We’ve compiled a list of the top science fiction films so you can be sure you’ve watched the best of the genre. Our collection includes everything from clashes with ferocious extraterrestrial animals to gloomy stories of loneliness and meditations on what it means to be human.
It’s almost unfair to label sci-fi a genre because it encompasses practically every other film genre. In a sci-fi scenario, we’ve seen romantic comedies, action flicks, thrillers, horror films, and more. However, sci-fi is frequently more than just a future environment with a few blazing lights. It’s all about delving into the unknown and bringing the audience on a voyage of discovery with you.
The finest sci-fi movies realize that science fiction is most compelling when it offers questions about our future, our past, and who we are as humans.
1. Moon
Moon is a science fiction film about astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) as he nears the conclusion of his three-year mission on the moon mining for Helium-3, a potential solution to Earth’s energy dilemma. But, as he fantasizes about going home, he falls ill and is involved in an accident, which puts him into contact with a younger version of himself.
Moon is a thought-provoking film that focuses on the deeper psychological components of the sci-fi genre as audiences witness a man’s battle to distinguish between the real and the unreal.
2. Ex Machina
Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) wins a sweepstakes to spend a week at the house of Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac), the CEO of the online firm where he works, but not all is as it appears. Caleb finds that the tournament has rules and that he is there for a specific reason: to communicate with Ava (Alicia Vikander), an artificially intelligent robot, and to determine how genuine she is.
Ex Machina is a fantastic glimpse into the potential of artificial intelligence, with little deviation from the storyline as we are stranded in a mountainside lodge, cut off from the rest of the world. This frightening thriller twists and turns around the premise that computers’ self-awareness should not be taken lightly.
3. Ready Player One
Whether you’re a casual playing on AdmiralCasino or a hardcore MMO player you will enjoy this one.
Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi action flick Ready Player One transports viewers to a virtual world and is filled with thrills. The movie, which is set in 2045, follows Wade Watts as he competes to obtain possession of the OASIS, a virtual reality gaming world that has evolved into a haven for humanity.
Wade must work against the clock to win the competition before an evil business can seize control of the OASIS with the aid of his supporters. The sci-fi movie “Ready Player One” is a must-see for all moviegoers who enjoy thrill, suspense, and special effects.
4. Interstellar
The dystopian depiction of life on Earth is a classic sci-fi cliche. Earth has become uninhabitable in Interstellar due to a plague known as ‘the Blight,’ which has ravaged nearly all of the world’s food sources, as well as a Dust Bowl causing a drought. Forced into space, a crew of research astronauts led by Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) must fly across the galaxy through a wormhole to establish a new home for mankind.
This renowned sci-fi film is built on themes of loneliness, isolation, love, and what mankind would do to live if it were on the verge of extinction, according to director Christopher Nolan.
5. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is unlike any other film on our list since it depicts the story of a little kid named Elliott (Henry Thomas) who discovers an extraterrestrial who has become stranded on Earth. E.T. is taken home by his brother and sister, who keep its existence hidden in their suburban California home. Director Steven Spielberg brought space to Earth, encircling it with hope and compassion, and dispelling fears about the possibility of anything other out there.
E.T. will always be a wonderful aspect of sci-fi movie history, shot primarily chronologically to inspire true emotion from the young characters against the backdrop of outstanding music by composer John Williams. With a budget of $10.5 million, it grossed about $800 million at the box office, which is an extraordinary achievement by any measure.
6. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
We couldn’t make a list of the top science fiction films without including at least one Star Wars film. We’ve included an additional explanation in Star Wars movies rated from worst to excellent to support this article
The Empire Strikes Back, the second installment of the original Star Wars trilogy is known for tremendous battles, a famous cinematic narrative twist, and fascinating moments between primary characters Leia and Han. The Empire Strikes Back is praised for its attention to the plot, and it sets a broad scene for the films that follow it.
7. High Life
If its concept – criminals on a spacecraft are speeding into a black hole! – sounds like a lost Michael Bay film, it probably is. The contemplative science fiction film by Claire Denis is anything but; it is more in line with the existentialist sci-fi of the 1970s. One of a number of convicts being utilised as test subjects by Juliette Binoche’s scientist is Robert Pattinson’s character, Monte. It is a psychological journey into the abyss, filled with real dread, unnerving sexuality, nightmare abstract imagery, and superb, intelligent performances, especially from the incomparable Robert Pattinson. Deep, ominous, mature science fiction that prioritises intellectual and emotional struggle above space action.
8. District 9
The sci-fi movie that made Neill Blomkamp famous gives a more literal meaning to the term “illegal immigrants” and strikes a fine mix between serious themes and mech-fueled gravity gun action. The story is around Wikus Van De Merwe, a cowardly bureaucrat who is tasked with evicting extraterrestrial “prawns” from their ghetto in a planet where they had been there for decades after arriving in enormous spacecraft above the skies of Johannesburg. Wikus Van De Merwe is played by Sharlto Copley. His viewpoint completely shifts after he learns about their family, in especially their biotechnology. Although movie is fast-paced and entertaining with certain moments of gut-wrenching bodily horror, the depiction of a segregated South Africa has a deeper significance.