Cosmic horror is defined by the terror of the unknowable and the realization that humanity is insignificant in the face of indifferent forces or existential voids. These stories typically bypass standard slasher tropes to explore the psychological erosion that occurs when a character is confronted with forces that exist beyond human comprehension. In the case of Simon’s descent into the crimson depths, the horror stems from the silence of a dead universe and the suggestion that something massive and ancient still lurks in the dark. Now that Iron Lung has brought cosmic horror into the mainstream spotlight, it’s the perfect time to watch other films that have explored these horrifying boundaries of reality and the fragility of the human mind.

1. • The Endless
2. • The Empty Man
3. • Annihilation
4. • Event Horizon