12 Scariest Sci-Fi Movies Of All Time

Directed by Mandy helmer (and son of Rambo First Blood Part II director, bizarrely) Panos Cosmatos, this strange, psychedelic sci-fi from 2010 incorporates elements of previous dystopian flicks such as THX 1138 and 1984 into its simple story of a shadowy New Age facility wherein experiments are carried out on an innocent subject with odd, unexplained powers.

But then things take a turn for the trippier as the film becomes a metaphysical headf***, owing as much to Ken Russell and Alejandro Jodorwosky as it does to any more conventional sci-fi nightmares.

Not that this makes proceedings any less horrifying, mind—this cinematic trip is filled with chilling imagery all the more memorable for its lack of explanation, and it’s a disturbing mental workout which even the hardiest viewers are likely to struggle with before it reaches an enigmatic, positively demented conclusion.