There's something particularly terrifying about a killer that is inhuman, emotionless, and deaf to the pleas for mercy, carrying out their tasks with deadly determination and precision. And considering the machines are created to make human lives easier, the possibility of them turning on their creators is all the more unsettling.
Where there were technological advancements, there were works of fiction about machines gone awry — already in 1927, Fritz Lang's Metropolis featured a robot on a killing spree. And the more reliant humans became on technology, the more real and petrifying was the idea of losing control and being at the mercy of a thing that can't be reasoned with. From possessed, previously-inanimate objects to AIs that became too smart for our own good, these five movies bring to life humans' worst technological nightmares.
The Lift (1983)
Dick Maas' bizarre Dutch mix of horror and science fiction delivers what it says on the package — a killer elevator that was brought to life by a bolt of lightning and went on to eliminate any victim who was unfortunate to ride it or stand nearby. It is later revealed that the lift contains experimental organic cells that developed into human-like organs and turned it sentient. As ridiculous as the plot might sound, this B-movie excellently blends horror and black humor and delivers a surprisingly satisfying experience without excessive gore.
The Lift gained enough popularity to warrant an American remake, once again directed by Maas. The Western version, titled Down and starring James Marshall and Naomi Watts (who would break into stardom a year later with the release of another American remake, The Ring), is much bloodier, lacks the '80s charm of the original, and ultimately failed fans' expectations. When a missile launcher comes into play, it's clear a movie abandons all attempts at subtlety and quiet tension.
Deadly Friend (1986)
Just two years after the release of the iconic A Nightmare on Elm Street, Wes Craven decided to try his hand at a dark sci-fi drama. Deadly Friend follows a young tech prodigy, Paul (Matthew Labyorteaux), who puts a robot chip into a brain-dead girl next door, Samantha (Kirsty Swanson), which leads to her going on a revenge killing spree. Originally, the movie was written as a sci-fi thriller without any graphic scenes and focused on character development and a dark love story. However, Warner Bros. declined the script, demanding more typical-Craven gore. As a result, Deadly Friend sacrificed much of the meaningful dialogues and plot twists that got replaced by violent scenes and nightmare sequences reminiscent of Freddy.
The final movie features one of the most disturbing uses of a basketball in horror history and an outright ridiculous ending, proving Samantha to be more of a robot than a cyborg. Despite its excessive gore and deaths that are more funny than scary, Deadly Friend has its loyal fanbase that even launched an online petition to release the original Director's Cut.
Christine (1983)
When Stephen King and John Carpenter combine their talents, the result is a horror cult classic. Based on King's eponymous novel, Christine follows a classic red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury that has a mind of its own and becomes eerily possessive of its new teenage owner, Arnie. The car methodically eliminates everyone it perceives as Arnie's enemies in increasingly creative ways and mysteriously repairs itself whenever anyone tries to damage it.
The movie is an excellent mix of horror, gore, and action, with a killer oldies soundtrack, impressive practical effects, and a blood-chilling atmosphere. Considering how common it is to humanize a car in real life somewhat (referring to it as 'she') and blame it for accidents, the premise, though far-fetched, weirdly doesn't seem outlandish. There have been many 'killer car' movies since, but Carpenter's Christine forever remains an iconic classic.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi/horror cult classic follows the crew of a spacecraft "Discovery One" bound for Jupiter. The ship's mechanical and life support systems are controlled by HAL 9000, a powerful AI with a human personality. To avoid being disconnected, HAL (who's also skilled at reading lips so can anticipate the crew's actions) calmly and persistently starts eliminating them one by one.
2001: A Space Odyssey is praised for pioneering special effects, accurate depiction of space flight, and a very-Kubrick tense build-up and atmosphere, where music is masterfully used to set the tone and the dialogue is featured sparingly. But it's the sharp intelligence, cold calculation, and dispassionate manner of HAL, with which he carries out his grim task, that make the movie and the villain so unsettling and memorable. While AI-gone-wrong has become a common theme for horror and sci-fi movies, none has come close to Kubrick's masterpiece.
The Terminator (1984)
There's hardly anyone out there who hasn't seen or heard of this James Cameron's epic sci-fi/horror about a cyborg assassin (played by the one-and-only Arnold Schwarzenegger) who is sent back in time to eliminate Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose unborn son will one day lead a human resistance against an evil rogue AI, Skynet. While The Terminator has spawned a massive franchise, the original installment is darker, more suspenseful, and outright horrifying. A relentless killer robot, non-stop action, impressive kills, groundbreaking visual effects, and a time travel twist — it really had it all.
The movie established Schwarzenegger as an ultimate action star, propelled Cameron's director career, and introduced the most iconic catchphrase of them all. While the seventh installment in the franchise hasn't been officially confirmed, fans of the unkillable cyborg wouldn't be surprised to see him back.