There exists no shortage of death in the majority of science fiction movies, and in some cases, every character has met their end by the time the credits roll. High death tolls materialize in sci-fi franchises like Dune, Alien, and Predator, while prominent films such as Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Ex Machina (2015), and Annihilation (2018) also kill off nearly all of their characters. Lethal extraterrestrial monsters, costly battles, and the end of the world are just some of the elements causing mass death in sci-fi films. The genre’s tendency to focus on dangerous creatures and events makes for gripping entertainment, and sci-fi fans have long remembered the most devastating moments in movies.
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In the following five sci-fi titles, everyone dies. Even though they have dismal endings, these films are some of the best the genre has to offer.
5) The Thing (1982)
An inventive take on the classic alien invasion story, The Thing is an excellent work of sci-fi horror. The movie’s villain can shapeshift into other beings — including its human victims — which sparks a creepy series of events involving a research team in Antarctica. The Thing is wildly entertaining from start to finish, as the film features plenty of suspenseful buildup, exhilarating action sequences, and brutal deaths. One might expect this movie to end with at least one survivor, but The Thing takes a staggering dark turn in its final moments. Distrusting each other and destined to freeze to death, the team’s two remaining members share a drink before they eventually die off-screen. The Thing‘s grim conclusion won’t please everyone, but it’s the perfect eerie exclamation point to the story.
4) Cloverfield (2008)
Mayhem erupts when a massive alien monster rampages across New York City in Cloverfield. Annihilating all buildings and people in its path, the creature makes for a fearsome sci-fi movie villain despite its limited screen time. But Cloverfield is so captivating because it closely fixates on the perspectives of those fighting to survive. A group of friends endures the chaos at ground level as they witness one another’s horrifying deaths at the hands of the monster and its alien parasites.
At the end, Cloverfield‘s remaining characters can’t escape the city before bombs start raining down, and they painfully record their final moments on camera. It’s impossible to take one’s eyes away from the screen when watching Cloverfield, as its breathtaking visuals and found footage filming style set it apart from most monster movies. The deadly final scene could not be more fitting for Cloverfield‘s harrowing tale.
3) Sunshine (2007)
Sunshine is a riveting sci-fi picture that throws one mystifying twist after another at audiences. A team of astronauts embarks on a mission to reignite the Sun while the Earth freezes, triggering a wave of peril and unexpected disasters. Sunshine‘s characters die from various causes, ranging from murder to sacrifice. Unlike most of the other titles on this list, Sunshine‘s ending is hopeful, as the astronauts’ fission bomb successfully revives the Sun before killing the last of them. Sunshine is visually gorgeous and relies on its constant tension, memorable musical score, and outstanding acting performances to grip viewers. Many rewatches are needed to fully take in all of Sunshine‘s complex layers, thus cementing the film as a top-notch sci-fi title.
2) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Surprisingly, the second-best movie on this list comes from a major franchise. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ranks among the greatest Star Wars projects, as does its prequel TV series, Star Wars: Andor. The movie boasts all of the engrossing action and interesting characters that Star Wars fans are accustomed to, though it also depicts resistance through a lens the franchise had not previously examined. The story of the rebels who lost the battle against the Empire before Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and co. won is engaging, heart-pounding, and devastating despite knowing how it ends. Watching Rogue One‘s characters fall is heartbreaking, but the film’s message about the importance of fighting for liberation, no matter the cost, is especially powerful.
1) Melancholia (2011)
Finally, an end-of-the-world story doesn’t somehow leave survivors, and it’s the best sci-fi movie where everyone dies. Melancholia presents a raw and poignant perspective on the destruction of Earth, focusing on two sisters who cope with their impending doom in drastically different ways. The world’s end merely serves as a backdrop for Melancholia‘s deep exploration of depression and grief in the context of apocalyptic circumstances.
It’s fascinating to observe the mental state of each character as their end grows nearer. As predicted, another planet collides with Earth at the end of Melancholia, eliminating all life. There’s not much joy to be found in the movie, but its unique emphasis on how people grapple with a world-ending event makes for a compelling piece of storytelling that’s hard to find elsewhere in the sci-fi genre.
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Image courtesy of Prokino Filmverleih
