visceral, atmospheric dread with glimpses of graphic gore and grotesque imagerythat amplify the film’s confounding and incomprehensible sense of evil. Granted, not all the film’s ambitions are brought to life successfully, but its nightmarish intensity and marriage of sci-fi and horror do deliver a striking and memorable viewing experience that can still garner chills long after the credits have rolled.
9’The Ritual' (2017)
Blending elements of the occult, psychological horror, and a sense of ancient, unknowable evil,The Ritualexcels as something of a hybrid by taking the immense, belittling qualities of cosmic horror and blending them withthe eerie unease of folk horror. It follows a group of English friends whose hiking trip in the Swedish wilderness in the wake of a personal tragedyturns into a hellish fight for survivalwhen they encounter a mythic and murderous evil. Stalked at every turn, the friends’ bonds begin to strain as it becomes clear how outmatched they are by the inhuman beast that hunts them.
Bolstered by an unnerving soundscape, creepy production design, and a monster that is unforgettably unnatural and incomprehensible to look at,The Ritualis a tight and tense tale of terror and friendship that makes the blood run cold on numerous occasions. It may not be the purest cosmic horror movie ever, but its ability to implement genre ideas to horrific effect is an achievement that sparks intense and immediate fear, making ita fine example of the genre even in a hybrid capacity.
8’The Empty Man' (2020)
While it certainly isn’t alone in this regard,The Empty Manis viewed by many to be a horror movie thatopens with a gripping and terrifying first sequencethat it can never quite match. Still, that first 20 minutes mark one of the most intense and petrifying chapters in cosmic horror’s history on the big screen. It follows four friends hiking a mountain in 1995 whose serene getaway cascades into an unnatural nightmare when one of them stumbles upon a giant humanoid skeleton and starts acting strangely.
The rest of the film, following a grieving former detective looking into the mysterious disappearance of his neighbor’s daughter, embeds itself in urban legend suspense and cultish eeriness to varying effect, but audiences remain entranced by the visceral and haunting impact of the movie’s opening. It is perhaps a commentary on the lack of truly terrifying cosmic horror movies as much as it is a celebration ofThe Empty Man’s introductory sequence, but the initial prologue ofharrowing discovery, incomprehensible power, and frightful imageryis a perfect encapsulation of the bloodcurdling brilliance of the genre.
7’The Lighthouse' (2019)
Serving as his follow-up to the hypnotically terrifyingThe Witch,The Lighthousedelivers the brand of confounding narrative and technical craft that has become synonymous withRobert Eggers’ work. Focusing on the simmering feud between two lighthouse keepers on a remote island off the coast of 1890s New England, the film excels as a relentlessly tense observation of masculinity and sanity, underscored by a certain mythological dread presented through a distinct cosmic horror edge.
The focus on two keepers’ descent into madness, and the manner in which it drags audiences along for the ride, is rich withthe unnerving unease and erratic danger of cosmic horror. The many allusions to the ancient sea gods and tentacled beasts of great power only emphasize this element of the movie. Granted,The Lighthouseisn’t strictly a cosmic horror story, butideas from the genre play a pivotal role in establishing the film’s most horrifying aspects, making for an undefinable viewing experience that compels, confounds, and disturbs in wonderful fashion.
6’Color Out of Space' (2019)
The works of H. P. Lovecraft have been notoriously difficult to adapt to the screen. It is rare to see such feats attempted and rarer still to see them executed well. 2019’sColor Out of Spaceis a triumph that illustrates whymore movies should be eager to take on the author’s workwith commanding conviction and visceral vibrancy. It’s set on a secluded family farm that is struck by a meteorite harboring devastating and destructive powers. As the Gardners find their rural home life descending into a cataclysmic nightmare, they also begin to grasp the meteorite’s potential to destroy the world.
Armed with a visually enrapturing display that combines enchanting cosmic beauty with outbursts of grotesque body horror, as well as a feverishly deranged performance fromNicolas Cageand a firm basis on Lovecraft’s short story,Color Out of Spaceis a maniacal hellscape of cosmic ferociousness. It smashes the unnatural and the unknowable against the serene tranquility of isolation, resulting in a demented, disturbing, and damning tale of infectious cosmic light andhumanity’s futility against the sheer might of otherworldly entities.
