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Event Horizon

Event Horizon

1997
Sci-fi, Suspense/Thriller
1h 36m
The year is 2047. Years earlier, the pioneering research vessel Event Horizon vanished without a trace. Now a signal from it has been detected, and the United States Aerospace Command responds. Hurtling toward the signal's source are a fearless captain (Fishburne), his elite crew and the lost ship's designer (Neill). Their mission: find and salvage the state-of-the-art spacecraft. What they find is state-of-the-art interstellar terror... (Paramount)
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Event Horizon

1997
Sci-fi, Suspense/Thriller
1h 36m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 43.69% from 5539 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(5538)
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Rated 06 May 2019
70
55th
I've always had a soft spot for this one. Yes, the characters make dumb decisions and it becomes silly action-y towards the end, but gosh darnit if I just don't really appreciate the sets, the gore, the casting, the design of that engine and the glimpses of Hellraisery horror.
Rated 24 Nov 2017
57
29th
A decent cast and some reasonable ideas compensate for a shaky script and a bit of clumsy execution. It's alright, but it never really got under my skin. The bloke who made this was at school with a guy I work with, who to this day can't believe that he's married to Milla Jovovich. Fair play to him.
Rated 15 May 2012
80
69th
Easily the best thing Paul W. S. Anderson's ever done which I understand is like saying "the most pleasantly fragranced soiled diaper ever".
Rated 16 Dec 2012
75
60th
The whole time I kept wishing THIS crew was in Prometheus. If you've got some decent actors with charisma and intelligence, you've won half the battle. I had a great time. It was wonderful, campy fun. Yes, the plot is quite ridiculous but I found the premise fascinating. I was intrigued by the idea of the ship coming alive after traveling into another dimension. Got me thinking, "is it possible?", "what could cause such a thing?" and so on. Fantastic.
Rated 21 Feb 2022
70
38th
It's Friday the Apollo 13th: an unstoppable monster onboard a doomed spacecraft. It borrows liberally from highbrow sci-fi (Alien & 2001) and goofy classics (Black Hole & Forbidden Planet). Outside of the decompression scare, you've seen this before. Additionally, the villain motivation is weakly explained. Still, marginal recommendation as it's prototypical 90's fun--best exemplified via the Prodigy "Funky Shit" end credits. And Interstellar outright stole one scene.
Rated 13 Aug 2018
5
38th
The execution may be mediocre, but I must give points to anyone who tries to combine hard sci-fi with gothic religious horror. The late-90s gritty technopunk vibe is pretty dated now, but it sets the mood perfectly, in a way turning EH into an exemplary unintentional period piece. And the titular ship is gorgeously gloomy; with such bizarre design choices, no wonder it wound up possessed!
Rated 13 Sep 2010
25
7th
Mediocre dialogue, characterisation and acting. Ineffective horror, at times seeming as though scenes must have been cut. Some of the ideas had the potential to be mildly interesting, although they are confused and nothing is done with them. All the movie's ideas are in any case taken from preceding films, most notably SOLARIS (1972). Perfunctory and unsatisfying conclusion that inexplicably fails to capitalise on or develop the two fundamental premises of the movie ("gateway", "life-force").
Rated 10 Sep 2012
78
85th
This is how you mix hell and space. Hellraiser 4 is how you don't.
Rated 12 Sep 2016
73
53rd
Winning set design, lighting, and gore makeup push all the dated cgi to the periphery but its story never digs deep enough to match the overt references to Aliens, The Shining, Solaris, and...well okay, it matches Hellraiser. It ends up committing to comic relief over despair (Fishburne fistfights a demon at one point) and the ending kind of sucks. Recommended only if you enjoy shitty horror movies.
Rated 11 Apr 2008
1
10th
hahahaha mortal kombat auteur tries to pull kubrick/tarkovsky
Rated 17 May 2008
89
96th
This is one of the few times a cross genre movie between horror and sci-fi has come together in the perfect blend (aside from "The Thing", and the "Alien" movies.) Done with an intriguing story and some truly horrifying moments, it does not fail to scare or amaze.
