What are some of your favorite smaller Sci-Fi Horror/psychological thriller stories/films?
Alien/Aliens is a given for most people. I have been watching Event Horizon during the spooky season for years. What are some of your favorite books and movies with a horror/psychological thriller lean?
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Event horizon is one of the few movies I actually find a bit frightening.
I've always liked the fan theory that Event Horizon took place in the Warhammer 40k universe, and that the ship went into the warp without the necessary gellar fields.
I hadn't heard of that up until a few weeks ago and now it's hard for me not to view it as canon.
It's because Larry Fish does everything right, makes the best possible moves in his situation, and still has problems. There's a strong case to be made that Capt Miller is the one of the smartest protagonists in a horror movie and that's why the movie is so haunting.
"We're leaving."
"And then we're gonna nuke this ship"
Also chilling: he doesn’t die.
Typical ghost/demon etc supernatural films and even a lot of sci-fi horror are snoozefests in comparison to Event Horizon because this film really puts it all together on a scale that makes it horrific. It plays with the supernatural angle and actually even explains it in such a way that puts it closer to reality, and then compounds that horror with the crushing isolation, unfamiliarity and unknowability of space.
I really wish there were more movies that got horror THIS RIGHT.
If you enjoyed the unsettling mix of supernatural and science fiction elements in Event Horizon, you might want to check out House on Haunted Hill (1999). While it's not set in space, it combines psychological horror with a bit of tech flair, employing a modern (for its time) setting full of gadgets that can manipulate reality. It's a fun ride if you're looking for a horror film that tries to blend different elements together.
I get your point and totally agree that direction isn't followed NEARLY often enough, but I personally find it to be open to interpretation whether what they encounter is truly "hell" in a biblical sense or just an alternate dimension that can be construed in such a way that anyone who's ever heard of the concept would define it as hell, and I prefer the latter at least in my own head.
If you look at it through the lens of it not really being Hell Original (tm) it becomes almost Lovecraftian, given that everyone who comes into contact with the dimension loses their minds and that the ship itself gains a kind of sentience having just passed through it, but the comparison to Hellraiser is definitely valid given all we see of it is just wanton violence amongst the ship's original crew, so for all we know it could be straight up Satan driving the boat.
I like to share this link whenever I come across a discussion about Event Horizon-
https://web.archive.org/web/20210130023507/https://theunheardnerd.com/what-could-have-been-26-event-horizon/
It's fun to imagine what could have been
That movie is scary enough. I dont need to see the violence orgy from the original crew.
Gore has it's place in horror films. Personally, I feel like it's best used sparingly and to maximum effect, but there's something to be said for the "gore fest" film types (e.g. Dead Alive), I suppose. Still, after a certain point, things stop being about horror and veer closer to torture erotica. Nothing against torture erotica either (again, not my thing, but to each their own), but it's not horror. The violence orgy scene was literal torture porn, and I think it serves the film best as brief flashes, just enough to make it clear what's going on, but not enough to function as an actual torture porn clip.
Agree. My partner list this film as one of their top scary picks, mostly due to this scene.
I feel it is perfect the way it is. It leaves a lot to the imagination while still leading the viewer in a direction of true horror.
Gives me shivers just thinking about it.
That's crazy that they went through all the trouble to film all that and just cut it out. Sounds like they were expecting it with how crazy the footage was though.
Thanks!
More gore is more fun!
It reminds me a little of the Reavers in Firefly. We have this notion that when we are far removed from our familiar surroundings and isolated in bleak emptiness, that we will somehow stare into the void and lose our minds, turning savage and cruel as we go insane.
But if it’s any consolidation, outer space is far too dangerous for it to ever get to that point. Even highly qualified professionals who are trying their best can find it difficult to survive in space. There’s no way a violently insane person would last 30 seconds there.
SOMA by frictional games.
It explores some of the usual questions about what exactly the human mind might be, if it ever becomes possible to scan, simulate, copy and transfer consciousness.
But it does so in video game form, in a way that makes you face those questions from a visceral, personal, first hand experience perspective.
It's a science fiction masterpiece.
Omg this game is so good. Right after I beat it I went to Reddit and the discussions there helped me answer even more questions and think about it even more deeply. I wish we could copy those communities over to here.
This is one that i bought but never got around to.
Do eet. Just go in dark, that's the best way to experience it.
Is it spooky I won’t be able to sleep at night type of scary? It looks really interesting but I’m really not a fan of horror.
