If This is the Future, We're Not Interested: 14 Truly Unsettling Sci-Fi Films

These fourteen films will make the future seem more like a cautionary tale than a utopian dream.

Remember, it's all fun and games until the robots start rebelling, or the aliens start controlling us, or... well, you get the idea.

1. Coherence (2013)

Ever been to a dinner party that ended in alternate realities and existential dread? Well, buckle up for Coherence. This low-budget sci-fi thriller tells the story of eight friends at a dinner party, experiencing reality-shattering events due to a comet passing by. The plot spirals into an unsettling exploration of quantum physics and the nature of reality itself. What makes it even creepier? It was mostly improvised. If you thought your last dinner party was stressful, wait until you see this one.

2. Timecrimes (2007)

Spanish filmmaker Nacho Vigalondo's Timecrimes is a spiraling, temporal nightmare that will make you grateful for the linear progression of time. When a man accidentally travels back an hour in time, he sets off a chain of events that is equal parts fascinating and terrifying. The film takes a simple concept, and with a tight budget, turns it into a gripping exploration of cause and effect. By the end, you'll be double-checking your watch and hoping for no glitches in the time-space continuum.

3. Beyond The Black Rainbow (2010)

Beyond The Black Rainbow is like if Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch had a movie baby, and then that baby was raised by Pink Floyd. Set in 1983, it tells the story of a woman with telepathic powers trying to escape from a creepy, futuristic institution. It's a hypnotic, hallucinatory experience that will make your most unsettling dreams seem like episodes of Sesame Street. The retro-futuristic aesthetics and chilling narrative make it a must-watch for any fans of the eerie side of sci-fi.

4. Under the Skin (2013)

Starring Scarlett Johansson as an alien in human form, Under the Skin is not your typical sci-fi movie. This film is a slow burn, mixing realism and surrealism into an unsettling cocktail that you can't quite shake off. Johansson's character lures men into a strange void (yes, you read that right), but it's not just a creepy alien movie. It's a disconcerting study on humanity and isolation. Watch it, and you'll think twice the next time a stranger is unusually friendly.

5. Primer (2004)

Primer is a film that treats its audience like a physics graduate. It's a mind-boggling, labyrinthine tale of two engineers accidentally discovering time travel. It's a scientific and ethical quagmire wrapped in the shell of a low-budget indie film. If you ever wanted to feel like you needed a degree in theoretical physics to understand a movie, this one's for you. Plus, the moral and temporal dilemmas it raises will keep you awake longer than a double espresso shot.

6. Moon (2009)

Moon is a tour de force of Sam Rockwell's acting, coupled with a narrative that probes the unsettling aspects of corporate exploitation and personal identity. It's a space-age Cast Away, but instead of a volleyball, you get clones. Rockwell plays a lunar base operator nearing the end of his three-year stint, only to discover his life is not what it seems. It's an eerie, desolate, and at times, heartbreaking journey that will make you give your Roomba a suspicious side-eye.

7. The Signal (2014)

What starts off as a road trip movie quickly spirals into a full-blown, mind-warping sci-fi nightmare in The Signal. When a group of friends decides to track a mysterious hacker, things take a turn for the disturbingly weird. The film masterfully jumps between genres, lulling you into a false sense of security before pulling the rug out from under you. It's like taking a scenic drive only to end up in the Twilight Zone.

8. Predestination (2014)

Predestination stars Ethan Hawke as a Temporal Agent on his final time-travelling assignment. However, it's not the time travel itself that's unsettling here, it's the film's exploration of predestination, paradox, and identity that'll give you a mental workout. Hawke's journey through time creates a tangled web that even the itsy-bitsy spider would struggle to climb up. It's a film that takes the concept of 'it's complicated' to a whole new level.

9. Possessor (2020)

Possessor is what you'd get if you blended a body-swap comedy with a techno-horror and removed all the comedy. This film follows an assassin who takes control of other people's bodies to execute high-profile targets. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, it's as simple as quantum mechanics taught in Sanskrit. The unsettling exploration of identity and loss of control is enough to make you paranoid about your own body autonomy.

10. Dark City (1998)

No, this isn't a Batman film, but it's just as dark and arguably more disturbing. Dark City presents a world where mysterious beings alter the city and its inhabitants' memories each night. Our protagonist wakes up accused of murder and tries to piece together his fractured memory, questioning the nature of reality. It's like Groundhog Day, but instead of waking up to Sonny and Cher, you get existential dread.

11. Cube (1997)

If you're claustrophobic or don't like puzzles, Cube is your worst nightmare in film form. A group of strangers wakes up in a maze of deadly traps, struggling to navigate their way out. This low-budget Canadian sci-fi flick capitalizes on a simple concept and creates an atmosphere filled with paranoia and impending doom. It's like an escape room, but instead of celebrating with a beer at the end, you're just hoping for the end.

12. Upgrade (2018)

Upgrade tells the story of a man who, after becoming a quadriplegic, gets a chip implanted that allows him to walk again. However, the chip, called STEM, has a mind of its own. Imagine if Siri wasn't just recommending restaurants but controlling your whole body. It's an exhilarating and unsettling romp that will make you rethink that software update you've been ignoring.

13. eXistenZ (1999)

Before Inception made dreams within dreams cool, eXistenZ was delving into layers of reality with a video game twist. A game designer and her security guard go on the run, testing her new virtual reality game. The film blurs the line between reality and the game, leading to a mind-bending, unsettling conclusion. You'll never look at video games the same way again.

14. They Live (1988)

Last, but certainly not least, is They Live. It's John Carpenter's brilliant critique of consumerism, masked as a sci-fi horror. A drifter discovers a pair of sunglasses that allow him to see that aliens are controlling humanity through subliminal messages. It's a chilling commentary on society and a reminder to always question what's in front of us.