Science Fiction transports the viewer to a new world of technological possibility, and there are a few sci-fi classics that every movie fan should watch at least once. Since the earliest days of cinema, science fiction has been popular with creators, and filmmakers like Georges Méliès used it to push the burgeoning art of film in new directions.

As a wave of scientific advancements swept the world in the middle of the 20th century, interest in science fiction also skyrocketed. B-movies of the 1950s played on the fears of atomic war, and the unpredictable results of science gone wrong. Alien invaders were also a common trope, and sci-fi had finally broken into the mainstream.

Since then, sci-fi has grown to become one of the most flexible genres in movie history, with nearly every other genre crossing over seamlessly. From sci-fi horror to sci-fi comedy and everything in between, filmmakers continue to experiment with various combinations. This also allows them to invent new film technology so that they can bring their visions to life.

The best science fiction films have a timeless quality because they speak to the human condition. Even though they may be set on an alien world, or a distant future, sci-fi is still about simpler themes at heart. Humanity’s desire for something grander than itself is the key theme of science fiction, and the quintessential films nail that concept.

10

The Thing (1982)

A Sci-Fi Remake With Even More Alien Terror

John Carpenter’s The Thing is a remake of the Howard Hawks film from the ’50s, but it ramps up the terror to unprecedented levels. A cornerstone of the sci-fi horror subgenre, the тιтular extraterrestrial creature ᴀssimilates its prey, which results in some truly harrowing special effects from Rob Bottin. What’s more, the film effectively builds tension in its isolated setting.

Though it might not look like a lot of other classic sci-fi movies, The Thing is the realization of the themes of the 1950’s best sci-fi B-movies. It exploits the fear of the unknown, and the unknowable threats that lurk somewhere out in the universe just waiting to pounce on humanity.

9

Back To The Future (1985)

A Time Travel Comedy That’s Quintessential ’80s

Illustrating the flexibility of sci-fi, Back to the Future is light on science and heavy on laughs. Instead of getting bogged down in the mechanics of its time travel plot, the movie instead delivers a lot of laughs and exciting action, while also benefiting from a dose of ’50s nostalgia too.

Every moment is iconic, and Back to the Future has transcended its genre to become a quintessential part of 1980s popular culture. It spawned a pair of sequels, but the original is the most complete cinematic experience. From its toe-tapping music to its plethora of quotable lines, BTTF is a sci-fi film that nearly every moviegoer will love.

8

War Of The Worlds (1953)

The Best ’50s Alien Invasion Movie

There were a ton of alien invasion movies in the 1950s, but none were as spectacular as War of the Worlds. Adapting the H.G. Wells story, the movie is sH๏τ in beautiful color and has unique alien designs. Unlike a lot of the cheaper alien movies from the era, War of the Worlds has an opulent and expensive look.

The Martian ships are some of the most iconic miniatures in movie history, and the film’s use of color in the design gives them a space-age look that hasn’t been replicated since. Furthermore, the story invests time into its main characters, and their quest to find the Martians’ weakness is actually as exciting to watch as the explosive action scenes.

7

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

A Heartwarming Family Adventure With A Lovable Alien

Unlike most movies which cast aliens as evil invaders, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial offered a rosier view of visitors from outer space. The timeless tale of a lonely young boy and his new alien pal is not just a wonderful science fiction film, but it adds in elements of fantasy and coming-of-age storytelling too.

Steven Spielberg’s deft direction captures the magic and wonder of childhood, and E.T. offers the viewer (young and old) a full range of emotional experiences, from fear to pure joy. Though E.T. is very much a sci-fi film, the message at the heart of the story is without genre, and can be applied to any viewer at any time.

6

Interstellar (2014)

Christopher Nolan Sets The Tone For Modern Sci-Fi

Nailing down modern science fiction is a bit tough, but Christopher Nolan’s Insterstellar is perhaps the greatest example of the genre in the 21st century. Years after space exploration became possible in real life, Interstellar found a way to make the trekking of the stars interesting again. While still grounded in hard sci-fi, there’s also an emotional element.

The movie explores ideas like global environmental destruction, but it also touches on concepts like aging and mortality. With a lot of the low-hanging fruit already plucked by earlier sci-fi movies, Interstellar is a post-modern story that inverts the genre and uses it as a platform to examine heady ideas. Even so, there’s a recognizable humanity to its complex story.

5

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

The Best Star Wars Film Is Also One Of The Best Sci-Fi Movies

After George Lucas captured the world’s imagination with Star Wars, the franchise returned with its first sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. Later subтιтled Episode V, the follow-up had improved special effects and a darker storyline that matured along with the audience. The middle chapter in the original trilogy is really where Star Wars found its footing.

Often considered one of the best sequels of all time, Empire not only managed to improve upon its predecessor, but it helped evolve the science fiction and fantasy genres. Luke, Han, and Leia grew as characters, and there was more depth to the galaxy far, far away. If there’s only time for one Star Wars film, Episode V is the go-to.

4

Metropolis (1927)

The German Silent Film Invented The Language Of Sci-Fi Movies

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of Metropolis, and the 1920s silent film essentially invented the science fiction film genre. Fritz Lang tells the story of class inequality in a so-called utopian city of the future, and the art-deco-inspired visuals are still stunning almost 100 years after the fact. Speculative sci-fi is almost always idealized, but Metropolis has depth.

The movie warns of the dangers of a highly-technological future, and there are also elements of metaphysics too. Maria is one of cinema’s most famous robot characters, and her design inspired imitators like C-3PO from Star Wars. No other sci-fi film is as influential as Metropolis, and every movie made afterward owes a debt of graтιтude to Fritz Lang.

3

Alien (1979)

A Sci-Fi Film That Isn’t For The Faint Of Heart

Though there had been attempts before to meld science fiction and horror together, Alien represents the perfect blending of its two genres. Ridley Scott’s dour vision of space exploration is essentially a capitalistic hellscape that’s run by corporations, and there’s also a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly alien thrown into the mix for added nightmare fuel.

H.R. Giger’s Xenomorph design was a far cry from the little green men of earlier sci-fi, and Alien has body horror elements as the life-cycle of the terrifying creature is shown in gruesome detail. The original inspired a bunch of sequels, but none could capture the claustrophobic horror of the 1979 original.

2

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Stanley Kubrick’s Science Fiction Vision

If Metropolis created the language of sci-fi films, 2001: A Space Odyssey brought the genre into the modern day with stunning clarity. Kubrick’s vision of the future is a surreal adventure into inner and outer space, as the movie draws a line between the origins of man and humanity’s first thrusts into the universe beyond.

Using state-of-the-art visual effects, the film captures the grandeur of space exploration while also warning about the encroachment of technology. What’s more, the final half-hour pushes the boundaries of its genre by adding in complex and mind-bending visuals that challenge the viewer to think about their own humanity. 2001 walked so that movies like Interstellar could run.

1

Blade Runner (1982)

Science Fiction & Film Noir Collide

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner was quite divisive when it debuted in the early ’80s, and the tech-noir film still challenges viewers over 40 years later. With its rain-soaked streets and dark shadows, the movie was clearly inspired by classic film noir, and it tells a similarly complex story the examines the morality of its hard-boiled characters.

The visuals in Blade Runner are what grabs the viewer first, and futuristic Los Angeles is an exaggerated metropolis of neon. However, it’s the movie’s complexity that makes it such a rewatchable film, and the mystery of the androids has teased viewers for decades. Science fiction isn’t always pleasant, and Blade Runner is all about the cinematic experience.