It's very atmospheric. There is a "story mode" difficulty setting that disables all the monster encounters, leaving only scripted scares, the soundscape, and the plot.
On the wishlist it goes! Thanks for the fantastic recommendation.
This one annoyed the piss out of me. The protag is dumb as rocks
::: spoiler He's an average dude, the games message wouldn't exactly hit the way it does if both central characters had Catherine's level of understanding of the situation. If you can't deal with stupid, that's fine, but having the two lead characters contrast each other in this way is how the game makes its point. They each represent one possible perspective. Catherine accepts that peoples minds can be reduced to data-files on a computer, copied, whatever. She knows that in tech, there is no "moving" data, only copying and then deleting.
To Simon this is an idea so foreign he can't even understand it when told point-blank. Hell, he only barely gets it the first time it actually happens to him. He's like the people who killed themselves after their brain-scans, in his understanding of reality, there can only be one instance of a person, because there is only one soul per person to go around. To him, the real Simon is dead, and he refuses to consider the thought further, because the conclusion he'd come to is that he is a "fake".
In contrast Catherine is content with being a copy. To her a copy is just as valid and real as the original, but Simon doesn't feel that way. They are the embodiments of the two sides of the speculative philosophical debate that is central to the game's plot. Simon isn't supposed to have intelligent things to say. He is the emotional response to the events of the Pathos facility, while Catherine is the intellectual one. :::
PSA: As is commonly recommended, watch the director's cut if you can, especially if it's your first time. The main difference is that the regular release has a voice over in the beginning explaining a lot (too much).
Great movie. Make sure it’s the directors cut.
Came for this, nice
You know what I love about Event Horizon?
That the evil hallway of spinning blades has a handrail.
Well yeah! Safety first. Otherwise, they might have OSHA on their ass, and nobody in Hell wants to deal with that.
Miller eyes blood-soaked floors with no caution cones
"We're leavin."
I saved your comment so that when they implement a way for me to give you more than a like, I'll be back to do it.
Short Stories:
I have no mouth and I must scream - Harlan Ellison - this story was the apogee of sci-fi horror in the 70s and 80s.
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale - Philip K. Dick's original short story and the inspiration for Total Recall.
Weird French Shit:
Fantastic Planet - Animated french scifi about humans being kept as pets by giant blue aliens.
City of Lost Children - steampunk cybercultists
Classic Movies:
They Live - In case you're out of bubblegum
Tremors - broke into the wrong goddamn rec room, didn't ya?
Scanners - Pop!
Friggin love Tremors man, it's redneck Dune, awesome example of a low budget movie made amazing by good writing and creativity.
Fantastic Planet is one of my all time favorite movies and I think it ages dreadfully well.
Agreed. I did a rewatch before I posted it to the @13thFloor and I was amazed (hadn't seen it since I was a kid). Some of the most intriguing and beautiful surrealistic animation ever, and the story is remarkably good - generating a sort of slow clinical terror in the viewer that flows and builds beneath the bright alien landscapes.
The expressions of the humans really struck me as a kid, I could feel their terror (and anger) without really understanding the whole thing. Side-related but I've the 13thfloor tab opened for a few days and I haven't explored it yet. Guess I should do that now :)
Right on - we're always open to travelers of the Fantastic Planet, and any other extradimensional refugees ;)
Side note - our movie series is here under the #cinemainsomnia tag, if you're just looking for full length films.
Wonderful thank you!!
Not scifi but still dark and very funny - the film Wild Tales from Spain is a collection of shorts with the common theme being revenge.
Moon - really good psychological element and great acting.
Pandorum - fun (and a bit hammy) action horror romp.
Twelve Monkeys - really tight and suspenseful plot with great acting.
Being John Malcovich - not sure if this fits in, but a great mind-bender of a sci-fi movie.
Man, Moon is such a good movie. Sam Rockwell absolutely killed it which I was quite impressed by considering the last thing I saw him in was as Zaphod Beeblebrox in Hitchhikers. Quite a different set of acting chops he exercised.
Being John Malkovich is easily one of the weirdest most different interesting movies I've ever seen. The writer, Charlie Kaufman, also wrote Eternal Sunshine, another great one.
Adaptation is worth watching too, with Nicolas Cage playing two roles, based on the book The Orchid Thief by Susan Orleans.
