Cosmic horror is a powerful genre full of incredible movies, but only a few of these films have what it takes to truly be described as masterpieces. Characterized by forces that are notoriously difficult to conceptualize, the horror in cosmic horror comes from a fear of the unknown. The outside forces acting upon the characters in the film are often so much bigger than them that they are hard to understand, for both the characters and the film and the viewers themselves.
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While there have been several divisive cosmic horror films, the genre as a whole is known for solid storytelling. There are also plenty of underrated cosmic horror films that deserve to be discovered by fans of the genre and newcomers alike. These cosmic horror films are unique because they can tell such good stories while hiding so much from the viewer, crafting narratives that are so different from anything else.
You are watching: 10 Best Cosmic Horror Movies Ever Made
10
The Void (2016)
This Film Takes Lovecraftian Horror To The Next Level
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The Void
Not Rated
Horror
Sci-Fi
Mystery
Thriller
8/10
Release Date
September 22, 2016
Runtime
90 minutes
Director
Jeremy Gillespie, Steven Kostanski
Writers
Steven Kostanski, Jeremy Gillespie
Cast
See All
-
Aaron Poole
Daniel Carter
-
Kathleen Munroe
Allison
The Void follows officer Daniel Carter as he discovers a bloodied man on a desolate road, leading to a rural hospital. Inside, patients and staff undergo horrific transformations, prompting Carter and others to plunge into the hospital’s dark depths in a bid to escape the escalating nightmare.
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Taking the perspective of a traditional Lovecraftian film, The Void has all the trappings of conventional cosmic horror. When a group is trapped inside a hospital by a cult worshiping an existential outer god, these everyday people must escape before they are either killed or forced to submit to the titular void. In true cosmic horror fashion, there are few answers as the ending itself is open-ended, leaving viewers to wonder about the fates of all involved.
Suspense lies at the core of The Void, allowing the movie to rely on an atmosphere of creeping fear as opposed to jump scares and outright gore. The filmmakers also opted to use practical effects as opposed to CGI, lending the film a sense of realism that sucks viewers in. The Void is well-crafted, both in narrative and in visual execution, helping the viewer to become immersed in the lore of the film.
9
The Call Of Cthulhu (2005)
This Adaptation Of Lovecraft’s Story Was Filmed In Black And White
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The Call of Cthulhu
Not Rated
Horror
Thriller
Fantasy
Science Fiction
7/10
Release Date
October 7, 2005
Runtime
47 minutes
Director
Andrew Leman
Writers
Sean Branney
Cast
See All
-
John Bolen
The Listener
-
Matt Foyer
The Man
The Call of Cthulhu, released in 2005, follows a man who inherits his great-uncle’s documents on the Cthulhu Cult. As he delves into the mystery, he uncovers dark secrets and is compelled to investigate further, unraveling a tale of ominous implications originally explored by his ancestor.
Main Genre
Horror
Studio(s)
H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society
Distributor(s)
H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society
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Adapted from H. P. Lovecraft’s short story of the same name, The Call of Cthulhu is a black and white silent film released in 2005. The movie really kicks off when the great-uncle of main character Francis Wayland Thurston passes away, leaving Francis all of his belongings. As it turns out, this great-uncle was obsessed with a Cthulhu cult, one that progressively became more and more involved in Francis’ life.
The Call of Cthulhu is so well-loved by viewers that it currently holds a rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The creation of The Call of Cthulhu was ambitious in its own right, as it was considered “unfilmable” by the wider film community for many years. However, by making it into a silent film, the story was allowed to blossom to its fullest extent. It is a creative example of what films can do, and because of the filmmakers’ creativity, this iconic short story was brought to life in a visual medium.
