Some movies are tailor-made for the big screen, especially sci-fi movies. While streaming has changed the landscape of cinema, there are still some movies which deserve to be watched on the biggest screen possible. Movie theaters offer an immersive experience that very few people are able to replicate at home. Streaming robs some movies of their scale and spectacle.
Sci-fi movies often rely on eye-popping visuals, which makes them uniquely suited to a big screen experience. Action and horror movies also tend to benefit from being watched in theaters, while some other genres aren’t impacted as severely. Although streaming is more convenient and often much cheaper, it hasn’t been able to replace the feeling of watching a sci-fi masterpiece unfolding in a theater.
Related 10 Best Epic Sci-Fi Movies Of All Time, Ranked
Sci-fi is already one of the most intriguing genres in cinema, but when a sci-fi epic creates a vast world, these films are worth paying attention to.
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10 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Kubrick’s Masterpiece Has More Power On A Big Screen
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9/10 8.2/10 2001: A Space Odyssey
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*Availability in US Director Stanley Kubrick Release Date April 3, 1968 Cast Keir Dullea , Gary Lockwood , William Sylvester , Daniel Richter , Leonard Rossiter , Margaret Tyzack
Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi epic redefined the genre forever. Decades later, there are still movies which take inspiration from 2001: A Space Odyssey, both in terms of its themes and its sweeping visuals. The story stretches from the dawn of man to the limits of the unknowable in outer space. Along the way, Kubrick delivers some of the most iconic sci-fi images ever filmed, including the enigmatic “space baby” ending and the kaleidoscopic wormhole scene.
The other huge bonus of watching
2001
in a movie theater is the impact of the orchestral score.
Those who struggle to get into 2001: A Space Odyssey have cited the movie’s slow pace as a sticking point. This is much easier to forgive when it’s seen on a big screen, as the film takes on an absorbing quality, and the stillness becomes part of the appeal. The other huge bonus of watching 2001 in a movie theater is the impact of the orchestral score, with classical pieces by Richard Strauss and György Ligeti.
9 Gravity (2013)
Gravity Is An Out-And-Out Thriller
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10/10 5/10 Gravity
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*Availability in US Director Alfonso Cuarón Release Date October 3, 2013 Cast Sandra Bullock , George Clooney , Ed Harris , Orto Ignatiussen , Paul Sharma , Amy Warren
Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity is a spacebound spectacle uniquely designed for the big-screen. The fact that it made over $700 million at the box office goes some way to underlining how popular it was at the time, and it was hard to find a review that didn’t refer to the movie’s engulfing atmosphere or its ambitious scope. It may have been released in October, but Gravity has the look and feel of a summer blockbuster.
Alfonso Cuarón’s
Gravity
is a spacebound spectacle uniquely designed for the big-screen.
Although not all astronaut movies should be classified as science-fiction, Gravity has more than enough outlandish spectacle. It has been noted before that if the events of the movie were to ever occur in real life, Dr. Ryan Stone would probably die five times over. However, it’s easy to suspend disbelief when watching Gravity, since Cuarón’s breathtaking direction creates a captivating thriller.
8 Interstellar (2014)
Christopher Nolan’s Movies Are Always Best In Theaters
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7/10 8.1/10 Interstellar
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*Availability in US Director Christopher Nolan Release Date November 7, 2014 Cast Matthew McConaughey , Anne Hathaway , Jessica Chastain , Mackenzie Foy , Ellen Burstyn , Michael Caine , Bill Irwin , Timothée Chalamet , David Oyelowo , John Lithgow
Christopher Nolan’s best movies are all made much better when they are watched on the biggest screen possible. After his explosive Dark Knight trilogy and a string of standalone blockbusters, Nolan proved that he’s the only director working today who could knock a Mission: Impossible movie off of IMAX screens to make way for a three-hour biopic about quantum physics. Oppenheimer would never have gotten the reception it did without movies like Interstellar preceding it.
Interstellar,
like
Tenet
and
Inception,
uses an intriguing sci-fi concept as the framework for some jaw-dropping action scenes.
Interstellar, like Tenet and Inception, uses an intriguing sci-fi concept as the framework for some jaw-dropping action scenes. The story seems to borrow from 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the outer space visuals are just as impressive. The docking sequence sums up Interstellar‘s nail-biting tension. This is best experienced on a big screen, preferably with a sound system that does justice to Hans Zimmer’s score.