5’Invasion of the Body Snatchers' (1978)
The 1970s were a golden era for horror cinema that was as innovative as it was effective. It developed a penchant for conjuring chills aplenty through a grounded yet visceral approach, regardless of the story’s scope, andInvasion of the Body Snatchersis a pristine example. The remake of the 1956 classic follows San Francisco health inspector Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) as he and a small group of colleagues discoverhumanity is being overrun by an alien racethat is replacing people with emotionless clones.
While the alien pods and their process are unsettling, the filmevokes true horror in what remains unknownabout the invasive species and the utter defenselessness of humanity against their invisible attack. Like many of the great horror movies of the 1970s,Invasion of the Body Snatchershas maintained an uncanny ability to unnerve and spook through its thematic undertones, sharp execution, and its ability touse the unknown to fester true terrorin the viewers’ imagination.
4’Annihilation' (2018)
Coming from the ever-impressionableAlex Garland,Annihilationis a defining highlight of cosmic horror cinema. The story revolves around the bizarre field of unnatural phenomena expanding from the site where a meteorite struck Earth. Following an unsuccessful military expedition into the anomalous zone,cellular biologist Lena (Natalie Portman)is recruited to a small team of scientists venturing into the “Shimmer” to examine its peculiar nature, an endeavor that leads to many confronting discoveries and a potentially apocalyptic realization.
Annihilationis aspine-tingling amalgamation of science fiction and suspenseful horror. Thematically hefty yet razor-sharp, it’s a gripping horror story supported by an array of breathtaking visuals and, when necessary, some horrifying creations, Not only a modern masterpiece of cosmic horror, but also standing among the greatest Netflix original releases in the streaming platform’s history,Annihilationis the best example of the subgenre audiences have seen in recent decades.
3’In the Mouth of Madness' (1994)
While it isn’t itself an adaptation of Lovecraft’s work,In the Mouth of Madnessdraws on key ideas from the author’s stories to evoke a sense of insignificant, cosmic dread as audiences follow the terrifying tale of John Trent (Sam Neil). An insurance investigator, Trent is tasked with uncovering the circumstances of a horror novelist’s disappearance and sets out to find the writer’s manuscript to ascertain his whereabouts. However, disturbed by nightmares, Trent finds his grasp on reality slipping as he ventures to an eerie small town in New Hampshire.
The film’s exploration of themes of dread,the dangers of acquiring forbidden knowledge, and the agonizing fragility of sanityare at the very heart of cosmic horror.Imbued withJohn Carpenter’s stylistic flourishesand his commanding grasp of what terrifies an audience,In the Mouth of Madnessis a gory and grotesque delve into the maniacal, frenzied frightfulness of insanity. The film commits to being both viciously visceral and contemplatively cerebral and has overcome an initial poor review to be regarded as a cult classic of horror cinema.
2’Alien' (1979)
Not only a defining cosmic horror but one of the greatest films to have graced both sci-fi and horror cinema at large,Alienis a groundbreaking masterpiece of suspense and terror that uses its psycho-sexual intensity, atmospheric might, andH. R. Giger’s spellbinding creature designs to outstanding effect. Following the crew of a cargo spaceship as their efforts to respond to a mysterious distress beaconresult in a deadly alien being unleashed,Alienis a perfect example of cosmic horror’s central themes ofhuman insignificance clashing violently with the power of an otherworldly beingwe can’t truly understand.
While the ensuingAlienfilms have made an effort to explain its origins, the mystique and unknowable nature of the xenomorph imbues the 1979 classic withan overwhelming sense of dread, working in concert with the vast expanses of space to illustrate humanity’s smallness and powerlessness in harrowing fashion. It culminates in one of horror’s defining masterpieces, one of enduring influence that is just as terrifying today as it was upon release almost 50 years ago.
1’The Thing' (1982)
An amalgamation of haunting body horror, maddening mystery, suspense, and the isolated hostility of the harsh winter hellscape of Antarctica,The Thingisthe greatest and most terrifying display of cosmic horrorcinema has ever seen. While it was critically berated upon release and even slumped as a box-office failure, the John Carpenter horror classic has become a true icon of film. Its story, about an American research crew being systemically killed by an alien that can take the form of its prey, has come to be lauded as one of the most compelling and chilling the genre has ever seen.
Also running with a central theme of paranoia and mistrust that hits at the heart of contemporary Cold War tensions,The Thingisn’t just a viscerally terrifying examination of confined alien invasion, buta contemplative analysis of human behavior under pressure. This combination of socially loaded horror, masterfully grotesque practical effects, and relentless tension makes for one ofthe most enduring horror movies of the 1980sand one of the greatest films the genre at large has ever seen.
