Event Horizon was not a massive success when it was first released in 1997. But it has become one of the most celebrated examples of space horror of recent times. So it’s not surprising that many people would love to find other movies like Event Horizon to scratch that same itch. While not all of these are set in space, they all give a certain vibe that make them very similar to Paul W. S. Anderson’s horror classic.
Sunshine
This movie is directed by Danny Boyle of 28 Days Later and Trainspotting fame, and stars Cillian Murphy as well as numerous actors who later went on to become famous for superhero movies such as Chris Evans (Captain America) and Benedict Wong (of Dr. Strange fame). And yes, it’s actually a movie more like Event Horizon than you might think.
In Sunshine the sun is dying, which of course is a huge problem for those on Earth. A group of international astronauts steer a ship and a giant bomb with the goal of “jump starting” the Sun again.
Interestingly, most of the film would not be considered horror, rather a mix of science fiction, disaster, and survival tropes akin to Gravity (2013) or Armageddon (1998). That is, until the end of the movie when one of the crew members turns things around, going quite mad. It is this development in the last third of the film that turns Sunshine into a movie like Event Horizon more than probably anything else on this list.
Hellraiser
If you want something similarly Lovecraftian to Event Horizon, only not in space, watching something from the Hellraiser franchise is a good option. There can be a lot of comparisons to what Dr. Weir becomes in Event Horizon and Hellraiser’s Pinhead. There are a lot of similarities.
If you still want a space horror movie like Event Horizon, you could jump to Hellraiser 4: Bloodline, which has an interesting take that partially involves the Year 2127 and involves a rather complex history of the Hellraiser puzzle box.
Sphere
Sphere is a movie based on a Michael Crichton novel starring Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, and Samuel L. Jackson.
It would likely be considered more of a science fiction thriller rather than a horror movie. But the premise of Sphere, a group of researchers going deep under water to examine an unusual giant sphere, has some strong similarities with Event Horizon, where the gravity drive is also quite mysterious and unusual and also the artifact that is likely the center of all that is going on.
Crews in both movies start seeing and experiencing weird and sometimes horrific things. The origins and where it leads are quite different, but it’s hard not to see a lot of similarities between Sphere and Event Horizon.
The Thing
Movies like Event Horizon don’t always have to be set in space or isolated on a ship deep underwater. It can also just be about isolation among a small number of people. While The Thing and its monster isn’t actually in space, it’s the next closest thing, and that is a setting like the cold arctic of Earth.
The Thing is like Event Horizon in many ways, since it involves a slowly diminishing crew in a remote location and a different but still slightly similar Lovecraftian vibe. It’s a creature feature first and foremost, but the foreboding that creeps its way into the film is unmistakable and is what has made The Thing one of the ultimate classics of the modern era.
The Alien Franchise
Back to space. The entire Alien franchise is a natural option for those who are interested in something akin to Event Horizon.
While I love Aliens, the action is something that makes it skew a little differently than most on this list. Ultimately, Event Horizon is a “haunted house in space” movie, so the original Alien (or even Alien 3 even) are probably the closest to giving Event Horizon vibes. But like The Thing, it is ultimately a creature feature, a monster movie, so it is a little different in some ways.
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In the Mouth of Madness
If you just want to watch more of Sam Neill going crazy in a Lovecraftian horror movie, In the Mouth of Madness is a great choice.
Yes it skews a bit different than all the rest on this list, as it isn’t science fiction or have anything to do with space. But I think between the amazing Sam Neill and the Lovecraft inspirations, it can easily fit the mold for people who love Event Horizon for certain things without specifically needing the isolation or space setting.
Last Updated on January 25, 2023.
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