Rated 02 Nov 2012
72
14th
It's got some very interesting and well done production design and visual effects. It's probably unnecessarily violent at times, but I liked the premise and watching everything unfold. Acting is also good. I don't think it offers anything new to the table or anything that'll give it its own identity, but it's not that bad.
Rated 31 Jul 2016
70
56th
I've seen Event Horizon hailed as both a classic and a piece of shit, but honestly I'd lean more toward the former. It's a fairly intelligent script, with some solid acting, and a fun horrorish vibe. It's special effects are quite a bit to be desired, but I think that contributes to the fun B-movie thing it has going on. It's not going to blow your mind, but I surely understand why this is a cult film.
Rated 30 Oct 2008
70
46th
I'm giving "Event Horizon" a pass because I think its core idea seems the perfect recipe for a top-notch horror film. I like the sets, the goriness, the dark and ominous feel seemingly borrowed from "Alien" or "2001." So what if Paul W.S. Anderson can't deliver what could've been a fantastic film. The final product delivers a lot of potential and some great atmosphere even if it only lumbers in its disappointing B-movie existence. It's still scary, and could've been great in the right hands.
Rated 10 Sep 2008
59
33rd
The cinematography and SFX were pretty fantastic, but the story left a lot to be desired, with many holes, and a fantastic premise (Sci Fi plus Horror) that instead felt like disparate elements that do not come together: one part Solyaris, one part Hellraiser, sprinkle in some Shining and Sphere and drizzle with some Alien and Volia!: an annoying hodgepodge of all of them.
Rated 10 Sep 2012
80
83rd
This movie started taking liberties with physics and then took it too far. It was idiotic to see someone get that exposed to space vacuum and survive. Equally stupid to see smoke and fire in space. But, these are not the only dumb parts. It is a dark and reasonably scary story, if you can ignore the many flaws. Terrific sets. The hallucinations were a great plot device, and very scary. Music was excellent and built a lot of tension. Superb cast, acting was good all around. Well worth watching.
Rated 07 Mar 2015
68
55th
Yes, the CGI is ridiculous and it's edited with a chainsaw, but who cares? It's a nasty, effective little movie, with a cast and a setting (you gotta love a spaceship based on a gothic cathedral for no reason whatsoever) that makes me wish it were better than it probably is. A good companion piece to "In the mouth of madness".
Rated 31 Jul 2009
68
63rd
As a technical exercise Event Horizon doesn't really work too well. Some of the directing and storytelling seems cumbersome. That said, it somehow comes together fairly well. Yes there is little in the way of originality on show but this film is strangely compelling, and far more entertaining that it really seems to have any right to be. 'Event Horizon' is a little bit of a guilty pleasure.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
93rd
Fear the black eyes. Best sci fi horror since Alien.
Rated 02 Dec 2007
52
34th
It's not really technically engaging enough to be great sci-fi, and it's not really scary enough to be an effective horror flick. Still, I dig the cast, and they're perfectly fine doing stuff in space. But nothing here was especially memorable, which means it's not worth going out of your way for.
Rated 25 Sep 2010
59
34th
I didn't expect to like this at all but it ended up being a pretty creepy experience. Of course it is deeply flawed but at least it's memorable.
Rated 15 May 2012
60
22nd
Meh. Still it's Paul W.S. Anderson's best film...which isn't saying much. It starts decent enough, and then just slowly descends into predictable horror cliches
Rated 12 Aug 2009
62
40th
Definitely a better than average sci fi thriller.Some concepts are truly chilling. Sam Neill's character gets a little bit ridiculous by the end though.
Rated 30 Sep 2010
47
5th
Dull characters and script, along with forced horror whether it be in the film's aesthetic or psychology, is not compensated enough by the excellent effects and groovy ship-design architecture.
Rated 18 Oct 2007
98
91st
holy effing shit. this movie scared the urine right out of me. don't listen to anyone else if they say this isn't the scariest movie of all time. watch it in a dark room at night with the surround sound cranked up. seriously, the sound in this movie is incredible. so spark a bowl, turn off the lights, pump up the volume, press play, and crap your pants.
Rated 21 Aug 2007
99
99th
Amazingly excellently terrifying experience.
