Lovecraftian Horror Movies

From Ridley Scott, starring Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright
Rated R

Alien is a science-fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott, released in 1979. The story follows the crew of the commercial towing vessel Nostromo, who respond to an unknown distress signal from a distant planet. When they arrive, they discover a derelict alien ship filled with thousands of egg-like objects. One of the eggs hatches and a terrifying, parasitic creature known as the ‘Xenomorph’ starts hunting the crew. The surviving members must find a way to escape the ship and the Xenomorph before it finds them. As they battle the creature, they discover that it is far more intelligent than they had originally thought, and they must use all of their knowledge and skills to survive.

From James Cameron, starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser
Rated R

Aliens is a science fiction horror film directed by James Cameron, released in 1986. It is the sequel to the 1979 classic Alien, and stars Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of the original film. After being rescued by a deep space salvage team, Ripley is enlisted to join a team of space marines to go back to the planet where the original Alien was found. The team discovers that the planet is now inhabited by a race of aliens, and they must fight to survive and destroy the aliens. The team is aided by a synthetic android, Bishop (Lance Henriksen). With the help of an alien survivor, Newt (Carrie Henn), the marines battle their way through hordes of aliens to escape the planet and return to Earth. The film was a box office success and is widely considered one of the best sequels of all time.

From John Carpenter, starring Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur
Rated R

The Thing is an 1982 horror film directed by John Carpenter and written by Bill Lancaster. The film follows a team of American researchers in Antarctica who find a parasitic alien life-form that has the ability to imitate and assimilate other organisms. As the alien organism begins to take over the researchers, paranoia and mistrust take over the group, and they must find a way to stop the alien before it destroys them all. The film features a cast of Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David and Donald Moffat. The Thing is a classic of the sci-fi horror genre and is noted for its intense atmosphere and terrifying antagonist.

From Guillermo del Toro, starring Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú
Rated R

Pan's Labyrinth is a 2006 Spanish-Mexican dark fantasy drama film written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. Set in post-Civil War Spain, the story follows a young girl named Ofelia, who is forced to move with her mother and stepfather to a rural, military-occupied area. While exploring an ancient labyrinth in the nearby woods, she discovers a mysterious faun creature, who reveals to her that she is a princess from an underworld kingdom. With the help of the faun, Ofelia must complete three dangerous tasks in order to prove her royal heritage and return to her rightful place in the underworld. As she navigates her way through the tasks, she also must try to avoid the cruelty of her stepfather, Captain Vidal, who is intent on crushing the local rebellion forces. In the end, she is able to complete her quest and is welcomed into the kingdom of the underworld, but at a great personal cost.

From Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Kassie Wesley DePaiva
Rated R

Evil Dead II is a 1987 American comedy horror film directed by Sam Raimi, a sequel to the 1981 horror film The Evil Dead. The film follows Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) as he is transported back in time to a cabin in a remote wooded area. After being released from a trap in the cellar, he battles an unseen force that has been unleashed from the Book of the Dead. The film has a lighter tone than its predecessor, combining elements of horror and comedy. Ash must battle relentless hordes of primitive Deadites, as well as his own sanity, in order to survive and find a way to return to the present.

From Alex Proyas, starring Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt
Rated R

Dark City is a 1998 mystery-sci-fi film directed by Alex Proyas. It follows John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell), a man who wakes up in a strange bathtub with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He soon discovers that he is the prime suspect in a series of murders he has no recollection of committing. In the city of Dark City, Murdoch discovers that the citizens have been enslaved by mysterious creatures known as the Strangers, who control the city with their powers of mind control and manipulation of reality. As Murdoch investigates his past and the city's secrets, he discovers a greater conspiracy that goes beyond himself and the Strangers. With the help of two allies, he must defeat the Strangers before they can enslave the entire city.

From David Cronenberg, starring Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz, Joy Boushel
Rated R

The Fly (1986) is a sci-fi horror film directed by David Cronenberg. The story follows Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), a scientist working on a matter transportation device. When he tests his invention on himself, a fly gets caught in the device’s telepod, and the two become fused together. As a result, Seth undergoes a terrifying transformation into a grotesquely mutated human-fly hybrid. With the help of his former lover Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis), Seth desperately struggles to find a way to reverse the effects of the experiment before it is too late.

From Adrian Lyne, starring Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven
Rated R

From Robert Eggers, starring Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, Valeriia Karaman, Logan Hawkes
Rated R

From Philip Kaufman, starring Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright
Rated PG

From Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker
Rated NC-17

From Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gilbert, Ian Abercrombie
Rated R

From David Lynch, starring Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph, Jeanne Bates
Rated Not Rated

From Andrzej Zulawski, starring Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill, Margit Carstensen, Heinz Bennent
Rated R

From Neil Marshall, starring Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder
Rated R

From Stuart Gordon, starring Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton, David Gale
Rated Unrated

From David Cronenberg, starring James Woods, Debbie Harry, Sonja Smits, Peter Dvorsky
Rated R

From Dan Trachtenberg, starring John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr., Douglas M. Griffin
Rated PG-13

From John Carpenter, starring Sam Neill, Jürgen Prochnow, Julie Carmen, David Warner
Rated R

From Frank Darabont, starring Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher
Rated R

From Bong Joon Ho, starring Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-Bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona
Rated R

From Guillermo del Toro, starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, John Alexander
Rated PG-13

From Peter Weir, starring Richard Chamberlain, Olivia Hamnett, David Gulpilil, Frederick Parslow
Rated PG

From Ridley Scott, starring Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron
Rated R

From Drew Goddard, starring Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz
Rated R