Pandorum was a damn good film, a little goofy sure, but a really interesting idea based around what would happen if someone in that situation really did go off the rails and turn a colony ship into their own personal fantasy/hell for everyone else.
Yeah I watched it several times and it's so cheesy and silly but also... yeah people huddling up to the nuclear reactors for warmth seems about the way that would go looking at human activity today
I mean it's a fusion plant, it's not radioactive like the uranium fission we use today. They mutated because of the drug they were given in stasis.
Wellllll.... guess it's time to rewatch Dennis Quaid ham it up in an empty room again cause I forgot some of the plot points.
I love that Shepard from flight team 3 is played by a somewhat before he got big Norman Reedus.
Kung fu stuff? Did we watch the same movie?
I haven't seen anyone mention it but The Man From Earth is fantastic. It's literally just about a guy saying goodbye to his friends and telling an unbelievable story. There aren't any flashbacks or visuals illustrating the story. Just him talking and their reactions but it's so well written that it really draws you in.
Granted it's not horror but more people should see this gem
Such a great concept for a movie. It’s like a short story brought to life. I could easily see this done as a stage play, to a much greater effect. Especially the culmination of his story, the reveal, and the potential implication.
Wish the acting was better, but still a great movie!
What potential implications are there?
Not really a spoiler, but I don’t want to say anything so you can go in blind.
It’s not a “What?!? The whole time?!?” Like Sixth Sense, but an interesting perspective.
I saw the film a decade ago. You can't spoil me. I just don't remember any implications. Everything was pretty clearly spelled out - or I missed something, and want you to tell me!
2007?
Yes. That would be it.
Thanks
Whatever you do, dont watch the sequel though, what a fucking mess lol
I was about to do that. Lol. Thanks!
I don't have much of an idea on if it was small but the movie Sunshine (2007) comes to mind. Loved that movie. It's well worth a watch if you haven't seen it.
I think it counts because for some reason not many people have heard of it. Very unrated and a great movie.
I really enjoyed 4/5 of that movie
I love the movie but you’re not wrong!
The Icarus 1 distress beacon is still one of the most unsettling sounds I've ever heard.
I only heard about this movie a couple months ago and actually got around to watching it just last night. Loved it!
Yes! Im glad someone said it because everyone I tell about this movie ends up loving it.
I've come to like Pandorum a lot over the years. I now make sure I watch it every once in a while.
The first 20 minutes and last 20 minutes are great. That guy who trapped them in the crucible was also great. Most of the rest of the movie was meh, influenced too much by other popular movies monster cliches at the time. I will always love that ending though. Didn't expect the glass to crack and reveal that twist.
I agree, Pandorum is a great one. I loved the twist at the end - I thought they'd go into a totally different direction with it.
Oh man, haven't watched this in ages. Definitely enjoyed it though
I watched it a lot as a kid. Came back to it a few years ago and it didn’t feel the same. Still a great movie
Saw this the other day.
This movie is awesome.
I see no mention of Solaris
Very psychological movie
Yeees! I like it a loot too. But my favorite of Tarkovsky is Stalker. Such beautiful scenes!!
Ma I've really tried hard but I can't stand Tarkovsky, i understand his vision but somehow doesn't fit with my taste and I feel a bit guilty about it.
Pi (π)
Smart shut-in builds an implausibly powerful computer in an attempt to discern a pattern that is responsible for all things. He uses the golden spiral as evidence of such a pattern, and believes he will eventually take pi out to so many decimal places that such a pattern emerges there.
The psychological thriller aspect relates to what he experiences along the way, and how it ends. I have a theory about the ending, but no idea if it's an opinion shared by the creator or any others.
Not credited, but this is the real life story that clearly inspired the movie..
Only had time to skim it for now, but that sounds fascinating. Thanks!
I enjoyed the soundtrack too.
Annihilation, if you can ignore the framing device.
I don’t remember much about the plot but that fucking bear omg.
I think about the bear all the time. One of the few examples of a monster surpassing what I could imagine.
The book is pretty great (imo.)
It also explores the Shimmer more and it’s fascinating.
I liked the plot, but regardless, I would say Annihilation has some of the most horrifically beautiful sci-fi imagaries on screen.
Triangle . The science fiction angle is that it's a time travel paradox. Predestination is another similar film, based off of Robert Heinlein's "--All You Zombies--".
Predestination is amazing. I read the book right after watching the movie, and the movie is just so much better.