Rated 24 Sep 2016
50
52nd
Starts off well as a decent horror/suspense-in-space thriller, but quickly descends into absurdity. On the plus side, it does make for an excellent drinking game movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
16
4th
A dumb, uninspired, waste of time.
Rated 23 Mar 2018
65
26th
Final act lets down a promising if derivative film & performances: Over-use of SCORE! + 90s action flick style slow-mo explosions with lots of crashing into walls/floor etc. That rather spoils what began as an 'Alien 1-esque feel' space-horror: A like-able crew's (well acted) regular mission & believable interactions creep inexorably into a claustrophobic nightmare on an abandoned space ship. Worth seeing. Could've been better with less cheesy action beats, more horror in last 1/3
Rated 01 Mar 2020
70
40th
A brilliant concept with some well-executed horror, nice sci-fi imagery, and decent touches on psychological suspense. Delves into the camp/corny area in some spots with the gore, which dates it, where an increased focus on the raw human experience could have made it a bit more timeless (a la Solaris or 2001).
Rated 24 Oct 2019
26
22nd
This is a movie that I would love to see remade. There are more than a few interesting ideas here but Paul W. S. Anderson is a woefully inept director whose interpretation of this script goes from being boring to laughable by the end. In the hands of an even halfway competent director this could be horror gold.
Rated 03 Dec 2019
62
22nd
Agreeable riff on SOLARIS largely held together by Fishburne and Neill's effortless professionalism, though Anderson seems a bit lost after establishing a sound basis for physical and psychological horror, with none of the horror or action scenes managing to raise much of a pulse; opening shots of the majestic spacecraft ooze 2001 and are the stylistic highlights - some unsettling makeup effects towards the end tease as to what might have been with a better craftsman (Carpenter?) at the helm.
Rated 26 Mar 2007
66
41st
The movie isn't very good, and seems to completely lose it at the end, but it had a lot of creepy shit in it. A lot of really fucking creepy shit.
Rated 18 Apr 2013
74
40th
It's certainly disturbing enough to be effective in that regard, particularly the use of imagery and sense of isolation and despair created by the ship. The characters leave a lot to be desired, though, and as great as the pacing is in some sections it's very uneven overall.
Rated 15 Dec 2013
70
25th
The ship's visual aesthetic might be my favorite part of the whole movie, looking like the bastard child of the Nostromo and a Sumerian temple. Unfortunately the CGI effects are nowhere near as nice to look at, the script occasionally feels like two tonally divergent films were merged into one without any rewrites to make them fit, and the cinematography is often ugly. It's probably best described as being aggressively okay.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
77
79th
Sci-fi horror done well.
Rated 19 Mar 2013
20
5th
I'm a fan of space movies so I was ready to forgive some cheesiness that might occur, but this movie was horrible. There is nothing inventive or original in the film. All the characters seem and act like idiots. My favorite moment was when the main guy, the "scientist", shoots at the space ship's window as if he has no comprehension of physics whatsoever. Also, the film brutally abuses the ideas behind Solaris.
Rated 03 Jul 2017
43
17th
Event Horizon does have a few decent ideas, but the payoffs are hardly satisfying and the film's second half is a disaster.
Rated 16 Oct 2008
70
63rd
An interesting and at times exciting sci-fi/action flick. Sam Neill was born to play twitchy weirdos.
Rated 13 Mar 2013
68
24th
This movie was SO close to exactly what I wanted, but a movie that should have been about beyond-the-veil space insanity shifted into ham-handed horror within the last half hour.
Rated 14 May 2008
34
1st
I like Sci Fi, Horror, Sam Neil, and Lawrence Fishburn. This movie's combination of these elements is much less than the parts, let alone the sum of the parts. It was 2 hours of my life I will not get back and I regret it.
Rated 18 May 2014
70
50th
Eyes, where we're going, we don't need eyes.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
68
23rd
An interesting if somewhat confusing Sci-Fi/Horror romp. There appear to be Lovecraftian overtones, but this flick never really delivers. Good effects and atmosphere, but I expected more out of a cast with both Sam Neil and Laurence Fishburn.
