Looking for something a bit scarier than Disclosure Day? Check out these horrifying alien movies

Aliens are back in the entertainment news, thanks to Steven Spielberg's latest movie, Disclosure Day. The premise and film's title are taken from the concept of humans learning that there is extraterrestrial life out there in the universe and how that fundamentally changes long-held beliefs, especially religion. Some of Spielberg's most beloved films have dealt with aliens, including E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He also did an adaptation of War of the Worlds that released in 2005 that's much more frightening than his previous alien-based films.

For those looking for alien movies that are more like Spielberg's rendition of War of the Worlds than E.T., we have some recommendations, including where to stream them.

Fire in the Sky (1993)

Fire in the Sky tells the story of the alleged abduction of logger Travis Walton (D.B. Sweeney). After a shift in the Pacific Northwest woods, the logging crew sees a strange light. Despite warnings from his co-workers to leave it alone, Travis exits the truck to inspect the strange occurrence. The light picks him up and throws him to the ground. Panicked, his co-workers drive off, but after they turn around, Travis is gone.

Travis' best friend and co-worker, Mike (Robert Patrick), later picks up Travis by the side of the road after Travis makes a call to the residence from a pay phone. Travis Walton's story is one of the most famous abduction cases, and Fire in the Sky treats it like a straight-up horror movie. This film terrified me as a kid, especially the scenes of Travis laying on a table, with aliens looming over him and experimenting on him. Even thinking about those scenes chill me today.

Fire in the Sky is streaming on MGM+ and available to rent on most major digital platforms.

The Fourth Kind (2009)

Here's another movie that deals with abductions, but unlike Fire in the Sky, and despite the very clever marketing, The Fourth Kind isn't based on a true story. Instead, this movie is shot like a pseudo-documentary about alien abductees and people who go missing in the tiny town of Nome, Alaska. At the beginning of the movie, actress Milla Jovovich even speaks to the audience and tells them that she's playing psychologist Abigal Taylor.

Though this movie isn't based on an actual abduction case like Travis Walton's, the scenes between Jovovich's Abigail Taylor and her patients/abductees are hair-raising. After seeing this movie, you'll never think about owl eyes the same way again.

The Fourth Kind is currently available to rent on most major digital platforms.

Honeymoon (2014)

Leigh Janiak's Honeymoon is a film I still recommend to a lot of people more than a decade after its release. The movie follows newlyweds Bea (Rose Leslie) and Paul (Harry Treadaway) as they travel to a secluded family cabin for their honeymoon. One night, Paul discovers Bea disoriented and wandering in the woods. Was it an alien abduction? It sure seems like it.

Honeymoon works well as a metaphor for a relationship and how well we think we know our partner. As the film goes on, Bea becomes increasingly distant from Paul. This movie also has a heck of a creepy ending.

Honeymoon is available to stream for free on Philo and available to rent or purchase on most major digital platforms.

Alien (1979)

As the tagline for Ridley Scott's masterpiece says, in space, no one can hear you scream. What hasn't already been said about Alien? This is the movie that introduced the world to the terrifying Xenomorph and the badass Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). So much about this film still holds up, including Scott's camera work and the idea that less is often more in terms of the Xenomorph's eventual reveal. There have been so many articles and even academic essays written about this film.

While some fans of the franchise may prefer James Cameron's Aliens more, Alien is a horror movie through and through, while the sequel introduced several action sequences with the marines. Simply put, this first movie is a genre masterpiece, a slasher set in space.

Alien is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu and available to rent on most major digital platforms.

The Thing (1982)

Like Alien, John Carptenter's The Thing is a must-see for every horror fan. It has so many iconic sequences and fantastic practical effects done by Rob Bottin. This movie follows a group of scientists who unearth something sinister in the Arctic ice. The crew soon learns that the alien absorbs and takes over whatever it comes in contact with, sparking paranoia among the all-male team. The movie ends with an unforgettable scene between Kurt Russell's R.J. MacReady and Keith David's Childs.

The Thing is available to rent on most major digital platforms.