10 Best Horror Movies Set On Different Planets
6. Forbidden Planet (1956)
A grandfather of and early precedent for the sci-fi horror genre, Forbidden Planet's camp, B-movie approach to outer space has become a beloved classic for genre movie lovers. Considered in some quarters to be a loose adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Tempest, Forbidden Planet is a pioneering movie for several reasons. It is the first film to be set almost entirely on another planet, and the first to depict humans using faster-than-light travel.
As funny as it is thrilling and occasionally quite monstrous, Fred M. Wilcox's seminal classic very much emphasises the fiction over the science. The result is an entertaining and fun high-stakes adventure on another world whose peculiar visual particularity to low-budget, 1950s cinema has helped to ensure its timeless status. It's legacy is profound; the American Film Institute has ranked it among the 100 best science fiction films of all time.
The impact of Forbidden Planet has been felt throughout the decades since. Robby the Robot has become an icon of pop culture, while Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry has cited the film as one of his main influences. With such a startling pedigree and fame, Forbidden Planet merits its place as essential viewing for genre aficionados.