They did a really great job with it, especially considering how dated a lot of Heinlein can feel now, what with all his relatively benevolent sexism (among many other things). Not many Heinlein stories have been made into books--I think that this is only the 3rd--so it was quite pleasing to see.
Agreed, if I read the book first I would not have thought someone could make it into such a great movie. Interesting observation about film adaptions. The only one that comes to mind is Starship Troopers. What are the others? Also, it's interesting that they chose this little novel to make Predestination instead of his more well-known books.
IIRC he did a short story about a stowaway on a ship that threw off the fuel calculations by adding an extra 75kg of mass, so that they wouldn't reach their destination if the stowaway wasn't thrown out of the airlock. (And the ship couldn't land without the captain, so...) I'm pretty sure that was a movie plot on Netflix, but I'll be damned if I could tell you the title of either.
Philip K. Dick on the other hand... His books have been turned into tons of movies, and since he was asking questions about humanity (versus being harder science fiction), they've aged much better.
I am genuinely curious why Philip Dick is so popular among the film makers. I think I read somewhere that the reason might be because his books are not very detailed, just sketches, which allows movie-makers to bend his stories to their liking. One author I would like to see adapted more, though, is probably Ted Chiang. Love his stories.
I think it's because he had such interesting ideas, things that were extremely original, but also stories and ideas that readers and audiences can relate to in some way. Some of the best science fiction can be very dense; The Diamond Age, or Solaris. Even Roadside Picnic is difficult to film, because how do you visually depict something that's entirely beyond human understanding? (Tarkovsky gave it a helluva try though!) Dick is focusing more on the people; the science fiction setting is a way to get at his ideas about things like what defines humanity.
That's my take anyways.
Right, although I never really enjoyed reading Dick. Just too dry and depressing af. Interesting ideas, though. On the point about difficulty to film, that's where games come in! I've never player Stalker, but I think it is well regarded. Same with the Metro series. And yeah, Tarkovsky is hard to watch. I don't think I finished either Solaris or Stalker
The guy who directed Triangle also did a movie called Creep that's absolutely worth a watch.
Enemy Mine was pretty trippy. I saw it when I was a kid though so I'm not sure if it was any good or if it fits.
Vivarium was quite odd and different. I appreciated the original take on the age old concept of how alien and weird the suburbs are.
I'm not sure if it counts as smaller but The Thing, god damn, finally saw that one for the first time recently and it really is one of the GOATs.
Enemy Mine lol what a trip. I have the book and the film. I wont spoil it for anyone but when you know who falls you know what, thats when the whole thing became a wild ride.
Ah, I have a physical paperback. I got at an op shop. It has a lot more Draco lore in it.
I saw the original John carpenter version at a friends house at ~2am after a rare night out drinking with some old college buddies in town. My friend has a big HD projector and sound system in his house and when everyone heard I'd never seen the thing it was instantly agreed that's what we are doing later. I had absolutely no idea what to expect and was blown the fuck away!
Then I got all excited a few weeks ago when I saw the thing was on Netflix so I could see it again. Then I realized it was the recent remake from idk 2012 maybe? Watched five minutes of it and ragequit, then paid $3 to see it on Prime.
Earthman, your Mickey Mouse is one big stupid dope!!
It’s a story that would totally work even without any sci fi elements, which I think means it is good. You could ask whether it’s good sci fi without such core speculative elements. But it consistently stretches into strange territory (hermaphroditism, meteor weather, edible footballs) in a convincing way that you’d have a hell of a time saying it’s anything but sci fi.
Oh it's definitely sci fi. I just meant it's not exactly sci horror as OP requested.
Yeah maybe not horror, but it has some pretty grody moments, like eating the live worm and the birth scene zomg the birth scene…
Cube, though pretty well known, still fits 'small' IMHO, Given it's lows budget.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0123755/
Altered States comes to mind. It sort of straddles sci-fi and horror without really being firmly in either. Deals with some fringe psychology research during the 70’s going wrong in unexpected ways.
Brainstorm is more obviously sci-fi / speculative fiction… can’t say to much else without spoiling the surprises.
Neither one of these is going to seriously blow your mind, but there’s still food for thought. Bon appétit. 
I love Altered States. And for some reason I always associate it with Dreamscape and I like watching them together.
Don’t think I’ve ever seen that, I’ll check it out :-)
Hope you like it! Now that I've talked about it I feel an itch for a double bill this weekend haha!
