The science fiction genre has been one of the most consistently exciting throughout the history of cinema. The way a visual medium like film depicts future worlds or alternate realities means that almost anything imaginable can be depicted on screen. Since the silent era, filmmakers have been using the medium to their advantage, commenting on humanity’s present and speculating on its future through the science-fiction genre. Countless top sci-fi movies have been released since the birth of cinema as an art form, and in the end, it’s pointless to name every monster.
There are many, and it’s a genre that’s still growing, with new potential classics seemingly emerging every year. Being classics for their entertainment value, outstanding technical merits, and historical significance, the following are among the best and are listed below in order from greatest to most important.
20. ‘Interstellar’ (2014)
While Interstellar isn’t Christopher Nolan’s only great or top sci-fi movie, it may be his most pure sci-fi effort, thanks to the action-heavy nature of the opening and the way Tenet feels like a spy thriller with sci-fi elements. Interstellar is also one of his longest films, making it a true sci-fi epic in every sense.
It focuses on a group of astronauts who explore space through a wormhole, as humanity is in danger on Earth and may need to find a new planet to live on. On the technical side of things, Interstellar is fantastic with stunning visual effects and an outstanding Hans Zimmer score. It’s a long but rewarding film, and unlike some science-fiction films, it has a surprising amount of heartfelt—perhaps even sentimental—feeling.
19. ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ (1978)
It’s rare for an already good film to get a quality or even better remake, but 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of those rare films. It is longer and slightly darker than the 1956 original, although both focus on a unique alien invasion where the invaders have replaced humans with duplicates that mirror the individuals physically, but not emotionally.
It is also notable for having a very strong cast, with top-build Donald Sutherland and featuring a cast of sci-fi genre icons including Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy and a very young Jeff Goldblum. It’s worth taking a look at the original as well, but this might be a case where going second was a bit better.
18. ‘Solaris’ (1972)
One of the best Russian language films – Solaris – was also directed by one of the best Russian filmmakers of all time: Andrei Tarkovsky. It’s a slow and dense sci-fi film about a psychiatrist sent to a space station when everyone aboard falls into an unforgettable state of emotional distress.
Tarkovsky is a filmmaker known for taking his time, so audiences should prepare for Solaris at a fairly methodical pace, to put it mildly. Pacing-wise, it somewhat compares to how 2001: A Space Odyssey feels like a John Wick movie, but patient sci-fi fans will likely be rewarded by the unique atmosphere and deep philosophical questions found in Solaris.
17. ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ (1951)
Unlike the case of Attack of the Body Snatchers, The Day the Earth Stood Still is a classic 1950s sci-fi movie where the original outlasts the remake. Viewers would be better off going back in time – to 1951 rather than 2008 – for this sci-fi tale that follows the arrival of an alien on Earth, accompanied only by a robot, claiming his pass for mankind. There is an important message.
It is interesting for a foreign tour that is not traditionally violent or aggressive, and for topics that can be linked to the Cold War, and the general concern around nuclear weapons. Many science fiction films of the 1950s and 1960s featured such subject matter, but few find it as compelling as The Day the Earth Stood Still.
16. ‘Arrival’ (2016)
Denis Villeneuve was not always closely associated with the sci-fi genre, prior to 2016, he mostly specialized in dramas, psychological thrillers, and crime films. That seems to have changed since his 2016 arrival, as the following year he was behind Blade Runner 2049, and then directed 2021’s Dune as well as the upcoming Dune: Part Two.
Arrival focuses on a mysterious alien craft that lands on Earth, the US military hires a linguist to try and communicate with the creatures, and find out why they’ve left. It’s another “Aliens Coming to Earth” movie that’s definitely not an action movie, instead still using its sci-fi premise to comment on things like grief, belonging, and humanity’s place within the universe.
15. ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ (1982)
Star Trek was a TV series that originally aired in the late 1960s before several films continued the adventures of the original crew, and many other shows and films within the universe followed. The first of these was 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which received a much more action-packed and exciting sequel in 1982 with The Wrath of Khan.
This brings back the titular Khan, who appeared in the original series, only here, he is an even bigger threat to the crew of the USS Enterprise. You don’t have to be a particularly big Star Trek fan to enjoy this classic film, although it does help make the film’s action sequences and emotional moments that much more intense.
