Whether it may be set in space or earth, Aliens never fail to provide a shiver and entertainment as they all take on different and unique iterations of a single creature. And these twenty-five films are here to give you some of the scariest and most amusing viewing experiences you’ll ever have.
Now, it’s time to take a look at the top 25 Best Horror Movies About Aliens.
25. Doom (2005)
When assigned to investigate mysterious occurrences at a Mars research facility, Space Marines discover that they are at the mercy of genetically modified death machines.
It may seem strange to begin the list with this Doom movie adaptation, but I can assure you that it isn't all that horrible as deep within the extremely dark shot film lies a pretty entertaining film that will please both fans of the genre and the video game that it's based on. It provides many references that will make every fan glee with joy and has an endearing ensemble of characters to root for, including Dwayne the Rock Johnson.
Although the film may have contradicted the game’s lore by changing the enemy's origin, Doom is still a pretty entertaining film that you should watch.
24. Killer Clown From Outer Space (1988)
During nighttime in a small town, an alien spaceship resembling a circus tent arrives, and two young adults Mike Tobacco and Debbie Stone discover aliens who look like clowns who are killing humans with circus-themed weapons. It's up to Mike Tobacco and Officer Hansen to stop these clowns or else humankind is doomed.
Get ready for a cheesy good time with Killer Clown From Outer Space. It’s a completely ludicrous film that will have you bursting with laughter thanks to its silly but lovable villains. It’s also a film blooming with style thanks to its circus-themed colors and setting.
23. The McPherson Tapes (1989)
On a fall evening in 1983, a young man videotaping his niece's fifth birthday party keeps the camera running as an alien invasion unfolds.
Before The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, there was The McPherson Tapes, the very first full found footage horror film set to provide an immersive viewing experience. Due to its home tape movie look, watching the film feels quite disturbing, despite knowing that it's actually not real.
This is the perfect film to watch all alone and without the lights on if you want something that will genuinely creep you out.
22. The Fourth Kind (2009)
Since the 1960s, a disproportionate number of the population in and around Nome, Alaska, have gone missing. Despite FBI investigations, the disappearances remain a mystery. Dr. Abigail Tyler, a psychologist, may be on the verge of blowing the unsolved cases wide open when, during treating her patients, she finds evidence of alien abductions.
This is a film that will take you on such a horrifying adventure due to its creative and pretty unique concept that will make you wonder if everything that you saw were even real. It combines both the found footage sub-genre with a bit of alien sub-plot for good measure, making for one of the most scariest films you’ll ever see.
21. Night of the Creeps (1986)
After two fraternity pledges find a frozen body, they decide to use it to pull a prank that unleashes slug-like creatures upon the campus.
Night of the Creeps takes many of the classic tropes and blends them all together to create a fun and engaging film that will keep you laughing out loud and shrieking in terror from start to finish. It’s got not only aliens but parasitic slugs, zombies, and a supernatural slasher. It even has Tom Atkins as the loveable detective Ray Cameron.
It has everything to please a horror fan, it’s a movie made by fans for fans. What else could you ask for!
20. Slither (2006)
A small town is taken over by an alien plague, turning residents into zombies and all forms of mutant monsters.
Now, if you loved Night of the Creeps then James Gunn’s Slither might just be up your alley. Like that film, Slither takes many of the genre’s well-known tropes such as zombies and parasitic slugs from space to provide an entertaining viewing experience but with twice the mayhem.
19. Super 8 (2011)
During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.
Before there was It and Stranger Things, there was Super 8, a nostalgic trip full of amazing spectacle and a likable cast to root for. It’s got an intriguing story involving a mysterious cube and many well-designed aliens that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
18. The Faculty (1988)
When Casey Connor, Herrington High School's newspaper photographer, witnesses the murder of a nurse and sees her alive again, he and other students decide to investigate the bizarre happenings.
If you’re looking for something fun with a bit of 90s nostalgia, then The Faculty is the one you should watch. Although it may not be the most original film out there, it doesn’t try to be; instead, the film just wants to provide a fun and thrilling ride from start to finish.
It’s got many of the genre’s tropes but it's all entertaining to watch due to the likable cast of characters as well as some pretty menacing aliens that will definitely creep you out.
