Time and again, cinema demonstrates its ability to bring brilliant sci-fi stories to life. These futuristic films have captivated audiences since the early days of Hollywood, and continue to bring in strong numbers at the box office. Compared to classics of the sci-fi genre, contemporary movies aren’t limited by the boundaries that previously defined genres.The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a prime example of how sci-fi has gone mainstream in recent years.
The franchise installments are packed with hyper-advanced technological concepts and inexplicable scientific phenomena. Yet, nobody is quick to label them as overtly sci-fi works. Star Wars is widely accepted as part of the genre, but George Lucas himself has stated that it’s meant to be a space fantasy. Regardless of any conflicting perspectives, there have been many breathtaking sci-fi masterpieces releases over the years that have a clear-cut position in the genre. These masterpieces are just a few among other great works that deserve a watch.
10
Metropolis (1927)
Directed By Fritz Lang
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Metropolis
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Release Date
February 6, 1927
Cast
Alfred Abel
, Gustav Fröhlich
, Rudolf Klein-Rogge
, Fritz Rasp
, Theodor Loos
, Erwin Biswanger
Director
Fritz Lang
When people contemplate what sci-fi films should be considered masterpieces, they often fail to mention the groundbreaking pictures that were released during the earliest days of the genre, like Metropolis. These silent-era movies effectively paved the way for modern cinematic sci-fi and are painfully underrepresented. Fritz Lang’s 1927 German sci-fi Metropolis is an ideal example of such a film, and any fan of the genre shouldn’t pass it up.
Despite being made decades before the invention of computer-generated imagery, Metropolis boasts futuristic visuals with a quality that outshines many modern-day special effects. It is often cited as the most influential sci-fi movie ever, and understandably so. The story imagines a utopia-like city that is powered by workers in the harsh underworld. The worldbuilding is masterfully done, which makes the stylized environment feel larger than life. Although the expressionist themes make the narrative somewhat chaotic, Metropolis was still years ahead of its time.
9
Arrival (2016)
Directed By Denis Villeneuve
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8/10
20
8/10
Arrival
Based on Ted Chiang’s short story “Story of Your Life”, Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival follows Louise Banks (Amy Adams), a linguist brought in to establish a line of communication with an alien species that have recently landed on Earth. With the help of physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), Banks begins to understand more of the aliens’ communications, and it alters her perception of life forevermore.
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Release Date
November 10, 2016
Cast
Michael Stuhlbarg
, Forest Whitaker
, Tzi Ma
, Amy Adams
, Mark O’Brien
, Jeremy Renner
, Nathaly Thibault
Director
Denis Villeneuve
The exploration of extraterrestrial lifeforms has always been a consistent subject-matter for sci-fi movies. However, in nearly every instance of otherworldly contact, it doesn’t bode well for humans. Arrival takes on the gauntlet of cinematic alien portrayals but does so through unexpected avenues. When 12 floating spaceships touch down across the world, linguist Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is tasked with learning how to communicate with their inhabitants.
Arrival is based on the 1998 short story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang.
It turns out that the aliens have good intentions, but their means of expressing it are convoluted. Their species use a form of language that is based on the perception of time, which ultimately influences the linearity of the plot in unsuspecting ways. The film additionally features beautiful landscapes and impactful visuals that utilize object scale. Arrival is easily one of Denis Villeneuve’s best movies and a superbly constructed work of sci-fi.
8
Dark City (1998)
Directed By Alex Proyas
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8.8/10
Dark City
R
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Release Date
February 27, 1998
Runtime
100 minutes
Cast
Rufus Sewell
, William Hurt
, Kiefer Sutherland
, Jennifer Connelly
, Ian Richardson
Director
Alex Proyas
Alex Proyas’ tech-noir Dark City is perhaps one of the most underrated sci-fi film in existence. When it first hit screens in 1998, it was an absolute flop at the worldwide box office, breaking even against a $27 million budget. The movie has gathered a cult following in recent years, which speaks to the high quality of the relatively unknown title. The story follows John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) who deliriously wakes up in a nightmarish city.
In this strange environment, the world is stuck in a perpetual state of darkness, but nobody seems to care. As Murdoch makes his way through the mystical city, he begins to discover the truth about his circumstances, delving into the dark secrets hiding within the shadows. This film stands alone in its ability to create a bleak and mysterious environment that feels tangible. From the set design to the makeup, everything is stylized with tech-noir influences. Dark City’s ending also throws a wrench into supposed truths, changing everything.