Rated 19 Oct 2014
79
63rd
Solid space horror, some gorgeous quotes and Morpheus is a fuckin' beastin' bitchin' tank. End credits music is pretty funtimes love too. Dunno why I hadn't seen this before 2014! Better than new shite like Prometheus.
Rated 12 Mar 2007
40
18th
A great premise is largely wasted in this atmospheric yet tedious effort. In Anderson is to be believed this is due to a massive amount of cuts and studio tinkering, but if his other films are any indication, it probably wouldn't have been too much better anyway
Rated 30 Apr 2012
81
84th
Had a hell of a lot going for it, so it's kind of a shame that they couldn't have fleshed it out with a little more backstory or more spooky imagery. I think the world is long overdue for a sequel (or prequel) to this movie.
Rated 11 Jan 2009
4
35th
Ridiculous and over the top gore fest that I both love and hate at the same time. It's great when you are drinking with friends but watching this alone would be a joke - take it as you will.
Rated 09 Dec 2009
70
65th
It's a fine mix of great horror movies that went before it, and without a doubt Anderson's best film - and that's saying... not a whole lot, actually!
Rated 10 Jan 2010
64
69th
Great concept, flawed execution. The cast is fantastic, though Sam Neill as Pinhead is ridiculous besides the "we don't need eyes to see" meme. I can't believe I ever thought this was truly terrifying but EH retains a camp entertainment value (Fishburne's "We're leaving." after the hell dimension video remains one of the funniest line deliveries in a non-comedic context). The preference for gore over subtlety detracts majorly and the lesson will not be learned when this gets remade in ten years.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
38th
Definitely more of a horror movie than sci-fi, which I was actually unaware of when I first viewed it. It offers some frights and some good make-up/special effects.
Rated 17 Jul 2009
75
66th
It's great moments outweigh it's mediocre moments. It has a lot of both though.
Rated 15 Sep 2013
70
72nd
How a film about a ship that, well, bended space-time, went straight to hell and returned alive acting like a devil agent should be considered bad, huh? Paul Anderson's Carpenter-ish space horror finds its triumphs in a concept that benefits invisible fears, unpredictable character reactions -- see, Cooper, the funny black dude, flying through space is just beautifully cheesy -- and an enemy that simply brings our secrets (and shit) to light. It was made in the 90s, so of course it's underrated.
Rated 26 Oct 2009
40
12th
A poor man's Sphere, boring boring boring and stupid.
Rated 19 Mar 2008
90
91st
Some people get messed up
Rated 14 Aug 2007
34
22nd
What Paul "not that Magnolia guy" Anderson achieves in this film unlike his umpteen ruinations of adaptations is to set an atmosphere of grimy and almost gothic horror. But the film doesn't exactly do anything. It's almost like a tease, even as it runs through its motions and kills off exactly who you expect.
Rated 20 Oct 2013
32
17th
It was so damn close to being a great sci-fi. I was all ready for this to defy expectations and pull off the excellent Alien/Solaris mix. It was Lovecraftian, psychological, an exploration of the human psyche, and brilliant. And then, we get the explanation that they opened "a dimension of chaos", and Weir becomes possessed, so to speak, and it all goes to shit. Schlocky, poorly-written horror shit, complete with the fake-out ending. The score reflects the disappointment more than the quality.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
65
39th
Uses Doom's setting of demons and spaceships far better than the Doom movie itself.
Rated 30 Dec 2006
50
43rd
A movie with an awesome concept that it doesn't follow through on. In my version of it, what happens here would be edited to about a quarter of the final movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
82nd
Very good sci-fi horror.
Rated 20 Mar 2007
75
68th
Planet of the Vampires, Alien, Lifeforce, System Shock (the pc game). Space haunted house always makes for a good movie, but it's always the same movie.
Rated 22 Feb 2007
50
35th
Fairly good horror.
Rated 20 Apr 2008
65
35th
The movie was unjustly hacked up before release, and definitely feels unfinished or rushed in spots. There's this constant glimmer of hope throughout that it'll deliver on its promise of a total mindfuck, but it never really gets there.