17. Occult (2009)
A documentary crew follows a survivor of a massacre who might just repeat the same events that he survived in.
Occult is a one of a kind film that will make your jaw drop once you’ve finished watching it. It’s an incredibly bizarre film that’s not afraid to go balls to the wall crazy as it includes aliens, sacrifices, and killers all presented in found footage format. It even has a pretty disturbing and crazy ending that will make surely traumatize you.
16. Pandorum (2009)
Two crew members of a spaceship wake up from hypersleep to discover that all their colleagues are missing. Despite this, it appears that they are not alone.
Get ready for one of the most exhilarating horror films set in space, Pandorum. It’s got amazing gore and lots of action on screen to keep you entertained. It also has an amazing setting and atmosphere that will drown you in its world. If you love survival horror then Pandorum is definitely a film that you should watch.
15. Under the Skin (2014)
An alien entity inhabits the earthly form of a young woman who combs the roads and streets of Scotland in search of the human prey she came to plunder.
Under the Skin is an incredibly stylized film that will make you question what you are seeing thanks to its many surreal yet beautiful imageries. The film doesn’t follow your typical film about Aliens but rather it's a very experimental film which will easily keep you hooked.
It’s creepy, alluring, and one incredible film that’s deserving of your time.
14. The Blob (1988)
A deadly entity from space crashes near a small town and begins consuming everyone in its path. Panic ensues as shady government scientists try to contain the horrific creature.
The Blob turns the cheesy 50s horror classic into one of the most horrifying films you’ll ever watch. It’s an amazing remake that pushes the boundaries in the genre as it displays many horrific and creative kills in glorious practical effects, the movie even kills off its supposed protagonist and even children!
It also turned once was cheesy looking blob creature into something that’s actually made of nightmares. If you want a gory good time, then 1988’s The Blob is the one to watch.
13. It (2017)
In the summer of 1989, a group of bullied kids bands together to destroy a shape-shifting monster, which disguises itself as a clown and preys on the children of Derry, their small Maine town.
Stephen King’s shape-shifting creature story, It has been and always will be one of the most terrifying novels there is, but this movie adaptation further enhances the terror with creative scares and many memorable set pieces. It’s got an amazing cast of actors that will make you fall in love with them, and many of Pennywise’s scenes are nothing short of creepy.
The film also received a sequel which is just as equally good as this one so if you’re looking for a nostalgic film with tons of scares and likable characters to boot, well It might just be what you need to watch.
12. They Live (1988)
Nada, a down-on-his-luck construction worker, discovers a pair of special sunglasses. Wearing them, he can see the world as it really is: people being bombarded by media and government. Even scarier is that he can see that some usually normal-looking people are in fact ugly aliens in charge of the massive campaign to keep humans subdued.
They Live is a purely comical political satire that will keep you entertained throughout its whole duration. It’s a film full of tongue and cheek as well as some pretty likable cast of characters which makes it very easy to fall in love with it.
Although it may lack scares, it's still a fun film that you should definitely check out.
11. Alien 3 (1992)
Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is the only survivor when she crashes lands on Fiorina 161, a bleak wasteland inhabited by former inmates of the planet's maximum-security prison. Once again, Ripley must face skepticism and the alien as it hunts down the prisoners and guards.
It may be a divisive entry to the amazing Alien franchise but this follow-up is undeniably one of the best that the sub-genre has to offer. The film is soaking in heavy atmosphere and tension, as it provides a dramatic closure to Ripley’s terror-filled adventure.
Although it may have a few controversial changes to the franchise and has a very outdated CGI, the film is nevertheless a spectacular entry that you should miss.
10. Signs (2002)
A widowed former reverend living with his children and brother on a Pennsylvania farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields, which suggests something more frightening to come.
M. Night Shyamalan has produced many classics, and his 2002 film Signs is definitely one of those. It’s got so many creepy moments heightened by well put suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Add in the creativity of Shyamalan and you are guaranteed one engaging film will a shocking plot twist to boot.
9. A Quiet Place Part II (2021)
Set shortly after the events of the first film, the Abbot family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence.
