It’s true that plenty of sci-fi movies are more plot-heavy than character-driven, but that doesn’t mean that the best additions to the genre don’t include complex and well-developed characters. However, in most movies, not just speculative fiction, there are sometimes scenes that fit in well with the plot but end up undermining the arc of an otherwise well-written character. Though this doesn’t take away the other moments that exemplify the character’s nuanced and complex emotions and motivation, it does give the viewer pause and make them wonder why these scenes are included.
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Occasionally, these characters’ moments give great sci-fi movies disappointing endings since what happens to the characters is typically the most emotionally compelling piece of a story. Many of these characters are portrayed by brilliant actors who balance the contradictions within their roles and make them work within the narrative. Whether these scenes are throwaway moments meant to be forgotten or were included to help the story make sense, they shift the viewers’ perspective on the characters, which can call the entire narrative into question.
10 Emma Russell – Godzilla: King Of The Monsters (2019)
She sacrifices herself in the final hour
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In the 2019 movie Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Vera Farmiga plays Dr. Emma Russell, the mother of Madison, played by Millie Bobby Brown. Though Emma is smart and positioned as one of the good guys at the start of the film, it soon turns out she’s been double-crossing everyone, including her daughter, and is working for an eco-terrorist organization. While this is a shocking turn of events, it actually makes Emma more interesting and layered. Unfortunately, this is undercut by her change of heart and ultimate death.
Making Emma’s redemption only possible through her death is a bleak message to share with the audience and forces Madison to grapple with losing her mother.
Though Godzilla: King of the Monsters isn’t the best Godzilla movie to watch first to be immersed in the history and lore of the franchise, it is a strong, action-packed movie. Russell is a compelling enough character to make the film worth watching, even though her final sacrifice doesn’t make sense with her character arc. Making Emma’s redemption only possible through her death is a bleak message to share with the audience and forces Madison to grapple with losing her mother.
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5.5/10 Godzilla: King of the Monsters PG-13ThrillerActionHorrorSci-Fi
In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces off against a battery of god-sized monsters known as the Titians. Among these creatures is the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.
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*Availability in US Director Michael Dougherty Release Date May 29, 2019 Studio(s) Legendary Pictures , Toho Writers Michael Dougherty , Zach Shields , Max Borenstein Cast Millie Bobby Brown , Vera Farmiga , Kyle Chandler , O’Shea Jackson Jr. , Bradley Whitford , Randy Havens , Charles Dance , Aisha Hinds , Sally Hawkins , Ken Watanabe , Thomas MIddleditch Runtime 132 Minutes Expand
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Godzilla: The King of the Monsters (2019) |
42% |
83% |
9 Waymond – Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
Though he’s a stand-out character in the film, Waymond doesn’t reach his full potential
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The central family dynamic in Everything Everywhere All At Once is the strongest part of the film, with Evelyn’s (Michelle Yeoh) relationship with her husband and daughter evolving beautifully throughout the story. Of course, since Evelyn is the protagonist, she goes through the most development as the secondary character, especially the sweet pacifist Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), who doesn’t change his belief systems throughout the story. Evelyn has to change the way she views him; he doesn’t need to alter himself.
Waymond’s pivotal moment isn’t so much a scene featuring him so much as a lack of one at the end of the movie between him and his daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu). Joy and Evelyn’s relationship is the most important part of the movie, and Waymond does get an amazing speech before mother and daughter reconcile. However, it would have been interesting to see more between Waymond and Joy or have him further included in the healing done between his wife and daughter. Fortunately, Waymond has a moment to shine, even if it’s slightly undercut in the moments after.
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9.3/10 Everything Everywhere All at Once RAdventureComedyAction
In Everything Everywhere All at Once, a middle-aged laundromat owner (Michelle Yeoh) is distracted from her financial and family issues by a multiversal crisis. With just her husband (Ke Huy Quan) to support her through the confusion, she must contend with her overbearing traditional father (James Hong), a pencil-pushing auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis), and her emotionally-distant daughter (Stephanie Hsu).
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*Availability in US Director Daniel Kwan , Daniel Scheinert Release Date March 25, 2022 Writers Daniel Scheinert , Daniel Kwan Cast Jenny Slate , Ke Huy Quan , Stephanie Hsu , Harry Shum Jr. , Jamie Lee Curtis , James Hong , Michelle Yeoh Runtime 132 minutes
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Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) |
94% |
79% |
Related 20 Best Everything Everywhere All At Once Quotes
Everything Everywhere All At Once is at its core a very emotional film with deep themes of acceptance and understanding, as quoted by its characters.