8
The Mist (2007)
Stephen King’s Story Comes To Life In This Film
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The Mist
R
Sci-Fi
Horror
8/10
7.5/10
Release Date
November 21, 2007
Runtime
126 minutes
Director
Frank Darabont
Writers
Frank Darabont
Cast
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-
Laurie Holden
-
Thomas Jane
Stephen King’s terrifying novel is brought to the screen with The Mist – a horror-thriller film directed by Frank Darabont. When a small town suddenly sees a giant rolling fog arrive, they show mere curiosity. But when people begin to die mysteriously within, several survivors hold up in a grocery store as they attempt to find a way out and survive – unfortunately, the dangers don’t just come from outside- they also come from within.
Studio(s)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributor(s)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
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When it comes to adaptations of books, Stephen King’s novels have received some of the greatest film adaptations ever made. The Mist is another example of a great adaptation, standing alongside films like It and The Shining. However, where many of Stephen King’s horror stories linger more in the realm of traditional horror, The Mist answers fewer questions than it poses to audiences.
Where many of Stephen King’s horror stories linger more in the realm of traditional horror, The Mist answers fewer questions than it poses to audiences.
A mysterious mist rolls into the town of Bridgton, Maine, bringing with it a litany of different terrifying monsters. No one truly knows where the mist came from, but one of the survivors believes it to be some sort of divine punishment, meant to punish those living inside the town. Regardless, the danger is especially real, with The Mist mixing cosmic horror with genuine monster movie scares.
7
Event Horizon (1997)
This Film Brings Cosmic Horror To Outer Space
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Event Horizon
R
Horror
Sci-Fi
Thriller
8/10
9.4/10
Release Date
August 15, 1997
Runtime
96 minutes
Director
Paul W.S. Anderson
Writers
Philip Eisner
Cast
See All
-
Jason Isaacs
-
Kathleen Quinlan
Paul W. S. Anderson steps further into the world of sci-fi horror with Event Horizon, a movie set in the future following a crew of Astronauts attempting to locate a missing ship known as the Event Horizon. When the crew finds the ship floating near Neptune, the distress signal relayed is haunting, followed by the discovery what awaits the rescue team isn’t the crew of the missing ship but something far more sinister.
Studio(s)
Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s)
Paramount Pictures
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When the missing ship Event Horizon ends up mysteriously reappearing around the planet Neptune, the main cast and crew of the Lewis and Clark ship go in to save them. However, when they enter the ship, they find that the entire crew has been killed by a mysterious force. It is from then on that the crew is beset by nightmares of hellish proportions, leaving them scrambling to find a way to survive.
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Perhaps one of the gorier cosmic horror stories, Event Horizon does not shy away from depicting the horrific fates of some of the cast. The film uses its science fiction setting to the fullest, adding another layer of fear to the crew’s deadly circumstances. For anyone afraid of the endless vacuum of space, Event Horizon is the perfect movie to instill the perfect amount of dread.
6
Color Out Of Space (2019)
Nicolas Cage’s Performance Amplifies This Film’s Story
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Color Out of Space
r
Horror
Sci-Fi
Mystery
Thriller
6.5/10
Release Date
January 24, 2020
Runtime
111 Minutes
Director
Richard Stanley
Writers
Richard Stanley, Scarlett Amaris, H.P. Lovecraft
Cast
See All
-
Nicolas Cage
-
Joely Richardson
Directed by Richard Stanley, Color Out of Space is a 2019 Horror film starring Nicolas Cage. The film follows a meteorite that strikes the Earth, leading to strange occurrences on a farm. The release features Lovecraftian elements.
Main Genre
Sci-Fi
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Another film based on one of H. P. Lovecraft’s short stories, Color Out of Space features one family’s descent into madness. When a meteorite falls from the sky and directly into the family’s yard, things quickly begin to go wrong. This is because the meteorite itself begins to contaminate the world around it, quickly affecting first the groundwater and later the family members themselves.