Rated 10 Apr 2007
56
16th
Kind of awesome in some places, but then pretty standard in others.
Rated 14 Jun 2008
95
99th
Very Great
Rated 12 Aug 2009
84
85th
It's a great elegant swan of an idea stuffed into a B-movie Cambell's soup can. We go from nuanced discussion of the frailty of our reality to "a dimension of pure... chaos. A dimension of pure... (wait for it) EVIL". Add a bunch of other idiotic bullshit to the ending and you have what is essentially an excellent narrative utterly spoiled by a typical B-movie ending.
Rated 06 Aug 2013
3
38th
As an Alien ripoff, this doesn't rate with Sunshine - hell, it doesn't even rate with Alien 3. But on the whole it's not a terrible watch. Some annoyingly ostentatious direction and inconsistent/thin characterizations are bolstered by a cool premise and a few pretty creepy moments. Sam Neill is a lot of fun here.
Rated 17 Feb 2014
46
20th
A mash-up of pieces of other (Solaris, Sphere, Alien, etc), more successful films. Vaguely entertaining, but also generic and dumb.
Rated 13 Feb 2018
48
19th
As others have noted, Event Horizon borrows quite liberally from superior sci-fi's like Solaris and Alien. Stealing from the rich is fine if you invest it wisely. Anderson knows what to steal without really knowing how to use it. As a genre exercise it's passable, and there are a few solid visual ideas. The core is an otherworldly contraption that exudes steely menace, although it's obviously influenced by the Lament Configuration, but its promise is squandered and frights are seriously scarce.
Rated 23 Apr 2015
2
21st
Not an ill-conceived film, but one so blatantly derivative that it fails to come into its own. It channels Solaris and Alien, but fails to live up to the cerebral heft or thematic fertility of those movies. The characterizations are thin, the dialogue is terrible, and the effects have aged poorly. The set design is at least impressive, and there's a bit of trashy fun to be had here and there.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
33
4th
There's more fun to be had in trying to name the movies this one rips off than in watching the film itself. ALIEN, ALIENS, HELLRAISER, 2001, THE SHINING, STARGATE, SPHERE (the book), SOLARIS, and countless others too many to name.
Rated 08 Apr 2010
80
76th
Deserved a better director and script. Love the ideas, comes off as kinda silly at times, but enough individually memorable scenes to deserve a high score. Obviously served as an inspiration to the MUCH superior Sunshine, which anyone who has even a modicum of respect for this movie should see.
Rated 02 Jan 2019
75
44th
It gets a bit goofy at times and not all of the vfx hold up, but as 'Alien' clones/sequels go, it's solid enough. Certainly more ambitious than most, even if it doesn't quite hit its mark. The connection to 'Hellraiser' is quite obvious as well, at least visually. Thematically it's not quite as coherent.
Rated 01 Nov 2019
50
22nd
This movie was... all over the place; good, bad, campy serious, funny horrific, a blockbuster, and a low budget movie. It's entertaining with occasional strong moments.
Rated 09 Nov 2019
30
15th
More of a hell movie than a space one. Dumb tropey decisions by the characters considering their mission. Too many fake-outs for my liking. Fav scene: the 2001-esque entrances into the base.
Rated 16 Apr 2020
50
33rd
Under Quarantine Film Reviews #46: Dare I say that Paul W.S. Anderson crafted a fairly decent film? Sure its nothing groundbreaking, but its a very solid B movie boasting great set design, solid characters, and some really good gore. The tension in the first 2 acts more than makeup for the absurd 3rd act.
Rated 22 Oct 2020
30
11th
Alien meets The Shining in this psychological horror sci-fi that wastes a decent cast on an increasingly eye-rolling 'story' that never seems to know where it's going. There's not an original idea in sight, yet the plot tries to mash such a frightening array of 'homages' together that eventually nothing makes sense whatsoever - and not in a good way. It's even difficult to praise the direction/set design as it's so utterly derivative. As rubbish now as when I saw it 20 years ago.