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8 Doc – Back To The Future (1985)
His decision to rewrite his future is out of character but delivers a happier ending
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Christopher Lloyd is the perfect Doc Brown, the zany scientist who inadvertently sends Marty (Michael J. Fox) to the past and then must help him return home to restore the timeline to its former structure. However, just before Marty’s sent back, he sees Doc get killed by a group of terrorists who he tricked, leaving Marty devastated. As soon as Marty meets the younger Doc, he wants to tell him what happened, but Doc refuses to hear anything about his past self.
Doc is a stubborn and intelligent character who believes in the sanctity of the timeline, making it unlikely he would read the letter for any reason but to further the plot.
Marty ultimately writes him a letter explaining the events of that night, but Doc refuses to read it once again. However, once Marty gets back to his present, Doc reveals he did read the letter and wore a bulletproof vest. In some ways, it was always obvious that Doc wouldn’t die at the end of Back to the Future since this would’ve made the following sequels impossible. However, Doc is a stubborn and intelligent character who believes in the sanctity of the timeline, making it unlikely he would read the letter for any reason but to further the plot.
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24 9.1/10 Back to the Future PGAdventureComedyFamilySci-Fi
Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown. In 1955, he meets his parents when they were his age, and must step in to make sure they wind up together before he gets back to 1985.
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*Availability in US Director Robert Zemeckis Release Date July 3, 1985 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Writers Robert Zemeckis , Bob Gale Cast Claudia Wells , Christopher Lloyd , James Tolkan , Thomas F. Wilson , Michael J. Fox , Wendie Jo Sperber , Crispin Glover , Marc McClure , Lea Thompson Runtime 116 minutes Expand
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Back to the Future (1985) |
93% |
95% |
7 Jake – After Yang (2021)
One of Jake’s off-hand comments undermines the better parts of his character
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After Yang is one of the best recent additions to the sci-fi genre and should be discussed more widely. In After Yang, Colin Farrell leads the movie as Jake in a soft but nuanced performance. Much of After Yang follows Jake trying to help Mika grapple with the death of her android brother, Yang (Justin H. Min), which sparks Jake’s journey to have him repaired to avoid these deeper feelings of grief. Within the futuristic world of After Yang, androids, clones, and other unconventional additions to family units are commonplace.
In a throwaway line, Jake makes a comment about how he’s made uncomfortable by clones because of his neighbor’s clone children, which adds an unexpected layer to Jake’s character. Though it’s clear later that he doesn’t fully mean this, and he forms a bond with a clone, Ada (Haley Lu Richardson), this remark doesn’t fit in with his decisions. It comes off as if Jake is trying to convince himself of his old-fashioned beliefs and roots, as his actions don’t reflect a prejudice of this nature.
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8/10 After Yang PGScience FictionDrama
After Yang is a science fiction drama directed by Kogonada. Set in a near future, the film follows a family’s emotional journey through grief and connection after their robotic child Yang malfunctions. Starring Colin Farrell and Jodie Turner-Smith, the narrative explores themes of memory and the human experience within a technologically advanced society.
Director Kogonada Release Date March 4, 2022 Studio(s) A24 , Cinereach , Per Capita Productions Writers Kogonada Cast Justin H. Min , Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja , Colin Farrell , Jodie Turner-Smith , Haley Lu Richardson Runtime 96 Minutes Expand
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After Yang (2023) |
89% |
68% |
6 Bella Baxter – Poor Things (2023)
Her initial reaction to the poverty and plights of others is the movie’s weakest link
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Though Emma Stone’s portrayal and the character of Bella Baxter as a whole sparked debate about the larger implications of the story, overall, Poor Things is an interesting and complex movie. Visually stunning and brilliantly acted, Poor Things touches upon the search for knowledge inherent to humanity as well as the ability of a woman to move through the world despite the suppression of her independence by the patriarchal society. While Bella’s interactions with the world are truthful on the whole, there’s a moment on the ship that isn’t quite right.
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Bella has already encountered people trying to take away her rights and agency and is smart if sheltered.
She’s exposed to the subjugation of the working class while onboard the cruise liner and is shocked to discover that people are living cruel and unfair lives. Though this is a realization that everyone comes to in their youth, Bella has already encountered people trying to take away her rights and agency and is smart if sheltered. At this point in the story, such a large reaction doesn’t fit with where Bella is in her development, and it doesn’t cement Bella’s role as an intelligent and empathetic person; it slightly combats it.
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7.9/10 Poor Things RComedyRomance Sci-Fi
Poor Things is a sci-fi romance film from The Lobster director Yorgos Lanthimos. The story focuses on the bizarre and fantastical world of Bella Baxter after a scientist named Dr. Godwin Baxter brings her back to life. The film is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray.