Color Out of Space takes its time with setting up the dread at the core of the film, moving at a slow pace that relies on the artistry of the movie’s cinematography. In line with the film’s name, the colors in the movie are beautiful and used in a way that really emphasizes the otherworldliness of the plot. This, coupled with Nicolas Cage’s incredible performance, make for a unique movie-watching experience.
5
The Empty Man (2020)
A Detective Story With A Massive Twist
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The Empty Man
R
Horror
Drama
Mystery
Release Date
October 23, 2020
Runtime
137 Minutes
Director
David Prior
Writers
David Prior, Cullen Bunn
Cast
See All
-
James Badge Dale
-
Marin Ireland
-
Sasha Frolova
-
Samantha Logan
The Empty Man is a horror film directed by David Prior, adapting Cullen Bunn’s graphic novel. It follows ex-cop James Lasombra, played by James Badge Dale, who investigates the mysterious disappearance of a friend’s daughter. His search uncovers a secret urban legend known as “The Empty Man,” leading him into a dark world of supernatural phenomena and cult activity.
Main Genre
Horror
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The Empty Man puts a little bit of a spin on the cosmic horror genre, painting the narrative of an otherworldly entity by situating it within a detective story. Following an ex-cop named James Lasombra as he tries to find a missing girl, The Empty Man shows a world that has a deadly secret lingering under the noses of any living within it. Instead of simply finding the missing girl, James uncovers a variety of frightening truths, many of which revolve around a terrible cult.
The Empty Man is actually based on a comic book of the same name, originally published by Boom! Studios.
If that wasn’t compelling enough, The Empty Man also features an amazing twist ending that will leave viewers stunned. It is a film that is still good, if not better, upon a second watch, allowing viewers to see the clues left along the path to the end. There is so much to uncover about the world of the film, and any cosmic horror movie that leaves viewers wanting to know more about the being at the center of it has successfully created a compelling entity.
4
In The Mouth Of Madness (1995)
This John Carpenter Film Explores The Human Mind
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In the Mouth of Madness
R
Horror
Mystery
Drama
8.9/10
Release Date
February 3, 1995
Runtime
95 minutes
Director
John Carpenter
Writers
Michael De Luca
Cast
See All
-
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Jurgen Prochnow
-
Julie Carmen
In the Mouth of Madness, directed by John Carpenter and starring Sam Neill, follows an insurance investigator tasked with locating a missing horror novelist whose work has begun to affect readers in peculiar ways. As he delves deeper, he finds the line between fiction and reality blurred, confronting nightmarish truths. Released in 1995, the film explores themes of madness and the power of storytelling.
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Starring Sam Neill of Jurassic Park and The Hunt for Red October fame, In the Mouth of Madness revolves around an insurance investigator who must track down a missing author. This author, famous for writing horror novels, has built up a terrifying reputation. As it stands, many believe that the author has been writing his terrifying stories into being, as it seems that his horror stories are slowly coming true.
As the film goes on, it becomes less and less clear whether the stories are really coming to life or if the main characters are simply giving themselves to madness. This ambiguity works much to the film’s benefit, allowing the viewer to make their own judgments. While it is not John Carpenter’s best film, it still stands out in a genre full of intriguing stories.
3
The Lighthouse (2019)
Robert Eggers Directed This Cosmic Horror Masterpiece
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The Lighthouse
R
Horror
Fantasy
Drama
7/10
10/10
Release Date
October 18, 2019
Runtime
110 minutes
Director
Robert Eggers
Writers
Robert Eggers, Max Eggers
Cast
See All
-
Robert Pattinson
-
Willem Dafoe
The Lighthouse is a psychological thriller directed by Robert Eggers. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson star as Thomas Wake and Ephraim Winslow, two lighthouse keepers who begin to experience strange and supernatural phenomena after they get stranded on a remote island in the 1890s.
Studio(s)
A24
Distributor(s)
A24
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Before his work on Nosferatu, Robert Eggers created one of the most interesting and unique cosmic horror films of all time. The Lighthouse is a story about a pair of lighthouse attendants who must fulfill their duties maintaining the lighthouse so that ships may continue to come and go safely. However, when the true past of one of these men comes to light, paranoia and isolation begin to get the better of both of them.