Just found a copy and the cover/synopsis unlocked some dim memories. I love rediscovering something I saw a bit of on TV when I was a kid but never got to finish, thank you :-)
That was it! Awesome :-)
I didn’t remember the whole plot but I definitely remember the cobra-man.
David Patrick Kelly’s character was bugging me right up until the end… such great monologues, his voice is so creepy.
Lolll so great, glad you had fun :) Corba-Man was nightmare fuel for a while when I was a kid. DPK's face was already seared into my brain from The Warriors, I was so afraid of him!
Sphere from Micheal Crichton. Both the movie and the book are pretty good.
It is more sci-fi than anything else, but i think it fits the thriller category as well. Without going into spoilers, it is a story about scientists being deep down in the ocean, and strange things happening.
Sphere was my favorite book in high school. I didn't like the movie so much, but it might have been that I was already too hyped for it when it came out. I should probably watch it again.
I was so hyped, a book I loved and that cast. The result was so underwhelming.
In fairness OP asked for "smaller films/ stories" and then name dropped probably one of the biggest horror films ever.
+1 for Event Horizon, thoroughly enjoyed it after watching the red letter media review.
The first movie that came to mind is Aniara (2019). It's a great film that really goes beyond to show the hopelessness of being lost in space and how tiny we are in comparison. Fair warning though: This film will absolutely destroy you on an emotional level.
That was one of my favorite parts as well, it kinda reinforced that this was not a typical plot with a lifeline for the main characters.
It didn’t hit me as strong as the trailers made it look like it would. It’s a really good movie; I don’t know if I’ll ever watch it again.
This movie fucked me up and I go through horror and sci-fi films like candy. After it was over, I just sat there, my brain fully blue screened to protect itself from too deeply considering what I watched. Even thinking about it now, years later, it gives me chills. Such a good movie!
Yup, same here. I went in totally blind on a sci-fi binge and I really didn't expect it to take such a turn.
Is Andromeda Strain small enough? I love both the story and the movie. The combination of high stakes and routinously slow and boring procedures to scientifically-like contain\eradicate the unknown virus is hypnotyzing.
I didn't know there is a remake, and now I don't know about it as well.
Personally I liked the new one better, so I guess ymmv.
It is really campy and the books are much better than the movie but John Dies at the End is a fun movie that doesn't take it too seriously.
Oh hell yeah! I watched that movie yesterday! I am a HUGE fan of the books, and enjoyed the movie quite a bit.
The French short film La Jetée is told almost entirely in still photos, but it's very haunting. 12 Monkeys was based on it. I like 12 Monkeys, but I actually like La Jetée more. There's also the short American film 12:01 PM which is excellent. Both are on YouTube.
Very solid suggestion. It was amazing what that film managed to accomplish in such an unusual way.
Coherence
Love this movie! So good!
I love sci fi movies/books where not many humans are left. Even though not all are small stories: The day of the triffids; I am legend; 28 days; i love those because of the shots you see of cities without people, with overgrown buildings that are falling apart, animals thriving. I also like other sci fi stories, but the ones i mentioned above provide a temporary relief from all the news about wars, hunger, heartless people, news that is caused by greedy, evil people who seem willing to destroy the weak, other species, and even the entire planet.
I feel like Time Lapse isn't on enough people's radar. It's a tightly written sci-fi psychological thriller.
I saw this movie a few years ago and enjoyed it but couldn't think of the name again. Thank you! I'm going to give it another viewing.
Existenz …one of Cronenberg’s most fun imho.
Excellent call out! I was obsessed with that movie for a while.
Cube
Prospect (2018, movie) - It steals all the cool you associate with crunchy sci-fi short-stories, and gets away with it. Beautiful, lovingly detailed interior sets. Sparse exposition, leaving your snatching at any little turn of phrase or namedrop wondering if it's world-building, or just how the characters talk. Just the right length. Respect for not making it Yet Another Miniseries (YAM (this is my acronym, you'll never see it again)).
Also wow, I haven't read any reviews until now, and I'm glad I hadn't. If you like sci-fi just watch it. It's 1 and a 1/2 hours long. I've already told you too much.
+1 for Prospect.
It brought me back to the weirdness of the sci-fi era of the 70s like Battle beyond the stars, Logan's run, Doppelgänger and the original West world.
I felt like I was 8 years old discovering sci-fi again. Really worth it, although I'm sure it's not everyone's cup of tea.