14. ‘WALL-E’ (2008)
The sci-fi genre hadn’t been properly explored by Pixar before WALL-E, and it’s also interesting to note how Disney hasn’t tackled it particularly often (watching an animated Disney film in the fantasy genre is normal). WALL-E helped change things, however, by showing that science fiction should be explored more often in big-budget animated films (at least since 2008, in Big Hero 6 and Spider-Man: Into There are others like The Spider-Verse)).
It depicts a future ravaged by out-of-control consumerism and an Earth ravaged by its own inhumanity. It’s not all doom and gloom, thankfully, as the titular robot – programmed to clean up trash – could be the key to restoring Earth to its former glory. It’s funny, engaging, and heartfelt, and explores many interesting science-fiction concepts and themes in a family-friendly way.
13. ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ (2022)
Making history as the first science fiction film to win Best Picture at the Oscars, All At Once is an ambitious and thrilling film. Of course, given its title that promises maximum experience, it would not be correct to call it “just” sci-fi, but it is definitely one of the genres of the film (adventure, action, comedy, and imagination). with drama) more).
Everything Everywhere All At Once explores the idea of the multiverse better than any other top sci-fi movie or TV series, and it includes a plot where a woman – and her alternate self – can be the only ones who find a mysterious can prevent to be from the end of all reality. It is fast-paced, funny, fresh, and exciting, and ranks as the best sci-fi movie of the 20s so far.
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12. ‘A Clockwork Orange’ (1971)
An uncomfortable and terrifying film – despite not belonging to the horror genre – A Clockwork Orange is one of the darkest and most disturbing sci-fi films ever made. It presents a dystopian future where crime is rampant, and those expected to deal with criminal violence resort to equally horrific measures to deal with the problem.
This raises difficult questions about free will, and whether taking it away from someone can be considered an act of violence, even if the aim is to prevent violence. It’s a film that has no side that can be seen as “good”, making it a bleak yet thought-provoking watch, and one that blends the science-fiction and crime genres to thrilling and memorable effects.
11. ‘Back to the Future’ (1985)
Few sci-fi movies are as popular, entertaining, and beloved as the first Back to the Future. The sequels are good in their own way, but the original is far and away the best and has earned its reputation as one of the best time-travel movies of all time.
The plot follows a teenager who accidentally travels 30 years into the past, and there he is distracted by past events in a way that prevents his parents from falling in love with each other. This doesn’t allow him to exist in the future, so he has to love them and then return to his present – or “future” – later. It has aged surprisingly well and remains a compelling 1980s classic that is perhaps impossible to dislike.
10. ‘Godzilla’ (1954)
There have been many wild Godzilla movies released since 1954, though funnily enough, the original is much more down-to-earth and serious-minded. It’s more of a horror/sci-fi than a light-hearted science-fiction/action film, which is a way to categorize many – though not all – of its sequels.
Here, the Titanic Monster is a stand-in for nuclear weapons and they can do a lot of damage. It’s an unexpectedly dark and gloomy start to a series that’s usually a lot of fun, but for being the first Godzilla film – and for being an effective exploration of a serious subject – it’s as sublime and enduring as a classic.
9. ‘Jurassic Park’ (1993)
Blockbusters don’t get much better than the original Jurassic Park. While some of its sequels are fun and perhaps a little too hateful, none come close to the original, which 30 years later still stands as the undisputed king of the dinosaur subgenre within the science-fiction genre.
Like Spielberg’s E.T. About 10 years ago, Jurassic Park’s greatest strength was its simplicity: there’s an island where the dinosaurs have been brought back to life, things go wrong on the island, and the characters have to fight for their lives. It’s its directness and precision that makes it so good, and the fact that most of the effects still look great helps too.
8. ‘The Matrix’ (1999)
The Matrix asks a compelling question through its central premise: What if life is a simulation, and the majority of the population is not aware? This is something the main characters are aware of and fight against, given their mission to free the human population from the enslavement of machines that have trapped the human race in a simulation known as the Matrix.
Since its release, it has become a hugely influential film, and it’s likely that many action and sci-fi films today would look and feel very different if it weren’t for The Matrix. It’s so iconic and embedded in pop culture that praising it seems ultimately redundant, but yes – people shouldn’t take it lightly and forget that it’s the best of the sci-fi genre.
7. ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ (1977)
By 1977, Steven Spielberg had made thrillers, crime films, and a horror/adventure film with Jaws, but Close Encounters of the Third Kind marked the first time a sci-fi film had been made. Since then, it has been a genre he has explored many times, and even into the 21st century, with films such as Minority Report (2002) and Ready Player One (2018).
Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a bit more subdued than his other sci-fi films and is as much a family drama as it is a sci-fi film. It follows a father who becomes obsessed with the idea of a UFO, and the aftermath of his visit. It’s a slow-burn sci-fi film that proves rewarding and easily ranks among Spielberg’s best (and perhaps most underrated).
6. ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ (1991)
While 1984’s The Terminator is a classic in its own right, its 1991 sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, is even better. It amps up the action and suspense and uses its big budget to move away from the horror genre (which the first film explored) and mount even bigger, more explosive set pieces.
While the action is, of course, fun, Terminator 2 also ranks as a classic because the less explosive and more character-focused moments are also great. At its core, it’s a heartwarming story about a young boy who befriends a robot and the things they learn from each other… but he does it with a lot of cool action that’s very good.
5. ‘Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back’ (1980)
Like Terminator 2, the Star Wars series is where the first sequel to the original is arguably the best. Here, it’s The Empire Strikes Back, which builds perfectly on the first film from 1977, and expands the scope of the story while exploring all the main characters in more depth than previously seen in Star Wars.
Since The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars fans have generally been more divided about most of the films and shows, but there is general agreement that at least the first two Star Wars films are classics. Some may prefer the original to The Empire Strikes Back, but the latter hits hard emotionally and makes full use of the sequel’s inherent ability to hit the ground running, delivering big emotions, and great characters. Provides a non-stop ride of growth and spectacular action.
4. ‘Alien’ (1979)
Jaws’ 1979 book Aliens has a surprisingly simple title that tells you everything you need to know in one word. It follows the crew of a spaceship and what happens when they encounter a deadly alien life form that picks off all the crew members one by one.
It’s as much a horror film as it is a sci-fi film, and it excels when judged as part of either genre. Its sense of tension and dread is what makes it remarkably effective as a slow-burn sci-fi/horror film, and it’s not hard to see why this classic film is one of the most recognized sci-fi franchises of all time.
3. ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (1968)
It doesn’t get much more iconic (or often parodied) than the science-fiction classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is a film about evolution, humanity’s relationship with technology, and space travel, among other things. 2001: A Space Odyssey also travels through time, looking first to the past, then to what was believed to be the future in 1968, and then to the horizon in an extreme finale that may hint at humanity’s possible distant future.
This is a film that tries to include almost everything and does so while taking its time. It’s surprising that it all comes together so well, but this is a movie that’s notorious for taking a few scenes to get one’s head (not that that’s a bad thing). Its ambition, many iconic scenes, and special effects that still look extraordinary 50+ years on make it an undeniable classic of the sci-fi genre.
2. ‘Blade Runner’ (1982)
Just three years after Alien, Ridley Scott directed another science-fiction classic, very different, but arguably just as great. That film was 1982’s Blade Runner, and while it wasn’t beloved upon release, the time has been kind to it (and it helps that it’s an alternate-cut film that’s considered better than the original theatrical version).
It follows a man who is instructed to kill a group of bio-engineered replicants who have gone rogue, and as such, are seen as a threat to humans. Through its simple premise, it explores a range of themes around identity, class, and what makes one human, and an impossible-to-forget score by the late Vangelis makes for a beautiful sight to behold.
1. ‘Metropolis’ (1927)
It’s amazing to think that the definitive science-fiction film was almost lost in time, yet thankfully it now exists in a 99% complete format. That film is the 1927 silent epic Metropolis, which tells a timeless story about class warfare, revolution, and what it will take for humanity to stop being at war with itself as the years go by.
Being set in the titular metropolis, it manages to depict both a utopian society and an underground/dystopian one at the same time, noting that it is the workers who run the city, but only the wealthy capitalists who benefit from it. It was not the first sci-fi film, but it was the first masterful film, and its influence can be felt in most of the sci-fi films that followed. For its cinematic impact, surprisingly relatable narrative, creative special effects, and pacing that still feels efficient and brisk, Metropolis is arguably the best science-fiction film of all time.