7
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)
Directed By Philip Kaufman
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10/10
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
PG
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Release Date
December 22, 1978
Runtime
115 minutes
Cast
Jeff Goldblum
, Donald Sutherland
, Art Hindle
, Veronica Cartwright
, Brooke Adams
, Leonard Nimoy
Director
Philip Kaufman
It’s incredibly rare for film remakes to be well-received, especially if their predecessors are also critically acclaimed. This is not the case for Philip Kaufman’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which turned out to be an exceptional revival of the 1956 original. Audiences are generally divided on the superiority of either version, but both films are perfect sci-fi horror by most measures, exploring societal themes from a sci-fi perspective.
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The premise alone is blood-curdling: life forms from another planet invade Earth and replace humans with synthetic duplicates devoid of emotion. They are virtually identical to their human targets, slowly blending into the public and taking over the world. Thus, there is an omnipresent threat from the get-go that establishes a keen sense of paranoia. The movie excels in nearly every quality but is especially bolstered by the performances of the leading characters. The late Donald Sutherland embodied his role perfectly, and his final distorted scream isn’t easily forgotten.
6
Brazil (1985)
Directed By Terry Gilliam
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Brazil
R
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Release Date
December 18, 1985
Cast
Jonathan Pryce
, Kim Greist
, Robert De Niro
, Katherine Helmond
, Ian Holm
, Bob Hoskins
Director
Terry Gilliam
An Orwellian society is combined with whimsical elements of sci-fi and fantasy to great effect in Brazil. Directed by Terry Gilliam, Brazil imagines a dystopian future in this very scenario, and the results are mind-bending. The dark comedy was first released in 1985 and remains a certified cult classic. In a fever dream-like world, the story follows Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce), a bureaucrat amidst the totalitarian world.
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After physically seeing the woman who repeatedly appears in his daydreams, Lowry’s life gets thrown upside down, and the cruel circumstances of his world slowly come to light. Audiences who are deterred by the excessive absurdity should reconsider its significance. The whimsical, wacky nature is meant to provide commentaries on several concepts, from the implications of dreams to the double-edged sword of rapid technological advancement. Brazil offers an incredibly thought-provoking story and is easily one of the best sci-fi movies of all time.
5
Interstellar (2014)
Directed By Christopher Nolan
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109
8.9/10
Interstellar
PG-13
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Release Date
November 7, 2014
Runtime
169 Minutes
Cast
Matthew McConaughey
, Anne Hathaway
, Jessica Chastain
, Mackenzie Foy
, Ellen Burstyn
, Michael Caine
, Bill Irwin
, Timothée Chalamet
, David Oyelowo
, John Lithgow
Director
Christopher Nolan
Considering Christopher Nolan’s impressive resume of films, the expectations for his 2014 space adventure were through the roof. Unsurprisingly, the fabled director delivered a masterpiece and set an even higher bar for himself. Backed by impressive performances and a stunning soundtrack, Interstellar is a beautifully crafted story that demonstrates how relationships span across different dimensions.
Some of Christopher Nolan’s other films have been in the sci-fi genre, including The Prestige, Inception, and Tenet.
In a world plagued by blight, former NASA pilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is forced to set out into the stars in pursuit of habitable planets. He goes on a journey along the outer edges of the galaxy, unveiling hidden truths about the mechanics of reality. Interstellar is the type of story that leaves a lingering sense of contemplation. The film brilliantly explores familial love through the medium of space and time. Nolan managed to pull it off in style, bringing a breath of fresh air and family-centric storytelling into the genre.
4
Blade Runner (1982)
Directed By Ridley Scott
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12
9.1/10
Blade Runner
R
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Release Date
June 25, 1982
Runtime
117 minutes
Cast
Harrison Ford
, Rutger Hauer
, Sean Young
, Edward James Olmos
, M. Emmet Walsh
, Daryl Hannah
, William Sanderson
, Joe Turkel
Director
Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott’s 1982 neo-noir Blade Runner is a prime example of a poorly received movie that became a classic. After its initial release, the film was a box office failure, garnering a subpar reaction from critics and audiences alike. The slow-burn plot and bleak setting didn’t seem to resonate with viewers of the time. Yet, the melding of sci-fi and neo-noir has aged incredibly well, and it’s now a household name within the genre.
Blade Runner is based on the Phillip K. Dick sci-fi novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which was orginally published in 1968.