Rated 01 Jan 2021
66
13th
Watching this high was a mistake. A bit too gory for me. After my friend said the phrase 'blood orgy' I couldn't get the idea out of my mind for weeks
Rated 10 Jan 2021
60
37th
Eventful
Rated 26 Apr 2021
100
86th
125/100 https://esperwatchesfilms.tumblr.com/post/649496089545916417/event-horizon-1997
Rated 20 Jun 2021
70
30th
This movie is not very good. I still like it, though.
Rated 09 Aug 2021
44
35th
Host ratings: 67 / 58 / 71. Podcast review link: https://rydeorwrong.podcaster.de/rydeorwrong/folge-014-event-horizon-1997-the-purge-4-the-first-purge/
Rated 16 Nov 2021
70
63rd
Hahaha
Rated 18 Feb 2022
70
36th
I enjoyed parts of Event Horizon but overall it felt hollow. There are so many obvious references to other sci-fi films that you could call this a parody if it was funny. Fishburne and Neill are pretty good the rest of the crew is a mixed bag of bad actors doing well and bad actors being bad. I found the ship very interesting. The horror elements were a welcome surprise. There was a moment at the end of the film where I craved more information, especially when the showed it still intact.
Rated 12 Mar 2022
70
60th
I liked it, great cast, solid sets and spaceships.
Rated 18 Aug 2011
99
99th
absolutely love it. nails the atmosphere through the whole film. it treads camp well without being cheesy, and actually can be qutie scary. a total classic for me, and i make it a point to rewatch it every single year.
Rated 08 Sep 2011
60
46th
Decent movie. It has a good start, despite the strong resemblance to Alien. The end, I dont liked so much, but not enough to be bad.
Rated 19 Jan 2013
42
18th
A bunch of plot holes with some scary scenes mostly taking place in characters' dreams or hallucinations.
Rated 07 Oct 2015
45
27th
Like Alien except slightly better because of the more likable cast. Seriously. (Okay, the finishing stretch of this is really, really bad, but still)
Rated 25 Jul 2007
80
47th
A for concept, A for scares, C for dialogue
Rated 04 Mar 2010
42
43rd
it's got some interesting visuals, but the acting and writing are so bad i couldn't really get past them. i suppose it's a little more creative than your average haunted house movie. not what i would call a horror classic, though.
Rated 30 Aug 2010
75
61st
With Alien (1979) a high bar was set on horror in space for the second half of last century. Now almost forty years on and not many movies have come close to nudging that bar. However, if it weren't for several flaws in execution, I believe Event Horizon in concept made it awfully close and I can't say the same for many recent space horrors, most of which feel like studio cash grabs. At the very least Event Horizon had character and characters.
Rated 13 Jan 2017
85
25th
This starts out as your standard sci-fi movie and then it turns into hellraiser in space. Some of the special effects are dated.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
65
28th
Great sci-fi/horror film. It still creeps me out.
Rated 12 Jun 2016
37
33rd
Effective space horror.
Rated 15 Nov 2012
60
33rd
Watchable but HATED IT!
Rated 30 Apr 2009
87
75th
Some great twisted scenes with a good performance from Sam Neill, but it fails at showing the hell or chaos that was supposed to threaten to consume them. Probably just suffered from a low budget but it has enough scares and cool scenes to make it worth watching.
Rated 17 Aug 2010
98
84th
Fantastic sci-fi horror from Paul W.S. Anderson. Lots of great special effects and action make this fun to watch. Love the cast, especially Sam Neill who is fantastic. Very highly recommended!
Rated 25 Sep 2010
60
26th
A talented cast is mostly wasted on a fuzzy script. One or two scares. Fuck this ship indeed.
Rated 08 Dec 2016
71
52nd
Fantastic production design, and visual great for it's age. Off the cheese counter however, and switching off the logical part of your brain is an absolute prerequisite.
Rated 18 Jan 2009
40
25th
Anderson tries to imitate the sorts of Solyaris, but fails in execution. With Solyaris it was all about the ghost of the past returning to the protagonist. With Event Horizon it's about the ghost of the past returning from behind in jumpy superfast cuts with no apparent logic. I'm sure the director would've wanted this to be seen as symbolic and philosophical, but the poor execution and the use of every cliché in the book makes this impossible.

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