This movie is super weird in amaxing ways.
Also, plus point for having Pedro Pascal!
Thank you for this recommendation, this will be my next Friday night feature <3
Prospect was an amazing movie! If you've ever played No Man's Sky, you'll for sure recognize a lot of the aesthetic choices they make for the space suits and other tech. I desperately want to explore the universe of this movie.
Event Horizon is my favorite horror movie.
Yep. Came here to mention this one. Even 25 years later this one still sticks in my mind as my favorite horror movie.
I'm adding some great Spanish ones: Timecrimes, Shrews Nest, Rec, The Devil's Backbone
Oh, and a Swedish one: Let the right one in
I LOVE TimeCrimes. I look forward to giving these others a viewing.
Man oh man...... Let the Right One In..... I see this thing being suggested all over the place and it just didn't do it for me. Been a while since I watched it but I didn't think it was even that good let alone good enough to suggest to anyone. Different strokes and all that I guess.
I've mentioned it before, and I'll do so again! The Signal was a nice surprise, that sorta came and went in theaters, and we've watched it a handful of times since, as a spooky sci-fi comfort film. It's been a long while since the last time, though, so it may not have quite the same impact now, but that kinda makes me want to watch it more.
And not that it's at all smaller, but Shin Godzilla for another to watch over and over. So beautifully done.
The one with Fishburne?
Yeap! I didn't even think to specify dat Fishburne. 🤌
Sputnik and Super Deep, two Russian sci fi movies I really enjoyed and were well made.
Europa Report and Life come to mind as well.
It is yeah 👍
Pi, Brainstorm, Moon, Primer.
Well, you've piqued my interest.
Loved Revelation Space! Also check out Blindsight by Peter Watts, it's similarly weird and imaginative (and I think you can find it for free on rifters.com, the authors Web site).
Society (1989 film) has some amazing 80s body horror practical effects by Screaming Mad George (Joji Tani), who also worked on Predator and some of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. And a general hatred of the rich, which is always nice.
For horror books, my favorite that I've read recently were The Twisted Ones and A House With Good Bones, both by T. Kingfisher.
Not necessarily horror but Severance and Mr. Robot forever changed me. I’ve never been a TV person (except for Star Trek) so maybe those are bigger than you’re looking for.
Oh, and Alan Wake + Control. God, I love anything made my Remedy.
I think they COULD count as psychological thrillers. Nice choices.
Oxygen is a good recent French one on Netflix. Very claustrophobic.
Taking notes
Magnetic Rose is a short Satoshi Kon anime film from the 90s about a haunted abandoned space station. Very good vibe and aesthetic.
oh yes that's legendary !
Magnetic Rose is amazing man.
Years ago, I watched this Korean movie, The Wig, with a friend, and were both so freaked out. It was about a woman who was slowly being possessed by the spirt of the woman from who the hair of her wig had been taken from. It seems kinda hokey, but the woman being possessed had just recovered from cancer (thus, the need for the wig), and the story was from the POV of her sister watching as her sister seems to have a complete personality change after being diagnosed as cancer-free, and was trying to figure out what was happening. Some parts of it might not have aged well (namely, one of the twists), but the way it felt more like a psychological horror than a horror horror really stuck with me.
As for gaming, I can NOT recommend the two games by Red Candle enough. Both games start out seemingly as pure horror, then end up just ripping your heart out and stepping on it as the situation becomes clear.
Detention is a side scroller set during the White Terror period of Taiwan in a high school, and it’s really good. There was a movie made from it that looked to stay really close to the story, and it won a fair number of awards in Asia (I still haven’t seen it yet). There was a Netflix sequel show, but I didn’t really get into it. Detention, though, is really good, and you can get it on pretty much any platform now for only a few bucks.
Their other game, Devotion, is a damn masterpiece and I will never stop being angry it got pulled from Steam after only a week because some idiot accidentally left in a placeholder image that had “Xi Jin Ping Winnie the Pooh moron” written on it - that cost Red Candle’s partner in China their business license, and caused them to pull the game from Steam. It was supposed to go up on GOG, but they backed out a few days after announcing they would be selling it, claiming it was because of the “gamer feedback,” or some such nonsense (but really because Cyberpunk 2077 had just come out in China and they didn’t want to risk upsetting the Chinese government), and they refused to answer anyone asking them about it on twitter back when it happened.