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*Availability in US Director Yorgos Lanthimos Release Date September 8, 2023 Studio(s) Film4 , TSG Entertainment , Element Pictures Writers Tony McNamara Cast Emma Stone , Willem Dafoe , Mark Ruffalo , Ramy Youssef , Jerrod Carmichael , Christopher Abbott Runtime 141 Minutes Expand
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Poor Things (2023) |
93% |
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5 Lucy Gray Baird – The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
The fact that Lucy Gray ever trusted Coriolanus is hard to believe
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Rachel Zegler gives a great performance as the kind but fierce Lucy Gray Baird, who falls in love with the treacherous Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth). Though it’s hard to tell what the characters are thinking in the movie adaptation of The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, it’s written from Snow’s perspective in the book, making it obvious from the beginning that all he cares about is himself. While it’s impossible for Lucy to know this, the fact that she places her trust in Snow isn’t the most believable part of her character.
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His manipulation and charm contribute heavily to the fact that Lucy Gray comes around and thinks he could be part of the revolution. However, Lucy Gray is smart, capable, and has a streak of self-preservation, making it a little too optimistic on her part to believe that Snow could change and truly love her. Of course, in the end, she realizes his true nature just in time, which helps to limit the moment she decides to trust him before the games. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping book and movie must avoid these mistakes with Haymitch.
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11 8/10 The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes PG-13ActionAdventureDrama
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel movie set 64 years before the events of the original movie with Katniss Everdeen. The film centers on a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and shows his rise to power as the leader of Panem. Taking place during the 10th Hunger Games, Snow is tasked with mentoring Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the tribute from District 12.
Director Francis Lawrence Release Date November 17, 2023 Studio(s) Color Force , Lionsgate Writers Michael Lesslie , Michael Arndt , Suzanne Collins Cast Tom Blyth , Rachel Zegler , Hunter Schafer , Jason Schwartzman , Peter Dinklage , Josh Andrés , Josh Andrés Rivera , Viola Davis Runtime 157 Minutes Expand
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The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) |
64% |
89% |
4 Sprite – Eternals (2021)
Her character could have been more than her love for Ikaris
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Sprite is one of the most tragic characters in Chloé Zhao’s underrated addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe,Eternals. Played by Lia McHugh, Sprite struggles with the fact that she’s permanently in the body of a child despite being as old as the other Eternals, which plays into the feelings she harbors for Ikaris. However, she has just as much of a connection with Sersi, if not more, and the fact that Sprite chooses to side with Ikaris during the fight to stop the Emergence is shocking.
Fortunately, the end of
Eternals
gives Sprite the best ending out of all the characters, allowing her forgiveness and the ability to move on.
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This choice makes Sprite seem immature and ruled by her emotions, which hasn’t been the case throughout Eternals and makes her seem weaker than she is. Though this decision is clearly fueled by pain, Sersi has been her companion and remained with Sprite over the years. This connection would warrant more loyalty, especially considering how Sprite is shown throughout the narrative. Fortunately, the end of Eternals gives Sprite the best ending out of all the characters, allowing her forgiveness and the ability to move on.
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10 7.1/10 Eternals PG-13SuperheroActionAdventureFantasy
Eternals is the 25th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is part of its fourth phase. Over 500 years ago, when the ten Eternals complete the task given to them by the Celestial Arishem to wipe out the invasive alien species known as Deviants that roam the earth, the group decides to go their separate ways as they find themselves at odds with how to continue their interactions with humanity as they grow and learn. Blending into society, the Eternals continue to live their lives in the modern day until the Deviants emerge again. When one of the Eternals is supposedly slain by a deviant, events are set in motion that will reunite them once again to discover why the Deviants have returned and what the true intentions of the Celestial have been for all these millennia.
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*Availability in US Director Chloé Zhao Release Date November 5, 2021 Studio(s) Disney , Marvel Writers Matthew K. Firpo , Ryan Firpo , Jack Kirby Cast Angelina Jolie , Gemma Chan , Richard Madden , Salma Hayek , Kit Harington , Kumail Nanjiani , Lia McHugh , Brian Tyree Henry Runtime 157 minutes Franchise(s) Eternals , Marvel Cinematic Universe Expand
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Eternals (2021) |
47% |
77% |
3 David – Prometheus (2012)
His motivations throughout the movie only grow more hazy
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As the knowledge-driven android David, Michael Fassbender is at his best in Prometheus, the Alien prequel film that is hard to pin down. Though Prometheus is a polarizing addition to the Alien franchise, it’s interesting when viewed as a standalone film that grapples with the origins of the human species. This puts David in a unique position, as he isn’t human but is learning to have his own desires and emotions throughout the story that end up driving him to commit horrible acts.