The story of The Lighthouse is largely based on a Welsh tale about two lighthouse keepers that led to a change in lighthouse operation policies.
The Lighthouse is another movie filmed in black and white, done in an effort to more closely tie the film and its plot to the time period it takes place in. This offers another element entirely to the horror, as there is something frightening about the darkness used within the film itself. The Lighthouse is so impressive because it invites the viewer to delve into madness with the main characters, offering an interesting plot despite there being so few characters.
2
Annihilation (2018)
This Environmental Horror Film Was A Novel First
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Annihilation
R
Sci-Fi
Mystery
Horror
7/10
12
7.6/10
Release Date
February 23, 2018
Runtime
115 Minutes
Director
Alex Garland
Writers
Alex Garland, Jeff VanderMeer
Cast
See All
-
Sonoya Mizuno
-
Kola Bokinni
Alex Garland’s Annihilation is based on the novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer. It follows a group of explorers – comprised of biology professor Lena (Natalie Portman), psychologist Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), physicist Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson), geomorphologist Cassie Sheppard (Tuva Nvotny), and paramedic Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez) – as they enter “the Shimmer”, a quarantined zone of mutated plants and animals caused by an unknown extra-terrestrial phenomenon. Lena agrees to enter the Shimmer in search of her husband, Kane (Oscar Isaac), who was sent in as part of a special forces operation.
Main Genre
Sci-Fi
Studio(s)
Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s)
Paramount Pictures, Netflix
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Another film that takes Lovecraftian themes and looks at them through a science fiction lens, Annihilation poses the question of what place humanity takes in the world. When a mysterious force known as the Shimmer begins to mutate plants and animals, a group of scientists goes in to investigate the area. What they discover there is an alien force that changes everything it touches, including the DNA of the scientists that enter the Shimmer.
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Annihilation does not hold the viewer’s hand, allowing them to work out the mysteries and meanings at the center of the film on their own. It offers clues to the themes lingering beneath the surface, often coming in the form of the film’s terrifying beasts. Change is the name of the game in Annihilation, aiming at the core of why change is so terrifying for humanity to accept.
1
The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter’s Horror Classic Is The Best Cosmic Horror Film Ever Made
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The Thing
R
Horror
Sci-Fi
Mystery
10/10
15
9.5/10
Release Date
June 25, 1982
Runtime
109 minutes
Director
John Carpenter
Writers
Bill Lancaster
Prequel(s)
The Thing
Cast
See All
-
T.K. Carter
-
David Clennon
A team of researchers set out to study an alien spacecraft found in Antarctica, where they also discover an alien body on the site. The alien buried in ice is actually alive and has the ability to imitate human form. The group must find a way to distinguish who the real person is from The Thing and stay alive. John Carpenter’s 1982 film is a remake of 1951’s The Thing from Another World and stars Kurt Russel as the hero RJ MacReady.
Studio(s)
Universal Pictures
Distributor(s)
Universal Pictures
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Focusing in on the lives of a group of scientists in Antarctica, The Thing begins when an unknown alien being is unearthed from decades of ice and snow. They immediately lose track of this “thing,” however, as it can assimilate and transform into anything it spends enough time with. As the film progresses, paranoia flourishes as Kurt Russell’s character R.J. MacReady attempts to discern who has become a part of “the thing” and who is still human.
The Thing is based on the 1938 novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell.
The Thing is a masterclass in sewing seeds of doubt, leaving viewers to wonder who has been taken over by this otherworldly threat, even MacReady himself. It is never a sure thing whether someone has been taken over or not, and that element of the film is where most of its suspense lies. The Thing takes its time before exploding with visceral horror, emphasized by disgustingly portrayed practical effects and punchy acting.
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