7 Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Denis Villeneuve’s Sequel Is Even More Grandiose Than The Original
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8/10 9/10 Blade Runner 2049
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*Availability in US Director Denis Villeneuve Release Date October 6, 2017 Cast Ryan Gosling , Harrison Ford , Jared Leto , Ana De Armas , Robin Wright , Lennie James , Dave Bautista , Carla Juri , Hiam Abbass , Barkhad Abdi , David Dastmalchian , Mackenzie Davis , Sylvia Hoeks
The first Blade Runner has gone down as an undeniable classic of the sci-fi genre, but Denis Villeneuve’s long-gestating sequel is even bolder and more visually captivating. With the benefits of a much larger budget and some more refined filmmaking technology, Villeneuve creates a stunning portrait of a dystopian future. Blade Runner 2049 is a rare example of a “legacy sequel” which stacks up to the original.
With the benefits of a much larger budget and some more refined filmmaking technology, Villeneuve creates a stunning portrait of a dystopian future.
Blade Runner 2049 isn’t the only one of Denis Villeneuve’s movies which is best enjoyed on a big screen. His 2016 sci-fi hit Arrival is similar. Although it doesn’t have any action, a big screen sells the immense, foreboding scale of the movie’s aliens. More recently, his Dune movies have been big box office hits, thanks to a winning combination of epic scale and some explosive fight scenes.
6 Avatar (2009)
James Cameron Is A Master Of Crowdpleasing Blockbusters
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7/10 3/10 Avatar
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*Availability in US Director James Cameron Release Date December 18, 2009 Cast Sam Worthington , Zoe Saldana , Sigourney Weaver , Stephen Lang , Joel David Moore , Giovanni Ribisi
James Cameron is another director whose work is best appreciated on a broad canvas, and this is partly why he has been so consistently successful at the box office throughout his career. Avatar became the highest-grossing movie of all time, and a good deal of its success can be attributed to IMAX and 3D screenings. Avatar is an interesting story about colonization and militarism, but it’s an action-packed spectacle first and foremost.
The
Avatar
movies are at the forefront of cutting-edge CGI, and Cameron has the vision to make the most of the technology.
Avatar: The Way of Water delivered more of the same astonishing visuals, and it too passed $2 billion at the box office. It wouldn’t be a surprise for Avatar: Fire and Ash to do the same. The Avatar movies are at the forefront of cutting-edge CGI, and Cameron has the vision to make the most of the technology. His Pandora is cloaked in mystery, and he fills each scene with curious flourishes of magic.
5 Jurassic Park (1993)
Steven Spielberg Combines Sci-Fi, Action And Horror
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10/10 10/10 Jurassic Park
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*Availability in US Director Steven Spielberg Release Date June 11, 1993 Cast Sam Neill , Laura Dern , Jeff Goldblum , Richard Attenborough , Bob Peck , Martin Ferrero
No matter what genre he is working in, Steven Spielberg often showcases his flair for cinematic spectacle. The king of the summer blockbuster has created some of the most impactful horror and war movies with Jaws and Saving Private Ryan, and his magic touch seems to work especially well in science-fiction. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind are both better in movie theaters, and Jurassic Park may be Spielberg’s greatest example of a big-screen extravaganza.
Jurassic Park
may be Spielberg’s greatest example of a big-screen extravaganza.
As well as being a great sci-fi movie, Jurassic Park has moments of nerve-shredding tension and pulsating action. Spielberg repeatedly dips into his box of tricks and comes up with the goods. For a movie made over 30 years ago, it’s remarkable that the effects for the dinosaurs have aged so well. They still have a seismic impact when they eventually come into view. Although the later movies have had access to more advanced technologies, the Jurassic Park franchise has never recaptured the flair of the original.
4 The Avengers (2012)
With So Many Superhero Shows On Streaming Services, Some Movies Still Require A Big Screen
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7.8/10 The Avengers
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*Availability in US Director Joss Whedon Release Date May 4, 2012 Cast Chris Hemsworth , Mark Ruffalo , Robert Downey Jr. , Scarlett Johansson , Samuel L. Jackson , Stellan Skarsgård , Clark Gregg , Paul Bettany , Cobie Smulders , Tom Hiddleston , Jeremy Renner , Gwyneth Paltrow , Chris Evans Expand
For the past decade or so, superhero movies have always been the big exception to fears of declining box office numbers. With the advent of streaming, audiences still want to see Marvel and DC movies on the biggest screen possible. The first Avengers movie may seem relatively quaint compared to its densely populated sequels, but it’s still one of the finest encapsulations of the superhero genre.