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It quickly becomes clear that David is acting out of a thirst for knowledge and experimentation and a complete disregard for human life. However, two conflicting scenes make David’s character difficult to pin down. When he wakes the Engineer and capitulates to Weyland’s desires, it shows him acting with the utmost arrogance, thinking he can understand and communicate with the Engineer. This moment is confusing since David appears to be fighting against his subservient programming and should start acting on his impulses even more, as he is uninterested in the humans’ search for their creator.
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58 8.2/10 Prometheus R Sci-FiHorrorActionAdventureDramaMystery
2012’s Prometheus is the fifth installment in the Alien franchise and was directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, and Guy Pearce, the film acts as a direct prequel to 1979’s Alien.
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*Availability in US Director Ridley Scott Release Date June 8, 2012 Studio(s) 20th Century Writers Jon Spaihts , Damon Lindelof Cast Charlize Theron , Noomi Rapace , Idris Elba , Guy Pearce , Michael Fassbender Runtime 124 Minutes Franchise(s) Alien Expand
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Prometheus (2012) |
73% |
68% |
2 Phil – Groundhog Day (1993)
Phil’s attempts to seduce Rita haven’t aged very well
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Bill Murray leads the cast of Groundhog Day as Phil, the reluctant and mean-spirited weatherman who gets trapped in a time loop. When he’s first trapped, it’s easy to dislike Phil, as he’s unafraid to mess with the townspeople and revel in the fact that his actions have no consequences, which is a strong setup for when he evolves as a person. While most of these hijinxs are played for laughs, the sequences when he’s trying to romance Rita (Andie MacDowell) make it a little more difficult to root for the couple.
Related 25 Cool Time Loop Movies, Ranked
Time loop movies crop up across genres, but the cool ones do the trope with style. Here are some of the coolest time loop movies, ranked.
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Of course, the point of Groundhog Day is that Phil learns to love and appreciate Punxsutawney and becomes a better man throughout the story, and therefore worthy of Rita’s love. However, the fact that Phil resorted to such sleazy methods of seduction for so long diminishes some of the sweetness of their relationship. While this doesn’t ruin the movie or make it less classic, his blatant manipulation is a bit of a step too far in Phil’s harsh characterization.
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9/10 Groundhog Day PGComedyDocumentaryDramaFantasyRomance
In Groundhog Day, the arrogant weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) finds himself living the exact same day over and over for what feels like an eternity. To cope with his curse, he learns a variety of skills in the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and tries to earn the heart of his colleague Rita Hanson (Andie MacDowell) while he adapts to the time loop.
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*Availability in US Director Harold Ramis Release Date February 11, 1993 Studio(s) Columbia Pictures Writers Danny Rubin , Harold Ramis Cast Bill Murray , Andie MacDowell , Chris Elliott , Stephen Tobolowsky , Brian Doyle-Murray , Marita Geraghty Runtime 101 minutes Expand
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Ground Hog Day (1993) |
94% |
88% |
1 Arthur – Inception (2010)
His kiss with Ariadne doesn’t make sense for either of them
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Inception features a great ensemble with Christopher Nolan’s movie cast all doing their part to further the sci-fi story like a well-oiled machine. The characters in Inception work similarly to the device that allows them to enter people’s minds, operating in harmony with precision, which is where Arthur comes in. For most of the film, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character Arthur is a strong foil to Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), keeping him grounded and making sure their heists are foolproof, but this characterization wavers.
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One of the only female characters in the film, Ariadne (Elliot Page), joins Arthur for part of their mission, and he uses this as an opportunity to kiss her under the guise that it will distract their enemies. Of course, this isn’t the case and is just a confusing addition to the already plot-heavy script. Though Ariadne doesn’t seem upset at the kiss, it makes no sense that Arthur would do this, and it doesn’t align with his by-the-book approach to their work, creating an unnecessary element that doesn’t make the audience like him more.
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10 8.3/10 Inception PG-13Adventure Sci-FiThrillerAction
Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan, features a skilled thief who uses dream-sharing technology to steal corporate secrets. He is tasked with planting an idea into a CEO’s mind, while confronting his troubled past, which threatens the mission and his team.
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*Availability in US Director Christopher Nolan Release Date July 16, 2010 Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Christopher Nolan Cast Leonardo DiCaprio , Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Elliot Page , Tom Hardy , Ken Watanabe , Dileep Rao , Cillian Murphy , Tom Berenger , Marion Cotillard , Pete Postlethwaite , Michael Caine , Lukas Haas , Tai-Li Lee , Claire Geare , Magnus Nolan , Taylor Geare , Johnathan Geare , Tohoru Masamune , Yuji Okumoto , Earl Cameron , Ryan Hayward , Miranda Nolan , Russ Fega , Tim Kelleher Runtime 148 minutes Expand
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Inception (2010) |
87% |
91% |