Science fiction is quite simply one of the most popular genres of film that we have. The creation of faraway places and futuristic technology seems to be exactly what the medium of film was designed to create. Sci-fi on film has been around for as long as there have been movies. But which ones are the best? Figuring that out is a nearly impossible task. But, we’re going to try and do it anyway.
If you’re a lover of science fiction in film, there’s a good chance some movies you love are on this list. Perhaps if you’re not as familiar with the genre, this could be a guide, giving you some ideas of where to start a journey into space and time. From all-time classics to modern blockbusters, here’s a look at the 35 sci-fi movies that we think are the best of all time.
The Fifth Element deserves to rank higher imo.
yep. They were robbed.
That’s a pretty good list. I have a few differences in how I look at lists like this, though.
I generally lump major series together, unless there’s a real standout entry or a long series. So I agree with having just Star Trek 2 in it, but think Star Wars 4 and 5 should occupy 1 spot and include ROTJ. For cases like Terminator, where there are a ton of crap movies, I’d put the original and 2 in a single slot.
There are a bunch of classic movies missing, too. Soylent Green, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Forbidden Planet, Metropolis, etc. Personally, I’d have Dark City, The Last Starfighter, Short Circuit, maybe Iron Man, Black Panther, or Age of Ultron (some Marvel entry). A nod to anime should also be in there, even if it’s just Akira. Others I’d might have in there if I ever sat down to rank these things in order: Total Recall, The Running Man, The Lawnmower Man, Cube, THX 1138, The Fly, MiB, Mad Max, The Thing, Close Encounters
Probably not making the list, but noteworthy conceptually: Minority Report, Johnny Mnemonic, Contact, Children of Men, Contact, Donnie Darko, Looper,
If they want to include movies that were great within their times or some specific context, the original animated Transformers was a crazy, but noteworthy departure from the franchise’s previous media. Galaxy Quest and Space Balls aren’t philosophical masterpieces, but definitely high on my list.
For kid friendly stuff, Batteries Not Included, Space Camp, Flight of the Navigator, and E.T.
- Annihilation
- Robocop
- The 5th Element
- Blade Runner 2049
- Troy
- The Abyss
- Inception
- Ex Machina
- Edge of Tomorrow
- Back to the Future
- The Martian
- 12 Monkeys
- The Day the Earth stood still
- Snowpiercer
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- Dune (2021)
- Arrival
- The Terminator
- Wall-E
- Jurassic Park
- Aliens
- Planet of the Apes
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Terminator 2: Judgement Day
- The Thing
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
- E.T.
- Metropolis
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- The Matrix
- Blade Runner
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
- Alien
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
Haha just looked at your comment and was wondering why the hell they would put Troy on this list so had to check the article to verify, Tron definitely makes much more sense, though this list without Starship Troopers somewhere is a travesty
Thanks for clarifying this. That one had me stumped as well.
Well that went well - it’s supposed to count down to 1. Markdown? And this client does not seem to have an edit button. Anyway, you get it, I assume.
This is just ragebait.
Gattaca? Interstellar? District 9? Moon? A Clockwork Orange? Zardoz? Plan 9 from Outer Space?
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No Starship Troopers, no Forbidden Planet…
This list isn’t really complete without them included
That’s like….your opinion man….
Not a single non-US film on the list. Shame!
I have to agree with their #1 pick.
spoiler
2001 - A Space Odyssey
I finally got to see it in the theater and it is a mind blowing experience. The visuals and the sound. I had only ever seen it on a tube tv, and eventually got to see an HD version which blew me away, and then when I saw it in the theater, it was not only the visuals, but the sound. The sound… I can only imagine what it was to see this in the theater when it was originally shown.