The film is a work of art for several reasons, but it especially benefits from the unique incorporation of neo-noir elements within its world-building. Set in a gloomy, dystopian version of LA, the plot follows Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a detective forced to track down Replicants: emotionless droids that are indistinguishable from humans. This sends Deckard down a strange path that forces him to question his past, morals, and own humanity. In a distinctive blend of cyberpunk and noir, Blade Runner exhibits a beautiful sci-fi story from start to finish.
3
Alien (1979)
Directed By Ridley Scott
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15
9.7/10
Alien
R
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Release Date
June 22, 1979
Runtime
117 Minutes
Cast
Sigourney Weaver
, Tom Skerritt
, John Hurt
, Veronica Cartwright
, Harry Dean Stanton
, Ian Holm
, Yaphet Kotto
, Bolaji Badejo
Director
Ridley Scott
The legendary Alien franchise is truly in a league of its own. Serving as the staple of the sci-fi horror genre, these films have grown into a worldwide sensation since the original’s 1979 release. The story was most recently continued in 2024 with Alien: Romulus and more installments are in store for the future. Ridley Scott kicked off the tale of the vicious Xenomorphs with Alien, with the execution of the project proving nearly flawless.
The film demonstrates a massive step forward in the context of cinematic history. Alien managed to blend attributes of horror and sci-fi in a way that had never been seen before. Compared to its action-packed follow-up, the original featured a slow but omnipresent threat from the Xenomorphs. This produced a nightmarish, nail-biting atmosphere that hasn’t been emulated since. Alien additionally represented a groundbreaking moment for special effects. Scott’s incorporation of innovative practical effects gave the Xenomorphs a tangible look that stood the test of time.
2
The Matrix (1999)
Directed By Lana and Lilly Wachowski
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27
9.3/10
The Matrix
R
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Release Date
March 31, 1999
Runtime
136 minutes
Cast
Keanu Reeves
, Laurence Fishburne
, Carrie-Anne Moss
, Hugo Weaving
, Gloria Foster
, Joe Pantoliano
Director
Lana Wachowski
, Lilly Wachowski
When a movie sequentially incorporates a subliminal green tint to match the computer-simulated atmosphere of its world, it’s guaranteed to be something special. Brought to fruition in 1999 by a fully realized Wachowski vision, The Matrix is arguably the most well-rounded sci-fi film ever made. From the glossy black costumes to the green binary code esthetics, The Matrix helped redefine pop-culture in several ways.
|
Films In The Matrix Franchise |
Year Of Release |
|
The Matrix |
1999 |
|
The Animatrix |
2003 |
|
The Matrix Reloaded |
2003 |
|
The Matrix Revolutions |
2003 |
|
The Matrix Resurrections |
2021 |
Truth be told, the film could’ve simply ridden the coattails of its unique premise and been decently successful. Instead, the Wachowskis doubled down, implementing several innovative special effects techniques that took the project to the next level. The most famous of which is known as “bullet time,” a method that involves using a string of cameras that capture an object in succession. This produces a time slice and allows for the mind-bending slow-motion shots featured in the fight scenes. Although The Matrix franchise has grown considerably since 1999, nothing will top the original.
1
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Directed By Stanley Kubrick
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9/10
13
8.5/10
2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey is one of Stanley Kubrick’s most well-known films. A science-fiction epic, the film tells the story of the journey of Discovery One, a spacecraft operated by a group of scientists, astronauts, and a sentient computer, on a mission to Jupiter to investigate a mysterious monolith. Considered one of the greatest films ever made, Kubrick combines sparse dialogue with the heavy use of scoring and ambiguous imagery to create something that eschews conventional filmmaking.
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Release Date
April 3, 1968
Cast
Keir Dullea
, Gary Lockwood
, William Sylvester
, Daniel Richter
, Leonard Rossiter
, Margaret Tyzack
Director
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey often takes the number one position in conversations of the greatest sci-fi film ever made. It’s difficult to initially understand the full meaning behind the movie, considering its slow pacing and intentional vagueness. However, when examined carefully, the genius behind the work becomes crystal clear. It’s nearly impossible to effectively describe the tone that the film evokes. It’s as if the camera is absent altogether, leading to gorgeous realms of possibility.
Although Kubrick makes it clear that the events of the story start and end linearly, they are displayed to the audience through jumps across history. This makes for an irregular narrative that examines humanity’s journey through evolution. The hyperrealistic feel of the set was a product of groundbreaking advancements in special effects. For example, a massive apparatus was constructed for the film that utilized centrifugal force to simulate zero gravity. 2001: A Space Odyssey is truly second to none in quality, is one of Stanley Kubrick’s best movies, and a landmark entry in the sci-fi genre.