In space, no one can here you scream
I ticked seven psychological horror movies off my Halloween 2024 watch list. This week, it was sci-fi horror movies. In contrast to last week’s roundup, and my time spent with slasher movies in the first week of my Halloween 2024 countdown, my familiarity with sci-fi wasn’t up to par, so I was intrigued to get into it.
My closest friends would never pin me as a sci-fi fan, so this was the catalyst that made me opt for a sci-fi horror themed week. As per my last two roundups, I relied on the best streaming services, mainly Prime Video and Hulu, to help keep my momentum going strong. And, once again, a successful week of streaming was the result.Day 15: The Cabin in the Woods
Director: Drew Goddard
Running time: 95 minutes
Where to stream: Peacock (US), Prime Video (UK), Netflix (AU)
A movie that I’ve been meaning to watch for years, and have only now got round to ticking off my watchlist. It has a fun blend of supernatural and sci-fi horror tropes, and its black comedy elements land very well, but it doesn’t translate as a comedy.
While I’ve enjoyed comedy horrors like Ready or Not (2019), that movie felt more wired to be a comedy whereas The Cabin in the Woods is packed with thrilling jump scares and gore that mask its comedy. When the story’s actual premise was revealed, I felt myself watching a more sinister rendition of The Truman Show – rounded off with an unexpected cameo from Sigourney Weaver.Day 16: Alien
Director: Ridley Scott
Running time: 117 minutes
Where to stream: Hulu (US), Disney Plus (UK and AU)
Speaking of Sigourney Weaver, I’ve become president of the Lt. Ellen Ripley fan club after watching Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror Alien. It’s safe to say that this classic was at the top of my list of movies I had to watch for this week.
I had a lot of questions during my time watching Alien, the first one was: why are you smoking on a spacecraft? That’s very 1970s. This was followed by: why are all these men telling Ripley what to do? That was by far one of the most irritating parts of the movie. But given their untimely fates at the hands of extra-terrestrials, I can only put it down to karma.
What I couldn’t help but notice throughout Alien was the lack of soundtrack in parts I felt could’ve helped add texture to some scenes. I didn’t dwell on this too much, and it got better quickly. But it’s Ripley’s vengeance scene at the end that had me jumping out of my seat and clapping. That finale was for women in STEM everywhere.