The Avengers
set the tone for many more MCU blockbusters, but few have been able to surpass its quality.
The Avengers set the tone for many more MCU blockbusters, but few have been able to surpass its quality. A lot of this has to do with the layered conflict of the drama, but more so than that, the Battle of New York is one of the best MCU action set pieces of all. As Loki’s army comes to Earth, each hero gets their own moment to shine. It’s a symphony of action that carries even more weight on a big screen.
3 Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Fury Road’s Practical Stunts Deserve A Grand Stage
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9/10 9.3/10 Mad Max: Fury Road
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*Availability in US Director George Miller Release Date May 14, 2015 Cast Tom Hardy , Charlize Theron , Nicholas Hoult , Zoe Kravitz , Hugh Keays-Byrne , Riley Keough , Courtney Eaton , Abbey Lee , Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
George Miller’s triumphant return to the Mad Max franchise created a big-screen show that left his previous movies in the dust. Fury Road is one of the most exhilarating action movies of the 21st century, with a commitment to practical effects and dangerous stunts that gives it a kinetic, weighty feel. Although it’s set in the Mad Max universe, it’s just as effective for audiences who haven’t seen the Mel Gibson movies.
Miller’s depiction of the post-apocalyptic wasteland uses a lot of negative space, but his camera zooms in for the action.
Fury Road combines a compelling personal narrative with some large-scale action. The plot itself is relatively simple, but Fury Road‘s immersive worldbuilding and perfectly choreographed chase scenes mean that there is plenty to enjoy beyond Max Rockatansky’s journey. Miller’s depiction of the post-apocalyptic wasteland uses a lot of negative space, but his camera zooms in for the action.
2 The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix’s Action Has Plenty More Impact On The Big Screen
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9/10 9.3/10 The Matrix
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*Availability in US Director Lana Wachowski , Lilly Wachowski Release Date March 31, 1999 Cast Keanu Reeves , Laurence Fishburne , Carrie-Anne Moss , Hugo Weaving , Gloria Foster , Joe Pantoliano
The Wachowski sisters’ masterpiece remixes old martial arts movies into a wholly original sci-fi action thriller. Many of Neo’s fights have more bone-crunching impact on the big screen, especially those which explore the central premise of The Matrix in new and interesting ways. With The Matrix, the Wachowskis built an ideal playground for them to indulge their flair for action, without needing to worry about things like physics too much.
The Matrix
can still deliver plenty of thrills on a smaller screen, but it reaches another level when it can truly engulf the audience.
Anything is possible in the world of The Matrix, and it’s a joy to see the Wachowskis exploring the boundless potential of their own idea. Their revolutionary “bullet time” sequences and their mastery of snappy wire-fu action break new ground for martial arts movies. The Matrix can still deliver plenty of thrills on a smaller screen, but it reaches another level when it can truly engulf the audience.
1 Alien (1979)
Alien Is Scarier And More Intense When The Audience Has No Distractions
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10/10 10/10 Alien
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*Availability in US Director Ridley Scott Release Date June 22, 1979 Cast Sigourney Weaver , Tom Skerritt , John Hurt , Veronica Cartwright , Harry Dean Stanton , Ian Holm , Yaphet Kotto , Bolaji Badejo
Ridley Scott’s haunted house thriller set on a spaceship has lost none of its fear factor over the decades. Like most horror movies, it has the best chance of sinking its hooks into its audience when given the right conditions, and this means a big screen, and preferably, complete darkness. This makes the dark corners of the Nostromo a little more disturbing and the giant frame of the xenomorph a little more intimidating.
Alien
has some scenes of excruciating tension, and they work best when the audience is completely immersed in the action.
Alien has some scenes of excruciating tension, and they work best when the audience is completely immersed in the action. This has the secondary effect of making the bursts of action pop, like when Ripley flees the Nostromo and has her final battle with the alien. Recently, Alien: Romulus surpassed many of its box office expectations, proving that the franchise still draws audiences to the theaters, even without Scott in the director’s chair.