10 Darkest Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked

Science fiction, as a style, generally explores the world of the long run, and generally seems at extra modern (and even previous) instances, with a decidedly sci-fi spin. The primary factor is that humanity and its relation to know-how get explored in a technique or one other, which may result in optimistic seems on the world and its future, or, in different instances, tales which might be something however.

The next films all fall into the latter class relatively than the previous, delving into darkish, emotionally intense, or generally even nihilistic areas by means of their grim tales and oftentimes doomed characters. These movies are onerous to suggest to anybody after science fiction of a extra escapist nature, however, for higher or worse, these films are the types that’ll probably persist with you. Some warn about potential futures, and others touch upon extra relatable instances. Both manner, all of them get greater than somewhat bleak, and are ranked under, from darkish to darkest.

10 ‘Brazil’ (1985)

Director: Terry Gilliam

An undeniable cult classic, Brazil is a surreal sort of science fiction movie, and oftentimes feels extra fantastical in nature resulting from its dream sequences and its protagonist’s slippery grip on actuality. The setting is a dystopian one; a world that’s gone mad, and one which appears decided to push bureaucrat Sam Lowry to his breaking level after which some.

Brazil is a sequence of occasions that get wilder and extra dizzying as issues go alongside, constructing in depth earlier than finally concluding in a manner that’s jarringly horrific. Much of Brazil is funny and satirical, which may reduce the affect of the movie’s darker moments to some extent. Although, in the long run (and on paper), that is fairly nightmarish stuff so far as sci-fi films go, and the journey it proves for viewers is a ceaselessly feverish one.

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9 ‘When the Wind Blows’ (1986)

Director: Jimmy T. Murakami

When the Wind Blows is principally a war movie (and a great one), nevertheless it doesn’t deal with fight sequences and depicts the results of a battle that hasn’t occurred… not less than not but. It is because When the Wind Blows is about nuclear battle, and reveals the affect the inevitable devastation has on an aged couple who aren’t correctly outfitted to outlive such an occasion.

Depicting such a battle results in When the Wind Blows technically qualifying as science fiction, all of the whereas additionally being concerning the recollections of World Conflict II, to some extent, given the principle characters lived by means of that and replicate upon it all through. It’s a singular animated movie and an undeniably somber one, telling a small-scale and tragic story that finally ends up being a strong condemnation of warfare, each previously and within the (potential) future.

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8 ‘The Factor’ (1982)

Director: John Carpenter

Coldness and grisly violence reign supreme in The Thing, which takes place at a analysis station in Antarctica and places its fundamental characters by means of hell with no probability of escape. All through The Factor, they’re pressured to take care of terrible climate and a shape-shifting alien, the previous confining them to a single location and the latter decided to assimilate/devour/kill each one in all them.

The brutality, chilly setting, and fixed sense of paranoia all compound to make The Factor harrowing, intense, and inevitably bleak stuff, even by the requirements of sci-fi horror films. Nonetheless, it’s the dedication to such issues that ensures The Factor feels impactful and memorable. It’s grueling stuff so far as mainstream horror movies go, however it’s also easy to admire and persistently participating, on prime of being a little bit of a downer.

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7 ‘On the Silver Globe’ (1988)

Director: Andrzej Żuławski

Certain, there’s an odd beauty to be found in On the Silver Globe, however there’s additionally a way of ugliness and horror, with the movie being unafraid to indicate a ton of disturbing issues. The premise doesn’t sound too unhealthy, on paper, given On the Silver Globe begins with area explorers looking for a brand new planet aside from Earth to reside on, however issues take a flip at a degree after which simply carry on turning.

On the Silver Globe follows a civilization constructing over time and turning into more and more inhuman, finally falling into the identical unhealthy patterns that humanity fell into all through its historical past on Earth. It was a film that was sadly unfinished, however nonetheless feels full sufficient to make an affect. The tip result’s haunting and nightmarish, however sort of in a great way… or not less than in a manner that’s admirably onerous to shake and/or neglect.

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6 ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ (1976)

Director: Nicolas Roeg

David Bowie’s music was the kind that would attraction to only about anybody. Effectively, extra particularly, he branched into so many genres and had numerous types to the purpose the place one thing from his physique of labor would attraction to anybody on the market. When it got here to the flicks he was part of, although, they tended to be somewhat out there and arthouse in nature, The Man Who Fell to Earth included.