The first A Quiet Place film was an original and inventive film that created tension from start to finish, and this follow-up delivers the same thrill that you would expect and then some. While the first film only took place inside a small remote area, this sequel fleshed out many of the first film’s ideas to create a bombastic film that will make you hold your breath through its entire duration.
8. Annihilation (2018)
A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply.
Prepare yourself for one of the most surreal horror films you’ll ever watch with Annihilation. It’s a film full of bizarre and beautiful imageries that will haunt and make you feel uncomfortable for weeks. It’s also got a pretty unique story making it such a refreshing watch when compared to the other films in the genre.
7. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is held in an underground bunker by a man who insists that a hostile event has left the surface of the Earth uninhabitable.
Nobody really expected this follow-up to the 2008 found footage horror film to be this great despite going almost in a completely different direction than its predecessor. Instead of focusing on a giant monster attacking the town, the film instead takes its time to build instead within its three characters inside a claustrophobic space, making for one of the most thrilling viewing experiences you’ll ever have.
But when the huge twist does come, the film somehow gets better as it shows you one of the most bombastic third acts ever. 10 Cloverfield Lane is easily a must-watch if you want a nonstop tension film.
6. A Quiet Place (2018)
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, a family is forced to live in silence while hiding from monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing.
A Quiet Place is a masterclass in tension, as it builds suspense from start to finish and never lets you go. It’s a film where every single noise, whether it may be quiet or loud feels shocking to hear as the inventively designed creatures may come running, making for one of the most heart-pounding movies you’ll ever experience.
The film also manages to make you care about its characters deeply, making the intense third act not only such a thrilling moment but also a somber one at that.
5. Predator (1987)
A team of commandos led by Major "Dutch" Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) on a mission in a Central American jungle finds themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.
The Predator franchise is one of the most iconic action films ever, and although the sequels may have completely dipped into action, let’s not forget that the first film is actually horror as well. It’s got testosterone-filled casts that you’ll love being hunted by a slasher-esque alien with an amazing design in the woods.
It’s full of bombastic action as well as some pretty tension-filled moments that will keep you on edge.
4. The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
When strange seeds drift to earth from space, mysterious pods begin to grow and invade a small town, replicating the residents one body at a time.
If you want something bleak then The Invasion of the Body Snatchers might just be what you’re looking for. It’s a dark and serious film that’s almost gut-wrenching to watch as its group of characters gets hunted down by mysterious creatures that try to replace the human race. It’s a film filled with suspicion and dread which will put shivers down your spine.
It’s also got a haunting ending that will stay on you for days. Whether you’re watching this amazing remake from 1978 or the original 1956 film, you’re guaranteed a spectacular film that will keep you guessing from start to finish.
3. Aliens (1986)
Fifty-seven years after surviving an apocalyptic attack aboard her space vessel by merciless space creatures, Officer Ripley awakens from hyper-sleep and tries to warn anyone who will listen about the predators.
While the first Alien film may have taken the horror to space, this follow-up instead provides relentless action from start to finish. Instead of the one creepy xenomorph, the group of fairly likable characters is forced to face off hundreds of them, which leads to so many bombastic action set pieces.
It’s also a film that’s so influential and some even consider to be a superior sequel that is still referenced to this day and makes it very easy to see why it’s still one of the best Alien films you’ll ever watch.
2. The Thing (1982)
A remake of the 1951’s The Thing From Another World, follows a research team in Antarctica who is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.
While it may not be as well-liked today as when it was released, The Thing has definitely proven itself to be an all-time classic. It’s got an isolated setting that will make you claustrophobic as well as suspicious thanks to the tension that the film provides as it makes you guess which ones the creature. The film also has many memorable moments that will stay with you for a long time.
It was difficult to decide which film would go to the top spot as many of these films are all amazing for different reasons, and while The Thing may not have reached number one, you can’t deny that it’s one of the best films of all time.
1. Alien (1979)
Set in a distant future, the crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating an unknown transmission.
The best film about Alien is none other than Ridley Scott’s Alien. It’s a gorgeous horror film with an amazing atmosphere and suspense that will keep you on your toes. This film provided us with so many memorable moments like the chest-burster scene and the shocking revelation of one of the crew members.
