IT BEGINS: The Scariest Space Movie of All Time
Thanks for tuning back into the BeX Files! Dim the lights and steel your nerves because it’s time to unveil the roster for the Scariest Space Movie!
First, a quick shoutout to everyone who joined the Yub Nub Club, my new paid membership option. I’m so grateful for your support. As a reminder, anyone can participate in the Scariest Space Movie tournament, but only the Yub Nub Club will receive the file announcing the winner on October 30. That’s capitalism, baby!
Thanks also to everyone who nominated their favorite freaky space flicks—there were so many cool genres and forgotten gems that it was tough to narrow it down. The competitors in the bracket run the gamut from claustrophobic thrillers, corporate nightmares, psychological mind-benders, and good old-fashioned slashers.
Now, without further delay, here’s the roster!
Vote using this form or email your picks to me at thebxfiles@gmail.com!
ROUND ONE
Alien (1979) vs. Passengers (2016)
This match might seem lopsided at first—how could a total flop like Passengers hope to compete against Alien, perhaps the most iconic space horror of all time? But consider that Passengers is about a woman being woken from cryosleep without her consent and then having to live out her days with Chris Pratt as her only companion. I’ll take the xenomorph, thanks!
Planet of the Vampires (1965) vs. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
A battle of space-age classics! Planet of the Vampires pioneered space horror and has become a cult favorite, while 2001: A Space Odyssey transcended the genre with its epic scope and psychological tension. Leave these masterpieces out of the roster? I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.
Sunshine (2007) vs. Apollo 18 (2011)
The ultimate celestial standoff: The Sun versus the Moon. Sunshine offers a new take on the timeless lesson: Don’t stare at the Sun. Apollo 18 is Paranormal Activity on the Moon, ‘nuff said.
Moon (2009) vs. Mickey 17 (2025)
Your body is expendable, disposable, replaceable! This match thrives on capitalist exploitation of the human corporeal form—whether it’s the planned obsolescence of a lunar Sam Rockwell or the brutal deaths of 3D-printed Robert Pattinson.
Solaris (1972) vs. Aniara (2018)
Sit back, relax, and let the existential dread flow through you. These brooding films don’t need gore or jump scares. They luxuriate in the beauty of Earth—and the unraveling of the soul beyond it.
Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902) vs. Event Horizon (1997)
Two movies, separated by more than a century, that do creepy stuff with eyeballs. Again, you might think this is lopsided, heavily favoring the legendary Event Horizon. But surely, I am not the only one who finds that famous shot of the rocket-eyed Moon just so disturbing?
Le Voyage dans la Lune also reveals that war, conquest, and domination have been baseline themes of space cinema since its inception, which is unsettling in its own right. Plus, basically every actor in it has been dead for a century.
Europa Report (2013) vs. Life (2017)
Hooray, we discovered aliens! Oh no, aliens discovered us!
Total Recall (1990) vs. Leprechaun 4: In Space (1996)
We’ll round out with a much-needed ‘90s goof-off. Total Recall is loaded with eye-popping body horror, trippy themes, and vintage Schwarzenegger. Leprechaun 4: In Space addresses the pressing question: What if a leprechaun were stuck in your penis—in outer space? What a wild decade, truly it was the End of History as far as I am concerned.
I’m so excited to embark on this journey to the dark side of space with you all! I’ll send all subscribers an updated roster each week:
Quarterfinals on October 9
Semifinals on October 16
The Final on October 23 (plus some fun bonus content!)
THE WINNER On October 30 (only for the Yub Nub Club; join at $5/month or $50/year)
That’s the file for today. See you at the cosmic rest stop next week—if you dare!