This movie has a easy premise, following an alien coming to Earth and doing his greatest to slot in, solely to seek out Earth – satirically – alienating, to not point out merciless and finally soul-destroying. The Man Who Fell to Earth seems at the ugliness of human nature from an outsider’s perspective and is solely cynical concerning the world and the individuals who reside there. It’s a very good movie, but additionally an oftentimes nihilistic one.

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5 ‘Melancholia’ (2011)

Director: Lars von Trier

Melancholia is one in all many Lars von Trier movies that offers with distress and the crushing of what some extra optimistic folks may describe because the human spirit. That’s all par for the course for von Trier, and even these not conversant in his sorrow-filled and ceaselessly miserable filmography can be tipped off that Melancholia’s not going to be a good time on account of it being known as Melancholia and all.

Past simply being about an individual’s struggles, Melancholia additionally seems on the finish of the world extra broadly, with its distinctive tackle an end-of-the-world premise being what makes it really feel like a science fiction movie on prime of being a psychological drama. It’s extremely well-acted and builds dread effectively all through, and any Lars von Trier film that may nonetheless shock needs to be begrudgingly admired. By some means, he retains getting away with it.

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4 ‘Arduous to Be a God’ (2013)

Director: Aleksei German

For as brutal and harrowing as On the Silver Globe may very well be, as far as odd sci-fi films about exploring different planets go, it wasn’t as grim and as grisly as the possibly comparable Hard to Be a God. Each films spend a great deal of time displaying somebody arriving on a planet that’s much less superior than Earth in some ways, after which believing they are often some sort of chief, solely to seek out that’s simpler stated than accomplished, particularly long-term.

There’s a cruelty to Arduous to Be a God that may make finishing the whole thing difficult; naturally, the practically three-hour runtime additionally performs an element in creating this sensation. It’s one other sci-fi epic that has a damaging outlook on human nature, maybe even being pessimistic about life and existence itself. One other one which’s not enjoyable by any means, however it’s a distinctive cinematic expertise.

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3 ‘The Mist’ (2007)

Director: Frank Darabont

Anybody who knows how The Mist ends might be properly conscious that it’s one of many bleaker sci-fi horror films on the market. It twists the knife and feels notorious for that conclusion alone, however make no mistake: earlier than that time, The Mist remains to be fairly downbeat stuff, following a bunch of individuals in a determined wrestle for survival in opposition to insurmountable and mysterious odds.

The primary characters are all trapped inside a grocery store whereas some sort of otherworldly pressure reigns supreme exterior, all contained throughout the titular overwhelming mist. Pressure offers option to visceral horror, then The Mist suggests people are the true monsters for some time, after which it ends the way in which it ends. It’s all a recipe for bleakness, however there’s an argument to be made that horror will be simpler when it hurts emotionally, on prime of doing extra anticipated issues like grossing one out or making somebody bounce of their seat.

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2 ‘A Clockwork Orange’ (1971)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick’s films typically have a cynical edge to them, and A Clockwork Orange isn’t any exception. Certain, 2001: A Space Odyssey was a sci-fi movie by Kubrick that noticed him exploring the great and the unhealthy in a possible future for humanity, however A Clockwork Orange was extra confined and dystopian; much less far-off sooner or later whereas additionally being a terrific deal extra pessimistic about it.

This 1971 movie explores a very disturbed felony and a system’s bleak “solution” to his criminality, which entails taking away his free will and making him a sufferer, just for neither facet to be taught something by the tip of the movie, which suggests he’ll return to his previous methods. It’s a fancy take a look at crime and justice with nothing by the use of straightforward solutions, and it will get extra despairing the extra you consider it.

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1 ‘Threads’ (1984)

Director: Mick Jackson

A movie that appears on the remaining days earlier than nuclear battle, explicitly showcases the devastation of such a battle, all earlier than depicting the grim “future” for anybody “fortunate” sufficient to outlive, Threads has all of it, so far as miserable sci-fi films go. It’s all offered in a really matter-of-fact and chilly manner that feels shockingly genuine, even 40 years on from launch.

Much more spectacular is the truth that Threads manages to be as bleak as science fiction will get, all on a TV movie budget. It traumatized folks when it first aired and nonetheless has the facility to just do that for anybody watching within the 2020s. For so long as nuclear weapons live on, the sequences depicted right here might all the time grow to be a actuality, and Threads milks that for all its value. There’s no enjoyable on this post-apocalyptic world; it feels too actual, too darkish, and too chilly, making different properties like Mad Max and Fallout appear like walks within the park compared.

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