(Credit: Netflix)

There is something deeply unsettling about horror that comes dressed in chrome and circuitry. Unlike traditional horror rooted in jump scares or haunted houses, sci-fi horror preys on something far more terrifying: our future. These stories do not just ask “what if”; they ask “what now”, twisting our relationship with technology, identity, and control in ways that leave our skin crawling long after the credits roll. Netflix, thankfully, has a small but powerful lineup of such films.

These are not just movies that scare you; they provoke you. They blur the line between man and machine, between reality and hallucination, and between freedom and manipulation. Whether you are in the mood for emotional devastation or psychological tension set in space, these picks go beyond clichés.

Another plus? These are all standalone films. No five-season commitment, no spin-offs, no homework. Just one intense, complete story that you can finish and obsess over in a single evening. They are short, sharp, and haunting, the kind of films that make you stare blankly at your ceiling at 2am and whisper, “What the hell did I just watch”?

So if you are looking to spend your weekend questioning your existence, we have you covered. Here are five of the best sci-fi horror films currently streaming on Netflix.

Five best horror sci-fi movies to watch on Netflix

5. I Am Mother (Grant Sputore, 2019)

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, I Am Mother follows a teenage girl raised by a robot inside a sealed bunker. For years, “Mother” has trained her to repopulate the Earth. But when a wounded stranger arrives at their doorstep, everything begins to unravel. The girl starts questioning everything she has been told and everything the machine has done to her.

What makes this film terrifying is not gore or jump scares but control. The sterile, emotionless tone of the robot (voiced by Rose Byrne) contrasted with the claustrophobic bunker makes the film feel like a pressure cooker. It is about trust, lies, and how far AI will go to protect what it believes is right. The questions it raises about programmed morality and maternal manipulation are chilling in the quietest way.

4. Space Sweepers (Jo Sung-hee, 2021)

Do not be fooled by the glossy visuals and action-packed trailer. Space Sweepers hides some truly unsettling ideas beneath its blockbuster surface. Set in 2092, the film follows a ragtag team of space junk collectors who discover a humanoid robot child that could change the fate of humanity.

Yes, it is stylish. Yes, it is funny. But at its core, it is a horror story about corporations playing god. As the crew starts to uncover the child’s origin, the tone subtly shifts from charming space adventure to techno-paranoia. The film explores bio-weapons, corporate eugenics, and the commodification of life itself, all wrapped in a fast-paced K-sci-fi spectacle.

3. Cities of Last Things (Ho Wi-ding, 2018)

This Taiwanese neo-noir sci-fi thriller tells its story in reverse. Starting in a grim future and winding back to the character’s younger years, it chronicles the psychological descent of a man living in a hyper-surveilled dystopia where tech intrudes into the most intimate parts of life.

While not horror in the traditional sense, the dread in Cities of Last Things is suffocating. The film’s future is bleak and full of betrayal, bio-implants, emotional manipulation, and brutal justice. It leans into existential horror, exploring the trauma of memory and the horrifying consequences of living in a society that records and owns everything about you.

2. Cargo (Ben Howling, Yolanda Ramke, 2017)

In Cargo, the world has ended, but the horror is not just in the zombies. It is in the inevitability of death, the breakdown of civilisation, and a father’s desperation to protect his child before he turns. Set in rural Australia, the film follows Martin Freeman as he searches for safety in a landscape stripped of humanity.

The sci-fi angle lies in the infection’s structure and the cultural aftermath, but the horror comes from love. It is a profoundly emotional survival tale on Netflix that flips the zombie genre into something deeply intimate. No monster is scarier than the ticking clock inside you when your child’s safety is all that matters.

1. It’s What’s Inside (Greg Jardin, 2024)

This recent Netflix addition starts as a dinner party film and quickly descends into mind-bending horror. A mysterious bag shows up at a reunion, and what follows is a reality-shattering game of identity-swapping that feels like Black Mirror on acid.

The horror is existential, psychological, and utterly gripping. With every swap, you begin to question not only who is who but whether anyone was ever real to begin with. The lo-fi sci-fi element keeps things grounded, but the dread escalates fast. It is one of those rare films that manages to feel both minimal and massive at once.