Rant aside, Devotion is set in 1980s Taiwan, and is about a small family that gets destroyed because the father gets wrapped up in a cult. Not a weird murder cult or anything, just a cult promising him easy solutions. It’s basically a “domestic horror,” the horror that happens in a home. The game starts in your living room, with your wife talking about your daughter, Mei Shin, then going, “Where’s Mei Shin?” Then you’re looping through three different years trying to piece together where she is and what happened to her.
Devotion is only on PC, and you can only get it from Red Candle’s webpage. It’s only about $16, and it’s so worth the price.
Edit - This is a really good video comparing Silent Hill 2 and Devotion, on how they both handle the uncanny - Silent Hill 2 with their use of FMVs, and Devotion with it’s use of actual video footage. It has some mild spoilers, but it warns you and gives you a time stamp to skip to avoid them. An Uncanny Reality.
Absolutely checking out all your suggestions, they all look awesome!!!!
I really hope you enjoy them!
What a fun coincidence; I just watched RedLetterMedia's review of Event Horizon the other day. Spoiler: Jay kind of enjoyed it. Mike decidedly did not.
I'm generally not crazy about horror/thriller movies, but I did read The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton recently. It's a great book!
+1 for Michael Crichton, his books are fantastic
The movie of the book is alse really good!
The Tails From the Crypt series is awesome and the directors/producers have an amazing podcast "How Not to Make a Movie" that gives a lot of great insight into the stories, actors, special effects, and more. I like listening to them then watching the episodes later that day.
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury is a book of short stories that are great. I really like the rain and he has a story called The Long Rain which I read a lot. He has a few in there that are actually really spooky though.
The Marionette's Inc was just taken and adapted into a loosely based episode in the last season of Black Mirror (Beyond The Sea)! They're very very different, but it's the same concept applied differently and the book itself shows up in the episode.
Let the right one in(2004) is a beautiful movie set to the background of some beautiful dark Swedish forests.
Downloading. Looks very good. Thanks!
Would love to hear your thoughts after. It's a very unique experience.
I just rewatched today and turns out I had already seen it. I got the impression through the whole film that this was a remake from an older movie? Is that possible? Nevertheless, I remember now why I loved this one so much! The story and everything is just awesome :) I'm always trying to find new Sci fi movies that I didn't watch already, it's kind of hard right now, so feel free to leave here any other recommendations you might have!
The Void (2016 film.) Very well done indie horror that punches well above its class when it comes to practical effects.
Excellent call out, I love this movie and have been watching it every year since I discovered it.
Same! I was looking for the next "Event Horizon" and this scratches that itch.
Check out Coherence(2013) - it's like Primer's long lost cousin
Primer damn well might be the most confusing movie I've ever seen, but in a brilliant sort of way. Relevant xkcd
For films, Under The Skin (2013 indie film directed by Jonathan Glazer and starring Scarlett Johanson in a pretty low-key role for the most part) is fantastic. More on the horror end, but has strong scifi elements. Amazingly crafted film, nothing really gory at all, the horror is all psychological, but it has such disturbing moments that stick in your head (unwanted) for years. I've watched it 3 times though, so that may be part of the problem.
I just finished the book and thought it was better than the movie (although very different). I liked the cinematography and atmosphere of the movie, but it just moved too slowly for me.
"Yoo Retoont, Sneogg. Ay Noo" and "The Greater Punishment" by Marek S. Huberath (those are must read if you can find translations)
"The Radius Riders" by Barrington Baylay
"A Boy and His Dog" by Harlan Ellison
"A Song for Lya" by George R. R. Martin
"The Quickening" by Michael Bishop
"Dying in Bangkok" by Dan Simmons
"Press Enter" by John Varley
"Saliva Tree" by Brian Aldiss
"Catch That Zeppelin" by Fritz Leiber
"Deathbinder" by Alexander Jablokov
"The Last of Winnebagos" by Connie Willis
Are these novels or short stories?
The Ellison, Martin, and Willis stories are a novella and short stories (in that order) and I can vouch for all 3 being fantastic.
I’m so happy to see “A Song for Lya” on your list. It’s one of my favorite SF stories!
"Automata", about human-robot interactions in a post-apocalyptic setting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aut%C3%B3mata
More "suspense" than "horror", but it's the most realistic depiction I've seen of how future robots will actually communicate. Overall a solid sci-fi movie that flew under the radar.
