Deep Space

Deep Space

Year: 1988

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: English

Horror

A monster that was secretly engineered and launched into space by government scientists crashes back to Earth, unleashing a killing spree. As the death toll climbs, veteran cop McLemore takes charge, determined to stop the creature and protect the survivors.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Deep Space (1988)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Deep Space (1988). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Los Angeles, Innsmouth Road

The action unfolds across a dense urban landscape centered on Los Angeles. Key locations include the police precinct, the forensics lab, a suburban home, and Innsmouth Road where the first pods are found. The city serves as a fast-paced backdrop that amplifies fear as a mysterious biological threat escapes into civilian life.

🗺️ City 🚨 Police procedural 🧪 Sci‑Fi

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:49

Main Characters – Deep Space (1988)

Meet the key characters of Deep Space (1988), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Dr. Forsyth (James Booth)

Head scientist of the satellite program who initially downplays risk and argues the threat can be contained. He wrestles with ethical implications as the creature’s awakening proves more dangerous than projected.

🧪 Scientist 🧠 Ambitious 🧭 Ethical Dilemma

General Randolph (Norman Burton)

Militarized authority who pushes for rapid destruction of the creature via its remote system. He treats the incident as a high-priority security crisis and clashes with researchers over acceptable risk.

🛡️ Military 🧭 Strategic 🧬 Biosecurity

Det. Ian McLemore (Charles Napier)

Veteran police lieutenant drawn into a dangerous case that suggests government concealment. He pursues leads with determination, often ignoring protocol to protect the public.

🚓 Police 🕵️‍♂️ Investigator 🗺️ Determined

Carla Sandbourn (Ann Turkel)

Newly transferred detective who partners with McLemore. She brings practical resolve to the investigation and quickly becomes involved in the escalating danger.

🕵️‍♀️ Detective 🧭 Ally 🚨 Action

Lady Elaine Wentworth (Julie Newmar)

A mysterious psychic who senses hidden knowledge about the creature’s origin. She communicates through calls and guides the detectives with cryptic insight.

🔮 Psychic 🗣️ Mysterious 🧭 Clue-giver

Jerry Merris (Ron Glass)

McLemore’s partner who becomes entwined in the investigation’s dangerous trajectory. His pod encounter marks one of the early, pivotal deaths.

👥 Partner 🗝️ Victim 🚓 Police

Professor Whately (Fox Harris)

Entomologist who studies the pod-like creatures and the hatching threat. His expertise makes him a key source of scientific knowledge before the danger overwhelms him.

🧬 Entomologist 🧪 Scientist 🧠 Insight

Dr. Rogers (Anthony Eisley)

Forensic examiner who investigates the crime scenes and is violently attacked by the unknown force. His findings hint at the pods’ odd material and extraordinary threat.

🧪 Forensic 🧬 Investigator ⚠️ Victim

Marylyn (Rachel Howard)

A civilian who encounters danger during the creature’s rampage, illustrating how the threat disrupts ordinary life.

👩 Civilian 🛑 Victim 🏙️ Everyday Fear

Jason (Jesse Dabson)

A bystander whose presence underscores the reach of the threat as the creature begins its city-wide escape.

🧒 Bystander 🕯️ Tension 🚨 Risk

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:49

Major Themes – Deep Space (1988)

Explore the central themes of Deep Space (1988), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

👾 Creature

A sentient biological weapon drives the conflict, turning a routine satellite scramble into a city-wide hunt. The creature’s unpredictable aggression exposes flaws in containment and response protocols. The film uses the monster to explore fear, information gaps, and the fragility of safety in an urban setting.

🧬 Bioethics

The satellite-derived threat raises questions about scientific ambition versus public risk. Forsythe’s minimization of danger clashes with military and civilian concerns about consequences if the creature awakens. The narrative frames containment, experimentation, and responsibility as urgent, shared duties.

🚓 Law & Order

Police and military authorities clash with scientists as information is controlled and missions shift from investigation to survival. The pursuit of truth is hindered by cover-ups and bureaucratic inertia, until decisive action comes at a high cost. The story juxtaposes procedural grit with sudden, violent disruption at every turn.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:49

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Explore Movie Threads

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Claustrophobic creature hunt thrillers like Deep Space

A tense race against time to stop a deadly alien threat in a confined setting.Looking for more movies like Deep Space? This list features tense sci-fi horror films where a team must hunt down a deadly alien creature in a confined space. If you enjoyed the fast-paced investigation and survival elements of Deep Space, you'll find similar thrillers here with high stakes and pulpy creature-feature action.

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Narrative Summary

These narratives typically begin with a sudden, violent incursion by an unknown creature. A group is quickly assembled or finds itself trapped, forced to investigate the threat's nature and weaknesses while fending off attacks. The plot follows a linear, urgent path from discovery to a final, explosive confrontation to eliminate the monster.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared atmosphere of paranoid tension and immediate, high-intensity danger. They prioritize a fast-paced, straightforward plot focused on action and survival against a singular monstrous threat, creating a pulpy and suspenseful B-movie vibe.

Movies with government conspiracies and monsters like Deep Space

Uncovering a deadly secret where official lies hide a terrifying scientific creation.If you liked the government conspiracy angle in Deep Space, explore these similar movies where a monstrous threat stems from a secret experiment. These films combine creature-feature action with paranoid thrillers about uncovering a deadly cover-up, perfect for fans of sci-fi horror with a conspiracy twist.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a catastrophic event revealing a creature that was secretly created. The protagonists soon discover they are not just fighting a monster but also a powerful entity that will go to great lengths to silence them and hide its culpability, adding a layer of paranoia to the survival horror.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their core theme of 'scientific hubris' and the paranoia that comes from battling a threat while being actively hindered by a corrupt institution. They blend the visceral fear of a monster with the psychological tension of a conspiracy thriller.

Unlock the Full Story of Deep Space

Don't stop at just watching — explore Deep Space in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Deep Space is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Deep Space Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Deep Space, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Deep Space Summary

Deep Space Timeline

Track the full timeline of Deep Space with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Deep Space Timeline

Deep Space Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Deep Space that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Deep Space Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Deep Space

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Deep Space: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Deep Space

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