Andromeda strain, Logan's run, Event horizon, stalker, x-files series 😆
Peace On Earth is a book by Stanislaw Lem, the author of Solaris.
It is my all-time favourite sci-fi novel.
The premise is that mankind builds autonomous war robots and sends them to the moon to fight proxy wars instead of real wars on earth. But the robots evolve. For reasons unknown, contact with the moon is lost, so humanity sends a astronaut up to see what's going on.
FYI, that's book 4 of a series.
The Star Diaries: Further Reminiscences of Ijon Tichy
Memoirs Found in a Bathtub
The Futurological Congress: From the Memoirs of Ijon Tichy
Peace on Earth: A Novel
The Mist (2007)
I did not expect the film's ending to be so crushing.
The music video for Failure's song Counterfeit Sky
https://youtu.be/S0P6t2rlo_k
It's such a good package. I only wish it was a fully flushed out story
Also the music video for Fantasy by DyE, for inexplicable Lovecraftian horror.
A favorite, a friend of mine and I have to revisit it every so often, what a trip that video is!
Anyone know of an active lemmy community for nosleep stories? I used to read the subreddit all the time, every once in a while you could really catch a gem digging through all the trash.
What does smaller mean in this context because most replies here are anything but in my opinion. Aliens? Small?
Well small is the prompt, but people are allowed to answer whatever they want. If they answer Aliens, they are just recommending a movie that we have all seen multiple times to the group. Not really useful in this context.
Annihilation fits within the criteria, but it's not really a "small", indie or less known movie.
Always had a soft spot for Impostor (2001) with Gary Sinise based on Philip K Dick's short story. It never is mentioned very much
I watched Circle on Netflix a long time ago (not to be confused with Tom Hanks movie), minimalistic but captivating. A Man from Earth is really deep although even more minimalistic
For books, House of leaves by Mark danielewski is a pretty crazy ride into madness.
The first time I read that book, I became uncertain of my own reality. In the 15 or so years since I first read it, I only read it once more and it was just as unsettling. It's a goddamn masterpiece and I should really work up the strength to read it again.
I only read it the one time and that was just about fifteen years ago for me as well.
When I got to the part where he actually goes insane and it's just like 20 pages of gobbledygook, I pushed myself to read all of the ranting as if it was coherent narrative.
Yeah, I definitely also became untethered at multiple points reading that book.
I'm reading the starless sea right now, erin Morgenstern's second book, and her writing is so comfortable and cozy and fun to read, lilting like, that it might be interesting to give house of leaves another go over afterward.
Tp feel the whisper of silk and then jagged cement rubble
A walk in the dark - Arthur C. Clarke
It's a scifi thriller short story. I believe that there is an old radio play available
PREDATOR
Dillon!
I loved The Illuminae Files as a teen, definitely worth a read
I always wanted to watch a full length feature based on Edmond Hamilton's "Exile", but obviously knowing how it ends would kinda ruin it.
Die Fabre is cool, I guess. It's a 2010 film adaptation of color out of space.
There's an adaptation of Color Out of Space from a couple of years ago that is deeply creepy. It stars Nick Cage and he's the perfect amount of crazy for what happens to the main character.
I rather liked The Immortality Thief by Taran Hunt.
"High Life" (2018) by Claire Denis was quite interesting. Dark and poignant with a great cast and unique execution
I am a fan of Claire Denis but missed this one. Sounds very interesting.
I enjoyed it but it's not a movie that will leave you feeling good, just a warning 👍
Edit: Derp. None of these are horror tho 😖
Definitely going to watch some of these. I think Occulus is better than it gets credit for.
There are some generally great small(!) / low budget movies, especially sci-fi. Here's one example, this one's basically zero budget but it's a great one (12min): https://tube.instellate.xyz/watch?v=GhDlV9PDw3Y
Understand by Ted Chiang
Demon Seed. I like the book mostly, but even the movie has such an outlandish premise that makes for a great watch, especially for first-timers.
Avalon love this movie! I havent seen it in years but still it creeps up and reminds me how good it was. One of those shows that seems to pull you in and suddenly the hairs on the back of your neck stand and wow!
Pilot episode of Rakka. It's so well done and has a lot of potential, but alas it's a small studio doing these kinds of things and has no backing of one of woke studios.
Woke studio? is that a typo?
Naah, not really. But everyone seems to be pushing inclusiveness with their movies for no apparent reason.
That added nothing to the conωersation, Mich like this.